Mitt Romney on reported death of Kadafi: ‘It’s about time’

Reporting from Sioux City, Iowa -- GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney praised the reported death of Moammar Kadafi, saying the former Libyan leader was a tyrant who killed his own people as well as Americans.

“It’s about time,” Romney told reporters. “The world is a better place with Kadafi gone.”

Romney made the remarks after holding a town hall with more than 100 people at Morningside College in Sioux City, his third visit to Iowa this year. Unlike four years ago, when Romney blitzed the state and spent millions of dollars by this point, creating huge expectations that he could not meet, Romney has taken a low-key approach this year to the state that holds the first-in-the-nation caucuses in January.

One young man, after ridiculing other members of the GOP field, said he was a Romney supporter and asked the former Massachusetts governor to give people of the Hawkeye state an alternative by placing greater emphasis on the state.

“Look, I want to get the support of Iowans. I’m in Iowa. This is not my first trip to Iowa,” Romney replied. “I will be here again and again, campaigning here. I want to get the support of the good people of Iowa. I’d love to win in Iowa.”

seema.mehta@latimes.com