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Saturday, December 8, 2007
posted by Justin Hart | 8:53 PM | permalink
Amid the news vacuum that Romney created with his speech this week is a detailed look at the ground games in Iowa by Politico. Jonathan Martin was tasked with taking on the Romney and Huckabee camps. I'll have more in this later. For now, take the first paragraphs from each piece. It gives you a good idea about the massive differential between the campaigns:

ON MITT: "Mitt Romney has built the most formidable Iowa operation of any GOP presidential candidate on what might be described as three legs of a campaign stool: time on the ground, top local talent and cold, hard cash."

ON HUCKABEE: "Either Eric Woolson is a master at lowering expectations or Mike Huckabee is taking a gigantic gamble that his skeletal Iowa organization can still somehow earn a victory on Jan. 3. "

Its obvious from the NIE blindside earlier this week that Huckabee is clearly lacking in staff (or at least needs to pull up Drudge every now and then on the Blackberry). But the INS craziness today points to something different altogether.

Regardless, Huckabee is a threat to Romney. But I believe the speech will do some good in the next week. As Mike's rise has shown... anything can happen now that people are paying attention.
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4 Comments:


This INS story is as bad as any gaffe that Fred Thompson committed. Fred goofed up a lot, but this one by Hucklebee's team is HUGE.

The INS hasn't existed in four years! Who's running Huck's campaign? This guy will be toast in 1-2 weeks.



Poor Huck seems to have trouble keeping up with the rest of the class.



Mike Huckabee-Dream GOP Candidate

• He's a national security expert: "Say what? NIE? What in tarnation is that?"

• He's an economic mastermind: He'll punish those evil CEO's for their colossal greed by passing his "Mine, mine, it's all mine!" tax.

• He's hilarious and a laugh a minute: Especially when discussing such light-hearted topics as nuclear war.

• He's compassionate and forgiving: He's never met a felon he didn't want to release.

• He celebrates marriage: Not by renewing his wedding vows, but by renewing his wedding registry after 30 years.

• He cleans up after himself: That's why he took $70,000 worth of furniture when he left the Governor's Mansion.

• He wants to improve the future of our kids: As long as they're illegal aliens.

• He's a fine role model as a father: After his 18-year-old son was fired from his job as a Boy Scout camp counselor for torturing and killing a stray dog, Huck claimed the accusation was politically motivated. What, was the dog a Democrat?

• He attracts powerful endorsers: He was able to lure Chuck Norris away from his demanding schedule of infomercials and Botox injections. Next up: a cellblock endorsement filmed by Michael Vick in prison? (See dog story above)



I just got the funniest idea ever! Too bad that I don't live in Iowa, and I actually have a day job. But wouldn't it be classic if somebody would start showing up to all of Mike Up-Chuck-abee's events in something that looks like a HAZ-MAT suit, and whenever anybody asked he could say that his name was "HAZ-MAT HUCK" and that since the government refused to quarantine people with HIV and AIDS that he was just making sure that he didn't get HIV by standing next to anybody in the audience.

This kind of political maneuver is actually very effective. The Flip-Flops that followed John Kerry or the Flipper dolphin that one candidate went off on a few years ago and basically lost because of it. Usually College Republicans are pretty good at pulling this kind of stuff off.

Now, when John Edwards came to campaign here in Arizona back in 2004, I got everybody dressed as doctors in medical gowns with surgeon masks and make-shift handcuffs, and we had great fun with our: "Vote Ambulance Chaser!", "Ambulance Chaser Rules!", and my personal favorite "Sue Your Doctor Today!" chants.

I won't even feel bad when somebody else takes all of the credit for this if they can actually pull this one off. But "HAZ-MAT HUCK" has winner written all over it!




posted by Justin Hart | 1:44 PM | permalink
The AP is reporting that in 1992 Huckabee "once advocated isolating AIDS patients from the general public, opposed increased federal funding in the search for a cure."

He also wrote in the 1992 questionnaire "I feel homosexuality is an aberrant, unnatural, and sinful lifestyle, and we now know it can pose a dangerous public health risk."

Taken a decade earlier these comments could have come from anyone but as the AP notes:
When Huckabee wrote his answers in 1992, it was common knowledge that AIDS could not be spread by casual contact. In late 1991, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there were 195,718 AIDS patients in the country and that 126,159 people had died from the syndrome.

Drudge currently has this as his lead headline and Politico had this to say:
The revelations could dampen the enthusiasm for the candidacy of Huckabee, a former Baptist minister, because the language clashes with his image as a compassionate, sunny leader.

...

The report is a second distraction at a time when Huckabee has tied or passed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in polls in Iowa. A Newsweek poll of likely Iowa caucus-goers taken Wednesday and Thursday found Huckabee leading Romney by a two-to-one margin, 39 percent to 17 percent. Newsweek’s last poll, in late September, had Huckabee at 6 percent and Romney at 25 percent.

It also could cause Republican voters to reevaluate whether he would be effective at winning swing voters in a general election that looks trying for the GOP.

Drudge's link to the Politico story:
GAME-CHANGE IN GOP RACE?


Thoughts?

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14 Comments:


Neither Huckabee or Romney are the right manfor the job. Huckabee can't beat Hillary and Romney can't win the primary.

It's going to have to be McCain.



This is exactly the kind of "flip flop" that Romney's being hammered for by the Huckabee supporters in Iowa (led by Steve Deace of 1040AM WHO). I would be very surprised if they abandon their guy over this (or the INS flip flop--trying to go hard on immigration now after his earlier squishiness). These Huckbots have already demonized Romney over things that every other candidate is guilty of, so it's not anything that is reality- or logic-driven.



d,

I would be very, very interested indeed to hear how you think McCain can win the nomination when Romney can't. You've got your work cut out for you, with all due respect to you and your candidate.



I questioned whether one month would be enough to inform the American voters on Huck's record and it sure looks like it's going to be enough. I think Drudge has made it his mission to disclose his record thank goodness!



This is now on the front page of FOXNews.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,316228,00.html

Mike says, "My concern was safety first, political correctness last."

Whatever, Mike.

"When Huckabee wrote his answers in 1992, it was common knowledge that AIDS could not be spread by casual contact."

McCain is too old and has too many issues wrong. Chief among his wrong issues are McCain/Feingold and McCain/Kennedy. He killed his campaingn with those two.

He also has no $ and little chance to get more. His bump only comes from the war going better.



There is very much wrong with Huckabee, but to hit him for espousing that homosexuality is a sin... Please, attack him for the right reasons. When you attack from the Left, you give Liberalism legitimacy and tip your hat to the notion that it is the pervasive and dominant creed in our culture.



Mike Huckabee's not perfect but Flip Romney's little better.



We point out at NY for Mitt that the Surgeon General mailed 107 million brochures about the spreading HIV/AIDS epidemic in 1988.

The government's publication makes clear how the disease is and is not transmitted. It was very well understood in 1988.

That was 4 years before Huckabee made his now-uncomfortable statements in 1992 about isolating/quarantining HIV-infected individuals.

Public health officials and health care professionals in Arkansas had to know the facts in 1992. Huck may not have known, cared, or bothered to ask.

Was he too lazy or didn't want the facts to get in the way of another decision? We're beginning to see a pattern, Mike.

One thing is sure, Huck's completely misrepresenting the facts when he said it was unclear in the late '80s and early 90s.

Read the entire story here:

http://nyformitt.blogspot.com/2007/12/huck-on-defensive-says-nobody-knew.html



Another thing, I'm not a good artist but I just got this funny idea of a cartoon with a guy in a HAZ-MAT suit and a nametag that says "President Huckabee" speaking in front of a group of people in a place called "AIDS Land." We ought to have a cartoon contest or something for this.



Well spoken Nealie Ride.



Where's the flip-flop, Mittster?

CBS NEWS -- Huckabee stands by his answers

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2007/12/08/politics/fromtheroad/entry3595065.shtml

In 1992, your guy was voting for left-wing Democrat Paul Tsongas in the Dem presidential primary, and was -- by his own words -- not even a Republican but an "independent" who supported abortion on demand and gays in the military. His wife was donating to Planned Parenthood in those days too.

I'll take Huckabee '92 over Romney '92 any day.



"Huckabee can't beat Hillary."

Rasmussen shows Huck leading Hillary by 6 points in Arkansas, while Mitt trails her by double-digits there.

Zogby shows Huck leading Hillary by five points nationally, the largest lead of any GOP candidate. Romney polls weakest against Hillary nationally.



It truly annoys me that People say Mitt is a flip-flopper on abortion. Look at his record!! He campaigned as pro-choice, but when the first piece of legislation passed his desk as gov, he couldn't sign it, and everything done since then has been pro-life. A flip flopper has one position, flips to another, and then flips back (ala Hillary and NY drivers' licenses for illegals; she flip flopped in under 2 minutes). Mitt changed his stance on abortion. Hasn't changed since. Done deal!!!



Wait. Huckabee supporters are claiming that Mike Huckabee's actions match his words. WRONG. Mike's record on taxes, crime, immigration, small business is as bad as or worse than Bill Clinton’s record.

AND now TODAY Mike pulls out a whole new script. He grabs the most regressive tax scheme in the race. It would hammer consumption and it would replace the IRS with the HuckRS. THIS is an incongruence.

It makes sense that Huck’s rise is a result of LOCAL media. They are pushing a load of nonsense. Huck’s record is awful, and he is the least qualified of all the candidates. He got hammered on Wallace. Instead, he says he knew about avian flue and AIDS was comparable concern. Good leadership. Just say you were wrong Huck!




Friday, December 7, 2007
posted by Nealie Ride | 9:51 PM | permalink
Slick Willy penned a gem over at NY for Mitt. I’ll include a few paragraphs below, but go here for the entire story.

Earlier this week I posted a story about Gov. Huckabee’s influencing the parole board to release convicted rapist, Wayne DuMond, from prison and DuMond’s subsequent two rapes/murders. In addition to making me sad, the story convinced me that Huckabee’s judgment is a big problem....

