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Saturday, October 6, 2007
posted by Aaron Gulbransen | 12:35 AM | permalink

“It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.” –Batman Begins

Naïve is the word that springs to mind when I think about what my attitude formerly was towards Mayor Giuliani.

Having grown up as a New Yorker and hearing the stories about how one couldn’t walk in the vicinity of Bryant Park after dark before he was mayor was enough for me to put him in a place of reverence. After all, when I moved into Manhattan, I spent a great deal of time in Bryant Park reading and studying. Also, being born in Brooklyn myself, I had an extra respect for Mayor Giuliani, as he was a Brooklyn boy who raised himself from playing stickball in the streets into a successful lawyer and then mayor.

Now, I am a rarity in New York. I am an Evangelical Christian and a Republican. Moreover, I am extremely conservative morally, socially, fiscally, and in my attitude towards foreign policy. That being said, I still felt a kinship with Mayor Giuliani for the aforementioned reasons and not in small part because of 9/11.

My Brooklyn born and raised parents moved us out to Long Island when I was six. I, like many Long Islanders, admired the Mayor without taking a critical eye to him. After all, when one is on the outside looking in, it is easy to miss the negatives.

When this election cycle started, Mayor Giuliani threw his name into the hat, and it seemed natural for me to support him, so I did. I even went as far as to write in Facebook groups criticizing those that did not support him. For I, without having yet done my research, had arbitrarily decided that Mayor Giuliani was the only one who can beat Hillary Clinton. (He isn't and I honestly doubt how great that ability is.) I had decided that he was the only one that can win some of the blue states away from Hillary, like New York. (He can’t.) I used emotional logic; I think, therefore it is so.

You see, I was under the misunderstanding that even though he was a social liberal, he was also fiscally conservative. I also believed him when he said that he would appoint judges in the mold of Scalia, Roberts, and Alito. It turns out that my assumptions were proven faulty upon an examination of his record.

Firstly, what I learned was that Mayor Giuliani is anything but Presidential material. I will refer back to my earlier writing, entitled “Dignity” , to make the case as to why the man is not dignified enough to be President of the United States. Call me judgmental, but I think that dignity should be a minimum requirement for the Presidency of the United States.

Secondly, an examination of Giuliani’s record as mayor shows that he did not behave like a fiscal conservative. Justin Hart details a relevant chunk of it quite nicely in this article.

Thirdly, Mayor Giuliani’s record when it came to appointing judges reveals that when given the chance, he did not appoint judges in the mold of Scalia, Roberts, or Alito. In fact, he appointed more Democratic judges than Republican judges by a ratio of 8 to 1. Ben Smith of the Politico, who clearly does not condemn Giuliani’s record, nonetheless details his record here.

Confronted with all of these facts, one can only come to the conclusion that I came to. Rudy Giuliani does not deserve my support. While he was a good mayor because he was good on crime, the fact remains that he openly tries to deceive us with claims that he is a fiscal conservative in the mold of Reagan and with his claims that he is trustworthy on the issue of the courts. There is a possibility that he is, but I tend to trust what a man does more than what he says. That is a reason I respect Governor Romney immensely. Say what you will about improper or just plain wrong past rhetoric, his deeds have always been above reproach.

All in all, in spite of his failings, Rudy Giuliani was good for New York City. He just isn't good for the United States of America and is certainly not a better alternative than Governor Romney.

“It is a kind of good deed to say well; and yet words are not deeds.” -Shakespeare
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Friday, October 5, 2007
posted by jason | 6:45 PM | permalink
Has anyone noticed the bit of irony in the coming GOP debate this week at the Ford Performing Arts Center in Dearborn, Michigan? It wasn’t too long ago that begin associated with anything Ford was a sign of insensitivity.

Back in February, the National Jewish Democrat Council graced the headlines with this press release:

The National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) expressed its deep concerns today about Republican Mitt Romney's decision to announce his candidacy for President from the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit, Michigan. Located on grounds formally owned by Ford, the museum is a testament to the life of Henry Ford, a notorious anti-Semite and xenophobe whose belief that Jews were second-class, inferior citizens were expressed in detail in his writings on his theory of Americanization. Ford was also bestowed with the Grand Service Cross of the Supreme Order of the German Eagle by Adolph Hitler.


Alan Dershowitz had a fun time with this as well at the Huffington Post:

Why would an American presidential candidate choose to announce his candidacy at a museum dedicated to the memory of America's most notorious and influential anti-Semite?


I don’t know Al, but why would a national Main Stream Media outlet choose a performing arts center dedicated to the most notorious and influential anti-Semite as the foreground for a Presidential debate?

Here’s to hoping that NJDC will do the right thing and take CNBC/MSNBC/Wallstreet Journal to task for such insensitivity.
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James Dobson & Company:

I wish James Dobson & all those Christian leaders who are mulling about an independent candidate would simply get on board the Romney train.

If Pro-life is all they care about, Romney is clearly their only hope of electing a pro-life president...the independent candidate idea will only bring to life their worst nightmare - President Hillary Clinton. The longer these Christian leaders wait to support Romney, the less impact they are going to have.



