Mitt Romney Gets in the Race

Mitt Romney has finally thrown his hat into the ring as a candidate for President of the United States. The GOP field looks wide open at this point with other notable contenders, like Sarah Palin and Rudy Giuliani, yet to join the race. Romney opened his 2012 White House bid with: "I'm Mitt Romney and I believe in America. And I'm running for President of the United States."

Romney has tried to jump out in front and paint himself as a man of the people, a politician who is truly concerned about the "little guy."

* "It doesn't matter if they are Republican or Democrat, independent or libertarian, they're just Americans ... an American family." -- Romney on June 2, describing his regard for the struggling American family. GOP leaders have not thrown full support toward Romney at this stage of the game, so it is important that Romney try to appeal to as many types of voters as possible.

* "A few years ago, Americans did something that was, actually, very much the sort of thing Americans like to do: We gave someone new a chance to lead, someone we hadn't known for very long, who didn't have much of a record but promised to lead us to a better place. At the time, we didn't know what sort of a president he would make. ... Now, in the third year of his four-year term, we have more than promises and slogans to go by. Barack Obama has failed America." -- Romney describing President Barack Obama on June 2. This quote pretty much sums up Romney's feelings about Barack Obama and his notion that the Obama Presidency has been a failure.

* "I am not going to pull a Guiliani and wait until Florida. What an idiot! I hear he is back up here, nosing around. I hope Rudy runs. I hope he brings his third wife too. That plays well with the family values crowd." -- John Feehery, director of government affairs for Quinn Gillespie in Washington on what Romney should have said during his announcement.

* "Maybe we'll run into him." -- Sarah Palin on June 2, while in New Hampshire on her cross-country bus tour. She was told Romney was also in New Hampshire and that he had declared his run for the White House.

* "The reality is that Obamacare and Romneycare are almost exactly the same. It's not very helpful trying to distinguish them. I would think the best way to handle it is to say, it was a terrible mistake and if I could do it over again, I wouldn't do it." -- Giuliani on a Massachusetts health care law, similar to Obama's healthcare proposal, that was supported by Romney. Conservatives are known to not be in support of Obama's healthcare plan.

* "He's got money, he's got a message, and he seems well-positioned for the long haul." -- David Gregory, "Meet the Press" correspondent, on Romney's announcement.