These numbers are staggering. To put them into context, on average, Huckabee was prematurely releasing 70 felons a year. Or, one felon every five days....

Do you really believe he knew their cases and history as well as the jury that put them behind bars? Do you really believe he studied the data well enough to truly be informed about each of these decisions? Impossible. Where was his respect for the legal/criminal process the founders created?

But then again, how could he be expected to do all that homework? Between fighting for the rights of illegal aliens, raising the taxes and out-spending the liberals where would he find time to read tedious pleas from victims of the felons he was forgiving?
Nice work, Slick!
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posted by Myclob | 2:39 PM | permalink
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Huckabee up 22% in latest Iowa poll? What gives?



Huckabee's surge in the polls struck me as serving Giuliani's chances, however, I think it might work to create a two man race between Mike and Mitt.

Huckabee seems to be rising nationally, which is Giuliani's only real asset. Romney still has an asset in New Hampshire.

Mike picks up Iowa and Mitt picks up New Hampshire, making it a two man race in the early states.

South Carolina would then pick Mike, and Michigan would pick Mitt.

This is when Mitt's ground game and check writing begins to stretch its legs, and Mike's lack thereof starts taking its toll... additionally, Mike no longer flies under the radar and faces very public scrutiny for his policies.... no longer is he the baptist who plays the guitar, he's the liberal, amnesty, taxer, etc. facing a media badgering that Romney has primarily already dealt with.




posted by Justin Hart | 2:19 PM | permalink
A quick break from the well-deserved Romney nods.

What is this about!?>>>>>

The Amos Trust, a UK-based non-profit group, is marketing "a nativity set with a difference - this year the wise men won't get to the stable."

The sets are made by carpenters in Palestine. Essentially, this is a kind of protest against the wall that Israel built to keep crazy radicals from blowing up their people.

Here's what CNS reported:
"Garth Hewitt, director of the Amos Trust, said Wednesday his group wants to use the wooden sets to make people aware of what is happening, including how the Christian population of Bethlehem is rapidly shrinking.

"We're worried about the entire community there," he said. "They're trapped behind the wall there. It's like a medieval siege."
Forget the fact that over 2000 people have probably been spared because of the wall.... this is the perfect mix: Christmas and crazy nationalist protests.
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The funny thing is that the wise men never went to the stable in the first place.

It was the shepherds that went to the stable.

St. Matthew 2:11
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.



So, what I'm wondering is if the shephers on the wrong side of the wall come with little suicide bombs strapped to their bodies or onto their sheep. Wouldn't that make the analogy complete?



Oh please. Are they going to make a version with two wise men and one not-so-wise man with a bomb strapped to him?




posted by jason | 1:45 PM | permalink
It seems what we have a real humdinger coming out of Team Huckabee:

"It was a wise move on his part," said Chuck Hurley, a pro-family Christian activist and former Iowa legislator. "He is a gifted speaker and I would guess he will have mollified some people's concerns. But the more people investigate the beginnings of the Mormon church, the more uneasy they will be, and there's nothing he can do about that." Empahsis mine.


This is from the Des Moines Register article that Rett posted a couple posts down.

Something the Des Moines Register seems to have failed to cover was this: Hurley gave this quote the same day Huckabee accepted Hurley's endorsement. Huckabee accepts this line of talk.

Huckabee is more interested in gaining votes by refusing to say Mormonism is not a Cult (which it clearly is not)...


Huckabee has been asked about this view that Mormonism is a cult. He dodges and dances. “If I’m invited to be the president of a theological school, that’ll be a perfectly appropriate question,” he says, “but to be the president of the United States, I don’t know that that’s going to be the most important issue that I’ll be facing when I’m sworn in.”… Link



[In other words yes, he thinks it is. How difficult could it be to say no?]


...and his wife is making the case that God has his hand on his campaign over others...

Janet Huckabee also admitted she is "very disappointed" in the National Right to Life's decision to endorse Thompson over her husband. "Mike has been a true Right to Life person,” she said. “He's marched in the Right to Life parades for 13 years. He's just been a big supporter pro-life legislation, and it was disappointing to him."

"God's a big God," Huckabee continued. "If he wants us to continue to go and to fight the giants, we'll do that. You remember Jesus feeding the 5,000 with two fishes and five loaves. So, we're multiplying our money. Every dollar spends like a thousand and every prayer we get is like a million bucks."


[Why does this remind me of a TBN telethon?]

Frankly this does little to help the GOP. If it does help Huckabee, it will be at Romney's expense short term, the party's expense long term. This isn't an Evangelical party, it's not a Catholic Party and it's certainly not a Mormon Party, It's the party of people with Conservative ideals. With Huckabee we become the party of "Born Again" salvation, mixed with a little populism, liberal fiscal policy and nanny statism. That is not a winning game plan against Dems, short term and long term. They already beat us on the liberal part, and we become a party of a single religion is truely limiting.

Do I disagree with Evangelical theology? You betcha. It's completely contrary to what I believe. Do I feel the need to say it disqualifies one from office? Nope. Even if it could help my candidate in the short term, it hurts our party and society in the long term to exclude people based on a religious test.

Apparently though, this type of strategic exclsusivity is on the minds of Huckabee supporters:


That wasn't enough for the Rev. Frank Cook, pastor of Union Park Baptist Church in Des Moines, who remains unconvinced that Romney would make a good president.

"He was doing the Potomac two-step around the issues that concern many evangelicals," Cook said. "Most evangelicals, including myself and my church, agree with Governor Romney's stand on most moral issues in our country. Our objection with his candidacy is not so much with his public stance as it is with how the Mormon faith has tried to disguise the tenets of their faith." Link


In other words, Huckabee is moving up because he is attracting supporters like Rev. Cook who want a Evangelical vs. Mormon game. And unfortunately, he seems all to happy to play that card of bigotry.
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I disagree with Huckabee about whether he thinks Mormonism is a cult is important if he became President. To have a President who thinks Mormons are a cult would, I think, be bad for our country because there are members of cults that the federal government is prosecuting. I want Huckabee to separate out religions that show no proclivity to anything but being law abiding and decent citizens from those that engage in injurious behavior. If he can't bring himself to say that Mormonism is a different religion from mine, but not a cult, I don't think he should be President.

Huckabee seems to want to get money from people who think Mormonism is a cult and he can't jeopardize that by simply standing up and saying Mormonism isn't a cult.

If Huckabee can't say that, then I think he is the person who needs to make a "religion speech." He has some explaining to do about why he shouldn't be voted against by everyone who is not his denomination.



The scariest candidate on the whole list - Dems included, and the most detrimental to the political AND moral fiber of our country - is Mike Huckabee. It doesn't get any scarier than this.




posted by Justin Hart | 1:26 PM | permalink
Amid the news vacuum that Romney created with his speech this week is a detailed look at the ground games in Iowa by Politico. Jonathan Martin was tasked with taking on the Romney and Huckabee camps. I'll have more in this later. For now, take the first paragraphs from each piece. It gives you a good idea about the massive differential between the campaigns:

ON MITT: "Mitt Romney has built the most formidable Iowa operation of any GOP presidential candidate on what might be described as three legs of a campaign stool: time on the ground, top local talent and cold, hard cash."

ON HUCKABEE: "Either Eric Woolson is a master at lowering expectations or Mike Huckabee is taking a gigantic gamble that his skeletal Iowa organization can still somehow earn a victory on Jan. 3. "

Its obvious from the NIE blindside earlier this week that Huckabee is clearly lacking in staff (or at least needs to pull up Drudge every now and then on the Blackberry). But the INS craziness today points to something different altogether.

Regardless, Huckabee is a threat to Romney. But I believe the speech will do some good in the next week. As Mike's rise has shown... anything can happen now that people are paying attention.

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posted by Myclob | 11:14 AM | permalink

Today, Romney for President launched its newest television ad, "Not Politically Correct." The ad highlights Governor Romney's record of fighting for conservative principles in the bluest of blue states. When it was not politically correct, Governor Romney stood up for life, required English in the classroom and fought for marriage as between a man and a woman. Governor Romney believes that we can strengthen America by bringing pro-family, conservative change to Washington.

The ad will be airing as part of the campaign's rotation in Iowa. Script and viewing links are below.

Script For "Not Politically Correct" (TV:30):

ANNOUNCER: "When it wasn't politically correct, he stood up for life in Massachusetts.

"When it wasn't politically correct, he fought for English in the classroom.

"When it wasn't politically correct, he said marriage should be between a man and a woman."

GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: "You strengthen the American people by strengthening the American family.

"Marriage must come before children, because every child deserves a mother and a father."

ANNOUNCER: "A stronger America."

GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: "I'm Mitt Romney and I approve this message."

To watch "Not Politically Correct," please see: http://tv.mittromney.com/?showid=718211

AD FACTS: Script For "Not Politically Correct" (TV:30):

ANNOUNCER: "When it wasn't politically correct, he stood up for life in Massachusetts."

- Governor Romney Vetoed Legislation That Would Have Provided For The "Morning After Pill" Without A Prescription. (Governor Mitt Romney, Op-Ed, "Why I Vetoed The Contraception Bill," The Boston Globe, 7/26/05)

- Governor Romney Promoted Abstinence Education In The Classroom. (Office Of Governor Mitt Romney, "Romney Announces Award Of Abstinence Education Contract," Press Release, 4/20/06)

- Governor Romney Vetoed Legislation That Would Have Changed The Longstanding Definition Of The Beginning Of Human Life From Fertilization To Implantation. (Governor Mitt Romney, Letter To The Massachusetts State Senate And House Of Representatives, 5/12/05)

- Governor Romney Supports Parental Notification Laws And Opposed Efforts To Weaken Parental Involvement. (John McElhenny, "O'Brien And Romney Spar In Last Debate Before Election," The Associated Press, 10/29/02)

- Governor Romney Supports Adult Stem Cell Research But Has Opposed Efforts To Advance Embryo-Destructive Research In Massachusetts. (Theo Emery, "Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney Vetoes Stem Cell Bill," The Associated Press, 5/27/05)

- In May 2007, Governor Romney Was Awarded The 2007 Mullins Award For Outstanding Political Leadership By Massachusetts Citizens For Life. "Mitt Romney was a great Governor, who served with honor and distinction. But most importantly, he was a pro-life Governor. He vetoed a number of pro-abortion pieces of legislation and made many pro-life appointments. He was always there for us. He's a busy man these days and we are extra fortunate that he and his wife Ann could be with us. Governor, you have been an inspirational leader in many ways. And if I may say so, Mitt, you're looking very presidential. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming our friend, Governor Mitt Romney, to the podium as our 2007 Mullins Award Winner for Outstanding Political Leadership." (Kevin Jourdain, Remarks, Agawam, MA, 5/10/07)

ANNOUNCER: "When it wasn't politically correct, he fought for English in the classroom."

