Ann Romney: A Stronger America Needs Stronger Families

"A Stronger America Needs Stronger Families"

By Ann Romney

Fosters Daily Democrat

... "Mitt always says the most important work for the future of our country is the work that goes on within the four walls of the American home. I can tell you firsthand this is not just campaign rhetoric. Mitt's motivation is no different than any other mother and father in America. It's to have our children and grandchildren grow up in an America that is stronger, safer and more prosperous. This core belief has guided Mitt as he became a father and now a grandfather." ...

"Today, parents need to pay closer attention to what their kids are doing – what they are looking at on the Internet, who they are talking to on-line, and who are influencing them outside the home. "Mitt sometimes paraphrases Peggy Noonan when she says that the world is an ocean where our children swim. She called it a cesspool of violence, sex, drugs and general apathy. If Mitt is our next president, he will make it a passionate priority to clean up the water in which our kids are swimming."

... "When I am on the campaign trail, I am often asked where I would focus my attention as first lady. I would not only help raise awareness for diseases like multiple sclerosis, but I would also continue my work with young people. I will focus on helping at-risk youth make the right choices ? for example, staying in school, being drug free, promoting abstinence education and promoting marriage before having children. "Mitt's campaign is about strengthening America – and that starts with strengthening the American family. Building a stronger America starts within the four walls of the American home. His priority is to bring conservative family values to Washington. With these values, we can leave a better America for future generations."

To read the full op-ed, please click here .

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"Romney Wins Big"

Townhall's Hugh Hewitt: "Romney Wins. Big." (Hugh Hewitt, "Romney Wins. Big." Townhall Blog, www.townhall.com/, Posted 11/29/07)

- Hewitt: "Mitt Romney won the last night's debate because he emerged as a plausible, indeed compelling match-up to Hillary." (Hugh Hewitt, "Romney Wins. Big." Townhall Blog, www.townhall.com/, Posted 11/29/07)

- Hewitt: "Rudy hit him hard --and below the belt, with the 'sanctuary mansion' shot. But so what? We aren't expecting the Clinton's to play nice. Our candidate will have to be able to be 'strong' without being 'mean,' superior on the issues and intellect and ahead on the key test of 'Who shares my values?' That's Romney, and I expect the Clintons know it and will work overtime to take him off the board in the next six weeks. What did Romney do when Rudy swung low? Romney counter-punched. Hard. And for as long as it took. That exchange was the key to this debate. It is why Romney won. Hands down. Going away." (Hugh Hewitt, "Romney Wins. Big." Townhall Blog, www.townhall.com/, Posted 11/29/07)

- Hewitt: "Rudy swung hard and didn't phase Mitt. Huckabee played the victim card and Mitt refused to let him do so. Mitt wins both rounds. And the debate. And, I think, the nomination." (Hugh Hewitt, "Romney Wins. Big." Townhall Blog, www.townhall.com/, Posted 11/29/07)

- Hewitt: "Many GOPers who are leaning Romney in their minds wanted some show of knuckles and they got it." (Hugh Hewitt, "Romney Wins. Big." Townhall Blog, www.townhall.com/, Posted 11/29/07)

- Hewitt: "'Is Romney tough enough, or too nice for the show?' Tonight the skeptics got their answer: Romney will take on Hillary in the fall debates and beat her. Handily." (Hugh Hewitt, "Romney Wins. Big." Townhall Blog, www.townhall.com/, Posted 11/29/07)

The American Spectator's Philip Klein: "The defining moment of the debate was the Romney vs. Rudy exchange on immigration, and I thought Romney came off better once Giuliani went with the 'Sanctuary Mansion' line. Not only did the argument lack substance, but it came off as a cheap shot." (Philip Klein, "Closing Thoughts," The American Spectator's AmSpec Blog, Posted 11/28/07)

The Weekly Standard's Terry Eastland: "Unfortunately for Thompson, Romney and Huckabee both turned in generally strong performances." (Terry Eastland, "Debate Wrap-up," The Weekly Standard, 11/29/07)

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough: "I talked about the disconnect between Middle American voters and the media. A lot of people in the media would love that answer and a lot of democrats would love the answer that John McCain gave, it was very inspiring. But most Republican voters in Middle America would agree with Mitt Romney. We don't want to go round and talk about what we do to people...Middle American Republican voters agree with Mitt Romney." (MSNBC's "Morning Joe," 11/29/07)

New York Post's Rich Lowry: "Romney is fluid and unflappable, and showed early on tonight in immigration exchanges with Giuliani and Huckabee something that he has seemed to lack in this campaign - toughness." (Rich Lowry, Op-Ed, "Battling The Past," New York Post, 11/29/07)

Palm Beach Post's Florida Politics Blogger, Brian E. Crowley: "So a quick handicap - Mitt Romney ... [was] the most fun to watch." (Brian E. Crowley, "It's Over – Now It's Time For The Instapundits," Palm Beach Post's Florida Politics Blog, www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs, Posted 11/28/07)

Fox News' Frank Luntz: "Mitt Romney came at Rudy Giuliani directly at the beginning of the debate, and watch how more favorably the reaction is from our dials... when Mitt Romney so clearly differentiated his point of view on immigration to Rudy Giuliani's, that's the incredible response he got back." (Fox News', "Fox & Friends," 11/29/07)

- Luntz: "[Huckabee] did well and improved his image. He didn't outperform Romney or Thompson, but he continues to pleasantly surprise people. Thompson and Romney won. Rudy and McCain lost. Immigration was THE issue." (Mike Allen, Obama Would Hire (Bill) Clinton, The Politico, 11/29/07)

The New Republic's Noam Scheiber: "I thought Romney hit the right note on immigration... " (Noam Scheiber, "YouTube Debate Wrap-Up," The New Republic's The Stump Blog, www.blogs.tnr.com, Posted 11/28/07)

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Romney Gains Important Endorsement

AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE UNION CHAIRMAN JOINS
ROMNEY FOR PRESIDENT


Boston, MA – David A. Keene, Chairman of the American Conservative Union and long time Republican strategist, today endorsed the presidential candidacy of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. In a statement issued today, Keene said that "while I certainly can't pretend to speak for all or even most conservatives, the road that led me here today is one that many conservatives find themselves on and it is my hope that they will end up where I am today – convinced that Mitt Romney represents our best hope for 2008. "

"As this race began, I intended to remain neutral both because there was no conservative consensus candidate and because I know and admire several of those running for the Republican nomination who I believe could win next fall. "In recent months, however, Governor Romney has emerged as the single candidate most worthy of conservative support. That's why I'm endorsing him and intend to spend as much time as possible in the weeks ahead convincing my fellow conservatives that if we are serious about electing a conservative president in 2008, it's time to unite behind his candidacy."

Welcoming today's announcement, Governor Romney said, "I am proud that David Keene has decided to join our campaign for conservative change that strengthens our military, economy and families. As Chairman of the American Conservative Union, he has greatly advanced the conservative movement. I look forward to working with him as our campaign moves forward."

Background On David A. Keene: David A. Keene Has Been The Chairman Of The American Conservative Union Since December 1984. Keene, a major national conservative spokesman since the seventies, has worked in the White House and the Senate, writes a weekly opinion column for The Hill and his articles have appeared in National Review, Human Events and the American Spectator. He has held senior positions in the past presidential campaigns of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and former Kansas Senator Bob Dole.

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More Reactions to Romney's Debate Performance

National Review's Kate O'Beirne: "Romney's performance is his strongest in the series." (National Review's The Corner, corner.nationalreview.com, Accessed 11/28/07)


Michelle Malkin: "So, who won? Quick and dirty reaction: Romney looked strong and energetic ..." (Michelle Malkin, "Liveblogging The CNN/Youtube," http://michellemalkin.com/, Posted 11/28/07)


Townhall's Mary Katherine Ham: "[Romney] came across serious and conservative." (Mary Katharine Ham, "Who Won?," http://www.townhall.com/blog, 11/28/07) The American Spectator's Philip Klein: "... I thought Romney got the better of that [immigration] exchange. It's one thing to use Romney's illegal immigrant lawn care workers in a joke, but it's another thing to try and base a serious criticism on that." (Philip Klein, "Sanctuary Mansion," The American Spectator, 11/28/07)


CBS' Vaughn Ververs: "In the opening minutes, Romney and Rudy Giuliani sparred over illegal immigration... Romney appeared to get the upper hand in the exchange, challenging Giuliani on his charge and the sometimes vocal audience sounded a note of apparent disapproval at the mayor's line of attack." (Vaughn Ververs, "Romney Battles, Huckabee Shines In GOP Debate," CBS' Horserace '08 Blog, http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs, Posted 11/28/07)


Captain's Quarters' Ed Morrissey: "Romney gets the edge here, especially for beating Rudy Giuliani like a bongo drum on immigration." (Ed Morrissey, "CNN/YouTube Debate – CNN Wins," Captain's Quarters, www.captainsquartersblog.com, Posted 11/28/07)

- Morrissey: "Romney has this issue [of interrogations] exactly correct. We should not start defining these techniques on national debates for the reasons Romney said." (Heading Right, www.headingright.com, Accessed 11/28/07)

Power Line's Scott Johnson: "Best performance: Mitt Romney." (Scott Johnson, "Best And Worst Of The Debate," Power Line, http://www.powerlineblog.com/, Posted 11/28/07)

- Johnson: "Best line of the night: Mitt Romney, on abortion ('I was wrong')." (Scott Johnson, "Best And Worst Of The Debate," Power Line, http://www.powerlineblog.com/, Posted 11/28/07)

National Review's Kathryn Jean Lopez: "Romney played it straight and didn't over explain the abortion change. Seemed a wise and effective approach, especially in this format." (National Review's The Corner, http://corner.nationalreview.com, Accessed 11/28/07)

