"Romney has been pretty consistent on his positions!" -- Jason, www.race42008.com

2007-05-28T19:23:00.000-07:00

On Guns:
Old Mitt: Supported Gun Control, Bragged That His Views Were "Not Going
to Make Me the Hero of the NRA." In 1994 and 2002, Romney supported the
Brady Bill and the assault weapons ban, even bragging that his positions
were "not going to make me the hero of the NRA." As governor, Romney signed
a 2004 law making Massachusetts the first state to pass a permanent assault
weapons ban. [Boston Globe, 1/14/06]
New Mitt: Opposes Gun Control, Brags About Brand New NRA Card. Romney
admitted that he had just joined the National Rifle Association last
August. [Boston Globe, 2/19/07] This follows his efforts in January to
highlight his newfound support for gun owners by heading to Orlando to tour
one of the country's largest gun shows with Wayne LaPierre, executive vice
president of the National Rifle Association. On Wednesday he told the
online The Glenn and Helen Show that states should "continue to ease
regulations on gun owners" and claimed "I have a gun of my own." Later,
Romney was forced to admit to reporters in Orlando that he in fact did not
personally own any guns. [Boston Globe, 1/14/06]
---
On Abortion:
Old Mitt: Supported a Woman's Right to Choose, Courted Pledged to
Respect And Will Protect A Woman's Right To Choose in 2002. In 2002, Romney
said on a NARAL questionnaire, "I respect and will protect a woman's right
to choose." He also reached out to Republican Majority for Choice to ask
for its endorsement and later issued a press release highlighting that
endorsement. Romney also completed a Planned Parenthood questionnaire in
Apr '02, saying "yes" to a question about whether he supported "the
substance of" Roe v. Wade, "yes" to "state funding of abortion services
through Medicaid for low-income women" and "yes" to supporting "efforts to
increase access to emergency contraception." [Weekly Standard, 2/5/07].
New Mitt: Views Have "Evolved." "Romney says his anti-abortion views
have 'evolved and deepened' since he took office, colored in part by the
debate over embryonic stem cell research. 'In considering the issue of
embryo cloning and embryo farming, I saw where the harsh logic of abortion
can lead - to the view of innocent new life as nothing more than research
material or a commodity to be exploited,' Romney wrote in an opinion piece
in Tuesday's Boston Globe.' He also said he believes each state should
decide whether to allow abortion, rather than having the 'one size fits
all' precedent of Roe v. Wade. [newsmax.com, 7/27/05]
---
On Gay Marriage:
Old Mitt: Opposed Federal Marriage Amendment, Promised to be Stronger
Leader on Gay Rights Than Senator Ted Kennedy. Romney once opposed a
federal constitutional amendment defining marriage and pledged to provide
"more effective leadership" on establishing "full equality for America's
gay and lesbian citizens" than Senator Ted Kennedy. [Boston Globe,
10/17/94]
New Mitt: Supports Constitutional Amendment, Even Worked to Block
Same-Sex Couples From Adopting. Romney told the National Review Institute's
Conservative Summit that he as "was unequivocal" on gay marriage, saying:
"I opposed then, and do now, gay marriage and civil unions."
[Newyorktimes.com, 1/28/07] Romney also now supports a constitutional
amendment on marriage and tried to allow religious agencies to block
adoptions to same-sex households. ["Transcript of Romney Address to Liberty
Sunday," EvangelicalsforMitt.com, 10/16/06; Boston Globe, 3/16/06]
---
On Stem Cell Research
Old Mitt: Supported Stem Cell Research in "Broad Terms,' Pledged to
Lobby Bush. "When he ran for governor in 2002, he endorsed embryonic stem
cell research in broad terms, saying at one campaign stop that he would
lobby Bush to embrace it." [Boston Globe, 2/11/07]
New Mitt: Opposes Expanded Funding, Tries to Have it Both Ways on
Federal Spending. "In February 2005, as the state Legislature was
considering a bill to promote embryonic stem cell research," Romney decided
"he would fight efforts to clone human embryos for research," though he
"believed it was ethical to experiment on embryos left over from fertility
treatments." Romney also now opposes the Castle-DeGette bill now before
Congress, which would lift President Bush's ban on additional federal
funding for stem cell research, because "in part because he objects to any
expansion of taxpayer-funded human embryonic stem cell research." [Boston
Globe, 2/11/07]
---
On Gays in the Military
Old Mitt: Said "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" a First Step Toward Full
Service. "When [Romney] ran for Senator in 1994, [he] supported the "don't
ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military as what [he] called a first
step that will ultimately lead to gays and lesbians being able to serve
openly and honestly in our nation's military." [ABC News "This Week,"
2/18/07]
New Mitt: Ten Years Later, No Need For Change. "It's now been in place
for well over a decade. We're in the middle of a conflict. Now is not the
time for a change in that regard and I don't have a policy posture as to
allowing gays in the military to serve there openly.
---

