• Send FReep Mail to Unmarked Package to get [ON] or [OFF] the Mitt Romney Ping List •
Posted on 08/15/2007 5:49:23 AM PDT by Reaganesque
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Kevin Madden (857) 288-6390
Boston, MA – Today, Romney for President launched its newest television ad, "Thanks Iowa." The ad features Governor Romney's call for change in Washington on Saturday at the Iowa Republican Straw Poll in Ames. Governor Romney won the Straw Poll with 4,516 (31.5 percent) votes. The first step toward bringing change to Washington began on Saturday in Iowa.
The ad will begin airing as part of the campaign's rotation today in Iowa. Script and viewing link are below.
Script For "Thanks Iowa" (TV:30):
GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: "If there's ever been a time that we needed to see change in Washington, it's now.
"First of all, I want to strengthen our military and then strengthen our economy and strengthen our families.
"I will secure our border, and amnesty will not work.
"I want to strengthen marriage...
"Keep our taxes down, keep government small...
"And keep America always the hope of the Earth...
"Change begins in Iowa and change begins today.
"Thank you so very much!
"I'm Mitt Romney and I approved this message."
To view "Thanks Iowa," please see: http://mitt-tv.mittromney.com/?showid=307227
The truthful ad:
GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: "If there's ever been a time that we needed to see change in Washington, it's now.
"First of all, even though I dodged the draft like Bill Clinton, I want to strengthen our military and then strengthen our economy and strengthen our families just like he did (wink).
"As you know I've changed my mind about immigration many times now I will secure our border, I realize the amnesty I once supported will not work. But, maybe again, I'll change my mind again and it will once I get to be president.
"I want to strengthen marriage...so I've changed my mind on gay couples. However, if I see them as supporters, I change it back again.
"Keep our taxes down, keep government small...just like I did in Massachusetts, er, uh, better strike that pledge.
"Change begins in Iowa and change begins today. And changes of mind begin tomorrow!
"Thank you so very much! "I'm Mitt Romney and I approved this message."
"If you're a family that is struggling and you don't have health care, you are invisible to this president," the New York senator says in the ad. "If you're a single mom trying to find affordable child care so you can go to work, you're invisible too.Here is the link to Hillaryhub.com. She has linked all of the favorable reports on this website. I find it interesting that I can't access the videos...This is what is in store for us if Hillary! wins...The ad also argued that U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are "invisible" to Bush.
Calling herself an optimistic and modern progressive who would help the nation overcome economic disparities, Clinton said the U.S. can "grow" its economy amid global competition "and do it in a way that benefits all Americans."
Clinton said the Bush administration "is working for Americans with incomes at the very top."
"Americans work harder than anyone else in the world, yet we're not getting rewarded," she said. "We're seeing a growing gap between the haves and have-nots that threatens the backbone of our country, the middle class that built our country."
Of course (if Mitt is our nominee), we could WILL have Hillary as prez.
Well, I wish we could get the Republicans to find a candidate we all could vote for, instead of just voting against Hillary!
Who do you think can beat her? I just read an article that her records as First Lady are sealed until after the 2008 election. This is the first time that a First Lady’s files have been sealed, ever. She has over 2 million pages sealed. Someone did the math, and estimated that she generated 695 pages a day. What was she doing?
Of course, I have my own theory. I think she ran the country and Bill was the front man.
Other Freepers had high lottery draft numbers like Romney's #300 which he drew. Care to call them draft dodgers as well?
>>>I want to strengthen our military and then strengthen our economy and strengthen our families just like he did (wink).
As a Vetern who served under Clinton (yeah, calling him Commander in Chief sucked but I still did it as did other soldiers) during the years he was ruining the military, I think you are full of crap. Here's what Romney did for the military in MASS. Not very Clintonesque.
