Romney focus on jobs during Cincinnati talk

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney greets employees at Meridian Bioscience in Cincinnati. He cited the company's owner Monday for taking a risk in founding the firm and then leading its growth. ASSOCIATED PRESS Enlarge

CINCINNATI -- Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney focused heavily on jobs while in Ohio on Monday, arguing he is the candidate most likely to improve the economy.

Highlighting his executive experience in business and as governor of Massachusetts, he said he understands what it takes to create jobs in the private sector. He argued that rivals don't have the experience with leadership that he has, and that President Obama's economic policies have caused government to grow, hindering private-business growth.

"Some people, mostly in Washington, tend to think it's government that makes America work," he said. "Those guys are wrong."

Mr. Romney spoke just off the loading dock at Meridian Bioscience, a diagnostic kit maker in Newtown, just outside Cincinnati. The event was open to the press and Meridian employees -- many of whom lined a catwalk behind Mr. Romney -- but was closed to the general public.

He was scheduled to attend a private fund-raiser later Monday in downtown Cincinnati.

With Michigan's primary next week and Ohio's March 6 during Super Tuesday, the Republican presidential candidates have ramped up their campaign appearances in the region. Rick Santorum, Mr. Romney's chief rival for the nomination, was in Steubenville Monday before heading to Michigan.

Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican who endorsed Mr. Romney last month, introduced the candidate Monday, pointing to Mr. Romney's executive experience and calling him the "right person to help us create jobs and get America back on track."

Both Mr. Romney and Mr. Portman used Meridian as a springboard to trumpet Mr. Romney's economic approach, and to criticize President Obama. They lauded company founder William Motto, who they said started Meridian in his garage with $500. Both politicians highlighted the risks he took and the company's growth.

"The reality is that you could be doing better and hiring more people," Mr. Portman said, "but for some of the policies coming out of Washington."

The Republicans lamented a 2.3 percent excise tax on medical devices included in the President's health-care law, which they said will cost Meridian $4 million to $5 million a year.

Mr. Romney frequently spoke about the need for entrepreneurs to take risks to grow and innovate, and he argued that regulations and taxes make those risks harder to take. He said the rate of new regulations enacted by the federal government grew by 2.5 percent under President Obama, compared to his predecessor.

Mr. Romney also used Meridian's growth as an opportunity to attack a focus on wealth inequality, which Republicans have framed as class warfare.

"Their success did not make other people poorer," he said to employees. "Their success made all of you better off."

Hamilton County Democratic Chairman Tim Burke provided the state Democrats' response to Mr. Romney's campaign stop.

"Cincinnati voters also haven't forgotten Governor Romney's last visit to the Cincinnati area, when he falsely said that he didn't have a position on Senate Bill 5 -- even though he had come to Ohio for the purpose of campaigning for Senate Bill 5," Mr. Burke said in a statement. "And they will not forget that the very next day in Virginia, he said that he 'fully' supported John Kasich's attacks on Ohio workers after telling Ohio voters he had no position."

Mr. Romney continued his recent attacks on chief rival Mr. Santorum, characterizing him as not fiscally conservative. He said government grew while Mr. Santorum was a Pennsylvania senator and said Mr. Santorum voted to raise the nation's debt ceiling five times without requiring an equal amount in spending cuts.

"[Mr. Santorum] calls himself a budget hawk," Mr. Romney said, "and after he's been [in Washington] for a while, he says he's no longer a budget hawk."

Mr. Santorum is leading Mr. Romney in recent Ohio polls and appears to have momentum in the race. Mr. Portman called Mr. Romney "by far the best candidate," but said he expects the Republican primary race to stretch into the late spring.

Contact Nolan Rosenkrans at: nrosenkrans@theblade.com, or 419-724-6086.