On Immigration Reform:
Old Mitt: Supported A "Path to Citizenship" For Undocumented Workers.
"Gov. Mitt Romney expressed support yesterday for an immigration program
that places large numbers of illegal residents on the path toward
citizenship. 'I don't believe in rounding up 11 million people and forcing
them at gunpoint from our country,' Romney said. '[T]hose that are here
paying taxes and not taking government benefits should begin a process
towards application for citizenship, as they would from their home
country.'" [Lowell Sun, 3/30/06]
New Mitt: Opposes Path to Citizenship, Talks Tough on Immigration.
"[T]hose people who are here illegally should not get any benefit by being
here. Those that have committed crimes should be taken out of the country."
[ABC "This Week," 2/18/07] Romney has also called for penalties on
employers who hire illegal immigrants, supporting construction of a
700-mile fence along the more than 2000 mile U.S.- Mexico border, and
calling for National Guard troops to be stationed at the border until the
wall is finished. " [Boston Globe, 12/1/06]
---
On Campaign Finance Reform:
Old Mitt: Supported Campaign Finance Reform. During his 2002
gubernatorial campaign, Romney "proposed taxing political contributions to
finance publicly funded campaigns," while during his 1994 Senate campaign
Romney "publicly advocated placing spending limits on congressional
campaigns and abolishing political action committees (PACs)." [The Hill,
2/8/07]
New Mitt: Opposes Campaign Finance Reform, Calls It "One Of The Worst
Things In My Lifetime." Referring to the McCain-Feingold law on campaign
finance reform, Romney called it "one of the worst things in my lifetime."
[The Hill, 2/8/07] Romney pledge to "fight to repeal McCain-Feingold."
[Remarks to Conservative Political Action Conference, 3/2/07]
---
On Taxes:
Old Mitt: Romney Refused To Sign "No New Tax" Pledge, Called It
"Government By Gimmickry." When he thought he needed to look more moderate
to get elected governor in 2002, Romney's campaign mocked the pledge as
"government by gimmickry." [Boston Globe, 1/5/07] As governor, Romney
drastically raised fees and taxes.
New Mitt: Signed Pledge to Hide Tax Raising Record. This month, Romney
signed the same "no new tax" pledge he refused to sign in 2002 to hide the
fact that under his failed leadership, Bay Staters saw their tax burden
increase by more than 5 percent, and Romney's cuts to local communities
sent Massachusetts property taxes to their highest level in 25 years.
[Massachusetts State-Local Tax Burden Compared to National Average
(1970-2006), The Tax Foundation; Quincy Patriot Ledger, 12/16/05]
---
On the Bush Tax Cuts:
Old Mitt: Refused to Publicly Endorse Bush Tax Cuts. Romney refused to
endorse tax cuts at the heart of President Bush's economic program in 2003.
Romney's spokesperson said that it's "just not a state matter." [Boston
Globe, 4/11/03]
New Mitt: Bragged About Support for Bush Tax Cuts. During a November
13, 2006 press conference held in Arizona, Romney outlined differences
between himself and McCain. Romney said "he was quicker than McCain to
endorse President Bush's tax cuts." [East Valley Sun, 11/14/06]
---
On His Own Health Care Plan:
Old Mitt: Championed State Wide Health Care Plan as "Conservative
Victory." The plan was once considered "the centerpiece of Romney's
administration" and "a key part of his presidential resume." [Boston Globe,
2/3/07] Romney even championed the plan "as a conservative victory that
leads residents to take responsibility for their own health insurance."
[Business Week, 4/4/06]
New Mitt: "Distancing Himself" From Plan After Conservative Backlash.
Romney "has begun to distance himself" from the plan in the face of
conservative skepticism of the plan, skyrocketing costs for consumers, and
new reports that the plan will force some 200,000 Bay Staters who already
have health insurance to buy more. [Boston Globe, 2/3/07] "Many
conservatives view the concept of requiring individuals to purchase health
insurance -- and penalizing some businesses that don't offer it -- as
anathema to their principles." [Boston Globe, 2/3/07]
---
On Social Security:
Old Mitt: Supported Social Security. "I don't think you go back and
rewrite the contract the government has with people who've retired."
[Bloomberg, 2/7/2007]
New Mitt: Weighing Deep Cuts to Social Security. "[Romney] is weighing.
deep cuts in automatic-benefit programs such as Medicare and Social
Security. [Bloomberg, 2/7/2007]
---
On the Minimum Wage:
Old Mitt: Supported Minimum Wage Hike. "I think the minimum wage ought
to keep pace with inflation. I think the minimum wage is a good thing."
[Boston Globe, 10/17/94]
New Mitt: Opposed Minimum Wage Hike. Romney vetoed a Massachusetts
minimum wage hike, a veto state legislators overrode. [Associated Press,
8/1/06]
---
On His Favorite Movie
Old Mitt: "O Brother Where Art Thou." "As recently as 2003, Romney told
media outlets that his favorite was the George Clooney flick 'O Brother
Where Art Thou.'" [BostonHerald.com, 3/4/07]
New Mitt: "Raiders of the Lost Ark." In a CNN profile of 2009
Presidential candidates, "Romney listed his favorite movie as 'Raiders of
the Lost Ark.'. Why the switch? Perhaps the answer lies in this very
Biblical description of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' in the CNN piece:
'Renowned archaeologist and expert in the occult, Dr. Indiana Jones, is
hired by the U.S. Government to find the Ark of the Covenant, which is
believed to still hold the Ten Commandments.'" [BostonHerald.com, 3/4/07]
---
On His Own Political Heroes:
Old Mitt: Distanced Himself from Reagan in 1994 & 2002. Romney once
claimed to be "an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush" who was "not
trying to return to Reagan-Bush." [Boston Globe, 1/19/07]
New Mitt: Takes Every Opportunity to Call Himself a Reagan Republican
Romney now calls President Reagan his "hero" and praises "Ronald Reagan's
brand of visionary and courageous leadership." [Boston Globe, 1/19/07]
Romney even cited President Reagan in explaining his decision to flip-flop
on abortion during a speech to the National Review Institute's Conservative
Summit, saying: "On abortion, I wasn't always a Ronald Reagan conservative.
Neither was Ronald Reagan, by the way." [Newyorktimes.com, 1/28/07]
---
On His Own Conservative Credentials:
Old Mitt: "I'm not the most conservative candidate on every issue."
[NewsMax.com, 2/9/07]
New Mitt: Media Attacking Me Because I'm the Conservative. "I think it
proves that the media has determined who the conservative candidate is,
because they're going after me with hammer and tong and that's the way you
would expect to go after the conservative candidate." [Boston Globe,
3/2/07]

