Romney visits Nevada, criticizes Republicans

Former Massachusetts governor and erstwhile presidential candidate Mitt Romney came to Nevada with some strong criticism -- for Republicans as well as Democrats.

Romney, whose visit also includes a fund raiser for Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Sandoval, toured Las Vegas Color Graphics, a local print shop, with Joe Heck, the Republican nominee for Congressional District Three and Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki.

Romney, who won the Nevada caucuses in 2008 and has been considered a possible presidential candidate in 2012, said Republicans deserve some of the blame for big deficits and government spending that has fueled much of the energy in the Tea Party movement that shook up the GOP in the primaries and could spell trouble for Democrats in the general election.

"We spent too much. We allowed government to get too big when we were in charge. I didn't happen to be part of that team, but I think that has been a real issue," said Romney.

The statement was in response to a question about recent criticism of the Republican establishment by Sharron Angle, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate challenging Senate majority leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

In a recording Tea Party candidate Scott Ashjian leaked to commentator Jon Ralston recently, Angle talked up her own candidacy by criticizing other Republicans.

"Really that's why the machine in the Republican Party is fighting against me. They have never really gone along with lower taxes and less government," she was heard saying.

Romney's remarks were responding to Angle's. Romney also criticized Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and President Barack Obama for piling more debt onto the load that was left when Republican President George W. Bush left office.

"That is unacceptable. It was wrong before, it is much worse now," Romney said. "That is why you're seeing people say it is time for a real change."

It's the second time this week a national political figure ducked into Nevada to support a candidate for Congressional District Three. On Tuesday House majority leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., was in Las Vegas to support incumbent Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., in her campaign to fend off Heck. Titus and Heck are in a close race for the seat, which is one of the most hotly contested in the country.

Romney said at the present he is more concerned about getting Heck, Angle and Sandoval elected than he is about his future presidential prospects.

"That's a decision we'll think about," Romney said. "We have got to get Nov. 2 behind us then we will be thinking about the future."