Saturday, Sep 22, 2007

"It's good to be back home in Mackinac. One of the things I like best is that there are no cars on the island. Unfortunately, that's Al Gore's vision for all of America .

"I spent a few great summers here – up in that big white home on the hill. We need to get a Republican family back in there again. And we need to keep a Republican family in the White House in Washington as well!

"I don't have to tell you that my Dad made a mark on Michigan. And he made a mark on me. And I guess that is at the heart of things; he's a big part of why I'm running for President today. In 1957, when he was the President of America n Motors, he gave a speech in which he reported the following conversation:

"'My nine year old son' – that would be me – 'came home from school and said "Mom, we really build the best cars, don't we?"'

"She said, 'Why Mitt, of course we do. Why do you ask?'

"'Well, if we build the best cars, why is it that less than three percent of the people agree with us?'

"After my Dad heard of this conversation, he took me aside and said, 'Look, Mitt, size doesn't always indicate strength and popularity doesn't always indicate truth, and sales volume doesn't always indicate value.'

"And then he added: 'Right always prevails.'

"Quite a Dad, teaching lessons like that to his nine year old son. Lessons I have taken to heart.

"Now, a few years older, as I have looked at the history of this nation, I have become convinced that right does indeed prevail. America has faced and overcome great challenges. These have become defining moments, inflection points, where the course of our history has changed.

"I believe that we are at an inflection point today. Forces of globalization, the emergence of new economic powerhouses like China and India, and the spread of radical violent Jihad have created a perfect storm that will change the course of our nation. And, we face unprecedented challenges in securing our borders , protecting the family , creating new jobs and achieving energy security .

"The people of this great nation have always taken a hand in shaping our own destiny. I believe the American people will rise to the occasion once again, as we have always done before. But at this critical time in our nation's history, Washington is failing us.

"I think we'd have to admit that the blame doesn't all belong to the Democrats. We Republicans have to put our own house in order. We can't be like Democrats – a party of big spenders. We can't pretend our borders are secure from illegal immigration. We can't have ethical standards that are a punch line for Jay Leno. When Republicans act like Democrats, America loses.

"We've got to start acting like Republicans, not earmarking Republicans, not big government Republicans, but like Reagan Republicans and Teddy Roosevelt Republicans. They led us along the right course.

"It's time for us to show the confidence my Dad had that right will always prevail.

"It's time for change in Washington and change begins with us.

" Republicans for Change believe in small government. Governments should be restrained so that the freedoms and vitality of individuals and enterprises can be unleashed. Compared to free markets and free enterprises, government is slow to act, wasteful, duplicative, bureaucratic, inefficient, ineffective, and unresponsive. Have I left anything out? Other than that, government isn't all bad.

" Hillary Clinton fundamentally doesn't trust the private sector. Of course not, she's never worked in the private sector, except to sue people. So when she sees a problem in the marketplace, she naturally thinks more government and higher taxes are the solution. She sees the problems in healthcare , for example, and proposes more government. With her plan, patients would have to get used to hearing these words: 'The bureaucrat will see you now.' The right answer is less government, less regulation, more individual responsibility, and more of the market dynamics that propel the rest of our economy . This is why I predict that HillaryCare version 2.0 will meet the same fate as version one: ignominious defeat.

" Republicans for Change like small government.

" Republicans for Change are also fiscally responsible. We refuse to charge our children and grand children for our excessive spending. Even in Massachusetts facing a nearly $3 billion budget gap, the legislature and I balanced the budget every year and replenished the rainy day fund, without raising taxes and without raising our borrowing cap. Now it's Washington's turn to do the same. If I am elected President, I will cap non-military discretionary spending at inflation less one percent. If I get appropriations above that amount, I will veto them. And I like vetoes. I've vetoed hundreds of items already. Let's put some fresh ink in the Presidential veto pen!

"Here in Michigan, Governor Granholm has taken this state to the brink. By not restructuring state programs and by not shrinking government, she has precipitated a Hobbesian choice – raise taxes or shut down government. If you like what Governor Granholm has done to Michigan, you'll love what a President Hillary Clinton would do to America. Let's make sure America doesn't make the same mistake Michigan made last November!