Heading Right's Macranger: "Good answer [on life]. People do change." (Heading Right, www.headingright.com, Accessed 11/28/07)


The American Spectator's Philip Klein: "[Gov. Romney] showed more humility by saying several times he was wrong, that he isn't perfect, that he hasn't always made the right decisions. It worked a lot better for him." (Philip Klein, "Romney's Abortion Flip-Flop Answer," The American Spectator, 11/28/07)


Townhall's Hugh Hewitt: "I agree with most of the posters at The Corner that Mitt is doing very, very well." (Townhall.com, www.townhall.com Accessed 11/28/07)


Former Secretary Of Education Bill Bennett: "Mitt Romney talked about education as the next civil right...Liberals have failed inner city blacks overwhelmingly in the last 30 years. That's why the question from the father and son was so pertinent and I thought Romney did a good job on it." (CNN's "Post Debate Coverage," 11/28/07)


Townhall's Mary Katharine Ham: "... I grew up in the inner city, in public schools. The plight of those who live there is real, sad, and cannot often be solved by the Nanny State. Romney focuses on families, empowerment, police protection in solving black-on-black crime, and invokes Bill Cosby. Well done. It addressed the question directly and treated the questioners' concerns with respect. It was a serious answer with real application, not a flippant appeal to the family values crowd that would have made him look disconnected, which it easily could have been." (Mary Katharine Ham, "Romney's Winner Answer on Black-on-Black Crime," Townhall.com, www.townhall.com, 11/28/07)


The American Spectator's John Tabin: "Romney's answer is pretty good; family's important, of course it is" (James G. Poulos, "Black On Black Crime," The American Spectator, 11/28/07)

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Reactions to Romney's Debate Performance

The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder: "Romney had a strong night, seemed raring to go, seemed to be willing to take on everybody, anybody, all comers, seemed to want to pick every fight possible." (Marc Ambinder, "The Debate In Review," The Atlantic Online Blog, http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/, 11/28/07)

National Review's Seth Leibsohn: "This Is Mitt's Night." (Seth Leibsohn, "This Is Mitt's Night," National Review's The Corner, http://corner.nationalreview.com, Posted 11/28/07)

Bill Bennett: "I think that Romney stood out tonight. I think he was loud and clear. Conservative. He was 'all-in' as you'd say in Texas Hold 'Em." (CNN's Post-Debate Coverage, 11/28/07)

Bill Bennett: "I thought he came across very strong. I think you guys are absolutely right. That opening debate between Romney and Giuliani was, I think, the pivotal point of the evening. And I think points to Romney. Giuliani came across badly." (CNN's Post-Debate Coverage, 11/28/07)

ABC News Live Blog: "Romney is engaging very, very directly -- and dare I say he's getting the better of Giuliani in this exchange, funny accents and all." ("Live-Blogging During GOP Debate," ABC News' Political Radar, http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar, Posted 11/28/07)

- ABC News Live Blog: "And Romney gets the first applause by noting that illegal immigrants already broke the law." ("Live-Blogging During GOP Debate," ABC News' Political Radar, http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar, Posted 11/28/07)

National Review's Kathryn Jean Lopez: "[T]his is Romney's best debate performance yet. He reminds us he has experience and outside of Washington, he's tackled difficult issues, and does not let his temper get the best of him with a New York bully (something that will come in handy)." (Kathryn Jean Lopez, "So Far," National Review's The Corner, http://corner.nationalreview.com, Posted 11/28/07)

CNN's Bill Schneider: "A clever answer from former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney on farming. He says we need food independence like we need energy independence - keep the farmers on the farm. His reasoning: We need to be able to compete with other countries that support their farmers." (Bill Schneider, "Schneider: Romney Scores Points On Farming Answer," CNN's Political Ticker, http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com, Posted 11/28/07)

MSNBC's Domenico Montanaro: "While the sanctuary mansion line got good laughs, Romney's explanation and questions left Giuliani without an answer." (Domenico Montanaro, "Giuliani Flustered?" MSNBC's First Read, http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com, Posted 11/28/07)

National Review's Rich Lowry: "Rudy let his temper get the best of him - clear winner of the exchange: Romney." (Rich Lowry, "Mitt V. Rudy," National Review's The Corner, http://corner.nationalreview.com, Posted 11/28/07)

National Review's Seth Leibsohn: "I'd be surprised after this debate if Mitt doesn't see national numbers looking more like his Iowa or NH numbers after tonight's performance. Brilliant response to the black on black crime questions." (Seth Leibsohn, "Changing Times," National Review's The Corner, http://corner.nationalreview.com, Posted 11/28/07)

The New York Times' Katharine Q. Seelye: "But finally, a father-son team, from Atlanta, want the candidates to talk about black-on-black crime, and while Mr. Romney gets in a nice line about mothers and fathers and family values, none of the candidates really address the issue that the young son raised." (Katharine Q. Seelye, "Live-Blogging the YouTube Debate," The New York Times' The Caucus Blog, http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/, Posted 11/28/07)

National Review's Ramesh Ponnuru: "So Romney did pretty well in the debate, and won the immigration exchange." (Ramesh Ponnuru, "A Good Day for Giuliani," National Review's The Corner, http://corner.nationalreview.com, Posted 11/28/07)

Townhall's Mary Katharine Ham: "Mitt makes a good point that homeowners should not be required to check papers of workers hired for their and connects it to regular Americans by suggesting that that's what Rudy wants them to do." (Townhall, http://www.townhall.com, Accessed, 11/28/07)

The Plank's Isaac Chotiner: "Romney definitely got the best of Giuliani on their early immigration skirmish (which actually got rather heated). Rudy's line about Romney's mansion was cheap and silly. And Romney is more appealing when going negative than any of the other candidates." (The New Republic's "The Plank," http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/, Accessed, 11/28/07)

National Review's Kate O'Beirne: "Romney's reference point about how MA liberals reason is effective. Reminds us that he gets them and fought them." (National Review's "The Corner," http://corner.nationalreview.com, Accessed 11/28/07)

Captain's Quarters' Ed Morrissey: Romney and Huckabee had a good spar over giving better benefits to illegals for school than to citizens. Romney is absolutely 100% right on this issue. I hope Iowans realize that Huckabee may very well be worse than Bush on illegal immigration." (Heading Right, http://www.headingright.com, Accessed 11/28/07)

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CNN GOP Debate

Take a break from Christmas shopping and watch Governor Mitt Romney on the CNN GOP YouTube Debate tomorrow evening at 8pm EST on CNN.
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"Take Charge"

Isn't it about time we have an American President who will take charge and lead our country with courage, strength, innovation, vision and values. Governor Mitt Romney is the leader America needs now.

Watch the newest tv ad from Romney for President...
"Take Charge"



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Romney Has Solid Core Support

On the Web

Power Line

Paul Mirengoff

....polling data suggests that, at least in Iowa and New Hampshire, Romney may occupy his own space. In other words, it may be that Romney has his own core of solid support, such that gains by other candidates, even Huckabee, don't come at his expense.

...The big move, of course, has come from Huckabee. In August, his support roughly doubled, from 5 to 10 percent. He surged again beginning in mid October. Since then, his popularity has doubled again and now stands at about 20 percent.

As in New Hampshire, Huckabee's gain came at Thompson's expense. However, in Iowa it also came at Giuliani's ...

But the constant in New Hampshire and Iowa has been Romney's ability to hold his support when other candidates have surged. This could change, of course, as the field concentrates its resources on bringing down Romney.

Still, it's not difficult to imagine the existence of a sizeable core of voters who are solidly behind Mitt. This group would consist of Republicans who are looking for a combination of administrative experience/aura of competence plus down-the-line conservative positions, and who are not concerned about past positions, speculation over electability or the candidate's religion.

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Romney: Need For Fiscal Restraint in Washington

Governor Mitt Romney "The Michael Medved Show"

Governor Romney On The Need For Fiscal Restraint In Washington:

Michael Medved: "What's stunning to me, Governor, and I know you're familiar with this as a businessman is that when it comes to federal government outlays – the total the federal government spends as a percentage of our total economy, the Gross Domestic Product – we've been stuck at this 20 percent number. Even Ronald Reagan couldn't really bring it down. It actually went up under Reagan. And President Bush is right in there with all of his predecessors. Do you think it's reasonably possible if you became President of the United States to actually reduce the percentage of the economy that is spent by the federal government, and if it is possible, how are you going to do it?"

Governor Romney: "Well, the answer is it's possible, but the battle is going to be keeping the Democrats from increasing the amount that the federal government takes of our total economic activity, because if the Bush tax cuts were not made permanent, that 20 percent goes up in to the mid-20s and ultimately even higher. And that's of course unacceptable because we've gone for decades and decades not getting above roughly 20 percent of the gross domestic product. And so we're going to have to make the Bush tax cuts permanent, we're going to have to stop the spread of the AMT, we've got to kill the death tax, we've got to lower the corporate tax rate just to keep government from taking a larger and larger share of our livelihoods. "Frankly, this is obviously an enormous gap between ourselves and the Democrats. We're going to have to fight for the line-item veto, fight for capping federal spending and fight to hold down the tax rates in this country or we will put the brakes on the growth of America. And the best way to reduce the tax burden as a percentage of the total economic activity is to grow the country and grow our economy."

Medved: "Amen to that. What about specific government programs that ought to be terminated? I know that's a tough question for a candidate, but I know you deal familiarly as a business executive with tough questions. Where are there some government programs where we just ought to cut them dead?

