Mitt Romney on CBS early show:Better late then never

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(AP) — Mitt Romney is giving President Barack Obama higher marks now for his response to civil unrest and a government crackdown in Iran.

Romney said in a nationally broadcast interview from Salt Lake City that he's glad Obama "finally did rise to the occasion here."

The former Massachusetts governor said on CBS's "The Early Show" Wednesday he feels Obama should have spoken sooner in harsh terms about the government's response to large-scale demonstrations in the wake of a disputed presidential election.

But now that Obama has done so, Romney said "I'm very pleased that the president is getting the message out." Romney said he feels "there is a need for people to understand this is not a legitimate regime, that this is a sham democracy."