February 05, 2008 02:15 pm
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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney made a brief campaign stop in Oklahoma on Monday, the eve of the state’s primary election.
Romney, a former Massachusetts governor making his fourth visit to Oklahoma during the campaign, spoke before about 200 supporters at an airport hanger at Will Rogers World Airport on a day in which he also visited Tennessee and Georgia before arriving in Oklahoma about 5:10 p.m.
Trying to draw a distinction between himself and Arizona Sen. John McCain, Romney said during the Oklahoma rally that he is the only true conservative remaining in the GOP race. Romney cited his success in private business and his stances supporting energy independence, supporting traditional marriage and strengthening the military.
Twice, he invoked the name of a former president and conservative icon, saying he thought the GOP “ought to stay in the house Ronald Reagan built.”
“This is a battle for the heart and soul of the Republican party,” he said.
Romney said he has seen a surge in support in recent days because of “a concentration of conservatives across the country.” He credited conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh, among others, for helping draw distinctions between himself, McCain and Huckabee.
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