This should be crossposted at R42008 and redstate.




posted by Kyle Hampton | 5:51 PM | permalink

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posted by Kyle Hampton | 4:40 PM | permalink
In the ongoing battle between Rudy and Mitt over economic credentials, one of the issues being debated is Rudy’s crusade over the line-item veto. The case that deemed the line-item veto unconstitutional (at least as it was then constituted) was Clinton v. City of New York. The majority opinion was written by Justice Stevens. It concluded that the cancellation procedures set forth in the Line Item Veto Act violated the presentment clause (which outlines the procedure for making a bill into law – think back to School House Rock if you need a refresher).

Justice Scalia dissented:
Had the Line Item Veto Act authorized the President to "decline to spend" any item of spending contained in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, there is not the slightest doubt that authorization would have been constitutional. What the Line Item Veto Act does instead -- authorizing the President to "cancel" an item of spending -- is technically different. But the technical difference does not relate to the technicalities of the Presentment Clause, which have been fully complied with[.] Clinton, 524 U.S. 417, 469 (1998).
I won’t bore you with the back and forth over the constitutionality of the Line Item Veto Act as it was then written. There are, however, two points to take away from the discussion. First, in reading the case it is easy to see and supremely ironic why Rudy was so determined to fight the line-item veto: “New York has estimated that the amount at issue for the period from October 1992 through March 1997 is as high as $ 2.6 billion.” Rudy was determined to get federal government money. He thought it appropriate that the rest of the country subsidize his city. For someone who is apparently the pinnacle of fiscal conservatism, he fought hard to be on the federal government’s dole.

Second, and I think even more illuminating, is who Rudy thinks is a “strict constructionist”. Apparently Rudy’s idea of a “strict constructionist” is someone who could come out either way on abortion, finds that the constitution mandates taxpayer funding of abortions, and agrees that the line-item veto is unconstitutional. This “strict constructionist” judge of Rudy’s looks more and more to me like John Paul Stevens, who was nominated by a Republican President, Gerald Ford. Of course Justice Stevens would be nobody’s idea of a “strict constructionist”, routinely finding in favor of race-based school classifications, abortion rights, and other “rights” found nowhere in the Constitution’s text. Certainly Rudy’s idea of a “strict constructionist” is not what Republican voters are looking for.

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posted by Justin Hart | 10:41 AM | permalink

Governor RomneyToday, the Romney campaign came out swinging. In their first official Rudy exposé the Giuliani "tax and tax again" record is thrown into stark relief. The research is pretty extensive and makes an excellent case against the fiscal policy that Rudy advocated while Mayor.

"Earlier Today, Mr. Giuliani Assailed The Legislature For Seeking To End The Commuter Tax, Saying That If Anything, It Should Be Higher." (Clifford J. Levy, "Leaders In Albany Plan To Eliminate Tax On Commuters," The New York Times, 5/13/99)

FACT: Mayor Giuliani Fought To Tax People For Going To Work:

University Of Pennsylvania's Factcheck.Org: Mayor Giuliani "Fought To Keep" The Commuter Tax. "Also, it's worth noting that Giuliani's list doesn't mention one tax he fought to keep – New York City's commuter tax, which was lifted by the state Legislature in 1999. The mayor and the city council sued the state to maintain the tax – .45 percent of earned income for most of the people affected – but lost in court. The city had been collecting about $360 million per year from commuters from New Jersey, Connecticut and other parts of New York state." (Factcheck.org, "Giuliani's Tax Puffery," FactCheck.org Website, http://www.factcheck.org/, 7/27/07)

FACT: Mayor Giuliani Not Only Wanted To Keep The Tax, He Wanted To Raise It:

Mayor Giuliani Said That The Commuter Tax Should Be Increased Rather Than Eliminated. "Earlier today, Mr. Giuliani assailed the Legislature for seeking to end the commuter tax, saying that if anything, it should be higher." (Clifford J. Levy, "Leaders In Albany Plan To Eliminate Tax On Commuters," The New York Times, 5/13/99)

Mayor Giuliani Threatened Politicians Who Considered Voting For The Tax Cut. "At the City Hall event, Giuliani also warned Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) and any other city-elected backers of the tax cut: 'Voting against the interests of the city, somehow, some way, you will pay for it.'" (Dan Janison, "Former Foes United," [New York] Newsday, 5/17/99)


FACT: Mayor Giuliani Called The $360 Million A Year Commuter Tax "Modest," And Said The City Was "Entitled" To The Tax:

By 1999, More Than 750,000 Non-City Resident Commuters Were Paying The Commuter Tax. "The 33-year-old tax on more than 750,000 non-city residents who commute to jobs in the city rakes in $360 million a year for the Big Apple, when payments by New Yorkers and out-of-staters are counted." (Gregg Birnbaum, et al. "Shel-Shocked Pataki Will Get Tax-Kill Bill Next Week," New York Post, 5/20/99)

Mayor Giuliani Justified The Tax As "Modest." "'Sometimes, the game of politics gets out of control,' Giuliani said. 'This is a very modest tax.'" (Dan Janison, "Former Foes United," [New York] Newsday, 5/17/99)

Mayor Giuliani Said That The City Government Was "Very Much Entitled To This Very Small Tax." "'The city should not feel that it's doing anybody a favor here,' Mr. Giuliani said. 'We are very much entitled to this very small tax.'" (Clifford J. Levy, "Legislature Acts Quickly To Repeal Commuter Tax," The New York Times, 5/18/99)

