WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Standing on a stage in a chilly, wet field in Iowa, Mitt Romney on Friday mocked President Obama for being on vacation in Hawaii.
“We’re out in the cold and the rain and the wind because we care about America. He just finished his 90th round of golf,” Mr. Romney told the crowd of hundreds that came despite the temperature which, with the windchill factored in, felt like 24 degrees.
Even as the rest of the Republican presidential field takes aim at each other, Mr. Romney, a former one-term governor of Massachusetts, has been mostly focused on the president — and he on Mr. Romney.
Several protesters tried to interrupt the rally by chanting “Why are you hiding your tax forms?” The Democratic National Committee has been demanding Mr. Romney release those forms — something not required by law, but which many presidential candidates do end up doing. All candidates are required to file financial disclosures, which give voters a general sense of a candidate’s wealth.
Mr. Romney was campaigning with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who braved the weather wearing only a suit jacket.
Mr. Christie said he would be closely watching the results from Tuesday’s caucuses: “You people disappoint me on Tuesday, you don’t do what you’re supposed to do on Tuesday for Mitt Romney, I will be back, Jersey-style, people. I will be back,” he joked.
The caucuses are less than a week away but Mr. Romney was scheduled to fly from Iowa to New Hampshire Friday afternoon, where he had campaign events scheduled later that day and again Saturday morning before returning to Iowa.
He was leaving Mr. Christie in Iowa to campaign in his stead, and the first-term New Jersey governor had stops scheduled in Cedar Rapids and Dubuque.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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