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Romney Barks Back at McCain
January 25, 2008 4:37 PM
ABC News' Matt Stuart Reports: Republican hopeful former Gov. Mitt Romney pushed back on comments by Sen. John McCain Friday that Romney had the "experience and resume as a manager" but not the experience of a leader.
Speaking in Pensacola just four days before the Florida primary, Romney claimed that McCain was "engaging in Washington talk" rather than McCain's signature "straight talk."
"Washington talk says that somehow because you've been in Washington and you've been on a committee that you somehow, somehow know about how the jobs of this country are created."
Romney's comments were clearly an attempt to focus on the issue of the economy, and narrow the Florida race as one between McCain and himself.
Boasting of his performance in last night's debate, Romney claimed that while polls showed him and McCain tied in the state, "my guess is that after last night we're slightly in the lead."
Romney claimed he liked that during the debate, "the other candidates are increasingly talking about the issues that you want to have talked about, and they revolve around our economy." Of the several hundred people gathered in the parking lot, there was a lone "woohoo" to Romney's claim.
Romney then attacked McCain, arguing that he wasn't prepared to run the troubled economy.
Literally taking a page from his own anti-McCain press releases, branded "Straight Talk Detour," Romney said "I think he's detoured from what was some straight talk-I've got a couple of quotes here," pulling out a piece of paper and reading, "[McCain] says, 'I'm going to be honest. I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policies. I still need to be educated.'"
"That was in November of '05 with the Wall Street Journal," Romney claimed.
Later, Romney tried, not necessarily successfully, to tie himself to small business and the economy while painting McCain as a Washington insider connected to lobbyists. "...someone who's been on Main Street knows a lot more about the jobs and the economy of this nation than someone who's spent his time in K Street and in Washington," Romney claimed, referencing the alphabet soup street in Washington where many lobbyists have their offices.
Romney frequently touts his work in "small business that became big business," although he's referencing his work in consulting rather than a corner store.
While McCain might have been working in Washington the last 25 years, Romney has several lobbyists working in the senior levels of his campaign.
As Romney was shaking hands after the event, there was a small sign that his Mormon faith might be a plus in the panhandle as it was in Nevada. Two young girls began screaming for him after he finished speaking, chasing him down the ropeline. When a campaign aide asked why they liked Romney, one of the girls respond, "because he's Mormon."
ABC News' Bret Hovell contributed to this report.
January 25, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan, Palin, Sarah, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (9)
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Democrats= Big spending on entitlement programs and other unfunded mandates. Republicians= Big spending on war costs and an ever expanding empire. Bottom Line... NOTHING changes, and our economy continues to sink under the weight of uncontrolled deficit spending. Save you money folks, because after one of these people get in, the economic slide will continue.
Posted by: ugh! | Jan 25, 2008 4:50:24 PM
Sorry, not true, before this sorry bunch got to the White House we had a balanced budget and programs had to be pay go.
Do you think Romney will be able to accomplish anything he wants to do without raising taxes (in his case fees) to pay for everything he has promised? Like rebuilding the auto industry in his home state.
He is a Ken Doll.
Posted by: Keith | Jan 25, 2008 5:01:58 PM
I didn't mean to confuse you with the facts... Go back to sleep. Rest easy. Big government will protect you.
Posted by: ugh! | Jan 25, 2008 5:55:59 PM
Romney paints himself as an 'outsider', but he's not. He is very much an insider when it comes to predatory business practices. Romney is a bragadoccio that will exaggerate and stretch the truth and mischaracterize himself in order to get votes. He has no principles. He's an opportunist, pure and simple. He reminds me of a hyena circling its prey, very aggressive and vicious.
Posted by: JL | Jan 26, 2008 2:07:06 AM
Romney is for Big Business, Big Government, Big Spending, and Bigger Economic problems. Romney knows more lobbyists in his short stay in Massachusetts than McCain has during his entire 25 year career. Plus, Romney knows the sons of the lobbyists who hung around HIS father...
Romney is so far inside that he can't see he's not for change.
Posted by: shortnativetexan | Jan 26, 2008 2:19:23 AM
McCain asserted, "We never lost a battle in Vietnam, it was American public opinion that caused us to lose that conflict." Oh, now McCain is blaming the American public for losing Vietnam? What a jerk. The Vietnam war started just like the Iraq war, on false statements used by warmongers, like himself and Bush. After billions of dollars, you mean to tell me that we can't find "Osama bin Laden".
I guess our CIA trained him well, and with the help of Bush his relatives were flown out of the U.S. when all other airlines were grounded. It's obvious "they" never wanted to find Osama bin Laden. They justed to take over IRAQ and "control" their oil. Why else would we they be building a dozen bases in Iraq?
Ron Paul is right, and the fact he receives more donations from military personel must make McCain feel awful. . Support the fightening men and women, bring them home now, and vote for Ron Paul. He is the only one that has integrity, defends the consitution and will restore the Republic.
Posted by: greg | Jan 26, 2008 3:34:41 AM
Mitt Romney will be a great president. He is a clear thinker and a great speaker as well. I haven't been this excited about voting for someone since voting for Reagan.
How any Republicans can vote for McCain is beyond me. His promotion of illegal immigration amnesty alone is enough to make me mad, did everyone forget that he pushed so hard for this bill just a few months ago???
For anyone who hasn't seen Mitt in more than the 10 second soundbites, please listen to any of his speeches and you will see that he is the real deal.
Please support the best conservative candidate and vote for Mitt.
Posted by: New Englandite | Jan 26, 2008 1:50:38 PM
When the best hope for conservatives is a Taxachusetts liberal, or a New York hawk/social liberial, or ANOTHER hawk and part-time social liberal from a border state that favors social security and amnesty for illegials... Then let's face it... THE PARTY IS DEAD!!! It's a shame that the RINO's have forgotten what the Reagan revolution was all about. Ron Paul NEVER did.
Posted by: ugh! | Jan 26, 2008 3:06:06 PM
Look at what is happening in FL. McCain is LYING about Romney's stance on Iraq in order to get votes. He LIED at the debate about his self-proclaimed weakness on economics and he LIED about geting the GOP votes in both NH and SC! I admire his military service, but that alone does not make him the best Republican nominee. His voting record mostly shows his absenteeism & poor job performance. He is gathering the establishment around him because he IS the establishment. He hasn't been in Washington fighting against spending tooth and nail like Ron Paul has been. He's been there being part of the problem. No one is calling him on his LIBERAL immigratin bill. Sitting on a committee doesn't qualify you as being effective at managing, leading OR inspiring people-- and yet he thinks his skills are better than Romney's. Romney has a proven, transparent record of what he has accomplished. It may not be perfect, but it's successful. He was hand picked to help the Olympics because of his impeccable honesty and incorruptability. You've got McCain, Giuliani and Huckabee to compare him to-- lots of ethical issues. Huckabee has LIED about his record (go to factcheck.org) and whitewashes everything. Plus, he is not dignified enough to be our President. He can't control himself enough to not dig at other people-- stupid. Romney would rather use his money to use his abilities to make positive changes than to just give it to his sons & he won't go to Washington on anyone's strings.Economics is crucial and Romney is hands down the guy in that arena, but I also like Romney's ideology re: jihadism. You don't HAVE to have been a soldier to lead during a time of war. Mitt Romney brings the most breadth of knowledge, best solution oriented approach to what is facing America. He brings people from all sides to the table, gets the best information& makes successful, critical decisions.
Posted by: Jen | Jan 28, 2008 4:46:02 PM
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