Mitt Romney, in an interview with USA Today's Susan Page, questioned whether Rick Perry could help turn the economy around.
"My life experience has been in the private sector and has been in turning things around that are in trouble, whether that was a business or the Olympics or in a state," he said. "Gov. Perry came into a state that was doing just fine."
He noted that if Americans want "someone to go along with what's already in place, I'm sure that Gov. Perry is fine. If Americans think America needs a turnaround to make our economy globally competitive again and to create jobs, then I think I'm the better choice."
Asked to explain Perry's rise to the top of national polls: "Borrowing from my favorite line of the 2012 season from Sarah Palin… polls are for strippers and cross-country skiers. Look, they're going to be highly fluid. My guess is we're each going to go up and down."
Romney also said he hoped Palin would make a presidential bid.
"I think it would be a good thing if she did. She would make the race that much more exciting, bring more people to watch the debates, and I hope she gets in."
Romney hasn't given a lot of interviews and his comments in this one are consistent with the attacks he's hit Perry with during the debates. It's also interesting he's pushing for a Palin bid. Perry's biggest rival for Tea Party support would probably be Palin, who is beloved by the conservative grassroots movement. Romney has come under criticism from Tea Party groups.
-- posted by Emily Goodin
