Obama, Romney Verbally Spar in Ohio

President Barack Obama is accusing Republican Mitt Romney of showing "newfound outrage" on cracking down on China, saying his rival's approach is "just not credible."

Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

Speaking in Ohio, Obama says that Romney's approach, quote, "feels like that fox saying, `you know we need more secure chicken coops.' It's just not credible." The president is also charging Romney with profiting from companies that shipped jobs to China.

Obama and Romney are both in Ohio, where they have tangled over which man would best prevent manufacturing jobs from being shipped to China. Romney has said he would tag the Asian powerhouse as a currency manipulator.

Obama's campaign says the president has brought more trade cases against China in one term than President George W. Bush did in two.

Meanwhile, Romney is pointing to his Massachusetts health care law as evidence that he has empathy for ordinary Americans.

Romney usually avoids talking about the health care law he championed as Massachusetts governor because President Barack Obama cites it as the basis of his own federal health care law. Republicans reject what they call "Obamacare" as a costly government takeover.

Campaigning in Ohio on Wednesday, Romney told NBC News that he understands Americans' lives and the challenges they face. In citing the Massachusetts health care law, he said, "Don't forget, I got everybody in my state insured."

Liberals tend to favor universal health care while conservatives tend to oppose it.

While Romney has vowed to repeal and replace Obamacare, he has not offered specifics for replacement legislation.