The chairman of the Republican National Committee today urged state party leaders from around the country to work to elect Mitt Romney as president. Romney also addressed the meeting in Scottsdale, saying the country needs to start down a new road. From Phoenix, KJZZ’s Mark Brodie reports.

Mitt Romney made a campaign stop in Arizona on Friday. (Photo by Steven Senne/AP via NPR)

MARK BRODIE: The presumptive GOP nominee says the country is on the wrong track. Romney says Americans have seen President Obama’s vision for their future, and he doesn’t like what he sees.

MITT ROMNEY: The alternative vision is the vision we represent. If I’m president, we will cut federal spending, we will eliminate programs, we’ll combine some agencies and departments, we’ll cap federal spending as a percentage of the budget and we’ll finally get us on track to having a balanced budget.

BRODIE: Romney criticized the president on the economy, jobs, health care and foreign policy during his almost half an hour speech. He says President Obama has not followed through on his campaign pledges from four years ago.

ROMNEY: He points out he did not cause the recession. But, he did make it worse. And, he says, ‘Well, look, things are getting better.’ And, I sure hope they’re getting better. Gosh, I hope they’re getting better. But that’s not because of him. That’s in spite of him. He has made this recession harder to come out of.

BRODIE: Romney says as president, he’d repeal the federal health care overhaul, build the XL pipeline and link the pay of government workers to the pay and benefits in the private sector.