President Obama's campaign has signaled that it considers Bain Capital, the controversial private equity fund founded by Mitt Romney, fair game for hard-hitting attacks all the way through November. And while an arguably wounded Romney has received support from unexpected quarters, including some high-profile Obama allies, his own campaign "has yet to shape a playbook to defend" his business record, which constitutes the "core of his presidential candidacy," says Steve Peoples of the Associated Press. As the campaign heats up, Romney is coming under increasing pressure to craft a reliable defense strategy. What should he do?
Romney has to actively paint Bain more favorably: "Romney's challenge will be to show Bain in a good light," says Ford O'Connell at U.S. News & World Report. Obama will keep attacking Bain as a profit-hungry buyout company that fires workers left and right, and Romney as a "heartless corporate raider." Romney must start showcasing "companies such as Staples, where Bain's work has led to tens of thousands of jobs." It's not enough to brush off Obama's attacks. Romney will "have to make the case Bain that has created far more jobs than it has lost."
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