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WASHINGTON - The music will be rising into a crescendo, the hall glowing with red, blue and white stars, confetti at the waiting, when Utah delegates take the microphone in the nomination of John McCain for the president and cast their ballots for Mitt Romney.

Scott Romney, the older brother of John McCain’s former GOP rival Mitt Romney, will become a co-chairman of the McCain campaign in Michigan, CBSNews.com confirms.

I know, the Doug Kmiec posts are getting redundant, but he fascinates me as the clearest example among the Obamicans of someone who’s personally captivated by Obama (“Lightworker!”) but intellectually unable to justify voting for him on that basis. The solution: Self-persuasion through argumentation that the most liberal member of the senate is somehow the more responsible choice this year for a conscientious pro-life voter. Read his latest essay and tell me if you don’t have the distinct sense that he’s trying to convince himself of what he’s saying more so than the reader. Here’s my favorite part, which builds...

Dear [friend]: I'd like to update you on what's been happening since the campaign ended and to tell you about my latest venture. First, Ann and I have some exciting news. We have three new grandchildren on the way! That'll make 14 and counting. There's nothing like the love of our growing family to remind us of the truly important things in life. I've also been busy traveling the country again, campaigning for John McCain and appearing as a surrogate on his behalf. We've been to Pennsylvania, Nevada and Maine with plans to go to Oregon, Colorado and Texas in...

I am posting this on behalf of many LDS freepers. They will post their own 'signature' to this in the comments below. --- Some of you have noticed lately a lot of LDS (ie: Mormon) threads here on FR. I'm going to tell you why. For many years there have been several active LDS freepers here. We post to all the forums on relevant issues, and were happy to have a site where conservative values were so openly welcomed. Those conservative values include faith in God, and freedom of religion. We fully respect the rights of all posters to express...

John McCain may be the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, but a struggle to determine who will carry the conservative mantle into the future rages just below the surface of his success. The contestants’ faces will look familiar: former Govs. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, also-rans from the 2008 GOP primary scrum. During the nominating race, obloquy was understandable. The other Republican candidates personally liked working-class son Huckabee, and they seemed to resent the wealthy and handsome Romney. And because they were both attempting to establish themselves as the conservative alternative to McCain, it’s not surprising that...

“Utterly unacceptable”? Even I wouldn’t go that far, and I’ve been cool to the idea of putting him on the ticket for months. Quote: “If Governor Romney is on your ticket, many social conservative voters will consider their values repudiated by the Republican Party and will either stay away from the polls this November or only vote down ticket. For the sake of your election, the health of your party, and the future of America you must not allow the obvious electoral consequences of that to occur,” concludes the text of the ad.

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain will make an invitation-only fundraising stop in Salt Lake City at the Grand America Hotel on Thursday. Former presidential contender Mitt Romney will accompany McCain to the $1,000-a-person event at the Grand America Hotel, a McCain campaign official confirmed today on the condition of anonymity. Romney, who dropped out of the race after poor showings in the primaries, received nearly 90 percent of the Utah GOP vote on Feb. 5, while McCain had just 5 percent. Romney is a member of the LDS Church, like more than 60 percent of the state's residents. While...

He’s gone this route before as prep for a presidential run, first with his Commonwealth PAC and then as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, whose biggest contributions had a curious habit of going to key primary states like Iowa, Michigan, and Florida. Didn’t do him much good last time. Second time’s a charm? According to two Republicans with knowledge of his plans, Romney, at some point during the next few weeks, intends to establish a new political action committee to help elect Republican candidates.“We’re thinking about what new entity can be created to allow Governor Romney to remain politically...

John McCain's victory in the Washington State Presidential Primary tonight should surprise no one. His thrashing of Mike Huckabee, however, and the latter's poor overall showing, is a fascinating storyline. McCain's win in another non-Southern state tonight was likewise anti-climatic, though thanks to the meaningful and competitive Democratic primary in Wisconsin there was actually an exit poll conducted for the dissection of political junkies. It showed Mike Huckabee getting pounded among non-Evangelicals, losing to McCain 67% - 24%. Those voters comprised 62% of Wisconsin voters casting GOP ballots. That's a pathetic showing in a two-man race. Alas, there is no...

