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PALM BEACH, Fla. — Mitt Romney went well beyond his standard stump speech at a closed-door fundraiser on Sunday evening, and offered some of the most specific details to date about the policies he would pursue if elected.
Karen Bleier / AFP - Getty Images
GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney floated the idea of eliminating the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the cabinet-level agency once led by the candidate's father.
In a speech to donors in the backyard of a private home here, the former Massachusetts governor and presumptive GOP presidential nominee outlined his plans to potentially eliminate or consolidate federal agencies, win back Latino voters and reform the nation's tax code.
And even Ann Romney, the subject of a national debate last week over the role of women in the workplace, was more direct than usual. She sounded like a political tactician when she described a Democratic consultant's criticism of her decision to be a stay-at-home mom as "an early birthday gift."
Romney went into a level of detail not usually seen by the public in the speech, which was overheard by reporters on a sidewalk below. One possibility floated by Romney included the elimination of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Cabinet-level agency once led by Romney's father, George.
"I'm going to take a lot of departments in Washington, and agencies, and combine them. Some eliminate, but I'm probably not going to lay out just exactly which ones are going to go," Romney said. "Things like Housing and Urban Development, which my dad was head of, that might not be around later. But I'm not going to actually go through these one by one. What I can tell you is, we've got far too many bureaucrats. I will send a lot of what happens in Washington back to the states."
Asked about the fate of the Department of Education in a potential Romney administration, the former governor suggested it would also face a dramatic restructuring.
"The Department of Education: I will either consolidate with another agency, or perhaps make it a heck of a lot smaller. I'm not going to get rid of it entirely," Romney said, explaining that part of his reasoning behind preserving the agency was to maintain a federal role in pushing back against teachers' unions. Romney added that he learned in his 1994 campaign for Senate that proposing to eliminate the agency was politically volatile.
At that time, Sen. Ted Kennedy ran ads against Romney — then a political neophyte — accusing him of being uncaring for saying he wished to eliminate the agency.
Romney told the audience here tonight (along with the Weekly Standard in an interview in early April) that that experience remains fresh in his mind. It's contributed to his caution in publicly naming federal agencies and programs he would eliminate or dramatically curtail.
Romney's wife Ann also spoke briefly, where she described her role in a controversy over women in the workplace and Republicans' efforts to make inroads with female voters.
Mrs. Romney acknowledged Republicans' deficit at present with female voters, and urged the women in attendance to talk to their friends, particularly about the economy. She also discussed the criticism she faced this week, and her pride in her role as a mother.
"It was my early birthday present for someone to be critical of me as a mother, and that was really a defining moment, and I loved it," Mrs. Romney said.
Gov. Romney went further in engaging the so-called "war on moms" that followed in the media — upon which his campaign has been aggressively fundraising — calling it a "gift" that allowed his campaign to show contrast with Democrats in the general election's first week.
Romney also went into greater detail than he has on the campaign trail in describing how he would maintain the progressive structure in the tax code after implementing his 20 percent across-the-board tax cut.
Democrats have argued that Romney's tax proposals would disproportionately help the wealthy, but on Sunday, Romney identified specific loopholes and deductions for the wealthy that he would eliminate in order to both finance his tax cut, and ensure that the nation's top earners face the same tax burden they do today.
"I'm going to probably eliminate for high income people the second home mortgage deduction," Romney said, adding that he would also likely eliminate deductions for state income and property taxes as well.
"By virtue of doing that, we'll get the same tax revenue, but we'll have lower rates," Romney explained. "The nice thing about lower rates is that small businesses not get to keep a larger share of what they're earning and plow it back in to hire more people and expand their business."
Romney covered much of the ground he does in his standard stump speech before a crowd of several dozen donors, who were gathered to contribute to his new general election "Victory Fund." But Romney also offered, over fried chicken and snapper, a simpler way of understanding his economic policies.
"I'm asked — how do you boil it down, how do you encapsulate this into a campaign message: Two things, jobs and kids," Romney said, explaining that restarting job growth and preserving a better future for the next generation were the campaign's guiding principles.
Though the general election campaign has only begun in earnest — and the policy proposals floated by Romney on Sunday evening were far from formal platform items — the former governor's remarks marked the campaign's acute sense of what awaits them in the coming months.
That sense was represented in Ann and Mitt Romney's discussion of how they might win back women. The former governor also addressed how he might make strides toward winning back Hispanic voters, another crucial voting bloc with whom he and other Republicans lag, according to recent polls.
