Romney Campaign Press Release - "Mitt Romney Will Deliver, As He Always Has"

"After three years of over-promising and under-delivering by President Obama, the country desperately needs someone who will deliver. Mitt Romney will deliver, as he always has. Under new leadership, we can renew the economic miracle that has made America the hope of the world. That is why I will vote for Gov. Mitt Romney on Super Tuesday, March 6." — Sen. Rob Portman

"Romney Can Turn US Around"

By Sen. Rob Portman

Cincinnati Enquirer

February 29, 2012

http://news.cincinnati.com/

Ohio has been hit hard by the recent jobs slump — the worst since the Great Depression. The job market is so discouraging that hundreds of thousands of people in Ohio and across the country have actually stopped looking for work.

President Obama has repeatedly assured Americans that his stimulus spending and ever-increasing government would improve the economy.

But it hasn't worked. Despite President Obama's claims that his stimulus would lead to unemployment at 6 percent today, it remains above 8 percent. A smaller percentage of Americans are in the labor force than in 30 years. Real wages are down. Gas prices have doubled since he took office.

The president's best explanation for this failed record seems to be "it could have been worse." I believe it could have been better — much better — under different leadership and different policies.

It could have been better if President Obama had not dug the nation $4 trillion deeper in debt. Economists tell us that this record level of debt prevents millions of jobs from being created.

It could have been better if President Obama had embraced pro-growth reform of our outdated, inefficient tax code, rather than insisting on higher taxes on job creators at every turn.

It could have been better if President Obama had not increased the costly regulatory burden on American employers, which has held back job growth in Ohio and across the country. Businesses now also face steep built-in costs in order to comply with the President's health-care spending law, Dodd-Frank, and other new job-killing rules and regulations.

It could have been better if President Obama had not slowed or halted responsible American energy production. Just last month, the president rejected the Keystone XL pipeline, which would have brought reliable, affordable energy down from Canada and created thousands of U.S. jobs.

These failures have led many Ohioans who admire the president on a personal level, even those who voted for him in the last election, to conclude that the country needs a new leader with the experience and ideas to change America's course for the better.

Mitt Romney is that leader. He's accomplished turnarounds his entire professional life — as a business leader, with the Olympics and as governor of Massachusetts.

In his 25-year business career, he created over 100,000 net new jobs by turning around companies, balancing budgets and eliminating waste. In the international spotlight, he rescued the Salt Lake City Olympics from insolvency.

As governor of Massachusetts, he erased a $3 billion budget deficit and created a $2 billion rainy day fund, cutting taxes 19 times and casting more than 800 vetoes. Conservative reforms like that are no small feat in a state with a legislature that is 85 percent Democrat.

Mitt Romney not only has the experience to lead an economic turnaround for America, he also has the right plan.

He'll cut spending and enact a balanced budget amendment.

He'll send to Congress fundamental tax reform that lowers rates by getting rid of tax breaks, making America competitive again. He'll order regulatory relief to get job creators hiring. He'll expand domestic energy production to power America's economy. He'll get rid of President Obama's one-size-fits-all health-care program, which is dragging down job creation by increasing costs on businesses.

After three years of over-promising and under-delivering by President Obama, the country desperately needs someone who will deliver.

Mitt Romney will deliver, as he always has.

Under new leadership, we can renew the economic miracle that has made America the hope of the world.

That is why I will vote for Gov. Mitt Romney on Super Tuesday, March 6. I hope you will join me.