Sep 19, 2005 5:06 pm US/Eastern
Romney 'On Short List' To Lead Katrina Recovery
by Jon Keller
BOSTON (CBS4) ―
As the White House gears up for the massive job of rebuilding hurricane-stricken areas, there's been talk of bringing in someone like Governor Mitt Romney to oversee the project. And CBS4 News has learned there may be more to that than just talk.
He rescued the 2002 Winter Olympic Games from scandal, and made millions turning failing businesses into winners.
No wonder an Alabama senator put Romney's name in as a possible player in the post-Katrina reconstruction. And now it appears the White House is interested as well.
"It's an honor to have some people suggest that I should be a possible candidate to lead a reconstruction effort in New Orleans, but I'm happy being governor," Romney told CBS4 Political Analyst Jon Keller.
For a guy who claims disinterest in the job, Governor Romney seems to have given it a lot of thought.
"You begin by finding out what's really going on. Do a complete audit of the infrastructure, not just a financial audit but an audit of the people, of the capital in place, of the infrastructure, what has to be done, what the options are," Romney said.
And two top Republican sources tell CBS4 News that GOP officials have made tentative inquiries about Romney's availability to help guide the recovery. Romney aides say they're unaware of any such contact. But our source says while no offer has been made, Romney is "on everyone's short list for the job."
Meanwhile, Romney maintains it won't happen, as emphatically as someone can without flatly saying "no."
When asked if he could refuse a direct request from the president to become involved, Romney answered, "you know, I spoke some time ago with Andy Card and said 'I'm here for my full term, don't come to me prior to my four full years in this term and, if I'm elected again, another four years.'"
Other names being talked about to help plan the Katrina cleanup include former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Peter Ueberroth, the L.A. businessman who ran the 1984 Olympic Games there.
But while no announcements are imminent, there seems little doubt that Romney is being talked about in the early going.
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