" Republicans for Change believe in strength. We know that the best foe against tyrants and the best ally peace has ever known is a strong America. We will strengthen the military with more troops, better armament, and better care for our veterans. We will also strengthen our economy with lower taxes and energy security. And we will strengthen the American family. There is no work more important to the future of America than the work that goes on within the four walls of the American home. The American family is the foundation upon which this country's greatness has been built, but it is a foundation in need of shoring up.

" Republicans for Change know how to run a tight ship. The Katrina clean-up didn't look like Republicans were in charge. We need to bring more accountability back to Washington. You have heard of the sub-prime credit crisis. Well, there's a government agency that's supposed to prevent problems like that from occurring, warning consumers, warning lenders. But they didn't do their job. And do you know what will happen? Congress will give them more money. Do you know what should happen? Heads should roll.

" Republicans for Change have high ethical standards. I'm tired of hearing Washington officials remind us that everyone makes mistakes. Yes, but not everyone is a Congressman or a Senator or a President. They asked for this job and asked for our trust. They represent the America n people. They are held up before our children . We expect higher standards of ethical conduct from Washington. We expect our elected officials to be good role models, not bad examples – thank you President Bush for restoring personal integrity and dignity to the White House. And I can guarantee you, Ann and I will do nothing that would embarrass the people of America !

"Presidents lead by example. And so, if I'm elected President, one of my first acts will be to issue an Executive Order prohibiting the immediate family of my Cabinet and Senior Staff from lobbying the Executive Branch. The standard for high ethical conduct has to be set at the top.

" Republicans for Change are respectful and civil. We will work with good Democrats, Democrats who also love America, to change Washington and confront the new generation of challenges we face. The political atmosphere in Washington has become so toxic, we are in danger of weakening ourselves from within. America needs unifying leadership. I've found that we can find common ground with Democrats from time to time. I love what Ronald Reagan said 'It's not that liberals are ignorant, it's just that what they know is wrong!'

"Well, we can teach them now and then, and when we do, America wins.

" Republicans for Change aren't afraid to tackle big problems. None is greater than the spread of radical, violent Jihadism. John Edwards says there is no War on Terror – it's just a bumper sticker. Tell that to the people of Indonesia, Malaysia and Bali. Tell that to the people of Tanzania, Kenya and Spain. Tell that to the people of London, Washington and New York City. There is a war being waged against us by the terrorists for the future of our civilization, and if I am president, the war against the terrorists will be won!

"Let's not forget that our President has kept us safe these last six years. And it has not been easy. He fought for the Patriot Act. He listened when al-Qaeda was plotting. He interrogated terrorists. When Khalid Sheik Mohammad, the so-called mastermind of 9/11 was captured, he told his captors, 'I'll see you in New York with my lawyers.' That didn't happen. Instead, he saw GI's and CIA interrogators at Guantanamo , and that's just the way it ought to be!

" Republicans for Change fight to protect the family. The family is under attack. Our children need to be taught that before they have babies, they need to get married. Out-of-wedlock childbirth should once again be out of fashion.

"There are different kinds of families, many doing a heroic job under difficult circumstances. The ideal setting for raising a child is and will always be where there is a mother and a father. Some liberal judges don't see it that way. That is why it is time for a federal amendment that defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman!

"After the Columbine school shooting, Peggy Noonan wrote that our kids are swimming in an ocean of filth – pornography, sex, violence, perversion. The boys who did the shooting, she said, had drunk too deep of the polluted water. It's time to clean up the water our kids are swimming in. I will make sure every home computer has an easy to engage filter to keep filth out of our homes. I want to enforce our obscenity laws. And for those who use the internet to find children for their perverted abuse, I say, ' One Strike and You're Ours!' You'll be facing a long prison sentence, and when you get out, a GPS tracking device for the rest of your life.

" Republicans for Change aren't afraid to talk about faith. We recognize the hand of the Creator in the founding of our nation. We will fight to keep the words 'under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance. Have you seen the new dollar coin? 'In God We Trust' has been moved. It's not on the face of the coin anymore, it's on the edge – virtually invisible, just like the ACLU wants Him to be. I will go to work to get God back on the front of our coin!

