Strike Three! Romney won't sign abortion pledge

Politico: Five Republican presidential candidates have signed a pledge to advance the anti-abortion movement if elected to the White House, but the current front runner for the 2012 GOP nomination — Mitt Romney — isn’t one of them.

Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Tim Pawlenty and Rick Santorum each signed the pledge, sponsored by Susan B. Anthony List, vowing to nominate judges and appoint executive branch officials who are opposed to abortion. The pledge also commit signers to push legislation to end all taxpayer funding of abortion and to sign a law to “protect unborn children who are capable of feeling pain from abortion.”

Mitt Romney, who’s leading in national and early state opinion polls, declined to sign.

“Governor Romney pledged in the last campaign that he would be a pro-life president and of course he pledges it today,” said spokeswoman Andrea Saul in a statement. “However, this well-intentioned effort has some potentially unforeseen consequences and he does not feel he could in good conscience sign it. Gov. Romney has been a strong supporter of the SBA List in the past and he looks forward to continue working with them to promote a culture of life.” [MORE]

First RomneyCare, then global warming and now this.  Mittens is working overtime not be a flip flopper this time around. Unfortunately, he is picking the wrong side of each issue. This tells me that Romney is confident about a few things.

• He doesn't believe that conservatives will rally around a single candidate.
• He believes that the right is so desperate to get Obama out of office they will turn a blind eye to everything.

I just don't understand how this guy is the front runner right now. Mitt has always been an integrity free guy. Making him our nominee because we think he can beat Obama is basically a crap shoot (I for one have little faith Romney could beat Obama when push comes to shove). If by chance he becomes president, there is really no telling where he will go. From his record, it is pretty clear that Romney will seek the path of least resistance. That my friends simply will not do in 2012.

Obama and the Dems passed nightmare legislation because they were willing to politically die for their convictions. Reversing their legislation and turning the ship of state around will require no less from the Republicans. This is why a wishy washy flip flopper like Romney might as well be another term of Obama.

Conservatives had better get their game plan together or watch everything accomplished by the TEA Party get railroaded by a weak Republican president named Romney.

Via: Memeorandum
Via: Politico

So, Mitt Romney thinks he is unemployed too

The New York Times: TAMPA, Fla. — Mitt Romney sat at the head of the table at a coffee shop here on Thursday, listening to a group of unemployed Floridians explain the challenges of looking for work. When they finished, he weighed in with a predicament of his own.

“I should tell my story,” Mr. Romney said. “I’m also unemployed.

He chuckled. The eight people gathered around him, who had just finished talking about strategies of finding employment in a slow-to-recover economy, joined him in laughter.

“Are you on LinkedIn?” one of the men asked.

“I’m networking,” Mr. Romney replied. “I have my sight on a particular job.” [MORE]

HA-HA, very funny, we get. But you know what? This type of joke leaves the same bad taste in the mouth as Obama's shovel ready joke. Everyone on the planet knows that Romney's heart aches for the job of POTUS. Everyone also knows that Romney is a very rich man and unemployment for him isn't quite  the same affair as the average Joe. Joking about unemployment, jobs and the economy at a time like this always takes away from the real struggle real people are facing.

If I were Mitt, I would start doing a little more listening at these coffee stops and fine tune that tin ear of his. Otherwise Mitt will find himself giving Obama the perfect soundbite he is looking for.

Via: Memeorandum
Via: The New York Times

Kiss of Death: Al Gore praises Mitt Romney on Global Warming

 Al Gore: Good for Mitt Romney -- though we've long passed the point where weak lip-service is enough on the Climate Crisis.

While other Republicans are running from the truth, he is sticking to his guns in the face of the anti-science wing of the Republican Party:

“It seemed like a straightforward question on a second-tier issue: Would Mitt Romney disavow the science behind global warming?”

“The putative Republican presidential front-runner, eager to prove his conservative bona fides, could easily have said what he knew many in his party's base wanted to hear.”

“Instead, the former Massachusetts governor stuck to the position he has held for many years -- that he believes the world is getting warmer and that humans are contributing to it.”

Oh boy, talk about the kiss of death. Mitt Romney's conservative bona fides is already suspect by many in the Republican base. How can it not be with so many flip-flops and the creation of ObamaCare's father RomneyCare. Adding to conservatives' suspicion of Mitt Romney is Romney's new support for Global Warming. A support he has stuck to as well. Now the chief charlatan of the Global Warming hoax, Al Gore is giving Mitt Romney a big Kudos!

