Economy, 2012 Republican Presidential Candidate | featured news

The core of his presidential candidacy under attack, Mitt Romney has yet to shape a playbook to defend a quarter-century in the business world that created great riches for himself and great hardship, at times, for some American workers....

Some of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's economic plan has changed since it was released in September 2011.

The Romney campaign has been repeating the stat all week: Women account for 92.3 percent of jobs lost under Obama. That number is, everyone agrees, misleading. But that’s politics.

As consumer confidence creeps back, the Republican acknowledges improvements but maintains that Obama's policies made things worse. In November, the president will have to walk a careful line of his own.

Those skeptical of whether Rick Santorum has what it takes to win a general-election contest this fall have focused on, among other things, his drumbeating on social issues in a year when Republican strategists believe hitting President Obama on the economy is the way to win the White House.

Mitt Romney has taken to saying that he created more than 100,000 net jobs through his work in the private sector, and more jobs as governor than President Obama has created since taking office. But the first claim is unproven, and the second is misleading.

Key proposals from the Republican presidential candidates might make for good campaign fodder. But independent analyses raise serious questions about those plans and their ability to cure the nation's economic and housing woes.

Vanquished Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty endorsed contender Mitt Romney on Monday, calling the former Massachusetts governor the candidate who "possesses the unique qualifications to confront our severe economic predicament."

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will unveil his jobs plan in Las Vegas on Tuesday, the latest among Republican presidential hopefuls to come out with a proposal to grow the economy and boost employment.

Sarah Palin's got one. So does Jon Huntsman, while Michele Bachmann is starting to discuss hers in detail. Mitt Romney's going to show his Tuesday, followed by President Barack Obama on Thursday.