* Mayor Giuliani Administration Official: "We Want To Retain That Money." "'We are going into this lawsuit in a very optimistic fashion,' said Michael D. Hess, the city's Corporation Counsel, who joined Mr. Giuliani in an afternoon news conference at City Hall. 'We want to retain that money for the good uses that the city will put it to.'" (Abby Goodnough, "Giuliani Files Lawsuit Challenging Tax Repeal," The New York Times, 6/3/99)

Mayor Giuliani Said That Suburbanites "Should Feel An Obligation" To Pay The Tax. "On his weekly WABC radio show, Giuliani said that suburbanites 'should feel an obligation to make a contribution to the city that is doing a lot for them.'" (Robert Hardt Jr., "Albany Tax Slash Has City Weighing Layoffs," New York Post, 5/22/99)

FACT: Mayor Giuliani Sued Republicans In Albany So He Could Keep The Commuter Tax:

Mayor Giuliani Immediately Threatened Legal Action In Order To Keep The Commuter Tax. "A spokeswoman for Mr. Giuliani said tonight that he would file suit to retain the tax, maintaining that the state cannot end it without the permission of the city." (Clifford J. Levy, "Leaders In Albany Plan To Eliminate Tax On Commuters," The New York Times, 5/13/99)

* Mayor Giuliani: "We Will Challenge It. We Will Go To Court And We Will Win." (Gregg Birnbaum, "Rudy Goes To War With Albany," New York Post, 5/14/99)

Governor Pataki Signed The Repeal Into Law, Despite Giuliani's Protests. "Gov. George Pataki signed the law eliminating New York City's commuter tax yesterday at the Rockville Centre train station, much to the delight of hometown state Sen. Dean Skelos, who for more than a decade championed calls to remove the tax." (Monte R. Young, "Pataki Signs Commuter Tax Repeal," [New York] Newsday, 5/28/99)

Mayor Giuliani Filed A Lawsuit Challenging The State's Authority To Repeal The Tax. "Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and City Council Speaker Peter Vallone joined forces and filed a lawsuit yesterday to challenge the Legislature's repeal of the city's commuter tax, insisting the measure was unconstitutional… The suit argues the Legislature passed the measure too quickly and did not receive city permission in what's called a Home Rule message." (Liz Willen, "City Sues Over Tax Repeal," [New York] Newsday, 6/3/99)

The State Supreme Court Rejected Mayor Giuliani's Argument And Ruled The Entire Tax Unconstitutional. "A Manhattan judge on Friday, in effect, rewrote the state law repealing the New York City commuter tax, an action which authorities said could cost the city more than $360 million a year. Supreme Court Justice Barry Cozier said the law, which repealed the payroll tax only for state residents but left it intact for out-of-state commuters, was unconstitutional. His ruling means the tax is eliminated for all commuters…Cozier agreed with lawyers for New Jersey, Connecticut and two private individuals that the new tax law, scheduled to take effect July 1, violates several provisions of the U.S. Constitution. The plaintiffs had argued that taxing some commuters and not others was unfair to those who still would be forced to pay. The judge rejected the city's argument that the law is special legislation requiring a so-called home-rule message before any change is made. A home-rule message is a request from the city to the state to alter a law affecting city affairs." ("Judge Eliminates Commuter Tax," [New York] Newsday, 6/26/99)

FACT: After Losing In Court, Mayor Giuliani Continued To Fight To Keep The Commuter Tax:

The Giuliani Administration Vowed To Appeal The Ruling. "City officials said the court ruling would be appealed." ("Judge Eliminates Commuter Tax," [New York] Newsday, 6/26/99)

The New York Court Of Appeals Rejected Mayor Giuliani's Appeal. "Deepening a financial blow to New York City, the state's highest court said yesterday that state lawmakers acted within their authority last year when they repealed a city tax on commuters and that the 'discriminatory' income tax still levied on out-of-state commuters must also be ended. That means out-of-state commuters will be reimbursed for the city tax they've paid retroactive to July 1 of last year, when the repeal for in-state commuters took effect. The city had collected the 0.45 percent tax since 1966." (Kara Blond, "Court Of Appeals Kill City's Commuter Tax," [New York] Newsday, 4/5/00)

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Thursday, October 4, 2007
posted by Justin Hart | 5:24 PM | permalink
One of the things I appreciate about Governor Romney is that he is the only major candidate to call out the ugly and sometimes debasing culture that our kids our "swimming" in. To that end I wanted to call attention to an issue that has reared its ugly head since last Tuesday when Oprah aired a show promoting (among other things) casual sex among friends, pornography and "open marriages".

As many of you know Jason Bonham and I sit on the Governor Romney's Faith and Values Committee and I recently took a full time job with the Lighted Candle Society, a non-profit group fighting pornography. I don't want abuse the fact that I helped to found MyManMitt... but I did want to call your attention to this serious issue and ask you to sign the following petition addressed to Oprah.

Click below for more info:


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posted by Kyle Hampton | 3:54 PM | permalink
Sometimes I get caught up in pointing out the weaknesses of other candidates (which admittedly is the easy part of my job here) that I forget to make the positive case for Mitt. Therefore, let me make a few points for why Mitt is the right candidate, not through comparison to other candidates, but independent of them.