If conservatives ever need more proof that they should think long and hard about having a President Romney, this is it.

Romney has said: I don’t speak for the scientific community, of course, but I believe the world’s getting warmer. I can’t prove that, but I believe based on what I read that the world is getting warmer. And number two, I believe that humans contribute to that. I don’t know how much our contribution is to that, because I know that there have been periods of greater heat and warmth in the past but I believe we contribute to that.

Romney stuck by the words too. At the next debate, I sure wish one of the other candidates would ask Romney just how he squares his comments with news released today that the earth maybe headed towards another ice age.

Seeing Romney explain himself sure would make for an interesting debate.

Via: Memeorandum Via: Al Gore.com
Via: MittRomneyFlipFlops.com
Via: The Blaze
Via: The Boston Globe
Via: The Register

Video: Obama jokes about "shovel ready" projects

The Blaze: Shovel-ready jobs were supposed to be a staple of Obama’s Recovery Act. It was a big justification for spending the money involved in the legislation. But soon after using the phrase to sell his recovery plan, word started leaking out there there was no such thing as a shovel-ready job. Obama himselfadmitted that.

So maybe it’s not surprising that today, Obama once again backpedaled on the shovel-ready mantra. Fox Nation reports:

President Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness met today in Durham, NC at Cree Inc., a company that manufactures energy-efficient LED lighting. One of the Council’s recommendations to President Obama was to streamline the federal permit process for construction and infrastructure projects. It was explained to Obama that the permitting process can delay projects for “months to years … and in many cases even cause projects to be abandoned … I’m sure that when you implemented the Recovery Act your staff briefed you on many of these challenges.” At this point, Obama smiled and interjected, “Shovel-ready was not as … uh .. shovel-ready as we expected.” The Council, led by GE’s Jeffrey Immelt, erupted in laughter.

Hee Haw! Just think, that little knee slapper only cost your children a cool $1 trillion! Considering how vulnerable Obama is on the jobs front, he should not be laughing. Heck, even Mitt Romney can score a winner with this ad on "speed bumps on the road to recovery".

Via: The Blaze
Via: The Right Scoop

Leader of the pack: Romney widens lead in new Gallup poll

Gallup: PRINCETON, NJ -- Republicans' support for Mitt Romney as their party's 2012 presidential nominee has increased significantly to 24%, compared with 17% in late May. As a result, Romney has widened his advantage over Sarah Palin in the latest update on rank-and-file Republicans' nomination preferences.

These results are based on a June 8-11 USA Today/Gallup poll, conducted on the eve of a candidate debate in New Hampshire that will be the first to include some of the better-known candidates.

Romney appears to have gotten a boost in recent weeks after the official announcement of his candidacy. Gallup's prior update of May 20-24 came just after former co-leaders Mike Huckabee and Donald Trump announced they were not candidates for the nomination; that poll showed Romney and Palin in a virtual tie. Since then, Romney's support has increased and Palin's has been flat, leaving Romney with an eight-percentage-point advantage. [MORE]

This is rather surprising. Romney has increased his lead despite having his announcement overshadowed and his new embrace of Global Warming. I think there are two factors going on here.

First, I believe Republicans are desperate to see Obama thrown out of office in 2012 and right now they are willing to turn a blind eye to ideological impurities. Currently polls show that Romney can beat Obama. How long will this attitude will last is hard to say. It is one thing to say you will accept any Republican over Obama in the abstract, it is quite another when you actually contemplate what that means.

Second, I believe that Romney's narrative of turning around failed businesses grows more and more appealing as our economy looks like it is beyond repair. This has always been Romney's strongest argument and unless other candidates can prove equally competent on the economy, Romney will own this issue.

Despite these advantages, I do believe Romney's support is only an inch deep. I say this because the establishment is hell bent on not nominating a true conservative. If Romney falters against any of the conservatives, I do believe that the establishment will swing behind Pawlenty, Huntsman or any other moderate Republican. I do believe Romney knows this too. This is probably why he isn't taking any chances with the Iowa Straw Poll.

Tonight's debate will be very telling of how strong Romney's support is. All will be gunning for him for sure. Pawlenty looks like he ready to tangle with Mitt and it will be fascinating to see how Romney does against the strongest conservative in the field, Herman Cain.

