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Obama for America

"Steel" +
2:00 ad run on May 15, 2012 in CO, IA, OH, PA and VA. 

[Music]

Joe Soptic, Steelworker: I was a steelworker for 30 years. We had a reputation for quality products. It was something that was American-made. And we weren’t rich, but I was able to put my daughter through college.

John Wiseman, Steelworker: Having a good-paying job that you can support and raise a family on is hugely important.

Joe Soptic, Steelworker: That stopped with the sale of the plant to Bain Capital.

Romney: I know how business works. I know why jobs come and why they go.

David Foster, Lead negotiator for workers at GST Steel: Bain Capital was the majority owner. They were responsible. Mitt Romney was deeply involved in the influence that he exercised over these companies.

Joe Soptic, Steelworker: They made as much money off it as they could. And they closed it down, they filed for bankruptcy without any concern for the families or the communities.

Jack Cobb, Steelworker: It was like a vampire. They came in and sucked the life out of us.

Joe Soptic, Steelworker: It was like watching an old friend bleed to death.

Romney: As I look around at the millions of Americans without work, it breaks my heart.

John Wiseman, Steelworker: Bain Capital sought elimination of the pension plan and termination of employee and retiree life insurance and health insurance.

Joe Soptic, Steelworker: I was devastated. It makes me angry. Those guys were all rich, they all had more money than they’ll ever spend, yet they didn’t have the money to take care of the very people that made the money for them.

John Wiseman, Steelworker: Bain Capital walked away with a lot of money that they made off of this plant. We view Mitt Romney as a job destroyer.

Jack Cobb, Steelworker: To get up on national TV and brag about making jobs when he has destroyed thousands of people’s careers, lifetimes, just destroying people.

Joe Soptic, Steelworker: He’s running for president, and if he’s going to run the country the way he ran our business, I wouldn’t want him there. He would be so out of touch with the average person in this country, how could you care? How could you care for the average working person if you feel that way?

Obama (voiceover): I’m Barack Obama, and I approve this message.

Notes: ABC News' Devin Dwyer reported that this ad, announced on May 14, would "air just once in targeted markets during the evening news on Wednesday." Despited the limited buy, the ad was part of a larger effort that included a six-minute video and a web page.  According to the New York Times' Jeremy W. Peters (May 23) the campaign made a second, small buy in Ohio from May 22-25, and planned an additional round; Peters also reported that there was 60-second version of the ad.