- Governor Romney Fought Efforts To Weaken Massachusetts' English Immersion Law. "But yesterday, Romney press secretary Shawn Feddeman said the governor will fight all attempts to slow the implementation of English immersion, known on the ballot as Question 2. ? 'He will veto anything that weakens or delays English immersion,' Feddeman said." (Anand Vaishnav, "Romney Firm On English Timetable," The Boston Globe, 1/24/03)

- In 2003, Governor Romney Line-Item Vetoed A Provision That Would Have Created "A Major Loophole" In Massachusetts' English Immersion Law. "Specific vetoes include language that would have: ? Changed the English immersion ballot initiative to permit 'two-way' bilingual programs, creating a major loophole in the new law." (Office Of Governor Mitt Romney, "Romney Signs No New Tax Budget In Time For New Fiscal Year," Press Release, 6/30/03)

ANNOUNCER: "When it wasn't politically correct, he said marriage should be between a man and a woman." GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: "You strengthen the American people by strengthening the American family. Marriage must come before children, because every child deserves a mother and a father." ANNOUNCER: "A stronger America." GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: "I'm Mitt Romney and I approve this message."

- On The Same Day That The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Legalized Same-Sex Marriage, Governor Romney Called For A State Constitutional Amendment Defining Marriage As Between A Man And A Woman. "I disagree with the Supreme Judicial Court. Marriage is an institution between a man and a woman. I will support an amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution to make that expressly clear." (Office Of The Governor, "Statement By Governor Mitt Romney On SJC Decision On Same Sex Marriage," Press Release, 11/18/03)

- Eventually, 170,000 People Signed A Petition For A Constitutional Amendment, Including Governor Romney. "Backers of a constitutional ban on gay marriage in Massachusetts have shattered a 20-year-old record for the most certified signatures ever gathered in support of a proposed ballot question. ? The petition drew the signatures of Governor Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann; former House speaker Thomas M. Finneran, now the president of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council; and former Boston mayor Raymond L. Flynn." (Raphael Lewis, "Petition Vs. Gay Marriage Advances," The Boston Globe, 12/22/05)

- When The Legislature Would Not Vote On The Amendment, Governor Romney Filed Suit To Force A Vote. "Governor Mitt Romney and a group of Massachusetts residents asked the state's highest court yesterday to override the Legislature and let voters decide whether to ban same-sex marriage, accusing legislative leaders of violating the state constitution by refusing to act on the proposal." (Jonathan Saltzman, "Marriage Vote Suit Delivered To SJC," The Boston Globe, 11/25/06)

- Massachusetts Family Institute Kris Mineau: "From the onset of the infamous Goodridge court decision in 2003, Governor Romney has opposed same-sex marriage and, I believe, correctly sought to overturn it through a constitutional amendment." (Kathryn Jean Lopez, "An Early Massachusetts Primary," National Review, 1/10/07)

- National Review's John Miller: "Whatever the outcome, there's no denying that Romney has pulled every lever within his reach to defend traditional marriage." (John J. Miller, "Matinee Mitt," National Review, 6/20/05)

- Governor Romney Is The Only Major Republican Candidate Supporting The Federal Marriage Amendment. MSNBC's JOE SCARBOROUGH: "Any other major Republican candidates support the marriage amendment?" GOVERNOR ROMNEY: "You know, I don't think that Rudy or Fred or John McCain support the marriage amendment and I think they're in error on that one." (MSNBC's "Morning Joe," www.youtube.com, 9/14/07)

- In June 2004, Governor Romney Testified To Congress In Support Of The Federal Marriage Amendment. "Society can ill afford erosion of charitable institutions. For these reasons, I join with those who support a federal constitutional amendment. Some may retreat from the concept of amendment. While they say they agree with the traditional definition of marriage, they hesitate to amend. But amendment is a vital and necessary aspect of our constitutional democracy, not an aberration." (Governor Mitt Romney, U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Testimony, 6/22/04)

- Governor Romney Wrote To All 100 U.S. Senators Urging Passage Of The Federal Marriage Amendment. "Next week, you will vote on a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution protecting the institution of marriage. As Governor of the state most directly affected by this amendment, I hope my perspectives will encourage you to vote 'yes.'" (Governor Mitt Romney, Letter To U.S. Senators, 6/2/06)

To watch "Not Politically Correct," please see: http://tv.mittromney.com/?showid=718211

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posted by Justin Hart | 10:02 AM | permalink
Reactions to the Romney Speech are overwhelmingly positive. Below is a quick sampling.

Jim Geraghty:

Reactions to Romney's speech continue, in the morning papers, in the Corner, around the blogosphere, in my e-mailbox, etc. The upside for Mitt Romney is that indeed, he has managed to command the spotlight for an entire week in a way that few candidates have in this campaign. And while some people were more impressed with the speech than others, there aren't many people saying, "he flopped."

I suspect that this may actually goose his poll numbers a bit, as it probably caused a few people who don't pay much attention to the race or to him to give him a longer look.


Jim Dobson:
Gov. Romney’s speech was a magnificent reminder of the role religious faith must play in government and public policy. His delivery was passionate and his message was inspirational. Whether it will answer all the questions and concerns of Evangelical Christian voters is yet to be determined, but the governor is to be commended for articulating the importance of our religious heritage as it relates to today.

Peggy Noonan:

Mr. Romney gave the speech Thursday morning. How did he do?

Very, very well. He made himself some history. The words he said will likely have a real and positive impact on his fortunes. The speech's main and immediate achievement is that foes of his faith will now have to defend their thinking, in public. But what can they say to counter his high-minded arguments? "Mormons have cooties"?

Romney reintroduced himself to a distracted country--Who is that handsome man saying those nice things?--while defending principles we all, actually, hold close, and hold high.

Chris Matthews:
This was the best speech of the campaign.
Laura Lee Donoho:
After viewing the speech, I have a new found respect for the good man, Mitt Romney. He delivered the speech brilliantly, sincerely and with grave respect. As I watched the speech I could picture Romney delivering it from the Oval Office. Romney has always seemed to have all the right qualities and stature to be the Republican nominee for 2008 but for some reason came off a little too slick. He doesn’t now.

Hugh Hewitt:
Mitt Romney's "Faith in America" speech was simply magnificent, and anyone who denies it is not to be trusted as an analyst. On every level it was a masterpiece. The staging and Romney's delivery, the eclipse of all other candidates it caused, the domination of the news cycle just prior to the start of absentee voting in New Hampshire on Monday --for all these reasons and more it will be long discussed as a masterpiece of political maneuver.


John Mark Reynolds:
I came to prefer Romney to my second choice candidate (Huckabee), because I think him better prepared intellectually to be President. I like Mike and think he was an effective governor of a small state, but Mitt Romney was forced to confront the intellectual culture of Massachusetts.

Mitt Romney had to wrestle with the intersection of our (mostly) secular intellectual elite and the governance of a (mostly) religious nation.

David Brody:
Someone wake me up! I could have sworn this was December 2007. But today in College Station, Texas, as I watched Mitt Romney deliver his long awaited faith speech with American flags draped behind him, it felt like January 2009.

Rich Lowry:
At his worst, Romney has seemed a mere collection of political positions; in The Speech, he showed a core, a political soul. He partially wrote and then delivered a speech that was a deeply felt love poem to America, a defense and celebration of its religious vibrancy and world-shaping commitment to liberty. For this moment at least, the shrewd politician was replaced by the simple, unadorned patriot.

Romney will have a harder time dispelling doubts about his Mormonism than about his political character. Christians and secularists who consider Mormonism a cult whose adherents are unworthy of high political office won’t be moved by any speech. As for everyone else, what else do they need to know other than, as Romney put it, “When I place my hand on the Bible and take the oath of office, that oath becomes my highest promise to God”?

Charles Krauthammer:
"He did what he needed to do"

Mark Levin:
"I happen to think that if it wasn’t the best speech of any of the candidates it was definitely in the top two or three."

Pat Buchanan:
If Mitt Romney wins the Republican nomination, it will be due in large measure to his splendid and moving defense of his faith and beliefs delivered today at the George Bush Presidential Library.

K-LO:
No longer is he that guy you're not sure believes anything. He's a decent, successful, experienced exec who gave a stirring speech about American greatness and wouldn't apologize for being a man of faith. A whole host of people seem to be giving him another look, have a newfound respect. The speech strikes me as a grand success. But we shall see.

E.J Dionne sees hints of Clinton:
Romney was also right that "every single human being is a child of God." This is at the root of the belief system of many liberals who are religious. Romney was echoing — unconsciously, to be sure — none other than Bill Clinton, who declared in a 1992 campaign speech that "all of us must respect the reflection of God's image in every man and woman."

Bill Bennett was luke warm and then warmed to the speech
.

These two evangelical preachers liked it!


Shocker: Hitchens didn't like it, Lisa S didn't like it, The Boston Globe (ha!), Father John Morris...

But the response I think has been very positive. As someone put it this morning... it seems to get even better with age.