Governor Romney: "Well, I've got a list of all of the government programs where there is duplication from one agency to another. There are some 342 different economic development programs. We have over 100 different job training programs. We have 13 teenage pregnancy prevention programs. The duplication that is suggested by those kind of numbers suggests that you can cut dramatically back on those programs, and you can consolidate programs and end up with something that has far less bureaucracy and is able to do the job for a lot less money. But the problem in Washington is, once somebody gets a program started that has their name attached to it, they never want to kill it. And I intend to go through the entire federal government, agency by agency, program by program, rank them, determine which ones are working, which ones aren't, which ones can be combined with others and eliminate programs one after the other. And those three areas I gave you are places I know I'd be eliminating."

To listen to Governor Romney discuss the need for fiscal discipline, please see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa2DxjWstpE

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New Romney in the Family

Governor Mitt Romney On Thanksgiving Day

Boston, MA – Today, Governor Mitt Romney issued the following statement on Thanksgiving Day: "As Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, let us give a special thanks to the men and women serving in our military. Their sacrifices are especially heroic as they celebrate the holidays in distant lands. We send them and their families our prayers and deepest gratitude.

"As my family and I gather for dinner this year, we are especially thankful to the Lord for blessing us yesterday with a new addition to our family. Ann and I are thrilled to be able to celebrate this Thanksgiving with our eleventh and newest grandchild, Nathan, having come into this world.

"Happy Thanksgiving."

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Ann Romney - Key Ingredient

In the News

Romney's Key Ingredient

By: Jennifer Liberto
St. Petersburg Times

"Ann Romney has never given a political speech while cooking before, but she's clearly a natural in the kitchen.

"While chatting about her 'monkey bread' recipe, she never garbles a word, never says 'ummm,' never leaves an uncomfortable pause, all of which she does sometimes while making a political pitch for her husband, Mitt Romney, and his views on immigration or balancing budgets.

"While talking politics, Ann Romney, 58, unconsciously starts stacking dirty dishes, even though it's a borrowed kitchen that will get cleaned long after she drives off to fly home to Boston.

"'Who cares about politics, I'm going to talk about rolls,' said the mother of five boys, the kind of mother who owns her own wheat grinder to make whole-wheat bread.

"Ann Romney's visit with 30 women in St. Petersburg's Old Northeast neighborhood on Tuesday capped off a four-day tour of Florida, campaigning on her husband's behalf. Such solo trips are becoming more common for Mrs. Romney.

"In a campaign where candidate spouses have to compete with the likes of former President Bill Clinton and Elizabeth Edwards, Ann Romney is becoming a name in her own right. In her home state of Michigan, she draws big crowds. She has her own campaign Web site, which includes recipes, family stories and details about her struggle with multiple sclerosis, a chronic, incurable disease that attacks the nervous system. She has a book on the way called Faith in the Family.

"And she's an integral part of her husband's campaign."
...
"Ann Romney told the St. Petersburg crowd the story of how Mitt Romney had chosen heroes to run the Olympic torch across America. She was his hero and got to carry the torch.
"'That was an amazing personal accomplishment for me, because I would have been barely able to walk when we first got to Utah,' Ann Romney explained. 'And three years later, with my husband beside me and my children running next to me and with all of my new friends cheering me on, and not a dry eye, they all ran next to me recognizing what an accomplishment and personal battle I had fought and won.'
"Between every campaign trip, she must try to rid herself of stress, or risk another flare-up. She does this mostly by riding horses and relaxing with her family."
...
"Her torch-running story led to tissues and smeared mascara from several women, including Karen Erickson, 63, whose brother also has multiple sclerosis.
"'She's so grounded, so wholesome, and the family values she lives and passes on is what we need in a big way,' said Erickson, an undecided Republican who is now leaning toward Mitt Romney."...
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Romney - Tough Talk on Immigration

In the News

Tough talk on immigration works up crowd in suburb

By: Michael J. Mishak
Las Vegas Sun

"With the subject of illegal immigration still fresh in the air after Thursday's Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas, Republican Mitt Romney said Saturday that if elected president he would stop the 'sanctuary state of mind' he claims is perpetuated by measures such as giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

"Speaking to a crowd of more than 200 at a town hall event in Henderson, Romney said he would cut federal funding for cities that have 'sanctuary' policies, slash highway funds for states that give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants and reduce education funding for states that award in-state college tuition to 'kids of illegal immigrants.'

"He said he also favors issuing employment verification cards to legal immigrants.
"All aspects of his proposal - disclosed in response to a question on illegal immigration, a hot button issue for Republican primary voters - received hearty applause from the crowd."
...
"Pressed on the education part of his proposal, Romney told reporters 'it doesn't make sense to give a tuition break to children of illegal immigrants,' before clarifying that he meant students who were here illegally. Children who are born here, and therefore are U.S. citizens, could have parents who are undocumented."
...
"He also highlighted his proposal to eliminate the 'death tax,' make the Bush tax cuts permanent, lower corporate income taxes and enact what he calls a 'tax-free saving plan,' wherein those making $200,000 or less would not be taxed on interest, capital gains and dividends. He also vowed to increase military spending to 4 percent of the country's gross domestic product - by his count, an additional $30 billion to $40 billion annually."

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New Romney Ad "American Family"

This Thanksgiving week, we all have so much to be greatful for! One of the greatest blessings is family.

Gov. Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann Romney, know that strong families and strong family values are what it takes for America to continue to lead the world.

Keep families strong. Keep America strong.

Vote for Mitt Romney in '08



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Romney Leading in New Hampshire

Below you’ll find an on the record e-briefing from National Press Secretary Kevin Madden on the latest CNN-WMUR poll of New Hampshire that shows Governor Romney leading the field with 33%, Senator McCain at 18%, Mayor Giuliani at 16%, Governor Huckabee at 5%, and Senator Thompson at 4%.

Romney for President, Inc.
www.MittRomney.com


Rudy’s panic button: In light of these numbers, the Giuliani campaigns abrupt decision to hit the airwaves in New Hampshire has to be seen as a push on the panic button.

This latest snapshot indicates that Governor Romney is still in a competitive position in New Hampshire as the primary date draws closer. Governor Romney’s message has remained optimistic, and a very specific appeal to voters based on his experience and his vision for leading the country has resonated with Republicans in New Hampshire.

Here come the attack ads: I expect these poll numbers will begin to narrow over the next few weeks, since New Hampshire presidential primary contests are always very competitive. Also, there is very little doubt that rival campaigns will view these numbers as evidence that they need to attack Governor Romney with negative advertising in an effort to try tear him down. With Governor Romney in a competitive position, other campaigns will start to show signs of desperation, taking direct aim at the governor and predictably resorting to distortions.

We will, of course, be prepared to respond to any negative attacks and distortions with an aggressive defense of Governor Romney’s true record.

The more they learn about Rudy, the less they like him: The canyon between Mayor Giuliani’s national name awareness and his standing in the early state contests where voters are familiar with his unorthodox record as a Republican, continues to widen.

Why is that?

Because, Republican voters in New Hampshire are getting more information about Rudy and his record and they don’t like what they see or hear. On issues ranging from immigration to protecting traditional marriage, Mayor Giuliani is finding that Republicans voters are at odds with his past record and his current positions

On immigration in particular, Republicans who have learned that the mayor encouraged illegal immigration while also embracing sanctuary city policies are finding such positions hard to fathom. On fiscal issues, New Hampshire voters interested in getting rid of wasteful spending don’t like the fact that Rudy Giuliani filed a lawsuit against the line-item veto and won, essentially tearing down an important Republican policy accomplishment at the heart of fiscal responsibility.

Republican voters are also turning away from Rudy Giuliani as a candidate because he is unavailable to carry a pro-life, strong social values issue mantle for the party in November.

Voters want change: The recent public focus on Bernie Kerik’s indictment likely had a negative impact on Mayor Giuliani’s already tenuous standing with voters as well.

The seemingly ever-present, negative narrative that has emerged to surround the mayor’s campaign may lead Republican voters to a troubling conclusion that the indictment of a top aide of Mayor Giuliani’s will hurt our party’s ability to draw a contrast with Senator Clinton on higher ethics. Similarly, Republican voters are likely to turn away from a candidate who could complicate our ability to run as the party that can change the ways of Washington.

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Mitt Romney Wonders About Mormon Speech

"Is there going to be a special speech? Perhaps, at some point. I sort of like the idea myself. The political advisers tell me no, no, no - it's not a good idea. It draws too much attention to that issue alone."
-Governor Mitt Romney, Holderness, NH Nov. 10, 2007
(Click to read entire article: Romney Aides Oppose Speech on Religion)

The solution to Governor Romney's dilemma is to give a speech on moral peril, on the lack of morality being institutionalized in the U.S. culture everywhere. In such a speech, he can draw attention to the fact that amorality is the real enemy and that his religion, Mormonism, is strongly allied with Evangelical Christianity in fighting the real enemy. (Amorality: without moral sense or principles; incapable of distinguishing between right and wrong.)

Here is an example of such a speech: Mitt Romney's Remarkable Speech to All Christians


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"Romney Loves Give and Take"

In the News

The Man Who Wants To Fix Washington

By: Fred Barnes
The Weekly Standard

"Romney took from his Harvard years a way of thinking and making decisions that he has applied relentlessly through two decades as a business executive, three as CEO and savior of the 2002 Winter Olympics, four as governor of Massachusetts, and now for a year as a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination. If elected president, Romney intends to apply this approach in Washington." ...

"Romney is not primarily a politician. He's a successful corporate executive with a second career in politics – a second career similar to Ronald Reagan's. He still slips into business consultant lingo, talking (at least to me) about 'the breakthrough insight' and a person's 'skill set' and 'the selection, motivation, and guidance of people.'

