Romney at Manchester Rotary

Mitt Romney speaking with reporters in Manchester. Photo by Gregory W. Wallace.

By Gregory W. Wallace (gww@primaryinsider.com)

MANCHESTER—Mitt Romney spoke to and fielded questions from the Manchester Rotary Club at Fratello’s Restaurant. Outside the hall, he fielded questions from reporters.

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Mitt Romney speaks with members of the Manchester Rotary Club. Photo by Gregory W. Wallace.

Mitt Romney speaking with the Manchester Rotary Club. Photo by Gregory W. Wallace.

Mitt Romney speaking with the Manchester Rotary Club. Photo by Gregory W. Wallace.

Mitt Romney speaking with the Manchester Rotary Club. Photo by Gregory W. Wallace.

Mitt Romney speaks with Manchester Rotary Club president Clara Monier. Photo by Gregory W. Wallace.

Mitt Romney speaks with reporters before attending a meeting of the Manchester Rotary Club. Photo by Gregory W. Wallace.

Perry to Visit on Saturday

By Gregory W. Wallace (gww@primaryinsider.com)

MANCHESTER—Governor Rick Perry, Republican of Texas, will attend a house party in New Hampshire this weekend, Politico reports.

The long-anticipated candidacy may be announced—or at least previewed—on Saturday, when Mr. Perry appears at a morning event in South Carolina, then attends a house party in Greenland, N.H., at 5:30 pm.

It seems increasingly likely that Mr. Perry will make a bid for the presidency. Besides hosting a steady stream of Republicans at his Austin home, he made dozens of well-reported phone calls to influential G.O.P.ers, including New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte, state House speaker William O’Brien, and conservative activist Ovide Lamontagne.

Saturday is also the day of the influential Iowa Straw Poll in Ames, where candidacies could be made or broken. Mr. Perry will not appear on the Straw Poll ballot, although several declared candidates who are not pushing in the state are listed on the ballot. His appearance in South Carolina and New Hampshire on the day of the Straw Poll will undoubtedly draw attention away from the Ames contest, in part thanks to the anticipating surrounding a possible Perry bid.

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2nd Writethru

Romney Speaks with Concord Chamber

Mitt Romney speaking with Concord-area business leaders on Monday. Photo by Gregory W. Wallace.

By Gregory W. Wallace (gww@primaryinsider.com)

UPDATED | CONCORD—Mitt Romney addressed the nation’s economic woes with local business leaders on Monday, taking a decidedly local approach and

“I’m here to get your perspective on what’s happening in the Concord economy,” he told members of the Concord Chamber of Commerce, then discussed their viewpoints on topics ranging from unemployment and housing to rural internet access and the paper industry.

“Even though New Hampshire is seeing lower levels of unemployment than the nation as a whole, there are plenty of people who would like to see higher levels,” Mr. Romney said.

The economic situation is serious, he said, and calls for political cooperation in Washington, D.C.

“I don’t think I’ve seen a more partisan blame oriented presidency in my lifetime,” Mr. Romney said.

A former business executive himself, Mr. Romney said he places emphasis on the role of businesses.

“I appreciate that what you do is harder than people in government,” he said. “If I’m lucky enough to become president of the United States, I want to make you more successful. Not just because I like you but because I value what you do for our country.”

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President Deserves Credit Downgrade Blame, Romney Says

Mitt Romney takes a question from a Concord business owner. Photo by Gregory W. Wallace.

By Gregory W. Wallace (gww@primaryinsider.com)

CONCORD—President Barack Obama deserves the majority of the blame for the nation’s credit rating decrease, presidential hopeful Mitt Romney said on Monday.

“The President needs to take the action which will restore the nation's financial footing,” he said. “The truth is the buck does stop with him and he needs to exude the leadership necessary to restore. . . the balance sheet upon which the economy rests.”

But blame also lies with Republicans and Democrats alike who were behind decades of overspending, he said before speaking to the Concord Chamber of Commerce. He did not directly answer whether Tea Party-aligned members of Congress played a greater part than other legislators in pushing the nation to the brink.