LACROSSE, WISC. -- "Right now there’s a great big me-too crowd coming together," said Mike Huckabee who said he wasn't surprised by Mitt Romney's endorsement of John McCain. "There’s a lot of the folks sort of in the establishment of the party that is now not wanting to be left out," he said. Romney announced he would be telling his delegates to throw their support behind McCain, but Huckabee argued today Romney can't force them to do so. He said he didn't know if Romney's delegates would go to McCain, but continued, "If Mitt Romney sold them on the idea...

WASHINGTON - The day after Mitt Romney formally announced he was seeking the White House, a USA Today headline blared "Will Mormon faith hurt bid for White House?" Anchors on the major networks asked the same question and a stream of pundits predicted Romney's Mormon religion would be a significant hurdle. Almost one year later, on Thursday, Romney withdrew from the race after suffering several big losses and facing an insurmountable challenge to beat Republican rival John McCain. The degree to which his faith contributed to that defeat may never be fully known. It's clear, however, that Romney's belief in...

Some 50 stalwarts of the political right privately met with Mitt Romney minutes after he dropped out of the Republican nominating race to discuss the former Massachusetts governor becoming the face of conservatism, as Ronald Reagan became en route to his 1980 election win.

BOSTON (AP) — Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney pledged to fight all the way to the Republican nominating convention this summer if necessary, despite being overpowered by John McCain in Super Tuesday contests. "I think there's some people who thought it was all going to be done tonight, but it's not all done tonight. We're going to keep on battling," Romney told supporters. "We're going to go all the way to the convention. We're going to win this thing and we're going to go to the White House." Romney had little trouble defending his home turf. He also took Utah,...

ABOARD XTRA AIRWAYS FLIGHT 113 - Don't say Mitt Romney won't go the extra mile for a vote. The Republican presidential contender was logging more than 5,000 of them as he undertook a 37-hour, coast-to-coast-to-coast dash while trying to better rival John McCain in the 21 Super Tuesday nominating contests. After flitting from Nashville, Tenn., to Atlanta to Oklahoma City to Long Beach, Calif., on Monday, Romney was turning around and flying a red-eye to Charleston, W.Va., in time to address the GOP state convention Tuesday morning. Romney hoped not only to win there, but also in California's pivotal primary....

With Tuesday's presidential primary on the horizon, Missouri once again finds itself basking in the political sun. Sunday's St. Louis visits by Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican Mitt Romney. . . . < snip> ROMNEY VISIT Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, declared here Sunday that he's "battling coast to coast" for his party's nomination and "the soul of the Republican Party." Romney addressed dozens of supporters packing two rooms at the Dave & Buster's restaurant in Maryland Heights. He was joined by Gov. Matt Blunt, Missouri House Speaker Rod Jetton and former Sens. Jim Talent of Missouri and...

February 03, 2008 8:18 PM Sunday, Sunday, Sunday...Those who couldn't make the Monster Truck rally today or the fights last night, there's always the spectacle of politics. Today on CNN's "Late Edition," while suggesting that "everybody has every right to stay in this race to the very end," Mitt Romney also suggested that, since John McCain and he "came in number one and number two, very close, and he (Mike Huckabee) came in a distant fourth...most people around the country have said, 'OK, it's been narrowed to a two-person race.'" He also suggested that, as long as Huckabee is in...

State projections obtained by the Globe show the program reaching 342,000 people and $1.35 billion in annual expenses by June 2011. Those figures would far outstrip the original plans for the Commonwealth Care program, largely because state officials underestimated the number of uninsured residents. The state has asked the federal government to shoulder roughly half of the program's cost from 2009 through 2011, but there is no guarantee of that funding. Commonwealth Care provides free or subsidized insurance for low- and moderate-income residents.

Even after receiving the endorsement of Georgia’s two United States Senators, John McCain finds himself in a tight three-way race in that Southern State’s Primary. (snip) Before McCain’s significant victory Florida’s Presidential Primary, Huckabee was leading by fifteen percentage points in Georgia. Now, Romney appears to be gaining some “Anybody-but-McCain” support. The former Massachusetts Governor has struggled in the South throughout the campaign.

Two days before Super Tuesday’s multistate nominating contests, Mitt Romney tried to draw some of the momentum away from Senator John McCain’s campaign on Sunday, hammering home his often-repeated claim that the Arizona Republican is unacceptable to conservatives. “This is a battle in some respects for the heart and soul of the Republican Party,” Mr. Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, said on ABC News. With weekend polls showing Mr. McCain holding a commanding lead across the states holding contests on Tuesday, Mr. Romney was fighting to retake the advantage. Mr. McCain told Fox News on Sunday that he was “guardedly...

