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ATLANTA —Predicting an extended nominating fight, Mitt Romney said Wednesday he didn't expect the GOP primary season to result in a "coronation," all while downplaying a sweep of three nominating contests last night by Rick Santorum.
Romney said he still expected to become the Republican Party's nominee against President Obama this fall, but seemed to brace for a longer-than-expected path to the nomination.
“We think we can beat Sen. Santorum where we compete head-to-head in an aggressive way, and we obviously didn’t do that in Colorado or Minnesota to the extent that the other campaign did," Romney said on an airport Tarmac here in Georgia. "There will certainly be places where he wins, and there will be places where I win. There’s no such thing as coronations in presidential politics. It’s meant to be a long process. It’s not easy to get the nomination, it’s not easy to be elected president and this is a testing ... a testing approach. And so far we’re doing pretty well.”
Last night's contests — in which no delegates were awarded, Romney's campaign was quick to point out — did not, however, go so well for Romney. He suffered double digit defeats in Minnesota, where he won four years ago, and in Missouri, where Newt Gingrich did not appear on the ballot. In Colorado, a state where Romney competed actively and where the campaign seemed confident of a win, he lost by five points to Santorum.
Asked today about lessons learned in the defeat, Romney came out swinging, lumping Santorum together with Gingrich as a creature of Washington, and blaming both men for fostering a spending and earmark culture that ultimately hurt the Republican party, and spawned the Tea Party movement. The former Massachusetts governor said he did not respond to attacks while campaigning in Nevada, but that going forward he would make differences between himself and his opponents "very clear."
"Under Newt Gingrich earmarks doubled. Rick Santorum was a major earmarker and continues to defend earmarks. Under Rick Santorum he voted to raise the debt ceiling I believe five different times to a tune of about an addition $3.5 trillion," Romney said. "I believe that while Sen. Santorum was serving in congress and the Senate, government spending increased by some 80%. Republicans spent too much money, borrowed too much money, earmarked too much, and Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich have to be held accountable."
Romney followed up with a spending-based attack on Santorum at a rally later on: "During Sen. Santorum's time in Washington, government grew 80 percent. And he voted to raise the debt ceiling five times."
Perhaps looking to reclaim his economy-oriented message, Romney turned his attack on Santorum and Gingrich into an attack on borrowing and spending more broadly, and hammered his point home.
"When Republicans act like Democrats, they lose. And in Newt Gingrich’s case he had to resign. In Rick Santorum’s case, he lost by the biggest margin of any Senate incumbent since 1980. Again, borrowing, spending, and earmarking is not a good combination if you’re a Republican and not a good combination, in my view, for America," Romney said.
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REPUBLICAN PLATFORM 2012 FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH... ALL WOMEN MUST GET PREGNANT IF YOU CAN CONCEIVE.. REGARDLESS OF YOUR AGE OR IF YOU ARE RAPED OR WILL DIE IN GIVING BIRTH!
I'm so glad that the have found a way to help stimulate the economy so we can face the global challenges in 2012.
Obama 2012!!
Oh get a grip on reality... Your vitriol is sickening. Your blessed infantacide won't be taken away! Oh and by the way 99 percent of abortions are done as a form of birth control, not because of complications to the mother. Not that I really care but check your numbers.
And I suppose you support the death penalty, and the killing of women, children and the elderly in Iraq... and so contraception = abortion in your mind
I'm so glad that you have found an important issue to help stimulate the economy so we can face the global challenges in 2012.
Get out of my bedroom please!!!
Obama 2012!!!
I don't give a .... what you do in your bedroom and neither does anyone else. And, No I don't support killing women and children in Afganistan and Iraq. Why do we feel so partisan and can't act like adults? Is America that far in the commode?
I just don't understand how you can be against the death penalty and the war and still support abortion. Killing is killing.
No one is for or supports abortion. The difference is your killing in the wars is killing of people who are actually walking around, breathing, and who have families. Martin Luther said that you must be baptized to enter the kingdom, others say you must be born again. A fetus/ fertilized egg has done neither and is not walking, breathing or asking for forgiveness. The decision is and should be a decision between the mother the father and their God... not you or the government.
To the insane right-wing ...
*When I get Mad ... and I get pissed ...
I grab a pen and write out a List ...
Of all you azzholes that won't be missed ... *
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkmLpTXbNDQ
I see six names here talking $hit i myslef am a dem and want every one of you talking that $hit to know i would never vote for O blah blah again he spemds like kid in a candy store talks a good story but is useless please wake up before you wake up to China here taking whats owed to them thanks to O BLAH BLAH and what was known as the USA will be known as the USC thats right the UNITED STATES OF CHINA you want government run everything go ahead vote that POS in. i would vote any dem but him !!!!!
