In his first appearance in Wisconsin since August, Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney summoned a crowd numbering the thousands at a West Allis rally Friday.
Speaking at the Wisconsin State Fair Park, Romney repeatedly made comparisons between himself and President Barack Obama in hopes of winning over the battleground state, worth 10 Electoral College votes.
“It is America’s moment of renewal, purpose and optimism,” Romney said of the coming Election Day, which is tomorrow.
Romney spoke of how President Obama has “fallen so very short” on his 2008 campaign promises.
“The President promised change, but he could not deliver it; I promise change, and I can achieve it,” Romney said. “Unemployment is higher today than when Obama took office.”
Romney criticized President Obama on the current unemployment rate and also linked the loss of jobs to the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as ‘Obamacare.’
Instead of “focusing on creating jobs,” Romney criticized the president for focusing on Obamacare, which killed jobs, Romney said.
Romney also took time to discussed his five-point plan.
It includes improving trade, energy independence, curbing government spending through the “Fiscal Sanity Act,” a proposed “Retraining Reform Act” to help the average American acquire skills to compete in the marketplace and assistance to small businesses through executive orders that will assist the economy.
Romney promised to grant state waivers to repeal the president’s health care plan, and to also review, repair and eliminate all “Obama-era-regulations” that are “holding the economy back.”
In an interview with The Badger Herald, Graeme Zielinski, spokesperson for the Wisconsin Democratic Party, compared Mitt Romney’s economic plan as having as much substance as a “cream puff,” a reference to the beloved cream puff treats, annually sold at the State Fair – the same location where Romney was giving his speech.
He also warned Romney’s plan forces the middle class to shoulder the tax-burden for Romney’s proposed tax-policies.
Romney criticized President Obama’s energy policy for waging a war on the coal and natural gas industries, while “sending billions to his favorite solar and wind companies.” On education, the former governor said the president caters to his largest campaign supporters, the public-sector-unions.
But Zielinski also accused Romney’s campaign of working closely with the interests of other industries.
“Romney’s campaign is controlled by groups from Wall Street to big oil,” Zielinski said
Romney said he intends to be the voice of the children and their parents since “there is no union for the PTA.”
The two-hour rally also exhibited a lineup of the Wisconsin Republican leadership. State Senator Leah Vukmir, R-Wauwatosa, State Representative Dale Kooyenga, R-Brookfield, Senator Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker and Senatorial Candidate Tommy Thompson all attended.