Via: Memeorandum
Via: Gallup Poll

Via: The Washington Post

Via: Hot Air

NEW! Mitt Romney 2012 - Now with Global Warming!

Reuters: (Reuters) - Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney broke with Republican orthodoxy on Friday by saying he believes that humans are responsible, at least to some extent, for climate change.

"I believe the world is getting warmer, and I believe that humans have contributed to that," he told a crowd of about 200 at a town hall meeting in Manchester, New Hampshire.

"It's important for us to reduce our emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases that may be significant contributors." [MORE]

Yesterday, a commenter here berated me for panning Mitt Romney and said I did not know enough of Romney's record to be making such harsh statements about him. Well, my advice to that commenter is to watch this video over and over again until you finally understand that a President Romney might as well be Obama's second term.

I know this sounds harsh, but it is true. Romney, like so many of these weak, effete, mealymouthed RINOs, simply buy into the latest progressive Marxist BS and then try to put a right wing pin on it and call it conservatism. Enough! I am too through with such nonsense.

I think it is time for true conservatives to loudly and clearly tells these useless RINO candidates to go home. Ann Barnhardt is already on board with that idea.

Via: Memeorandum
Via: Reuters
Video h/t: Hot Air

Mitt makes it official- Romney announces his 2012 campaign

Mitt Romney launched his campaign today with a New Hampshire farm as a backdrop. Romney laid out a very strong case against Obama's failed economic policies. Unfortunately for Romney touting Obama's failures is only half the job. The other half is to lay out a credible alternative vision. The key word here is credible and credibility is where Romney fails miserably.


Romney has an exhaustive history of being a flip-flopper. This history is not going unnoticed either. Democrats are already making hay of it.

The New York Times: Democrats are already firing back at his economic argument. An Internet video released Thursday morning by the Democratic National Committeecast Mr. Romney as someone who takes positions out of convenience, not principle.

Mr. Romney is “going into this campaign with the same fatal flaws that doomed him the first time around,” said Brad Woodhouse, a Democratic National Committee spokesman. “That he’s seen as a wishy-washy, flip-flopping politician who lacks any core convictions or principles and who you simply can’t trust to shoot straight with you.”

The Democrats making hay of Romney's flip-flops is only the tip of the iceberg. The real problem is RomneyCare. No matter how many times Team Romney tries to deny it, RomneyCare is the baby brother to ObamaCare. For the grassroots conservative base RomneyCare is an unforgivable mistake.


When the debates get underway, Romney's political rivals will crucify him for RomneyCare. Sarah Palin gave Romney just a tiny taste of what is to come during this primary season. So long as Romney has to take time defending himself on RomneyCare, he will not be able to spend time laying out his vision for America. Without being able to sell his vision, Romney will be dead in the water.


I believe the GOP establishment is fretting about this flaw. This is why you constantly hear names like Tim Pawlenty, Chris Christie and now Jon Huntsman being talked up. The establishment is looking for a backup to Mitt. Should Romney disappoint early, look for the establishment to swing hard behind Huntsman, Pawlenty or whomever the RINO of the month is.


I often wonder what really motivates Romney. Truly great and successful presidents have a vision of where the country needs to go at a certain time. They make their case and take us there. I don't get that from Romney. Instead, I get the impression that even if Obama was the smashing success that Hope and Change promised, Romney would still be running in 2012. Romney would run simply because "being president" is the next box to be check off on his resume.


As flawed as Romney might be, there is still a chance we could get stuck with him as the nominee.  So long as conservatives cannot agree on a single candidate, Romney has a chance of winning with just votes from moderates and the establishment.  Pray not.


Via: Memeorandum
Via: The New York Times

Palin rains on Romney's parade

Today was suppose to be Mitt Romney's big day. Romney was to command the news cycle by formally declaring his second run for the White House. Instead the top story on Memeorandum today is how Sarah Palin knocked Romney's record on healthcare in his home state of Massachusetts.

MSNBC: In remarks made at Bunker Hill in Massachusetts -- of all places -- Sarah Palin fired a shot at Mitt Romney over the health-care mandate that Romney signed into law in the state in 2006.

The remarks came just before Romney formally announces his presidential bid in nearby New Hampshire, which Palin also plans to visit later today.

"In my opinion, any mandate coming from government is not a good thing, so obviously ... there will be more the explanation coming from former governor, Romney, on his support for government mandates," Palin told reporters today.

