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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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Isn't Mitt doing a bit of a "copy-cat" trying to use social media in his campaign? I still think he is trying to milk a dead cow.
Yes & it's pretty obvious... He's using & abusing the social media in 999 different ways & still can't pass himself off as a viable candidate or as a conservative
Ann, "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."
Mitt, ""We have to get Hispanic voters to vote for our party," Otherwise, "spells doom for us."
This is better than General Patton reading Rommel's book!
Ann, Happy Birthday, the party is over!
Yup, I think she just blew out the candles on THAT cake...
Romney has no answers. He made his vast fortune with Bain Capital ripping business apart for profit and laying off all the workers....much the same as the actor Richard Gere played in the film "Pretty Woman". I just pray, like in the film, he meets a prostitute that can teach him some morals and ethics.
Hey, If he is able to do that for the government, then I am all for it. That is exactly what we need. Turn this miserable failure of our federal government into a profitable venture that is efficient and helpful to people.
He can't,,,, It's an extreme overreach of power
Republicans figured out just how dangerous answers are.
If a candidate tells people what their solutions are then voters might expect them to ACTUALLY try and implement those solutions. THEN, when those ideas FAIL, voters will probably hold them ACCOUNTABLE for their failures.
Republicans decided it's much better to just do nothing, let others come up with the ideas, and shoot those down till their corporate lobbyists tell them to jump...
By Continuing to Oppose the DREAM Act, Sen. Rubio Squanders Opportunity to Lead
Hmmm, but Mitt want's his own act!
There are many poor women battling the same illness as a matter of fact many of them don't have health care and by the time it is detected is already at stage 4. The Romney's are the same people who want to shut down planned parenthood which gives screenings to many women. Ann Romney should be an advocate for these organizations that offer breast cancer screenings to middle and low income men and women.. Instead she joins the nuts who say we don't need screenings we don't need health care. The USA is # 37
The Romney's can't unring that bell. Mitt wants to do away with Planned Parenthood.
You can get those screenings from other places. Republicans don't mind the funds for screenings. It is the funds for abortion (the overwhelming part of planned parenthood's expenses) that we oppose.
Put America First,
The best thing you could do for America is to know what you are talking about.
Please do some actual research before repeating talking points.
Put AmericaFirst, Only 3% of PPH services are for abortions. You are spinning like Romney?
I am pretty accurate. Facts are not talking points. They are just facts.
Places for low cost screenings
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp/
Planned parent revenues from abortion are over 50% of clinics revenues.
http://www.lifenews.com/2012/01/05/planned-parenthood-51-of-its-income-comes-from-abortions/
TOne......Yes it is only 3% of services performed, but it is over 50% of their revenues at that clinics.
Well, you lied and said it was their FUNDS given for abortions (expenses), not revenue. >LOL
I misspoke but didn't lie. There funds from abortions and we don't like that the government is funding a place that provides abortions. We see funds as fungible. Once Planned Parenthood gets the funding, it can be used for anything. They try to keep it separate, but it is like food stamps for people. Some people will buy food with the food stamps, and that subsidy allows them to purchase alcohol, tobacco, and drugs with cash.
abortions are "overwhelmingly part of planned parenthoods expenses" is just a mistake on your part? LOL
And another lie, only 14.4% of revenue comes from abortion.
Do I hear a "Don't Mess With Texas" in the crowd? ---- Someone's Mitt has got out of his car top cage
Today Romney's "Dream Act" tomorrow you'll all be speaking Espanol
HaHa...
Don't see why your complaining. I thought you were for some sort of amnesty. I guess you oppose things because they come from republicans.
Put,,, You have flip flopped on your own principled stance against immigration reform.... Not much honor or dedication to your principles there amigo
I've stayed consistent, but it has been very difficult to find a politician that believes in what I think. I have always been for some form of amnesty. I prefer a long prefer a long probationary period of 5 years with no legal violations for longtime "quasi citiznes". They should work for free on building the fence along the border and learn English. We should also get rid of the "anchor baby" loophole. We need to stop the problem, but since we are at fault for not stopping it sooner, we shouldn't destroy families either.
Put America First,
There is no 'anchor baby loophole'.
It is specifically described in the 14th Amendment of our Constitution. To get rid of it would require another Constitutional Amendment. The chances of that passing are slim, at best.
Other than that, I totally agree with your post.
Please Texas, SECEDE!!!
Stop threatening and JUST DO IT YOU PUSSIES!!!
We'll see this headline before it's all over...
BREAKING NEWS>>>>>>>
MITT ROMNEY TO FIRE CAMPAIGN MANAGER
Mitt Romney was seen at a Toys'R'Us today leading to speculation that he is firing his current campaign manager...Mr. Etch-a-Sketch.
Those familiar with the campaign are opining that the new campaign manager will be Mr. Magic 8 Ball.
