The Economy on People's Minds

Sun-Sentinal

Boca Raton:

"As economy churns, Romney touts his economic skills"

".....With the financial markets in turmoil, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney used campaign stops in South Florida today to tout his chief executive credentials as ideal in confronting a turbulent economy.

".....'With the nature of the challenges America faces, economically and in foreign policy…it would be vastly beneficial to this country to have a leader who's actually had a job in the private sector,' Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and venture capitalist, said in a Boca Raton campaign stop.

".....While President Bush and some in Congress are proposing tax rebates of up to $800 for individuals, Romney outlined a different approach: expanding tax write-offs for corporations, securing mortgages for at-risk homeowners and lowering the tax rate for lower-middle class residents.

".....Romney acknowledged his short-term stimulus approach is less focused on individual, and added that any tax rebates should only go to people who pay federal income taxes.

".....'It's interesting that right now the economy is on people's minds,' Romney told the Boca Raton morning gathering of a few hundred. 'I almost fear for this meeting to be over. I don't want to see what's happening in the stock market today.'

".....Romney linked the economy and his executive experience with foreign policy and the war on terrorism.'We can't have the strongest military in the world unless we have the strongest economy in the world,' he said, adding having a president who has 'lived and worked in the real economy for a whole career is essential at this very critical time.'

".....On foreign policy, Romney hammered the United Nations as ineffective, vowed to step up economic and diplomatic pressure to keep Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and vowed 'a very clear commitment, a very clear statement, that we will never allow the destruction of Israel.'"

--By Josh Hafenbrack