Romney Positions Himself As McCain Alternative
HUDSONVILLE, MICH. -- Arguing that the Republican Party needs to nominate someone "consistent with the Reagan coalition," Mitt Romney slammed John McCain tonight for the Arizona senator's record on a series of high-profile issues.
"I simply don't believe that Senator McCain will be the nominee if he continues, as he does, to support an amnesty-type program for illegal aliens [or] if he stands behind McCain-Feingold, which has been very difficult for our party, and I think it's just harmful to the process of campaign finance," Romney said to reporters before speaking at the Ottawa County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner. "An individual who voted against the Bush tax cuts and continues to feel that his vote against the Bush tax cuts was right."
The former Massachusetts governor said that he would stay in the race to ensure that the GOP would have "an alternative" to McCain.
Romney shrugged off recent polls showing him trailing McCain in Michigan and said that polls have already proven to be fluid this campaign.
Amid growing chatter that his campaign will effectively be over if he doesn't win here, Romney would not speculate about what another "silver" finish would mean for him.
"I anticipate I'm going to win here in Michigan," Romney said. "But I'm not going to tell you what happens if that doesn't happen. I don't want to forecast anything other than success."