A complete approach to the presidency
One of the things that has impressed me most about Romney's candidacy as it has developed has been his complete approach to the presidency. It indicates to me that he understands the full range of roles and responsibilities that the president undertakes: Commander in chief, chief executive of the largest bureaucracy, chief domestic policy advocate, nominator of federal judges, role model, etc. All of these are hats that the president must wear while in office. Recent history has given us presidents that have abdicated or neglected one or more of these roles. Mitt, on the other hand, addresses all of these roles. He does not excuse himself in one area by trying to compensate in another. Indeed, I strongly believe that Mitt tenure in office would restore much of the lost feeling and confidence in the presidency. No longer would there be gaping sores on the office of the president for immorality or incompetence. Mitt could heal those wounds felt by the American people. This is the kind of person I want leading the country.

Facts drive the analysis
I talked a little bit about this a couple of weeks ago after the last debate. Perhaps this I'm alone in this, but this is something that has been increasingly important to me as I go through law school. One of the things that undermines an advocate most is to have the facts wrong or to abuse their interpretation. On the other hand, advocacy based on solid facts and rigorous reasoning persuades in a way that neither alone can accomplish.

Mitt is an ideal advocate. As can be documented through those that have worked with him, Mitt requires two things when he approaches a problem: mountains of data and vivid debate. This is the most consistent and reliable method by which to find the right solutions. This is what the great Abraham Lincoln did in his time, not surrounding himself with "yes-men", but with both dissenting and concurring voices. Additionally, when Mitt has resolved upon a solution, he has the ideal basis by which to persuade. He is backed by facts and reasoning. He is essentially the antithesis of an ideologue. This is the kind of person that I want running my country.

Previous success indicates future success
This was the first thing that I (and probably other people) noticed about Mitt: he has excelled at everything he's done; in education at BYU, Harvard Business, Harvard Law; in the private sector at Bain Consulting, Bain Capital, the 2002 Winter Olympics; in the public sector as Governor. (Of course, on some level, this inspires a small amount of jealousy at his perpetual success.) Recent history of has given us presidents with a mixed bag of pre-presidency successes or presidents who have been successful in a narrow field. Mitt's success is broad and extensive. This type of sucess leads to a very optimistic projection of his ability to succeed in governing the nation. This is the kind of person that I want running my country.
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posted by Kyle Hampton | 10:50 AM | permalink
See it for yourself.

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Why the rocking motion? It doesn't come off well. One of Senator Thompson's aides needs to take away the rocking chair.



The rocking says "so be it" all by itself. This is not a man conservatives can trust to stand up and lead on the issues that are important to them. At the rate he's rocking Thompson has no chance of getting the nomination.



Siting on the porch in a rocking chair sipping lemonade.

He is a rambling old man but without any strong opinion.

That's the impression he gives.

I'd much rather have a grumpy old man with strong opinions. They are much more entertaining. =)



The legislature must act before the judicial does is what he is satyig



This is the great communicator?

He can't even look you in the eye.
His eyes keep wandering all over the place and even he seems bored with what he is saying.

This man is screaming, "I don't want to do this!" all over the place.

When will someone be kind and take him out of this miserable situation.

Let him go home, smoke a cigar, drink some bourbon, play with kids and enjoy his wife in his old age.

He's an embarrasment.




posted by Justin Hart | 8:37 AM | permalink
Will Reston isn't the only one upset with Fred and taking up the pen to tell him so. Quint Hillyer, editor of the American Spectator, is also a bit perturbed with Thompson... but for different reasons:
You, sir, have a serious responsibility to fulfill. When there were a number of other conservatives considering whether they should try to fill the void in the Republican presidential field, you stepped forward and said you were the one. You said you had the fire in the belly. You sucked all the air out of the atmosphere on the right. In doing so, you pledged to run a different kind of campaign.

But if you are going to be the big man on the right, you can't be lazy. Yet you have been so. You have a responsibility to bone up on basic local issues of national import. Any old moron should know, for instance, that you can't go into Florida without having at least thought about what you would say if asked about Terri Schiavo or about the Everglades.
What are Thompson fans spiking their punch with? Its well and fine for a blogger like Will to call for the "political assassination" of Mitt Romney but calling your fav candidate a "moron"? And this is the editor of AmSpec? I expect a bit more class than this.

Hillyer continues:
What catalyzes this letter is a campaign phone call I received last night. A bright young woman calling on behalf of your campaign in northern Virginia asked if I would mind listening to a message from you. Well, certainly. And then your voice came on. You said you wanted to return power to the people, to good old regular folks like me. You said it was time to take the power away from the politicians in Washington. You said we needed to return to a government of common sense. You said something about emphasizing our conservative values. And you thanked me for listening.

And that was it. There was as much substance as cotton candy, except that it was like stale, three-week-old cotton candy because the phrases were so pathetically hackneyed.
This was great.. because I got the same phone call... only, with my handy dandy Mac at hand... I recorded it. And yes, its probably as bad as he says it is. Listen for yourself:

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That's quick thinking to record with the Mac Justin.

His message to me comes across very bland. He sounds like he wants to improve the country but doesn't instill confidence that knows how to do it or is motivated enough to do so.



Was it me or did he say in the audio that he's running because he hates to see the cynicism of the people about Washington politics? Wasn't that Barack Obama's line about 5 months ago?

"Gosh, it just rubs my britches all wrong to see you all so, gosh darn, cynical, so I'm running for president.It's so bad that even Bessy is just givin' us sour milk."

