Romney predicts a win in Wisconsin
(CBS News) Mitt Romney's bus tour drove into Janesville, Wisc., Monday with a cadre of popular Wisconsin conservatives at his side.
With Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., Gov. Scott Walker, R-Wisc., and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus on stage flanking the Republicans' presumptive presidential nominee, Romney said he will win in November.
"We're going to win Wisconsin. We're going to get the White House," Romney said.
Ryan reminded the audience of the rightward tilt the state has experienced in the past two years and that a vote for Romney would continue the trend.
"This election really is a choice. And it is a choice of two futures and you know what? In Wisconsin, in 2010, we elected leaders to get our state back. To attack our problems and fix the mess in Madison and get us back on track," Ryan said. "And about two weeks ago, we did the same thing by re-electing those same leaders to get us back on track."
The Romney campaign is confident in his chances to win the Badger State, which has voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election since 1988. But after Walker survived his recall election in June with 200,000 more votes than he received in 2010, Republicans are feeling optimistic, even though President Obama won handedly in 2008.
Is Wisconsin ripe for a Romney win?
To a crowd of 700 at the Monterey Mills textile plant, Romney once again called President Obama eloquent but said the president hopes to "change the subject" away from the economy and his record.
"These are challenging times for Americans, and because of his failed record, his campaign is having a hard time deciding what to talk about, because they'd like to talk about the economy, they'd like to talk about his record but you know, the last time his campaign slogan was hope and change this time he's going with: we hope to change the subject," Romney said.
Janesville is also the hometown of Ryan, who is the head of the House Budget Committee and author of the Republican's budget plan.
Noting his appeal and playing into speculation that Ryan is on Romney's short list to be his running mate, the president and CEO of the Monterey Mills textile plant, Dan Sinykin, suggested Romney should choose Ryan.
"Governor Romney, we are in Congressman Ryan's hometown, he is right here. If you have an announcement to make...," Sinykin said.
Romney did not make an announcement about Ryan or any of his vice presidential contenders. Instead he finished his talking points and headed to the next battleground state on his bus tour: Iowa.