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Governor Romney filed and signed into law the most significant expansion of military benefits in recent years. The new law reduced to zero the cost members of the Massachusetts National Guard must pay to attend public colleges and universities, increased twenty-fold the death benefit paid to families of members killed in the line of duty, created a new annuity benefit for Gold Star spouses and boosted the amount paid to Gold Star parents. (Romney Signs Legislation Expanding Military Benefits, November 11, 2005)
Governor Mitt Romney signed into law a measure to help state employees and their families meet their financial obligations while they are on active military duty. It provided state employees called to active military leave with the differential cost between their military and state salaries and guaranteed employees on active military duty would not lose any seniority, accrued vacation leave, sick leave, personal leave, compensation time or earned overtime. (Romney Lends a Hand to State Employees on Military Duty, November 27, 2003)
Governor Romney signed into law a bill preventing employers from discriminating against current or prospective employees who are enrolled in any of the nation’s Reserve forces including the Air and Army National Guards and the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Naval Reserves. Gov. Romney said, "The American servicemen and women of the Guard and Reserve leave their jobs, their spouses and their children to wear the uniform that defends our country. This selfless commitment should be honored by businesses across Massachusetts as we work to ensure they are treated fairly while they balance their employment responsibilities and obligations to the armed services. No business should ever put the bottom line ahead of America’s front line." (Romney Signs Law Protecting Armed Service Members, September 23, 2004)
Governor Mitt Romney signed legislation that provided disabled Massachusetts veterans with extensive tax exemptions, allowed communities to suspend real estate taxes for active duty National Guardsmen and reservists until 180 days after they return home, and provided financial relief for the families of servicemen and women killed or missing in action. (Romney Expands Tax Benefits For Disabled Veterans, August 14, 2006)
Er, beg to differ there FRiend...there was NO lottery when the Romulan was first classified 1-A by his draft board...he sought and got a deferment from his church (of course it helped that his old man was Governor, running then for president, and a strident anti-war liberal Republican who claimed he'd been "brainwashed" on Vietnam!)
I want to strengthen our military and then strengthen our economy and strengthen our families just like he did (wink). As a Vetern who served under Clinton (yeah, calling him Commander in Chief sucked but I still did it as did other soldiers) during the years he was ruining the military, I think you are full of crap...
Well, if you served, Governor Romney is not fit to even polish your boots and only slightly better than Clinton who is not even fit to scrape the mud from them.
Though it would be close, I believe that Duncan Hunter could beat her if enough people knew his personal story...I also believe, if the surge keeps working that McCain, could pull it off.
First of all, she starts her response with "Oh, man." My skin crawls. We already have to listen to "you know", now it is "Oh man". And she provides no definitive proof for her assertions about the evil right wing. Grrr.
There has been plenty of attention focused on the new ad called "Invisible" that the Hillary Clinton campaign has put out on the air waves recently. In it she speaks of those in America who have become invisible in the eyes of our President. It was a well deserved poke in the eye to a George Bush who has absolutely no empathy for his own people who are suffering greatly due to his policies and war. Needless to say, it didn't take long for the White House to react.Deputy Press Secretary, Dana Perino, attacked Hillary and made a ridiculous assertion that President Bush "has helped seniors across the country to have prescription drugs at a low cost." I won't even argue the lack of merit in that statement at this time.
Hillary was quick to respond, much like the rapid response that her husband was so great at when he ran for President. She said, "Apparently I've struck a nerve. The White House just attacked me a few minutes ago," Clinton said. "Not only have I said it and am saying it, I will keep saying it because I happen to believe it."
You go girl!!!
But that isn't all...the best is yet to come! While digging around looking for a little more info, I came across this incident which happened at the National Association of Black Journalists Presidential Forum Thursday, in Las Vegas, Nevada. While on stage, Hillary Clinton was taking questions from the audience. The question came from a man who's name was Kiara Ashanti, and it came in the form of the typical right wing rhetoric. Ashanti asked why she was "pushing socialized medicine". He added, “Why are you still insisting upon moving that system in here when particularly it will hurt African American communities more than anyone else?”