You must be a true liberal and not a Obamabot.
Another LOLZ......What did you actually say in those statements? Nothing....NOTHING.....Ya....nothing tangible..I really think you dont understand the economical inflationary rate projections created in 08'. There was a tremendous loss of wealth at this time. Open a book and take a glimmer at the actual economic state created in 08'. Kids today....give them the books, they eat them........
Nothing has changed since 08 accept 7.77 trillion dollars was given to the banks and the bill given to US citizens. And where is the recovery???????
Nothing has change since 2008 but the following: The DJ now stands at 12,883.95 points. It was 6,500 in 2008. The NASDAQ is now 2,915.86. It was approx. 1,500 in 2008. The unemployment rate has dropped below 8.5% The UI rate was approx 10.5+ in 2008. The bank where you deposit your money is still open and you account is still insured by the FDIC. General Motors was going bankrupt in 2008. Today GMC is again the #1 automobile manufacture in the World and is paying back its loan to the taxpayers. Now show me the facts to support your claim that the banks were given 7.77 Trillion.
Santorum, the canidate of the uneducated religious nutcases. A man who wants the government to completely take over your life. And I am not talking about the government of the United States. I am talking about the government of the Vatican. Watch what you are doing in your bedroom, because Big Brother Santorum will be watching. Oh, and enjoy sending you kids off to war in every anti Catholic country in the world. Enjoy having every one of your civil liberties taken away from you. VOTE HIM THE GOP CANIDATE! My name is Barack Obama and I endorse this message.
Howard at least I still be able to speak in this country another four years of Obama and Holder and I'll be in jail for saying something christian.
lonereb if you want to keep your fairy tales to yourself, thats fine. If you insist to oppress and discriminate others in the public square over your fairy tales and bigotry, you better belong to jail. And hey, there are more 'moral' christians in jail than non-believers, so you will have plenty of company to continue your bigotry.
None of these clowns hold a candle to Barrack Obama.....FOMOFO-O !!!!
Running Out Of Bullets ....
On the surface of it, and in the aftermath of Santorum's trifecta, it appears that the Romney camp is trying vainly to put lipstick on a pig. Mitt has unabashedly cast his egotistical cloak of fiscal ability into a platform of economic turnaround, and one which is improving (albeit slowly) even as he speaks. Given this situation, he may be losing one of the few bullets in his arsenal ... which makes for a rather weakened talking point on the trail. It will be interesting to see how he can re-set and vulcanize his message after this newest twist of events. As the great Yogi Berra once said ..."It ain't over until it's over."
Peace to all
Keep going Rick, the more you guys fight all the way to t he convention the better. With the Super PACs spending millions on the GOPers they are spending money that would have been spent for the November election. Obama collects more and more. His PACs and Super Pacs continue to rake in more and more without having to spend anything until the smack down of the Republicans in November.
Moderate Republicans will vote for Romney, extremists will vote for Santorum or the not Romney whoever he is. That will split the Republican vote. The Republican ticket is so weak that independants will vote Democratic this time around giving Obama a slam dunk victory.
The only thing more sad than our current executive leadership in this country is that the other major party can't find a decent candidate to run against him. Is there really no one out there with any integrity who's willing to go after this? Colin Powell as a write-in - let's go people!
CNN is reporting that Rick Santorum will get the endorsment tomorrow of long time respected Congressman Barney Franks. In response,Mitt Romney will showcase his latest endorsement,Pat Robertson.....
As Romney shows a high level of immature behavior, it shows that he is a big crybaby. When he is defeated, Romney throws a tantrum and starts his immature speeches.
Who wants a President that acts like Romney, who acts like Obama. Romney needs to be gracious, thanks voters for voting, and move onto the next state. What an idiot and his behavior is not Presidential material.
Romney is a rich idiot, spoiled little brat, immature little boy wanting to wear big boy pants.
Vote for anybody but Obama and Romney.
Why are you all wasting your time, energy and probably what money you have on these idiot rich garbage. Don't forget while they are slamming each other, Ron Paul is quietly gaining the ground that he deserves. He is the only one talking about america instead of himself and what they others are doing to him. All that these two are doing is slamming each other to try and win a popularity contest, who has the BIGGEST bank account or backers, nothing of anything to do with what is best for america, just RON PAUL, waste your votes if you must, but remember you are supposed to be american citizens worrying about what is best for this country and you as a citizen. Listen and learn and vote for Ron Paul.
