Opponents slam Romney's emphasis on middle class

Eagan: The Republican presidential contest shifted to the West and Midwest on Wednesday as an exultant Mitt Romney duelled with the man he hopes to meet in November, President Barack Obama, but found himself sidetracked when an infelicitous remark was seized upon by his opponents.

Romney's comment came as he sought, in the wake of his decisive Tuesday win in Florida, to cast himself as the inevitable nominee, a posture that had eluded him since his January 21 collapse in South Carolina.

"I'm in this race because I care about Americans. I'm not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there. If it needs repair, I'll fix it," he told CNN.

His characterisation about the poor immediately metastasized online. Asked about it later, Romney explained, "Of course I'm concerned about all Americans — poor, wealthy, middle class — but the focus of my effort will be on middle-income families who I think have been most hurt by the Obama economy."

Newt Gingrich, a distant second in Florida, sought to take advantage of Romney's wording as he spoke to hundreds of supporters packed into Great Basin Brewing Co. in Reno.

"I am fed up with politicians in either party dividing Americans against each other," said Gingrich, at his first Nevada event before Saturday's caucuses.

Drawing a sharp distinction between himself and Romney, he added: "I am running to be the president of all of the American people and I am concerned about all of the American people."

Romney's comment also drew condemnation from Obama partisans who have repeatedly exploited the candidate's quotes to argue that Romney is out of touch. Although there are no recent Nevada polls, Romney is favoured to place first in tomorrow's caucuses.