UK article...a great read

"And now, a shiver of a breeze rustling the trees in the heart of the city, there is Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts, aspirant Republican candidate to succeed Bush, winner of the Iowa caucuses, possessor of a certain momentum his adversaries lack, champion fundraiser and champion non-needer of funds (because he's worth $250m) - and, like his wife and father before him, follower of the Mormon faith."

see article

Thompson: a novice CEO

I’m very worried about entrusting the most complex CEO job in the world to someone or anyone who’s never run anything bigger than a six person law firm. Thompson has no executive experience, and it shows in the way he’s run his campaign. The indecision, the lack of direction, the organizational incoherence – these are hallmarks of a rookie CEO. Anyone who’s ever run anything knows what I’m talking about. You get better at it as you go along, and there’s a pretty steep learning curve.

Unfortunately for Fred, POTUS isn’t an entry level CEO position.

see article

Romney doubles the competition in Iowa

This from strategic vision:

1. If the 2008 Republican presidential caucus were held today between Sam Brownback, Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, Duncan Hunter, John McCain, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Tom Tancredo, and Fred Thompson, for whom would you vote? (Republicans Only; Names Rotated)
Mitt Romney 31%
Fred Thompson 15%
Rudy Giuliani 13%
John McCain 8%
Mike Huckabee 8%
Newt Gingrich 3%
Ron Paul 3%
Tom Tancredo 3%
Sam Brownback 2%
Duncan Hunter 1%
Undecided 13%

National polls don't matter...but trends do!

Alright...so we've argued that National polls aren't significant at this stage of the nominating process. But there does seem to be an upward trend for Governor Romney. Fred Thompson is on the down, McCain is down, and Romney is climbing up in the polls.

What is that on your forehead, Rudy? Is that sweat forming?

Polling Data
If the 2008 Republican primary for president were being held today, and the candidates were (the following), for whom would you vote?

----------------Aug. 2007 --------Jun. 2007 ---------Apr. 2007

Rudy Giuliani--- 28%--------------- 27%---------------- 27%

Mitt Romney ----15%---------------10%----------------- 8%

Fred Thompson- 12%--------------- 15%----------------- 14%

John McCain-----11%--------------- 15%---------------- 19%

Source: Quinnipiac University Polling InstituteMethodology: Telephone interviews with 611 likely Republican voters, conducted from Aug. 7 to Aug. 13, 2007. Margin of error is 4 per cent.

Ames poll shows that Mitt can lead!

First, the results:

1. Mitt Romney 32%
2. Mike Huckabee 18%
3. Sam Brownback 15%
4. Tom Tancredo 14%
5. Ron Paul 9%
6. Tommy Thompson 7%

Then . . . the "also rans":
7. Fred Thompson 1%
8. Rudy Giuliani 1%
9. Duncan Hunter 1%
10. John McCain 0.7%
11. John Cox 0.5%

What kind of executive does America want? Our wonderful country is facing some serious problems and she needs strong leadership. For Romney to come from out of obscurity and win this thing shows nothing less than a leader who can get results. And to see Rudy and McCain sit this one out reveals a lack of character in each of them. It shows that if they do not think they can win something they throw in the towel without even trying! Don't we want a president who will fight for conservative principles even if it seems to be against the odds?

To think about what Romney has accomplished thus far, with so little name-recognition, and with so much opposition to his religion, one can only expect greater things from the man when he takes the reigns as POTUS.

-David Alvord

Mitt landed the best two lines and won the Iowa debate

Obama, it's time to stop worrying and love the bomb...you are already half way there: Obomb-a.

Mitt landed the best two lines in the debate:

Former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-Mass.), who is the clear leader in Iowa, joined in on the bashing of Democrats with several one-liners directed at Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). "He's gone from Jane Fonda to Dr. Strangelove in one week," Romney said in characterizing the military strategy of the Illinois Senator.

and then to Brownback:

"I get tired of people who are holier than thou because they have been pro life longer than I have."

Fred the "Friendly Ghost"

There are three top-tier candidates and one ghost. So why doesn't Fred announce his candidacy? Maybe he doesn't have the money to pay for the balloons and confetti! Rumor has it that Fred may have only raised 3M.

Wasn't Thompson supposed to announce over the fourth of July? Where is this guy? Is he just hovering around somewhere? Is he even alive? Maybe what we are seeing is old video clips...or maybe he is a computer generated candidate. C'mon Fred! The water's fine!

Ron Paul Supporters - No Show in the Poll

I'm confused. Based on Internet traffic, YouTube video popularity, posting on blogs and articles, etc., it would seem that Ron Paul is a front-runner among the Republicans. The amount of ardent supporters Ron Paul has in his corner is truly amazing.

Now the confusing part: Based on this apparent high level of support, I would assume that RP would be doing well in the polls - at least in Iowa. But here is the latest Iowa poll:

Research 2000 Iowa Republican Primary

Romney - 25%
F Thompson - 14%
Giuliani - 13%
McCain - 10%
Gingrich - 6%
Huckabee - 2%
Thompson - 2%
Tancredo - 2%
Brownback - 2%
Hunter - 1%
Paul - 1%

So what is going on with Ron? Where are his supporters in this poll? I think Ron Paul is a nice guy, and means well, but he has absolutely NO chance to win the election, and as far as I'm concerned, time and money spent to further his cause is time and money that could be better spend furthering the cause of the most viable Republican candidate - Mitt Romney.

Survey was conducted July 23-25 of 400 likely Republican caucus-goers.

Full Poll Results can be found here.

No to Obama, Osama, and Chelsea's Momma...

Doesn't that just sound like the South?

Times poll shows Romney's Mormon problem is not so bad...

To Americans, Romney's religious convictions make him only slightly less favorable than a candidate who has once been a minister. Is that because all Mormon males ARE ministers? Yes, it's true that all worthy Mormon males are ordained to the priesthood...so perhaps Mitt's Mormon problem is really just a lack of faith in men of the cloth in general. The NYT times poll showed that 25% of Americans were less likely to vote for a candidate who was once a minister. So the Mormon "problem" is really just a 5% handicap.

So let's tally up all the scores for all of the leading candidates (the higher the score the less likely Americans will vote):

Mitt Romney : Mormon = 30 pts

Rudy Giuliani : extra marital affair (39)+ divorced (9) = 48 pts

Hillary Clinton: EMA (Bill) 39 + Long time washington politics 15 + woman 11 + Christian 5 =70 pts

Barack Hussein Obama: Used drugs in the past (45) + Smokes Cigarettes (18) + Black (4) = 67

Fred is Dead

They're droppin' like flies.

