Day after foreign policy flap, Romney turns to economy

FAIRFAX, Va. -- One day after navigating the deep waters of foreign policy in real time, Mitt Romney tried to get back to his area of expertise -- the economy.

On Wednesday, the Romney campaign locked horns with President Obama over the administration's handling of attacks on U.S. diplomatic posts in Cairo and Benghazi, culminating with the killing of the American ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens and three members of his staff. Romney criticized the Obama administration for an initial statement he claimed expressed sympathy for those attacking in Cairo, supposedly over an anti-Islam film. In doing so, he endured some withering criticism from journalists, pundits and politicians.

The next day in northern Virginia, Romney touched on foreign policy briefly, saying "the world needs American leadership ... and I intend to be a president that provides" that leadership.

From that point, Romney made a pivot to domestic issues, specifically the economy and jobs.

"I would have expected that with 23 million Americans out of work or having stopped looking for work or underemployed, I would have expected that when the President gave his address at the convention a couple weeks ago, that he would have spoken about the unemployed, but he didn't," said Romney. "We've watched him for the last four years and what he has done has not helped. It has led to a $4,300 decline in median income, it's led to unemployment being above 8 percent for 43 straight months. It's led to a larger and larger gap between the wealthier and the rest of America."

Romney, though, had to wait through a heckler earlier in his speech who shouted "why are you politicizing Libya?" when Romney spoke briefly about the diplomats who had been lost.

Chants of "U-S-A, U-S-A," drowned out the protester as Romney continued, "I would offer a moment of silence, but one gentleman doesn't want to be silent so we're going to keep on going."