Hillary Clinton takes shot at Mitt Romney

Hillary Clinton took a veiled shot at 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney on Thursday over the auto rescue. 

Campaigning in Michigan, Clinton made reference to Romney’s infamous op-ed titled “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt,” opposing the government rescue of the auto industry in 2009. 

{mosads}Clinton made the reference while campaigning for Rep. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), who is running for the Senate, and former Rep. Mark Schauer (D-Mich.), who is running for governor. 

“They could take the safe way, they could line up with those saying ‘Let Detroit go bankrupt,’ let manufacturing just wither away,” Clinton said. “They could be on the side of those who criticized what they called Government Motors, but remember there are people, not to name names, running for these two jobs right now who were saying just that.”

Gov. Rick Snyder (R), running for reelection against Schauer, has been supportive of the auto rescue, while adding he would have done it with some “differences.”

PolitiFact rated Republican Senate nominee Terri Lynn Land with a “full flop” for opposing the bailout and then later supporting it. 

It is notable that Clinton took the shot at Romney because she has been avoiding calling out Republican opponents specifically. She did not name Snyder or Land, and on Wednesday in Kentucky did not name Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

There has been buzz that Romney could run again in 2016, which would make him a possible opponent of Clinton in the general election. Romney has hinted at a possible run but has not commented definitely one way or the other. 

Pointing to the return of the auto industry and Romney’s opposition to government help was a key theme of President Obama’s 2012 campaign. 

Clinton had tough words for opponents of the auto rescue. 

“You can vote for the people who stuck with you, or you can vote for the people who were willing to cut you loose and let you just drift away,” she said. 

She lauded the return of the American auto industry, but acknowledged that there is more progress to be made on the economy in Michigan as well. 

“Here in Michigan you can see there is clearly more work to be done because we want every family to feel the rewards of recovery, that’s why this election is so important,” she said.

Clinton has been ramping up her midterm campaigning, a classic preliminary step to a presidential campaign. She spoke for Democratic nominee Alison Lundergan Grimes in Kentucky on Wednesday, and made her first stop at rally last Thursday, for Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf. 

In Michigan, the Senate race is not one of the closest in the country, as Peters has had comfortable leads in the polls.