First it was McCain with immigration, then Giuliani with the Firemen, and now Fred Thompson with the pro-abortion group he worked for and his lies to cover it up...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/19/us/politics/19thompson.html?_r=2&ref=politics&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Looks like Mitt Romney is the last (and by far the best) man standing.

Guliani....Tardy!

It appears Guilani doesn't subscribe to the adage, "punctuality says more about you than you think it does." Read here for more:
http://www.drudgereport.com/flash3rl.htm

Swimming - Mitt's Merit Badge

Here is Mitt's latest campaign video. No other candidate comes close to Mitt on emphasizing the importance of children in this and future generations.

McCain-Feingold-Thompson was bad for America

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

During his eight years in the Senate, the only peice of major legislation that Fred was involved with was bad for America, and it may cost him once Americans find out:

"I think Thompson already has peaked, especially because people are being reminded of his deep involvement in supporting McCain-Feingold," said James Bopp Jr., a Republican lawyer who specializes in campaign and election law.

See article

The McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill, championed by Fred Thompson, is the only important piece of legislation where he played a major role. And that is not an accomplishment to be proud of as a conservative.

World's tallest man meets the world's smallest.

Firefighters Attack Giuliani - Rudy's Run is Over

Various firefighter groups have come out with a devistating video blaming Rudy and his administration for a series of egregious errors that led to unnessesary deaths of firefighters on 9/11. The video is heartwrenching and really brings you back to the somber October days of 2001. My heart really goes out to the families of firefighters and civilian victims of 9/11, and this video is a powerful reminder of the sacrifice that was made by these brave Americans.

At the same time, however, this video is absolutely brutal towards Rudy. It would be a waste of time for me to try to describe how devistating this video will be for Rudy's campaign - you'll have to see it for yourself...

Mark my words: Right or wrong, this video will bring Rudy down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaCYEEO-58I

http://www.rudy-urbanlegend.com/

Washington Post calls Romney the front runner!

The Washington Post has finally come out with what Mitt Rocks! already knew, that Mitt is the front runner for the Republican nomination.

See story

REPUBLICANS

1. Mitt Romney: The former Massachusetts governor takes over the top spot on The Line for the first time this cycle. Why? Because his strength in Iowa led both former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain to back out of the state GOP's straw poll set for this summer; because he appears headed for another first- or second-place finish in the money chase; and because he continues to withstand attacks on his decision to change positions on key issues like gay rights without losing the momentum he is building. We know all the reasons why we shouldn't read too much into Romney's pole position in surveys in Iowa and New Hampshire -- he's the only major Republican candidate on the airwaves, the race isn't yet engaged etc. But he's still ahead in the two most important early states, and that matters. (Previous ranking: 3)

2. (tie) Rudy Giuliani: The former mayor of New York doesn't drop from the top spot because of his terrible, no good, horrible, and very badweek. Rather, he drops because at some point his lack of any serious organization in any of the first three voting states -- Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina -- puts him at a clear disadvantage in the nomination fight. While the early states may (and we emphasize may) have less influence in picking the nominee than they have in years past due to the looming presence of a number of huge states set to vote in late January or early February, it's hard to imagine a scenario where Giuliani finishes out of the top two in any of the first three states and remains viable on the Feb. 5 SUPER primary. Don't get us wrong: Giuliani's fundraising prowess and reputation as "America's Mayor" means he still has a very real shot at winning the GOP nomination. But he better get started building organizations in those early states -- and quick. (Previous ranking: 1)

2 (tie). Fred Thompson: It's hard to ignore the fact that the former Tennessee senator has catapulted close to the top of the Republican field before he has even announced his presidential candidacy. Thompson has the widespread disaffection among Republicans with the current field to thank for his rapid rise, but we don't hold that against him. After all, timing is everything in politics. Conservatives appear to be coalescing behind Thompson's non-campaign, and early indications are that his fundraising operation is going strong. So why not put him in the top spot on The Line? As usual, The Fix's former boss, Charlie Cook, said it best in what could well be a prescient column about Thompson's approach to the race. And did anyone else think Thompson's response to whether or not he would like to be president was something less than convincing? (Previous ranking: 4)

4. John McCain: McCain's tumble from the top of The Line has been as precipitous as it has been unexpected. After promising that McCain would greatly exceed his fundraising total from the first quarter, his aides are now privately scaling back expectations for the second quarter (another third-place finish behind Romney and Giuliani is likely). And whether it's immigration or some other cocktail of issues, McCain's poll numbers in early states are taking a dive. The question for McCain is whether he can make it through the summer and fall -- from a perception standpoint -- given where he is likely to be in early polling and fundraising. Can McCain come back? Of course. There's lots of talk about John Kerry's Lazarus impersonation in the 2004 presidential race inside McCain world these days. But frankly, the race for McCain is now about survival, not dominance. It's a stunning turnaround. (Previous ranking: 2)

DEMOCRATS

1. Hillary Rodham Clinton: When all of the Democratic candidates stand on a debate stage together, it's Clinton who looks and sounds the most like a president. Don't underestimate the importance of debates in offering voters a chance to compare and contrast the field. While Clinton is broadening her lead in national polls, she remains in tight contests in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. Iowa is the first and most important challenge. The caucus electorate is strongly anti-war, and Clinton's positioning on Iraq is less pure than Barack Obama's. But her organization is rapidly improving thanks to the addition of Theresa Vilmain, and the Clinton team knows just how important a strong caucus showing is for her chances. (Previous ranking: 1)

2. Barack Obama: We don't buy the current conventional wisdom that Obama's campaign has somehow stalled, a view that's based on the fact that he remains behind Clinton in national polls. From everything we hear, Obama will eclipse Clinton for the second straight quarter in fundraising -- an absolutely unthinkable development just six months ago. Obama continues to attract massive crowds wherever he goes, and his campaign is heavily focused on how best to turn those crowds into caucus supporters and primary votes. Obama's indifferent debate performances -- he was far better in the second debate than the first but still looked somewhere short of totally confident -- don't seem to have affected his numbers anywhere where it really matters. His biggest potential hurdle? Allowing slip-ups like the "D-Punjab" incident to knock him off the nonpartisan pedestal on which he claims to stand. (Previous ranking: 2)

3. John Edwards: June 30 will be a big day for the Edwards campaign. If his fundraising for the second quarter is far behind the high marks that Obama and Clinton are likely to set, it will be increasingly difficult for him to remain in the top tier. Edwards's saving grace has (and continues to be) his strength in Iowa. But the most recent independent poll in the state showed him in a statistical dead heat with Clinton and Obama. If Edwards doesn't win Iowa, he will struggle to remain viable, as his organization currently trails those of Clinton and Obama in New Hampshire. Taking a page from Sen. John Kerry's playbook in 2004, Edwards is seeking to inject the electability argument into the campaign. But after being burned by casting a head-over-heart vote in 2004, will Democratic voters go down that road again? (Previous ranking: 3)

McCain's campain is almost dead...

