Ex-Michigan Gov. Granholm mocks Romney’s car elevator

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm sharply assailed Mitt Romney over his opposition to the bailout of the auto industry and his personal wealth, saying that in the Republican's world "the cars get the elevator, the workers get the shaft."

Granholm described President Barack Obama as "the cavalry" who rode to the rescue of besieged American carmakers in 2009 while Romney, a Michigan native, advocated "Let Detroit go bankrupt."

"He loves our cars so much, they even have their own elevator. But the people who design, build and sell those cars?" she said. Her remarks were a reference to Romney's construction of a home in La Jolla, Calif., that features a car elevator.

Obama frequently touts the bailout in places like the pivotal battleground of Ohio, which is heavily dependent on the auto-parts sector for jobs. The industry's woes threatened the supply chain.