Obama camp dismisses ‘unhinged’ Romney attack

President Barack Obama's campaign dismissed Mitt Romney's "unhinged" criticisms of the incumbent's re-election tactics as the rhetorical war between the Democrat and his Republican challenger escalated yet again.

"Gov. Romney's comments tonight seemed unhinged, and particularly strange coming at a time when he's pouring tens of millions of dollars into negative ads that are demonstrably false," Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt said in a written statement.

LaBolt was responding to a withering assault from Romney at a campaign stop in Ohio, where the former Massachusetts governor accused the president of "diversions and distractions" and "defaming others" in order to win re-election this November.

Romney tarred Obama as "intellectually exhausted, out of ideas and out of energy."

"His campaign and his surrogates have made wild and reckless accusations that disgrace the office of the presidency," Romney said.

"He demonizes some. He panders to others. His campaign strategy is to smash America apart and then cobble together 51 percent of the pieces. If an American president wins that way, we all lose," Romney said. "So, Mr. President, take your campaign of division and anger and hate back to Chicago, and let us get about rebuilding and reuniting America."