Native Vote 2012

Editor's Note: During this election year, the Native News Network will cover the presidential election. Yesterday, Mitt Romney, one of the four remaining Republicans running for the GOP nomination, was in Michigan.

With His Back to the Wall, Romney Comes Out Swinging On His Home Turf

Levi Rickert, editor-in-chief in Native Currents. Discussion »

GRAND RAPIDS - Mitt Romney came home to Michigan yesterday to campaign in the state he was born. During the 1960s, his father, George Romney was a very popular governor here. Previous to being governor, George Romney was an automotive executive in Detroit, where he raised his family.

"I happen to believe that you can protect the interests of the American taxpayers and you can protect a great industry like automobiles"

Even though Michigan is his home state, Romney now has his back against the wall. He is in a tight race with former Senator Rick Santorum, who currently is leading Romney by nine points in the latest poll. The Michigan presidential primary is February 28.

Yesterday, in Grand Rapids, Romney came out swinging against Rick Santorum and said he is the only candidate who can beat incumbent President Barack Obama.

Romney blasted President Obama's opposition of the Keystone XL pipeline, which is also opposed by American Indians. He said on his first day in office he would sign an executive order so the pipeline could begin that day.

Romney is also anti-labor. His campaign released a list of various votes Santorum made in support of labor while he was a United States senator from Pennsylvania.

In Grand Rapids, Romney blasted President Obama for getting support from organized labor.

"There's something else that's been very frustrating. I call it crony capitalism and that's the path that Barack Obama is taking. He got hundreds of millions of dollars from labor bosses for his campaign. And so, he's paying them back in every way he knows how. One way, of course, was giving General Motors and Chrysler to the UAW. I saw that Bob King said that I don't care about the auto industry. I'm sorry, Mr. King,"

stated Romney.

Bob King is president of the United Auto Workers. Romney adamantly opposed the government's bailout of the automotive industry in 2009.

"I care very deeply about the auto industry. I want to make sure we have good jobs, not just for a few weeks but for many, many years. I want the auto industry to come back in a big way and I've taken on union bosses before, I'm happy to take them on again because I happen to believe that you can protect the interests of the American taxpayers and you can protect a great industry like automobiles without having to give in to the UAW and I sure won't."

During the 2008 election in Michigan's presidential primary, Romney beat John McCain, who eventually became the GOP's nominee.

posted February 16, 2012 8:20 am est