I can't freakin believe how stupid the people in this country are ...... if Santorum wins, then we have the extreme right against Barry's extreme left. No matter who wins, nothing will get accomplished because there will be a huge divide in Congress and we will have 4 more year's of nothing getting done. Romney is "middle ground" that would appeal to both sides and he would have a chance of polarizing the two sides. The reason that Clinton was successful was that he apealed to both parties .... In this up coming election only Romney has that ability. Oh well ... think I'll spend time in my penthouse condo in Panama ... enjoying the weather and my boat. This country is screwed.
Thats the way the country is divided. Face it, what do you purpose we do?
What do you want me to do vote for the man who is trying to take away my first amendment rights just so your side can have their way in Congress? Well at the rate things are going in Texas none of us will be able to vote at all. True one man one vote keep the whole state in limbo.
Texas. TEXAS! You gave us GWB & Rick Perry. You should not be ALLOWED to vote.
It took the Romney attack machine how long to find at least 3 things to complain about Santorum? Before last night Mitsy didn't know the guy existed, and now he is the worst excuse for a conservative since Richard Nixon...?
When will Romney unveil his own optimistic plans for the future of the country, just as soon as he gets all these other guys kicked off the island?
If you are making 300k or below in this country and you vote for one of these greedy republican idiots, you are, quite literally, voting to take your money and hand it over to the rich! If you are making over that and only care for yourself then I could certainly see why you would want one of these canidates to win.
Republican tax cuts for the wealthy provided Americans making more than $1 million with a $128,832 benefit, while Americans earning from $40,000 to $50,000 got an $860 benefit on average.
Sound fair to you? NO? That's because it isn't. The deck is already stacked against the poor and middle-class and these jokers want to make it even more unjust
When will they ask Romney the real questions?
Like:
1."Romney, explain to everybody how taking your money and sending it to shelters overseas so you can pay under 14 percent taxes is helping Americans?"
2."So Romney, do you send the bulk of your money overseas because you value the trade of other countries over America's, or did you send your money over there so you didn't have to pay as much in taxes as everybody else does?"
3."Romney, you like to say that you pay what you owe in taxes and not a dollar more, but what if the vast majority of America thinks you should pay a lot more? Should you pay more or tell them you don't care and don't need their votes anyways?"
4. "Romney, do you think all Americans should pay only 14 percent of their incomes to taxes and we can all watch America slide into third-world status or just the rich people who can afford to send money overseas and not contribute to America's problems?"
As a retired military, all that I can see about our country is another civil war. Not just based on politics but, in multiple issues, such as social-economy , political affiliations, demography and race....... just take a look at the Middle- East. We are not going to get rid of any of those ethnic groups that are part of our system . Let's work together and kill the real enemy (ies).
Time for another distraction by the elite scum. I know, lets give them another cheap nazi movie to indoctrinate them some more. That will set them against each other for a few weeks and by then, another distraction. Yes, that sounds good.
I consider myself fortunate that I don`t have to choose from among the GOP candidates. If I were not comfortable with Obama, I don`t know what I would do.
This country is history.. As far as the GOP convention.. Who cares... Obama is going to win because Americans are the stupidest people on earth, and the most corrupt.
I heard all those stupid americans need a new leader. I NOMINATE YOU!!!!
Judging by your comment, you meet the qualifications.
I nominate anybody we can find who believes in the Bill of Rights all ten amendments for all Americans.
Mr. Santorum will guarantee that the Republican party will lose the election of 2012, much as the idiotic rhetoric of Goldwater resulted in the massive loss of '64. Not that the Republican power would ever allow a Santorum to run, though it would be the best thing for the Democrats.
Romney now has another "blockade" with Santorum Win's and Gingrich nipping like a little dog on his ankles. Romney might be able to buy air time, but it seems like the American public is onto his game.
Reminds me of the old saying that $$$$ can't buy everything, but tell this to mitten's.
I hope he is losing his mind !!!!!!
I love how the most important issue isn't what the republican candidate can do for the country, but who is most likely to beat Obama. Really, has this become the criteria of our next leader?
Like I can't wait to have another Republican in office to continue the excellent work started by GWB.
"He THINKS one thing,SAYS another, and his ACTIONS agree with NEITHER" ! Yep, that describes Romney's Political modus operandi to a "TEA" !!! He Can't be TRUSTED !!!
something tells me the people are going to get damned tired of romney attempting to rip up any repub who gets in his way. this go-for-the-jugular offense by w.mitty is getting very tiresome.
now, as for all you obama/biden zealots, one question: WHY? cool your keyboards and tell me three positive things the dynamic duo has done (i kind of like ob's belly-up flop on the super pacs . . .
Romney = No good for fu.king nothing
Santorum = Even less than NFG
Sad state of affair for us Republicans. None of those jokers is a winner or believable - just like Obama - NFG!