Predicting that immigration would become a much larger issue in the fall campaign, Romney told his audience, "We have to get Hispanic voters to vote for our party," warning that recent polling showing Hispanics breaking in huge percentages for President Obama "spells doom for us."
Romney said the GOP must offer its own policies to woo Hispanics, including a "Republican DREAM Act," referring to the legislative proposal favored by Democrats that would offer illegal immigrants a limited path to citizenship, to give Hispanic voters a real choice between parties.
Romney nonetheless predicted that, by November, the economy would trump immigration as a driving issue for Hispanic voters, and he vowed also to remind the Hispanic community that, despite promises of comprehensive immigration reform by Obama, Democrats ultimately fell short in passing legislation in their two years in control of Congress and the White House at the start of the president's term.
Romney also described his media strategy going forward, including his views on so-called "earned media," and how the campaign might pair surrogates with complimentary news outlets.
He said his campaign had been well-covered by Fox News, but that Fox was watched by "the true believers," and that he knew he would have to reach out to a broader audience in order to win over independents and women voters that will decide the election in November. He painted a picture of a media landscape in which liberal voices won out on television, but conservatives were strongest online.
"We are behind when it comes to commentators on TV. They tend to be liberal," Romney said. "Where we are ahead or even is on twitter and on the Internet."
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i have to choose between 2 turds in this election. Damn...
Two things jump out in this article. The Tea Party/GOP Dream Act for Hispanic's.
Let me get this straight. He's outlining his policies in somebody's backyard? Why in the world would anyone actually vote for this nincompoop? Oh yeah, what's that cute little phrase all the rightwing lunatics use - ABO? Looks like the etch-a-sketch campaign has officially begun. So all you rightwingers get in line and use all those Faux News talking points. Doesn't matter, though. OBAMA/BIDEN 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(in a landslide).
He has had all this time to tell what he will do if elected wonder who wrote that speech for him since he doesn't have any ideal what to do he's full of hot air. Maybe if Ron Paul could be vp we could get somewehre to make America strong again.
Romney's campaign slogan should be "Let them eat cake" which is what he has done and proposes to do.
Ann Romney has no clue what it is to work, raise a family and care for children. It's not evil to be rich but don't tell me that you can connect to me and know what's important to me. Who do you talk to? Other rich wives who never HAD to work outside the home either?
It is difficult to understand how people who have always enjoyed a standard of living that only 1% of the world enjoys can understand the situation of the remaining 99%.
The only thing going to be eliminated after the 2012 elections is Romney. The guy is good at eliminating things, look at all the companies he ran into bankruptsy while he became rich, yes, he does like firing people. All this while he and his five boys (none of who fought for their country) pad their pockets. Now he wants to go after teachers and government agencies which help people. Notice how Romney's been vague on everything, trying to be the teflon candidate. He and the Republicans have alienated many groups including women, hispanics, blacks, gays, the middle class in general but rest assured he is still going to want your votes. He wants to modify the tax code so he can give himself and his rich friends tax breaks and let the pennies and nickles trickle down to the middle class. Poor picked on Ann, but if she tries to influence women voters she's fair game. Notice how she doesn't address Republicans voting against the "Equal Work for Equal Pay Bill", plans to do away with funding for Planned Parenthood, elimination of Planned Parenthood, requiring women to have a probe placed in their bodies to get a legal abortion. She wouldn't say that, but all she does is cry about how she was picked on. Poor rich Princess.
Closed door agenda - hidden Tax returns - exclusion of the "Liberal media". This is my kind of President. He reminds me of my all time fave - Richard Nixon. Count me in!!!
ok Mr Flip-Flop. guessing this is the Flip. Lets see how many days for the Flop .
And what really urks me IT WAS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS!!!!
What is that tell you about these buckets of slime balls? I know it certainly NOT FOR THIS NATION OUR THE PEOPLES !!!!!!!
IT is for ALL THE MONEY MONGERS IN THE ROOM. Hashing over the next DECEPTION TACTIC AGAINST WE THE PEOPLE !!!!
Boss Hogg should he Romney's new nickname (for you Dukes of Hazzard fans)
yes high taxes, high gas prices, big government, inflation, record debt......help the poor.....obozo for the people!!!!!
So eliminating loop holes, write offs and other things while lowering the tax rate and insuring revenue levels stay the same, does what for the country?
Sounds like a way to insure you up hold a campaign promise without actually doing anything or having any affect.
I am sorry, Ann does not get to speak for the majority of American women. We have no idea what she does as a stay at home mom. Do they also have a house keeper, a cleaner, someone else that does laundry, do they have someone that does the lawn work (they used to but must have been an illegal worker), is she home schooling all their children. If she is a stay at home mom, but most of her time is spent out shopping, salon-ing, or decorating the home, then she is not like most american stay at home moms.