"And because his résumé is heavy on business and relatively light on politics, the political community, the press, and presidential scholars are dubious of his qualifications for the presidency. Stephen Hess of the Brookings Institution says his 'hunch' is that the business sector is 'a very bad place' for picking up what's required to be an effective president. "I'm not so sure.

Romney is extremely smart, confident as a decision maker, and adept at finding grounds for agreement. His idea of the perfect deal is not when one side wins but when 'you find a new alternative that everybody agrees is the right way to go. That doesn't always happen.' Not in Washington anyway – Romney understands this. 'Business and government are different,' he told me. "

Unlike everyone else running for president, though, Romney has a new method for solving problems and taking on difficult issues. Sure, it's a process that was developed outside of government, but Romney honed it in the cutthroat world of business consulting and corporate turnarounds, compared to which the fighting in Washington is tame.

Do Hillary Clinton or John Edwards or Fred Thompson or John McCain have anything better to offer? All they have are agendas. Romney has one of those, too." ...

"The Romney way is very simple. It consists of attacking a problem or considering an issue or policy through vigorous debate, with dissenting opinions encouraged and outside advice eagerly sought, and relying on as much hard data as possible.

At the end of the process, the leader makes a decision that may or may not coincide with the 'vision' or 'concept' or 'framework' - Romney's words - that initiated the discussion in the first place. "Here's how Romney describes the process:

"You diagnose the problem. You put the right team together to solve the problem. You listen to alternative viewpoints. You insist on gathering data before you make decisions and analyze the data looking for trends. The result of this process is, you hope, that you make better decisions. You typically also have processes in place to see if it's working or not working, and you make adjustments from time to time.

"That's it. Romney loves the give-and-take. 'I have to see conflict,' he says. 'The last thing you want is people coming in saying "We all agree. Here's the recommendation." I know I don't want to proceed on that basis.' As governor of Massachusetts, Romney balked at extending Boston's mass transit system until he'd heard the case against it. Once he had, he decided to approve the extension.

"Romney used this method of analysis and decision-making for six years with Bain Consulting in Boston, where his task was reviving failing companies. He used it again for 15 years when he headed Bain Capital, which specialized in investing in start-ups and late-stage turnarounds. Romney emphasized it while keeping the scandal-plagued 2002 Winter Olympics in Utah from collapsing and later in putting together a health insurance plan for Massachusetts that covered all the state's uninsured and got the overwhelmingly Democratic legislature and Senator Ted Kennedy to sign on." ...

"One more thing. Romney believes getting the right people on your team is crucial. 'I like smart people,' he wrote in Turnaround, his chronicle of saving the Winter Olympics. 'Bill Bain, my old boss, used to joke that most things can be fixed, but smart – or dumb – is forever.' Romney has a knack for persuading smart people to leave lucrative jobs to work for him for less pay.

"Now, the overriding question about Romney is whether his approach would work in a Washington bitterly divided along partisan and ideological lines. Romney thinks so - no surprise there - and he cites as evidence his success in working with Democrats in Massachusetts. They were happy to share credit with the governor. The viciously partisan Democrats who control Congress wouldn't be so complaisant.

"But by treating every issue as a problem to be solved, I suspect Romney could make headway on domestic policy, even on divisive issues like Social Security, health care, and immigration." ...

"Besides rigorous analysis, he says he'd bring the 'can do' spirit of the business community to a Romney presidency. 'I have spent a lifetime getting things done,' he told a crowd in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, recently. 'In the private sector if all you do is talk, you get fired.' The implication, of course, is that all Washington does is talk." ...

"As a presidential candidate, Romney has sought to take the same position on foreign affairs he would if he were president. "Two examples. When President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran visited New York in September, Romney wanted to take a strong stand, but he found in discussion with advisers that his options were limited. Several advisers recommended he urge the State Department to deny Ahmadinejad a visa, but it emerged in the analysis-and-debate session that this would be illegal.

The president is required by law to allow foreign leaders to attend meetings at the United Nations in New York. Instead Romney publicly said that Ahmadinejad should be disinvited from addressing the U.N.'s general assembly and from appearing at Columbia University. And he should be indicted under the U.N.'s Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide for advocating the destruction of Israel.

This, in effect, is Romney's presidential position. "The second example occurred on Romney's trip to Israel last January. He arranged to visit the fence along the West Bank and was surprised by the reluctance of Israeli military officers to defend the building of the barrier. Romney asked the number of terrorist attacks before and after the fence was erected. Romney, an aide says, is 'a before and after guy' in making judgments. When told attacks had dropped to zero, Romney said the Israelis shouldn't be apologetic about the fence. If the United States had faced the same terrorist threat, 'we'd have built it 10 feet higher and called it a wall.'"...

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Paul Weyrich: Why I Endorse Gov. Mitt Romney

The Romney Difference

By: Paul Weyrich
The Washington Times

"Why did I endorse Gov. Mitt Romney for president of the United States? Let me count the ways. But first let me comment on the Mormon question. Nearly every critical message against my endorsement used the governor's Mormon religion as the reason I should not have done so. If we were endorsing Mr. Romney for head of the Southern Baptist Convention, or in my case as head of the synod of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, the objections of these Evangelical Christians would be wholly appropriate. But we are not.

"The issue here is simply this: Is Mr. Romney competent to be president of this great country? Indeed he is. Mr. Romney has the experience, vision and values to be president."

... "Now, to my reasons for endorsing the governor: First, the winning coalition for conservatives consists of defense and economic and social principles. The governor holds all of these principles dear. In the defense arena, Mr. Romney is a strong supporter of missile defense." ...

"Second, he is a strong believer in the free enterprise system. Mr. Romney understands that Americans are taxed too much. Mr. Romney, just as John F. Kennedy, Mr. Reagan and President Bush, understands that tax cuts propel our economy forward, while at the same time bringing additional revenue to the treasury, since more businesses are employing more workers who, in turn, are paying more taxes.

"And third, on the social issues front, the governor supports the Federal Marriage Amendment and the Right to Life Amendment. He is also sound on other social issues, such as stem-cell research.

"That brings me to another point: Mr. Romney listens. We don't agree on everything. I don't know of any candidate with whom I agree on absolutely everything. The governor gives me the opportunity to make my views known to him. He is open to reasonable argument." ...

"I thought long and hard before contacting the Romney folks about an endorsement. That's right. I went to the governor first. I am confident I will never regret my decision."

Paul M. Weyrich is Chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Research and Education Foundation.

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Romney Agenda: Blueprint to Restrain Government Spending

The Romney Agenda: A Conservative Blueprint To Restrain Government Spending


"This is a time where America has to finally make sure that we're not spending more than we're taking in. And we've been on a binge over these last couple of decades, and it's important for us to rein in spending." – Governor Romney (Fox News' "Hannity & Colmes," 4/4/07)


BLUEPRINT #1: Vetoing Appropriations That Exceed Spending Targets: Governor Romney Will Veto Appropriations Bills That Exceed Spending Targets. He will veto any non-defense appropriations bill that grows spending at a rate greater than inflation minus one percent (CPI-1%). This should be considered the minimum amount of spending reductions. This will save $300 billion over 10 years.



BLUEPRINT #2: Reevaluating All Federal Spending Programs: Governor Romney Will Lead An Effort To Review And Reevaluate All Federal Spending Programs. His administration will undertake an exhaustive review of each individual federal program with the goal to eliminate and consolidate programs that are no longer useful or are bureaucratic and unwieldy. Federal spending programs do not have a right to immortality, and should not enjoy automatic increases year after year.



BLUEPRINT #3: Giving The President The Line-Item Veto Power: Governor Romney Believes The President Needs The Line-Item Veto Power Again. As Governor, he had line-item authority, and often used it to trim or eliminate individual appropriations. Restoring this power to the President would allow us to make tremendous strides in eliminating earmarks and cutting inefficient programs.


- Click Here To Read Governor Romney's Top 10 Line-Item Vetoes While Serving In Massachusetts.


BLUEPRINT #4: Reforming Entitlements: Governor Romney Will Work To Reform Entitlement Programs. In a forthright and bipartisan manner, Governor Romney will work with Congress to address the looming budget crisis caused by increased entitlement spending.



BLUEPRINT #5: Restoring The Supermajority Requirement: Governor Romney Has Called On Congress To Re-Impose A Three-Fifths (60%) Supermajority Requirement To Raise Taxes. While Governor Romney is committed to lowering taxes, and as President will fight any proposed tax increase, he recognizes that all steps must be taken to prevent tax hikes. Congress should not be able to increase taxes on a political whim and with a simple majority. Making it even harder to attempt to increase taxes will help impose the fiscal discipline we need to stop overspending.



BLUEPRINT #6: Giving The President Additional Flexibility To Cut Spending: Governor Romney Proposes Giving The Executive Branch The Authority To Spend Up To 25% Less Than Congress Appropriates. Governor Romney believes the President has an important role to play in the budget process, but that Presidential authority has been unjustifiably curbed in recent decades. With the proliferation of earmarks and with Congress unwilling to make tough spending choices, it is clear we need to re-insert the President into the budget process. The amount of money Congress tells the President to spend should be a spending ceiling, not a final price tag.



Read Governor Romney's Full Strategy For A Stronger America:



To read more about Governor Romney's agenda to change Washington, please click on the Strategy for a Stronger America , a compilation of his policy proposals for conservative change and to meet the new generation of challenges confronting our nation. Since January 2007, Governor Romney has outlined more than 50 different policy proposals. From defeating violent Jihadists to protecting traditional values, Governor Romney believes we can build a stronger America by taking Washington apart and putting it back together based on conservative principles that strengthen our national defense, our economy and our families.