"This is about as close to terminal as you can get without actually dying," said Alex Vogel, a GOP strategist and one-time aide to former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn. "In medical terms they would say his campaign is in grave condition. The last rights are being uttered."

see story

My response? I would have rather seen Giuliani go down. McCain is a good man, second only to our guy Mitt. But perhaps now the choice will be between a converted pro-lifer (Mitt) and a pro-choicer (Rudy). As for Fred? I have to question Fred's ability to raise money and organize a campaign this late in the game. But he is still the wild card in all of this...

-David Alvord

Fred Thompson: "dumb as [heck]"

Article reveals that Nixon thought Thompson was "dumb as hell"...

So Thompson fans, do we really want a dumb lazy president?

C'mon guys, let's just rally around Mitt Romney and stop distracting ourselves with lesser candidates.

Check out the whole article By JOAN LOWY here.

My favorite excerpts:

President Nixon and his top aides viewed the fellow Republican as a willing, if not too bright, ally, according to White House tapes.

Those tapes show Thompson played a behind-the-scenes role that was very different from his public image three decades ago. He comes across as a partisan willing to cooperate with the Nixon White House's effort to discredit the committee's star witness.

It was Thompson who tipped off the White House that the Senate committee knew about the tapes.

Nixon was disappointed with the selection of Thompson, whom he called "dumb as hell." The president did not think Thompson was skilled enough to interrogate unfriendly witnesses and would be outsmarted by the committee's Democratic counsel.

"Oh s---, that kid," Nixon said when told by his chief of staff, H.R. Haldeman, of Thompson's appointment on Feb. 22, 1973.

Nixon expressed concern that Thompson was not "very smart."
"Not extremely so," Buzhardt agreed.
"But he's friendly," Nixon said.
"But he's friendly," Buzhardt agreed.

"I found Thompson most cooperative, feeling more Republican every day," Buzhardt said. "Uh, perfectly prepared to assist in really doing a cross-examination."

Later in the same conversation, Buzhardt said Thompson was "willing to go, you know, pretty much the distance now. And he said he realized his responsibility was going to have be as a Republican increasingly."

At a hearing on July 16, Thompson asked former White House aide Alexander Butterfield: "Mr. Butterfield, are you aware of the installation of any listening devices in the Oval Office of the president?"

The question made Thompson instantly famous. His political Web site prominently notes: "Friends in Tennessee still recall seeing the boy they'd grown up with on TV, sitting at the Senate hearing-room dais. He gained national attention for leading the line of inquiry that revealed the audio-taping system in the White House Oval Office."

What rarely is mentioned is that Thompson knew the answer to the question before he asked it. Investigators for the committee had gotten the information out of Butterfield during hours of behind-the-scenes questioning three days earlier, on July 13.

The Clintons and Romneys meet....the first of many encounters

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, appeared Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the scrum that had quickly developed when Romney approached Bill Clinton.

"Nice to see you!" Sen. Clinton exclaimed to Romney.

See the article

Romney still number one!

Candidate-by-candidate:

Romney $23.4 + $20.5=$43.9
Giuliani $16.6 + $17= $33.6
McCain $13 + $11.2 = $24.2

But the GOP can do better. Check out the Dems:

Clinton $36 + $27 = $63
Obama $25.8 + $32.5 = $58.3
Edwards $14+ $9 = $23

C'mon guys, its time to open up your wallets and purses and make an investment in our country. Romney is the only candidate who could beat any of the Democratic contenders in the general election...so make the investment now and save thousands on taxes later. The way I see it, this investment is more safe than investing in the stock markets.

Dogs love the wind!

Call PETA, this dog should have been sitting in the back seat of this truck, with his seatbelt on. Clearly the dog is terrified of being in the back of this truck going 60 mph.

I randomly caught this today as I merged onto the freeway.

Animal Cruelty

While driving today I caught extreme animal cruelty with my digital camera. A trailer of bulls on its way to a rodeo - the humanity! Or, er, animanity! Those poor bulls with wind in their faces!

More animal crulety - bulls riding in a caged trailer!

If you look close at this trailer, you'll see that these bulls were so absolutely terrified of being exposed to the wind that they had the same loss of bowel control that Seamus had! Since sheer terror is, of course, the only explanation for such bowel releases among animals.

PETA Don't Know Dogs!

If there is one love universally shared by all dogs, it is the joy of the wind in their faces. I wish I had a video of the Romney station wagon in 1983 with the dog on top. As Mitt has mentioned, the dog loved it up in the kennel - with the wind in his face and a bird's eye view, nothing could be better.

In my mind's eye I can picture the kennel, windshield and all, getting strapped to the luggage rack on the car's roof. I can then see Rufus running excitedly toward his traveling perch. As the car takes off, Rufus pushes toward the side of the kennel and sticks his nose into the wind, wishing the windshield were NOT blocking the most visceral and enjoyable part of the experience.

I suppose the people who are miffed about this have never ridden a motorcycle or in a convertible. As a person with a dog-like affinity for the wind in his face, I say lay off Mitt and his dog. If Rufus could talk he'd be telling these PETA folks that they're idiots, and that they don't know dogs!

Honestly, this has nothing to do with animals. It's all politics. Desperate for something negative to say about the only conservative candidate with a real chance of winning, liberals are digging deep to criticize Romney. Ironically, PETA's hyperventilating about a Mitt presidency is actually strengthening his support among conservative primary voters in the same way a pro-abortion group against Romney increases his clout among pro-lifers. So PETA, Mitt thanks you for your support.

Vote on this straw poll

http://www.melaniemorgan.com/

My Primary Prediction

Okay folks, here is my bold (and highly probable) prediction on how the primaries will shake out (after Mitt knocks it out of the park in the Ames straw poll in August, of course):

1) Monday, January 14, 2008 - Iowa
Romney will smoke the competition in this one and it will set the stage for his eventual victory. I think he'll get a HUGE 45% of the vote!

2) Saturday, January 19, 2008 - Nevada
Mitt won a recent poll in Nevada and the momentum is going his direction. Fred Thompson is also doing well in Nevada, but I predict deflating support for Thompson once voters really get to know him (the Giuliani effect - famous name that polls well early on, but degrades over time). Polls in early January will have a close race between Thompson and Romney, but the Iowa caucuses will give Mitt a boost and he'll take Nevada by a decent margin.

3a) Tuesday, January 22, 2008 - New Hampshire
Are you kidding?! There is no question that Mitt is going to win in New Hampshire. After winning both Iowa and Nevada, he'll blow out NH!

