Republican Rally to Romney as Obama Officially Starts Bid

Republican leaders rallied behind presumptive presidential nominee Mitt Romney as President Barack Obama officially began his re-election bid in the swing states of Ohio and Virginia.

Newt Gingrich and Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, who both dropped out of this year’s Republican primary contest, said Romney, 65, would prove better at creating jobs and reducing the country’s debt than Democrat Obama. Each had criticized Romney during the primary campaign for failing to be sufficiently conservative.