"I will fight to make sure our future is not defined by the letters 'ACLU,' but by the letters 'USA.'

" Republicans for Change are patriotic. We love the flag. We say the pledge. We tell soldiers in the airport, 'Thank you for your service, for your sacrifice.' And when a Republican says 'We support our troops,' it comes from the heart.

"Have you noticed what happens at the Olympics when someone wins the gold medal? Athletes from other countries ascend the medal stand, and they high-five and celebrate while their country's anthem is played. But America ns place their hand on their heart and they sing the words to the Star Spangled Banner.

"I don't know where our tradition of placing our hand over our heart during the national anthem came from. I imagine that it is a sign of love – for our flag, for America, for freedom. And it is something more – our hand covers our heart to show our appreciation for the patriots who have shed their blood for our freedom. 'O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife, who more than self their country loved and mercy more than life.'

"America n patriotism is why I am convinced this nation will always prevail as the greatest hope of the earth.

"America faces unprecedented challenges, a virtual perfect storm buffeting the pillars of our strength. The course of our history will change. And for America to remain the great nation it has always been, it will look to Republicans for leadership.

"At the beginning of my remarks, I told you about that speech my Dad gave a half-century ago. In it, he quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of the great American philosophers, who said, 'There is no weakness except from within, and the only unsurmountable barrier is our own inherent weakness of purpose.'

"That was true then, and it's true now. It's why change must begin with us.

"Now is the time, this is the place, for Republicans to stand together – to stand for Republican principles.

"Now is the time, this is the place, for the campaign of change to move boldly forward.

"Now is the time, this is the place for Republicans to lead America in strength, in faith, in family, in what is right. For right will always prevail.

"Thank you, and God bless you."

Other Governor Mitt Romney Speech Transcripts:

I would like to maintain the most comprehensive list of Romney speech transcripts on the internet. If I missed any, and you know the password, please add them to this page:

http://myclob.pbwiki.com/Speeches

If I missed any, and you have the info, please e-mail it to me.

2007

• Sep 22, 2007 ; Governor Mitt Romney's Remarks At The Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference
• May 10, 2007 ; Governor Romney's Remarks At The Massachusetts Citizens For Life Mother's Day Pioneer Valley Dinner
• Apr 26, 2007; Governor Mitt Romney's Remarks at Yeshiva University
• Apr 18, 2007; Governor Mitt Romney's Remarks at the Frontiers Of Freedom Ronald Reagan Gala
• 04-10-2007 ; Governor Mitt Romney's Remarks at the George Bush Presidential Library Center
• 03-09-2007 ; Excerpts From Governor Mitt Romney's Remarks at the Miami-Dade County Lincoln Day Dinner
• 03-02-2007 ; Excerpts From Governor Mitt Romney's Remarks At CPAC
• 03-02-2007 ; Policy Briefing: Repealing McCain-Feingold
• 02-13-2007 ; Governor Mitt Romney's Announcement Speech
• 02-07-2007 ; Excerpts from Governor Mitt Romney's Remarks at the Detroit Economic Club
• 02-02-2007 ; CPAC
• 02-02-2007 ; Excerpts from Governor Mitt Romney's Remarks at the Conservative Members Retreat
• 01-23-2007 ; Excerpts from Governor Mitt Romney's Remarks at the Seventh Annual Herzliya Conference

2006

• 10-05-2006 ; Governor (MA) Mitt Romney: Liberty Sunday Address
• 09-22-2006 ; Values Voter Summit 2006, Washington, DC, Democracy in action transcript
• 09-05-2006 ; ROMNEY DENOUNCES KHATAMI VISIT TO HARVARD, Declines to provide escort, or offer state support for trip

2005

• 09-07-2005 ; Homeland Security: Status of Federal, State, and Local Efforts
• 06-03-2005 ; NH Federation of Republican Women's Lilac Dinner
• 05-17-2005 ; Oral Testimony of Governor Mitt Romney House Committee on Education and the Workforce

2004

• 09-01-2004 ; Republican National Convention
• 05-24-2004 ; Grading Progress on Homeland Security: Before and After 9/11
• 05-23-2004 ; Commencement address to the students of Suffolk University
• 05-04-2004 ; Lessons Learned from Security at Past Olympic Games