3b) Tuesday, January 22, 2008 - Wyoming
I can't find any polls but being so close to Utah and having seen Mitt work his magic with the Olympics, I can't imagine Wyoming not going for Mitt. But even if it didn't go Romney (despite the aforementioned win in nearby and similarly rural Iowa), that news would be overshadowed by the more important and historical New Hampshire win. (If anyone knows about Wyoming polls, let me know...)

4) Tuesday, January 29, 2008 - Florida
This is where it gets interesting. Currently, Romney trails both Giuliani and Thompson in Florida. Mitt has been above 10% recently, but some of his steam is being taken by Thompson of late. Again, I expect support for Thompson to wane once people realize he doesn't have the family values, intelligence, charisma, experience, ideas, or character of Romney. Plus, unfounded concerns over Mitt's abortion credentials will work their way into Thompson's run (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO_HA_0cdM0 ). In the end, it all boils down to how closely Floridians are watching the preceding races. If they watch and follow, it goes to Romney. If they vote blindly, it may go Giuliani or Thompson. I predict Mitt squeaks out a win - he's definitely got the best team in Florida.

5) Saturday, February 2, 2008 - South Carolina
The story here is pretty much the same as Florida. It all depends on the impact of the preceding states. Watch for some religious bigotry against Romney, along with a backlash. Also watch for Giuliani's support to evaporate once his pro-abortion stance fully comprehended. I think Romney will have a hard time winning, but he'll get 2nd place.

6) Super Dooper Tuesday, February 5, 2008:
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia, and maybe more!
For the most part, the OVERALL winner of the first 6 states listed above will be the de facto winner in these states. If my prediction holds, and Mitt wins 5 of the 6 (or even 4 of the 6), and has the most precious prizes of Iowa and NH, he'll take most of these states and become the nominee!!!

So, as Mitt continues to work Florida and South Carolina this fall, his support will rise and he'll be set to devastate the completion. Mitt's going to be our nominee!

BTW, I just found a couple great resources in Wikipedia that I referenced in putting this together:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_%28United_States%29_presidential_primaries%2C_2008

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_Republican_Party_%28United_States%29_presidential_primaries%2C_2008

Mitt's Harvard Years

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/06/26/romneys_harvard_classmates_recall_his_quick_mind_positive_attitude/

Okay, so I should probably take back the mean comments I mader earlier about the Boston Globe. The recent slew of articles on Mitt have been quite fair. Let's hope it continues...

Can They Not Help Themselves?

Here is an AP article discussing more recent attempts of presidential opponents' campaign staff attempting to attack Mitt's religion. Can Sen. McCain or Mayor Guliani's teams not help themselves? Do their campaigns really lack that much insightful and meaningful policy agendas? Do they really lack this much leadership that Mitt's opponents have to keep defaulting to faith? Hey, let's stick to policy issues and what matters most--true leadership.

Good news in light of SOME GOP's campaign boredoms?...Mitt keeps his message strong and continues to hustle and by keeping his staff inspired and motivated for all the right reasons.

The Making of Mitt Romney

This is from the super-liberal Boston Globe, so take it with a grain of salt, but it does give insight into Mitt's early years...

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/specials/romney/part1/

Good Romney Article in the Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/24/AR2007062401632.html

The first (and only unbiased) Boston Globe article on Romney

This is really interesting. How did the liberal Boston Globe view Mitt Romney before they realized he was a conservative political powerhouse? As you will see from this article from November 1993, the Globe was in awe of Romney's accomplishments and didn't make any attempts at spinning his story, achievements, or positions. This was written before Romney even formally announced his bid for the Senate, and way before he got the Republican party's nomination as Kennedy's opponent. It didn't take long for the Globe to realize that Mitt was a threat to Democrats and liberals, and soon after this article, they turned on the spin machine, and it's been that way ever since.

So enjoy the first and last spin-free Globe article on Romney:

Copyright 1993 Globe Newspaper Company
The Boston Globe
November 14, 1993
By John H. Kennedy, Globe Staff

Since W. Mitt Romney came to Massachusetts more than 20 years ago he has attained notable success in business, most recently helping to reverse the flagging fortunes of prominent management consulting firm Bain & Co.But in the back of his mind he's also been thinking about Edward M. Kennedy. "Probably since a year or two after I got here," says Romney, smiling.

Now Romney, the 46-year-old son of former Michigan governor George Romney, is making plans to challenge the US senator next year.Long shot? To be sure. Suicide mission? Some would say. It doesn't seem to daunt Romney, a political novice but respected businessman who helped right Bain & Co. recently and earlier helped launch Bain Capital Inc., a separate venture capital firm. Taking risks, says Romney, has been a part of his professional portfolio for years. "It's what I do," he offers from across a conference table in his Copley Place office.

Although he has made no formal announcement, Romney has hired pollster Richard Wirthlin, conferred with Republican officials in Boston and Washington, and even put his 86-year-old father on the telephone with state Republican Committee members."I realize the long odds," said Romney. "I want to make sure that this time Ted has a very articulate, aggressive, well-financed opponent who provides a real choice."

Although both Kennedy and Romney come with political pedigrees, Romney's supporters are already contrasting the businessman, a squeaky-clean Mormon family man, with Kennedy, whose rakish image has only recently been softened by a second marriage."He was always someone you would say, 'Why can't we have someone like that in politics?' " says Chip Baird, a former Bain partner, friend and investment partner. "He comes across as too good to be true, and it's true," Baird says. "And that's what makes him an interesting contrast.

"Romney, who followed his high school sweetheart to Brigham Young University and remains a leader in the Mormon Church, has no shortage of friends, colleagues and even competitors to sing his praises.Says George Bennett, an early Bain & Co. principal who now heads Symmetrix, a rival consulting company: "I have never heard anyone say anything derogatory or mean spirited about Mitt Romney. I can't say that about many of my competitors."That certainly will change, should Romney take the full plunge into the rough-and-tumble world of Massachusetts politics. And two questions arise, aside from his positions on specific issues: Is his skin thick enough? And, is he prepared for the prospect of failure?

Businessmen with little or no political experience have not fared well in Massachusetts politics in recent years. Rarely has a business person gained a top statewide office, or spot in the Massachusetts congressional delegation."It's not what you call a launching pad," says Republican strategist Todd Domke.Willard Mitt Romney, the youngest of four children, was born and raised in Michigan, where he attended public elementary schools and a private high school. Willard comes from J. Willard Marriott Sr., the late founder of the hotel chain and friend to his father. The Mitt comes from Mitt Romney, late cousin to his father and star athlete at the University of Chicago. (The late Mitt Romney also had two brothers, Att and Ott.)

