Romney Pleads for Coalition of Strength

March 02, 2007

ABC News' Tahman Bradley Reports: Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference, former Gov. Mitt Romney R-Mass., made an appeal to conservative activists to join him in a movement to strengthen America's economy, military and families.

"If we are to keep America strong, we must turn to the source of America's strength…the American people are the source of our strength: hard working, educated, skilled, family-oriented, willing to sacrifice for their family and their country….they have always been the source of our strength and they always will be," he said.

Romney talked up his record of cutting taxes while governor of liberal Massachusetts and said it is time for "economic conservatism" in Washington. Romney, who was the first 2008 presidential candidate to sign the Grover Norquest anti-tax pledge, promised to cap non-defense discretionary spending at inflation minus one percent.

"If Congress sends me a budget that exceeds the cap, I will veto that budget. I don't care if it's a Republican or Democrat Congress, I will veto that budget, " Romney said.

Hoping to easy concerns among social conservatives about his recent change on a range of social issues like abortion, Romney said America faces unprecedented challenges, "this isn't the time for us to shrink from conservative principals."

Although the former governor made it known that he is standing behind President Bush's troop surge in Iraq saying the U.S. "shouldn't let Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid dictate our battle strategies to the commanders in the field and the commander-in-chief," Romney laid out his belief that there is another component to winning the global war on terrorism. He said he hoped to bring together moderate Muslim governments and nation's in an effort to modernize the Muslim world and defeat "radical jihad."

"It's the Muslim people themselves who will have to eliminate radical jihad," he said.