Romney Surprises Campaign Staff at His Des Moines Headquarters
DES MOINES, Iowa -- On a day when pundits say the stakes of his debate performance couldn't be higher, Mitt Romney appeared on Saturday as casual and comfortable as ever.
Making a rare and unexpected public appearance on the day of a debate, Romney surprised volunteers at this Des Moines headquarters, taking part in a rally and shaking hands with supporters for about an hour.
The event was originally billed as a rally with Romney's wife, Ann, middle son, Josh, and his campaign co-chair, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Mrs. Romney also pointed out the former Iowa Gov. Robert Ray was in the crowd. Acknowledging the 83-year-old's frail condition, Ann said that she knew he had "seen better days," and cited her own battle with multiple schlerosis.
"Oh, I love him," she said, and the crowd swooned in agreement. At one point, her husband chimed in, "I'm getting a little nervous!"
In brief remarks, Romney spoke about the importance of making sure America continued to be a "nation based upon merit" as opposed to an "entitlement-based society.”
After the rally's conclusion, Romney hopped down into the crowd and gladhanded with the volunteers in the crowd. It was his first time in the office, an old Blockbuster Video store that just opened as his Iowa headquarters less than a month ago.
He told everyone he felt "great" going into the debate, and that he stayed in last night with Ann and Josh to watch "The Help."
Meanwhile, Romney’s chief rival, Newt Gingrich, issued a statement attempting to clarify his stance on Palestinians that has brought strong criticism from some officials. Gingrich called the Palestinians an “invented” people in an interview with The Jewish Channel television station.
"Newt Gingrich supports a negotiated peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, which will necessarily include agreement between Israel and the Palestinians over the borders of a Palestinian state,” the statement said. "However, to understand what is being proposed and negotiated you have to understand decades of complex history, which is exactly what Gingrich was referencing during the recent interview with The Jewish Channel.”
Gingrich also spoke at a Veterans Forum in Des Moines on Saturday, along with fellow candidates former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Texas Gov. Rick Perry. He recalled his childhood as a self-described “army brat,” in which he traveled the world and was affected by speaking to World War II veterans and visiting battle sites.
Rep. Michele Bachmann was scheduled to attend but her husband Marcus spoke on her behalf at the last minute instead. Her campaign said she was preparing for the debate.
Santorum’s remarks focused exclusively on foreign policy, somewhat out of place at an event designed to focus on the needs of former service members. He criticized President Obama’s handling of the Arab Spring, including asserting the uprising should have started in the summer of 2009 with support for the Iranian “Green” Revolution. He also had harsh words for Rep. Ron Paul --though he did not name the Texas congressman -- for his isolationist stance and previous remarks that suggested the U.S. was to blame for some of the animosity it faces.
Perry prefaced his remarks with a six-minute video featuring several veterans talking about their experiences and why they support him. The governor also focused much of his remarks on their stories, though he also said as president he would act decisively without waiting for “the approval of some multilateral debating society.”
After the event, Perry spoke to reporters for a few minutes and defended his recent ads that focus on his faith and seem designed to appeal to Iowa’s evangelical Chrsitian voters. ““I don’t consider that to be a blatant appeal. I am who I am,” Perry said. “I don’t shy away talking about my faith, and Iowans are seeing the same Rick Perry that I am in Texas.”
Rebecca Kaplan and Sarah Huisenga contributed