2003

• 06-17-2003 ; "First Responders: How States, Localities and the Federal Government Can Strengthen Their Partnership to Make America Safer"
• 06-02-2003 ; Testimony on an Act to Reform, Restructure, and Revitalize Government
• 05-15-2003 ; Investing in homeland security: Challenges facing state and local government.
• 05-13-2003 ; Deshpande Center Idea Stream Symposium

State of the State Speeches

• 01-18-2006 ; Governor Romney's State of the Commonwealth Address in 2006 State of the Commonwealth speech
• 01-13-2005 ; Focusing on education, calls for more accountability, help in troubled urban districts in 2005 State of the Commonwealth speech
• 01-15-2004 , Romney focuses on Education in 2004 State of the Commonwealth speech
• 02-25-2003 ; Governor Mitt Romney's 2003 State of the Commonwealth Address

• C-Span Archives--Speeches in S.C., N.H., & Mich (RealPlayer required)
• Interview with C-Span Q&A Program (click "watch" on upper right of page)
• MIT Keynote Address
• Healthcare Reform Speech at the Heritage Foundation (click "view event" at top)
• Governor Romney Speaks To Spartanburg SC Event Sound Quality is not the greatest, adjust your volume.

http://www.vote-smart.org/speech.php?can_id=CNIP7799

Statement of Governor Mitt Romney COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS before the GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE UNITED STATES SENATE

Labels: speech

To my friends and fellow Republicans,

Throughout our country’s long and remarkable journey, there have been “inflection points,” critical moments when political, economic, military and other forces converged to alter the course of our history.

We are at one of those inflection points today.

Forces of globalization, the rise of major new economic powerhouses such as China and India, and the emergence of radical Jihad have created a “perfect storm” that will change the course of our nation. We face unprecedented challenges in securing our borders, protecting the American family, and ending America’s dependence of foreign oil.

Our actions today will determine which course America will take. Will America remain the world’s economic and military superpower, able to preserve peace, progress, and prosperity? Will our children and grandchildren grow up with the same opportunities that have been our birthright for over two centuries? Will our uniquely America culture – a culture of family, patriotism, faith, and freedom – remain our foundation and lead a stronger America into the future?

I believe the American people can rise to these and every other challenge ahead of us. Yet, at this extraordinary moment in our nation’s history, our government is failing us. Washington is busy pointing fingers, assigning blame, and spending too much money. There is too much talk and too little action.

The blame, we must admit, does not belong to just one party. If we’re going to change Washington, Republicans have to put our own house in order.

We can’t be like Democrats – a party of big spending. We can’t pretend our borders are secure from illegal immigration. We can’t have ethical standards that are a punch-line for Jay Leno.

When Republicans act like Democrats, America loses.

It’s time for Republicans to start acting like Republicans. We have to remember who we are: We are not Big Government Republicans. We are not Washington Republicans. We are Change Washington Republicans. Democrats are not the change Washington needs. We are the change Washington needs and it’s time for Republicans like us to stand for that change again.

There is not a single challenge America faces that we can’t overcome with the innovation and passion that has always been at the heart of the American people. If we change Washington, I believe America can achieve anything.

It’s time for change in Washington and that change must begin with us.

Sincerely,

Mitt Romney

Labels: NRA

Fred Thompson, running for President as the "plain-speaking consistent conservative," was asked about campaign finance reform by Laura Ingraham on her radio show the day after his Presidential announcement. She said, "One of the things that also happened in the Senate was McCain-Feingold and it was initially called McCain-Feingold-Thompson. Of course that's campaign finance reform. As you know, Senator Thompson, the Supreme Court has struck down part of that as unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds, you know, issue ads that you can't run before a general election or a primary contest, which for conservatives like me are just anathema to the First Amendment. You now say that you see unintended consequences resulting from campaign finance reform. Would you today tell us that you made a mistake in supporting campaign finance reform?"



Senator Thompson responded that he "didn't think it is a good idea" for corporations and labor union to give "large sums of money to individual politicians." But this is not what Laura had asked, so she tried again: "What about the issue ads?"



