Obama: 'I am a huge Clint Eastwood fan'

Obama’s out with a new ad, hitting Romney on his tax plan. Here’s the script: “The middle class is carrying a heavy load in America, but Mitt Romney doesn’t see it. Under the Romney plan, a middle-class family will pay an average of up to $2,000 more a year in taxes, while at the same time, giving multi-millionaires like himself a $250,000 tax cut. So, Romney hits the middle class harder and gives millionaires an even bigger break. Is that the way forward for America?”

“President Obama wants to make it clear that, in his own words, ‘I am a huge Clint Eastwood fan.’ ‘He is a great actor, and an even better director,’ the president said in an interview with USA Todayaboard Air Force One, on his way to campaign rallies in Iowa Saturday. ‘I think the last few movies that he's made have been terrific.’” And: “Was he offended? ‘One thing about being president or running for president — if you're easily offended, you should probably choose another profession.’ Obama said with a smile.” At the DNC, "I think we'll be playing this pretty straight," Obama said.

“National political conventions used to be about just two things: Nominate a presidential ticket, then sell it to the American electorate with a big TV show,” the Charlotte Observer writes. “This year, there’s a third goal: Win North Carolina’s 15 electoral votes – and perhaps a second term in the White House – by using the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte as a campaign organizing tool.”