Video: Romney on Obama's "Gas Hike Trio" at Illinois town hall

Two days after his Rosemont, Illinois appearance, Mitt Romney returned to the Chicago area. It was a mixed day for Mitt here. The Chicago Tribune gave him a powerful endorsement, but on page two of the same edition, columnist John Kass derided the former Massachusetts governor for not being able to articulate on whether he would keep corruption-busting US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald in his position if he becomes president.

Romney's town hall-style rally was held in Vernon Hills--a Lake County suburb. Gasoline is pretty cheap there, it's about $4.25-a-gallon, 10 cents less than what I pay in Cook. Wait...hold on, that's still a czar's ransom to pay. What did Romney have to say about the high cost of gasoline? Find out in my video or keep reading.

Romney told the supportive crowd that President Obama kept one promise: higher gasoline prices. Obama wanted them to "go up gradually," Romney reminded us. As for the president's overall energy policy, it "would result in energy costs skyrocketing," he reiterated.

Once in office, Romney continued, Obama put into place what he calls the Gas Hike Trio: The Energy Secretary, the Interior Secretary, and the EPA Administrator.

Of the Trio Romney said, "They haven't been giving [drilling] leases out, they haven't been making it easier to drill for oil, or to get our coal out of the ground, or to get natural gas into the marketplace." Romney then came to the obvious conclusion: "And the result is that we've seen higher energy prices and people are suffering. And so my view is that it's time to replace the Gas Hike Trio--and to finally get a president that will lead us to sustainability."

Romney works a room well and comes across much better in person than he does on television. The crowd was packed with Mitt backers--southern Lake County's Republicans put fiscal issues ahead of social ones--he couldn't have picked a better spot in Illinois for tonight's rally.

There were 300 people in attendance--an hour before the rally the room was filled to capacity. Romney said that there were 300 more people outside clamoring to get in. While I was unable to verify what he said--without of course giving up my seat, there were several dozen folding chairs on the lawn in front of the building that weren't there beforehand. I don't know if the audio was broadcast for those people outside.

The room was quite warm--the temperature hit the low 80s here today. Romney spoke for about 40 minutes. A bit brief, yes, but if he continued, we might have seen some people succumb to the heat.

More tomorrow. The Illinois Primary is Tuesday.

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