When a reporter followed up that Romney has distinguished his state mandate from the federal onePresident Obama signed into law in 2010, Palin responded that even state mandates are problematic.

"He makes a good argument there that it does. States rights and authority and responsibility allowed in our states makes more sense than a big centralized government telling us what to do," she said.

"However, even on a state level and even a local level, mandates coming from a governing body, it's tough for a lot of us independent Americans to accept, because we have great faith in the private sectors and our own families ... and our own businessmen and women making decisions for ourselves. Not any level of government telling us what to do."

Sarah did not stop there. Palin is also driving her bus right into New Hampshire to steal even more of Mitts thunder.

Of course Palin claims that her being in New Hampshire at the same time Mitt is making his announcement is strictly coincidental. Nonsense. Palin is very politically shrewd and is hyper aware of the wattage her megaphone carries. She is deliberately raining on Mitt's parade. As to why she is stepping on Mitt's toes, there are two reasons. First, payback. Romney has taken little jabs at Palin in the past and this is the perfect opportunity to give him hell. The second reason might be that Palin (like many TEA Partiers) thinks Romney is an awful candidate and sinking him now would insure a true conservative prevails in 2012.

It is the second reason establishment conservatives should be worried about. If, as the establishment predicts, Palin doesn't run, they still need to be really concerned that she will pick off all the RINO weaklings from the sidelines for not hold true to conservative principles. Either way you slice it, Palin will play a big role in the 2012 nomination.

Via: Memeorandum
Via: Associate Press
Via: MSNBC

Video h/t: Conservatives 4 Palin

Mitt Romney to make it official- will announce candidacy next week

CNN: (CNN)–Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will formally announce his intentions to seek the GOP nomination for president in 2012 next Thursday, a campaign spokesperson tells CNN.

And the soon-to-be-announced candidate confirmed it himself on Twitter late Wednesday.

“Making it official next week at the Scamman Farm in New Hampshire,” he tweeted.

New Hampshire is a critical state for Romney, who also announced his presidential exploratory committee in April from the first-in-the-nation primary state.

He suffered a loss there during his previous run for president in 2008 to John McCain, who went on to win the Republican presidential nomination. But he’s banking on a boost from the crucial state to propel him through the primary season. [MORE]

If anyone is surprised by this, you have not been paying attention. Romney was going to run in 2012 come hell or high water. For this reason, I think Romney and many of the establishment favorites are poor choices. I get the impression that these men want to run for president simply because their resumes dictate it and not because they truly have a vision that is right for America at the right time.

Mitt Romney's time was 2008. Despite his organizational advantage he was unable to dispatch either John McCain or Mike Huckabee. This time around Romney, with a huge money advantage, is still going to struggle because he is a man out of time. The Republican grassroots are looking for a rock ribbed constitutional fiscal conservative with kick ass street fighter skills. Cookie cutter pedigreed politicos of yore simply will not do and Mittens fits the cookie cutter bill to a tee.

Even the establishment is wobbly on Mittens. Why else do you think they are constantly bringing up other losers like Mitch Daniels and now Jon Huntsman? It is because deep down inside the establishment knows that Romney will struggle against the likes of straight talking sharp shooting conservatives like Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin. Case in point, this major announcement by the supposed front runner was buried by news of Palin's bus tour.

My prediction is that Romney will have a very poor showing in New Hampshire and the establishment will abandon him in droves for either Huntsman, Pawlenty or whomever the RINO of the month is.

Via: Memeorandum
Via: CNN

Via: Politico

Contortion Conservatism: Mitt Romney's speech on healthcare reform

First there was George Bush's Compassionate Conservatism, a cute name for small bore progressive policies. Then came Sarah Palin's Commonsense Conservatism which is just good old fashion plain old conservatism. Yesterday, Mitt Romney introduced us to a new brand of conservatism... Contortion Conservatism.

Contortion Conservatism is basically twisting yourself and conservatism into a pretzel as you try to unapologetically explain away your very un-conservative past deeds. In Romney's case, he is trying to make the support of individual mandates and RomneyCare look like sprang forth from a TEA Party movement.

Needless to say, Romney's debut of Contortion Conservatism was VERY unsuccessful. Even, the National Review (many Romney fans there) panned it.

National Review: Mitt Romney just gave a more articulate defense of Obamacare than President Obama ever has. He continues to believe that the individual mandate is a good idea, despite the fact that the “free-rider” problem is a myth. His effort to make a distinction between Romneycare and Obamacare was not persuasive: If anything, he convincingly made the opposite case, that Romneycare and Obamacare are based on the same fundamental concept.