This has to rank as one of the lamest explanations for running.




Wednesday, October 3, 2007
posted by Kyle Hampton | 2:50 PM | permalink
James Bopp, Jr. sat down with Jennifer Rubin for an interview about Mitt Romney and conservative issues. Especially in light of the recent dust-up about religious leaders voting for a third party if Giuliani is the candidate, it is enlightening to see why such a prominent and active conservative leader has chosen Romney:
Bopp says he had been impressed with his record of “tremendous leadership skills” in running the Olympics and as a businessman and executive but had to assure himself that Romney’s conversion to the pro-life cause was “sincere.” He met with Romney and came away satisfied by Romney’s words but also by his actual record as Gov. Bopp says: “Unfortunately there are some people in the pro-life movement who are not willing to accept converts. Our whole thrust is to gain converts. If you are not willing to accept them we are doomed to defeat.”
Bopp also elaborates on some of the important social issues voters are looking at in deciding on a presidential candidate.

On marriage: Bopp says that it is “extremely important,” emphasizing that Romney is the only top tier candidate who supports a constitutional amendment explicitly requiring that all marriage be between a man and a woman.

On McCain-Feingold: Bopp says this “goes to the heart of citizens’ involvement in our democracy. To talk about ‘corruption’ is a smokescreen.

On judicial activism: Bopp argues that Romney “more than anyone understands it because he lived through it” as governor of Massachusetts in the battle against judicial imposition of gay marriage.

On how to pick a president: Bopp says that he would not support a candidate who is not a conservative but that voters should put more stock in who will be “viable” and who has the skills to be in charge of “managing the largest enterprise in the world.”

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posted by Kyle Hampton | 2:28 PM | permalink
Apparently Fred? is not so '94 as he would have us believe:

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posted by Kyle Hampton | 1:09 PM | permalink
Your very own Romney pumpkin (via the DeMoines Register).


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Tuesday, October 2, 2007
posted by Kyle Hampton | 6:12 PM | permalink
From the Politico: Fred? Thompson is not a believer in Reagan's 11th commandment:
“I am more of a 12th Commandment man: Don’t speak ill of them until they speak ill of me. And then really speak ill of them.”
Hard to believe that religious leaders aren't flocking to him.


From KJL at NRO: Ann Romney has an amazing life story to tell and is doing her part to advance the cause of MS victims:
“Helping raise awareness” about MS, money, and helping find a cure are unsurprisingly a big part of her charity work. As First Lady, she also intends to continue her work with “at risk youth,” which includes groups like Elayne Bennett’s Best Friends Foundation, whose mission it is to help kids make “smart choices.”


From RCPblog: ARG's Dick Bennet defends the poll showing Romney is leading in South Carolina:
"There is always the possibility that it is the sample, but the interviewers alerted me on Wednesday night that Romney was way up in SC so I added some follow-up questions and it is tied almost exclusively to recall of Romney's TV advertising. We saw the same thing in IA and NH."


From The Corner: Rudy is causing an uprising among social conservative leaders:
[Tony Perkins:] "But I think, Chris, there comes a point where you draw a line on principle. And I think this — this is the principal issue, the issue of life. We are not going to sit down at a table and negotiate away the protection of human life and shake hands and get up and go forward. That's not going to happen on my watch."
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Across the blogosphere many have lamented that even if Mitt Romney wins the Republican nomination, he can not possibly win the general election. Well, history tells a different story.



The primaries are about preaching to the choir, especially those who sing a little off key. The general election is about converting the unbelievers (democrats) and fence sitters (independents). No one did this better than Ronald Reagan.

In 1980 Reagan lost only DC, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland Minnesota, Rhode Island and West Virginia. Electoral Outcome: Reagan 489 to 49. What is more amazing is that the Republicans reversed losses from the 1976 race in 15 predominately democrat states including Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio; AND New York, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina and Missouri. FL, MI, PA and OH are all in play not because of many Republican voters, but because these states have comparably large numbers of independent or swing voters. Indeed, that is what makes OH and FL the largest “battleground” states.

Now, Mitt Romney has made great progress getting everyone in the choir singing on the same page. Even more telling is his increasing rise in the polls in states like SC, MO, MI, FL and yes, yes even CA! In almost every case those being polled, after getting to know more about Mitt, respond to his views on defeating the terrorists, competing with Asia, stopping runaway spending, and his support of America's culture and values. When asked why Romney and not another conservative candidate, the answers were again telling. People like Mitt’s stand on strong families, his hard work, and clean living.

No, Mitt will never convince the “Starbucks” crowd in WA and OR, and maybe not CA; certainly not in NY. But in Fly-Over Land people are really fed up with petty, whining democrats and luke warm or less than honest Republicans. This scenario is so close to the 1980 election except for one point: Romney’s poll numbers are better now than Reagan’s were just 8 months before the election.

Sing on Mitt, sing on!




posted by jason | 9:57 AM | permalink
We are pleased to offer this guest post by Michael Bush. Michael was a friend of Mitt's in France, while they both were serving as LDS Missionaries. Michael was also interviewed for the recent Newsweek article on Mitt Romney.