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2 Comments:


Mitt Romney just gave “The Speech” entitled “Faith in America” and it was covered by every major news corporation and now can be watched at http://www.December7thforMitt.com if you didn’t have a chance to see it. We have been and will continue to see a huge increase in the amount of conversation about religious tolerance and about Mitt Romney in the next few days. This gives us all a great chance to bring up how today is December 7th for Mitt! If you or anyone you know are considering to ever donate any money at some point during the campaign, you should go to http://www.December7thforMitt.com and click on one of the links to donate. This is the last chance to donate money that can be spent before Christmas and the early primaries, so now is the time!

Also, Mitt’s campaign is going to give you gifts if you are willing to give at least $50. If you are interested in the gifts, then use this link to donate: http://www.mittromney.com/Holiday:fid=42807 otherwise, just click on this standard donation link: https://www.mittromney.com/contribution/form:sc=QC01,fid=428072 to donate if you don’t care about the gifts or if you simply can’t afford to give quite that much.

Thank you for the support and with your assistance, our next president will be a great one! Let’s make this a day that will continue to long be remembered by donating and by spreading the word!



Lisa Schiffren has explicitly endorsed Rudy so it is not at all surprising that she wouldn't like the speech. As is true for all Rudy apologists, her "rebuttals" to all things Romney are light on substance and heavy in baseless invective.

If you read her article, she calls Mitt a "close Episcopalian" "White boy who inherited plenty of money and political connections" "...just another privileged white male."

I am embarassed for her...it shows that the Rudy campaign is grasping for straws.




posted by Kyle Hampton | 9:49 AM | permalink
As I’ve browsed the blogosphere and listening to just a little talk radio today, a few questions keep popping up from reporters, pundits, and the general public. These are a significant minority of the overall reactions. Mostly they sound something like this: How can Romney invoke his faith and not discuss the details? How can he claim that America wants a man of faith, yet not any particular faith? How can Romney assert that faith is important in a secular nation?

One of fundamental values upon which our constitution is built is balance: balance between federal and state governments, between branches of government, between the citizens and the government, etc. We use several different phrases to describe this balance (federalism, separation of powers, etc.), but the underlying premise is the same. We want a government with enough power to enforce the laws, but not to tyrannize its citizens. We want a strong central government, but not complete or even significant concentrations of power.

All of these require balancing by embracing both values without rejecting either. It is sometimes difficult to find the precise balance, but that’s what we have to do. Through experience and maturity we increase our ability to find this balance and approach new situations.

Such is the case with religion in the United States. The Constitution specifically eschews the enshrinement of a national religion or religious test for office. On the other hand, the Constitution does not decry the practice of religion. Thus, we have a nation of religion without a national religion. The Constitution only sets the framework from which we begin to balance the two competing values. However, the wisdom of this framework is self-evident.

Taking either value to its logical extreme shows the fallacy of holding too tightly to one value at the expense of the other. There is no more wisdom in a theocratic Iran than an atheistic Soviet Union (back when it was such). But of course Mitt explained all this in his speech.

The questions asked above similarly seek for a logical extreme to facets of the religion question. They conclude that if Romney’s religion is known and going to play a role in his politics, he must fully explain it. However, this type of extremism is at odds with the types of balancing discussed above. The question, then, is what is the proper balance? How do we value the competing concerns of maintaining a proper distance from religion in politics without removing it from that sphere? Mitt has struck a balance as evidenced in his speech. He embraces religion and religious people, but will not exalt that religion to dominate his political life. Thus, it is important to be aware that he is religious while it is the specifics of his religion are not important. This is a balance.

Would other people have struck a different balance? Certainly. JFK’s speech concerned the almost complete rejection of religion in politics. Alternatively, former candidates like Pat Robertson would have exalted religion as the defining characteristic of their governance. Experience has proven to us that neither extreme is desirable. Where should the balance be struck? That’s an individual question and reasonable people can disagree. However, the extremist questions listed above are outside that range of reasonable disagreement. They exhibit a rejection of one value or another on the role of religion in the public sphere.

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The most bizarre thing I keep hearing on tv and radio is the number of times he said, "Mormon", "Christian", "Muslim", etc. What a strange thing to harp on since it has absolutely nothing to do with the substance of the speech. It's a complete distraction from what really matters.




posted by Myclob | 8:24 AM | permalink
The following article from the wall street journal says this:
 
"Mr. Romney has converted to conservative social positions on abortion, and so on."
 
You know what? I'm tired of the lazy journalist who uses the "and so on". That is all they ever say, because besides abortion, you have to make the argument that we live in a black and white world, and their are no shades of grey, in order to say that Romney "changed" on these other issues. If you are not the most extreme person in the world, you are going to make some arguments about were your beliefs have limits. Freedom of speech is good until you are screaming at the top of your lungs at 2:00 in the morning in the middle of your neighbor's lawn. Romney's flip-flop accusers who are politically motivated use this type of logic to say; "on this date you said a pro statement and on this date you made a con statement" but they take these quotes out of context in such a way that they deny the truth that Romney has NOT changed. For example, the gun issue. Go here to learn more about it but people take a quote from Romney out of context when he, speaking of the assault weapon's ban, said he "did not line up with the NRA" on that issue. Idiots, then use spurious logic, to then claim that Romney really meant that he did not "line up with the NRA" on any issues, even though he got a B (his first ever) from the NRA while governor...
 
I have got to go to work... I'm going to be late again and there is an inch of new snow, but here is some more from the otherwise pretty good article...
The Wall Street Journal Home Page
REVIEW & OUTLOOK

December 7, 2007; Page A16

In anticipation of Mitt Romney's big speech yesterday on the "religion question," some seemed to expect him to address the meaning and purpose of human existence. He didn't, and the speech was all the more politically admirable and instructive as a result.

[Mitt Romney]

Instead of directly pushing back against skepticism of his Mormon beliefs, the Republican Presidential hopeful spoke to the more limited -- though still loaded -- topic of faith and politics in America. There were considerable risks in doing so. He had to allay qualms about his spiritual convictions without also turning off the primary voters who consider religion an important element in selecting their candidate. Another danger was that "the Mormon issue" could dominate the 28 days until the Iowa caucuses.

...
 
...The Kennedy precedent isn't useful because JFK essentially argued that religion shouldn't matter in politics. He endorsed "an America where the separation of church and state is absolute," and in many ways that speech anticipated all that would follow.

The core of the Democratic Party shifted over time toward secular absolutism -- where any public engagement with religion is tantamount to its public establishment, and maybe even the repeal of the Enlightenment. The Supreme Court also took an active role in making the policy preferences of the secular left the law of the land, beginning in 1963 with its prohibition of prayer in public school.

Mr. Romney, then, was addressing traditionally minded voters who have valid reasons for feeling excluded from the cultural, if not democratic, mainstream. He did well to recognize the contributions that faith and religious institutions make to the American civic landscape. And as he noted, the American system is tolerant enough to accommodate the varieties of religious experience.
 
THAT IS WHY IT IS A GREAT SPEECH, AND WILL STAND UP WELL TO JFK!
 
 
 
...
 
He noted that "a common creed of moral convictions" brings him to the same policy conclusions as evangelical Protestants and conservative Catholics. The political church , in other words, is broad enough to include Mormons, even if their doctrines aren't simpatico.
 
...

How unfortunate it would be if he were rejected on the basis of such irreducible doctrinal differences. The Mormons seem the very embodiment of "family values," and you couldn't invent a religious culture that lived more consistently with Biblical messages. Broadly speaking, most Mormons have, and come from, big families; they're regular churchgoers and give to charity; they don't drink, smoke, gamble or engage in premarital sex. On the scale of American problems, the Mormons don't even register.

It's particularly ironic that some religious voters are trafficking in anti-Mormon bias, because the secular left has spent years trying to portray these same religious voters as a threat to the American system. Evangelicals have spent decades being ridiculed by the coastal elites -- for the born-again lifestyle, creationism, opposition to embryonic stem-cell research, the "Left Behind" novels. Recall the ridiculous "theocracy" panic after the 2004 election.

Now some of those same believers are trying to do the same to the Mormons. We doubt Mr. Romney persuaded those voters, but he probably had more success with, say, Republican Catholics who recall their pre-JFK ostracism from Presidential politics.
 
...
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posted by Jeff Fuller | 4:36 AM | permalink
Check it out in my post over at Iowans for Romney.

Jeff Fuller
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Thursday, December 6, 2007
posted by Justin Hart | 9:57 PM | permalink
Hannity and Colmes talk to two prominent evangelicals about the Romney speech:


Chris Matthews: "The best speech of the campaign... I liked him today"
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posted by Myclob | 9:55 PM | permalink
... The speech is not why Mitt Ran. Mitt ran for taxes, spending, budget, and national security. He ran so he could consolidate duplication in Washington, keep America safe, and competitive against China... We all wish he hadn't have had to have given (I need someone to check my grammer!) the speech... but you deal with the political environment you have not the one you wish you had... So yes, I feel sorry for those of you who are tired of hearing about the speech, just a few more days and we'll get back to taxes and spending...

Here is a video from Richard Land (Richard D. Land born 1947 is the president of The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), the public policy entity of the Southern Baptist Convention, a post he has held since 1988. He is also the host of For Faith & Family and For Faith & Family's Insight, two nationally syndicated radio programs.)

Richard Land: Mitt Romney's Speech "Magnificent"

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Mike,

Try "hadn't had to give" rather than what you wrote. Rolls of the tongue much better ;)




posted by Justin Hart | 7:36 PM | permalink


Brit Hume, Barnes, Krauthammer summarizes it nicely.
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Hmmm... perhaps I spoke too soon about people of influence sitting on the fence. Fred and Mara and Charles sure seemed to think Mitt did himself a good deal of good.

On a personal note, I really, really enjoyed the speech, especially the part at the end about Sam Adams saying he'd listen to a prayer from anyone of piety and good character. Fighting together and praying together kind of bring it all home. How many times have we fought side-by-side?



