Campaigning in northern Virginia, the president suggested his Republican challenger has picked up a condition, "Rom-NEY-sia," which Obama said presents itself as forgetting one's earlier stances.

The joke came as the Obama campaign looks to tie Romney to his earlier, more conservative stands, including suggesting in a Republican primary debate that he'd be happy to sign a bill outlawing all abortion -- even though he once supported aboration and his campaign says he supports abortion in the case of rape, incest or the health of the woman.

"He's conveniently forgetting what his own positions are," Obama said. "We need a name for this condition—let’s call it Rom-ney-sia.... If you say you'll protect a woman’s right to choose but you say you'd be 'delighted' to sign a law outlawing it in all cases, you’ve got Rom-ney-sia."

He jokingly suggested there's a cure for Rom-ney-sia, "Obamacare," he said, "Covers pre-existing conditions."

The Romney camp was not amused, sending an email from Virginia Delegate Barbara Comstock that said Obama hasn't provided a second-term agenda "and when you don't have a plan to run on, you stoop to scare tactics."