Romney camp promises more specifics

AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

(CBS News) Mitt Romney's campaign said today that it will offer more specifics of Romney's policy proposals in the future. The announcement follows criticism from conservatives who complained the campaign is too vague and news stories suggesting discord in the Romney campaign. 

Ed Gillespie, a senior adviser to the campaign, told reporters on a conference call Monday morning that after a successful convention that introduced Romney as a person, people are ready "to know even more about policies."

Gillespie said the campaign was shifting to a "new emphasis, and renewed emphasis" on why electing Romney would have a positive impact on their lives. Romney's campaign has thus far been focused largely on making the case that Mr. Obama has failed as a steward of the economy. The Obama campaign, meanwhile, has sought to frame the race as a choice between the two candidates, not a referendum on the president.

Gillespie did not unveil significant specific new policies, and did not address a question on whether Romney will get more specific about an area where he has been hammered in recent weeks - what loopholes and deductions he would eliminate as part of his tax plan. Gillespie said that while there will be some new policies discussed, "most of this is reinforcing."

He pointed to Romney's support for the Keystone XL pipeline and said that the discussion of that is the sort of specific that will allow people to say, "oh, I see, that's how you get to be energy independent by 2020." He also said that the Romney-Ryan ticket will go take advantage of specific venues to discuss topics that they have rarely discussed in the past, and promised more discussion of foreign policy and issues like Medicare.

"We do think the timing is right at this point to reinforce more specifics about the Romney plan for a strong middle class," he said.

Gillespie presented the shift as a "natural progression" as opposed to a response to criticism. He said "the timing is right at this point to reinforce more specifics" in part because many voters are "just now starting to lock in" to the race.

On Sunday night, Politico described a Romney campaign in turmoil, with Romney's convention speech having been cobbled together late in the process. His top strategist, Stuart Stevens, is described as "the leading staff scapegoat for a campaign that suddenly is behind in a race that had been expected to stay neck and neck through Nov. 6." The New York Times also described "an outbreak of finger-pointing" in the campaign, something that has rarely come at this point in past campaigns. Romney also took heat last week for his handling of the violence in Egypt and Libya.

Romney pollster Neil Newhouse sought to counter the notion that Romney is falling behind in the race, pointing to polling to argue that Mr. Obama's convention bounce has dissipated and argue that race is a "dead heat virtually everywhere." Polls suggest that Mr. Obama has built a lead in most swing states and nationally in recent weeks, though in most races the margin is in the single digits.

[marychgo]

The Spoiled Fratboy ticket CAN'T spell out details of their "program"! If they did, either they'd show beyond doubt that the math just doesn't work, or they'd reveal to all their supporters that "voodoo economics" won't work any better under Romney/Ryan than it did under Reagan or Bush I or Bush II.

So long as they keep it fuzzy, they can pretend that all the analysts who say the math doesn't work are just Democrats, and they can keep their coalition of anti-Obama wishful thinkers together!

[hhandyman]

Romney isn't even in office and has broken more promises than Obama in saying he'd spell out his plan and holds it tight to his chest leaving all to see by faith alone if his word is good. When you don't deliver on small promises where will the big ones fall when it comes to ruling with no outline of plans.. its bad as the plot in Music man and Mitt Playing the part of Harold Hill. listen to that band play at the end of the show and see what Congress would be like with Mitt leading the Chi or of Bointer and Mitch..

[88Ronin]

Promises and more promises...

Beware of cultists lusting for power. Remember Jim Jones and David Koresh? The lives of others mean nothing to cultists.

Neither the US nor the world wants a cultist with his finger on the nuclear trigger.

A cultist's version of a happy ending is the end of the world and all life on the planet so Jeezus can return.

Religion poisons everything, especially government.

[650-hp-sohc]

romney when he pulls the trigger will be safe because hes rich.

[CBSDebbie]

Promises...Promises. My mama taught me that a broken promise is nothing more than a veiled lie. Not walking in the light Romney.

[smartalecq]

too late romney. elections is a month away. and how about that tax return.

[Ericwvb]

Translation: we're still trying to figure out ways to "market" our economic policies that hide the fact that we screw over the 99% and make life for the 1% even easier than before.

[650-hp-sohc]

more so than i have ever seen in my life.

[domoblind]

A little too late.

Should have been years ago -

[merlgrey]

how about specifically releasing 12 yrs of complete tax returns mitt?

[sweetcakesmaria]

To release 12 years of his income tax returns could mean a few years in the slammer for Mitt so he would rather lose the Presidency than possibly get jail time for cheating on his taxes.

[merlgrey]

michael- my understanding is both obama and biden have released 12yrs of returns, keeping in line with the standard that was set by mitts father george, when he ran for president.

regarding obamas college transcripts, curious if you have been so persistent to see mitts college trancsripts as well? have you?

mitt is running one of the worst campaigns i have ever witnessed, and this is from a supposedly stellar business and organization guy? and im not an obama supporter or a democrat- there are third parties.

[venusvegasvada]

Duh, you think?

Start off by giving us the last 12 years of your income taxes you traitor.

[democracy8]

michaelt302: Obama does nothing of the sort. But, unlike Romney, who managed to tick off even our closest ally, Obama understands diplomacy. Even TR said "Speak softly and carry a big stick". Which POTUS made sure that bin Laden was dead?

[dj_chi]

Willard is behind in Ohio, Virginia, AND Florida. He needs to win all three if he has a hope to win the White House. After all these months he still can't pull ahead, and his recent fumbling foreign policy forays have show why in the primaries most voters said they wish they had another choice to vote for.

He's done, but the hater brigade can't bear to acknowledge it til the voting makes it painfully clear.

[YourRearViewMirror1]

...the more I know about Mitt Romney, the more I am reminded of Sarah Palin...