I was so fired up and motivated after Mitt's speech this morning that I rushed to my computer and made a donation to his campaign!! NEVER have I donated to ANY political candidate. But his speech so inspired me this morning that I wanted to do that immediately!




posted by Kyle Hampton | 5:53 PM | permalink
Hugh Hewitt posts a letter sent by James Dobson:
Colorado Springs, Colo. -- Focus on the Family Action founder and chairman James C. Dobson, Ph.D., issued the following statement today in response to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s speech on “Faith in America”:

“Gov. Romney’s speech was a magnificent reminder of the role religious faith must play in government and public policy. His delivery was passionate and his message was inspirational. Whether it will answer all the questions and concerns of Evangelical Christian voters is yet to be determined, but the governor is to be commended for articulating the importance of our religious heritage as it relates to today.

“Many in the media have been busily crafting the obituaries of ‘values voters’ in recent months. David Kirkpatrick of The New York Times, along with Tom Brokaw, Frank Rich and other liberal journalists, have been predicting a dramatic ‘Evangelical crackup’. They are dead wrong. Religion has already played a major role in this election cycle, and will continue to be evident through’08. The sanctity of human life, the institution of marriage and the care and nurturing of children will be important issues to people of faith as they choose a new generation of leaders. You can take it to the bank.

“Again, Gov. Romney’s speech served as a reminder that religion has always played a significant role in electoral politics. Candidates who disregard the spiritual heritage of this great nation and its viability today will do so at their peril.”

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I was admittedly anxious about the whole mormon issue and Romney, in fact, it was the sole reason why I haven't really supported him. Today is a different day. I thought he did a great job and the line about Sam Adams towards the end sold me. Good job Mitt, you may have swung this evangelical into your corner



Hmmm.

Lots of non-endorsement messages of congratulation. I didn't think it possible, but it looks to me like many influential people are sitting the fence on this one.




posted by Justin Hart | 5:36 PM | permalink
In case you missed it.

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Mitt is totally awesome. I think that the GOP using his minority faith as the one downside of his candidacy is actually saying something very uncomplimentary about a large part of its base: they would never be willing to be that open to a faith that they felt was idealogical competition to their own. My thoughts are at my blog on google thvonmorganstones. I imagine I can't post a link, so check it out,




posted by Kyle Hampton | 4:26 PM | permalink
In some non-"The Speech" related news, AmSpec blog's Quin Hillyer looks at Huck's soft record on crime:

Well, now comes proof. Today, the Arkansas leader has the numbers. They are astonishing. They show that Huck "issued more commutations and pardons than all of the six neighboring states combined."

Wow. We now see more and more that HUck is the diametric opposite of Rudy Giuliani on every issue under the sun. Rudy is known, of course, for being tough (wisely so) on criminals and on successfully making once-dangerous New York into a safe place. Rudy is a tax cutter and a fiscal conservative; Huck is a tax hiker and a big spender. Rudy is tough on foreign policy; Huck has no clue about foreign policy but his tendency is to be Jimmy Carter-like. And of course, in the one area where conservatives may give Huck the advantage, Huck is pro-life while Rudy isn't. But again, they are opposites.

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posted by Justin Hart | 3:57 PM | permalink
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It was the headline all day!!!!




posted by Justin Hart | 3:12 PM | permalink
Can I take a moment to complain about CNN again.

Jim G at the Campaign Spot noted last week how silly it was for CNN failing to "Google" the YouTube video questioners who later turned out to be Democrat volunteers. Well, it looks like they lost the URL again.

I am getting loads of calls and emails from my Mormons friends praising the speech but furious at CNN for the sidebar shenanigans they threw up there during Romney's talk.

Why? Because they botched it again! On several counts.
  • Sidebar: "About 3 million Mormons world wide about 6 million in the US" Yikes, what is this 1995?! There are almost 13 million members of the church. For goodness sake all they needed to do was call an 801 area code number randomly. My 10 year old knows this!
  • Sidebar: "Accept the Bible as scripture but not as final authority." What?! Where do they get this from? I don't even know what they're trying to imply. Anyone familiar with Mormon doctrine understands that the LDS church is led by a living prophet and relies on revelation. Ugh.
  • Sidebar: "Smith published writings in the Book of Mormon" Ummm. Wrong again. Smith's writings were published in a tome called "Doctrine and Covenants". Regardless of your theory of the origin of the Book of Mormon its not right to call them "writings".
I understand there are other points as well but I was avoiding CNN at the time.

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CNN was just AWFUL in their representation AFTER the speech as well. They basically said "Due to Huck's rise, Mitt gave this Mormon speech trying to get the evangelical vote. Now, let's show you all the differences between Mormons and Christians, polygamy this bible that blah blah blah..." It was absolutely absurd. If I didn't suspect the Communist News Network before, I know they are completely bonkers now.



Seriously, why should the MSM demand Romney explain his religion when they seem more than willing to describe it for him?



I like that Communist News Network, fits perfectly...Incompetence at it's best.



I'm willing to bet money that CNN just had a typo and the "1" in "13" disappeared. I hope they will blast the correction.




posted by Justin Hart | 2:19 PM | permalink
Did Romney accomplish his mission? Provided here (in my opinion) are the points he covered, and covered very well!



Item Excerpt

Call on the historical morality of the American Republic
"There are some who may feel that religion is not a matter to be seriously considered in the context of the weighty threats that face us. If so, they're at odds with the nation's founders, for they, when our nation faced its greatest peril, sought the blessings of the Creator. And further, they discovered the essential connection between the survival of a free land and the protection of religious freedom. In John Adams' words: 'We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion.' 'Our Constitution,' he said, 'was made for a moral and religious people.'

Point out the deep-rooted connection between freedom and religion
"Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone."


Affirm that religious leadership has no influence on policy

"Almost 50 years ago another candidate from Massachusetts explained that he was an American running for President, not a Catholic running for President. Like him, I am an American running for President. I do not define my candidacy by my religion. A person should not be elected because of his faith nor should he be rejected because of his faith.

"Let me assure you that no authorities of my church, or of any other church for that matter, will ever exert influence on presidential decisions. Their authority is theirs, within the province of church affairs, and it ends where the affairs of the nation begin.



Reassure Americans of a commitment to all groups

"As a young man, Lincoln described what he called America's 'political religion' – the commitment to defend the rule of law and the Constitution. When I place my hand on the Bible and take the oath of office, that oath becomes my highest promise to God. If I'm fortunate to become your President, I will serve no one religion, no one group, no one cause, and no one interest. A President must serve only the common cause of the people of the United States.



Strongly assert his own faith without qualification

"There are some for whom these commitments are not enough. They would prefer it if I would simply distance myself from my religion, say that it's more a tradition than my personal conviction, or disavow one or another of its precepts. That I will not do. I believe in my Mormon faith, and I endeavor to live by it. My faith is the faith of my fathers – I will be true to them and to my beliefs.

"Some believe that such a confession of my faith will sink my candidacy. If they're right, so be it. But I think they underestimate the American people. Americans do not respect believers of convenience. Americans tire of those who would jettison their beliefs, even to gain the world.



Ack
nowledge differences in the faiths

"There is one fundamental question about which I often am asked. What do I believe about Jesus Christ? I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of mankind. My church's beliefs about Christ may not all be the same as those of other faiths. Each religion has its own unique doctrines and history. These are not bases for criticism but rather a test of our tolerance. Religious tolerance would be a shallow principle indeed if it were reserved only for faiths with which we agree.


Call on Article VI
"There are some who would have a presidential candidate describe and explain his church's distinctive doctrines. To do so would enable the very religious test the founders prohibited in the Constitution. No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith. For if he becomes President he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths.


"Common Creed"
"It's important to recognize that while differences in theology exist between the churches in America, we share a common creed of moral convictions. And where the affairs of our nation are concerned, it's usually a sound rule to focus on the latter – on the great moral principles that urge us all on a common course. Whether it was the cause of abolition, or civil rights, or the right to life itself, no movement of conscience can succeed in America that cannot speak to the convictions of religious people.


Decry the slide towards secularism
"Our greatness would not long endure without judges who respect the foundation of faith upon which our Constitution rests. I will take care to separate the affairs of government from any religion, but I will not separate us from 'the God who gave us liberty.'"


Call upon the common heritage of religious traditions across denominations.
"Nor would I separate us from our religious heritage. Perhaps the most important question to ask a person of faith who seeks a political office, is this: does he share these American values: the equality of human kind, the obligation to serve one another, and a steadfast commitment to liberty?

"They're not unique to any one denomination. They belong to the great moral inheritance we hold in common. They're the firm ground on which Americans of different faiths meet and stand as a nation, united."



Take a swing at big government while we're at it
"The consequence of our common humanity is our responsibility to one another, to our fellow Americans foremost, but also to every child of God. It's an obligation which is fulfilled by Americans every day, here and across the globe, without regard to creed or race or nationality.

"Americans acknowledge that liberty is a gift of God, not an indulgence of government.



The fruits of my faith are my family
"My faith is grounded on these truths. You can witness them in Ann and my marriage and in our family. We are a long way from perfect and we have surely stumbled along the way, but our aspirations, our values, are the self-same as those from the other faiths that stand upon this common foundation. And these convictions will indeed inform my presidency.


Contrast American faith with Europe's dwindling congregations
"I'm not sure that we fully appreciate the profound implications of our tradition of religious liberty. I've visited many of the magnificent cathedrals in Europe. They are so inspired, so grand, and so empty. Raised up over generations, long ago, so many of the cathedrals now stand as the postcard backdrop to societies just too busy or too 'enlightened' to venture inside and kneel in prayer. The establishment of state religions in Europe did no favor to Europe's churches. And though you will find many people of strong faith there, the churches themselves seem to be withering away.


Close with a great historical story
"Recall the early days of the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia, during the fall of 1774. With Boston occupied by British troops, there were rumors of imminent hostilities and fears of an impending war. In this time of peril, someone suggested that they pray. But there were objections. 'They were too divided in religious sentiments', what with Episcopalians and Quakers, Anabaptists and Congregationalists, Presbyterians and Catholics.

