Romney rolls out swing state ad blitz

ABOARD MITT ROMNEY'S CAMPAIGN PLANE — Republican nominee Mitt Romney began blanketing US election battlegrounds Friday with an ad blitz reminding voters that swing states are not better off under President Barack Obama.

The campaign announced 15 separate but similarly-themed ads that begin airing across eight states including North Carolina, where Obama accepted his Democratic Party's presidential nomination Thursday and laid out a blueprint for turning the American economy around.

The ad series is the first major use of a vast general election campaign warchest that Romney amassed in recent months but had been unable to spend until his nomination last week by the Republican Party.

The campaign would not discuss the cost of the ad buy.

"Here in North Carolina, we are not better off under President Obama," said the voice-over in one of the ads.

"His failed economic and trade policies with China have destroyed thousands of jobs. The Romney plan? Stand up to China, reverse Obama job killing policies, and create over 350,000 new jobs for North Carolina."

Spots tailored to each state are running in Iowa, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio and Virginia.

Romney was headed to Iowa Friday as he returns to the campaign trail after three days of debate preparation.

The campaigns are locked in a neck-and-neck race for the White House in the November 6 elections, and each has unfurled several negative ads attacking the other.

Obama took a swipe at Romney Thursday on a conference call with supporters, saying "the other side is preparing to unleash just a barrage of negative ads. They're getting massive checks from wealthy donors."

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