Seeing the need to shift his approach, Thompson said: "Well, that's a different story. I'll get to that in a minute" and he then explained, in a long rambling paragraph, that he opposed "soft money," which "poured" in and is "called bribery." "We wanted to do away with that." Then he said: "Now, they added on something that was a mistake and that is the issue ads that you were talking about and I voted for all of it. So I support the first part but I don't support that."



What is one to make of this? Apparently, in a flash of revisionist history, Senator Thompson thought it was a "mistake" to restrict issue ads that others added to McCain-Feingold over his opposition. But he reluctantly supported the whole bill anyway.



While it is certainly true that Senator Thompson supported McCain-Feingold in total, his support was not reluctant. He did not oppose adding regulation of issue ads, and he hardly viewed such hyper-regulations at the time as a "mistake." Indeed, McCain-Feingold was originally called McCain-Feingold-Thompson for a reason. Senator Thompson was widely known as "McCain's strongest Republican supporter" during his years in the Senate and Mark Salter, Senator McCain's chief of staff, declared in 2001 that "if McCain-Feingold passes, it will not have happened if it weren't for Fred Thompson." McCain-Feingold did pass in 2002 and even survived a legal challenge in 2003, but the issue ads restrictions were largely struck down early this summer.

The Thompson Investigation



Reelected in 1996, Senator Thompson assumed Chairmanship of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee in early 1997. He seemed to be the perfect person to lead the investigation of the 1996 Clinton campaign scandals. Thompson had been a star of the 1974 Senate committee investigation of the Watergate break in, which would lead to the resignation of President Nixon, and he was viewed as a tough prosecutor and a shrewd lawyer. The 1996 Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee were awash in illegal foreign contributions and the Republicans were itching to do a full investigation, a not unjustified payback for Watergate.



Thompson's committee was charged by the Senate Republican leadership to investigate illegal conduct during the 1996 election, which meant the foreign money influx into the DNC and the Clinton campaign. But Senator Thompson was not satisfied with the limited scope of his committee's charge. He wanted his investigation to fuel support for the McCain-Feingold-Thompson legislation he had co-sponsored in 1995. Democrats also wanted to expand the scope to Republican-leaning groups, which were not accused of wrongdoing. So Thompson and the committee Democrats joined together to demand that the investigation be expanded beyond the "illegal" activities to those falling within the Committee's broad and vague definition of "improper." Thompson was "delighted" when he got his way over strong the objection of Republicans in the Senate.



The result was that Thompson's investigation was engineered to unfold in two phases. The first phase, according to the committee's final report, would to focus on "illegal activities engaged in by candidates and political parties." The second phase would focus on "the role of non-profits and issue advocacy groups and labor unions in the 1996 elections."



The focus of phase one was obvious - - the illegality of pervasive DNC and Clinton campaign foreign contribution fund-raising. Phase two, however, was nothing more than a not-so-clandestine effort to promote campaign finance reform by investigating the so-called "improper" practices of non-profit groups engaged in the political process.



Chairman Thompson Subpoenas Conservative Non-Profit Groups



Chairman Thompson issued two waves of subpoenas during phase two. Beginning in April, dozens of Republican-leaning non-profits were hauled before the Senate Government Affairs Committee. including Americans for Tax Reform, the National Policy Forum, a think-tank founded by the Republican National Committee, and others. The RNC was subpoenaed, and interrogated about various Republican-leaning issue groups. Democrat-leaning groups were also targeted, most importantly the AFL-CIO.



On July 30th, Chairman Thompson signed a tidal wave of non-profit subpoenas, targeting an equal number of Democrat and Republican-leaning non-profits, including the National Right to Life Committee, the Christian Coalition, Citizens for a Sound Economy, the Heritage Foundation and Citizens Against Government Waste. These invasive subpoenas sought internal strategy documents and communications with other organizations, federal office holders, the Federal Election Commission, and the IRS. These subpoenas were strongly resisted on First Amendment grounds, ultimately successfully, since the effectiveness of these groups would be destroyed if their confidential communications were revealed to the government and their political opponents.