In California, Republican Primary Voters are evenly divided between John McCain and Mitt Romney. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds McCain attracting 38% of the vote and Romney earning an identical 38%. Mike Huckabee is a distant third at 10%, Ron Paul picks up 6%, and 6% say they’ll vote for some other candidate. Earlier in the week, McCain had a small advantage over Romney. Since then, Giuliani dropped out of the race and endorsed McCain. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger also endorsed the GOP frontrunner. While those events may have helped McCain, a conservative backlash for anybody-but-McCain appears to...

Husbands with multiple wives have been given the go-ahead to claim extra welfare benefits following a year-long Government review, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal.

MINNEAPOLIS—Mitt Romney is counting another former Celtics great among his supporters. more stories like this Kevin McHale was among those attending a fundraiser for the Republican presidential contender on Saturday night in Minneapolis. He joins Danny Ainge, who has already maxed out as a Romney contributor. Ainge and McHale were teammates on Boston Celtics teams that won two world championships during the 1980s. Ainge remains with the Celtics as the team's executive director of basketball operations, while McHale is vice president of basketball operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Romney was in Minnesota raising money and addressing a rally before the...

Governor Romney Campaigns in Illinois 425 Fawell Boulevard Glen Ellyn IL 60137 February 03, 2008 Sunday, February 3, 2008, Governor Mitt Romney will campaign in Illinois. 11:55 a.m. Governor Romney Holds a "Change Begins with Us" Glen Ellyn Tour Stop McAninch Arts Center College of DuPage 425 Fawell Boulevard Glen Ellyn, IL 12:45 p.m. Governor Romney Holds a Media Availability McAninch Arts Center College of DuPage 425 Fawell Boulevard Glen Ellyn, IL *All Times Are Central Standard Time Start Time: 11:55 AM End Time: 1:30 PM

Governor Romney Campaigns in Missouri 13857 Riverport Drive Maryland Heights MO 63043 February 03, 2008 Sunday, February 3rd, Governor Mitt Romney will campaign in Missouri. 4:30 p.m. Governor Romney Holds a Super Bowl Kick-Off Party Dave & Buster's 13857 Riverport Drive Maryland Heights, MO 5:20 p.m. Governor Romney Holds a Media Availability Dave & Buster's 13857 Riverport Drive Maryland Heights, MO *All Times Are Central Standard Time Start Time: 4:30 PM End Time: 6:00 PM

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama (CNN) — White House hopeful Mike Huckabee denied the Republican presidential race had narrowed to two candidates, Mitt Romney and John McCain, telling journalists at an Alabama campaign stop Saturday that “if anybody ought to be quitting, it's Mitt Romney.” “John McCain hasn't suggested I step aside. So if Mitt Romney's going to engage me, which he has, then I feel like the engagement is on,” said the former Arkansas governor. “…If I'm ahead of him in places like Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee, then he needs to step aside and let me in fact be that conservative alternative...

Originally, there were to be three acceptable choices the right-wing media elites would champion. All three had large corporate backing and each had their group of insiders on K street. Unfortunately, once the posturing was over and the voting began, the Republican primary attendees had the unmitigated gall to vote for someone who wasn’t one of “The Chosen.” Things were further complicated when one of the triumvirate decided he would rather play the part of a District Attorney on TV then a presidential candidate in real life. Another acceptable candidate took a cue from his fellow New Yorkers and retired...

"If you're looking at substance rather than whether it's an R or a D after his name...If he's our candidate, then Hillary's going to be our girl, Sean, cause she's more conservative than he is. I think she would be stronger on the war on terrorism. I absolutely believe that." VIDEO HERE

(snip) KRAUTHAMMER: Giuliani will not help him among conservatives or evangelicals. But he is not going to be deployed in Georgia. He will be deployed in New York and on the West Coast, in areas in which he has appeal. Look, these two guys are the big sheriffs. So he reinforces that. He acts as a surrogate. And they are also representatives of the Republican agnostics. Giuliani has his problem with abortion, of course. McCain's apostasies are too numerous to actually count. And so each of them together has this independent Democratic outreach which will be helpful in the general...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In a major boost for John McCain, Republican presidential rival Mitt Romney signaled Wednesday he's not ready to commit to a costly campaign in the states holding primaries and caucuses next week. Several officials said that on the heels of a defeat in Tuesday's Florida primary, Romney's campaign was not attempting to purchase television advertising time in any of the states on the Super Tuesday calendar. Instead, the former Massachusetts governor's current plans call for campaigning in California and other primary states, said the officials, who had knowledge of the internal discussions. There would be organizational efforts...

