The Republican Party’s candidate for president said Sunday he isn’t interested in politics. Instead, Mitt Romney said he’s running to bring the nation back from the edge of a fiscal cliff, not to achieve the personal goal of occupying the Oval Office.
“I’m not really a guy that’s going for the next step in my political career. I don’t have a political career,” Mr. Romney said on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” a rare appearance for the former Massachusetts governor on the Sunday political-talk-show circuit.
“I served as governor for four years. I spent my life in the private sector. The private sector is where I made my mark,” Mr. Romney said. “I’m in this race because I want to get America back on the right track. I don’t care about re-elections. I don’t care about the partisanship that goes on. I want to get America right. We’re at a critical crossroads in this country.”
Mr. Romney’s declaration that he has no political career stands in stark contrast to the way he’s often characterized by his opponents, many of whom argue that he’s willing to say anything, or take any position, for electoral gain.
“This is not about politics. This is not about did I win this, or did they win this,” he said.
The former head of Bain Capital also pushed back at the notion that he’s primarily interested in securing additional tax breaks for fellow millionaires or billionaires.
“It’s important to say that I’m not looking to reduce the burden paid by the wealthiest. I’m looking to keep the burden paid by the wealthiest as the same share it is today,” he said.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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