Tales from the Trail

Mitt Romney is a man on the move these days. He’s written a new book and he wants to tell America all about it.

It’s called “No Apology-The Case for American Greatness” and he’s taking it to 49 cities. He is currently dodging the question of whether he will run again for the Republican presidential nomination, saying he will make up his mind at the end of the year, after helping Republican candidates in the November congressional elections.

But after listening to him at the National Press Club on Friday, it’s hard to see how the Republican Romney doesn’t run in 2012.

He’s reviewed President Barack Obama’s first year in office and has found it wanting. Obama, he said, has apologized for American actions around the world, placating the “blame America crowd,” and is pushing a liberal agenda that will lead to higher taxes and more deficit spending.

“I’m afraid that if we don’t change course, we could become America’s worst generation,” he said in regards to the deficits.

White House economic adviser Lawrence Summers is rarely at a loss for words, which makes Tuesday's question-and-answer session at the National Press Club in Washington downright astonishing.

Summers, whose term as president of Harvard University ended rather abruptly after he made some unfortunate remarks about women and math and science aptitude, knew he was on very thin ice when he was asked a question about gender differences in retirement savings.

As soon as the question was asked, laughter spread around the room. Summers himself paused for a good 20 seconds before cracking a joke about how the question must have frightened his staff.