Reps hit Romney over NAACP remarks

Two members of the Massachusetts Legislature's Black Caucus hit former Gov. Mitt Romney over his remarks before the NAACP yesterday, calling them "misleading."

Romney, the Republican candidate for president, said as governor he had vetoed a bill blocking charter schools, and the caucus helped preserve his veto in the largely Democratic Legislature.

"Governor Romney's remarks at the NAACP conference that he worked well with African-American legislators while Governor are misleading at best," state Reps. Linda Dorcena Forry and Gloria Fox, both Democrats, said in a statement. "Romney rarely met with members of the legislature, nevermind the Massachusetts Black Caucus, and he certainly did not have a plan addressing issues facing communities of color."

The pair said Romney as governor "slashed public education funding for our children, stifled growth at our community colleges and drastically increased fees, i.e license renewal, that directly impact the quality of life of our residents."

Rep. Forry, who represents Dorchester in the Legislature, is married to Reporter managing editor Bill Forry. Rep. Fox represents Roxbury.

The statement praised Romney for signing the universal health care bill into law, which would become template for national healthcare reform efforts. Romney has pledged to attempt to repeal the national healthcare law.

"Unfortunately, Governor Romney feels compelled to run away from his record and not make this available for all Americans," the statement said.

Romney gave the speech in Houston, where he was joined by Rev. Jeffrey Brown, who Romney said was part of his "kitchen cabinet in Massachusetts that helped guide my policy and actions that affected the African American community."

"I can’t promise that you and I will agree on every issue," Romney said. "But I do promise that your hospitality to me today will be returned. We will know one another, and work to common purposes. I will seek your counsel. And if I am elected president, and you invite me to next year’s convention, I would count it as a privilege, and my answer will be yes."