I found something vaguely familiar as I read the Newsweek story, “Mitt’s Mission,” that appears in the October 8, 2007 issue, which appeared online yesterday:

Unfortunately, the politician Romney has been chiefly interested in organizing and packaging himself into is a man who seems to have no history, and, as a result, no heart.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21049285/site/newsweek/page/0/

Although there are things to like about the article, it left me with a feeling of uneasiness, in part because I was misquoted about Mitt’s phone calls to Ann during the mission years in France: “He persuaded his father to send him extra money so he could call her.” While this is admittedly not a major issue, that is not what I said. I knew that Mitt was in love with Ann and he had told me that his dad had granted him permission to call her monthly. This is what I recollect, although a missionary companion is quoted as saying it was every other week. Perhaps the writers heard from someone else that Mitt needed to “persuade” his father to send extra money, but it was not from me. In fact, knowing how much Mitt’s dad liked Ann, I am not convinced that any persuading was necessary at all.

Furthermore, my experience is that it would be an exaggeration to say that Mitt was “pining” for Ann, as stated in the article. Mitt was focused and hardworking, not often attributes for someone who is “pining.” Indeed, the “pining” description is at odds with the article’s recognition of his dedication: “The local mission office kept records to quantify missionaries' success, and Romney was a top performer.” This is evident not only from those records that I provided from my mission memorabilia, but also from the briefest of conversations one could have with anyone that knew Mitt in France.

With that in mind and puzzling over what I felt was a familiar tone in the article, I searched for a piece in Newsweek early this year that I had found more than irritating, especially given that I have known Mitt for over 40 years. Running in the February 26, 2007 issue, that article began:

There is something a little too good to be true about Mitt Romney. … As a candidate, he can appear slightly overproduced, a little too smooth for the hurly-burly of the hustings.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17202400/site/newsweek/page/0/

According to the bylines on the two articles, the first author on both pieces is Jonathan Darman, “Senior Writer and Political Correspondent” at Newsweek.

The bad news is that this reporting seems it could be driven by a particular template: Mitt could be “too good to be true,” “packaged,” “plastic,” and perhaps even a “secret extremist,” etc. (all words that appear in these two pieces, albeit not necessarily attributed to the reporters). The good news is that the latest piece, despite some of its innuendo and false assertions, actually uses some positive commentary that reflects reality:

In fairness, it is true that Romney has the stuff of great presidents somewhere inside him. The making of Mitt Romney included the development of skills any leader would find invaluable—a strong work ethic, an insistence on sacrifice and a reverence for those who put the principles of humanity over the conveniences of the moment.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21049285/site/newsweek/page/0/

Could this represent progress in efforts to get the story right?
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Whew, let’s all just calm down. There is no reason for Romney’s “JFK” religion speech. Not yet.

While liberal pundits, the media, and a few Giulianiacs (read Novak) in New York are fixated on Romney’s religion, very few national evangelical leaders oppose Romney on religious grounds. For obvious reasons Catholic and Jewish leaders are rather adamant that there be no religious issue concerning Romney and the 2008 presidential race.

The loudest objections come from the left. Jacob Weisberg, editor of Slate, said, "Romney's religion will become an issue with moderate and secular voters - and rightly so." His justification comes from a rather strained reasoning that objecting to one’s “religious beliefs is not the same thing as prejudice based on religious heritage . . .”

What? Late last year Romney met with the prominent evangelical leaders. Oh, to have been a fly on that wall! From the few remarks made by some of the attendees, that meeting must have gone quite well.

Says Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention, "Evangelicals know that they're not electing a theologian in chief, but a commander in chief. If they agree with Romney on social issues, his Mormonism won't be a hindrance . . ." And Jerry Falwell, who has often spoken in unflattering terms about Mormons said, "There's no question that there are strong feelings about Mormonism. But we're not electing a Sunday school teacher; we're electing a president. I do not believe his church affiliation will hinder his being a viable candidate among evangelicals."

So just who are these 24 percent of Americans (not 29 percent as reported by Novak.) who would not vote for a Mormon? see http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21036143/site/newsweek/
Well, certainly many are liberal and/or secular. In the same poll 14 percent said they would not vote for a woman, 64 percent said no to an Atheist. Even more telling is what Novak did not reveal.

In the same poll 68 percent of Americans said they had a favorable opinion of Mitt Romney while only 13 percent did not. Gee, I wonder what Hillary’s numbers would be.

So everybody, just take a deep breath. Go to http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21036143/site/newsweek/ and see the results for yourselves. After Mitt has secured the nomination there will be plenty of time for The Speech.




Monday, October 1, 2007
posted by Anonymous | 3:47 PM | permalink
Romney had this to say about the new Supreme Court term, otherwise known as SCOTUS.

"Those holding themselves out for the Presidency have [a] solemn obligation: to find women and men for judicial service who respect the rule of law and who will be faithful to the law as enacted. As President, I intend to nominate judges who respect the separation of powers, are committed to judicial restraint, and have a genuine appreciation of the text, structure, and history of our Constitution."

Come on folks, replacing Justice O'Connor with Justice Alito is great progress, but don't give up the gains by nominating someone like Rudy Giuliani. Nothing about his past proclamations makes me think he understands the Constitution enough to be picking Supreme Court judges. Elect Romney!
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posted by Anonymous | 3:42 PM | permalink
Well, the speculation is raging over 3rd quarter fund raising numbers. I personally would expect Romney to be in the high single digits and would be exuberant if he is in the double digits.