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The Romney Record on Immigration Laws

The Romney Record:

A Record Of Enforcing Our Immigration Laws

In Massachusetts, Governor Mitt Romney Took Action To Enforce Immigration Laws:

ENFORCEMENT:

In December 2006, Governor Romney Signed A Memorandum Of Agreement With The Federal Government To Allow State Law Enforcement To Enforce Federal Immigration Laws. "Governor Mitt Romney and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Secretary Julie L. Myers today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and ICE, which will give specially trained Massachusetts State Troopers the authority to administer and enforce federal immigration laws in the Commonwealth." (Office Of Governor Mitt Romney, "Governor Romney, ICE Sign Immigration Enforcement Pact," Press Release, 12/13/06)

- Governor Romney: "The scope of our nation's illegal immigration problem requires us to pursue and implement new solutions wherever possible. ... State troopers are highly trained professionals who are prepared to assist the federal government in apprehending immigration violators without disrupting their normal law enforcement routines." (Jonathan Saltzman, "Romney OK's Pact So Troopers Can Arrest Illegal Immigrants," The Boston Globe, 12/14/06)

- In June 2006, Governor Romney Announced That He Would Seek A 287G Agreement With The Federal Government. "Days after Attorney General Tom Reilly reaffirmed his promise not to hunt down companies that hire illegal immigrants, Gov. Mitt Romney has decided to take matters into his own hands. Romney, who is considering a run for president in 2008, has asked his legal counsel to explore the possibility of entering into an agreement with the federal government that would authorize state troopers to arrest illegal immigrants, said spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom yesterday. " (Rebecca Fater, "Romney: State Troopers Should Have Power To Arrest Illegal Immigrants," Lowell Sun, 6/22/06)

IN-STATE TUITION:

Governor Romney Vetoed In-State Tuition For Illegal Immigrants. "Romney also vetoed a number of outside sections of the budget, including:...A plan that would have permitted illegal aliens to pay the same in-state tuition rate at our public colleges and universities as Massachusetts citizens." (Office Of Governor Mitt Romney, "Romney Signs $22.402B Fiscal Year 2005 'No New Tax' Budget," Press Release, 6/25/04)

- Governor Romney: "The point is pretty clear, which is are we going to have an incentive that taxpayers pay for individuals to come into our schools and get a break on tuition, or are we not? And in my view we follow the law. And if you believe we should change the law, then do that. But don't say that we have a law and then don't follow it." (Fox News' "Hannity & Colmes, 11/2/05)

DRIVER'S LICENCES:

Governor Romney Opposed Efforts To Give Driver's Licenses To Illegal Immigrants. "'Those who are here illegally should not receive tacit support from our government that gives an indication of legitimacy,' the governor said, echoing arguments that opponents have voiced in the Commonwealth and in other states considering similar license measures. 'If they are here illegally, they should not get driver's licenses,' he said." (Scott S. Greenberger, "Romney Stand Dims Chances Of License For Undocumented," The Boston Globe, 10/28/03)

ENGLISH IMMERSION:

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 June 2002, Mitt Romney Said "The Approach Of English Immersion Is One That I Support. ... I Would Make English Immersion The Educational Norm For All Non-Native English Speakers." (John McElhenny, "Mitt Romney Endorses 'English Immersion' Education Plan," The Associated Press, 6/4/02)

Governor Romney's Plan To Reform Our Immigration System:

To Reform Our Immigration System, Governor Romney Will:

- Secure The Border. Governor Romney will follow through on the Congressional commitment to build a physical and technological fence along the southern border, and secure other points of entry throughout the country. He will also increase border control enforcement and resources. - Implement An Enforceable Employer Verification System. Governor Romney will issue a biometrically-enabled and tamperproof card to non-citizens and create a national database so employers can easily verify the legal status of non-citizens in this country.

- Hold Employers Accountable. Governor Romney will make it easier for employers to verify legal and work authorization status of non-citizens through a federal database. Employers will be held accountable if they hire illegal immigrants with stiffer fines and penalties.

- Reject Amnesty. Governor Romney opposes amnesty or any special path to citizenship for those here illegally. He opposed each version of the McCain-Kennedy legislation as the wrong approach and a form of amnesty. Amnesty did not work 20 years ago, and it will not work today.

- End The Magnet Of "Sanctuary Cities." Governor Romney will cut back federal funding to cities that are "sanctuaries" for illegal immigrants and refuse to comply with federal law or aid federal law enforcement. Sanctuary cities tell those who are here illegally that the laws of this country do not matter and become magnets for illegal immigration.

- Oppose Any Special Benefits For Illegal Immigrants. Governor Romney opposes giving driver's licenses or in-state tuition to those here illegally. He believes states should not provide those types of incentives. As President, he will cut back federal funding to states that do so. - Promote State And Local Partnerships With Federal Immigration Officials. Governor Romney believes more state and local authorities should work with the federal government to enforce immigration laws. This builds off of his experience in Massachusetts where he deputized the State Police to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and enforce federal immigration laws.

- Improve Interior Enforcement. Governor Romney will provide additional resources to enforce existing immigration laws throughout the nation. We cannot be serious about our immigration laws until we provide the resources needed to enforce them. Governor Romney supports the Administration's steps to strengthen the enforcement of our current immigration laws.

- Encourage Legal Immigration. Governor Romney will streamline the visa system to recruit and retain skilled workers in high demand by U.S. companies. He will also welcome the best and the brightest from around the world to our universities. We must stop illegal immigration so we can encourage legal immigration.


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Ann Romney - Future First Lady

Ann Romney, wife of Governor Mitt Romney, will be an active First Lady, working with at-risk youth and giving her support to many other issues. She was visiting her home state of Michigan recently and gave this interview.

Ann Romney interview on WJBK-FOX in Detroit, Michigan



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Romney: Support Our Troops

Governor Mitt Romney's salute and tribute to those who keep America safe and free, on this Veteran's Day



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Romney's Competitive Position in the Early States

Mayor Giuliani’s “momentum-proof” national polling lead, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny all walk into a bar…

You’re right. None of them exist.

Why the “frontrunner” label and fifty cents won’t even get you a cup of coffee nowadays:

Mayor Giuliani continues to hang his hat on national polls that show him garnering around 30 percent support, yet fully 100 percent of the electorate knows who he is. That is a very big gulf to have between the number of voters that know him and the number that actually support him.

National poll samples are largely a reflection of name awareness at this point in the campaign. The polls taken of voters in the early primary states reflect the opinions of voters who are the most engaged and most informed about the candidates. For Mayor Giuliani to have 100 percent of Iowa voters know who he is, yet only around 11 percent of those voters support him...that's a major problem for his candidacy.

The latest polls out in New Hampshire , Florida and South Carolina show that Governor Romney is perfectly positioned to be competitive in the early election contests.

The latest New Hampshire poll numbers from the University of New Hampshire and Marist College indicate that Governor Romney’s frequent travel to the Granite State —coupled with a message focused on his strong record of fiscal responsibility—has earned the campaign a competitive position with voters there. Here’s how the race has shaped up:
A contrast has emerged between Governor Romney and the other candidates in the field:

-Governor Romney’s message of lower taxes, his promise to cut wasteful spending and his support for the line-item veto have helped voters identify with him, as opposed to other candidates who have proposed tax hikes, voted against tax relief and brought lawsuits against the line-item veto in order to protect pork barrel spending and earmarks.

-Governor Romney has also continued to advocate his opposition to sanctuary cities policies that Mayor Giuliani embraced in New York City .

The competitive position in the New Hampshire surveys also comes at a time when other campaigns are now spending resources in the state with radio and TV advertising, in addition to direct mail efforts. Governor Romney still maintains his position even though Rudy Giuliani and John McCain are competing on the airwaves with their own radio and television advertising campaigns.

Meanwhile, in the South…

Recent Florida and South Carolina polls also show that Governor Romney’s attention to those states has helped a positive trend line emerge, putting the campaign in a more competitive position in states that are next up on the calendar after the traditional early states of Iowa and New Hampshire.

52 Days to Iowa …But Who’s Counting?

There is very little doubt that the contests in these early primary states will continue to tighten as we draw closer to the caucuses and primaries. With Governor Romney’s current position, it is inevitable that rival campaigns will train their crosshairs on the governor in an attempt to tear down his current competitive position in the early states. In other words: Here come the attacks in the form of paid advertising.

But, our goal of attaining a competitive position in the early primary states is currently secure. The next few months will be dedicated to staying in a competitive position in the early primary states, introducing Governor Romney and his platform of ideas to more and more Republican voters and building out our national campaign infrastructure as we work towards securing the Republican nomination.

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Romney Plans Change in Washington

In the News

Consultant in Chief

What Mitt Romney seems to have in mind is a turnaround project for Washington

BY BRIAN M. CARNEY
Opinion Journal

"I love data." Mitt Romney has been speaking for less than two minutes when he makes this profession.

The former Massachusetts governor is meeting with the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal to discuss his campaign for the presidency. And he starts not with the economy, "global jihad" or the country as a whole, but with himself.

While some have questioned Mr. Romney's authenticity, the immediate impression he gives is that he speaks straight from the heart. Especially where data are concerned. "I used to call it 'wallowing in the data,' " Mr. Romney continues. "Let me see the data. I want to see the client's data, the competitors' data. I want to see all the data."

This is not only a description of his approach to business. It sums up his political outlook: "You may ask me questions about topics that I haven't studied in depth. I'll be happy to give you my assessment of what I think at this point. But before I would actually make a decision on a very important topic, I would really study it in depth."

At one level, this is a caveat so obvious that most politicians wouldn't bother offering it. But Mr. Romney gives the impression that this is a methodological first principle so important to how he does things that he wants everyone he meets to understand it about him.

