Journalist at Conference Praises Romney for 'Record of Accomplishment' on Health Care

A day after Barack Obama was praised by the Chairman of the Associated Press's board, Mitt Romney spoke at the same conference and was actually lauded for his "record of accomplishment" in the field of health care and education.

Speaking at American Society of News Editors (ASNE) luncheon, Mike Reed, the Chairman of the Newspaper Association of America, touted Romney for a record "built soundly on a career of accomplishment." He hyped, "As governor of Massachusetts, he led an administration that erased a $1.5 billion budget deficit. He enacted education reform and implemented the first health care reform at the state level."

On Tuesday, AP President Dean Singleton introduced Obama and hyped, "He pushed through Congress the biggest economic recovery plan in history and led a government reorganization of two of the big three auto manufacturers to save them from oblivion."

A transcript of Reed's introduction of Romney, which aired on April 4, can be found below:

American Society of News Editors
04/04/12

MIKE REED (Newspaper Association of America Chairman): For anybody who has opened a newspaper or turned on a television in recent months, our speaker today doesn't need much in the way of introduction. He's in pretty good shape these day from a recognition standpoint and he seems especially happy today, given the events of last night with a clean sweep of the three primaries and a further widening of his delegate votes.

However, his record is built soundly on a career of accomplishment. As a businessman, he founded Bain Capital, a hugely successful investment firm that launched names like Staples and Sports Authority. As a concerned citizen, he is widely credited with salvaging the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. He volunteered his skills to take over an organizing committee mired in debt and controversy, leading to one of the most successful U.S. Olympics ever, even with the massive security issues that came with the opening just months after 9/11. As governor of Massachusetts, he led an administration that erased a $1.5 billion budget deficit. He enacted education reform and implemented the first health care reform at the state level.

As a family man, he and his wife Ann have five sons and 16 grandchildren.  And after last night, he holds a wider and strong delegate leads in one of the longest, toughest, and many say contentious political campaigns in recent memory. Here to share some thoughts on both the campaign and the country, it is my great pleasure to welcome Governor Mitt Romney.