There is some talk that Fred Thompson may be sitting around 8 million. Pardon me, but that's horrible. In fact, if Romney and Rudy beat Thompson, I believe it would be a devastating blow to the Thompson candidacy. Sure, most voters probably don't follow the numbers, but the party leaders, the activists, the people who do the complex signaling of endorsements and favors between now and the nomination, will know Thompson's candidacy is as exciting as jury duty.

Then there's this piece, which suggests that Romney could cut himself a large check at the first of the year and spend it in the early states before anyone would ever know. Sounds so ominous. I love it. If your the opposition, you've gotta be freaking out.

Finally, McCain, looking like 5 million. Considerably better than I expected. If people continue to take Thompson seriously after his 8 million, they should take McCain seriously too.

Thanks to Mitt Report for links.
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Keep in mind that Thompson's reported just over $8 million does include his June numbers ($3.5 million)since this is his first filing with the FEC. That's right - he will have raised less than McCain and Richardson for the third quarter. About 40% of what McCain raised in his first quarter and less than 25% of what Mitt raised.




posted by Anonymous | 3:40 PM | permalink
I realize Kyle has posted already about the Newsweek article where they decide to openly criticize Mitt Romney for not talking more about his faith, while simultaneously questioning his commitment to his faith. I personally found this segment the most offensive:

"Mindful of the sway of evangelical Christians over the GOP base, he has positioned himself as the candidate with conservative principles and strong faith, even adopting evangelical language in calling Jesus Christ his "personal savior" (vernacular not generally used by members of the Mormon Church)."

I am not sure what vernacular is "generally" used by Mormons (maybe we should have a poll) but what got me was that the article seems to cast doubt on Mitt's sincerity in professing his faith in Jesus. The article continues with this theme later:

"At a meeting with 15 top evangelical leaders in Belmont in October 2006, he stressed commonalities between Mormons and other Christians. Most important was a single phrase: 'I accept Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and savior'—a phrase that backfired in certain quarters. Although it is a true representation of Romney's beliefs, some conservative evangelicals were offended that he appeared to be co-opting their language for political gain."

I have no idea what Mitt's status with God is, but who are these writers to question his sincerity?

The article continues with something of a compliment about Mitt's business acumen, but then concludes that his abilities are really Mormon, as if to suggest that Mormon's have a monopoly on hard working and thoughtful decision makers.

"Romney's genius as an investor, colleagues say, came from having the discipline to say no to most deals, even some that promised big windfalls in the short term. Bain's ethic was essentially Mormon: make good choices because you'll have to live with their consequences."

Finally, the real thrust of the article comes to a head, it isn't just that Mitt isn't sharing himself, its that nothing is there:

"So what kind of president would Mitt Romney be? It often seems that Romney himself doesn't know. More disturbing, he is also unwilling to truly look to his own history for the answer. Asked by NEWSWEEK how he is most like his father, Romney saw only an opportunity to recite a familiar talking point about his own style as a manager, noting that George "did not just ask for opinions but for thoughtful analysis and data." Everything his family has lived through—religious persecution, the traversing of a continent, a noble tradition of service and the depths of political disappointment—it all pales in comparison with data. This is the man who in the great wisdom of political insiders is seen as congenitally presidential?"

Actually, if I was asking Mitt about how he was most like his father, I would expect an answer about his leadership attributes and how they relate to the kind of president I want. What were these folks looking for?

I don't know the particular biases of the authors of this article but I think it is safe to say they aren't Mitt fans. They aren't suggesting he talk about religion more to help himself out, they are using his religion as an indirect way to attack him personally. Mitt is a person who believes in a pluralistic society where people practice their religion in the manner they see fit. He is guided by this ideal. In running for President, could it possibly be that he merely desires to serve his countrymen and help America continue to be a great place; for love of Country? These writers seem to have not considered that possibility.
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I think the issue is the use of the term, "personal," rather than Savior. The reference of Christ as a "personal Savior" isn't at all contrary to any Mormon doctrine by any stretch of the imagination, but it is true that in the Mormon church we don't generally use the term "personal" Savior; our language is usually more collective: we more commonly say He is OUR Savior and Redeemer.

People ought not read too much in to this, doctrinally speaking, since Christ IS, in fact, the personal Savior of Mormons. I think the author was just addressing the frequency with which that particular phrasing is used among Mormons (i.e., less than among evangelicals).



I am Mormon and we have always spoken like our fellow christians (evangelicals). The reporters at Newsweek are so out of touch they think they need a passport to visit redstate cross-over country.



"personal Savior" not a Mormon term?

What are these people basing that on "Mormonism for Dummies" Edited by Dr James Dobson?

Unbelieveable!




posted by Kyle Hampton | 1:56 PM | permalink
I just got finished reading the Newsweek article about Mitt Romney. It is well…interesting, I guess. Most of the info in it I was familiar with already, although they had some additional interviews with former mission companions of Mitt’s. The second most notable thing about the article is the consistent harping against Mitt for not living up to his own principles (which certainly begs the question, ”How does Newsweek know what Mitt’s principles are?”). Apparently Newsweek forgets about the beam (or should I say “Koran in the Toilet”) in its own eye.

The most notable thing of the article is the writers’ obsession with finding a narrative in which to frame Romney’s life. Unfortunately, by the writers’ own apparent concession, they fail, even after disregarding significant portions of Romney’s life to find an answer. Newsweek seems befuddled by the contradictions, changes, and turns that form a person’s life. They also seem more than willing to attribute their own perceptions of Romney’s motivations to Romney himself:
"Romney had to be a savior in a very public setting, and he thrilled to the chance."

