Mitt Romney Visits The Bay Area

Mitt Romney is spending a little time in Tampa Bay area today.

He spoke at a St. Petersburg event this morning at Mirror Lake Lyceum, 737 Third Ave. N and later will stop in Tampa for a fundraiser at the Avila Golf & Country Club, 943 Guisando De Avila.

A VIP reception for the event begins at 11:30 a.m. and costs $10,000 per person.

A reception at noon costs $2,500 per person.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) _ Mitt Romney is criticizing President Barack Obama’s record on debt as he campaigns in Florida, a critical battleground state.

Speaking to supporters, Romney on Wednesday said he is the candidate who “will stop the spending and borrowing inferno.”

He was campaigning in Florida for the first time since becoming the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

Romney says neither party is solely to blame for the country’s $15.7 trillion national debt.

He claims Obama is eager to blame predecessor George W. Bush _ though Romney refused to mention Bush by name, instead referring to him as “the predecessor.”

Bush endorsed Romney on Tuesday. The campaign did not put out a statement on Bush’s decision, though spokeswoman Andrea Saul said Romney “welcomed” his support.