Romney Hits Obama Over Welfare Reform

Romney's campaign has accused the President of changing welfare requirements while Obama claims the move gives more power to states.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Mitt Romney is making a new push to cast President Barack Obama as a big government liberal, accusing him of dismantling welfare reform, while Democrats renew efforts to paint Romney as a profit-driven businessman.

The Romney campaign released a new television ad Tuesday bashing Obama for his decision last month to change the welfare requirements. The White House said Obama wanted to give states the flexibility they had been seeking to tailor the program to their needs.

But some conservatives fear the increased latitude could allow states to get around the work requirements, which were a key element of the welfare overhaul legislation that President Bill Clinton signed into law in 1996.