Please speak up and support all those stay at home moms that you know who do house work, yard work, laundry and everything else real stay at home moms are known for. Please speak up for all those full-time moms you all know that are also employed full-time. Having full-time employment does not make you a part-time mom. Never try to put down employed moms as if they get to be parents only part of the time.
I have said this and will contiue to say this: As a wroking mother I have TWO full time jobs and I don't get paid for one of them
Sounds like a message one could send to Michelle O.
I am sorry oppie I am tired of listening to the whining! If you can have an abortion doesnt Mrs Romney have the right to a choice?
OPPIE
Thank you, Muffie may be a stay at home Mom but she certainly has plenty of help. She surely hasn't put the time in that other Moms with illnesses, and still havingto take care of the family on their own. Anyone that would try to compare her to the average stay at home Mom is a Fool. I am sure she stays busy with her Social Obligations while the HELP does the work.
Romney doesn't sound like he's going to eliminate enough of the waste in federal government. With the exception of research and grants, education is something that needs to dealt with by the states, not the feds. Before consideration is given to any type of tax increase, costs by the bloated Obama administration needs to be cut drastically. Get rid of the abortion funding in Planned Parenthood and then I would support the idea of keeping it to help provide for women's heathcare who can't afford it. Fixing the economy is what all groups of Amercians want. People don't want hand-outs; they want a robust economy, which creates private sector jobs.
Must be a MCP
wow....late breaking news....presidential candidate promises to change Washington DC from the top down.
YAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWNNNNNNNNNNN...........
So let's see....BHO promised he would have a more open administration..when he did not say. He said he would reduce government,,,when he did not say. he said he would post things that were important on the web...when he did not say..he has said he wants the so called Buffet rule for taxes....means you and I will pay more....BHO's secretary..paid roughly 24% in taxes and made less than he did and he paid 20.8% effective tax rate....and made close to $800, 000..that's fair? The rich pay more now that they will under the Buffet rule...why the tax exemptions, i.e, tax loop-holes won't be closed> Why? because all those in Congress will lose to much money, and you can't have poor folks in congress....that just does not work.
Romney wants to consolidate or eliminate federal agencies and give more authority to the States - a popular Republican theme. When they send responsibility to the States, however, somehow the funding never seems to follow.
The reason Romney won't eliminate the Department of Education is because the last time he proposed doing just that he got his head handed to him. This time he says he will keep a smaller Dept. of Ed 'to pushback against the unions'. And this will improve education how? If Romney believes the Education department is not needed, which he apparently does, he does not have the political backbone to take the heat for eliminating it. Great example of leadership and political courage!
Funny --- President Obama just recently tried to eliminate several government agencies and Republicans raised hell about it.
The tax dollars spent in the Dept. of Education have not helped improve academics in public schools. Perhaps it's helped in brick and mortar, but not in test scores. The feds would be better off taking 1/4 of the money spent annually on the DOEd. and split it between the 50 states (58 states if you're President Obama) and save the other 75%.
The money spent by the Department of Education is a small drop in the bucket compared to the federal debt ceiling.
Fact of the matter is, to have any significant impact on the Federal deficit ALL Federal agencies would have to be eliminated.
Either that, or cut defense, medicare/medicaid, and the "safety net".
Let's look at what we consider education:
Students memorize and regurgitate on standardized tests so that the money machine can open up and sprinkle schools with cash for performance awards. Rinse, wash, and repeat every school year cycle.
And one wonders why our kids mentally "check out" when they come to school. There is nothing there to stimulate a child's curiousity, engage them mentally for learning. They text each other thru classes, and eagerly await the time they can go home and play a video game for mental stimulation.
Mom and dad are too busy working to pay the bills.....keep a roof over their heads, utilities on, food on the table, clothes on their back.
I agree with the memorize and regurgitate comment, but wonder how much of that practice is the result of artificial and shallow standards established in the No Child Left Behind experiment?
PLSTOP you are full of it! Obama at this time is the only reasonable alternative. Whats laughable is this whole VOTING of CLOWNS act winds down to a single PARTY person to vote for?
Makes me wonder are we in a COMMUNIST COUNTRY NOW ????
where's the democracy ?
Great start to the week!
Another day closer to CHANGE we need in America!
Nice Ho-down in Columbia for Mr. Obama, Hillary and the rest! Best part will be another apology op for Mr. Obama. :)
Over the weekend, Mothers and Stay at Home Mom's are ticked to say the least. Hillary-ous Rosen, DNC and the Whitehouse will have a hard time ever getting past that one.
