Obama says Romney has ‘extreme’ positions

With just a couple of days left in the Republican National Convention to be held in Tampa, Florida, President Barack Obama says that the GOP presidential hopeful holds "extreme positions" and that his policies would make things worse for America.

In an interview with Associated Press on Saturday, Obama said that Mitt Romney lacks serious ideas, disowns the responsibilities that come along with what is needed to be a president and deals with factually incorrect arguments that he will soon be forced to clarify in the October debates.

"I can't speak to Governor Romney's motivations," Obama said, according to a report by NBC. "What I can say is that he has signed up for positions, extreme positions that are very consistent with positions that a number of House Republicans have taken. And whether he actually believes in those or not, I have no doubt that he would carry forward some of the things that he's talked about."

Obama’s remarks come as he attempts to counter his opponent before RNC kicks off this Monday. The president cited Romney’s insistence on tax relief for wealthy Americans as a proof of his "extreme" positions. The president also highlighted various instances where he and Governor Romney had stood on entirely different positions.

With only 10 weeks left in the November general election, the race is surprisingly stable and reflective of the support from almost equally split registered voters for both candidates. During the interview, Obama’s message often seemed directed at moderate and independent voters, who can make a big difference in the final election.

Obama also briefly touched the issue of abortion laws, mentioning Republican Todd Akin’s controversial remark that suggested "legitimate rape" hardly ever leads to pregnancy. Romney and other Republicans have also condemned Todd Akin, calling the remarks "inexcusable" and asking him to step down as a Senate candidate. However, Obama noted in his AP interview that "call for a no exception rule" – the position Akin was trying to defend - is a part of the GOP platform.

While Obama agreed that America is not where it needs to be in terms of the economy, he said, "Governor Romney's policies would make things worse for middle-class families and offer no prospect for long-term opportunity for those striving to get into the middle class," according to a report by Guardian.

Obama also gave a sneak peak into how he plans to govern in his second term, insisting that he would be willing to make a number of compromises with the Republicans in order to save America.