Romney looks to woo mothers at first campaign event after report of prep school pranks

At Mitt Romney's first campaign appearance after revelations of pranks he played on gay students during high school surfaced, the presumptive Republican nominee sought to burnish his image with female voters.

Romney spent much of the top of his speech talking about an op-ed that his wife, Ann, penned for Thursday editions of USA Today in which she describes the "three stages of motherhood."

"It talks about the three stages of motherhood: one was being a child and she saw her mother, the other was having her own children, and the third was being a grandma," Romney said, adding that he was "filled with appreciation for my sweetheart."

Romney went on to explain that Ann was at home with their son, Tagg, who announced last week the birth of twin boys through a surrogate mother. According to Romney, Tagg and his wife, Jen, already had a 1-year-old son, so their mother was pitching in with diaper changings and feedings around the house.

"I just appreciate the mothers of this great nation," Romney said. "I salute the women who are at home, the women who are in the workplace, and the women here today."

Earlier Thursday, Romney said meeting Ann was a life-altering moment as he sought to distance himself from some of the controversial pranks detailed in a Washington Post article released Thursday.

In an interview on the "Kilmeade & Friends" radio show, Romney said once he met Ann, he "became a very different person."

“I'm a very different person than I was in high school. I'm glad I learned as much as I did during those high school years ... but I can tell you I'm quite a different guy now,” Romney said.

Romney also offered an apology for the "hijinks" he got involved in while at prep school.

“They talked about the fact that I played a lot of pranks in high school, and they described some that, boy, you just say to yourself, 'Back in high school,' you know, 'I did some dumb things.' If anyone was hurt by that or offended by that, obviously, I apologize. But overall, high school years were a long time ago,” Romney said.

Romney was in Nebraska ahead of the state's May 15 Republican primary, but with his nomination all but assured, the former Massachusetts governor spent much of the day fundraising. According to Romney, the Omaha fundraiser that preceded his comments at Rick's Cafe Boatyard brought in an impressive haul.

"I guess they told me it was the most successful fundraising event in the history of Nebraska," Romney said.

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