The Mitt Romney Thread

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

We're in a wholesale economic and geopolitical decline, the result of decades of economic mismanagement and military adventurism (most recently in Iraq and Afghanistan); and yet these politicians keep talking about starting yet another war?

Where do these bastards think they're going to get the money to pay for this, more importantly the people to fight it?

Why do you hate our 45th president?

This equals staring another war? "The President of the United States can employ his admiration and good will to actually accomplish something meaningful and real in Iran -- comprehensive, withering sanctions, diplomatic isolation, and international support for the forces of freedom within Iran."

It shouldn't, but there is precedent for it.

[mawilson 2,133]

This thread should be retitled - the GOP Supporters Masturbation Thread.

Appropriate since so many are beating themselves dry over Sarah Palin's chances in 2012

[웃 910]

Republican Victories

Mitt Romney

What a great election yesterday! It's exhilarating to wake up to headlines of conservative victories in the battleground elections in Virginia and New Jersey. The American people have sent a very strong message to the liberals in Washington, DC that big government is not the answer, and that conservatism is still alive and well.

With your help , we've been working hard at my Free and Strong America PAC to spread the core principles that are at the heart of making America a stronger nation and which fortify our party -- that a competitive America is one where taxes are low and government is small, that our military superiority must never be compromised, that our cultural values need to be cherished and that unleashing the power of the free market is key to our economic future.

We worked extremely hard on behalf of Bob McDonnell and the entire Republican ticket in Virginia, and helped him close strong with a full day of campaigning in the final week; in New Jersey, we endorsed Chris Christie early and made sure he had the resources to be competitive against his better-financed opponent; in Michigan, we raised money for Republican Mike Nofs, who captured a key State Senate seat previously held by a Democrat; and we worked tirelessly for our friend and ally Barbara Comstock, a leading fixture in the conservative movement, who won an uphill fight for a House of Delegates seat in Virginia, where she'll be a reliable vote for Governor-elect McDonnell's conservative agenda.

We didn't stop there. So far in 2009, my PAC has donated nearly $120,000 to candidates and conservative causes around the nation, including a last-minute $5,000 donation to Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in New York's 23rd congressional district. I've given speeches at the Conservative Political Action Conference, the Club for Growth, the Values Voter Summit, the Heritage Foundation, the Foreign Policy Initiative conference and the AIPAC National Summit. Each of these events helped promote our shared conservative ideals and hopefully influenced the debate on the critical issues facing us.

We should be proud of what we have accomplished together; but this is no time to rest on our laurels. We must begin building upon these victories today to ensure that we have the resources we need to take back the Congress in 2010. Next year I'll also be traveling the country talking about my upcoming book, "No Apology: The Case for American Greatness," which will be published in March. I believe that the decisions we make today will determine what course America takes, and I want to make sure we remain the world's economic and military superpower.

Will you stand with us by making a contribution of $25, $50, $100, $250, $1,000 -- all the way to the maximum of $5,000 -- toward this effort?

Republicans are well positioned to show new strength as a party this year. We will take that momentum into the crucial 2010 mid-terms. Our work begins anew. With you by our side, we are sure that today's victories are the first of many to come.

Edited November 4, 2009 by Confucian

[웃 910]

Romney builds political capital while biding time on 2012 run

By Kevin Bohn, CNN

November 9, 2009 2:15 p.m. EST

Boston, Massachusetts (CNN) -- For a moment, you might think Mitt Romney was still running for office if you look at his travel schedule crisscrossing the country.

Since February, he has attended nine events for senatorial candidates, appeared at more than a dozen rallies or fundraisers for those running for governor this year or next, and spoken at almost two dozen meetings of Republican Party groups or conservative organizations. And he has finished a new book.

"This is a pivotal time in the history of our country," Romney said at his political action committee's office.

As the Republican Party searches for ways to rebound from its recent losses and leaders who can be turned to, Romney clearly is trying to position himself to be one of them.