In recent months, Romney has claimed that Romneycare was a specific solution for the specific needs of Massachusetts. But in his remarks, he did not name one specific aspect of the Massachusetts health-care environment that is unique to that state. If there are no important differences between the Massachusetts health-care system and that of other states, why shouldn’t he believe that Romneycare should be the model for every other state? [MORE]

In a sane and commonsense world, Mitt Romney's presidential aspirations should have died a slow and painful death yesterday. Unfortunately, Mitt Romney knows all too well that in politics, sanity and commonsense have long ago left the building. Romney knows that so long as conservatives cannot concentrate their votes on one candidate, he has more than a real shot at winning the nomination. This is because the establishment and many moderate Republicans are willing to overlook the foolishness of Contortion Conservatism and give him the nod.

So to my conservative friends I issue a warning. If you do not want to enter the battle of 2012 under the banner of Contortion Conservatism, then start doing your homework on candidate now.

Via: Memeorandum
Via: The National Review

More Mitt Mandate Madness

Poor Mittens, he is just a few hours away from giving an important speech on healthcare reform and the left has dug up new examples of his support for mandates on the Federal level.

Blue Mass Group: [...] back in 1994 when he was running for Senate, Romney said he would support a federal individual health care mandate. Yes, yes, he did.

See, in 1993, then-Senator John Chafee, a Republican from Rhode Island, floated a health care bill that was supposed to be an alternative to the Clinton administration’s proposal. It never really went anywhere, but it did garner 20 co-sponsors in the Senate, including a couple of Democrats (Boren of OK and Kerrey of NE). And a key feature of that bill was that, if it passed, the bad ol’ federal government would have required every American (with the usual hardship etc. exceptions) to purchase health insurance.

Subtitle F: Universal Coverage – Requires each citizen or lawful permanent resident to be covered under a qualified health plan or equivalent health care program by January 1, 2005.

Pretty straightforward, right? And yes, at least according to Kaiser Health News, this provision of Chafee’s bill was indistinguishable from President Obama’s plan.

The Wall Street Journal adds a little more rain to Mitt's parade with a very unflattering editorial today showcasing the failures of RomneyCare in Massachusetts.

Romney's problems with RomneyCare and the 2012 election really took off when he tried to have it both ways. On one hand Romney wants to condemn ObamaCare on the federal level and then on the other hand wants to claim success for RomneyCare on the state level. All while the two plans are basically identical. Romney might not be in such a jam, if he took a page from Tim Pawlenty and simply admit he made a mistake.

As I have repeatedly said on this blog, Obama and the left will be looking for distractions in 2012. They will use anything to avoid focus on Obama's failures with the economy, jobs, debt and the deficit. Romney's mixed and muddled excuses for RomneyCare offer up some really fine distractions that will keep him from hammering away at Obama's weak spots.

Unless Romney comes up with a clear and strong way to move RomneyCare off the table in 2012, he is a hopeless flawed candidate that is sure to lose to Obama.

Via: Memeorandum
Via: The Wall Street Journal
Via: The LA Times
Via: Blue Mass Group

Via: The Hill

Osama Dead: Reactions From Bush, Romney and Palin

National Journal: I congratulated him and the men and women of our military and intelligence communities who devoted their lives to this mission. They have our everlasting gratitude.

This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.

Mitt Romney's Facebook Page: This is a great victory for lovers of freedom and justice everywhere.
Congratulations to our intelligence community, our military and the president. My thoughts are with the families of Osama bin Laden's many thousands of victims, and the brave servicemen and women who have laid down their lives in pursuit of this murderous terrorist.

Sarah Palin's Facebook Page: Americans tonight are united in celebration and gratitude. God bless all the brave men and women in our military and our intelligence services who contributed to carrying out the successful mission to bring Bin Laden to justice and who laid the groundwork over the years to make this victory possible. It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of these brave Americans who relentlessly hunted down our enemy.

This is a victory for the American people, for the victims who were heartlessly murdered on September 11 and in Al Qaeda’s other numerous attacks, and for all the peace-loving people of the world.

May God bless our troops and our intelligence services, and God bless America!

