Romney: I’m Not Interested In A Cabinet Position
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Don’t call Mitt Romney ‘Mr. Secretary.’
Romney told reporters this morning that he does not want a cabinet position in a John McCain administration, saying that he would not relish being “soldiered by 27-year-olds in the White House,” as his father did during his days as HUD secretary.
“That is not an attractive position in my view,” Romney said, citing the experience of his dad, George Romney, who served as the head of the Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Richard Nixon after his defeat in the 1968 presidential race. “I’ve seen it too close-hand to think that’s something for me.”
In a press conference after remarks to the Utah delegation, Romney said that he expects to remain in the public sector after the November election and will not return to the business world, as many have speculated. But he demurred when asked about a second try at the Oval Office.
“I do not anticipate doing it again,” he chuckled. “It’s hard to imagine doing that.”
But even if he’s not hoping for a gig in a McCain administration, Romney was on message, praising veep pick Sarah Palin and slamming her counterpart, Joe Biden, whom he said has under his belt “30 years of being wrong on foreign policy, by and large.” He called Palin’s campaigning ability “terrific” and noted that her identity as a maverick fits McCain’s message.
The governor denied reports that his allies, along with those of MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty, grumbled that the two top VP contenders had been used as decoys by the McCain campaign during Palin’s selection process. “That’s simply not accurate,” he said.
Despite being peppered with questions from reporters about his future now that he’s officially been passed over for the second-in-command spot, Romney may have felt this morning like he’d come home. No, not to Boston.
Romney urged the loyal Utah delegation not to cast ballots for him during the scaled-back RNC.
“I want to make sure that everybody who was a Romney supporter makes it loud and clear and understood that we support the ticket of John McCain and Sarah Palin,” he said.
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