Hillary didn't miss a beat. She knew exactly what this was and she was having none of it! Here is the video of the entire exchange.
For those who may have trouble getting the video, after the question was asked, Hillary said,
“Oh, man – that was a string of misrepresentations about me and the systems in other countries,” Clinton began her response. “Number one, I have never advocated socialized medicine, and I hope all the journalists hear that loudly and clearly because that has been a right-wing attack on me for 15 years, and it is wrong.”ZING!!!!!! The crowds went wild!“Do you think Medicare is socialized medicine?” she challenged him. “To a degree it is,” Ashanti said. “Well, then you are in a small minority in America because Medicare has literally saved the lives and saved the resources of countless generations of seniors in our country.”
Clinton went on to discuss Medicare, but criticized the U.S. as the only “advanced country” to have “so many of its citizens without health care.” She punctuated her answer with a stinging, yet cordial invitation to Ashanti: “I don't know who you are. But you come introduce yourself to my staff and we will try to give you some information if you're interested in being educated instead of being rhetorical.”
It turned out that a reporter for CNN did chase down Ashanti, who chose not to contact Hillary's staff, to see if he was willing to get "educated". He revealed who he was, a freelance writer from Orlando, Florida, with his own political blog. When asked what he thought of her answer, he replied in the stereotypical right wing manner..."Typical,” he said. “This type of forum really works for her because there's not a lot of time to refute anything she says. That's what I expect. She's not looking at the real facts. She wants to do something that gains her political points.”
Then he added, “She can't deal with the fact that I have the knowledge to refute everything that she's saying." Yeah...I guess it's kinda hard to talk facts with a guy who is running out the door with his tail tucked between his legs!
I guess this is the type of nonsense that we will have to expect in the upcoming election year. Unlike the Republican town hall meetings, where you have to sign a pledge of allegiance to the Republican party just to get in the door, the Democrats let anyone in and will take questions from anyone-even guys who are there for only one reason, to spew the right wing rhetoric as opposed to being educated.
LOL. Did you forget the rest?
... In your general direction... and you’re mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.
By that logic we would all have to be scraping John Kerry's boots. Or how about that Murtha guy? Heck I'd even make a better president than Romney since I served by your logic. Military service is honorable but the COC requires a different skill set than just military service.
I would be proud to have Romney as my commander in chief based on his record of what he did for the Mass gaurd, as well as his understanding of the War on Terror.
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Unmarked Package's homepage - Romney -War on Terror
Governor Romney: "The jihadists are waging a global war against the United States and Western governments generally with the ambition of replacing legitimate governments with a caliphate, with a theocracy."....
Mitt Romney denied Massachusetts state police protection to Iran’s former President Khatami when he visited Boston to speak at Harvard and ordered all other Massachusetts state government agencies to decline support for the visit. Romney thought it was a mistake for Harvard to invite Khatami to the U.S., calling it, "a disgrace to the memory of all Americans who have lost their lives at the hands of extremists, especially on the eve of the five-year anniversary of 9/11." (Romney Denounces Khatami Visit to Harvard, September 5, 2006)
Mitt Romney described the threat of radical Islamic Jihad at the National Review Institute Conservative Summit. (You tube link at homepage)
Talk radio host Hugh Hewitt interviewed professor of military history and noted author Victor Davis Hanson who observed Mitt Romney's ability to discuss Middle East foreign policy at length with experts at the Hoover Institution:
Hugh Hewitt: What I like is that he’s a voracious reader, not only your books, but things like The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright, Mark Steyn’s America Alone. I think this is pretty rare these days, to find curiosity at that level, and at that sort of voracious appetite for information. What do you talk about with him?