You can finally feel the momentum starting to take hold and the excitement of Mr. Obama being a one-term president.
It's shocking the despair, anger and class warfare he, the DNC and liberals have planted in our country over the last 3 plus years. Freedom and the focus on a strong and vibrant ecomomy is on the return and people are feeling hope is near.
Biggest complaint that I continually hear is how Mr. Obama has been so filled with excuses and blame. No one can win when your leader is that irresponsible with the power given him by the people. Anyone can point fingers and make excuses. Anyone. Anyone.
2012 HOPE and CHANGE we desperately need. We are not better off than we were 4 years ago.
VOTE FOR FREEDOM, HOPE and CHANGE! :)
Oh, you must mean vote for Obama. Romney will drive the rest of the country into a third world cesspool. Welcome to future hell. And even if he should win, he will probably face a United Democratic Congress who will show him "Just say no" like no body's business.
Welcome to the future hell? We are there now. Obama tried to intimidate the Supreme Court, blames construction, state and local governments for being a drag on the economy Bush for everything else, but Bush is to blame for everything prior to him being Pres, during the time he was Pres and for the next 100years he will be blamed....and BHO is the one who blames everyone, except for his mistakes. He got the nobel peace prize for WHAT? the man is not real..
We've had enough of Mr. Obama's change and his Obama-nomics.
You, me and anyone can point fingers and make excuses. He does it exceptionally well, I must admit. :)
Real leaders win! We're not winning........ We are not better off than we were 4 years ago.
Vote for HOPE and CHANGE in 2012!
A President can propose policies that may be brilliant or stupid, but nothing happens - good or bad - until or unless a majority of the House and a Super Majority of the Senate (60 votes to stop the fillibuster that is now routine on just about everything including adjourning for lunch!)
As for blaming Bush for situations that have resulted since he left office, does it not resonate with thinking people that invading two countries while reducing taxes might have harmful effects that will last long into the future?
AMERICA is DUMBED OUT !!!!
Obama is going to get destroyed in a fiscal debate with Romney which is why we saw last weeks attacks on social issues. The number one issue is the dire state of financial kaos going on in Washington and I want my future as well as my children's to be prosperous and in all honesty there is no longer a way I could support four more years of this nonsense in the WH. What a let down, little hope and no change.
Very misguided
"Keeping the Dept of Education so he can Push Back on Teachers Unions"
Great posts Barbara and Janet. One must realize that Romney has no clue of middle class living. His wife was a stay at home mom which is great but how many people can or want to do this. Many women with families like or need to work. Just read what Romney said about working women. Also he does not know how to create jobs he does know how to create wealth for the shareholders of Bain and its evecutives(him self).This idea of giving the extreme wealthy tax beaks to create jobs has never worked. Even if they hire people it is at reduced wages and little if any benefits. From 2001 to 2006 the GOP had complete controll of government and what did they do for anyone. NOTHING. No effort to repai health care or costs,wage stagnation,UNFUNDED wars, and the famous saying deficits do not matter. Then all of a sudden they do matter when they were not in power for 2 years.Where are all the jobs they promised two years ago when they ngained controll of the House which by the way bills are started and introduced.Finally the GOP chased Kerry around as a flip flopper Romney is even worse. However if Romney wins the real threat to the middles class is Rep.Ryan this individual would destroy the elderly and anyone who is not extremely wealthy. He is the classic hypocrte politican.
What jobs have been created under OMAMA? Most have been in the service sector. Where are the main stream jobs? Construction work? zip! OMAMA talks the talk but can walk the walk. He is not middle class and does not know the meaning of the word. OMAMA rammed OMAMACARE down our throats and who is going to pay for the fiasco? Who is going to pay for those who are exempted? for the homeless for the welfare folks. OMAMACARE will not reduce the deficit. He has created CZARS for everything..why? Under OMAMACARE the government can eventually tell you what you can get for medical service, who your doctor is and whether or not the meds he prescribe are affordable,,,if not you lose.
EarlyOut,
You are right on the money with reorganizing as a way to show something tangible when there really is no plan. This is something corporations do all the time. Earnings are down or whatever and they roll out a re-org which they claim will definitely work, but it will take some time and costs to put it in place. Romney is a corporation guy, so I'm not surprised that he sees the corporate "hammers" as the solution and every problem as a "nail".
Consolidating agencies sound great on paper, but the evil is in the details and separation of powers is as important in agencies as it is in the branches of government. In some case that correlation is spot on in that some agencies work in capacity under the justice branch while others tend to be more executive or legislative branch specific.