“I’m afraid the president is out of his depth as far as understanding how the private economy works,” he said, citing his own experience when Massachusetts faced budget woes.

Mr. Romney also expressed condolences for the U.S. servicemembers killed over the weekend in an Afghanistan helicopter crash, as well as expressed his support for a right-to-work policy in the Granite State.

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Johnson Is Confident in Prospects

By Gregory W. Wallace (gww@primaryinsider.com)

NASHUA—Campaigning in a local smoke shop and book warehouse here on Friday, former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson elided great confidence in presidential bid.

He said he is “running for this job and plugging on the basis that I’m the guy.”

Mr. Johnson, who was not invited to the first New Hampshire debate polls very low in the state—his split in the most recent poll was 9 percent favorable, 15 percent unfavorable, and 76 percent unsure—told patrons at Castro’s Cigar Shop that his campaign promises should be taken at his word.

“The outrageous thing is that there’s nothing in my resume that says I’m not going to do what I say I’m going to do,” he said.

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Union Leader Says Huntsman Is Too Vague

By Gregory W. Wallace (gww@primaryinsider.com)

Jon M. Huntsman, the former Utah governor who just wrapped up a five-day tour of the Granite State, is chided in today’s Union Leader editorial for being too vague:

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination, spent much of last week in New Hampshire. We followed his travels around the state closely, and we sat down with him for a one-hour interview on Wednesday. After all of that, we know a little bit more about his agenda for governing this country should he be elected President. Only a little bit, though.

Gov. Huntsman has the habit of taking a moment to collect his thoughts before he speaks. He says what he means, and rarely anything else. Not all candidates have such discipline, and it is serving him well, especially on subjects he enjoys talking about.

Get him going on China, international relations, or even some areas of defense policy, and he can show just how much he knows, which is a lot. But outside of that comfort zone, he can be surprisingly vague. His “message discipline,” as the campaign people say, keeps him on point, which keeps him out of trouble. But it also keeps him from elaborating on policy, which is a problem for anyone hoping to win in New Hampshire.

The people of New Hampshire tend to have a good grasp of national politics, and they usually want more from candidates than just a general agenda outline. If Gov. Huntsman doesn’t start explaining his ideas in more depth during his visits here, he will find the next five months more challenging than they need to be.

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Bachmann Avoids ‘Frivolous Matters’

By Gregory W. Wallace (gww@primaryinsider.com)

Representative Michele Bachmann, Republican of Minnesota, tells the Concord Monitor that she is focused.

Focused, that is, on answering questions on the economy and health care. When asked about gay marriage, Ms. “Bachmann cut off an interview last week. . .”

“I’m not involved in light, frivolous matters,” she said. “I’m not involved in fringe or side issues. I’m involved in serious issues.”

The majority of the article focuses on her background, showing, as the Monitor says, how “God, it would appear, is her co-pilot” in life.

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On ‘Jamming Up the Process’

By Gregory W. Wallace (gww@primaryinsider.com)

New Hampshire’s representative to the Republican National Committee, Steve Duprey, on Friday to James Pindell on how the primary calendar should play out and be enforced by the committee:

“Other than the states who are trying to jam up the process there is a pretty strong sense that if the first three states (Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina) have to move up to honor the intentions of the party rules that is fine, but anyone who doesn’t honor the rules should be punished,” Duprey said.

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Romney Returns

By Gregory W. Wallace (gww@primaryinsider.com)

Mitt Romney returns to the Granite State political radar today with three events.

Mr. Romney works his way down the Everett Turnpike, beginning the morning with a 9:45 address to the Concord Chamber of Commerce at the offices of Northeast Delta Dental.

At noon, he is in Manchester, speaking to the city’s Rotary Club at Fratello’s Restaurant.

At 6 o’clock, he holds a town hall meeting in Nashua at VFW Post 483.

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