"I am just one force among many. But a time like this, I think the party is looking for voices that lay out a positive ... vision for the future of this country and for our party. If I can be part of that, so much the better, and there are a lot of good voices out there," Romney said. "I appreciate the fact that others disagree with me on some issues, but that kind of debate at a critical time like this is good for the country."

Romney campaigned for both of the recent successful GOP gubernatorial candidates -- Virginia's Bob McDonnell and New Jersey's Chris Christie -- and said he plans to stay on the stump through next year's midterm elections.

"From now until November of 2010, I will be working to help conservatives across the country," the 2008 presidential candidate said. "The country, in my view, is being taken a direction that is very damaging, and I think people want to see a strong return of fundamental American principles."

As to the current state of the GOP, he maintains that the party is seeing new blood and has been rejuvenated by President Obama.

"I think you are seeing Republicans from both sides of the spectrum becoming more and more enthusiastic, more excited about the future and more anxious to see change in Washington."

Romney stayed neutral while several Republican leaders, such as former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, endorsed third-party conservative candidate Doug Hoffman in New York's 23rd Congressional District race over moderate Republican Party candidate Dede Scozzafava.

Although some in the party believe that it should be tilting right in whom to support in future elections, he said, "I will be by and large supporting conservative Republicans" but would not rule out backing some moderates, referencing former President Reagan.

"He was the one who coined the term 'the big tent.' He also said that you don't build something by subtraction. So we welcome people who agree with us on most issues. Some will be very conservative on some issues. Some will be less so on others. We welcome you into the party."

Romney said those within the party of different ideological stripes can agree on core principles, including strong national security, small government and fiscal responsibility.

"They want to distance themselves from the mistakes [that] were made by certain Republicans in the past," he said without elaborating.

Whether he is hoping to lead the party into the 2012 presidential race is an open question. He insisted that he would decide whether to make another run only after the midterms.

In an October 16-18 CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll, Romney ranked third in Republicans' choice for a 2012 nominee behind former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Palin; 36 percent had a favorable view of him, while 26 percent had a negative view and 37 percent weren't sure.

If Romney does decide to make another presidential run, he will have accumulated a lot of political capital that can be a crucial asset.

His political action committee, Free and Strong America, has raised more than $2.6 million this year and given out more than $118,000 in contributions, according to financial records and the PAC.

The country, in my view, is being taken a direction that is very damaging.

He is also trying to shore up his conservative credentials in the wake of criticism during last year's campaign that he was inauthentic for his embrace of conservative positions on issues such as abortion, which he was more moderate on as governor of Massachusetts.

The entrepreneur has criticized the $787 billion economic stimulus plan as emphasizing too much spending and not including enough tax cuts.

"Don't waste any more money. Stop using the stimulus to grow government. Instead, restructure what's left to encourage the permanent acquisition of jobs," he said.

Several of his potential challengers in a possible Republican nomination fight, including Huckabee and Pawlenty, have criticized the Massachusetts universal health care plan Romney helped create as governor. Although the state has greatly expanded the number of residents receiving insurance coverage, the costs have exceeded estimates.

"Seventy-five percent of those in Massachusetts said they don't think it is a success," Huckabee said at the Family Research Council's Values Voter Summit in September.

Romney has not backed away.

"We have a plan in Massachusetts that is working pretty well. It has flaws. It's not perfect, but it is making a difference here," he said. "We found a way to get everybody insured in the state, and we did that without a public option -- no government insurance and without the need of raising taxes."

At the same time, he is trying to use his experience on the issue as a way to attack the Obama administration.

There has been "no interest in [the] part of the administration to speak with me or come and really analyze what is really good about this system or what is really bad. Instead they have their own plan without input from Republicans, and I think that is very different from what people expected from this president."

Romney called Obama a nice guy and said there are some areas they agree on, such as the president's trip to Copenhagen, Denmark, to lobby for the Olympics to come to Chicago, Illinois. But "he's just wrong on most big issues," the former head of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics said of the president.

Some of Romney's toughest criticism of the president has come over foreign policy.