Mitt was 15 by the time his businessman father first ran for governor in Michigan in 1962, becoming the first Republican chief executive for several years. Romney was reelected in 1964 and 1966."By the end of the last campaign for governor, I think I visited close to all 52 counties in Michigan," the son says. "To get rid of the candidate's son, they gave me a panel truck with signs painted on the side and I would go to the county fairs, set up a booth and hand out buttons."He later would stump for his mother, Lenore, who gained the Republican nomination for US Senate in 1970, only to lose to Democrat Philip Hart.The father imparted some advice about public office: Run after your children are old enough to handle the loss of privacy and after you have achieved financial stability. "And three, you've got to feel that there is a real need for the contribution you can make," says the son.

Another lesson he learned by watching. As early returns in the 1964 election trickled in, Barry Goldwater at the top of the ticket was getting trounced by Lyndon Johnson. Gathered in a Detroit hotel suite, the family heard the pollster say it was over for gubernatorial candidate Romney as well."He wasn't distraught, he wasn't destroyed," the son says now. "It was like, 'I did this for what I could contribute. If I don't win, fine.' "George Romney ended up winning that race, but failed in a bid to gain the Republican nomination for president in 1968. And the son learned the lesson. "That old quote from Teddy Roosevelt, something to the effect, 'I salute those that get into the fight, get bloody, sweaty and win or lose, they were in the fight.'

"When Romney left Harvard in 1975 with degrees in law and business administration, he joined the Boston Consulting Group. Two years later he jumped over to Bain & Co. after a Saturday morning interview with William Bain Jr., cofounder and a legendary presence in management consulting."He sort of immediately radiated intelligence," Bain says now. "At that time, he seemed a lot older than he was."Romney became a vice president in 1978, but co-workers were struck by the balance he maintained between job and family. In a business where travel and long hours are routine, Romney felt it important to make it home to see his wife, Ann, and five boys, now 12 to 23. He kept track in his calendar of the nights he got home too late to see his kids before bed, says Bain. And he was in the office early, after having made rounds to visit members of his church in the hospital. Romney is president of his stake, which is the rough equivalent of a diocese in the Roman Catholic Church.

In 1984 Bain picked Romney to head Bain Capital, a separate venture capital company that tapped money and expertise from Bain and his partners, as well as investors outside the Bain sphere.Romney posted a notice on the bulletin board seeking co-workers to join him at the new venture. "Some huge portion of the company signed up," said John Rutherford, another former "Bainie" who heads the management consulting firm Talisman Inc. in Boston. "They only wanted two people."But Romney, whose office was still just down the hall from Bill Bain's, would return to Bain to serve as chief executive for 18 months - wading into a crisis that threatened to bring down Bain & Co.By 1989 the firm's future was in jeopardy. Bain & Co. had accumulated massive debt, in part from a buyout plan Bain and some senior partners put together. This problem was compounded by a slumping economy that failed to produce the expected revenue stream and the firm's heavy dependence on too few clients. Partners, disgruntled with Bain and the slow transition to a next generation of leadership, began leaving.

Romney was asked to step in temporarily to help restructure the company. "At the time, the odds looked long," he says. "I was nervous." One banker said chances for success were 10 percent, according to Romney, and another admitted he had never seen a professional services firm successfully come out of a workout.Romney was seen as the perfect person for the job. He was familiar with Bain & Co. and was trusted by the splintered factions at the troubled company. So Romney "left a very cozy situation to jump into a swamp filled with alligators," says Baird, the former Bain partner. Romney says credit for the turnaround should be shared, especially by 15 partners who signed a letter pledging to stay for at least 18 months - no matter what. Romney vowed no layoffs, or he would quit the job. Costs were cut, and the cofounders agreed to put $ 25 million cash back into the company, as well as forgive millions of dollars in notes.

In putting together the rescue plan, he reached back for a bit of family business advice, consulting a Harvard Business School case study that detailed his father's financial restructuring of American Motors Corp."It just seemed a little unusual" to reach back to his father's experience 25 years earlier, says David Lord, managing editor of Consultants News, which tracks Bain and other firms. "But it worked.""I don't want to say there was no one else who could do it," said Bain, who is no longer active in the company's day-to-day affairs. "We'll never know. But he did an excellent job."Company revenues dropped from $ 242 million in 1989 to $ 175 million in 1991, according to Consultants News. They have bounced back by more than 10 percent each of the past two years, and the company projects a 15 to 20 percent increase next year, says Lord.

Through it all, senior executives held true to a set of values and loyalty to the company and its clients, says Orit Gadiesh, now chairman of the board of Bain & Co., and one of the 15 who committed to remain during the tough times. "I think we have a true north," she says.Romney, who lives in Belmont, has written Republican activists saying he plans to run. Thursday he was in Washington to visit pollster Richard Wirthlin, and had an issues briefing with Republican Senatorial Committee. And Friday night he attended a Republican Party function in Boston for Jack Kemp, former Housing and Urban Development secretary.

He says he isn't ready to detail his political positions, but was eager to distinguish himself from Kennedy. The Democrat sees problems, and thinks more government spending is a solution, says Romney. "And my view is, that isn't the answer," he says.Kennedy declined to comment about Romney's possible candidacy, but spokeswoman Pamela Hughes said the senator "has always run for the office, not against an opponent. Right now his goal is to be the best senator he can be for Massachusetts."Of course, Romney is expected to have a primary fight, with no guarantees he will ever meet Kennedy head to head.Among the Republicans talking about a bid next year are radio personality Janet Jeghelian and businessman John Lakian, an unsuccessful candidate for governor in 1982.

Domke, the Republican strategist, says political novices generally get a rude greeting from Massachusetts voters, who admire political success, effectiveness in office and clout."So those candidates, and they are usually Republicans in this state, who offer themselves as virgins are usually thrown into the volcano," says Domke. "They are sacrificed. They are not exalted."

I found this old Business Week article from exactly 5 years ago. Mitt had recently announced his candidacy for governor of Mass. and just finished his spectacular rescue of the 2002 Olympic Games...

Business Week
June 24, 2002
By William C. Symonds in Boston, with Lorraine Woellert in Washington

He didn't get the gold, but few received as much acclaim during the Winter Olympics as Mitt Romney, CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee. When the telegenic Mormon multimillionaire parachuted in from Massachusetts to rescue SLOC in 1999, it was facing a $ 379 million deficit and the worst scandal in modern Olympic history. By the time the Olympic flame was extinguished in February, Romney had produced a $ 50 million surplus and near-flawless Games, despite the terror threat. ''Mitt, you did a fabulous job,'' gushed President George W. Bush at a post-Olympics celebration.

