While Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was hopscotching to fundraisers in three states Thursday, developments on Capitol Hill provided the former Massachusetts governor with fodder for his opening comments in Pittsburgh.
"We've just received news that the immigration bill that's been debated in the Senate has been defeated. I think that's a victory for the people," Romney told reporters soon after arriving at a private aviation terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport.
"People: 1. Washington politicians: 0."
Romney appeared at a fundraiser at the Duquesne Club, Downtown. The event was expected to attract about 100 people making contributions of $2,300 for a VIP photo reception and $1,000 for the general reception, a Romney aide said.
Romney is among a pack of about 10 Republicans and eight Democrats running for president. Many of them are scrambling to raise as much money as they can before the close of the Federal Election Commission's second quarter reporting period Saturday.
The first primaries are still months away, but the fundraising totals reflect on the candidate's ability to compete in the expensive fray of early voting. New York, California and about 18 other states will hold primaries Feb. 5, or are considering moving them up to that date.
Before making his second visit to Pittsburgh this year, Romney appeared at fundraisers yesterday in Hartford and McLean, Va.
"It's going to be an incredibly expensive primary season, the most costly in history," said Joseph DiSarro, chairman of the political science department at Washington & Jefferson College.
"I see Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani coming out to Western Pennsylvania not only for money, but they both know that to win they are going to have to reclaim the Reagan Democrats," he said. "This is fertile political territory for reclaiming conservative Democrats."
Giuliani, the former New York mayor and Republican candidate for president, was in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Democratic Sen. Barack Obama appeared at a fundraiser here last week, raising an estimated $100,000 for his presidential bid.
Romney led the Republican front-runners in fundraising during the first three months this year, raising $23 million. Giuliani raised about $16 million, and Sen. John McCain, of Arizona, trailed with about $13 million.
National polls show Romney trailing Giuliani, McCain and former Sen. Fred Thompson, a Tennessee Republican expected to soon announce his run. But Romney leads the pack in the key early primary and caucus states of New Hampshire and Iowa, according to recent polls in those states.
The Senate earlier yesterday killed a comprehensive immigration bill that sparked national controversy because of provisions that opponents said would grant "amnesty" to illegal immigrants.
"I think the failure of this bill is related to the failure of Washington politicians to connect with the American people," Romney said. "And, finally, the people's voice was loud enough and clear enough that the politicians had to retreat."
Calling the bill "flawed," Romney said legal immigrants should be welcomed in the United States, but immigration policies should include "a secure border ... (and) an employment verification system."
Larger text
Smaller text
Print this article
E-mail this article