"I think he has made America less safe in that our friends are more concerned about the reliability of the United States," he said.

He pointed to such moves by the administration as pushing Israel to freeze settlements, the redesign of the missile shield program in Europe and the review of the Afghanistan war strategy.

"This president says he needs some time. Four months? Nine months? We have men and women dying in Afghanistan. They need to know if they're going to get reinforcements and the support they need, or is this president going to take a different course?"

[웃 910]

Added On November 9, 2009

Former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney is busy raising money and laying out his vision. CNN's Jessica Yellin has a profile.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/...mitt.romney.cnn

[웃 910]

RELEASE: Romney: Obama has lost his way on Afghanistan

November 13, 2009

The following is an excerpt from a speech Mitt Romney delivered November 13, 2009 to the Young America’s Foundation at the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, California:

"Let me turn for a moment to Afghanistan. Here is what I believe.

I believe ‘the terrorists who planned and supported the 9-11 attacks are in Pakistan and Afghanistan.’ I believe that ‘if the Afghan government falls to the Taliban--the country will again be a base for terrorists who want to kill as many of our people as they possibly can.’ I believe that ‘the future of Afghanistan is inextricably linked to the future of its neighbor Pakistan.’ I believe that "we are in Afghanistan to confront a common enemy that threatens the United States, our friends and allies.’ I believe that ‘to succeed, we and our friends and allies must reverse the Taliban's gains, and promote a more capable and accountable Afghan government.’

　

I am not the first one to have those beliefs. Those were the words of President Obama spoken on March 27 of this year.

　

What I now find incomprehensible and inexcusable is this:

　

The President had no time to frequently and regularly meet with his Generals conducting the war, even as American soldiers were dying.

The President took wholly inadequate preparation to ensure a valid Afghan election, even as he knew that a legitimate government was essential to our success.

The President has invited David Axelrod to participate in his national security discussions, where polls and politics have no place.

The President has held his job for 10 months but does not yet have a strategy.

What has he been doing that is more important than protecting the lives of the troops of which he is Commander-in-Chief? He has been campaigning – rallying at phony town meetings and making over 30 campaign stops for fellow Democrats. This President's inattention and dereliction remind me of those Northwest Airlines pilots who were so distracted from their jobs that they lost their way. But in this case, the consequences are far more severe."

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11/13/09: Romney speech at YAF (Young America's Foundation) at the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, California.

http://www.freestrongamerica.com/blog/item...-on-afghanistan

Edited November 15, 2009 by Confucian

[Joseph & Ana 0]

I'll vote Romney in 12 if i must.

[The_Dude 1,142]

I'll vote Romney in 12 if i must.

Awww, I thought you were a Palin 2012 guy. I really don't think the Republican nominee will be anyone remotely involved in 08. Palin is really a big joke. She may have a fan base, but so does Charles Manson, doesn't really mean anything. Romney makes more gaffes than Biden. He should stick to what he knows.... hedge funds and varmit hunting

[Joseph & Ana 0]

I'll vote Romney in 12 if i must.

Awww, I thought you were a Palin 2012 guy. I really don't think the Republican nominee will be anyone remotely involved in 08. Palin is really a big joke. She may have a fan base, but so does Charles Manson, doesn't really mean anything. Romney makes more gaffes than Biden. He should stick to what he knows.... hedge funds and varmit hunting

I love how scared you libs are of Sarah.

[The_Dude 1,142]

I'll vote Romney in 12 if i must.

Awww, I thought you were a Palin 2012 guy. I really don't think the Republican nominee will be anyone remotely involved in 08. Palin is really a big joke. She may have a fan base, but so does Charles Manson, doesn't really mean anything. Romney makes more gaffes than Biden. He should stick to what he knows.... hedge funds and varmit hunting

I love how scared you libs are of Sarah.

Not at all. She really is unqualified for the job. I really think all the hype this far out means nothing. Palin and Romney will be very well funded by the time the primary rolls around, but what I think they lack is substance. I really don't think Palin is a serious contender at all. But she does have enough clout that she could become a king maker.

