Mitt Romney (Courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Creative Commons)

During his most recent critique of President Obama, GOP nominee Mitt Romney accused the president of "gutting" federal mandates that require those on welfare to look for work, thereby "encouraging a culture of dependency."

Romney didn't entirely bash the Democratic Party though, changing course during his speech in Elk Grove Village, Ill., to praise former President Bill Clinton. The Wall Street Journal noted that his praise of Clinton was likely Romney's desire to be seen as a bi-partisan problem solver:

• “That was a great accomplishment,” Mr. Romney said of bipartisan efforts [by Bill Clinton] to overhaul federal welfare programs in the mid-1990s. “I hope you understand that President Obama, in just the last few days, has tried to reverse that accomplishment by taking the work requirement out of welfare. That is wrong. If I'm president, I'll put work back in welfare."

The Obama campaign responded by accusing Romney of being untruthful and hypocritical, according to The L.A. Times:

• "As governor, Mitt Romney petitioned the federal government for waivers that would have let people stay on welfare for an indefinite period, ending welfare reform as we know it, and even created a program that handed out free cars to welfare recipients," said Obama spokeswoman Lis Smith. "These false and extremely hypocritical attacks demonstrate how Mitt Romney lacks the core strength and principles the nation needs in a president."

Find more Neon Tommy coverage on the 2012 Presidential Election Campaign here.

Reach Executive Producer Paige Brettingen here.