Politics

Attorney General Olens preparing for RNC speech

ATLANTA — Some Republicans are keeping an eye on Tropical Storm Isaac as they travel to Tampa, Fla. but Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens is completely focused on the prime time speech he'll give at the Republican National Convention.

Olens told Channel 2 political reporter Lori Geary that he and his staff have worked on a dozen drafts of the speech.

"I look forward to doing a good job and making Georgia proud," Olens said on Friday.

Wednesday night he'll join Florida's Attorney General on stage to talk about government overreach. Olens is one of 27 state attorneys general who sued to stop President Barack Obama's healthcare law.

Olens told Geary he formed a relationship with Mitt Romney more than five years ago, when Romney first ran for president.

"I just thought, with his background in private enterprise coupled with his experience in the Olympics, and serving as governor of Massachusetts that he had the total set of life experiences," Olens said.

Another Georgian close to Romney is strategist Eric Tanenblatt of McKenna, Long and Aldridge. Tanenblatt is Romney's national finance co-chair.

"When he decided to run this time, I was part of his early team in putting together the campaign for 2012," Tanenblatt told Geary.
 
"The convention will be an opportunity to reintroduce Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan to America.  I think we're going to hear a lot about Gov. Romney as a person, as a father, as a husband," Tanenblatt added.

Stay with Channel 2 Action News and WSBTV.com all week for live continuing coverage from the Republican National Convention in Tampa.