Having established his biography, he turns without pause to the question, which he asks himself, "Why am I running for president?"
The answer to this question is as abstract as his overture was personal. The "I" in the question seems to disappear: "I think what America faces now are extraordinary challenges, which, if we deal with appropriately, will allow us to remain the world's military and economic superpower for an indefinite period of time."

Mr. Romney does then introduce a personal element, but it's not his own person. "If we instead take the course that Hillary Clinton would prescribe," he warns, "it would lead to America becoming the France of this century--having started as a superpower, ending up as a second-tier power."

Those challenges include: "global jihad" and "the emergence of Asia as an economic challenge." On the domestic front, he lists: "entitlement-driven financial distress," "overuse of foreign oil" and "the inability of our school system to prepare our kids for the jobs of today, let alone tomorrow." To that, Mr. Romney adds, "the inability of the health-care system to rein in the explosive growth in costs." Needless to say, he thinks "we have a good prospect of solving all of them and remaining the world's power."

Those, then, are the problems that, in his word, "drive" him. And it's a pretty good list. But rather than explain why he is the person to solve them, Mr. Romney shifts gears to talk about himself in another sense.

Politicians don't like to describe themselves as ideological, but most have a core of political precepts. Mr. Romney describes his thus: "Obviously, I have--just like in the consulting world--I have 'concepts' that I believe. I believe the free market works and government doesn't--that when government takes over a function which can be effectively managed in the free market, we make a huge mistake. I think government is almost by necessity inefficient, inflexible, duplicative, wasteful, expensive and burdensome." This is fairly traditional small-government, free-market conservative talk--or would be, if it weren't framed as a "concept," like those used in consulting.

Which makes it seem at first a curious way to describe why one is running for president of the United States and leader of the free world. But it turns out to be a perfect encapsulation of the Romney campaign.

Mr. Romney spent a decade as a consultant, and later ran a private equity concern that grew out of that. For most of his adult life, then, Mr. Romney has been figuring out how to run businesses better. It is not much of a stretch to say that he views the federal government as just one more candidate for a data-driven makeover.

In fact, it may not be a stretch at all. When asked for details about how he would reduce the size of government if elected, he mentions two things: The organizational chart of the executive branch, and consultants. "There's no corporation in America that would have a CEO, no COO, just a CEO, with 30 direct reports."

Running a government organized like this is, he explains, impossible. "So I would probably have super-cabinet secretaries, or at least some structure that McKinsey would guide me to put in place." He seems to catch a note of surprise in his audience, but he presses on: "I'm not kidding, I probably would bring in McKinsey. . . . I would consult with the best and the brightest minds, whether it's McKinsey, Bain, BCG or Jack Welch."

This is not a new idea. The New Democrats too became enamored of the idea of "reinventing government," and Al Gore extolled the potential to making government work more like business as vice president. Except in that case, the larger goal was to show that government need not be sclerotic, bloated and inefficient. Mr. Romney seems to view it more as a turnaround project--trim the fat, reduce expenditure and shrink the organization.
Mr. Romney's data-driven world-view, however, really stands out when he starts talking foreign policy. In a debate last month, he responded to a question about the president's legal authority to attack Iran by saying, "You sit down with your attorneys" and figure out what authority you have.

But this was not merely a dodge--if it had been, it would have been a clumsy one at best. It was a glimpse into the workings of Mr. Romney's mind. At his meeting in our offices this week, he was asked how Candidate Romney would respond upon learning that President Bush had launched an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.

"I would hope that the president would have outlined a great deal of information," was Mr. Romney's response. "I have very little information, for instance, on: How many nuclear facilities are there? Where are they? Can we take them out? Can we not? What is the capacity of the Iranian military to respond? Are our 160,000 troops in Iraq safe, or are they going to get hit?" Coming from someone else, it might sound like evasion.

But given Mr. Romney's habits of mind, it sounded, instead, perfectly natural. He continued: "It's such a wide array of information I'd need to know whether something is a good idea or a bad idea. . . . So it depends."

He then proceeded to outline examples of good and bad scenarios for attacking before coming around, at last, to what passes for a traditional political assessment of the situation, to wit: He thinks sanctions could still work if we can get other nations on board, and if we can pressure Iran diplomatically and economically, "then I think we have a good shot of getting Iran to behave more responsibly."

The charge that Mr. Romney lacks "authenticity" emerges from the fact that he has flip-flopped over the years, especially on social issues. He famously tried to run to the left of Ted Kennedy on some of those issues in his unsuccessful 1994 Senate race. At that time, he also expressly disavowed being a "Reagan-Bush" Republican.
These days, of course, Mr. Romney is right with "the base" on abortion, same-sex marriage and the whole panoply of "social" issues, which has led to suspicions that Mr. Romney, the businessman, is simply tailoring the product, himself, to the customer--then, the Massachusetts electorate, and now, the national Republican Party.

The impression he gives in person is not, however, that of a salesman tailoring his message to his audience. It is, instead, precisely the person he described in the opening moments of our meeting: A man who goes first to the data, who refers to what some would call their "core beliefs" as "concepts."

At any rate, his response to a question about his former disdain for "Reagan-Bush" is consistent with that version of the man. "Reagan gets a lot smarter the older I get," he allows. He then explains what bothered him then: "I was concerned about what seemed to be looming deficits and inability to rein in spending in those days. And as time has gone on, I've recognized that he was brilliant and did the right thing for our economy. And so I may not have been entirely in sync with Reagan-Bush back at the time, but as time has gone on, I think what they proposed was smarter and smarter."

Framed in that way, what was a flip-flop becomes an openness to reconsider former positions. That may not do much to mollify those who worry about his ideological reliability--he's changed his views before, so what's to stop him from changing them again? But it is a kind of Romneyian consistency--belief in what works, belief in praxis over abstract theory or ideology.

This frame of mind seems to make politics both a befuddlement and a great challenge for the businessman in Mr. Romney. "My wife says," he explains, "that watching Washington is like watching two guys in a canoe on a fast-moving river headed to a waterfall and they're not paddling, they're just arguing. As they get closer to the waterfall, they'll finally start to paddle."

That's characteristically optimistic. But in business, most of the time, everyone agrees on the goal, or which way the waterfall is. The goal is profits at a minimum, and ideally growth too. In politics, the two men in the canoe are probably arguing because they can't agree which way to paddle. Mr. Romney encountered this while governor of Massachusetts, as he acknowledges when describing how he vetoed certain elements of the state's health-care reform law, only to have his vetoes overridden.

And then there is the fact that, in his words, "government is almost by necessity inefficient, inflexible, duplicative, wasteful, expensive and burdensome." And yet he speaks hopefully of whittling down the "342 economic-development programs in this country," the 13 teenage [pregnancy] prevention programs" and the like.


It probably takes a consultant to believe that we have 342 economic-development programs because no one ever hired a consultant to explain that maybe one, or five, or none, would do. And even Mr. Romney is not that naive. There is even something attractive about a politician who is driven by the facts of the case; an excess of ideology is never appealing, and in the worst cases leads to fanaticism of the ugliest sort.

The question for the electorate is whether Mitt Romney is the man of the hour. But when asked whether his "nuts-and-bolts" approach can possibly succeed in an ideological, divided age, he returns to the nuts and bolts.

"I think I'm the only guy who can win the general election," he explains. "That may seem strange, but I think it's going to take someone from outside Washington to win. I think it's going to take someone who's not a lifelong politician to win . . ." Then he goes tactical: "Of course we have to win Florida. And I think almost all of the leading contenders could win Florida with the right running mate and the right policies and the right effort.

"But we also have to win Michigan or Ohio. Winning both would be critical. I don't see how you get there without winning Michigan or Ohio. And I can win Michigan, and I may be able to win Ohio too . . ."

At this point, Mr. Romney may have started to worry that it sounded like he was bragging, because he abruptly shifted to a strange form of self-deprecation: "I can win those states--and by the way, not because of me, but because of my dad," he says. George Romney was governor of Michigan in the 1960s. "My dad's reputation is better than mine will ever be in Michigan. His reputation for integrity and can-do accomplishment is what I think helps me win Michigan. And that's what it takes to win the White House."

Mr. Carney is a member of The Wall Street Journal's editorial board.

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The Romney Record: Higher Ethical Standards in Washington

HIGHER ETHICAL STANDARDS IN WASHINGTON

"We can't have ethical standards that are a punch line for Jay Leno. When Republicans act like Democrats, America loses." – Governor Romney (Governor Mitt Romney, Remarks At The Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference, Mackinac Island, MI, 9/22/07)


Governor Romney Believes Officials In Washington Should Live Up To Higher Ethical Standards:

Governor Romney Has Proposed A New Ethics Law That Would Strip Those Who Violate The Public Trust Of Their Government Pensions. "Saying it's time to clean up the ethics in Washington, Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney today said he is proposing to strip pension benefits of any elected official or federal government employee who is convicted of a felony for violating the public trust." (Rod Boshart, "Romney: Time To Shore Up Ethics," Cedar Rapids Gazette, 8/2/07)

Governor Romney: "There are a lot of things about Washington that give me real pause. One, by the way, is just watching the scandalous behavior that has been alleged on both sides of the aisle, but frankly I'm particularly disappointed in our own. … [W]e'll see how many are accurate, but I think we're going to have to find a way to demand a higher standard. There is no excuse for unethical conduct on the part of people who go to Washington to serve this country. One thing I'd like to add, if I'm lucky enough to be President, I will fight for a provision, for a law, which says that if you're convicted of a crime as a government employee or an appointee – you're convicted of a crime that involves violation of the public trust, you've done some kind of abuse of your position – that you get stripped of your pension. A lot of people go [to Washington ] for pensions. We're going to take away their pensions if they violate our trust." (Governor Mitt Romney, Remarks At An Ask Mitt Anything, Urbandale , IA, 8/2/07)

To view Governor Romney's full remarks, please see: www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5atXttLzW0

Governor Romney Will Prohibit Family Members Of Cabinet And Senior Staff Members From Lobbying The Executive Branch.

