Romney says Democratic ad isn't appropriate

PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) -- Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Thursday indirectly criticized a Democratic television ad that suggests he doesn't care about the plight of an uninsured cancer sufferer. His campaign released a new campaign commercial questioning President Barack Obama's values.

Romney charged that ads being by an independent, pro-Obama group have crossed the boundaries of appropriate campaign rhetoric.

"I don't know what happened to a campaign of hope and change. I thought he was a new kind of politician," Romney said, alluding to Obama's previous campaign slogan during an interview on Bill Bennett's radio program, "Morning in America."

The Democratic group Priorities USA Action is airing a TV ad featuring a man whose wife died of cancer after he was laid off from his job and they both lost their health insurance. Joe Soptic lost his job after the company he worked for was bought by the private equity firm that Romney once ran.

"I do not think Mitt Romney realizes what he's done to anyone, and furthermore I do not think Mitt Romney is concerned," Soptic says in the commercial.

Also Thursday, Romney and the Republican National Committee released a new ad accusing Obama of declaring war on religion.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)