Mitt Romney appeared at the Kum & Go corporate headquarters in Wes Des Moines just hours before the caucuses to make a final request of support from employees, and to respond to the latest comments to come out of his chief rival's campaign.

Romney referred to fellow Republican, Mike Huckabee, and the comments made earlier in the day by the chairman of the Huckabee campaign. Romney quoted the Huckabee staffer as saying "I want to knock Romney's teeth out." The former governor of Massachusetts joked that he had "only one thing to say in response - 'as long as you don't touch the hair.'"

A strong military, economy, and focus on the family are the foundations Romney outlined of his presidency. He said that his years in the private sector have led him to conclude that American strength comes not from the government, but from the individual.

"Politics is not my profession," Romney said. "My profession was starting a business and growing it."

On the issue of immigration reform, Romney's Web site quotes him as saying, "You've got to have a wall or fence or electronic surveillance. You have got to make sure we secure our border, that's first."

On Thursday Romney said that in order to remain an economic superpower and stay competitive with emerging markets in Asia, the United States must avoid the temptation to isolate itself.

"There are some that say, 'Put up walls, put up barriers. We can't compete with those guys,'" Romney said. "But let me tell you, if we put up walls around America, basically we're saying we can't compete."

Labels: Republicans