Republicans rally around Romney after hits on Bain [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

Republicans rally around Romney after hits on Bain
By Thomas Beaumont and Kasie Hunt
Associated Press / January 13, 2012

Mitt Romney's sharpest critics -- rushed to the GOP presidential front-runner's defense Thursday to counter efforts to paint the former venture capitalist as a job-killer. Under fire, Romney rival Newt Gingrich tempered his attacks on Romney's tenure at the helm of Bain Capital, but Rick Perry defended his approach.

"We're disappointed" with the line of criticism, said Thomas Donohue, the head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The business group doesn't endorse in presidential campaigns, but Donohue said: "We think Romney has had a pretty good track record. Perfect? Hell no, but damn good."

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who ran against Romney four years ago, wrote in an online letter: "It's surprising to see so many Republicans embrace that left-wing argument against capitalism." And another 2008 foe, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, told Fox News Channel: "I'm shocked at what they are doing. I'm going to say it's ignorant. Dumb. It's building something we should be fighting -- ignorance of the American economic system."

Romney's new defenders -- many of whom have long histories of disagreeing with the former Massachusetts governor -- argued that the attacks on his business record undermined the GOP's identity and weakened the party's chief argument against Democratic President Barack Obama, that federal intrusion has stymied the economy's recovery.

More:
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2012/01/13/republicans_rally_around_romney_after_hits_on_bain/