I'm dating myself here, but howzabout: "Mr. Waxy black tablet overlaid with wax-paper-like stuff overlaid with a cellophane-y-like sheet, which you "wrote" or "drew" on with a wooden pointed stylus you could then erase by ripping the two sheets up"? Hmm...I guess Mr. Etch-a-Sketch will suffice, Besides, "ripping sheets up" might arouse the type of prurient interests so frowned-upon in GOP circles.
I'm betting they go with 'left-wing media conspiracy' first...
Are these people simply delusional? No one and I mean no one "attacked" her as a mother. Where did she come up with that? The only thing that was mentioned is that Mrs Romney never held a job in her life, which she didn't. She was a stay at home mother which is wonderful if you have the resources to do so. Many, many women in this country do not have that choice, they are mothers and full time workers juggling to makes ends meet. Not her, she has wealth and a bevy of help, nanny's, butlers, cooks who is she kidding? It simply amazes me how right wingers are able to twist and shape things to fit their own delusions.
Both sides do it. It does seem like it's the only trick in the republican's bag these days though...
Instead of {more} tax records I hope Romney releases his college records soon. That will be FUN!
I love the phrase - "war on Moms"! Like anyone is going to wage a war on moms. Hilary Rosen's comment will eventually be understood by anyone who takes the time to listen to the WHOLE comment - instead of the quote clips that the media is using. Take any Romney speech and somewhere in it you'll find five or six words that if removed from their context become horrendously horrific things to say about American or women or doctors or old white guys or .... it's called clip a quote to conjure a controversy! Hilary simply said that Ann Romney had not worked a day in her life ... as in had never been employed! Of course, every mother works - some of them also need jobs to feed their kids and Ann might not have understood that!
Watch the video of Rosen and you can see her flash a look of 'Oh crap, did I just say that?' and then steel herself and decide to roll with it.
Bad wording and bad decision to not IMMEDIATELY retract and reword it. Still, kinda hard to unsay something.
I, too, generally agree with what she was saying, but really wish she had called in sick that day...
Someone should e-mail this blog and wise up Wilbur. You are not winning the election on-line, in fact you are not winning the election anywhere. You think just because you're President Congress is going to allow you to cut bureaucracies entrenched for 100 years, get real. You'll cut everybodies taxes if the 1% do not have to pay any additional taxes, like the multi-millionairs, (YOU) that pay a lower rate of taxes than secretaries.
And, your wife, Ann is so happy to be criticised for being a mom when the comment was actually directed toward wealthy woman who have help that are not competing with most moms who have 2 jobs, family and work in the real world. I guess it was directed at Princess Ann it was just shaded by the Politicos.
Mitt Romney: Mothers Should Be Required To Work Outside Home Or Lose Benefits.
Ahh... yes,.. Moses Mitt,.. leading the 1%ers into the promised land...
Kind brings a tear to your eye...
I can understand someone not liking the President but Romney??? Really?? Romney is far worse than Obama. How sad is that?
Oooh,.. this ones going to leave a mark..
Probably?? Most of the 99% are simply worried about making the payments on their FIRST home mortgage..
"""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.""
K1200RS
Really? 'worried about making their First home mortgage..'? If they are worried they bought to much house. I bought mine on MY income ONLY! Wife's income was NOT considered. I retired my wife still works because she wants to,not because she has to. House was refied for 30 years at 4.375%. Our payment could have been $898,but we still make the $1375 payment required under the last loan. WHY? Because we can afford it and the 30 year mortgage will be paid of in 15 years. PLUS it gives us a cushion to adjust the payment UPWARD if necessary.
SO WHAT'S THE PROBLEM??
Or they could be worried due to job security issues..
Apparently, You hadn't considered that very realistic possibility..
Additionally, personal anecdotes on a news forum are a waste of time,... specifically, .. my time..
Did you not read? My wife and I based the purchase of our house on MY INCOME ONLY!
That was if I lost my job we could still make the payments. This was years ago. I'm retired now and our payments are made my SS payment! WHY COULDN'T OTHERS PLAN LIKE THAT??
Hey slodon, sometimes people get sick and/or die. Hope that never happens to any 'bread-winners' in your family...
Just
The 'Bread Winner' in my family was ME AND MY WIFE. What part of basing our Mortgage payment on ONE INCOME don't you understand??
What part of JUST CAUSE YOU DIDN'T HAVE PROBLEMS DOESN'T MEAN OTHERS DON'T do you not understand?
Nobody struggles? Nobody should struggle? Everyone should have everything planned for every contingency?
Quit puffing your chest and making this about YOU. Yay! You did good! BUT, the idea that everyone who gets a mortgage can and should have an easy time paying it is ludicrous. Default and foreclosures are built right into the system. You make it sound like it's a crime that some people can't afford what they thought they could, when in reality IT'S PART OF THE BANK'S BUSINESS.
