Romney’s campaign bus — adorned with the words “Conservative. Businessman. Leader” today repeatedly honked at and took several laps around a group of Obama supporters before a campaign speech to be given by President Obama in Cleveland today, according to a tweet by CBS White House correspondent Mark Knoller.
Romney even moved his speech up to precede Obama’s speech. Obama is set to address the event at 1:45 p.m. ET, while Romney moved his planned 1:50 p.m. speech up to 1:30 p.m., getting a head start on the president.
This isn’t the first time the Romney team has antagonized Obama campaign events. In Massachusetts last month, Romney supporters greeted Obama senior adviser David Axelrod at a campaign event by shouting and blowing bubbles at those in attendance.
Romney Campaign bus - emblazoned with Romney Campaign logo - is driving around Pres Obama’s speech site honking its horn.— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) June 14, 2012
The Romney bus is now circling the event space and honking. Obama supporters in line jeer.— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) June 14, 2012
At the time, Axelrod laughed off the interruption as the “great pageant of democracy.”
Watch the video:
Update:
The Obama campaign responds:
“Campaigns are a reflection of their candidates, and let’s remember that Mitt Romney himself encouraged his campaign to engage in heckling just a few weeks ago,” said Danny Kanner, an Obama campaign spokesman in an emailed statement, adding that “the American people deserve better than antics that are more at home in a second grade classroom than in a presidential campaign.”
Benjy Sarlin contributed to this report.
Igor Bobic
Igor Bobic is the assistant editor of Talking Points Memo, helping oversee the site's coverage of politics and policy in Washington. While originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Igor feels best at home on the beaches of Southern California. He can be reached at igor@talkingpointsmemo.com.
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