Romney cancels out-of-state political visits to focus on antiterrorism strategies

Governor Mitt Romney yesterday canceled a political trip to Wisconsin, where he had planned to appear at a Republican Governors Association barbecue last night, saying he needed to focus on antiterrorism efforts at home.

Romney, who is considering a run for president, had resumed his political travels late last month after putting the trips on hold because of the July 10 Big Dig ceiling collapse. He said at a news conference yesterday that he would not travel outside the state until security efforts at Logan International Airport were running ``in a smooth and efficient manner."

``Logan has a specific history with regard to the initiation of terrorist activity on airlines and therefore we have a heightened degree of concern here," he said, referring to the two flights from Logan that were hijacked in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

An aide said later that the governor may visit his vacation home in New Hampshire over the weekend.

On Wednesday he is scheduled to attend the annual ``Red, White, and Blues" fund-raiser for US Representative Jim Nussle, who is running for governor of Iowa. Romney is slated to return to Iowa near the end of the month to raise money for a pair of candidates for the Iowa Legislature.

A week from tomorrow , Romney is scheduled to fly to Los Angeles to give the keynote speech at the California Republican Party's state convention dinner at the Century Plaza Hotel.

Last night's Wisconsin fund-raiser for the governors' association , of which Romney is chairman, offered an opportunity to meet political donors and Republican officials. Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, a guest of honor, also canceled because of the security threat.

``Today, obviously the business of politics takes a back seat to the business of governance and protecting the citizens of the Commonwealth and the United States," said Philip A. Musser , executive director of the association. ``I think everyone here understands that on days like today, the most important places for leaders like Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty is in their capitals, managing the issues they're facing with respect to homeland security issues."

Yesterday morning, Romney was the first governor in the country to activate the National Guard to help provide security.

Later, flanked by Thomas J. Kinton Jr. , chief executive of the Massachusetts Port Authority, Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, and others, Romney headed a State House news conference. He ticked off a list of new security checks at Logan -- a second security check at the gate, random vehicle searches, and roadblocks -- and issued a litany of advisories for travelers. He later visited Logan Airport.

``Counterterrorism and intelligence is the most effective way to keep attacks on Americans from occurring," said Romney, who headed up a national working group on homeland security in 2004.

``I think we have to express our appreciation to the British intelligence teams that have followed this threat and have identified it prior to an attack being carried out," he said.