Massachusetts Republicans began talking about Romney as the great hope of a state party so weak that it doesn't hold a single seat in Congress and has only token representation in the state legislature. ''Romney is a new beginning,'' says Jonathan Fletcher, executive director of the Massachusetts Republican Party. Adds GOP consultant Scott W. Reed: ''Romney has made it a competitive race in a year we're facing a guaranteed net loss of governorships.'' Even Democrats began handicapping Romney's Presidential prospects. If he wins in Massachusetts, ''the Republican Party would clearly see Mitt as national ticket material,''

...Bain's investments created thousands of jobs.

''Romney's right-wing social views would not resonate well within this state,'' ...

With plunging revenues creating a budget gap of about $ 3 billion, ''Massachusetts is facing the most serious fiscal crisis since World War II,'' says Michael J. Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.

...Romney also predicts that he could save as much as $ 1 billion by slashing patronage, inefficiency, and other waste. And he vows to shake up failing public schools -- with English immersion classes, merit pay for teachers...

Wow, so Romney had "right-wing social views" clear back in 2002. The economy was a mess and Romney really did SAVE the Olympics. He's definately the kind of person we need in the White House.

Forbes Article on the Romney Family

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/06/22/ap3849395.html

Democrat controlled Congress has lowest polling numbers ever!

The MSM thinks that the dems have it in the bag this '08. That kind of thinking is "so 2006". This presidential election is wide open. And just who is congress? Senators McCain, Clinton, Obama, Thompson, and Edwards to name a few.

With congress' approval at an all time low, Americans will demand an outsider to clean up the mess!

See story: Gallup poll


We can't wait for Mitt to get his Mitts on Washington!

Hold Media Accountable

I found this list on UltiMITT here. It's a fantastic resource we should all use to hold media outlets accountable for reporting the truth about Mitt. Use this to email news outlets when a new poll comes out or get on their case if they are spreading lies about Mitt...

QUOTE:
Hey, sometimes the MSM doesn't pick up on these polls. EVERYONE needs to send an e-mail to their favorite news source or reporter, whether it is Brody Files, or Scarborough, or whoever. Just mention this story and you don't even have to tell them you're a Mitt fan, just tip the story to them so they'll know it's interesting to their viewers.

ABC News
General e-mail: netaudr@abc.com
Nightline: nightline@abcnews.com
20/20: 2020@abc.com

CBS News
CBS Evening News: evening@cbsnews.com
The Early Show: earlyshow@cbs.com
60 Minutes II: 60II@cbsnews.com
48 Hours: 48hours@cbsnews.com
Face The Nation: ftn@cbsnews.com

Fox News
Channelcomments@foxnews.com
Special Report with Brit Hume: Special@foxnews.com
FOX Report with Shepard Smith: Foxreport@foxnews.com
The O'Reilly Factor: Oreilly@foxnews.com
Hannity & Colmes: Hannity@foxnews.com
Colmes@foxnews.com
On the Record with Greta: Ontherecord@foxnews.com

NBC
Nightly News with Tom Brokaw: nightly@nbc.com
NBC News' Today: today@nbc.com
Dateline NBC: dateline@nbc.com

MSNBC
Hardball with Chris Matthews: hardball@msnbc.com
MSNBC Reports with Joe Scarborough: msnbcreports@msnbc.com
The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer: newshour@pbs.org

National Radio Programs
E-mail: Jeffrey Dvorkin, Ombudsman ombudsman@npr.org
All Things Considered: atc@npr.org
Morning Edition: morning@npr.org
Talk Of The Nation: totn@npr.org
The Rush Limbaugh Show
E-mail: rush@eibnet.com
Sean Hannity Show
E-mail: Phil Boyce, Program Director phil.boyce@abc.com

National Newspapers
The Los Angeles Times
Letters to the Editor: letters@latimes.com
Readers' Representative: readers.rep@latimes.com
The New York Times
Letters to the Editor (for publication): letters@nytimes.com
Write to the news editors: nytnews@nytimes.com
USA TodayLetters to the Editor: editor@usatoday.com
Wall Street Journal
Letters to the Editor: wsj.ltrs@wsj.com
Comment on News Articles: wsjcontact@dowjones.com
The Washington PostLetters to the Editor: letters@washpost.com
Ombudsman: ombudsman@washpost.com

Magazines
Newsweek
Letters to the Editor: letters@newsweek.com
Time
Letters to the Editor letters@time.com
U.S. News & World Report
Letters to the Editor letters@usnews.com
News Services / Wires
Associated Press
General Questions and Comments: info@ap.org
Reuters
Three Times Square
New York, NY 10036
Telephone: 646-223-4000
United Press International
Comment and Tips: tips@upi.com

Colbert Rips Fred Thompson

This is really funny:


http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/?ml_video=88623

Check out this wonderful video of the Romney family

http://www.mittromney.com/News/Press-Releases/Fathers_Day

Romney with massive lead in California!

We knew this would happen eventually, but this soon? Check it out here.

By the way, to understand what this graph represents, the purple marks indicate most recent polling data (June 13), and the blue represent what it looked like in February.

Romney on the Patriot Act

Mormons: People of Faith on Steroids!

Great article in NewsMax by Ronald Kessler. The article is a bit too pro-Fred Thompson, but otherwise good.

Romney on the move...look out Rudy!

These rankings are from the National Journal. While Mitt may be #2, you have to like his momentum at this stage of the game. What is missing in the article is a mention of Romney's phenomenal rise in such a short time. Long-time politicking McCain and Giuliani are teaming up against Romney. Perhaps they know deep down that they do not measure up to the good Governor!

Romney Smokes the Competition in Debate, AGAIN

No hay for McCain and Giuliani in Iowa

Republican presidential contenders Rudy Giuliani and John McCain said Wednesday they won't compete in a high-profile Iowa straw poll, rendering the decades-old contest all but meaningless.

"I just got a win of sorts, with the two national front-runners realizing they couldn't keep up with me in the first state in the presidential sweepstakes," Romney told The Associated Press as he campaigned in New Hampshire. "Their backing out makes me feel 10 feet tall."

see story

Thompson is Bob Dole part II...but not as distiguished

Never fear Mitt-Rockers! Have any of you taken the time to listen to Thompson? I tried my best...but I couldn't get through a speech he recently gave in Virginia. Let's just say that he is dull, as in Dole kinda dull. I wonder if CSPAN has ever broadcast something as boring and uninspired as Fred Thompson in Virginia last week.

He said things like: Virginia is where all of "that freedom stuff happened". Freedom stuff? Would you care to expand on that Senator? Could you expand on that?

The more I listened to him the more I realized that we Mitt supporters have nothing to worry about. Thompson is at his highest point in the polls right now. In Theory, Fred sounds like he could be exciting. In theory, he could deliver some great lines. After all, he is an actor! A conservative actor...a rare find indeed. But Fred doesn't have the stuff on the inside that it will take to defeat Hillary. During the debates Fred will have no one to provide a script and he will crumble. As soon as he enters the race I predict a steady decline for Mr. Thompson.

