Romney Rips Obama's Economic Record

In his speech at CPAC 2011, Mitt Romney settled on an effective line of attack: criticizing the Obama administration for their failed jobs record.

After thanking David Keene and "Castro's nemesis" Al Cardenas, Ann Romney introduced her husband and likely GOP presidential contender, Mitt Romney. The introduction was very personal, with Ann discussing Romney's devotion to his children and with her concluding that she would want to see him run for president.

Romney coyly suggested that Obama's State of the Union speech "sounded like my CPAC speech from last year" because launching into his main line of attack. One characterized by some rather dull one-liners:

"What we're watching is not Brave New World, its Groundhog Day."

Romney on Obama's response to unemployment: "It could be worse? What's next, let them eat cake? Excuse me, let them eat organic cake?"

Romney on Obama's rate of job loss: It is "One inconvenient truth that will haunt this President."

On the Afghan withdrawal timeline: "The Taliban may not have a sophisticated air force or drones, but they have a calendar."

However, when Romney made his pivot to the issue of unemployment, he touched on a theme that frankly gets ignored by many Republican headliners. In one of the better lines of the speech: "Liberals should be ashamed that their policies have failed these good and decent Americans."

This could be a very effective line of attack - going on the offense over jobs is a much more concrete line to take as opposed to the usual GOP obsession over the debt and deficit.

Romney concluded with what might end up being his campaign slogan: "I Believe in America".

There was however very little in his speech about the debt or deficits, and Romney also was silent on his healthcare legislation in Massachusetts.

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