- Sarah Palin

Via: Memeorandum
Via: National Journal
Via: Mitt Romney Facebook
Via: Sarah Palin Facebook

Mitt Romney launches exploratory committee

Mitt Romney launched his exploratory committee today. The Daily Caller is calling the roll out a let down. I think one reason why so many people are not excited is because we all knew there would be no way Romney would sit out 2012. Even with RomneyCare dogging him at every turn, Romney is going to take a shot because according to GOP custom, it is his turn.

Speaking of RomneyCare, ABC News did not miss the opportunity to note that Romney's announcement coincides with the fifth anniversary of RomneyCare.

ABC News: Romney's announcement comes just one day before the fifth anniversary of his signing of a health care law in Massachusetts that is similar to Obama administration-backed national health care reform act passed last year.

Obama has recently been heaping praise on Romney for signing the Massachusetts legislation, and Romney has been firing back, saying that a one-size-fits-all approach on health care is wrong for the county.

“He does me the great favor of saying that I was the inspiration for his plan,” Romney said at a speech in Las Vegas earlier this month. “If that’s the case, why didn’t you call me? Why didn’t you ask what was wrong? Why didn’t you ask if this was an experiment, what worked and what didn’t?”

He continued, “And I’d have told him, ‘what you’re doing, Mr. President, is going to bankrupt us.' We can’t spend more money.”

Romney did not draw a connection between the anniversary of the Massachusetts law and the unveiling of his exploratory committee on Monday. In fact, he did not mention "health care" once during his two-and-a-half minute video. However, a source close to Romney said the timing of his announcement proves “he is ready to talk about it” and “draw contrasts on present and future.”

I still believe that Romney only has one way to win the nomination and that is if conservatives are unable to settle on a single candidate. Should conservatives scatter their votes between two or three conservative candidates, then Romney wins so long as the establishment doesn't anoint another wishy washy RINO.

Via: Memeorandum
Via: ABC News
Via: The Daily Caller
Via: MittRomney.com

Mitt Romney in Vegas La Vegas speaks on foreign policy, avoids Libya

Mitt Romney was in Las Vegas yesterday and was taking Obama to task over foreign policy, but oddly left out Libya.

Las Vegas Review Journal: Speaking in Las Vegas, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney on Saturday criticized President Barack Obama's foreign policy in the Middle East.

Romney said the president hasn't been tough enough on Iran and its nuclear program. And he said he was surprised Secretary of State Hillary Clinton referred to Syrian President Bashar Assad as "a reformer" even as he puts down protests.

"Obama is either unwilling or incapable of dealing with this at all," Romney said, speaking about Iran to a Republican Jewish Coalition meeting. "Israel's very existence may be at stake."

Yet Romney was silent on Libya, where the U.S. and its NATO allies are enforcing a no-fly zone as rebels try to oust Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi from power.

Romney after his speech refused to take questions from reporters about his own position on Libya. Instead, he and his wife, Ann, escaped up an escalator at the Venetian hotel-casino where the event was held.

"I've got a lot of positions on a lot of topics, but walking down the hall probably isn't the best place to describe all those," Romney said as he walked away with half a dozen journalists trailing him. [MORE]

Seriously?

Not having anything to say on Libya is bad enough, but to duck the question so poorly only makes it worse. I suspect given how convoluted the Libya situation is, Romney thought it would be safest not to commit himself to an answer at this time.

This is one of the things I find so unappealing about Mitt. He is just too much of a politician. Everything he does seems calculated for maximum effect. I find it almost impossible to imagine Romney doing necessary things even if they may prove unpopular.

Speaking of unpopular, despite giving a speech on foreign policy, Mitt was questioned about RomneyCare.

In response to an audience member's question, Romney defended his efforts to reform health care in Massachusetts. He said if he were president he would work to repeal "Obamacare" and grant the 50 states waivers so people aren't forced to buy health insurance.

He scoffed at the notion that Obama patterned his federal reform after Romney's state plan, which he said is how it should be done at the local level not nationally.

"Why didn't you call me?" He joked, referring to Obama and saying the two never talked of it.

Mitt had better get ready to hear that question over and over and over again, because it simply isn't going to go away.

Via: Memeorandum
Via: Las Vegas Review Journal

BOOM! Michele Bachmann beats Mitt Romney in first quarter fundraising

Fox News: Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., raised a combined total of $2.2 million in the first quarter of 2011, outgaining presumed presidential contender Mitt Romney who raised $1.9 million over the same period.