"Then Sam Adams rose, and said he would hear a prayer from anyone of piety and good character, as long as they were a patriot.

"And so together they prayed, and together they fought, and together, by the grace of God, they founded this great nation."

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I'll tell you this,, the USA and maybe even the world will regret the day that my man Mitt stepped down..He's the only man that could turn this nightmare we're heading towards around!! Now we have to take second best or worse...WHY ISN'T EVERYONE ASKING MIKE ABOUT HIS CHURCH,oh Yeah that's right he gets paid to preach..Mitt served in his chuch just like all LDS people do unpaid, it's not a job it's a service to Heavenly Father... ASK THE PREACHERS THAT GET PAID TO "PREACH WITHOUT, WITHOUT PAY" & GET A JOB TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILY LETS SEE HOW MANY CHURCHES FOLD!!!!




posted by Justin Hart | 1:00 PM | permalink
Governor Romney's "Faith In America" Address (As Prepared For Delivery):

"Thank you, Mr. President, for your kind introduction.

"It is an honor to be here today. This is an inspiring place because of you and the First Lady and because of the film exhibited across the way in the Presidential library. For those who have not seen it, it shows the President as a young pilot, shot down during the Second World War, being rescued from his life-raft by the crew of an American submarine. It is a moving reminder that when America has faced challenge and peril, Americans rise to the occasion, willing to risk their very lives to defend freedom and preserve our nation. We are in your debt. Thank you, Mr. President.

"Mr. President, your generation rose to the occasion, first to defeat Fascism and then to vanquish the Soviet Union. You left us, your children, a free and strong America. It is why we call yours the greatest generation. It is now my generation's turn. How we respond to today's challenges will define our generation. And it will determine what kind of America we will leave our children, and theirs.

"America faces a new generation of challenges. Radical violent Islam seeks to destroy us. An emerging China endeavors to surpass our economic leadership. And we are troubled at home by government overspending, overuse of foreign oil, and the breakdown of the family.

"Over the last year, we have embarked on a national debate on how best to preserve American leadership. Today, I wish to address a topic which I believe is fundamental to America's greatness: our religious liberty. I will also offer perspectives on how my own faith would inform my Presidency, if I were elected.

"There are some who may feel that religion is not a matter to be seriously considered in the context of the weighty threats that face us. If so, they are at odds with the nation's founders, for they, when our nation faced its greatest peril, sought the blessings of the Creator. And further, they discovered the essential connection between the survival of a free land and the protection of religious freedom. In John Adams’ words: 'We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion... Our constitution was made for a moral and religious people.'

"Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone.

"Given our grand tradition of religious tolerance and liberty, some wonder whether there are any questions regarding an aspiring candidate's religion that are appropriate. I believe there are. And I will answer them today.

"Almost 50 years ago another candidate from Massachusetts explained that he was an American running for president, not a Catholic running for president. Like him, I am an American running for president. I do not define my candidacy by my religion. A person should not be elected because of his faith nor should he be rejected because of his faith.

"Let me assure you that no authorities of my church, or of any other church for that matter, will ever exert influence on presidential decisions. Their authority is theirs, within the province of church affairs, and it ends where the affairs of the nation begin.

"As governor, I tried to do the right as best I knew it, serving the law and answering to the Constitution. I did not confuse the particular teachings of my church with the obligations of the office and of the Constitution – and of course, I would not do so as President. I will put no doctrine of any church above the plain duties of the office and the sovereign authority of the law.

"As a young man, Lincoln described what he called America's 'political religion' – the commitment to defend the rule of law and the Constitution. When I place my hand on the Bible and take the oath of office, that oath becomes my highest promise to God. If I am fortunate to become your president, I will serve no one religion, no one group, no one cause, and no one interest. A President must serve only the common cause of the people of the United States.

"There are some for whom these commitments are not enough. They would prefer it if I would simply distance myself from my religion, say that it is more a tradition than my personal conviction, or disavow one or another of its precepts. That I will not do. I believe in my Mormon faith and I endeavor to live by it. My faith is the faith of my fathers – I will be true to them and to my beliefs.

"Some believe that such a confession of my faith will sink my candidacy. If they are right, so be it. But I think they underestimate the American people. Americans do not respect believers of convenience.
Americans tire of those who would jettison their beliefs, even to gain the world.

"There is one fundamental question about which I often am asked. What do I believe about Jesus Christ? I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of mankind. My church's beliefs about Christ may not all be the same as those of other faiths. Each religion has its own unique doctrines and history. These are not bases for criticism but rather a test of our tolerance. Religious tolerance would be a shallow principle indeed if it were reserved only for faiths with which we agree.

"There are some who would have a presidential candidate describe and explain his church's distinctive doctrines. To do so would enable the very religious test the founders prohibited in the Constitution. No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith. For if he becomes President he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths.

"I believe that every faith I have encountered draws its adherents closer to God. And in every faith I have come to know, there are features I wish were in my own: I love the profound ceremony of the Catholic Mass, the approachability of God in the prayers of the Evangelicals, the tenderness of spirit among the Pentecostals, the confident independence of the Lutherans, the ancient traditions of the Jews, unchanged through the ages, and the commitment to frequent prayer of the Muslims. As I travel across the country and see our towns and cities, I am always moved by the many houses of worship with their steeples, all pointing to heaven, reminding us of the source of life's blessings.

"It is important to recognize that while differences in theology exist between the churches in America, we share a common creed of moral convictions. And where the affairs of our nation are concerned, it's usually a sound rule to focus on the latter – on the great moral principles that urge us all on a common course. Whether it was the cause of abolition, or civil rights, or the right to life itself, no movement of conscience can succeed in America that cannot speak to the convictions of religious people.

"We separate church and state affairs in this country, and for good reason. No religion should dictate to the state nor should the state interfere with the free practice of religion. But in recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning. They seek to remove from the public domain any acknowledgment of God. Religion is seen as merely a private affair with no place in public life. It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America – the religion of secularism. They are wrong.

"The founders proscribed the establishment of a state religion, but they did not countenance the elimination of religion from the public square. We are a nation 'Under God' and in God, we do indeed trust.

"We should acknowledge the Creator as did the Founders – in ceremony and word. He should remain on our currency, in our pledge, in the teaching of our history, and during the holiday season, nativity scenes and menorahs should be welcome in our public places. Our greatness would not long endure without judges who respect the foundation of faith upon which our constitution rests. I will take care to separate the affairs of government from any religion, but I will not separate us from 'the God who gave us liberty.'

"Nor would I separate us from our religious heritage. Perhaps the most important question to ask a person of faith who seeks a political office, is this: does he share these American values: the equality of human kind, the obligation to serve one another, and a steadfast commitment to liberty?

"They are not unique to any one denomination. They belong to the great moral inheritance we hold in common. They are the firm ground on which Americans of different faiths meet and stand as a nation, united.

"We believe that every single human being is a child of God – we are all part of the human family. The conviction of the inherent and inalienable worth of every life is still the most revolutionary political proposition ever advanced. John Adams put it that we are 'thrown into the world all equal and alike.'

"The consequence of our common humanity is our responsibility to one another, to our fellow Americans foremost, but also to every child of God. It is an obligation which is fulfilled by Americans every day, here and across the globe, without regard to creed or race or nationality.

"Americans acknowledge that liberty is a gift of God, not an indulgence of government. No people in the history of the world have sacrificed as much for liberty. The lives of hundreds of thousands of America's sons and daughters were laid down during the last century to preserve freedom, for us and for freedom loving people throughout the world. America took nothing from that Century's terrible wars – no land from Germany or Japan or Korea; no treasure; no oath of fealty. America's resolve in the defense of liberty has been tested time and again. It has not been found wanting, nor must it ever be. America must never falter in holding high the banner of freedom.

"These American values, this great moral heritage, is shared and lived in my religion as it is in yours. I was taught in my home to honor God and love my neighbor. I saw my father march with Martin Luther King. I saw my parents provide compassionate care to others, in personal ways to people nearby, and in just as consequential ways in leading national volunteer movements. I am moved by the Lord's words: 'For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me...'

"My faith is grounded on these truths. You can witness them in Ann and my marriage and in our family. We are a long way from perfect and we have surely stumbled along the way, but our aspirations, our values, are the self-same as those from the other faiths that stand upon this common foundation. And these convictions will indeed inform my presidency.

"Today's generations of Americans have always known religious liberty. Perhaps we forget the long and arduous path our nation's forbearers took to achieve it. They came here from England to seek freedom of religion. But upon finding it for themselves, they at first denied it to others. Because of their diverse beliefs, Ann Hutchinson was exiled from Massachusetts Bay, a banished Roger Williams founded Rhode Island, and two centuries later, Brigham Young set out for the West. Americans were unable to accommodate their commitment to their own faith with an appreciation for the convictions of others to different faiths. In this, they were very much like those of the European nations they had left.

"It was in Philadelphia that our founding fathers defined a revolutionary vision of liberty, grounded on self evident truths about the equality of all, and the inalienable rights with which each is endowed by his Creator.

"We cherish these sacred rights, and secure them in our Constitutional order. Foremost do we protect religious liberty, not as a matter of policy but as a matter of right. There will be no established church, and we are guaranteed the free exercise of our religion.

"I'm not sure that we fully appreciate the profound implications of our tradition of religious liberty. I have visited many of the magnificent cathedrals in Europe. They are so inspired … so grand … so empty. Raised up over generations, long ago, so many of the cathedrals now stand as the postcard backdrop to societies just too busy or too 'enlightened' to venture inside and kneel in prayer. The establishment of state religions in Europe did no favor to Europe's churches. And though you will find many people of strong faith there, the churches themselves seem to be withering away.

"Infinitely worse is the other extreme, the creed of conversion by conquest: violent Jihad, murder as martyrdom... killing Christians, Jews, and Muslims with equal indifference. These radical Islamists do their preaching not by reason or example, but in the coercion of minds and the shedding of blood. We face no greater danger today than theocratic tyranny, and the boundless suffering these states and groups could inflict if given the chance.

