One-On-One With Mitt Romney

On the eve of the country's biggest presidential primary contest, Super Tuesday, the leading presidential candidates spoke with CBS News anchor Katie Couric about what they have yet to overcome. That ranged from assumptions about temperament to lagging support in key states.

The following is the full transcript of Couric's full discussion with former Republican Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

MITT ROMNEY: Oh, no. Everybody has every right to stay in the race as long as they'd like to. We've had eight contests so far around the nation. I've won four of those. Sen. McCain has won two. Mike won the first one. He has every right to stay in the race. But I do believe that it's important for us to decide whether we wanna have Sen. McCain as our nominee, or whether we wanna have … a conservative.

And if we wanna have a conservative, I think people are gonna wanna get around my campaign and make sure … that we will get somebody who will, if you will, keep our party in the house that Ronald Reagan built.

COURIC: But do you believe Mike Huckabee takes conservative voters away from you and, in fact, hurts your efforts to be the Republican nominee?

ROMNEY: Well, I think we take conservative voters away from each other. And I think people have to decide which of us is gonna be … the conservative standard bearer to run against John McCain in this primary season. So far, my record has shown that I can do real well. Whether it's in Florida, Michigan, Nevada, up in Maine, I've been able to attract voters from all over the country. And I think that record shows that … I'm somebody who could be a standard bearer in this race.

COURIC: When you say that a vote for Mike Huckabee is a vote for McCain, Governor Huckabee said, quote, "It's arrogant and presumptuous for him," meaning you, "to assume that the people who are voting for me would automatically go vote for him. I think he's wrong about that." What's your reaction?

ROMNEY: You know, Mike is a fine fellow. He can say whatever he'd like to say. And … he's obviously gonna stay in the race and work very hard. People of this country are gonna have to decide which, actually of us, has the potential to become the nominee. To attract all regions of the country. To run a campaign till the very end. And, ultimately, to become President of the United States. And I hope that my message of conservative change in Washington, is gonna connect with voters, and they'll support me.

COURIC: Mike Huckabee is a bit of a spoiler for us, though, isn't he, Governor? Particularly in some key races in the South?

ROMNEY: You know, I think everybody would like it if … their competition got out of the race. That's the nature of it. But politics doesn't work that way. People stay in the race and battle for the things they believe in.

My message, I believe, is connecting with people all over the country. I'm hearing from people in Georgia that I'm competitive here, could well win here. I'm hearing the same thing from people in California. I'm getting support from all over the country. That's what I think I have to have to be able to win. You know, I wish the other guys well, but not as well as I wish my own team.

COURIC: On the eve of Super Tuesday, one of the most important nights in this political process, what do you perceive as your opponent's biggest weaknesses?

ROMNEY: I think, at a time like this, particularly when our economy is facing so many challenges, when we've lost jobs last month, when people see the slide of the Stock Market, the slide of the dollar and jobs going overseas that people wanna have a President who actually has had a job in the private sector - who understand how jobs come and go. Who's been successful there.

And both Sen. McCain and Mike Huckabee are fine folks, but they have, neither one, had a job in the private sector, in the business world. I think that's something that helps me. And, of course, we have differing views on issues as well.

I'm conservative. I'm proud of that. I think Sen. McCain has a very different array of issues that he stands for. He fought for an Amnesty Bill for illegal aliens. He's for this McCain-Lieberman Bill, which puts a 50-cent-per-gallon charge in gasoline. I think those postures are just not in keeping with the direction of our party.

COURIC: In fact, Rick Santorum, who has endorsed you, the very conservative senator from the state of Pennsylvania said, "As a conservative, I don't agree with McCain on many issues. And I don't think he has the temperament and leadership ability to move the country in the right direction." You paid for that ad. Do you think John McCain doesn't have the temperament to be president?

ROMNEY: Well, I wouldn't put words in Rick Santorum's mouth. He can say what he believes, of course. I do think the nature … of leadership and executive leadership is important. I'm proud of the fact that I've been an executive leader over the last 25, 30 years. I've learned from that experience.

Sen. McCain is a national hero. But he spent the last 25 years as a legislator. That's … a very different experience. And I think my brand…

COURIC: But Governor Romney…

ROMNEY: …of executive leadership is quite different.

COURIC: I'm asking you about temperament. Do you believe John McCain has the temperament to be President of the United States?

ROMNEY: You know, I haven't worked with Senator McCain. And so … I'm not gonna comment about his temperament because it's not something I'm terribly familiar with. I believe that my experience and-- and leadership, training, judgment, wisdom, temperament, that package together, would serve America well. And I'll let other people express their own views.

COURIC: So you're suggesting that Sen. McCain has no record on the economic front?

ROMNEY: Well, Sen. McCain hasn't had responsibility for a city or a state or a business. And he's a fine man, but he's been a legislator. He's been expressing his opinion, along with several hundred other legislators … on Capital Hill for the last 25 years.

COURIC: If you wanna see what somebody can do, as an executive leader, I think you have to have someone who's actually, you know, managed a corner store … and potentially managed a city, or a state. In my case, also managed The Olympics, had the chance to help manage a state.

Of course in all these things, you don't manage it by yourself. You got a great team that makes that possible. And no one really manages our economy. What you do is have an impact on our economy. You fight for every good job, every good industry in the nation.

I think Sen. McCain lost … the Michigan Primary because … he said those jobs are gone forever. Well, I said, "Look, I'm gonna fight for all those jobs. I'm not gonna adopt the Washington-style pessimism," which says goodbye to those job.

Beacuse if you say goodbye to those, you'll say goodbye to the next jobs that go, as well. And I'm not gonna do that. I know about business. I know about fighting for jobs. You don't always keep 'em. You try. But I know how to make every possible effort to protect our good jobs.

COURIC: Do you think it's imperative you win California on Super Tuesday? And if so, why?

ROMNEY: I don't know that there are any 'must win' states for me or, frankly, for the other guys. I wanna get as many delegates as I can. And I wanna show that … we're building momentum in my campaign. And I think you're gonna see that … on Tuesday night. And we're gonna keep on battling. There are a lot of states left to go. We're just, as of Tuesday night, we'll just be barely over half of the States. And so far … my record having picked up four of the eight is …a pretty good start.

COURIC: Mitt Romney. Gov. Romney, thanks very much.

ROMNEY: Thanks, Katie. Good to be with you, tonight.

COURIC: Good to see you. All right, good luck tomorrow.

ROMNEY: Hey, thanks a lot, Katie. Good to see ya.