Romney's Michigan appeal has his own and state's interests
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. --Republican Mitt Romney on Sunday asked Michigan's electorate to vote its self-interest -- and his.
Struggling to keep his presidential bid going after two second-place finishes, Romney focused on his Michigan roots and promised to do more to lift up the economically hard-hit state than rival John McCain. He also suggested another rival, Mike Huckabee, was the wrong type of Republican for the nomination.
"I will commit this to you," Romney said Sunday, nearly yelling himself hoarse during a boisterous rally with more than 500 people at Lawrence Technical University. "If I'm president of the United States, I will not rest until Michigan is back, and I will bring it back with your help. Together, we'll do it."
Michigan has been reeling from the U.S. auto industry's downturn; the state has the nation's highest unemployment rate at 7.4 percent.
On Monday, he was addressing the Detroit Economic Club and touring the North American International Auto Show to underscore his concern.
"Michigan's economic worries should be America's worries," he said in excerpts from his Economic Club address. "Detroit can only thrive if Washington is an engaged partner, not a disinterested observer."
In his pitch for votes, Romney has traveled with his wife, Ann, who also was born in Michigan, and talked about meeting her in the basement of Cindy White's house in Birmingham, Mich. He recalled his summer vacations on Torch Lake, and days ago visited the Statehouse to pose beneath the portrait of his late father, George, a three-term governor, in the Capitol rotunda.
"What a thrill it is to come back to Michigan, where the skies are cloudy all day, trees are just the right height, almost all the cars are American made -- the way they ought to be," he said Sunday to cheers from the knowing audience. "Of course, people speak with no accent, and they know that `pop' refers to a drink, not a relative, and, of course, Vernors is the best ginger ale in the world."
Critics point out that while George Romney was a popular figure, he last ran for office in 1966 -- more than 40 years ago. The elder Romney failed in a 1968 campaign for the presidency, and his wife, Lenore, lost a 1970 U.S. Senate campaign in Michigan.
Romney's older brother, Scott, lost the GOP nomination for attorney general in 1998 during a contentious state Republican convention, but won statewide election in 2000 as a Michigan State University trustee. His former sister-in-law, Ronna, lost two U.S. Senate bids, including a 1994 campaign when she lost the Republican primary.
On Sunday, William Milliken, who served as lieutenant governor with George Romney and then succeeded him as governor, endorsed McCain, saying, "There's a real sense of integrity in the firm positions he takes, even though they are not always popular. I don't agree with him on all issues, but I like his well-earned reputation of saying what he means, and meaning what he says."
Mitt Romney and McCain, the New Hampshire winner, were statistically tied in a Detroit News poll released Sunday, but Romney led McCain by 5 percentage points in a similar survey by the Detroit Free Press.
Romney has promised to promote a revitalized transportation sector with research dollars, better trade deals, negotiated fuel-efficiency standards and a tax-free savings plan for people making $200,000 or less.
"I'm going to fight for every single good job. We're going to rebuild this industry, we're going to make Michigan strong and a leader again in the world," he said at Lawrence Tech.
Earlier in the day, Romney dismissed any suggestion he would leave the race if he did not win Michigan.
"We're going all the way through February 5th. No ifs, ands or buts about it," he said on CBS's "Face the Nation." "This is a race that is not going to be decided by a few states. It's a race that I'm taking to the nation."
He also questioned the viability of Huckabee, the Iowa caucus winner, citing the former Arkansas governor's record on taxes, illegal immigration and prison commutations.
"This is not the kind of Republican that you'd expect to go to the White House," Romney said. "This is not the kind of Republican that I think people expect as somebody who is going to lead our party." 