Bloomberg reported this morning that Mitt Romney's campaign asked Florida Gov. Rick Scott to "tone down his statements heralding improvements in the state’s economy because they clash with the presumptive Republican nominee’s message that the nation is suffering under President Barack Obama."
Let that sink in for a moment. The Republican candidate for president is asking his fellow Republicans to lie about the state of the economy so that it matches the fear-driven narrative he's trying to sell the American people. What's more, he's actively rooting for economic failure. Romney would rather see the American economy fail than see President Obama win. Country first? Not in Romney's case.
Not even the staunchest Republican governors are willing to go that far. The Florida governor has been trumpeting a state unemployment rate that has dropped over 11 consecutive months. Republican governors in Ohio, Michigan, Virginia, and Wisconsin tout state economies that have benefited from the President's auto rescue, the resurgence of American manufacturing, and the growth of our exports. Romney wants these governors to say that state job numbers would improve faster under his leadership, but the reality is, this kind of progress wouldn't have happened if Mitt "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt" Romney had gotten his way.
When it comes to seeking partisan gain at the expense of recovery, Romney's taking his cues from congressional Republicans, who continue to block the President's jobs plan and the million jobs it would create. The American people deserve better—especially from a presumptive nominee for president and the leader of his party.