Good Morning,

Last night, Mitt Romney formally accepted the Republican nomination for President and delivered his first speech in the general election as the Republican candidate. In his prepared remarks, Gov. Romney expressed his firm belief that America can overcome the great challenges that face our nation and reaffirmed the fundamental values that make Americans strong during difficult times:

Gov. Romney: “[T]hat’s how it is in America. We look to our communities, our faiths, our families for our joy, our support, in good times and bad. It is both how we live our lives and why we live our lives. The strength and power and goodness of America has always been based on the strength and power and goodness of our communities, our families, our faiths.”

He also emphasized the consistent focus of his presidency - getting Americans back to work:

Gov. Romney: “Today the time has come for us to put the disappointments of the last four years behind us. To put aside the divisiveness and the recriminations. To forget about what might have been and to look ahead to what can be. Now is the time to restore the Promise of America. Many Americans have given up on this president but they haven’t ever thought about giving up. Not on themselves. Not on each other. And not on America. What is needed in our country today is not complicated or profound. It doesn't take a special government commission to tell us what America needs. What America needs is jobs. Lots of jobs.”

Gov. Romney’s remarks discussing his vision for what America’s future could be under his leadership come at a time when Americans are desperate for change.  As the unemployment rate is rising in half of U.S. cities and we continue to see asset values go down and costs go up, Americans want to see a candidate with the knowledge and experience necessary to reverse the failed policies that resulted in the Obama economy.

And earlier this morning, Ann Romney appeared on CBS’ “This Morning” and discussed how last night’s programming at the Republican National Convention shared the side of Mitt Romney that she cherishes.

Ann Romney: “There’s story after story after story of those circumstances and events that happened in our life that people do not know about, and I think that's when I talked in my speech about how Mitt does not do these things for a political talking point … But I was so glad that other people spoke up and talked about those things that Mitt has done in his life. And that’s what I wanted people to see is that other side of him.”

Gov. Romney will join Governor Jindal in Louisiana. He will meet with first responders, thank them for their work and see areas impacted by the storm in LaFitte, LA.

Finally, in case you missed it yesterday, a must-read from the Wall Street Journal: “The Janesville President.” And as we head into the week of the Democratic National Convention, Associated Press notes, “Democrats encounter bumps on the road to Charlotte.”