"The diversity of our cultural expression, and the vibrancy of our religious dialogue, has kept America in the forefront of civilized nations even as others regard religious freedom as something to be destroyed.

"In such a world, we can be deeply thankful that we live in a land where reason and religion are friends and allies in the cause of liberty, joined against the evils and dangers of the day. And you can be certain of this: Any believer in religious freedom, any person who has knelt in prayer to the Almighty, has a friend and ally in me. And so it is for hundreds of millions of our countrymen: we do not insist on a single strain of religion – rather, we welcome our nation's symphony of faith.

"Recall the early days of the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia, during the fall of 1774. With Boston occupied by British troops, there were rumors of imminent hostilities and fears of an impending war. In this time of peril, someone suggested that they pray. But there were objections. 'They were too divided in religious sentiments', what with Episcopalians and Quakers, Anabaptists and Congregationalists, Presbyterians and Catholics.

"Then Sam Adams rose, and said he would hear a prayer from anyone of piety and good character, as long as they were a patriot.

"And so together they prayed, and together they fought, and together, by the grace of God ... they founded this great nation.

"In that spirit, let us give thanks to the divine 'author of liberty.' And together, let us pray that this land may always be blessed, 'with freedom's holy light.'

"God bless the United States of America."
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8 Comments:


Mitt's speech raises more questions than answers. I think Mitt gave the speech that GBH wrote for him.



This is beautiful. This is wonderful. I am deeply moved and no longer afraid about what others may say about Mitt Romney's place in this election. It is all on the table now, and it couldn't have been said any better. Mitt is right. We are all in this together. We are Americans, first and last, living in the land of freedom, blessed by the hand of God.



Wow!
What a fantastic speech! I watched it live on foxnews.com and I was very touched. He said all the right things and in a very convincing and heart-felt manner. All the things he touched on really go straight to the heart of the matter of religion & state in American tradition as the founding fathers intended. These are all things that I have been aware of for some time now, and it is very comforting and reassuring to see Mitt Romney articulate them so well, at such a critical time in our history. I agree totally with the idea Hugh Hewitt brought out in his comments: Any so called political commentators/bloggers, etc who attacks this speech have major issues and shouldn't be taken seriously in modern political discourse. It made very clear what the proper definition of "separation of church and state" should be, and how exactly that is balanced vs freedom of religion. Way to go Mitt!!! What a great communicator & one who shares ideals all good people should share.



Beautifully done.



Mark, what or who is GBH?



Peter,

I'm assuming that GBH as referred to by Mark is Gordon B. Hinckley, the President and leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the church that Romney is a member of. Granted, I disagree with Mark--I seriously doubt that the LDS Church had anything to do with the writing of his speech.



"GBH" is Gordon B. Hinckley the current President and Prophet of the LDS Church. I guess you could describe him as the equivilient of the Pope of the Catholic Church. I dont think GBH would like being mentioned in the same paragraph as the Pope though. Mormons and Catholics are kinda like water and oil. They dont mix well and they dont appear to like one another either.



I sincerely would not care if the man or woman who gave this speech was a Republican or a Democrat, a conservative or a liberal, it is a brilliant and profoundly important speech. Romney acquitted himself most ably in this speech, but Romney is irrelevant to the meaning of this speech in its larger context. Every American of every political stripe should embrace this speech as an important statement of the role of religion and God in American life.




posted by Justin Hart | 12:00 PM | permalink



Tune in here at 10:30 AM Thursday AM
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Excellent work,
Thanks for your effort to bring this Historic speech to the american working public. Clearly those who listen will become supporters of the building change to restore American values with Mitt Romney




posted by Justin Hart | 12:09 AM | permalink
An excellent example of why common sense people can agree that Mormonism shouldn't play a role in this election.
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i think this will be the common line spoken after the speech tomorrow/today (depending on where you are). there will be those who will shout idiocies like mr. baker, but common sense should prevail.



Alan just went way up in my book.



I usually think that Alan Colmes is a weenie, but I gotta give props to him for this interview. He really takes it to the anti-Mormon guy!



very good report.....makes the anti-mormon look inconsiderate and unAmerican.



Relating to the speech, I just heard about an upcoming movie discussing religion and politics in America.

The movie is called "Article IV: Faith, Politics, America."

It will be released soon, starting in the early primary states.

You gotta see the trailer below:

http://www.articlevithemovie.com/trailer.php



Oh my freak. The guy claiming to be a former Mormon from Utah was SOOOO never LDS. He's got a thick southern accent making up all kinds of lies about the Church and its doctrine, I'll bet anyone $50 that he's from some backwater town in Mississippi and he learned "10 arguments to Dismantle the Mormon Faith" from his "Christian" Sunday School class. Just disgusting!




Wednesday, December 5, 2007
posted by Kyle Hampton | 9:42 PM | permalink
I found (h/t Marginal Revolution) this scholarly look at the effect of the early primary voting on later primary voting. It's sponsored by the National Bureau of Economic Research. The bottom line:
The voting weights implied by the estimated model demonstrate that early voters have up to 20 times the influence of late voters in the selection of candidates, demonstrating a significant departure from the ideal of "one person, one vote."

Sounds like the Giuliani campaign going down in flames to me.
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posted by Kyle Hampton | 8:20 PM | permalink
Fresh off his endorsement of Mitt last week, ACU President David Keene writes over at The Hill why he endorsed Romney. It's a fairly lengthy piece, but Keene makes a ton of good points:
I would have stayed on the sidelines, but was slowly coming to realize that Romney, unlike Giuliani, might just have the ability to unite conservatives and is their best chance to advance our policy goals should Republicans hold the White House. His commitments on a variety of issues have struck me as credible as he strives to put together a coalition of Republicans that will give him a chance to win both his party’s nomination and a general election...

Romney is quite different. He’s governed successfully in one of the most liberal states in the nation and while he’s had to bend to accommodate the reality of political life in Massachusetts, he’s managed to accomplish a good deal more than most conservatives would have under similar circumstances. Once more, anyone who has spent any time with him realizes that he is intellectually inquisitive and comfortable enough with himself to welcome divergent views from those around him.
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David Keene is right on the money. Mitt Romney has a proven record and obvious strength in all areas that actually matter: Family Values, Finances, and Fighting.

Family- his RECORD is completely pro-life. Of course he has changed for the better. What idiot hasn't. Go look at his record- I dare you.

Finances- Is there any scintilla of doubt that Romney could restructure Washington, Taxes and America for the Better? Three words: Olympics, Massachusetts, Bain.

Fighting- The large problem everybody knows about with our overseas wars is that we have been unprepared and unplanned. Romney is already proposing better ideas than have been implemented.

Like I said, David Keene is right on the Money. Guiliani may appear to be good with Fighting. Huckabee or Fred may be good with Family Values. But none of them can achieve what Romney could in all three areas of Conservatism. Family, Fighting, Finances. Go America!




posted by Jeff Fuller | 7:07 PM | permalink
Video of Huckabee's "It's one of God's miracles that I've surged in the polls" comment available here.

Jeff Fuller
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Hows he going to explain his loss!




posted by Justin Hart | 4:43 PM | permalink
The co-chair of Fred Thompson's South Carolina campaign laid into Mitt's Mormonism on the eve of Romney's speech on religious liberties. Cyndi Mosteller, who has gotten in hot water previously for Mormon bashing, pulls no punches in an interview with the Palmetto Scoop:
TPS: Why do you think it is that Republicans, the previous issue aside, might be reluctant to support a Mormon president, such that Romney feels he needs to give a speech addressing just this issue?

CYNDI MOSTELLER: I think the doctrines of Protestantism, Catholicism and Judaism are so vastly different from the Mormon doctrine; from the concept of polygamy being the order of Heaven, to human man’s progression to godhead of other worlds, to the idea that Jesus had multiple wives, to the idea that, after the death of the last apostle, all of Christendom was in apostasy – with a capital “A” as the Church refers to it – until Joseph Smith discovered the golden plates in the 1830s. So I think it’s inconsistent with so many basic Christian doctrines and it’s very unusual to the point that it’s almost unbelievable. These concepts are things that are theologically beyond our orthodox imagination.
Orthodox imagination? Regardless of what Miss Mosteller believes about Mormons vs. Christianity (and she gets some Mormon doctrines and history FLAT WRONG in the interview), how does she make the leap from doctrinal disagreements to dissing Romney because he's not orthodox enough?

I suppose if I accused Catholics of "ritual cannibalism" I could put the traditional Mass in a bad light for anyone and diss Rudy.

If I accused Baptists of worshiping a disembodied God who is everywhere and nowhere at the same time I might be able to peel away a few members from the fold and stop people from voting for Huckabee.

I won't do this because its nonsensical and can only lead to one thing, the left dissing all of us:


Will the Thompson campaign condemn this?

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Yes, let's all start bashing each other's religion in the media. That would be exactly what Jesus would do. I suppose that since Thompson's campaign is pretty much dead, he may not mind trying to take someone down with him. It will be interesting to see if he apologizes or not.



"...Jesus had mulitple wives"? You've got to be kidding me?! There is NO WHERE in LDS Doctrine about this! PERIOD!

Talk about making things up about other people's religions and their beliefs....she is outragious!

Furthermore, polygamy is NOT the order of Heaven in LDS Doctrine! What a looney this woman is!



As an Evangelical AND an avid Mitt Romney supporter, I would like to add that the cartoon pic at the end is un-called for. Just as it's unfair for Evangelicals to ridicule Mormons, it's also unfair for Mormons to ridicule Evangelicals.



Bryton, did you read the post? The context of the cartoon is that if Evangelicals rip on Mormons in a political context it will only give fodder for these kinds of cartoons.

