Weekly Podcast on the Need for Strong American Leadership

Statement

Hello, this is Mitt Romney. And I want to begin by acknowledging and joining with you in mourning the death of four Americans who were killed in Libya this week. We hold their loved ones in our prayers and we keep them in our hearts and memories.

The attacks on our diplomatic outposts are, of course, a tragic reminder that the world remains a dangerous place, and that America's leadership is needed. And for America to be able to provide strong leadership in the world, we have to have a strong economy here at home.

Of course, in the global battle for jobs -- that is where companies decide to go if they are going to be welcomed to create jobs -- President Obama has been driving jobs overseas. And the proof, of course, is China.

In 2008, Candidate Obama promised to take China "to the mat." But since then, he's let China run all over us.

China's currency manipulation has cost hundreds of thousands of jobs. And the President has wasted seven different opportunities to stand firm against this currency manipulation.

And then, according to a government study, China's theft of America's intellectual property has cost us more than two million jobs. And again, President Obama has failed to protect those rights.

It's bad enough that he won't stand up for companies and workers that are cheated by China. What's even worse is that his policies are making America less competitive.

For the first time in more than a century, America is no longer the world's leading manufacturer. In 2010, we conceded first place to China.

Businesses say that burdensome regulations are the number one impediment to jobs and investment here in this country, but President Obama has imposed major new Federal regulations at an unprecedented rate.

Expanding trade also opens up new markets and creates more jobs, but the President has put in place no new negotiations and he's completed no new agreements on his own.

Political gridlock threatens to plunge us back into recession, but instead of seeking bipartisan solutions, President Obama is passively allowing us to go over a fiscal cliff.

Paul Ryan and I will take a different approach. Our economic plan will strengthen our middle class. It will result in bigger paychecks and 12 million new jobs in my first term. To keep more jobs here in America, we will label China a currency manipulator.

This will bring real benefits to our fellow Americans. Think about a young woman entering college this fall. And think about the world she'll graduate into four years from now.

If Barack Obama is President, she'll have fewer job opportunities. And if she's lucky enough to get a job, she'll face higher taxes to pay down our nation's staggering debt.

If I'm elected, that young woman will enter an economy that's filled with good jobs. She'll keep more of the money she earns. And she'll be more confident in her future -- and in the future of the country.

That's what's at stake in this election. And that's why I'm asking for your support and your vote.

I'm Mitt Romney and thank you for listening.

Mitt Romney

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