Some cutbacks and consolidation may make sense, but we need to do some due diligence to separate the wheat from the chaff before we put some wholesale plan in effect just for the political gains.
For example everyone complains about government regulations and associated costs, but when there's a food safety scare or recall, then everybody wants to hold the government accountable for not having tough enough controls or enough people and funding in place to prevent these kinds of things. We can't govern by reactive measures. We need to be proactive and that involves both have the infrastructures in place and backing them up with monitoring from other agencies to keep them lean but still effective.
Suggesting an axe instead of a scalpel exhibits a lack of the depth of understanding of the big picture (not just a business slant of it) that a candidate needs to have to perform as an effective President. Romney does not have that, although the GOP doesn't seem to care about running the most capable candidate. Obama does, but the GOP Super-PACs will do everything they can to turn his strengths into distorted faults.
Romney is simply a bad choice in any ways and would be a great President for the top 1%, but God help the rest of us. Obama definitely isn't perfect, but considering the competition he the better option hands down for the 99% of us that aren't in the group of elites that own most of the wealth and write the rules to skew the system, yet pay back very little on their wealth in return.
Using a scalpel to try and fix the problems so deeply rooted into our federal government would be the equivalent of trying to empty the Atlantic ocean with a spoon.
I understand where you're coming from, but without massive re-organization the government will be unsustainable. People go immediately to food safety for regulations; the regulations that companies have to work under is insane. You have to have departments of people who do nothing but meet regulations. I could eliminate 20% of my work load that offers little to no benefit to the company. Obviously you shouldn't roll them all back but the way government is run needs to be re-drawn in a fundamental way.
Mr. Obama's continued push for Class warefare is becoming to transparent. We should all pay the same percentage of taxes in a fair and equal America. That way, there is nothing to argue about.
Economist have proven that raising the taxes of the most wealthy does little to the deficit. To the contrary, it potentially has a negative impact to the economy and we know that's something Mr. Obama has demonstrated a talent for.
The issue it seems serves more as a devisive tool to create anger and hate as well as promote Class warefare.
Again, we need a leader, a uniter, not a divider as Mr. Obama has and is proving to be.
HOPE and CHANGE in 2012. We can't take 4 more years! We need a solid Leader in the Whitehouse.
Requesting that the rich pay 5 percentage points more in taxes, when they are at the lowest level in almost 100 years, and basically requesting that they be put back to where they were prior to Bush when the economy was doing so well, is hardly class warfare.
It's common sense.
I don't think that someone making $10M a year paying the same percentage as someone making $10K is "fair" at all. There is PLENTY to argue about that kind of proposal..except for close minded people.
I love you guys "class warfare blah blah blah".
It only makes you feel better that it's happening that way.
My kids (all 8) think if one has to do more than the other that it's not fair. :) lol
Class warefare drives a wedge and creates hate and anger.
We need a new coach! :) ha ha Vote HOPE and CHANGE for America in 2012!
The class warfare argument is just plain silly. You know it All, and so does most of America.
Heck even the rich know it, though they would never, ever admit it.
Mark Thomas-371822 - The economy was in a recession when Bush passed the tax cuts. The dot com bubble popped at the end of Clinton's term. What else, other than class warfare, would you call a tax increase that will only result in 4 Billion dollars a year against a 1 Trillion dollar deficit per year. I does nothing but get him votes.
vermontguy - There is not a person in this country making 10k a year that is pay a higher tax rate than anyone. What was your effective tax rate this year? I'm in the middle class making just past 6 figures with both mine an my wife's income. I did my taxes in turbo-tax and paid only 13.5% effective tax rate and I most certainly don't have any capital gains.
For those for all of these tax rate increases you do realize that they aren't static. They are a percentage of wealth so yes taxes were raised during the dot com boom. There was literally no way that the economy wasn't going to thrive. If we cut loopholes and reduce rates to help put more money into the economy the returns to the government will increase since its a percentage of wealth. Would you rather give the government more money or put more money into the economy? Easy choice....
The really, really rich in America don't pay high taxes because they don't report high incomes. And they don't report high incomes for perfectly legal reasons. The really, really rich, follow the three simple steps of Tax Planning 101: Buy, borrow and die.
By buying assets that rise in value without producing cash, the really, really rich benefit from "unrealized appreciation" that need not go down on any tax form. This is key to the business and investment strategy of Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. When the really, really rich want to consume, they borrow, also tax-free under the income tax. To cash it all out, the really, really rich die, like we all do -- and then the so-called stepped-up basis on death means that their heirs can sell off assets and pay off debts, tax-free.