In fact, this is precisely the thesis of Hugh Hewitt's book A Mormon in the White House? People who disqualify Mormons exclusively because of a religious test should beware. The rhetorical weapons they legitimize by excluding Romney because of his faith will be used in short order by the secular left against their political legitimacy because of their 'strange' faith.

This cartoon is an example of the inconsistency of the position, and the inevitability of this blowback that will happen from the left.




posted by Kyle Hampton | 3:09 PM | permalink
Marc Ambinder has some questions to think about before "the Speech". Do you have some answers? Let us know at info@mymanmitt.com. I'll post some responses:

(1) Generally, should the content of a candidates religious practice inform a voter's perception of a candidate?

(2) Are those who object to Mormonism on theological and doctrinal grounds religious bigots?

(3) Is a certain amount of "religious bigotry" necessary in a pluralistic democracy where people are encouraged to live according to their beliefs?

(4) Is there a difference between deciding not to vote for Mormon politicians and deciding not to rent a house to a Mormon family?

(5) Is Mormonism weird? Weirder that Christianity? Judaism? Atheism?

(6) Should candidates for office be forced to discuss and endorse the particular quirks of their faith?

(7) Is Mitt Romney proud of the tenets of his faith? Is he an orthodox Mormon? Are these questions appropriate?

(8) Is Mormonism objectively similar to widely accepted variants of evangelical Christian theology?

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Things all of us agree on and mitt should stress:
1-charity, good religious people give, he should praise and encourage charity
2-honesty, all religions believe we should be honest
3-abortion, we all are opposed to it, reaffirm your opposition
4-pornogrpahy, everyone hates it. Gordon B. Hinckley reminded us the this industry is bigger than ALL professional sports revenue (including gate receipts and TV licensing), I remember this, mitt could use this fact, and condemn pornography, and also say he will use the presidency to fight it
5-strong military, religious christians believe that america should be strong, reaffirm this
6-religious freedom, mitts religion stresses that they allow all people the freedom to choose and it also claims this privilege
christianity, mitt claims to be christian, many think he is not. He should remind all people regardless of their beliefs in christ, that if they believe in christ, then he considers them christians. He should also stress his love for judaism and other religions that teach love
7-Mormons, mitt should remind the world of the many mormons that have served and that they do not answer to SLC, He should mention a few Mormons
8-Mormon doctrine- mitt should admit that his religion can be perceived by some to be peculiar, because it is, even if it is true.




posted by Justin Hart | 2:05 PM | permalink
9:30 AM Texas time / 10:30 AM EST

The Romney speech will probably be broadcast on many of the major cable news channels. You can also watch it live streaming on http://www.mittromney.com.

Alternately, if you're on the road you can call in for the audio:

Phone Number For Listen-Only Program Feed: 866-866-2244
Participant Code: 9411758

Of course, be sure you tune in to MyManMitt.com for live coverage of the event.

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I'm very, very nervous about this speech. Sometimes I see it as a no-win situation. Other times I envision Mitt "hitting one out of the park." I hope he does well.




posted by Kyle Hampton | 1:18 PM | permalink
Romney up big! First, Zogby:

Romney 35
McCain 17
Giuliani 15
Huckabee 10
Paul 7
Thompson 3


Second, Washington Post/ABC News:

Romney 37
McCain 20
Giuliani 16
Huckabee 9
Paul 8
Thompson 4

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posted by Kyle Hampton | 12:27 PM | permalink
There are a couple of items out today about Huckabee's foreign policy:

From Powerline's Paul Mirengoff:

My main objection to Huckabee -- the reason why he's my fifth choice out of five -- is that I lack confidence in his ability to fight terrorism. It's not just that he lacks experience in this realm, though that's certainly the case. The real problem is that he's too moralistic (which is not the same thing as moral). My first clue came when he said during an early debate that we need to remain in Iraq because "we broke it." Not because we need to defeat al Qaeda; not because we need to limit Iranian influence or avoid a devastating defeat at the hands of terrorists; but because we injured this formerly peaceful state. Huckabee's exaltation of moralism (in this case dubious) over policy calculation was difficult to miss.

Now we learn (but are surprised) that Huckabee opposes waterboarding and would close the Guantanamo Bay detention center. Huckabee reached this conclusion after meeting with a group of retired generals (the usual suspects, I assume) who are lobbying candidates to oppose Bush administration interrogation and detention policies.

I suspect that Huckabee required little lobbying. Waterboarding and long-term detention aren't very "Christian"; they merely keep terrorists out of action and, in special circumstances enable us to find out where we're going to be attacked next and/or where we can find those who are planning the next attacks. But if Huckabee actually did reach his position based on the views of a handful of generals, and without consulting the people actually charged with protecting this country from terrorists, then he's even less qualified to be president than I suspect.


Also from Powerline's Paul Mirengoff:
When it comes to foreign policy, Huckabee more closely resembles another former governor, Jimmy Carter. It was Carter, not Reagan, who viewed foreign policy as an extension of his own character and personal principles. Carter stood for a foreign policy "as decent as the American people." Reagan stood for defeating our enemies. When Huckabee frets about how Gitmo is making us appear to foreigners, when he asserts that "we broke Iraq," and when he says he's qualified to be commander-in-chief because of his character rather than because of his understanding of our enemies, it's pretty clear that his foreign policy roots extend nowhere near the fertile soil of Reaganism.

This extends on the argument I made here on Monday, making the comparison between Huckabee and Jimmy Carter on domestic issues. In the same Powerline post, Scott Johnson says that Huckabee's moralistic approach extends to domestic issues also:
Generally speaking, moralism in both foreign and domestic policy is a form of intellectual laziness. Again, "moralism" does not equal "morality." We can all agree that our government should do what is morally right. But determining what is morally right requires a hard-headed attention to the consequences of any particular policy, and an assessment of those consequences in the context of a coherent philosophy. The moralist, in contrast, doesn't want to be bothered either with the facts or with philosophic coherence. Instead, he enshrines his own feelings and preferences--or, very likely, prejudices--as public policy. As in, "Smoking is really bad, so let's ban it." Mike Huckabee appears to fit squarely within this tradition.

From Jim Geraghty at the Campaign Spot. Picking up on the Powerline post Geraghty includes specific foreign policy ideas and accompanying quotes supporting Powerline's assessment:
Beyond Huckabee's skepticism about the benefits of free trade and the "moralism" discussed at that link, there are a couple other areas where his foreign policy views are unorthodox from mainstream conservative thinking. One can agree with them or disagree with them - I think he makes a stronger case for these policy changes than those who agree with him on the left do - but they are worth noting.

From Jonathan Martin at the Politico:

My colleague David Paul Kuhn attended an on-the-record dinner with Mike Huckabee and a group of reporters tonight in Des Moines.

The transcript speaks for itself:

Kuhn: I don’t know to what extent you have been briefed or been able to take a look at the NIE report that came out yesterday...

Huckabee: I’m sorry?

Kuhn: The NIE report, the National Intelligence Estimate on Iran. Have you been briefed or been able to take a look at it —

Huckabee: No.

Kuhn: Have you heard of the finding?

Huckabee: No.

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posted by Justin Hart | 8:16 AM | permalink
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2 Comments:


She is gonna make a great first lady!



She can even run for President and I'm pretty sure she will get elected over Hillary.




posted by Justin Hart | 7:40 AM | permalink
Statement by Governor Romney:"Today, I fired a landscaping company that I learned was employing people who are not permitted to work here in the United States. After this same issue arose last year, I gave the company a second chance with very specific conditions. They were instructed to make sure people working for the company were of legal status. We personally met with the company in order to inform them about the importance of this matter. The owner of the company guaranteed us, in very certain terms, that the company would be in total compliance with the law going forward.

“The company's failure to comply with the law is disappointing and inexcusable, and I believe it is important I take this action."

- Governor Romney

Letter of termination:

Governor Mitt Romney


December 4, 2007

Mr. Ricardo Saenz

Community Lawn Service

174 Shurtleff St.

Chelsea, MA 02150

Dear Mr. Saenz:

Today I learned that employees of your company, who were assigned to work on my property, are not permitted to work in the United States. Given your company’s disregard for the clear instructions provided on this issue last year, I am forced to terminate my contract with your company, effective immediately. My family will no longer utilize your services and all scheduled visits are cancelled as of today.

I am disappointed that our relationship must end on this note, but we simply cannot tolerate your inability to ensure that your employees are legally permitted to work in the United States. Thank you for your assistance.

Sincerely,

Mitt Romney
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He could really spin this to his advantage by when asked about firing them now, he could say something to the effect, what else could I have done? Ignore the problem and hope it goes way or offer to let their children go to college for free?



Nice idea for the spin. :)



In AZ there has been a whisper campaign going on about how all the illegal immigrants are leaving the state in droves, 100 per day one story mentioned, due to the fact that in January a law will be enacted that will punish all employers who do hire someone without proper paprwork. It is hard to say who is behind it (Do they want us to think it is working and a great law or do they want us to feel sorry that we are turning people out during the holidays? I don't know.) but this will be a very interesting development in the coming months.




posted by Jeff Fuller | 2:27 AM | permalink
A compilation of links confirming the following themes:

1) First and Foremost . . . Mitt Romeny is Awesome! (Boy, so many to choose from; but I'll limit it): here, here, here, here, here, and here. Anybody else's favorites are welcome in the comments section.

2) Rudy/Huck alliance or "A vote for Huckabee is a vote for Rudy": here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

3) Huckabee's politicizing religion and marginalizing himself as the "Evangelical candidate" (who the MSM and Dems would have a field day destroying . . . of course only AFTER he's helped stir the pot in the GOP field): here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here (and his religious perceptions determine his policy positions which, therefore, can no longer be up for debate, right? here, here, here, here, here, and here) . . . also, I just saw Fox News footage of a Huckabee Campaign event in SC where he said: "I'm here today to talk about Jesus, not to talk about me" (not sure how old that footage is).

Bonus material: Huckabee's slick but unsubstantive style is exposed in this RedState comment (scroll up to see the the post for context). Love it!

Jeff Fuller
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