Obama, Romney return to political sparring

Associated Press

RENO, Nev.

Their goodwill moment gone, President Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney plunged back into their acrimonious political campaign Monday, Obama doubting Romney’s readiness to be commander in chief, Romney accusing the president’s team of offering “almost all attack ads.”

Days after the Colorado movie massacre brought reflection and talk of national unity from both camps, the fight was on again.

Foreign affairs made a rare move to the fore of the campaign as Republican Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, readied for a closely watched trip overseas. Obama, meanwhile, told a military audience that he was the only one in the race with a record, not just words, on international matters as he sought to undercut Romney’s travels before they began.

Both White House contenders are trying to gain the military vote. In the 2008 election, 54 percent of those who said they had served in the military voted for Sen. John McCain, himself a veteran, to 44 percent for Obama, according to exit polls.

More broadly, both sides ended what had been a weekend of political truce in deference to grieving families and victims of the shooting. Obama and Romney returned to raising millions of dollars and taking jabs at each other over jobs, leadership and security.

Both saw little time to waste in a tight, bruising race — and saw little need to apologize for any tactics.