Novak: Fred Thompson drop-out rumors traced to Romney campaign

The Tennessean | Jan. 09, 2008 | By Ryan Underwood

[jdm]

Source is permitted via link only.

Story.

[jdm]

Surprise, surprise.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Danged Amish...errr...Mormons!

;-)

[Neu Pragmatist]

Many suspicions confirmed ....

RSM - Romney Sleaze Machine ....

[Petronski]

Ever heard the words “Romney Sleaze Machine?”

I knew you had.

[oflyboy]

Bad banner. Somebody said, someone told him! ! This is just a McCain planted article.

[pillut48]

And here I was so sure it was the Presbyterians again!! :-o

[Petronski]

Freepers: did you know Free Republic has a Romney Truth File?

[big'ol_freeper]

Romney Sleaze Machine

U.S. Army Retired

[DoughtyOne]

Because of the contrast is their beliefs, I had actually thought Hillary might have had something to do with this. The last person she wants to face is someone so diametrically opposed to almost every one of her policies.

I’m still holding off on judgement here. Who whispered in a Romney official’s ear? We don’t know. And aid to walrus from Arkansas? Who knows...

[jdm]

Did you know Free Republic has a Romney Truth File?

Did not. Thank you, Petronski.

[Beagle8U]

Sure it was traced to Mittwitt. He is a slimeball NE liberal puke!

[Domandred]

It’s the same story we had last week. No new information and still no proof.

[Petronski]

For your edification.

[Petronski]

No new information and still no proof.

I didn't do it nobody saw me do it you can't prove anything.

[sweet_diane]

Why I do declare, I am shocked. Shocked!

[bluebeak]

Empty suit romney trying to buy nomination anyway possible?

Romney’s ideological core = Arlen Spector.!

[SaveTheChief]

The Romney campaign? Gee, I’m shocked! Just shocked!

[Chode]

do I really have to say it???

[reasonisfaith]

I’ve been phoning for Fred through his website from the SC list.

Tonight I have had a marked difference in response. About every third call (of those that answer) is a Thompson supporter. Called approximately 20-30 tonight. Some are undecided and the only reason for that is because they think his numbers are low—otherwise he’s their first choice. Others are saying they will vote for Fred.

I post this because it is markedly different from when I phoned Iowa—had about 1 in 10 favorable to Fred.

Not scientific but I am noticing a real difference.

[Reagan Man]

Romney and his band of "dirty tricksters".

GO FRED!

[khnyny]

Total bs. A plant by McCain or Huckabee.

[jdm]

I did not notice Novak's Saturday column until now (which was linked in The Tennessean piece).

No one posted it on FR, apparently (did not return a hit based on an exact phrase search).

Mitt's Divided Strategy

[khnyny]

Romney has no reason to care about Thompson - think this through people, lol.

[Freee-dame]

Unsourced rumors should not be believed. This morning on a radio network news, they actually said that Thompson and Guliani were hoping to do well in upcoming primaries, but that Romney would be dropping out if didn’t win in Michigan. What!! No sources, just the DBM making up their stories.

[Neu Pragmatist]

Spinnin for the RSM ?

[khnyny]

Spinnin for the RSM ?

What does RSM mean?

[jdm]

Romneystream media?

[Servant of the Cross]

Thank you for your service to our country’s future.

[cripplecreek]

I made a deal with my cousin today. I’ll send $20 to the Thompson Campaign if he’ll send $20 to the Hunter campaign. We’re exchanging checks in the morning.

[barryg]

Said Novak: The rumors were “traced in part to Mitt Romney’s campaign, trying to stir up strife between McCain and Thompson.”

I don’t doubt it . .Romney has been running a negative campaign, and this seems like out of his bag of dirty tricks.

There was a push-polling scandal a couple of weeks ago that was also traced back to a Romney-linked firm in Salt Lake City.

[Neu Pragmatist]

Post 4 and 9 ....

[Nonstatist]

I cant see how this helps Romney, even secondarily.

[mamelukesabre]

See post nine.

[outofstyle]

So where did the Politico item, which quoted "Republican officials close" to the campaign, come from? From Republican rival Mitt Romney, according to syndicated columnist Robert D. Novak

Must be true then.

/sarc/

[Neu Pragmatist]

Yep , they tried to blame the Huckster , but the Huckster didn’t have the money for the phone campaigns to pull this off .

[LibLieSlayer]

I knew it... the ba$tard$!

LLS

[Ol' Sparky]

More evidence Romney is as underhanded a politician as Bill Clinton.

I have no doubt his campaign also fed Drudge the story about the Democrats desperately wanting Huckabee to win because he'd be easy to win.

Maybe this is why Willard is so unlikable.

[Josh Painter]

The heck he doesn’t! Fred is the only one of the five viable GOP candidates who is a conservative. The Romney people want him out of the race so they can lay claim to the “conservative” mantle.

This is why the “Evengelicals for Mitt” website tried to paint Fred as pro-abortion and why a Romney associate put up the “Phoney Fred” website. Romney’s people have a track record of trying to kneecap Fred’s campaign.

[Col Freeper]

[I’m still holding off on judgement here. Who whispered in a Romney official’s ear? We don’t know. And aid to walrus from Arkansas? Who knows...]

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

At this juncture, that would appear to be the wisest advise.

[Defiant]

You should tell all the SC voters—”Don’t let Iowa and NH choose your favorite for you—if you like Fred better, make those dinky states learn to love him.”

[bcsco]

That’s who it was first attributed to the morning it came out. Other threads suggested it was attributal to the McCain campaign or the Democrats.

I’m glad the first and most credible attribution proved true.

[Ron in Acreage]

Romney doesn’t need to plant rumors about anyone dropping out. It’s all the msm talks about is who’s dropping out next. The media harps on everyone about when they are dropping out. Fred getting less than 1% in NH doesn’t help. Even nutbag Ron Paul got 8%.

[Buckeye Battle Cry]

This jerk Novak has only been too willing to rush to print with negative stories on Fred. Remember last week he was slobbering on this story and the “Fred will only get 1% in Iowa” baloney.

He’s part of the MSM effort to throw cold-water on the Fred campaign.

[britt reed]

Requesting link for Huckabee Truth File, please?

[Neu Pragmatist]

There is a pattern emerging from the RSM when it comes to dealing with Fred ....

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/09/10/antithompson_site_connects_to.html

[khnyny]

Post 4 and 9 ....

Ah - RSM means Romney Sleaze Machine. Thanks for the insult./s

Gee, I never post negative stuff re Fred (ok, maybe once to point out he supported McCain/Feingold, but that happens to be the truth).

Do you know why I never spammed negative Fred posts? First, Fred's a fellow Republican and I like him. The second reason is, because of the poor campaign Fred has run, he had made himself totally irrelevant.

[libbylu]

dude they all have slime machines. you must be old enough to know that.

[o_zarkman44]

Mormans of a feather flock together.

[Diogenesis]

"I just received the endorsement of Fred Thompson, the NRA, Duncan Hunter's Fence,
Massachusetts Citizens for Life, everyone at FreeRepublic, and the Mauck family."