'I think we ought to raise it,' Romney says. Romney: Raise the minimum wage

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney on Thursday morning said he supports an increase in the minimum wage, breaking with many Republicans who have stood against it.

“I, for instance, as you know, part company with many of the conservatives in my party on the issue of the minimum wage. I think we ought to raise it,” the 2012 Republican presidential nominee said. “Because frankly, our party is all about more jobs and better pay.”


Romney’s comments come after Senate Republicans rejected a vote on a Senate bill that would have increased the minimum wage to $10.10. Recently, though, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, both of whom also ran for the Republican nomination in 2012, said they supported some increase in the minimum wage.

( Also on POLITICO: Pawlenty: GOP must back wage hike)

In a wide-ranging interview Thursday on “Morning Joe,” Romney again reiterated that he isn’t running for president, mentioned some of his favorite potential GOP presidential candidates in 2016 and criticized Hillary Clinton’s record as secretary of state.

When asked whether he might run again for president, Romney gave a direct answer. “I’m not running for president in 2016,” he said.

“I think our best prospects of getting back the White House are with someone who has not run twice before as I have,” he added with a smile.

Romney said Republicans have a strong field to choose from in 2016. He mentioned several candidates by name, including his 2012 running mate Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

( Also on POLITICO: Rick Santorum backs Tim Pawlenty on wages)

“You know some of my favorites,” Romney said. “Paul Ryan, of course. I love Paul; we were a great team together. But Chris Christie and Jeb Bush and Rob Portman. The list is long. Scott Walker. There are a lot of fellows and hopefully some women, as well.”

He later singled out New Mexico Gov. Susana Martínez as one of the potential female candidates, praising her “great potential and leadership.”

Romney also criticized Hillary Clinton, who would most likely be the presumptive front-runner for the Democrats if she chooses to run in 2016.

When asked about her time at the State Department, Romney said: “That’s going to be an enormous liability for her. Because this is, after all, the evidence of her leadership capacity. And frankly, the four years that she served as secretary of state were not good years for the United States of America abroad. She worked hard and she shook a lot of hands and people said ‘Boy, she’s been on the airplane a lot, and that’s a good thing.’ But if you look around the world … this was not a good time for America.”

( PHOTOS: Mitt Romney through the years)

He added that Clinton’s record as secretary of state is “going to raise a lot of questions about her capacity to actually accomplish things of significance, particularly on foreign soil.”

Romney also appeared to condone fundraising efforts by the National Republican Congressional Committee and National Republican Senatorial Committee that invoked the September 2012 attacks in Benghazi.

When asked about fundraising off the issue, Romney responded by saying without a GOP majority in the House, there would have been no investigations into Benghazi or the IRS. “So, to say look, elect Republicans so that we can have these kind of investigations, is appropriate,” Romney said.