Now, if only Ron Paul was 6" taller, had better hair and a deeper voice, he'd be the Republican to crush all other politicians.

[웃 910]

The cost of on-the-job training

By MITT ROMNEY | 11/19/09 5:04 AM EST

During the presidential campaign, many Americans thought that Barack Obama’s lack of leadership experience would not prevent him from being an effective president. His eloquence, his insistence that, yes, he could solve any problem and his image, so artfully crafted by his advertising team, led by David Axelrod, convinced many that hope could trump demonstrated ability. It has not. Nowhere is the evidence more apparent than in his mismanagement of the conflict in Afghanistan.

In March, not long after taking office, President Obama explained his convictions regarding the conflict. He charged that “the terrorists who planned and supported the Sept. 11 attacks are in Pakistan and Afghanistan.” Further, “if the Afghan government falls to the Taliban, that country will again be a base for terrorists who want to kill as many of our people as they possibly can.” And he concluded: “To succeed, we and our friends and allies must reverse the Taliban’s gains and promote a more capable and accountable Afghan government.” What followed this bold and definitive goal was the classic failing of people without real leadership experience: the inability to do what is necessary to achieve one’s objective.

The president refused to focus on what was most important. He took on so many tasks that he underinvested in the most critical ones. The restructuring of the entire health care system and his cap-and-trade proposal eclipsed the economy and the war. Investor Warren Buffett, the “sage of Omaha,” counseled him against such a foolhardy agenda, but Buffett’s wisdom was no match for the heady prospect of all-encompassing change.

So it was that in the first 100 days after his appointment in June of Gen. Stanley McChrystal as commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, Obama met with the general only once. After the press took note of it, the president squeezed in a mere 25 minutes for McChrystal when he was in Copenhagen to pitch Chicago’s Olympics bid. In the annals of American history, it is certain that no wartime president has ever spent less time with his generals than Obama has.

A full year after being elected, Obama still does not have a strategy for Afghanistan. His apologists explain that rather than rush a decision, it is better to get it right. But at some point, deliberation, if it goes on too long, becomes indecision. It is fair to ask, What has he been doing for the past 12 months that took precedence over his responsibility for our soldiers?

The answer is that he made 30 or more campaign trips for the Democratic Party and its candidates, including five events for defeated New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine alone. He repeatedly traveled around the country to keynote campaign-style town hall meetings that were carefully choreographed by his communications advisers. He appears to want to do what he knows best: campaign, rather than engage in what he was elected to do — lead and govern.

While he was busy campaigning in the U.S., the president ignored the election in Afghanistan and took wholly inadequate measures to ensure a valid outcome, even as he must have known that a legitimate government was essential to our success. Because Obama left so critical a matter to chance, we are left with a fraudulently elected regime, which is accused of rampant corruption. Thus, the prospects for our success have been greatly diminished.

With the McChrystal report in his hands since August, the president has finally been spending more time in the situation room. Surely his deliberations have not been speeded by the presence of Axelrod, the president’s campaign adman. Polls, politics and perspectives on what the TV networks may think have no place at the national security table. Communications staff should be informed of security decisions after they are made, not invited to be a party to them.

During my career in business and government, and in running the Olympics, I made many instructive mistakes and learned the lessons that come with experience. Obama is making those mistakes in his first real leadership position, and because that position is president of the United States, the consequences of his mistakes are sobering. The lives of our soldiers, the war against violent jihadism and the future of millions of Afghans are in the balance.

[웃 910]

Mr. President, here's how to lift our economy

Today's White House jobs summit comes too late for millions of Americans who through no fault of their own have lost their jobs, their homes, their savings and, in many cases, the self-esteem and self-respect that come from work. Like other presidents before him, Barack Obama inherited a recession. But unlike them, he has made it worse, not better.