"He would not be Mitt the Mormon this time, but Mitt the turnaround specialist who could work his Salt Lake City magic to save Massachusetts from fiscal ruin."

"Romney finally had his chance to fulfill his father's wish for him, to govern with principle, and his own wish for himself, to be his state's white knight."

"Conversions of convenience were frowned upon in young Mitt's upbringing, but the adult Romney seemed untroubled."

"So what kind of president would Mitt Romney be? It often seems that Romney himself doesn't know. More disturbing, he is also unwilling to truly look to his own history for the answer."
These are the statements of lazy journalists, intent more on fictionalizing than on reporting, as if they were writing a draft to a movie script rather than doing a biographical sketch. If I was Newsweek writing an article about Newsweek, there would be sinister statements about its only wish to be the top news magazine, sacrificing principle and unwilling to look at its history on how to get there. Of course, such absurd projections from an outsider would seem overtly agenda-driven and self-serving. Yet somehow, they pass for journalism at Newsweek.

Of course, we shouldn’t be surprised. I will now begin holding my breath as I wait for a correction to the story…..

…still holding…………still holding……

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posted by Kyle Hampton | 9:33 AM | permalink
Ann RomneyI got to listen in on a conference call this morning announcing the launch of a new website devoted to Mitt’s loving spouse, Ann Romney. The website is a mix that reflects Ann’s personality, with sections about Ann’s causes (like MS), Ann’s recipes, and AnnTV (not to be outdone by her husband’s MittTV).

A few questions were asked to Ann, starting with a question from Jennifer Rubin about stem cell research. Ann talked about her own “soul searching” on the issue, ultimately finding the creation of life for the purpose of experimentation to be an “ethical line in the sand” that she would not cross. Rubin has a fuller account of the exchange here.

Asked about the new media (i.e. the humble blog you are now reading), Ann talked about the positive of allowing more people to get to know the candidates (and herself), but also being open to more scrutiny and criticism.

In all, Ann is almost a perfect match for her husband; personable, sincere, and (like her husband) supremely capable. That she has been given her own website shows the value that she is to Mitt’s campaign.

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Sunday, September 30, 2007
posted by Justin Hart | 5:00 PM | permalink
So, what really happened with Newt 2008? Many pundits, here and elsewhere, divined his Newteness' most recent statements as an indication that he would run after all. Then, with an obscure legal explanation, he puts the stops on. What's really going on here?

The intrepid Byron York recites the more lengthy legal explanations behind Newt's exit and notes:
The problem is that all that can be perfectly true and one can still ask why Gingrich did not know until Saturday morning that his going forward could involve possible violations of the campaign finance laws. Why go so far – creating a campaign website, securing pledges, taking a leave from Fox – without knowing the basic rules?
As the old maxim goes: "it is the first obligation of a statesman to get elected." It appears that Newt & Co. just couldn't figure out a legal way to get their message across and raise money at the same time. So instead... they folded.

Compare this to Mitt Romney, who set up the Commonwealth PAC, reaching into local state entities, raising money for local leaders, and taking the money leftover to pursue a run for the President -- all of it through a legal, political vehicle. This took years of research, planning and preparation. And it worked.

Newt, for all his incredible ideas, is apparently handicapped when it comes to execution. Perhaps... his exit is all for the best.

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Just wanted to mention that your "Contact Us" link no longer works.




posted by Justin Hart | 3:59 PM | permalink
No one expects the race in South Carolina to come out this way... but, what the hey... here it is from ARG:

(Last months in parenthesis)

* Mitt Romney 26% (+17)
* Rudy Giuliani 23% (-3)
* John McCain 15% (+3)http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
* Fred Thompson 10% (-11)
* Newt Gingrich 7% (+1)

Sample Size: 600 completed telephone interviews among a random sample of likely Republican primary voters living in South Carolina (524 Republicans and 76 independent voters).

Sample Dates: September 26-29, 2007


h/t Tommy O. from Race42008 who exclaims: "UUHHHHH…. If these are true, then I’ll eat my shorts and endorse Mitt Romney as the second coming of Moses…"

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As excited as I am about these numbers, I think this is a fluke. There are no other supporting numbers to say otherwise. So, it's interesting, but probably not valid.



I'd love to believe these numbers are accurate, but I agree w/horatio. I'm especially skeptical of ARG polls -- they frequently are way off trends from all other pollsters.

Then again, I'm still hoping!




posted by Myclob | 3:20 PM | permalink

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posted by Justin Hart | 8:08 AM | permalink
This is a bit off topic (i.e. not directly related to Mitt) but its something that every candidate and every informed voter should look into.

I just finished Tim Weiner's extensive history of the CIA entitled: "Legacy of Ashes." Hugh Hewitt has done a lot to promote this book and for good reason. First, its a great read that details some of the most interesting points of history surrounding the CIA. Second, it is an overwhelming indictment of the bungling craziness that pervades our intelligence agency even to this day.

Need more evidence? When was the last time the CIA actually issued a press release trying to refute a book? Why do they care? Because Weiner is supposed to be one of them... a New York Times writer who's not a conservative.

Bottom line: the CIA needs work... lots of work.

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