Romney tried to run as the establishment candidate, only to find that the establishment no longer held the power.

Now that the Sunshine has set, two old friends come to an understanding. McCain topper Rick Davis quietly negotiated the agreement. HALPERIN’S TAKE: 10 things Giuliani could have done differently. Giuliani, in Florida concession speech, talked about his effort in the past tense, but said nothing explicit about dropping out — or The Deal.

Did not see it posted yet, here we go folks!

In case you missed it (like I did), Jonathan Martin confirmed that Romney is hitting McCain on the phones for voting against the prescription drug bill: "John McCain voted against the AARP-backed Medicare prescription drug program," the call notes, in an obvious effort to give seniors pause about the senator. The Romney campaign reminds me of one more silver lining to a McCain nomination. I cannot say that I feel any better about the one guy than I do the other.

As he campaigns across the country this week in anticipation of the Super Tuesday primaries, Mitt Romney probably won't say much about the storied health care plan he signed into law as governor of Massachusetts. For one thing, it is hard to portray yourself as the ideological heir to Ronald Reagan when your health care plan is virtually indistinguishable from the one proposed by Hillary Clinton. But another reason Romney may not want to talk about his plan is that it has been a dismal failure. The Massachusetts plan was supposed to achieve universal health coverage while controlling costs. As...

As I've written elsewhere, social moderates and liberals with a twinkle in their eye for John McCain are living in another universe. Anti-choice and anti-LGBT signaling are an overt part of his campaign. Here, via Jonathan Martin, is the text of a McCain robocall, recorded in a woman's voice, that rolled out in Florida yesterday: I’m calling with an urgent Mitt Romney [unintelligible] We care deeply about traditional values and protecting families. And we need someone who will not waver in the White House: Ending abortion, preserving the sanctity of marriage, stopping the trash on the airwaves and attempts to...

While Barack Obama was collecting the endorsements of Kennedys, the story of genuine substance today was occurring in the Senate: By a vote of 48-45, Senate Democrats blocked closing debate on the renewal of the law providing the authority for the gathering of foreign intelligence. The current version of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) expires in a few days, on February 1. When it does, we won't need a speech to tell us that the state of the union is not good, because it could be described in a single word: unprepared. When the clock strikes midnight on the...

Romney Takes 2% Lead Over McCain in Florida, Giuliani Takes Over Third Place Alone Romney 34%, McCain 32%, Giuliani 13%, Huckabee 10% EAST LANSING, Mich.— U.S. Sen. John McCain, who had a 2% lead after polling Sunday night, now finds himself trailing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney 34%-32% according to results of a telephone poll conducted Sunday and Monday nights January 27-28, 2008. Rudy Giuliani, who was tied with Mike Huckabee at 12%, has now taken a 3% lead over Huckabee (13%-10%). Ron Paul has 3%, and 7% are undecided..

Our Braynard Methodology Survey was conducted January 28 among 500 likely registered Republican voters (MOE 4% /w 95% confidence level). Final Results: Candidate Percentage Romney - 37.8% McCain - 35.7% Huckabee - 12.4% Giuliani - 11.4% Paul - 2.7% “While McCain prevails among the over 65 age group who are retirees, Romney gets the win from strong support among those who are still in the workforce. The further the voter is from retirement and the more they depend on a strong economy to provide them with jobs, the more strongly they identify with Romney’s economy-focused message. Among voters aged 45-54,...

Maricopa Republicans Presidential Straw Poll Vote Results Maricopa County Republicans conducted a Presidential Straw Poll during the Jan. 19 Maricopa County Republican Committee meeting in Tempe. In the first category the delegates were able to vote for only their first choice for president. Those results were as follows. Presidential Straw Poll with 721 ballots cast: 188 Mitt Romney 26% 121 Fred Thompson 17% 115 Ron Paul 16% 93 Duncan Hunter 13% 80 John McCain 11% 33 Rudy Giuliani 9% 32 Mike Huckabee 9% In the second voting category, the delegates were able to vote for more than one candidate...

