Mitt puts himself above McCain on economic issues

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It's now the outsider versus the insider in the Sunshine state, as Mitt Romney has seized on the country's concerns over the economy as the key reason to put him in the White House over rival Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

With polls showing the two virtually tied to take all of Florida's 57 delegates in Tuesday's Republican primary election, Romney spent Friday trying to convince Florida voters around the state that his successful business background supersedes McCain's career in the Senate when it comes to turning around America's stumbling economy.

His "Washington is Broken" theme is still Romney's dominant message, but there's new emphasis on how his background as a venture capitalist and his experience turning around the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City distinguish him from his opponents. It's a message that has been continually gaining traction since he first introduced it several weeks ago in Michigan. Since that time stock market turbulence and negative financial news have bolstered his message.

"The only way to get America on track economically is to have a president who actually understands how the economy works," Romney told about 170 members of the Latin Builders Association in Miami Friday morning. The speech had a distinct "I'm-one-of you" theme to it, stressing his 25 years as a businessman.

Touting his stimulus package that he says would encourage growth and go beyond what President Bush and Congress are considering now, Romney emphasized where he's been and how he wants to use his business know-how to change government and Washington — both now and in the future.

"The consequences of failing to act are so severe that it puts very much in jeopardy the future of this great land," Romney told the audience made up of people largely affected by the mortgage crisis and slowing economic conditions.

Romney drew the parallel that in business, a large enterprise can become "complacent" in its success and "unwilling to take bold action, even though if they do not change their competitor will change and they will ultimately lose their (competitive) position. Household names are ultimately replaced by new upstart industries, upstart competitors that have new concepts," Romney explained.

At a campaign stop in Pensacola, Romney challenged McCain's recent comparisons of his Senate committee service with Romney's private sector experience, calling McCain's comments part of the "arrogance" of Washington.