GOP reviews turning negative on Romney's campaign

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, center, make an unscheduled stop at a Chipotle restaurant in Denver, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

By DAVID ESPO

AP Special Correspondent / October 3, 2012

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In North Dakota, Rep. Rick Berg, also running for the Senate, promises in an ad he will ‘‘serve as a check on Obama’s failed policies’’ by fighting to repeal Obamacare, reduce government regulation and scale back the debt.

Both men are favored to win their races, taking place in states that Romney is expected to carry.

Nervousness first surfaced publicly among Republican Senate candidates two weeks ago, with the disclosure of a video of Romney saying 47 percent of Americans pay no income taxes and a like percentage view themselves as victims who are entitled to government benefits. As a candidate, he said, ‘‘my job is not to worry’’ about them.

Linda McMahon, making a second try for a Senate seat from Connecticut, quickly expressed a different opinion. ‘‘I disagree with Governor Romney’s insinuation that 47 percent of Americans believe they are victims who must depend on the government for their care,’’ she said in a statement released by her campaign.

Appointed Sen. Dean Heller, in a competitive race in Nevada, said, ‘‘My mom was a school cafeteria cook, so I have a very different view of the world than the one Romney expressed.’’

Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, running for the Senate, said, ‘‘The presidential thing is bound to have an impact on every election.’’ His remark produced a rebuttal from former New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu, a top Romney surrogate, who said: ‘‘My good friend Tommy Thompson sounds like Barack Obama, blaming it on somebody else.’’