Mitt Romney: Obama has ‘pay-phone strategy’ in ‘smartphone world’

Mitt Romney framed his economic plan Tuesday as a job creator for middle-class America while charging that President Obama, days before he is to outline his own plan, “doesn’t have a clue what to do.”

Speaking at a trucking company in North Las Vegas, Nev., Romney said Obama is “not a bad guy,” but pitching stale ideas that have failed to turn around the struggling economy.

“President Obama’s strategy is a pay-phone strategy and we’re in a smartphone world,” Romney said. “What he’s doing is taking quarters and stuffing them into the pay phone ... [and he] can’t figure out why it’s not working. It’s not connected anymore, Mr. President!”

The half-hour speech was an effort by Romney to draw a contrast with Obama, who is to speak to a rare joint session of Congress on Thursday night.

The former Massachusetts governor did not list each of the 59 proposals his campaign put forward Tuesday, but outlined immediate steps he’d take on his first day in the Oval Office if elected.

They include introducing legislation to lower the corporate tax rate from 35% to 25%; signing trade agreements with countries like Colombia, Panama and South Korea; opening new areas of the nation to drilling for oil and gas; and consolidating government-run job training programs.

Romney also continued to focus on his private-sector experience, a point he’s making with new urgency given the challenge he now faces in the Republican primary from three-term Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

“I don’t have all the answers to all the problems that exist in America and around the world. But I know how to find the answers and I also know how to lead,” Romney said.

But Perry’s campaign responded by pitting their candidate’s record in office against Romney’s record as the Bay State governor.

“Romney failed to create a pro-jobs environment and failed to institute many of the reforms he now claims to support,” spokesman Mark Miner said. “Among all the candidates for president, Gov. Rick Perry has the strongest record of creating a climate of job creation by limiting taxes, burdensome regulations and the size and scope of government.”

Obama’s reelection campaign said Romney “offered a plan that would tip the scales against hardworking Americans.”

“Gov. Romney repackaged the same old policies that helped create the economic crisis: boosting oil company profits and allowing Wall Street to write its own rules, more tax breaks for large corporations and more tax cuts for the wealthiest while working Americans are forced to carry a greater burden,” spokesman Ben LaBolt emailed reporters.