In Theory, Fred is the conservative southerner that many have been waiting for. In reality, Sen. Thompson in no Ronald Reagan...in fact, he's no Bob Dole!

A Thompson nomination would have the same result as the Dole nomination: a Clinton victory.

More on Fred Thompson's Wife

The Brody File just defended Thompson's wife in this post.

Brody criticizes Margery Eagan of the Boston Herald because she questions the wisdom of John McCain's wife's interview in a immodest dress and Thompson's wife's apparent ignorance of what constitutes proper attire for a first lady.

Eagan also calls Jeri Thompson a "trophy wife" and questions the couple's age differential, which, as I stated below, is a bit of a stretch. But I think the criticism of their immodesty is perfectly acceptable and relevant. I wouldn't want the challenge of teaching my teenage daughter about modest dress while the first lady dresses so provocatively.

Finally, Eagan had this to say about Ann Romney:

"The only wife of a GOP heavy-hitter who hasn’t practically bared her chest is Ann Romney, the best looking of them all..."

Hey Fred, what a lovely daught..., I mean wife you have!

I don't like ad homonym attacks on any presidential candidate, but right or wrong, people will raise eyebrows and even criticize Fred Thompson for his marital situation. He married his first wife when he was 17, divorced her when he was 43, met his second wife just before he turned 54 (she was 29 - yes twenty nine), and married her 6 years later (in 2002).

Read Governor Romney's Essay in Foreign Affairs

Mitt Romney presents his plans to fix America and the Middle East in the journal Foreign Affairs. Romney's essay is a bit long, but insightful and clear. After reading this you'll see that Romney has, by far, the best vision for American.

http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20070701faessay86402/mitt-romney/rising-to-a-new-generation-of-global-challenges.html

Prisoners freed!

An exit poll of Iraqis as they are freed from an Al Qaeda ran torture prison reveals startling support of the US presence in Iraq. A surprising 42 out of 42 freed prisoners say they support the US involvement in Iraq and are thankful for their release.

See this story

What? Al Qaeda in Iraq? Mitt Romney understands that Islamic extremists of every kind must get their minds around the fact that Iraq will have a strong central democratic government.

Thank heavens for the men and women who are fighting this war and draining the swamps in Baghdad. Happy Memorial Day!

Cash Cab? Insured? Mitt for Good Hands

Today, the Discover Channel's commercials created more questions than the answers given from watching Mythbusters.

The Discovery Channel advertised their special "Cash Cab" where New York taxicab passengers answer surprise questions by the cab driver.

Answering trivia is fun. Answering trivia while moving seems even more fun. And answering trivia in a cab with blinking lights, blaring soud, and for MONEY?...Sign me up!

However, the cab also has a VERY distracted driver asking the trivia questions. Yea, try earning a living, running a game show, and handing out money to screaming people--all while driving the crazy streets of New York. Safe?

Ironically, the next commercial was for Allstate Insurance. The commercial depicted various ways drivers become distracted. The Allstate commercial ended with "24" star, Dennis Haysbert (President Palmer, ironic title?) asking, "are you in good hands?"

Mitt has my vote becuase I know he has the ability to navigate through potential distractions in addressing what matters most for America today--family values, economic prosperity, and safeguarding our freedom.

-David McEntire

Wait, the MSM would have us believe that nobody in Massachuttes likes Mitt

Not only was Mitt leading in Mass way back in February, but he was leading by a lot. With how liberal even the Republicans are here in MA, it's pretty amazing that he was doing so well against Giuliani. Come primary season, look for him to win by the biggest margins in MA and UT.

Poll Data.

Look at Romney's surge in California

Although he's been to California a few times this year, it's harldy been a focal point of Mitt's campaign thus far. Despite that fact, Mitt's numbers have improved from only 3% in January (without F. Thompson included in the poll) to 11% in EARLY May (with F. Thompson). I'm sure the next poll will have him in the mid-teens, at least. McCain's numbers are sure to go down. Just wait for when he starts campaigning there!

Poll data.

Fred Thompson: McCain is NOT a wishy-washy conservative

Maybe Fred was too lazy to do his homework on McCain...

From the Brody File:

Quote:

We'll get to the wishy washy comment in a moment but first...If and When Fred Thompson gets in this race, he’s going to have to make an articulate argument about why he’s a supporter of campaign finance reform. Conservative groups don’t like it. The Brody File discovered this gem from 2000 when Fred Thompson appeared on CNN Late Edition. He was talking about campaign finance reform as it relates to how it might affect Christians:
"I wouldn't be too concerned about Christians and conservatives…Christianity has to do with saving souls and uplifting people, and not raising large amounts of soft money to run attack campaigns on folks."

Huh? Rewind the tape. Oh, wait, can’t do that here. Is he saying in a broad sense that Christians should stick to the pews and not try and influence the political process? Probably not but he’s going to need to explain himself on this topic. I’m told by someone who has met with Thompson that he has said in private that the intent of campaign finance reform is no to go after Christian groups and that will be something he’ll make clear when the time comes.
Speaking about making these clings, I’m sure he’ll have to revisit some past statements he made about John McCain. Remember, Thompson was one of McCain’s national co-chairman when McCain ran for President back in 2000. Here’s another little tidbit The Brody File found from back in 2000. Once again, from CNN’s Late Edition:

CALLER: Yes, hello. Senator Thompson, my question is for you, sir. How could a hard-core conservative like yourself support such a wishy-washy conservative like Senator McCain?

THOMPSON: He's not a wishy-washy conservative. If you look at his voting record over his entire career, whether you look at the conservative's rating or the liberal's ratings, John McCain is a conservative by any measure. He's been right there on all the conservative core issues his entire career. They're misrepresenting the effect of campaign finance reform. What John McCain recognizes is that it takes money in politics, but he thinks there should be some reasonable limit on it.

You see, for Thompson the last thing he needs is to be compared to John McCain. McCain’s conservative credentials are not the issue here. The issue for FDT is that some rank and file conservatives don’t trust McCain (immigration, judges, campaign finance reform, taxes) so to be seen as a “supporter” of John McCain could damage him.

Mitt Romney Not Our Pastor-in-Chief

A great article in Newsmax by Nancy French...

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/5/23/85724.shtml?s=po

Mitt Rocks!

I wish I could say that we Mitt Rockers were doing some savvy guerrilla marketing, but, sadly, we weren't responsible for the sign in this picture...

Fantastic new article on Mitt and Ann Romney

Check it out here.