The Thompson Committee Report



In March 1998, the Thompson committee issued a Majority and Minority Report. The Majority Report focused on the Democrat foreign money scandals, but "added little of note to what was already known about John Huang, Roger Tamraz, the Hsi Lai Temple, and Vice President Gore's phone calls." And while the Majority Report found that "it would be irresponsible to draw inferences about serious allegations of illegality and impropriety" regarding the conduct of most nonprofit groups, the report nevertheless presented tow alternative ways that issue advocacy by non-profits could be prohibited, a redefinition of "express advocacy" and an "electioneering communication" provision. Furthermore, as a result of the expanded scope of the Thompson investigation, the Minority Report was able "to find a Republican transgression to match every Clinton misstep."



Conservatives were profoundly disappointed, with the Weekly Standard proclaiming that Thompson "blew it," because of his decision to "shift [the] focus" from "fund-raising scandals" to "campaign finance legislation." Some were even harsher. A columnist for The Knoxville News-Sentinel wrote, "Senator Fred Thompson, fresh from his 1996 re-election by Tennesseans, soared into national fame with a big buildup over his prospects of using an investigation into campaign finance reform as a springboard for the presidency. Sinking ensued. Perhaps Time summed the situation up when it classified Thompson as among the losers of 1997: 'His hearings promised much and delivered little. Forget the presidency. Can he still go back to Hollywood?'"

Senate Action on McCain-Feingold-Thompson



From his first year in Congress, Senator Thompson was a prime sponsor of Senator McCain's campaign finance legislation. On September 5, 1995, Senator Thompson proudly announced the introduction of S. 1219, the "McCain-Feingold-Thompson" campaign finance bill, which, among other things, sought to increase the regulation of issue ads. Clinton subsequently endorsed "McCain-Feingold-Thompson," which Senator Thompson "welcomed."



On January 21, 1997, McCain-Feingold-Thompson was reintroduced as S. 25, which borrowed heavily from the 1995 version and included issue advocacy restrictions. Again the bill "redefined" express advocacy to sweep in any communication the "refers to a clearly identified candidate" that "a reasonable person" would understand as advocating the election or defeat of the candidate, and that was made within 30 days of a primary and 60 days of a general election. These bills engendered enormous conservative opposition and were killed by Senate Republican filibusters.



Finally, in 2001, S. 27 was introduced by Senator McCain, with Senator Thompson as a co-sponsor. This bill now contained today's full fledged "electioneering communication" prohibition, also know as Snow-Jeffords, which prohibited corporation and labor unions from running broadcast ads within 30 days of a primary and 60 days of a general election that "refer to a clearly identified candidate for federal office." When Senator Mike DeWine sought to strike the "electioneering communication" prohibition on March 29, 2001, it was defeated, with Senator Thompson opposed him.



This was no casual vote by Senator Thompson. On March 22nd, he argued on the Senate floor in favor of Snow-Jeffords' "electioneering communication" prohibition, because the Supreme Court's "express advocacy" test had allegedly proven "inadequate." On March 29th, he took the Senate floor to specifically oppose DeWine's amendment. On April 2nd, Senator Thompson voted to pass McCain-Feingold, after the Republican Senator's filibuster had been shut down. In March of 2002, the House version of McCain-Feingold returned to the Senate and Senator Thompson voted to pass the bill out of the Congress.



Supreme Court Challenges to McCain-Feingold in McConnell v. FEC and FEC v. Wisconsin Right to Life



McCain-Feingold triggered a cascade of First Amendment challenges, mounted by 84 groups and individuals in 11 federal law suits, ultimately consolidated in McConnell v. FEC. The federal district court upheld most of the legislation, but struck down the "electioneering communication" provision. All parties appealed and the showdown in the Supreme Court was scheduled for an unusual pre-term oral argument in September.



Briefs were filed by the parties involved and by numerous "friends of the court." One was from Fred Thompson, now out of the Senate, who paused to note that he was a co-sponsor of the law. Thompson's brief touted his committee's investigation and the committee's reports melodramatically concluding "that the twin loopholes of soft money and bogus issue advertising have virtually destroyed our campaign finance laws."



