Washington: Billed as underdog by pollsters, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says that the US is facing major economic woes and he is the man who loves to solve tough problems.
"I`m a policy guy, believe it or not. I love policy. I love solving tough problems.”
"We`ve got real problems. Domestically, you have 23 million Americans out of work or stopped looking for work," Romney said.
In his first major interview after picking Congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate, Romney told CBS News America also faced "challenges around the world, in places like Syria, Egypt, Iran."
"The President has not been able to get this economy going. I believe that you have to have folks that have the kind of capacity and experience that we have to get America back on track," he said.
Romney said that if he wins the November elections, he and Ryan would work together on these issues.
"Important decisions will be made with his consultations along with other individuals. And obviously I have to make the final call in important decisions.”
"But this is a man who`s dedicated the last 14 years working in Washington in ways that are not highly partisan or political, but instead are focused on what he thinks the right course is for America. And that`s the kind of person I want," he said praising Ryan.
"This is a man who`s also very analytical. He`s a policy guy. People know him as a policy guy. That`s one of the reasons he has such respect on both sides of the aisle," Romney said, adding that he would use Ryan`s expertise in solving the problems.
"I anticipate that there will be certain areas that are his areas of expertise and he has passion and concern there.”
"That he`ll actually take a lead role in helping oversee those areas and maybe some Cabinet officers who will work primarily with the vice president," he said.
"He would also have a role in helping shepherd legislation on the hill. Of course, you have a legislative affairs director that takes that kind of lead, but you can`t imagine having someone like Paul Ryan, who`s been able to work with Democrat senators, Democrat members of the House as well as Republicans, been able to make things happen there," he said.
"I can`t imagine not using him and to have his skill in finding those people that can come together and find common ground, despite different views on issues.”
"This is one of the key reasons that I selected him, is that he has that unusual, almost a unique capacity to find people of different parties who are of a common purpose that can come together to do something that`s right for the county," he said.
PTI