Victor Davis Hanson: Well, we talk about history just like you and I talk about. We talk about foreign policy, he talked about the plan or the effort to democratize the Middle East, the shortfalls, the problems, the liabilities, and you know what? He [Gov. Romney] came to the Hoover Institution and got in front of 40 senior fellows. And in that room there were Nobel Prize winners, a lot of egos, too. And he held court with them, and there were a lot of hostile questions, and he went for an hour and a half, head to head, with these people. When he walked out of that room, I think everybody was impressed with him. He didn’t pull any punches, and he could argue and was as logical as any Hoover fellow, and I was more impressed with him than I was with my colleagues. (The Hugh Hewitt Show, March 13, 2007)
COC = CIC, Commander in Chief
LOLouder! Ever see his debate with Ted Kennedy? He was "pro" gay marriage, abortion, rehabilitation of criminals, anti-death penalty and anti-war back then in trying to sway Massachusetts liberals...and Ted, ripe for the killing when his nephew (William Kennedy Smith) was charged with rape in Florida after a drinking bout with Mary Jo's killer, carved Mutt up into little pieces exposing his vulnerabilities when it comes to straight talk. When it was over the independents he had hoped for stayed home with the few conservatives who outright shunned him. So it was basically a race between who was more "progressive" in M'chussets (M'chussetts because their asses are in office) so of course Teddy was the winnah! Now, what do you suppose the "smartest woman in America" is gonna do with this Clintonesque clown?
This is a federal statute and has been on the books for decades...
Nope, acts of treason cancel out any respect that a soldier, sailor, Marine, guardsman, airman or any veteran of a service branch might have earned...this extends back to our War of Revolution with England and Gen. Benedict Arnold--you may have heard of him (he was regarded as a hero until his treason, but at least he had the intestinal fortitude to at least begin to fight for our country--something lacking from the Romulan).
Meandog is a lost cause. I wonder if he still has his James Webb bumpersticker.
It as ripped off the bumper when he embraced the Clintons...still, even though you might detest his politics, you can hardly criticize the duty of military service to America that he fulfilled. Besides, Ronald Reagan seemed to think a lot of him.
I admire his service and thank him for it, but I'd never vote for him.
Besides, Ronald Reagan seemed to think a lot of him.
At one time, anyways.
Yeah, when Mitt came out in favor of ethanol subsidies, I really had to think hard about whether I would continue to support him. But I realized that it's a concession to political reality. Because of Iowa's position in the primary season, there's no way a low name-recognition candidate like him could ever win without winning Iowa, and opposing ethanol in that state is the kiss of death. So I still support him, even though I despise the ethanol shakedown.
IMHO, we've really got to change our primary system. It's absurd to have two such small states, laden with special interests, have such a disproprotionate say in the presidential election. I think we ought to have a national primary some time in July. That would also shorten this absurdly long campaign season.
Forcing candidates to begin the campaign two years before the election creates such a waste of money and resources, it makes me sick.
Honestly obtaining a legitimate deferment is not draft dodging.
As you know I've changed my mind about immigration many times now I will secure our border, I realize the amnesty I once supported will not work. But, maybe again, I'll change my mind again and it will once I get to be president.
Romney has never endorsed any amnesty legislation.
"I want to strengthen marriage...so I've changed my mind on gay couples. However, if I see them as supporters, I change it back again.
Romney's always opposed gay marriage. I defy you to find a single instance wherein he supported it.
And no, he did not support gay marriage in his 1994 campaign against Ted. He supported laws prohibiting workplace discrimination against gays and other such things, but never, never did he support gay marriage.
"Keep our taxes down, keep government small...just like I did in Massachusetts, er, uh, better strike that pledge.
He did those things in Massachusetts: kept taxes and spending low. He actually cut spending. I was a Massachusetts resident for all but the last 6 months of his term, and I follow politics very closely.
Did that include "private" organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America? I ask this in lieu of what he said about the scouts before the Winter Olympics...
No. Though he said he didn't think scouts should discriminate, but he supported their right to do it.
I ask this in lieu of what he said about the scouts before the Winter Olympics...
He did nothing wrong to the scouts during the olympics or at any other time.
Source is from CBN click here
Good manners are sorely lacking in society today. Mitt continues to impress every day.