Bachmann's political action committee, MichelePAC, raised $500,000 while her Congressional reelection fund took in $1.7 million. The funds raised for her Congressional reelection could be transferred to any federal campaign, including one for president. [MORE]

That is pretty damn impressive. Bachmann made the money from mostly small donors and that means votes. If people are willing to give you their money, then they are just as willing to give you their votes.

I think in 2012, the true conservative candidates will have no problem attracting small donors. This is because the base is clamoring for the real deal and not another establishment type. If the conservative base coalesces around one conservative candidate, then big donors or not it is bye-bye Mitt.

Via: Memeorandum
Via: Fox News

Mitt Romney: If he were president it would be ObamaCare waivers for all 50 states

National Review: If I were president, on Day One I would issue an executive order paving the way for Obamacare waivers to all 50 states. The executive order would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services and all relevant federal officials to return the maximum possible authority to the states toinnovate and design health-care solutions that work best for them.

As I have stated time and again, a one-size-fits-all national plan that raises taxes is simply not the answer. Under our federalist system, the states are “laboratories of democracy.” They should be free to experiment. By the way, what works in one state may not be the answer for another. Of course, the ultimate goal is to repeal Obamacare and replace it with free-market reforms that promote competition and lower health-care costs. But since an outright repeal would take time, an executive order is the first step in returning power to the states.

Hum, I see two problems with this approach.

First, blue states will no doubt institute mini ObamaCares with their waivers. That's OK, because isn't that is what the Tenth Amendment is all about? But what if you are a conservative or Republican in a blue state? You will be stuck with ObamaCare whether Obama wins or Romney wins. If that is the case, why bother to enthusiastically support Romney?

Second, I can easily see this executive order scheme taking the heat off Republicans to immediately repeal ObamaCare. Red States will no doubt go for free market and pro-individual solutions. As those states remove the specter of ObamaCare, pressure on the Republicans from the right might diminish. Sheepish Republicans who prefer to shy from a fight might just be happy to let things be. In that case, the only thing standing between us and an awful return of ObamaCare will be an executive order.

This idea from Romney seems like an attempt to make himself look less flip floppy and more consistent this time around. First, there is his refusal to admit that RomneyCare was a mistake. Then he offers up the States' Rights excuse to explain away his bad decision. Now he is taking the States' Rights idea one step further with this executive order idea. This maybe a good thing for Mitt Romney's presidential aspirations, but is it really the best way to go for America?

Via: Memeorandum
Via: National Review

Mitt Romney Version 6.0- Now with skinny jeans!

LA Times: Reporting from Washington — Defying his reputation as a 1950s square, the new, more casual Mitt Romney is popping up around the country as he readies a second run for president. He's going tieless on network TV, strollingNASCAR pits in Daytona and sporting skinny Gap jeans bought for him by his wife.

His latest campaign book, just out in paperback, opens with a regular-guy scene: wealthy Mitt in a Wal-Mart checkout line, buying gifts for his grandsons and comparing the surroundings to Target, another discount store he says he's familiar with.

The image tweaks are part of a broader makeover as Romney prepares to run from what should be an enviable spot: He's the early Republican favorite — though far from an inevitable nominee.

Skinny Jeans and Walmart?  Perhaps if Mitt Romney did not treat the TEA Party like it had the plague, he would not have to go around pretending to be "one of the people".  One of the crucial elements people are looking for in 2012 is authenticity. After Obama, Americans are done with window dressing.  Many of us would be happy to elect a buck-tooth, bald head, fat man so long as he really says what he means and means what he says. When it come to Mitt Romney, we have no idea what we will get.


Look at this video below when Romney was running in Massachusetts back in 1994

Here is text from a speech Mitt Romney is suppose to give today in New Hampshire:

“Senator Obama campaigned hard in New Hampshire but he apparently didn’t like what he saw,” Romney says in prepared remarks. “He certainly didn’t learn from it. Instead of lowering taxes, he raised them. He wrapped businesses in red tape, he grew government, he borrowed trillions of dollars, and he made it clear that he doesn’t like business people very much.

“He created a deeper recession, and delayed the recovery. The consequence is soaring numbers of Americans enduring unemployment, foreclosures and bankruptcies. This is the Obama Misery Index, and it is at a record high. It’s going to take more than new rhetoric to put Americans back to work — it’s going to take a new president.

The big question that skinny jeans and Walmart trips cannot effectively answers is; which Mitt Romney would America end up with should Romney become president?  Unfortunately for Mitt Romney too many Americans are in no mood for another crap shoot to find out who the real Mitt Romney is.


