Romney Puts Partisanship Aside in Wake of Colorado Shooting - East Idaho News
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Romney Puts Partisanship Aside in Wake of Colorado Shooting

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Getty 072012 MittRomneyReactsAurora?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1343042827483Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(SAN FRANCISCO) — Mitt Romney Sunday evening pledged to be “less partisan” at a high-dollar fundraiser, the first he’s attended since the Colorado shooting that claimed 12 lives, telling a group of about 250 supporters that he would trade his usual jabs at the president for a renewed focus on his own vision for America.

“I will note that my remarks here today will not be as partisan as normal and instead I am going to talk about my vision for the country, in part keeping with the seriousness and the thoughts of the day,” Romney said at the event held at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco.

“We obviously have heavy hearts,” Romney said, referring to the aftermath of last week’s deadly shooting.  “It is a reminder of loss, a loss of young minds and youthful voices and souring spirits lost senselessly and thoughtlessly.  We turn to a power greater than our own to understand purpose and if not to understand at least to be able to soothe the wounds of those who have been so seriously hurt.”

Romney, whose campaign has pulled advertising from the Colorado airwaves since the tragedy, dedicated a previously scheduled campaign event in New Hampshire on Friday to a statement on the incident, forgoing his regular stump speech and instead offering his condolences.

On Sunday evening, the event began with a moment of silence, and Romney offered his approval of President Obama’s decision to visit families in Aurora, Colo., earlier Sunday.

“I appreciate you convening a moment of silence, our hearts are with the many people who have lost loved ones in Colorado and other places, but particularly we are thinking of the people in Aurora, Colorado and the tragedy that occurred there, the senseless killing there,” said Romney.  “I know the president will be there before he’ll be here in San Francisco visiting with families and the victims, which is the right thing for the president to be doing on this day.  I appreciate that.”

Romney’s first campaign event is scheduled for Monday, where he will hold a small business roundtable in Costa Mesa, Calif.  Obama will also get back on the stump Monday, campaigning in Nevada and California.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

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