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SALT LAKE CITY -- A political heavyweight with longtime Utah ties will be in town this weekend for a book tour that very likely could be a prelude to another presidential run.
GOP Presidential Nomination Poll
| Candidate | Colorado | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| Huckabee | 17% | 21% |
| Palin | 25% | 18% |
| Romney | 44% | 52% |
| Undecided | 14% | 9% |
Mitt Romney will appear Saturday at the Salt Palace to talk about his book called "No Apology: the Case for American Greatness." It concludes with a 64-point "Agenda for a Free and Strong America," and leaves no doubt that Romney is considering another run.
Romney says this weekend he'll discuss his book "No Apology" and his vision for the future.
"We're gonna talk about the challenges our nation faces and why we're optimistic about our future if we take the right course," he said.
Romney tells KSL Radio's Doug Wright he believes Americans will reject Democrats' attempt to reform health care.
"I think the American people have made it clear in every way they possibly can that they do not want this federal takeover of American health care," Romney said. "I think it will be rejected by the American people in almost every way they can reject it."
Salt Palace Convention Center
Doors open at 4:30 p.m.
Tickets: Hinckley Institute of Politics
Romney's critics point out the president's health care plan shares many similarities to one Romney helped pass while governor of Massachusetts. He doesn't see it that way, but says the issue will be a key in the next election.
"I believe that ultimately, probably in 2012, that the president will be replaced," Romney said. "Whoever the new president is, they'll take steps to reverse this plan."
Recent polls from Florida and Colorado show Romney way ahead of the closest GOP challenger.
Kirk Jowers, a longtime Romney confidant, leads the Hinckley Institute of Politics, which is hosting the Romney event.
Drawing on history for lessons on how great powers collapse, Romney shows how and why our national advantages have eroded.
We need renewal: fresh ideas to cut through complicated problems and restore our strength. Romney proposes simple solutions to the many problems facing our nation.
He calls for a new commitment to citizenship, a common cause we all share, rather than a laundry list of individual demands. Many of his solutions oppose President Obama's policies, many also run counter to Republican thinking, but all have one strategic aim: to move America back to political and economic strength.-Deseret Book
Jowers said, "If the election were held today, we have some polls and Mitt Romney would win the Republican nomination going away and would be in a dog fight with Barack Obama."
Romney says he has not yet decided if he will run. He predicts whomever wins the nomination, despite unrest on the right in the form of the Tea Party movement, will pull the GOP together.
"We have to be what Ronald Reagan called a big tent party, that you have to welcome not those that have 100 percent the opinions you have but share the great majority of opinions," Romney said. The book event is at 7:00 p.m. Saturday.
Tickets cost $25 and include a copy of the book. They're available at the door of the Salt Palace the day of the event and also on the Romney website.
Proceeds from the event go to scholarships at the Hinckley Institute of Politics.
E-mail: jdaley@ksl.com