Just
We planed so if ONE had a problem the House Payment was able to be paid by the other income. WHAT PART OF THAT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? We also have Mortgage Insurance that would pay off the mortgage if one or both die. FOOLS!!
And you are still talking about yourself and refuse to acknowledge the realities of life. Not everyone has an easy time paying their mortgage. Some of those who struggle DO manage to pay off the house. Are THEY fools??
This is a ridiculous argument and I'm starting to think you are just old and cranky...
Just
If they don't have an easy time making the mortgage payment then they bought to much house for their income! Damn. What part of 'buy what you can afford' don't you understand?? Buy the Mortgage Insurance to pay off the loan if you die or become handicapped. Aren't those things the prudent thing to do?
Now that last statement,'old and cranky',I have been accused of many times.
Is the solution is to pass a law that forces people to be financially prudent? Maybe someday we will find a cure for stupid (not you, just ppl in general)...
You jumped on a relative innocuous remark about how 'regular' (yes 99% but lets skip that whole tangent) people have enough trouble with one mortgage while Romney is able to easily manage more than one. Nowhere does that idea imply that people are intentionally or irrationally making poor financial choices. It's a common phrase: Normal people just worried about making their (whatever) payment.
He wasn't saying they were necessarily struggling with their mortgages, he was trying to draw a distinction between the Romneys and most of Americans.
Mitt, Have you forgotten this?
Mitt Romney: Mothers Should Be Required To Work Outside Home Or Lose Benefits.
"...Romney said the GOP must offer its own policies to woo Hispanics, including a "Republican DREAM Act...".
This is another reason that I detest Mr. Romney - he will say anything to anyone at anytime. In varying degrees, all politicians can be said to pander, however, Mr. Romney is so rank that he redefines the very word. Even Republicans like George Will have said exactly the same thing.
To have shamelessly and relentlessly criticized Mr. Perry and Mr. Gingrich and then turn right around say that you want the same thing is pure rank unprincipled opportunism. I am an Independent but if I were a Republican, I simply could not bring myself to vote for such a person whose conviction is vacuous and who reeks of political expediency.
President Obama is not perfect but I prefer him far more than Mr. Romney and for me there is no choice - I will vote for President Obama in November. I simply believe that President Obama is a person of higher character than Mr. Romney.
???? And Obama didn't do the exact same thing about the deficit. They are politicians and one isn't better than the other.
Great. More people he wants to "fire". Meanwhile, all the money he is going to give to "job creators" will go nowhere. They will just keep the money they get. Why? Because of those tax loopholes he will eliminate.
As for Ann Romney, I am sure that there are a lot of women out there who would love to be in her shoes. My mother would have loved that, but she had to raise three boys on her own while working 56 hours a week for over 20 years.
"Early birthday present."? Once again, we see the Republican Party for what it really is: a bunch of bullies who love to pick on women.
I guess ann romney is gonna be a champion for stay home moms, which means help with education which can eliminate welfare programs.
Why do repubs who run for president always supports the "Dream Act" sounds a lot like dems to me.
The only real difference between dems and repubs who run are the tax rate to the rich!
That and government spending.
amer,
You are right about govt spending one gets us in debt with dem issues and repub gets us in debt on repub issues.
No big difference!
If you steal from my left pocket or from my right
I have still been robbed!
I seem to remember we almost had the debt paid off not too long ago under a Democratic President.
Two unfunded wars and financial de-regulation by the Repubs fixed that though...
Oh God. Don't dump federal irresponsible bureaucracy on the states. Illinois is broke too!
Better on the states than the federal government. At least when it is on the states, there is a better chance of fixing things.
I have to agree with others who have posted here, I really don't see anything new in what Mittens is saying. Nor do I see the increased level of detail that the writer apparently sees.
All in all, a pretty big yawn.
Strong principled "values" republicans & independents have huh?
They folded on every one of them & are stuck with Romney
That is exactly why Romney never had a huge following and the conservatives went from Perry to Cain to Gingrich to Santorum. Didn't really like any of them either.
Willard's on a roll !!!
Bachmann is ready to jump on board the Willard Express !!!
Can Christine O'Donnell be far behind ????
I'm starting to like romney, he is not a conserv, so if romney or obama are in the conserv will once again, not have a president who supports their views.
Mccain, Bush and Romney and Obama supports the dream act!
No big difference between romney and obama! santorum was right about romney the "RINO"
last time I checked it was the 3 trillion dollar wars based on lies and corporate profiteering that put us in this mess, not the education department.
What 3 Trillion Dollar Wars?
what war?
the fed has already printed it out!
It is the figure of the govt imagination! It never exsisted Folks!
That should be Mitt's first act as President if he wins: Redact the entire BUSH II presidency. (and then blame Obama, of course...)
When you spend more than you take in you get you get in a deficit!
"When you spend more than you take in you get you get in a deficit!"
And you don't eliminate a deficit by cutting income -- which is exactly what republican want to do.
good one charlie