Romney Blames Obama for Possible Defense Cuts

Pandering for votes in Virginia

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, lagging behind in polls, squared off against rival President Barack Obama on Thursday over potential defense cuts that could kick in early next year.

Speaking in the suburbs of Washington which are home to thousands of defense jobs, Romney blamed Obama for the proposed $1.2 trillion that is set to be cut from Pentagon spending as part of a deal Obama made with Congress in the summer of 2011.

Known as "sequestration," the mandatory cuts in defense and other areas were agreed on by the White House and Republicans in Congress last year in a deal to raise the U.S. debt ceiling.