Romney Works to Balance Bain With General-Election Pitch

Mitt Romney’s private-equity background is threatening to overshadow the policies he is pitching to voters, complicating the Republican’s efforts to present himself as a positive alternative to President Barack Obama.

That challenge was on display yesterday as Romney rolled out his vision for overhauling the public education system in a Washington speech -- the first of a series of weekly policy addresses his campaign has planned -- only to see his message muffled by continued questions about his role as head of the Boston-based private-equity firm Bain Capital LLC.