Obama campaign accuses Romney of ‘Cold War mentality’

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President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign is highlighting recent comments made by Mitt Romney’s top foreign policy advisor, claiming it is evidence of the Republican candidate’s “Cold War mentality.”

During a forum at the Brookings Institution on Wednesday, Romney’s senior foreign policy advisor Richard Williamson said that Syria was strategically important to the “Soviet Union.” Williamson’s gaffe was quickly clipped and uploaded to YouTube by Democrats, who were eager to share it.

“Leading means engaging an issue like Syria,” Williamson said, “one that is according to the STratCom commander the biggest strategic blow we could give to Iran is if Assad leaves. It is strategically important to the Soviet Union, to say nothing of the humanitarian crisis.”

The Obama campaign previously accused Romney of having a Cold War mentality after he said Russia was America’s “number one geopolitical foe.” Romney later defended his remarks, saying that Russia pursues “a course which is antithetical to the interests of our nation.”

“He acts like he thinks the Cold War’s still on,” Biden said in response. “I don’t know where he’s been.”

“Well I think on several fronts, first of all Governor Romney certainly has a Cold War mentality as you heard in that discussion over Russia but the fact is that he’s made clear that he would have left our troops indefinitely in Iraq, ten to thirty thousand troops,” President Obama’s campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt added.

Watch video, uploaded to YouTube by DemRapidResponse, below: