CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Obama: GOP Candidates Identical

In interview with ‘60 Minutes.’

The president came out swinging on national television. In an interview on 60 Minutes Sunday, Obama said that when he started in 2008, he thought Republicans would put aside differences and work to better the country. Instead, he said that the GOP changed their mind: “I think the Republicans made a different calculation, which was, ‘You know what? We really screwed up the economy. Obama seems popular. Our best bet is to stand on the sidelines, because we think the economy’s going to get worse, and at some point, just blame him,” Obama said. As for the 2012 GOP candidates, he said Gingrich has “been around a long time” and is good on television and debates, and Romney is good politician. But in the end, it doesn’t matter who the nominee is—Obama says that the candidates are all expressing the same core philosophy.