EDWARD MORRISSEYINTERVIEW OFGOVERNOR MITT ROMNEYJANUARY 26, 2008 EM: Governor Romney?GR: Yes, how are you?EM: I am doing fine. Thank you for being with us today, sir.GR: Is this Ed?EM: This is Ed; I am my own producer, so eh, you get me right off the bat. [Laughter]GR: That’s fine. Well it’s been awhile, since, I guess we saw each other quite a while ago.EM: We saw each other in June, yeah. I’m looking forward to you coming through Minnesota and hopefully I’ll get a chance to do another ride along with your campaign. It was a great experience the first...

SANFORD, Florida (CNN) – For a moment Monday, Mitt Romney seemed to nominate himself for a job he doesn't want. “It’s not really something he understands that well. He’s said it a number of times and indicated that he’d have to choose a vice president who really understood the economy. Well, I do understand the economy.” Catching himself, he added, “I’m not going to be any vice president to John McCain either, that’s not going to happen.” With Romney and McCain locked in a dead heat in the polls on the eve of Florida primary, barbs have been lobbed back...

Carla Howell is President of the Center For Small Government and heads the 2008 Massachusetts ballot initiative to END the Income Tax. Is Mitt Romney the "economic conservative" he claims to be? Especially when it comes to tax and spend policies? Now that he's running for president, let's compare his words with his deeds. Taxes Romney claims to be anti-tax. He even "took" a "no new taxes" pledge when he ran for Governor of Massachusetts in 2002. "Took" is in quotes because he refused to sign that pledge. His signature wasn't necessary, he claimed. He assured us that he's a...

We would like to have a purebred, thoroughbred conservative to recommend for the upcoming (Feb. 5th) Arizona primary. However, we don’t have that luxury. We still believe that some good can come from this year’s presidential election. In arriving at our endorsement, let us begin by eliminating those who do not measure up to America’s needs. First, we must eliminate all the Democrats. Each one is a Washington insider who contributed to the problems facing this nation: loss of freedoms; overspending; discounting the value of life, marriage and family; contributing to a culture of death; refusal to block the border...

Mitt Romney enjoys a dominant, 19-point lead over John McCain among Republicans likely to attend Colorado caucuses Feb. 5, with Mike Huckabee trailing and Ron Paul and Rudy Giuliani barely registering a nod, according to a Denver Post poll. The Democratic caucuses hold more potential for high drama in the presidential race, with Colorado voters split evenly between Barack Obama at 34 percent and Hillary Rodham Clinton at 32 percent... .... Romney dominated the Nevada caucuses and has done well throughout the West, where Mormons are neighbors instead of a distant question mark, said Brad Coker of the polling firm...

Election 2008 Democrats | Republicans | General Election: Head-to-Heads | Latest Polls Florida Republican Primary Tuesday, January 29 | Delegates at Stake: 57 (Winner Take All) Polling Data Poll Date Sample Romney McCain Giuliani Huckabee Paul Spread RCP Average 01/20 - 01/26 - 27.1 26.7 17.1 14.7 4.1 Romney +0.4 Rasmussen 01/26 - 01/26 500 LV 33 27 18 12 2 Romney +6.0 Reuters/CSpan/Zogby 01/24 - 01/26 814 LV 30 30 13 14 3 Tie InsiderAdvantage 01/25 - 01/25 692 LV 26 24 16 15 7 Romney +2.0 SurveyUSA 01/23 - 01/24 550 LV 28 30 18 14 6...

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in Florida shows former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney earning 33% of the vote while Arizona Senator John McCain attracts 27%.The poll was conducted Saturday afternoon before Florida Governor Charlie Crist announced his endorsement of McCain and the race is fluid enough that both men have a realistic chance of winning on Tuesday. Rasmussen Markets data showed that expectations for a McCain victory rose following the Crist announcement.

Fox News' Special Report noted that "in recent days, Thompson's aides promoted him as a vice presidential pick." Romney was the first to weigh in." Asked if Thompson would be on his "shortlist," Romney answered, "Anybody who ran for office in this field is a very strong individual and should be considered as a VP nominee for me or somebody else. He is a terrific and highly capable guy."

McCain considers setting benchmarks for Iraqis By Margaret Talev McClatchy-Tribune Tucson, Arizona | Published: 01.26.2007 WASHINGTON — Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., one of the most stalwart supporters of the war in Iraq, said Thursday that he might propose that the Iraqi government meet certain benchmarks for the United States to continue its engagement. Fellow senators and independent political scientists said McCain's thinking reflected growing concerns within the Republican Party about the course of the war, and also might mark a turning point for the likely 2008 presidential contender, whose previous unconditional backing of the war may have hurt his prospects....