Here are some highlights:

"I weigh in on personal characteristics," Ann says. "I have no tolerance for people that are phonies. None. I just know when someone doesn't have the right character. And to me that matters a lot; character matters a lot."

"Both of us are pro-life," Ann says. "But Massachusetts is a pro-choice state." In fact, she says, "He's always personally been pro-life. Given our faith, we obviously believe in God, we believe in the sanctity of life. He was responding to how he thinks the government should be involved in the issue. And Mitt totally thinks it should be turned over and let the states decide, and get the bickering over with."

Meanwhile, as governor, Mitt took pro-life stands, vetoing bills that authorized embryo farming, therapeutic cloning, and access to emergency contraception without parental consent.

On the charge that Mitt is a flip-flopper:
"It's a great campaign tactic by the opposition," Ann says. "They say he flip-flopped on abortion. Well, you know what? He did change his mind. It took courage. I'm really proud of him, to really study an issue and really come to that. That is the only change he's made, and I believe it's a change in the right direction. He hasn't changed his position on anything except choice, and that has been very public, and it has never been a change in his personal philosophy."

"If he's in a meeting and someone doesn't have the right data, hasn't prepared well, they know that they're in trouble," Ann says. "I think he's a bit intimidating that way, because he's so bright he cuts through a lot very quickly. He thinks in hyper-speed, and he expects people to keep up with him, and sometimes they don't."

As outlined in an April 1 NewsMax article, "Romney to the Rescue," Romney was instrumental in saving the life of the 14-year-old daughter of a fellow Bain Capital partner after she took an overdose of ecstasy and went missing in New York.

"She hugged one of the ladies there, spoke with an ex-con who was doing intake, and then she went to the place where welfare moms were getting trained to find jobs," Towey tells me. "She mingled effortlessly, and no one knew she was first lady. With some people in political life, they walk into a homeless shelter and can't wait to finish the tour and get out because they don't know what to do or say. With Ann, it seemed like she was with family or something."

Towey says Ann is someone who "doesn't talk about her faith — she puts it into action. She's the real deal."

"I think sometimes when you have a person who is as attractive as she is and as appealing as she is, it's hard to believe that they can be as good as she is," says Richard "Bink" Garrison, who currently serves with Ann as a director of the United Way.

There is SO much more. Check out the whole thing here.

If Giuliani wins the nomination, it's time to start a new party...

Mitt Rocks debate party a huge success!

Last Tuesday night, the Mitt Rockers hosted a party to watch the Republican debates. We had great attendance, raised money, and signed up several people to Team Mitt. We found that we were one of almost 1000 parties nationwide.

Some of the conclusions that were reached:

1) Don't mess with Giuliani on 9/11...but you can mess with him on pretty much everything else.

2) McCain, as POTUS, will lead our country like a really powerful senator by "reaching across the aisle" to the other party. In other words, he won't really lead at all, but will give lots of speeches and take fun trips in Air Force One. But don't expect a Reagan-like leader who will take the case to the American people and destroy the democratic party for the next thirty years.

3) McCain is starting to quote Reagan, without giving credit: "Congress spends worse than a drunken sailor" etc...McCain IS Congress...and so is his buddy Kennedy.

4) Romney will lead like a Governor, McCain like a Senator, Rudy like a Mayor during a tragedy, and Thompson like a Ghost.

5) The McCain-Kennedy bill is worse than McCain-Feingold and that's bad!

6) Romney ran against Kennedy, McCain is running with Kennedy!

7) We can't wait for Romney to get his hands on Washington!

Another cigar-puffing lazy guy in the White House?

All we need is another chubby, lazy, undisciplined cigar-chomper in the Oval Office...

Lazy Fred Thompson vs. Hard-Working Mitt Romney

There are 3 reasons work ethic matters in the White House:


1. Without a strong work ethic, you won't GET to the white house. Fred Thompson thinks he can get the nomination with a "virtual campaign", but what about the general election? If we nominate a candidate with no ground troops, how can we win the general election against a well-organized and hard-working opponent with a real ground-game? The answer is that we won't will. We need an organizational powerhouse with an amazing appetite for hard work and a off-the-charts IQ. Yeah, we need Mitt. Alex Castellanos, Mitt's seasoned media guy, said of Mitt Romney “I have worked with many leaders and politicians, including some of the other presidential candidates in the race today, and none of them compares to Mitt’s work ethic nor to his energy level! He is the hardest working guy I have ever known!” http://www.californiansforromney.com/?p=90


2. Americans deserve a hard-working president. Collectively, we Americans put a lot of faith and trust in our president. We EXPECT him/her to work really really hard. Out of the 300 million people in this country, can't we find at least one person who is ridiculously smart and unbelievably hard-working to be our president? Don't we deserve that? The last thing we need is a lazy undisciplined cigar chomper in the Oval Office. (see post above)

3. Lead by example. Think of the various bosses you've had... Did you ever have one that was lazy but expected you to work hard? Didn't that frustrate the heck out of you? Now think of a boss that leads by example - a motivator that demands a lot but also works his/her butt off... That is the way Romney will lead - by example. I can guarantee that his staff and the vast personnel within the executive branch will work harder and do a better job knowing that they will have to answer to someone as hard-working and intelligent as Governor Romney.

Why do I call Fred Thompson lazy?


From http://race42008.com/2007/05/07/lazy-freddie-thompson/


Lazy Freddie Thompson?
One of the knocks against former Senator Fred Thompson thus far in his pre-launched campaign has been that he’s lazy. Washington Monthly magazine says that “his most famous quality is his laziness.” The New Republic has given Thompson the nickname “Lazy Boy”. The Wall Street Journal’s Opinion Journal says, “he had a reputation for being a little lazy.” New York Magazine wrote that “Thompson developed a reputation for being lazy.”

This issue has risen to the forefront again when Thompson told Politico that if he ran, he would rely on technology and on large events so that he could “avoid some of the slogging through the snow in Iowa and New Hampshire that is normally required of White House hopefuls.”

Well, now Jonathan Martin, GOP blogger at the Politico, adds a little more fuel to the fire. He
links to a reporter in the Tennessean who got a hold of a copy of Thompson’s high school yearbook (where he is known as “Freddie”), which may further show his penchant for laziness:
What’s notable from the piece is that the same knock on Thompson now — he’s lazy — is apparently nothing new. Says the high school football coach of the the class clown and lineman at Lawrence County High (Class of ‘60): “He probably could have been a straight-A student if he’d applied himself.”

And Thompson himself appears to admit his penchant for procrastination in his senior yearbook quote: “The lazier a man is, the more he plans to do tomorrow.”
Fair or not, this is a meme that the former Senator is going to have to deal with when he decides to enter the race.

by HeavyM @ 11:22 pm. Filed under
Fred Thompson