Watch for yourself:
Abortion, Gay Rights, and being in love with himself
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9IJUkYUbvI

Campaign Finance Reform:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktH1FpNqlOc

McCain to Everyone: "lulz."

2007-05-19T15:54:00.000-07:00

http://www.suntimes.com/news/bevan/391712,CST-EDT-BEVAN18.articleprint

Anyone who thinks McCain is dead in the water (paging Mayor Bloomberg...) is delusional. Anyone tied for the lead in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina in various polls is all set to be competitive for the nomination. Giuliani and Willard, let alone Owl Gingrich and DA Arthur Branch, underestimate him at their own peril.

Battle of the Books 2008, Round One: Willard vs. the Owl

2007-05-19T15:22:00.000-07:00

With each Presidential election, there's typically a flurry of books by the candidates. Typically fluff, these books range from the breathtakingly uninteresting to the best-selling, if not genuinely interesting. Not all of the candidates have released books in the past year, but most have had at least one published in the past five. So here are your author-presidential candidates:

Republicans
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rudy Giuliani, "Leadership"
Amazon.com Customer Review Average: 4/5 Stars
Rudy's book, acclaimed by many, shot to #1 on the New York Times best-seller list due to his fantastic role during 9/11. It is a recollection of his experiences on that day and a treatise on his leadership style. There hasn't been a resurgence of interest in the book, but Giuliani remains the most successful author on the GOP side of the field to date.

John McCain, "Worth the Fighting For"
Amazon.com Customer Review Average: 4.5/5 Stars
After finding a smash hit with Faith of My Fathers, even having it made into a TV movie (!), McCain and his aide Mark Saltzer released this not-quite-as-successful follow-up. Although not a flop, such as their collection of children's stories, Character is Destiny, McCain's autobiography didn't make a huge impact, not in the least due to the awkward timing -- late 2003 -- of the book's release.

Willard Romney,"Turnaround" - to be re-released June, 2007
Amazon.com Customer Review Average: 4/5 Stars
Romney banks on his experience managing the Winter Olympics in Utah (where else!) to persuade voters to support him. Although his management was undoubtedly superb, it is likely that little will be done through this to convince Romney skeptics -- such as myself -- that this should put to rest other issues, ie; flip-flopping.

Mike Huckabee, "From Hope to Higher Ground"
Amazon.com Customer Review Average: 4/5 Stars
Governor Huckabee's Obamaesque rip-off's appeal is hackneyed and trite. "With that small but powerfully inspiring word -- hope," he beckons his reader, America's greatness can be restored. Yawn. Huckabee knows where the meat is, though. He's just trying to appeal to the wrong side. It's the Democrats who like words more than action, Mr. Huckabee. Now please explain the rationale for your tax increases again.

Owl Gingrich, "Winning the Future"
Amazon.com Customer Review Average: 4/5 Stars
Perhaps the book on this list with the most substance, Newt's got a serious political agenda -- better than Huckabee's "Stop Being Cynical" and "Stop Being Selfish," anyway. If the Owl (in case you're wondering, he looks like one) weren't such a religionist, I'd be actively supporting him -- he's a very intelligent man. But for now, he sits on the sidelines, waiting for his strategic entry. This book will help you understand why his entry would be very exciting, indeed...

Next time: Books written by Hillary Clinton -- well, never mind, no point in posting a blank entry.

That Libertarian Guy

"Romney has been pretty consistent on his positions!" -- Jason, www.race42008.com

McCain to Everyone: "lulz."

Battle of the Books 2008, Round One: Willard vs. the Owl