Why are Mitt and Ann Romney back in the news?
| Washington
When Mitt Romney lost last November to President Obama, it seemed a safe bet that he and his wife, Ann, would fade from public view. On balance, Republicans weren鈥檛 all that impressed with Mr. Romney鈥檚 campaign or his political chops.
And indeed, until now, the Romneys have been lying low. But they鈥檙e back. Mr. Romney is critiquing Mr. Obama鈥檚 second term, touting an 鈥渋ssues summit鈥� he鈥檚 holding in Utah next week, and offering to campaign for 2014 candidates. Mrs. Romney has gone public with her views on Washington鈥檚 scandal outbreak and her pick for the 2016 presidential race.
鈥淲e are now over 100 days [into Obama鈥檚 second term], and we have yet to see any particular agenda,鈥� Mitt Romney said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal posted Thursday evening. 鈥淭hat is my view, that the extraordinary disappointment of the president鈥檚 second term is [that] where the opportunity was greatest, he has proposed the least. He continues to campaign as if there is another election, and there isn鈥檛.鈥�
Romney said the only second-term initiative of significance thus far is immigration reform, but 鈥渢hat has been done entirely by the Senate.鈥�
In contrast, Romney said he had put in place a transition team of several hundred people and, had he been elected, his first 100 days would have been a stream of legislation, rewritten regulations, and executive orders 鈥� 鈥渁ll of this designed to jumpstart the economy, get us more globally competitive, and help the middle class.鈥�
鈥淲e were thinking, gosh, we have 100 days to really get the ball rolling,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o I presumed the president would have the same kind of effort under way.鈥�
Romney also laid out the plan for a 鈥渇orward-looking鈥� three-day summit next week at a Utah mountain resort for 200 friends and supporters. The summit will be an opportunity to 鈥渆xchange views and update our thinking about where the world is headed and what the national agenda ought to be.鈥� He listed as themes global youth unemployment, US competitiveness, and the future of the family.
Most interesting guest: David Axelrod, a former top political aide to Obama. Mr. Axelrod, who has never met Romney, told the Journal he will attend with his wife to discuss their daughter鈥檚 struggle with epilepsy and their efforts to find a cure.
Romney says he鈥檚 considering writing a book and has plans to campaign for 2014 candidates. But, he added, "I'm not going to be bothering the airwaves with a constant series of speeches."
Ann Romney, interviewed Thursday on CBS TV, admitted to frustration in the months after her husband鈥檚 loss, but she harbors no bitterness and adds, 鈥淣ow, I鈥檓 really happy with my life.鈥�
Romney finds the recent rash of scandals in Washington 鈥渄eeply troubling,鈥� especially the revelation that the Internal Revenue Service was targeting tea party groups for extra scrutiny in their applications for tax-exempt status.
"There's this breach of trust that we as all Americans feel right now with our government,鈥� Romney said.
And what about 2016? Just a few months into Obama鈥檚 second term, most Americans aren鈥檛 paying attention to the early jockeying for the next presidential race. But Ann Romney offered a few thoughts. She praised New Jersey鈥檚 Republican Gov. Chris Christie, despite criticism by others that his close cooperation with 鈥� and effusive praise of 鈥� Obama after superstorm Sandy may have hurt her husband on the eve of the election. 聽
鈥淐hris is a great guy, and it鈥檚 all good,鈥� she said.
Still, Romney added, she and her husband are partial to his 2012 running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan (R) of Wisconsin, for 2016. 鈥淏ut we don鈥檛 even know if he鈥檚 going to run,鈥� she said.聽
