Romney stumps on

He's no longer a presidential candidate, but former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney still keeps a schedule that would put a presidential contender to shame.

On Thursday, the Republican who won Nevada's Jan. 19 GOP caucuses in a landslide was in Boulder City campaigning for Rep. Jon Porter, who is in a tough re-election fight, facing a challenge from Democrat Dina Titus.

Earlier this week, Romney was in New Mexico and Idaho stumping for Republican U.S. Senate candidates. Thursday afternoon he headed to Elko to rally for the man who beat him for the presidential nomination, John McCain. Next week, an aide said, he'll be off to Missouri and Michigan.

"What kind of nation we're going to be is going to be determined by the people we choose to lead us at this critical time," Romney told a group of about 125 in a half-full gymnasium at Boulder City High School.

Leaders like Porter and McCain would keep America "strong, free and prosperous," Romney said.

"If instead we take a turn to the left," he said, the nation will be "less strong, less free and less able to defend ourselves in a dangerous world."

He criticized Democratic nominee Barack Obama for his willingness to meet with the leaders of hostile nations, saying McCain would "meet with our friends."

Romney also drew on his work expanding health care in Massachusetts, saying the number of uninsured there has been cut by two-thirds thanks to the reforms he implemented. He emphasized that those gains have come by people purchasing private insurance.

"Barack Obama has a different plan," Romney said. "Ultimately, he says he favors a government takeover of health care."

In fact, Obama's health care proposal would not see a state-run system, although he did early in his political career say that might be a good idea in the long run.

Romney urged the crowd to work for the candidates they support. "Put his (Porter's) bumper sticker on your car," he said. "Do some canvassing."

Romney was introduced by a full lineup of Boulder City politicians who testified to Porter's roots in the Hoover Dam town of 15,000. Porter began his political career as a Boulder City councilman and also was mayor. He now lives in Henderson, where he moved to run for Congress in 2000. Porter was in Washington on Thursday and did not attend the rally.

"There's a lot of talk these days about change in Washington," Boulder City Mayor Roger Tobler said. "One thing we can't afford to have change is our representation in Congress."

Speaking to reporters after his 17-minute talk, Romney said he supports the economic rescue plan making its way through Congress and lauded Porter for voting for it. He was one of a handful of vulnerable Republicans who cast a yes vote for the original bill that failed in the House of Representatives on Monday.

"What Jon Porter did ... is not politically popular, but it's the right thing," Romney said. "I believe the American people, with more time and inspection of the need for economic stabilization, will recognize that this is the right thing. Right now he's taking a vote which is a very courageous vote and I salute him for doing that."

Titus has said she would have opposed the bill and that she considers Porter complicit in the policies of deregulation that led to the Wall Street collapse.

Jane West, a 51-year-old nonprofit fundraiser and substitute teacher in Las Vegas, listened to Romney's speech and found it "uplifting."

"I like what he stands for. He's about common sense. He seems to have a good vision for the country," she said.

Another audience member, 69-year-old Susan Hengen of Boulder City, is a staunch Republican who will probably vote for Porter again, but said she can't stand the bailout bill.

"I was disappointed. A lot of us were," she said. "We were surprised. They ought to let it (the market) go. It'll correct itself. I don't like this bailout. I think they're rushing into it, and they ought to wait."

Contact reporter Molly Ball at mball@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919.