DENVER (October 4, 2012)--Democrats were looking to rebound Thursday from what's generally considered a disappointing debate performance by President Barack Obama Wednesday night, by accusing GOP challenger Mitt Romney of being dishonest on the debate stage.

Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod said Romney was "hiding the truth and the facts" from the American people and Mr. Obama told a rally in Denver that the Romney who showed up for the debate isn't the same candidate he's been running against.

He said that the "real Mitt Romney has been running around the country for the last year promising $5 trillion in tax cuts that favor the wealthy," but he said the man he was debating last night "said he didn't know anything about that."

He also accused Romney of misrepresenting past statements on education and outsourcing.

Mr. Obama said Romney "knows full well that we don't want what he's selling."

He also ridiculed Romney's suggestion that one way to trim federal spending is to cut the subsidy for PBS, which airs "Sesame Street."

"Thank goodness somebody is finally getting tough on Big Bird,” Mr. Obama said.

Obama advisers say he will make adjustments before the next debate, to counter what they see as Romney's evasions on a series of issues.