Via: Memeorandum
Via: LA Times
Via: Politico

VIDEO: Mitt Romney at CPAC 2011

In the words of the Black Eyed Peas, that speech was so 2000 and late.  Through out the whole speech I keep saying to myself, nice stuff, but where was all that tough talk over the last two years when conservatives needed him? Also, don't think I did not notice that ObamaCare was not mentioned once during the entire 20 minutes.


Mitt Romney is a very polished career politician.  He has groomed himself for the White House with the right style, all the needed positions and all the right connections.  Unfortunately for Mitt the landscape he based his rise to White House on has now shifted drastically.  Things like strong convictions, authenticity and honesty are now all in high demand.  Romney is falling short on all three.  


He still has a shot at the nomination so long as conservatives cannot quickly rally around a candidate.  Should conservatives become confused or dispirited like they were in 2008, Romney will be our nominee by default.


Via: CPAC Live

Romney digs in, won't apologize for RomneyCare

The Hill: Mitt Romney (R) said Tuesday he wouldn't apologize for the healthcare plan he created as governor of Massachusetts.

Romney waged a defense of his state's healthcare plan, perhaps his biggest hurdle to clear if he hopes to win the Republican nomination for president, due to its similarities to President Obama's healthcare reform law. 

"I'm not apologizing for it," Romney said on "Good Morning America."[...]

Romney said that while he might have constructed his plan differently if given a second chance, he was ultimately well within his rights as the governor of a state to enact it.

"I'm not going to apologize for the rights of states to craft plans on a bipartisan basis that they think will help their people," he said.

So Mitt Romney is going with the "States Rights" answer.  That is a pretty slim reed to hang his hat on..

While Romney is correct to point out that States have certain rights that the Feds do not have, his answer doesn't explain how a so called "conservative" ended up supporting mandates in the first place.

Conservatives are suppose to be about the free market and individual freedom, how does supporting a big government solution like RomneyCare  fit that bill?   Romney's inability to answer this question is why I won't be voting for him this time around.  

There are some serious things that will need to be undone from the Obama years and I certainly don't feel comfortable voting for someone to undo them who cannot consistently apply his conservative principles.

Judging from Romney's "States Rights" answer and his keeping a distance from the Tea Parties, I believe that Romney has settled on a nomination strategy that will bypass conservatives.  This is why I am ringing the bell that conservatives had better get their game plan together and start thinking realistically about who they will support in 2012.  Otherwise, Romney could very well end up being our nominee.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: The Hill

Via: Newser

US Ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman resigns. Preparing for 2012?

Politico: Jon M. Huntsman Jr., the U.S. ambassador to China, sent a resignation letter to President Barack Obama on Monday and now is likely to explore a Republican presidential bid, a close associate told POLITICO.

In a letter hand-delivered to the White House, the former Utah governor said that he wants to return to the United States by May, the associate said.

GOP allies of Huntsman have already begun laying plans for a quick-start campaign should the former Utah governor decide to enter the ill-defined Republican field.

While Huntsman has no direct involvement in it, a group of operatives that could eventually comprise his strategy team has set up an entity called “Horizon PAC” to serve as a placeholder for his political apparatus. [MORE]

Needless to say the administration is already sounding rather snarky about the whole thing.  They appointed Huntsman to take him out of the running in 2012.  Instead they ended up giving him massive foreign policy experience.  How does that old saying go; "one good screw deserves another"?

Jon Huntsman is the perfect Romney clone.  

• Moderate RINO - check.
• Mormon - check.
• Good Hair and presidential looks - check.
• Very wealthy - check.

I for one am glad Huntsman may run.  This is because so many conservatives are still looking for  "The One". The risk here is that conservatives could end up casting their votes all over the place, while the establishment and moderate Republicans quickly coalesce around Mitt Romney and give him the nomination. With Huntsman (and hopefully other RINOs) running, the establishment and moderates will face the same dilemma as conservatives.  This will make the chance of a true conservative winning the nomination more equal.


I think Huntsman stands a good chance of raining on Mitt's parade.  Surely, moderates and establishment Republicans must be worried that Mitt is going to struggle mightily at the hands of conservatives.  Perhaps, they will look at Huntsman as a less caustic option.


At any rate, I say, bring on the RINOs!


Via: Memeorandum
Via: Politico