Much of Thompson brief focused on issue ads and the "electioneering communication" provision, quoting extensively from the Democrat Minority Report on the issue, including its findings that conservative groups exploited "the issue advocacy loophole." Ironically, the Majority Report, which Thompson had previously endorsed, described these Minority Report findings as "irresponsible given the limited available evidence and the lack of public hearings." The Thompson brief even credits the Minority Report's allegations against the RNC and a conservative group, Triad, which the Majority Report also specifically repudiated. The Supreme Court ultimately upheld on its face the McCain-Feingold restrictions, including the "electioneering communication" provision, in a close 5 to 4 vote.



However, the "electioneering communication" prohibition was again challenged in FEC v. Wisconsin Right to Life. WRTL sought to run broadcast ads in 2004 to lobby their two Democrat Senators to oppose the filibuster of President Bush's judicial nominees. On its second review of the issue, the Supreme Court held in June of this year that the "electioneering communication" prohibition could not be constitutionally applied to WRTL's grass roots lobbying ads. WRTL's position was supported by an incredible array of non-profit groups across the political spectrum.

There was no more adamant supporter of campaign finance reform and the regulation of political speech and issue ads that Senator Thompson. His support was not reluctant; it was enthusiastic and repeated. He actively and enthusiastically supported regulation of and, ultimately, total prohibition of corporate and labor union issue ads, which he never viewed as a "mistake." The issue ad prohibition was not added by others, as he claimed, but was an essential feature of the campaign finance proposals he co-sponsored, voted for, and diverted his own Senate committee's investigation to justify. In short, Senator Thompson devoted much energy in the Senate to gutting the First Amendment.



There is no doubt but those of us who have fought McCain-Feingold-Thompson for decades would welcome Senator Thompson's sincere conversion to our cause. But denial and revisionist history is not a conversion, only a deception. And there is nothing "plain-speaking" about disassembling one's documented record in the Senate. Nor is Senate-career-long support for McCain-Feingold-Thompson the hallmark of a "consistent conservative."

Donations usually slow in the third quarter, but former MA Gov. Mitt Romney is ready to write a check to keep his campaign's $80M budget on track. Still, the campaign will make one last public push.

Called the "Rally for Romney," this two-day event features dozens of local fundraisers across the country and culminates in a major Salt Lake City gala on Sept. 28.

In a video posted on the campaign's website, Romney says that "literally thousands" of Romney supporters have agreed to attend more than 40 different events so far.

The campaign has lowered the entry barrier to just $1,000 per person -- previous events had requested that each person committ to raising $5,000.

"Bring your own lists and your own associate fundraisers to reach that goal," a Romney fundraiser says.

...

Romney's fundraising organization is high-tech, and like every other candidate, he keeps track of donation bundlers by providing them with private codes. When they solicit donations, the new donors provide the campaign with the bundler's codes, and the bundlers are thusly rewarded.

Labels: fundraiser

click to enlarge

Labels: afa, Giuliani, rudy, rudy giuliani, social conservatism

Isn't Thompson the candidate who is opposed to a Constitutional amendment to protect marriage, believes there should be 50 different definitions of marriage in the U.S., favors McCain-Feingold, won't talk at all about what he believes, and can't speak his way out of a paper bag on the campaign trail?... He has no passion, no zeal and no apparent 'want to.' And yet he is apparently the Great Hope that burns in the breasts of many conservative Christians? Well, not for me, my brothers. Not for me!

James Dobson, one of the nation's most politically influential evangelical Christians, made it clear in a message to friends this week he will not support Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson. In a private e-mail obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, Dobson accuses the former Tennessee senator and actor of being weak on the campaign trail and wrong on issues dear to social conservatives. … The founder and chairman of Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family, Dobson draws a radio audience in the millions, many of whom who first came to trust the child psychologist for his conservative Christian advice on child-rearing. … Some Christian right leaders have pinned their hopes on Thompson, describing him as a Southern-fried Ronald Reagan. But others have voiced doubts in recent weeks about some of the same issues Dobson highlighted: his position on gay marriage and support for the 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform legislation. Dobson and other Christian conservatives support an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would bar gay marriage nationally. Thompson has said he would support a constitutional amendment that would prohibit states from imposing their gay marriage laws on other states, which falls well short of that.

Labels: fred thompson, james dobson, social conservatism