Cory Booker Backtracks On Obama/Bain Criticism In His Own Style -- On Social Media

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Barack Obama surrogate and Newark mayor Cory Booker quickly backtracked his Meet the Press comments after calling an Obama campaign ad that attacks Mitt Romney's record at Bain Capital nauseating -- but, this being Cory Booker, the oft-occurring political tango unfolded on social media.

It all began when Booker, who has gained national fame for his pioneering use of social media in politics and saving a neighbor from a burning building, told NBC's David Gregory on 'Meet the Press' Sunday morning that he did not approve of an Obama re-election ad that describes the presumed Republican nominee as a greedy businessman who doesn't know what's best for the economy, using his time leading the private equity firm as an example.

It's nauseating to the American public, Booker said. He also criticized a Republican super PAC that reportedly was planning a negative ad blitz that connects Obama to the controversial Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Enough is enough. Stop attacking private equity. Stop attacking Jeremiah Wright. As far as that stuff, I have to say from a very personal level I'm not about to sit here and indict private equity, Booker said.

To me, it's just we're getting to a ridiculous point in America. Especially that I know I live in a state where pension funds, unions and other people invest in companies like Bain Capital. If you look at the totality of Bain Capital's record, they've done a lot to support businesses, to grow businesses.

Unsurprisingly, Republicans took advantage of the comments to further attack the president and defend Romney's record at Bain, including a post on their Tumblr. Booker quickly reiterated his support for Obama on Twitter, but stood by his comments.

I will fight hard for Obama to win. But just as his [2008] campaign did, I believe we must elevate not denigrate. This is the Obama I know, Booker wrote.

He continued to issue more than 15 tweets about his comments.

So I'll clarify my comments on [Meet The Press]. Yes, Obama must be re-elected. But we as a Nation owe it to him & ourselves 2 reject politics as usual.

The tweets concluded with a link to a three-minute YouTube video, in which the mayor further reiterated his support for Obama but continued to criticize negative campaigning on both sides.

This campaigning is about to be an avalanche, and in many ways I believe could risk muting out the important voices of the candidates themselves talking about the issues that matter.

However, in a 30-second clip edited by Obama for America and tweeted by campaign press secretary Ben LaBolt, as Politico points out, Booker sounds like he's entirely flip-flopping on his stance on Meet the Press.

Mitt Romney has made Bain a centerpiece of his campaign. He's talked about himself as a job creator. Therefore, it is reasonable - and in fact I encourage it - for the Obama campaign to examine that record and to discuss it. I have no problem with that. In fact, I believe that Mitt Romney, in many ways, is not being completely honest with his role and his record, even while a businessperson, and is shaping it to serve his political interests, and not necessarily including all the facts of his time there.

Booker still received an outpouring of support for his criticism of toxic campaign ads from both sides of the aisle. Sen. John McCain - who shied away from using Wright as an attack strategy against Obama while he was running for president in 2008 -- tweeted: Thank you Mayor @CoryBooker for the straight talk this morning.

Conservative MSNBC host Joe Scarborough also said Monday morning on his show, Morning Joe, it was a courageous thing for Cory Booker to do.

Among the most surprising responses, however, was from a Democrat. Former Tennessee Rep. -- and former chair of the now defunct Democratic Leadership Council -- Harold Ford Jr. said on Morning Joe that he wouldn't have backtracked on his comments if he were Booker.

The substance of his comments on 'Meet the Press,' I agree with the core of it ... private equity is not a bad thing. As a matter of fact, private equity is a good thing in many, many instances. Having said that, I understand as a surrogate for the campaign, you have to have one of your key and most eloquent and most effective surrogates at least clarify or at least bring context to his statements.