GOVERNOR ROMNEY: "Presidents lead by example. And so, if I'm elected President, one of my first acts will be to issue an Executive Order prohibiting the immediate family of my Cabinet and Senior Staff from lobbying the Executive Branch. The standard for high ethical conduct has to be set at the top." (Governor Mitt Romney, Remarks At The Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference, Mackinac, MI, 9/22/07)

Governor Romney's Record Of Bringing Higher Ethical Standards To Government:

Governor Romney's Administration "Virtually Scandal Free And Restrained In The Exercise Of Patronage."

"Romney's obsession with maintaining a pure image annoyed many Beacon Hill regulars, but it produced an administration that was virtually scandal free and restrained in the exercise of patronage." ( Brian Mooney, "Taking Office, Remaining An Outsider," The Boston Globe, 6/29/07)

In January 2003, Governor Romney Issued An Executive Order Requiring Those Applying For Executive Branch Positions To Identify Family Members Working In State Government.

"Romney also issued an Executive Order putting in place so-called 'sunshine provisions' requiring new employees to identify family members working in state government. The 'sunshine provisions' in Romney’s Executive Order require individuals applying for positions within the Executive Branch to disclose in writing the names of all immediate family members as well as people related to immediate family members by marriage who serve as employees or elected officials of the Commonwealth. The information will be available to the public upon request." (Office Of Governor Mitt Romney, "Romney Names Professional Human Resources Director," Press Release, 1/9/03)

The Boston Herald: "Gov. Mitt Romney moved yesterday to let the sunshine in on the murky world of state hiring practices – a critical element in restoring public trust in Massachusetts government." (Editorial, "Gov Lets The Sunshine In," The Boston Herald, 1/10/03)

Governor Romney: "Sunshine has a way of clearing up potential ills." (Yvonne Abraham, "Romney Spotlights State Job Kin Ties," The Boston Globe, 1/10/03)

Governor Romney Abolished The Chief Secretary Position, Which In The Past, Had Been Charged With Placing Political Supporters In Jobs Throughout Government.

"Governor Mitt Romney today announced the appointment of Ruth N. Bramson as Director of Human Resources. … The move follows the abolition of the position of Chief Secretary. Previously, the chief secretary was the individual in charge of placing political supporters in jobs throughout state government." (Office Of Governor Mitt Romney, "Romney Names Professional Human Resources Director," Press Release, 1/9/03)

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Illegal Immigration: "That's Gotta Stop"

Take a look at Governor Mitt Romney's newest television ad, "Change Immigration". Help elect Romney as our 44th President and illegal immigration will stop.



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Why Did Pat Robertson Endorse Giuliani?

Why would evangelist Pat Robertson, a conservative Christian leader, endorse Rudy Giulani, a candidate who holds social values opposite to those which Robertson preaches everyday?


The author of Dry Fly Politics blog, thinks the answer is quite clear, and very disturbing.

Why Robertson Endorses Giuliani



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America Needs Romney's Leadership

In the News

America Needs Mitt Romney's Leadership

By: Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH)
New Hampshire Union Leader

"Over the last few months, I have joined you in taking the opportunity to meet the candidates running for the Republican presidential nomination, to learn about their positions on the issues, to meet their families, and to examine their records. This is a critical election that will determine the future course of our country. When evaluating a candidate, we must take into account the full breadth of their experience, vision and values. What I have found is that Mitt Romney is the leader we need in Washington.

"Our country needs Romney's experience in Washington. Throughout his career, he has taken on extraordinary challenges and has succeeded." ...

"It is impossible to meet Romney and not come away with a clear understanding of his vision for the country. For him, it is very simple. It is about keeping America the strongest nation in the world with a strong economy, strong military and strong families.

"Romney's strategy for a stronger America embodies New Hampshire's values. We believe that our government must live within its means and that we should lower taxes to strengthen our economy with good jobs. We believe in protecting our homeland and our families. We believe that our leaders in Washington should stand for principle. We believe in leaders like Mitt Romney.

"I have been particularly impressed with his agenda to cut taxes and spending in Washington. More than any other candidate, he has laid out a conservative blueprint to cut taxes for all Americans and has proposed specific steps needed to end wasteful spending. Change in Washington begins with Congress returning to the principles of fiscal responsibility. I know that Romney will carry that mantle in Washington." ...

"Romney's experiences have taught him that to meet a new generation of challenges, we must call upon the strength of the American people, not increase the size of government. Romney will bring conservative change to Washington by leading Republicans with new ideas, new energy and strong leadership. New Hampshire needs Mitt Romney in Washington."

Judd Gregg is New Hampshire's senior U.S. senator.

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Reactions to Paul Weyrich's Endorsement of Governor Mitt Romney

CBN's David Brody: "This is a big one folks. In a Brody File exclusive, we've found out that Paul Weyrich, the former co-founder of The Moral Majority has endorsed Mitt Romney for President. The Brody File has the press release." (David Brody, "Romney Scores Major Endorsement," Christian Broadcasting Network, 11/5/07)

- Brody: "Where do I begin? Let me start by saying that Paul Weyrich is a huge name in the social conservative movement. If you know anything about the conservative movement in this country in the last 30 years or so, you know how big a deal this is." (David Brody, "Romney Scores Major Endorsement," Christian Broadcasting Network, 11/5/07)

- Brody: "Plus, by getting a social conservative guy like Weyrich on board, it gives the Romney campaign a big leap forward to be able to say that Romney is serious about moving a pro-family, traditional value agenda as President." (David Brody, "Romney Scores Major Endorsement," Christian Broadcasting Network, 11/5/07)

The Washington Times' Donald Lambro: "The presidential bid of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was endorsed yesterday by conservative leader Paul Weyrich, one of the first major figures among social conservatives to support one of the GOP's top contenders." (Donald Lambro, "Weyrich Backs Romney For '08," The Washington Times, 11/6/07)

CNN's Wolf Blitzer: "Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is touting a new and coveted endorsement meant to bolster his standing with conservatives." (CNN's "Situation Room," 11/5/07)

Fox News' Brit Hume: "Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has picked up the endorsement of long-time conservative leader Paul Weyrich, who helped found Moral Majority and started the Heritage Foundation. Weyrich says Romney already has an exceptional record of putting conservative values to work." (Fox News' "Special Report," 11/5/07)

The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder: "Paul Weyrich is one of those conservatives whose name means something to other conservatives and whose pedigree imparts upon the recipient of his endorsement a layer of respect." (Marc Ambinder, "Paul Weyrich Endorses Mitt Romney," The Atlantic, 11/5/07)

The Politico's Jonathan Martin: "Making inroads among the ranks of conservative elites, Mitt Romney's campaign has won the backing of Free Congress founder Paul Weyrich." (Jonathan Martin, "Romney Gets Weyrich," The Politico, 11/5/07)

The New York Times' Michael Luo: "Mitt Romney has landed a much-coveted endorsement from the social conservative world: Paul Weyrich, chairman of the Free Congress Foundation and one of the founders back in the day of the Moral Majority." (Michael Luo, "Romney Lands Big Endorsement," The New York Times' "The Caucus," 11/5/07)

The Boston Globe's Michael Levenson: "Paul M. Weyrich, considered by many to be the father of the modern religious conservative movement, yesterday became the latest in a string of prominent conservative leaders to endorse Mitt Romney for president." (Michael Levenson, "Romney Wins Backing From Paul Weyrich," The Boston Globe, 11/6/07)

The Boston Globe's Foon Rhee: "Mitt Romney today snagged a major endorsement from a pivotal figure for social conservatives." (Foon Rhee, "Romney Gets Big Endorsement," The Boston Globe's "Political Intelligence," 11/5/07)

Los Angeles Times' Andrew Malcolm: "Score another touchdown for Mitt Romney in the Republican struggle for the party's conservative family values base." (Andrew Malcolm, "Breaking News: Romney Reaps Big Conservative Endorsement," Los Angeles Times' "Top Of The Ticket," 11/5/07)

- Malcolm: "... [T]his adds substantially to a sense of conservative momentum toward Romney." (Andrew Malcolm, "Breaking News: Romney Reaps Big Conservative Endorsement," Los Angeles Times' "Top Of The Ticket," 11/5/07)

The Hill's Sam Youngman: "The man credited with coining the phrase 'Moral Majority,' leading conservative Paul Weyrich, is endorsing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's (R) bid for president." (Sam Youngman, "Romney Scores Key Conservative Backing," The Hill, 11/5/07)

- Youngman: "Weyrich's backing is a major coup for Romney..." (Sam Youngman, "Romney Scores Key Conservative Backing," The Hill, 11/5/07)

The Wall Street Journal: "Mitt Romney picked up the endorsement of influential conservative Paul Weyrich, head of the Free Congress Research and Education Foundation and co-founder of the Heritage Foundation. ... His endorsement gives Romney a boost as he heads into primary season." ("Romney Gets Major Endorsement," The Wall Street Journal's "Washington Wire," 11/5/07)

National Review Online's Jim Geraghty: "The endorsements just keep coming for Mitt Romney. Today, Paul Weyrich." (Jim Geraghty, "Weyrich Backs Romney," National Review's "The Campaign Spot," 11/5/07)

The American Spectator's Philip Klein: "A major pickup." (Philip Klein, "Paul Weyrich Endorses Romney," The American Spectator, 11/5/07)