His failure to stem the unemployment tide should not have been a surprise. With no experience whatsoever in the world of employment and business formation, he had no compass to guide his path. Instead, he turned over much of his economic recovery agenda to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, themselves nearly as inexperienced in the private sector as he. Congress gave him and them everything they asked for, including a history-making three-quarters of a trillion dollar stimulus.

But it did little to stimulate the real economy – where jobs are created. Studies, initiatives and programs that liberal think tanks had long pined for were given life even as the private economy was on life support. The president's team assured us that their massive stimulus would hold unemployment below 8%. So with unemployment now at 10.2%, it is clear that their stimulus was a miscalculated failure.

In an attempt to disguise the truth, the administration has touted inflated figures of jobs "created."But every month, in good times and bad, jobs are created and jobs are lost. What matters is the net difference between the two numbers. Focusing solely on jobs created while ignoring the far greater numbers of jobs lost is Harry Houdini economics.

Growing government, as was done with the stimulus, inevitably depresses the private sector and job creation. Shrinking government and reducing government jobs is healthier for the economy, but this option was never seriously considered. That's no wonder: As White House guest logs for the first half of the year reveal, the most frequent visitor to the executive mansion was Andy Stern, the head of the Service Employees International Union, which represents government workers.

My 10-point plan

The president's economists insist that technically, the recession is over. But double-digit unemployment was neither prevented nor has it ended. To get people back to work as rapidly as possible and to restore America's economic vitality, the nation must change course. Here's the advice I would give:

•Repair the stimulus. Freeze the funds that haven't yet been spent and redirect them to immediate, private sector job-creation priorities.

•Create tax incentives that promote business expansion and hiring. For example, install a robust investment tax credit, permit businesses to expense capital purchases made in 2010, and reduce payroll taxes. These will reignite construction, technology and a wide array of capital goods industries, and lead to expanded employment.

•Prove to the global investors that finance America's debt that we are serious about reining in spending and becoming fiscally prudent by adopting limits on non-military discretionary spending and reforming our unsustainable, unfunded entitlements. These are key to strengthening the dollar, reducing the threat of rampant inflation and holding down interest rates.

•Close down any talk of carbon cap-and-trade. It will burden consumers and employers with billions in new costs. Instead, greatly expand our commitment to natural gas and nuclear, boosting jobs now and reducing the export of energy jobs and dollars later.

•Tell the unions that job-stifling "card check" legislation is off the table. Laying new burdens on small business will kill entrepreneurship and job creation.

•Don't allow a massive tax increase to go into effect in 2011 with the expiration of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. The specter of more tax-fueled government spending and the reduction of capital available for small business will hinder investment and business expansion.

•New spending should be strictly limited to items that are critically needed and that we would have acquired in the future, such as new military equipment to support our troops abroad and essential infrastructure at home.

•Install dynamic regulations for the financial sector – rules that are up to date, efficient and not excessively burdensome. But do not so tie up the financial sector with red tape that we lose a vital component of our economic system.

•Open the doors to trade. Give important friends like Colombia favored trade status rather than bow to protectionist demands. Now is the time for aggressive pursuit of opportunities for new markets for American goods, not insular retrenchment.

•Stop frightening the private sector by continuing to hold GM stock, by imposing tighter and tighter controls on compensation, and by pursuing a public insurance plan to compete with private insurers. Government encroachment on free enterprise is depressing investment and job creation.

The 10% unemployment crisis hangs like an albatross around President Obama's neck. Eventually, as with every recession and recovery, the economy will improve and jobs will be created, but those who were unnecessarily unemployed due to the president's faulty economic program will not forget. In order to most rapidly re-employ all Americans and to speed a strong recovery, the president must change course. If he does not, Republicans will bring a change of their own to Washington in the 2010 elections.

[웃 910]

Will update video when available...

Watch Mitt discuss the economy tonight with CNN's Larry King (9pm ET | 6pm PT).

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"The President has to recognize that the only way we are going to get this economy going again is by encouraging the private sector rather than continuing to group government. Massive deficit in growth in government is not the answer."

Mitt Romney gets the "Last Word" on CNN's State of the Union with John King.