Romney releases ad defending Bain Capital record

Striking back at the criticism of his tenure at Bain Capital, Mitt Romney's campaign on Friday unveiled a new ad featuring several deals that helped businesses grow and create "thousands of jobs."

The 30-second spot, which is airing in South Carolina, cites office-supply chain Staples and sporting goods retailer The Sports Authority - along with a Steel Dynamics steel mill -- as examples of businesses that prospered thanks to Bain's investments.

"Mitt Romney helped create and ran a company that invested in struggling businesses, started new ones, and rebuilt old ones, creating thousands of jobs. Those are the facts," a voiceover says, as footage is shown of Romney touring factories.

The ad concludes by taking a swing at Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry and other rivals who have argued that Bain Capital did nothing but gut companies and put people out of work. It says, "We expected the Obama administration to put free markets on trial, but as the conservative editorial page of The Wall Street Journal said, 'Mr. Romney's GOP opponents are embarrassing themselves by taking the Obama line.'"