Hot Air's Bryan Preston: "Endorsements don't mean as much as they once did, but this one strikes me as a big deal. ... Weyrich is among the handful of activists who can claim to have been present at the founding of the social conservative movement, and he's endorsing Romney." (Bryan Preston, "Moral Majority Co-Founder Paul Weyrich Endorses Mitt Romney," Hot Air, 11/5/07)

Americans For Tax Reform President Grover Norquist: "This is a significant boon for the Romney campaign. ... Weyrich's endorsement will speak loudly to conservatives in general - guys who care about guns and taxes and everything else, but especially religious conservatives." (Michael Levenson, "Romney Wins Backing From Paul Weyrich," The Boston Globe, 11/6/07)

In The Headlines:

The Associated Press: "Longtime Conservative Leader Backs Romney For President." (Glen Johnson, "Longtime Conservative Leader Backs Romney For President," The Associated Press, 11/5/07)

The Boston Globe: "Romney Gets Big Endorsement." (Foon Rhee, "Romney Gets Big Endorsement," The Boston Globe's "Political Intelligence," 11/5/07)

CBN: "Romney Scores Major Endorsement." (David Brody, "Romney Scores Major Endorsement," Christian Broadcasting Network, 11/5/07)

CNN: "Prominent Conservative Backs Romney." (Mark Preston, "Prominent Conservative Backs Romney," CNN, 11/5/07)

The Hill: "Romney Scores Key Conservative Backing." (Sam Youngman, "Romney Scores Key Conservative Backing," The Hill, 11/5/07)

Los Angeles Times: "Breaking News: Romney Reaps Big Conservative Endorsement." (Andrew Malcolm, "Breaking News: Romney Reaps Big Conservative Endorsement," Los Angeles Times' "Top Of The Ticket," 11/5/07)

The New York Times: "Romney Lands Big Endorsement." (Michael Luo, "Romney Lands Big Endorsement," The New York Times' "The Caucus," 11/5/07)

Townhall: "It's Official: Romney Is The Social Conservative Alternative." (Matt Lewis, "It's Official: Romney Is The Social Conservative Alternative," Townhall, 11/5/07)

The Wall Street Journal: "Romney Gets Major Endorsement." ("Romney Gets Major Endorsement," The Wall Street Journal's "Washington Wire," 11/5/07)

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Romney Picks Up a Major Endorsement

Paul Weyrich Endorses Governor Mitt Romney

Boston, MA – Today, Paul Weyrich, Chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Research and Education Foundation, announced his support for Governor Mitt Romney and his campaign to be our country's next President.

Paul Weyrich is one of the premier leaders in the conservative movement, having founded the Heritage Foundation and the American Legislative Exchange Council.

"As he travels across the country, Governor Romney has outlined a blueprint to build a stronger America rooted in our common conservative principles. With a clear conservative vision to move America forward, he will strengthen our economy, our military and our families. More importantly, he already has an exceptional record of putting conservative values to work. Because of his experience, vision and values, I am proud to support Governor Romney," said Paul Weyrich.

With today's announcement, Governor Romney said, "Paul Weyrich has put his stamp on the conservative movement in this country. It is an honor to have his support and counsel. Through our efforts, we can work to ensure that Washington always stands on the side of building stronger American families."

Background On Paul Weyrich: Paul Weyrich Is The Chairman And CEO Of The Free Congress Research And Education Foundation. He served as the Foundation's President from 1977 to 2002 and as President of the Foundation's Kreible Institute from 1989 to 1996. He is a founder and past director of the American Legislative Exchange Council, the founding president of the Heritage Foundation and the current National Chairman of Coalitions for America. Weyrich is a regular guest on daily radio and television talk shows. He has published policy reports, journal and editorials on a variety of conservative issues. He has been married since 1963 to the former Joyce Smigun, is the father of five children, and serves as a deacon in his church.

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Project 44

Donate $44 to help elect our 44th President!

Mitt Romney for President

DONATE NOW

"Over the years, I have watched a number of people live out their lives in shallow water. In the shallows, life is all about yourself -- your job, your money, your rights, your needs, your ideas, your comforts. In the deeper waters, life is about others -- spouse, family, friends, faith, community, country. In the deep waters, there are challenging ideas, opposing opinions, protracted battles of consequence. . . Some of you will be tempted to stay near shore, where there are no big breakers and where you will never make any waves. Others will push beyond the sandbar, pursuing new frontiers, exploring new ideas, driving to achieve, to learn, to influence, to contribute. . . You cross into the deep waters by serving in your church, in your community, in the military, in government or in volunteer service."

~ Mitt Romney, Regent University Commencement Address, May 5, 2007


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The Romney Vision - Nuclear Iran "Unacceptable"

A NUCLEAR IRAN IS "UNACCEPTABLE"
A Policy Of Strength, Not Dining With Dictators

"We are long past the time for political correctness and accommodation of Ahmadinejad's and his regime's outrageous rhetoric and support for terror. It is time to speak clearly and frankly, to strengthen alliances and build new ones, and to act with unity and decisiveness against a regime that threatens to reintroduce the world to the horrors of nuclear devastation and genocide." – Gov. Mitt Romney (Romney For President, Press Release, 9/24/07)

THE ROMNEY VISION: DEFEATING THE JIHADIST THREAT THROUGH STRENGTH

Gov. Romney Supports All Options To Prevent A Nuclear Iran:

Gov. Romney Believes It Is "Unacceptable" For Iran To Have Nuclear Weapons. "[Gov. Romney] added: 'That's an option that's on the table. And it's is not something which we'll spell out specifically. I really can't lay out exactly how that would be done, but we have a number of options from blockade to bombardment of some kind. And that's something we very much have to keep on the table, and we will ready ourselves to be able to take, because, frankly, I think it's unacceptable for Iran to have nuclear weapons.'" (Glen Johnson, "Romney: 'Bombardment' Of Iran Must Be Option To Stop It Getting Nuclear Weapons," The Associated Press, 10/25/07)

- Gov. Romney: "If For Some Reasons They Continue Down Their Course Of Folly Toward Nuclear Ambition, Then I Would Take Military Action If That's Available To Us." (Glen Johnson, "Romney: 'Bombardment' Of Iran Must Be Option To Stop It Getting Nuclear Weapons," The Associated Press, 10/25/07)

Gov. Romney Has A Comprehensive Plan To Prevent A Nuclear Iran:

Gov. Romney Is The Only Presidential Candidate Who Has Proposed A Comprehensive Plan To Prevent A Nuclear Iran. "In January 2007 at the Herzilya Conference In Israel Governor Romney outlined a plan that will tighten economic sanctions against the Iranian regime, isolate Iran diplomatically and indict Iran's President Ahmadinejad for inciting genocide, enlist Arab states to join our efforts, make clear to the Iranian people the peril of acquiring nuclear capabilities, and maintain the military option." (Romney For President, "Defeating The Jihadist Threat," Press Release, 10/17/07)

- Click Here To Read Governor Romney's Remarks On His Iran Strategy.

SEN. OBAMA: TAKE OPTIONS OFF THE TABLE, SIT DOWN WITH DICTATORS

Sen. Barack Obama Would Not Take A Strong Stance On Stopping A Nuclear Iran:

Sen. Obama Suggests He Doesn't Support Regime Change In Iran. "Senator Barack Obama says he would 'engage in aggressive personal diplomacy' with Iran if elected president and would offer economic inducements and a possible promise not to seek 'regime change' if Iran stopped meddling in Iraq and cooperated on terrorism and nuclear issues." (Michael R. Gordon and Jeff Zeleny, "Obama Envisions New Iran Approach," The New York Times, 11/2/07)

Sen. Obama Said He Would Talk To Iran Without Preconditions. "Making clear that he planned to talk to Iran without preconditions, Mr. Obama emphasized further that 'changes in behavior' by Iran could possibly be rewarded with membership in the World Trade Organization, other economic benefits and security guarantees." (Michael R. Gordon and Jeff Zeleny, "Obama Envisions New Iran Approach," The New York Times, 11/2/07)

- Sen. Obama Said The Talks Would Be Done To Show "Good Faith." "'We are willing to talk about certain assurances in the context of them showing some good faith,' [Obama] said in the interview at his campaign headquarters here. 'I think it is important for us to send a signal that we are not hellbent on regime change, just for the sake of regime change, but expect changes in behavior. And there are both carrots and there are sticks available to them for those changes in behavior.'" (Michael R. Gordon and Jeff Zeleny, "Obama Envisions New Iran Approach," The New York Times, 11/2/07)

Sen. Obama Has Repeatedly Said He Would Meet With Leaders Of Rogue Nations:

Sen. Obama Said One Of The First Things He Would Do If Elected Is Meet With Leaders Of Rogue Nations. OBAMA: "And I think that it is a disgrace that we have not spoken to them. We've been talking about Iraq -- one of the first things that I would do in terms of moving a diplomatic effort in the region forward is to send a signal that we need to talk to Iran and Syria because they're going to have responsibilities if Iraq collapses." (CNN/YouTube Democratic Presidential Debate, 7/24/07)

- Sen. Obama: "I Would. And The Reason Is This, That The Notion That Somehow Not Talking To Countries Is Punishment To Them – Which Has Been The Guiding Diplomatic Principle Of This Administration – Is Ridiculous." (CNN/YouTube Democratic Presidential Debate, 7/24/07)

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Romney: "Experience Matters"

Today, Romney for President launched its newest television ad: "Experience Matters"

The ad highlights Governor Romney's belief that our nation's leader must have the experience "to run the largest enterprise in the world." Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) does not have that experience and our nation cannot afford a leader who needs on-the-job training. Governor Romney has led businesses, the 2002 Winter Olympics and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts . In each case, he brought change and turned around institutions. As President, he will do the same for Washington , D.C.



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