Holy smokes, Meandog, thanks for the link. I was a Romney supporter but, my nerves, his letter shows a complete and utter disregard for good order and discipline in the military...and to think I was going to vote for him. Never!
Yes, he supports the current policy, and so does every other GOP presidential candidate. I have not heard anyone proposing a reversal of Clinton's policy.
describing it as "the first in a number of steps that will ultimately lead to gays and lesbians being able to serve openly and honestly in our nation's military."
Okay, you've got him on that. 13 years ago he believed gays should eventually be able to serve openly. Since then he's changed his mind and is on record as opposing any change to the current policy.
Big deal. Of course, you've never changed your mind over a 13 year period, right?
Cool and a class act. He’s taking this all to another level.
It was from 13 years ago!
People grow and mature with age and experience.
Right...we've all changed our minds but it seems Mitt does it when he feels the political winds blowing the wrong way. He changed his mind on abortion, he changed his mind on gays, on assault weapons, on how the GWOT was being fought; he changed his mind on health care, environmental issues...next, he'll change his mind on his immigration policies. Back in 1968, when I was probably your age, extremely naive, and facing Vietnam after high school, I was a big supporter of George Romney--Mitt's dad. He was the odds-on favorite to capture the GOP nod and beat Hubert Humphrey who then had unpopular war issues just like GWB does today. It was a tumultuous time, draft resisters burning cards and demonstrations galore, but we were winning in 'nam just no one knew it because of the MSM beating the drums of defeat. And Romney, while he could have been statesman like and pushed for victory, instead grasped that the capricious winds of politics were against the war and stated that the generals had "brainwashed" him in trying to get his support. Well, that did it for me when it comes to the Romneys. I don't like "legacies" they never work out right--they certainly didn't work right with John Q. Adams (one of the most insignificant presidents in history despite his dad being one of the greatest). They haven't work out especially well for GWB after he succeeded "Read My Lips" and they most certainly won't work out if another Clinton grabs the W.H. because another Romney was the GOP candidate. Heck, they even didn't work for (grandson) Benjamin Harrison even though William Henry Harrison spent less than a month in office.
Please don’t ping me to anti-Romney hit pieces and propaganda.
And that's about it. One big change and one small change don't a flip flopper make.
He never changed on gay marraige. Never changed on the so-called Assault Weapons Ban (he still supports it). I'm not thrilled about that position, but no one's perfect. Never changed on health care, and actually implemented a pretty good reform in his state. I don't know about the environment, but I'm not aware of any changes there.
As to legacies, I generally agree with you, except in Mitt's case it's different because he did not get to where he is today riding daddy's coattails. That's how GWB, Hillary, and even John Quincy got to where they were.
Not Mitt Romney. He never worked in his dad's company. Never used his dad's connections. Never inherited a penny from his dad. He got into HBS on his own merits, and got in on the ground floor at Bain Capital because of his own merits. That's a big difference.
I'm not saying that Mitt isn't smart, he definitely is. But so is Billy Jeff Clinton... What bothers me is that they are so much alike, not so much in political philosopy, but in their political instincts in that they very much seem poll driven. Mitt didn't really say squat about immigration a year or two ago but, now that it is a big wedge issue, he's on it like one of my dogs on a T-bone. Although deserved, he took tawdry pot shots at Bush in saying "couldn't fire the coach so they fired the team" about last November's election results; yet he said nothing really about (real culprit) Rumsfeld and the other Bush advisers who engineered the debacle and he's really said little about the way our successful surge is working. I'll betcha a dime to a donut that he comes out with an new economic issue next week if the stock market continues to sink.
I like Duncan Hunter and his life story, I do not however like some of the foaming mouth far-right-wingers he attracts. Still, he's now my first choice.
My second choice is John McCain because, even though I don't like his immigration stance, at least I know what I'm getting. He hasn't been shy about what he believes--to the distain of many FReepers here. Plus, he like Hunter, is an absolute stalwart on winning a global war on terror which is and should be the No. 1 issue facing Americans come November 7, 2008.
