Romney: Obama off to 'rocky start'

Mitt Romney deflects talk of being a candidate for health and human services secretary -- what would be the fourth Republican in President Obama's cabinet.

And in the Q&A with Time magazine, he probably doesn't enhance his prospects, if any, with a rather critical assessment of the new president's performance so far.

"I think President Obama is off to a rocky start. The theme 'Yes, we can' seems to have been replaced with 'Well, maybe we can't,' Romney says. "I believe that with all the challenges America faces, the simple solutions and the hope that were sold by the Obama team are inadequate to the task ahead."

While some Republicans are already talking Romney up for a second presidential run in 2012, he was typically vague when asked about his political prospects.

"I really don't know what the future holds," he said. "Like most Americans, I want to see Barack Obama adopt effective, correct principles and successfully lead our country. And so any discussion of future politics for me is, I think, premature."

UPDATE: Romney also has an opinion piece on CNN.com critiquing Obama's economic recovery plan, saying the "Obama spending bill would stimulate the government, not the economy."