“I have a vision of a very different America, an America united not by our limits but by our ambitions, our hopes, and our shared dreams,’’ Romney said, wearing jeans and an open-collared shirt and reading from a prompter. “I am tired of a president who wakes up every day, looks out across America, and is proud to announce, ‘It could be worse.’ It could be worse? Is that what it means to be an American? It could be worse?’’
As he has in recent days, Romney accused Obama of creating “an entitlement society’’ where Americans are too reliant on government.
“President Barack Obama has reversed John Kennedy’s call for sacrifice,’’ Romney said. “He would have Americans ask, ‘What can the country do for you?’ ’’
In one of his most biting lines, Romney said, “We’re bigger than the misguided policies and weak leadership of one man. American is bigger than Barack Obama’s failures.’’
The speech kicks off a three-day bus tour around New Hampshire, which today takes him to Keene, Newport, Hanover, and Ashland. After leading national polls earlier in the campaign, Romney is fighting Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, for the front-runner post. Yet, not once in the 15-minute speech did Romney mention his archrival.
The Obama campaign had preemptively criticized Romney yesterday in a conference call with reporters.
“The first tenet of Mitt Romney’s economic policy is to let Wall Street write its own rules again, allowing the same type of risky financial deals that put our economy at risk …’’ said Ben LaBolt, an Obama campaign spokesman. “The president believes we need to build an economy where hard work and responsibility are rewarded, and everyone plays by the same rules.’’
Earlier, Romney called super PACs - which have arguably benefited his campaign more than any other- “a disaster.’’ The new political action committees, which can take unlimited donations, have taken out a bevy of negative ads against Gingrich.
“Campaign finance law has made a mockery of our political campaign season,’’ Romney said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.’’ “We really ought to let campaigns raise the money they need and just get rid of these super PACs.’’
But when asked to call on groups to stop the attacks, Romney demurred.
“I’m not allowed to communicate with a super PAC in any way, shape, or form,’’ he said.
As Romney closed last night, he said, “It’s getting close now. I think Christmas is coming soon, right? … Your primary is coming up real soon, and I’d like to win.’’
Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.