He was governor in a state with a relatively small illegal alien population. Illegal entry ("illegal immigration" is a misnomer) is a Federal issue, and it's not one that has a huge impact on his state. Hence I don't think anyone could reasonably have expected him to voice a strong opinion on the issue until he was running for Federal office.
That being said, he did take concrete pro-enforcement actions before he decided to run. He vetoed a bill that would have given in-state tuition to illegals in the U Mass system. He also ordered state troopers to cooperate with ICE in apprehending illegals, and to report all illegals they came across to the Feds.
His record on immigration is arguably no worse than Hunter's, especially considering the fact that Hunter is from California, a state with a huge illegal population. It's also orders of magnitude better than McCain's.
Of all the candidates, arguably only Tancredo has a more solid stance than Romney, but alas, single issue candidates are seldom viable in a presidential race.
The 94 debate with Ted Kennedy almost upseated the wonder child of Mass, and Mitt was the closest ever to do so. Mitt has skyrocketed ever since then. In the 12 years since then he has turned around the Olympics, And governed Mass with a conservative hand. He’s better than ever, and will wipe the floor with Shrillary.
Funny that you would put so much faith in Reagan on some things, and yet totally ignore his great trust and admiration of the LDS people whom he surrounded himself with.
"Ronald Reagan truly admired the Latter-day Saints. His administration included more members of the Church than any other American president, ever. Three of us, David Fischer, Gregory Newell and I, served on his personal White House staff. Richard Wirthlin was his chief strategist. Ted Bell served as Secretary of Education, Angela Buchanan was Treasurer, Rex Lee was Solicitor General. His White House included Roger Porter, Brent Scowcroft, Richard Beal, Blake Parish, Jon Huntsman Jr., Dodie Borup and Rocky Kuonen, and there were many other Latter-day Saints throughout his Administration. President Thomas S. Monson served on a Presidential Commission on Volunteerism. Others were ambassadors. LDS senators and representatives were held in special regard, and the Tabernacle Choir was his special inaugural guest."
-Stephen M. Studdert, Special Assistant to President Reagan.
“Stay classy, San Diego.” (referring to Mitt’s San Diego visit this week)
No really, its pretty cool of Mitt to run this ad. I wonder what Iowans think of that. I’ve never been thanked in an ad for voting.
It’s a brilliant move. His support and fund raising will both increase as a result, and he will solidify his existing base of support through increased loyalty.
He’s building a brand and building brand loyalty. More Harvard Business School strategy. We’ll see if it works.
“First of all, I want to strengthen our military and then strengthen our economy and strengthen our families.
“I will secure our border, and amnesty will not work.
“I want to strengthen marriage...
“Keep our taxes down, keep government small...
“And keep America always the hope of the Earth...
“Change begins in Iowa and change begins today.
“Thank you so very much!”
I can’t see a bad idea in any of that.
“First of all, even though I dodged the draft like Bill Clinton”
So Mitt went to Russia too?
Next you’ll be claiming that he was in on White Water.
What, exactly is your point? Howard Hughes admired LDS people and (if you had bothered to read my past postings I do too). That doesn't mean, however, that I don't find their beliefs in fairy tales wierd (although, admittedly, some could also find religious beliefs such as transubstantian, virgin births, the Trinity--all of which I believe--wierd too.) And it also doesn't mean that Mitt Romney, because he is an LDS member, is fit to be president because, IMO, he ISN'T!
Have you ever met Richard Wirthlin? I've interviewed him. As I mentioned in the related post, he was the chief strategist for Reagan. He was the elecion cycle "Karl Rove" for Reagan, without the baggage. He was the one who called the Gipper, and got him out of the shower to tell him he was the next President of the United States. Reagan surrounded himself with the best and brightest. Many of those were Mormons, and he had no problem with them. Neither will the general electorate.
Stupid post of the day!
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