Bellow the orange squigly are Obama's leaked remarks on Romney. Bold added by me.*
Too often in politics are lines blurred and intentions hidden. Tonight I am going to try something new. I will be attacked from the right for this, and will upset many on the left. The time is now for a little honesty in politics. Americans are watching this debate at home tonight, and they want to know what is the difference between me and Mr. Romney. Are we just two sides of the same coin? Are we two politicians stuck in a system that will give you the same results, no matter who you vote for? Tonight, I hope to clear things up for you.
As most of you know, I didn't have the best debate performance last time. (pause for laughter) People said I wasn't interested, or I didn't care. But I will tell you why I debated the way I did. I was tired. I was tired. In my debate prep I tried my best to prepare to debate Mr. Romney. But the problem was, which Mitt would I be debating? Was it the Mitt who stood strong for Gay Rights and Abortion Rights as a Massachusetts Moderate? Or was it the far-right Mitt we saw this year during the Republican Primary? Now you'd think, it wouldn't be so hard to prepare for two sides of every issue, but there are a lot more than two sides of Mitt. Would I be debating the Mitt from last month or this month? The Mitt from last week, or this week? Would I be debating the Mitt from the morning of the debate, or the Mitt from the afternoon? You never know which Mitt you're gonna get! The reason I performed the way I did, is because I was tired. Tired of trying to find out which Mitt would show up that night.
And that brings my to my bigger point. I am going to speak to you like adults, and in language that adults use. The time for blurring the lines is over. I speak to you tonight, the American people, as someone who is tired. Someone who has stood by too long as my opponent has taken every side of every issue. So let me say this to you tonight. Mitt Romney is a liar. When he changes his positions daily, he is lying to me, and he is lying to you. I am tired of it. I am tired of dancing around the issue and I am tired of being politically correct. The public deserves honesty, so I am telling you what I really think of the man standing beside me. I am not afraid to say it, and I stand by it one hundred percent.
Now Mr. Romney and his camp are going to throw everything at me from now on. Accuse me of being negative, of being desperate. But you know what? They are wrong. All I can be accused of, is being honest. Enough of the smoke and mirrors. My opponent will tell any lie he can in order to get elected. He has changed his positions each time he has ran for public office. While I admit, I have evolved on a few things, Mr. Romney has crafted every idea- with intelligent design. Each idea designed to get as many votes as possible, regardless of his actual beliefs on the issue. He is an opportunist, and he is good at what he does.
Now I don't ask you to take my word on this. Examine his words. Don't trust the man standing next to me tonight, because he is not the same man who stood next to me at the last debate. I have no doubts that Mr. Romney is a great man in his personal life, but when it comes to his dealings with the American Public, he has been anything but honest.
You will undoubtedly be surprised by my candor, and direct words. But I want you to ignore those who will say I was rude, or out of line tonight. I am being honest, and I always have been. You may not agree with me on everything, or anything, but you know that when I speak I am telling the truth. Americans deserve a president who respects their intelligence enough to tell them the truth, even if it hurts a little.
*I hope its clear this is obviously satire. I wish these were words the President would speak. I know they are strong and direct, and would rub many the wrong way. But I think many more people would respect a politician who told it to them straight, and said what they really thought.