The Wall Street Journal-20080201-The Case for the Candidates- A Call to Conservative Action

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The Case for the Candidates: A Call to Conservative Action

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In February 2007, Gov. Mitt Romney stood at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich., and announced his candidacy for President of the United States. As he did then and continued to do throughout this campaign, Mr. Romney spoke to a new vision for a stronger America.

It is a vision that calls for empowering the American people through conservative change in Washington. From Dearborn to Des Moines to Jacksonville, Mr. Romney has articulated the conservative vision and the conservative policies needed to make America strong again.

Mr. Romney is ready to meet the call for action. America is the greatest nation on Earth. We were the first nation on the moon; our technology is the envy of the world; and we are a beacon of freedom and opportunity. We are a leader in the world, but that leadership came with great sacrifice. It was won by those of the Greatest Generation who left their children a great nation.

Now, it is our turn to take the mantle of leadership and ask, what kind of nation will we leave our children and grandchildren? We can leave future generations a greater nation, but only if we are willing to take the action necessary today to overcome a new generation of challenges.

Overcoming this new generation of challenges is why we need change. Our world is under attack from violent, radical jihadists. Our jobs are being sought by new competitors from nations like China and India. Government has been on a spending binge. We're using too much foreign oil. Health care is leaving too many behind. Schools are failing too many of our children. Our values are under attack. Too often we have looked to Washington for leadership, but Washington has failed time and again.

On each of the major challenges confronting our country, Washington has failed to act. Mr. Romney will not. Throughout his career in business and public service, he has never failed to meet a challenge. That is leadership we need today.

For far too long, Americans have watched as our borders remain unsecure, our tax burden grows, and long-term challenges are left unfixed. This is a call to action that Mr. Romney has spoken to throughout this campaign. He will build a stronger America and has laid out the conservative strategy to do so.

First, Mr. Romney will strengthen families in America. For too long, we have debated health care in America while watching as costs go up and the ranks of the uninsured increase. Mr. Romney will make sure every citizen in our country has access to affordable health insurance that is private and portable.

As he did in Massachusetts, he will make sure that our children have great schools and teaching is treated like a profession. To build strong families, Mr. Romney will also defend our traditional values. Washington talks about empowering families, but he will get the job done.

Second, Mr. Romney will strengthen our military. In April 2007, he laid out a bold plan to add at least 100,000 more troops to our military and commit to funding the Armed Forces with at least 4% of our GDP. Mr. Romney recognizes that our men and women in the military need a stronger commitment from Washington, especially when they come home and require the care we have promised to them. Washington talks about strengthening our military. Mr. Romney will get the job done.

Third, Mr. Romney will strengthen our economy. He knows what we must do today because he understands the economy and why jobs come and go. The best way to promote growth in both the short-term and long-term is to cut taxes. Mr. Romney has proposed a bold agenda that puts Washington on the side of taxpayers.

Among many things, he will make the president's tax cuts permanent, eliminate taxes on middle-class savings and end the payroll tax on seniors who return to the workforce. These are elements of his tax plan that end inequities in our tax code. Washington talks about strengthening our economy. Mr. Romney will get the job done.

At a time like this, America needs a president in the White House who knows how America works. Democrats like Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton believe that America's greatness flows from our government. Mr. Romney believes they could not be more wrong.

The source of America's greatness is the American people. That is why Washington needs to get the job done today. By taking action today, we can build a stronger America by strengthening each and every American. To do that, we need Mr. Romney's leadership in Washington -- leadership that understands that Washington is the obstacle not the solution.

In a few short months, the American people will head to the polls to vote for their vision for a stronger America. This is not an election about yesterday and yesterday's fights. It is about winning the future for our children. Mr. Romney has laid out his vision to do that and it is a vision that brings change to a broken system.

As he has done throughout his career, Mitt Romney is ready to get the hard things done to strengthen America.

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Mr. Weber, a former Republican congressman from Minnesota, is policy chairman of the Romney for President campaign.

(See related editorial: "Security Is Job One" -- WSJ February 1, 2008)