A Bad Fight for Mitt Romney
It’s getting increasingly hard for Mitt Romney to stick to the script about his record.
As he traveled through chilly New Hampshire on his post-Thanksgiving campaign tour, he found himself in a toe-to-toe fight with Rudy Giuliani about their respective records.
This is particularly dangerous territory for the Romney campaign.
In broad strokes, Mr. Romney should be happy to tout his executive experience – which he contends Hillary Clinton and many of his opponents sorely lack – as a business executive, Olympics chairman and Governor. But the details of his Massachusetts record are problematic, especially in New Hampshire, where many voters are Massachusetts transplants or live within the Boston media market. Indeed, the more specific the arguments get, the worse they are for Mr. Romney.
The problems start with his immigration stance. Having dropped his once-favorable outlook on comprehensive immigration reform, Mr. Romney has attempted to bolster his image by boasting about a program in which Massachusetts state troopers were deputized to work with I.N.S. agents. But during his recent back-and-forth with Mr. Giuliani—the Romney campaign criticized him for allowing illegal immigrants in New York City to report crimes, which they said made it a sanctuary city—the details proved more problematic for Mr. Romney. The Annenberg Center’s factcheck.org confirmed that Mr. Romney’s plan was a last-minute gambit that never went into effect and that he had a handful of his own sanctuary cities. The result: his latest immigration ad mentions neither issue.
Likewise he has been challenged on his economic record. Mr. Romney contends he “never raised” taxes and balanced the budget despite a liberal legislature. However, that provided an opportunity for the Giuliani campaign to talk about Mr. Romney’s “C” rating from the CATO institute, his failure to deliver on his promised reduction of state income taxes and his efforts to raise revenue by “closing loopholes” in the tax code.
Most troublesome for Mr. Romney is his record on healthcare. Mr. Romney trumpeted his record of achieving near universal healthcare with “no taxes.” Mr. Giuliani and other Republican rivals responded by pointing out that the “no tax” plan sounded quite a bit like Hillary Clinton’s health care plan and included fines on businesses and individuals who did not comply with the mandate to buy insurance. Meanwhile, Fred Thompson and other pro-life rivals were more than happy to highlight another feature of Mr. Romney’s healthcare plan: subsidized abortion services.
And this weekend, Mr. Giuliani seized on a Romney-appointed judge’s decision to release a convicted murder (who proceeded to kill a newlywed couple) as an opportunity to label his rival as weak on crime. Mr. Giuliani produced FBI crime statistics to argue that murders went up over 7 percent during Mr. Romney’s tenure. Mr. Romney shot back that crime rates overall decreased (by over 8 percent). But still, comparing crime-reduction records with Rudy Giuliani is surely an activity the Romney campaign will want to move on from as quickly as possible.
Little by little, the attacks by Mr. Romney’s opponents are eating away at his painstakingly constructed conservative persona. The question is whether, by the time the Iowa caucuses roll around, there’s going to be anything left.
Nice hit piece with little objective analysis. pretty crappy piece of journalism.
those complaints about the healthcare plan were put in by democratic legislature taht romney could not override. he didn't want them there.
and romney took office during a recession with a 3 billiion dollar deficit. rudy took office during biggest economic boom in history but still left new york with 3 billion in debt.
and whose record is weak on details? giuliani who says he is touch on immigration but clearly ran a sanctuary city and who invited illegals there?
thompson who is effectively pro choice and said so in a 94 questionair and who even lobbied for abortion groups.
this is a piece of crap, literally, worthless article.
Well spoken by a HUGE John Gibson, Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson fan!
Jon Galt - You haven't provided evidence as to why this is a hit piece as much as you've reminded us that all the Republican candidates are terrible. As an independent, I think that Romney's duplicitous tone and record are particularly obnoxious; even though I don't share the views he is pandering to, you can't claim to be pro-life then pro-choice then pro-life, all coincidentally timed to perfectly suit the race you're running. Although it would be amusing to see Romney nominated and slaughtered in a general election, it's looking more likely that a Huckabee upset in Iowa and perhaps even a Paul upset in New Hampshire are going to make Romney look ridiculous first.
Ummmm, it's not a hit piece if the facts are the facts.
It is unkind to say that ALL of the Repoutlican candidates suck... TRUE, but unkind. The best the GOP can do in 2008 is Hillary, what we on the left call, GOP-light. This is why the media (right leaning) keeps dubbing her the Democratic Leader, when they could easily note that she cannot outpace the combined impact of Obama and Edwards--- AND that their supporters are most likely to interchange, and not jump on the Hillary bandwagon.
The MORAL VALUES party is changing their definition of divorce (maybe it ain't so bad?) and marriage (mitt's 2 at a time, versus Rudy's 3 in a row, versus Fred's check out my hottie)... in an attempt to salvage their primary.
The ECONOMY is in the toilet... don't let those falling mortgages, or jumping bankers, hit you on the way down.
The WAR is a lost cause, just playing out its sad hand.
The GOP is fragmented, can't hold onto its religous facade while raping the country.
The EDUCATION system is second to all, unable to even supply the technology sector of our own country without outsourcing to 3rd world countries.
We have a TRILLION dollar debt, etc.
GO BUSH.
Magnana - you're a douche.
Romney is running well in NH because he is well known (both good and bad). Rudy is not running well be because he is well known (both good and bad but without the 9/11 halo).
Romney is still beating Rudy 2 to 1 at this late date. So much for Romney's negatives. This is a hit piece by another Rudy press.
Why is it that all the other (not necessarily stellar when it comes to performance/policy) candidates get positive hype while Romney gets hit after hit from political pundits? Romney's rise in the polls was met pretty much with silence or disdain, but there's much ado about Huckabee's rise in Iowa and Florida, a lot of loquacious pieces about Rudy, and much weeping about their mediocre darling, Fred. Anyone on the Democrat side is covered with effusive praise even though none are even decent senators. If anybody has the experience to qualify for President of the United States, it's Romney--the others don't even come close when comparing what he's accomplished in business, his family life, public service, and government! Maybe it's just a general trend that "news writers" would rather have someone in the While House like Billy to provide reams of salacious material to keep reader interst high--apparently main stream media is becoming more National Enquirer than anyone dare admit. For me, give me competence, and Mitt's got it over all the others. I guess competence is something writers who can't write a decent article fear. How sad. People, it's time we clean up Washington, and of all the candidates, Mitt has the credentials to do it. I seriously question whether any of the other candidates have the temerity needed for the task at hand.
This is a dishonest piece. It is clear the author's intent was to use facts and the selective omission of facts to decieve people about Romney's record. I'm from Massachusetts and Romney's accomplishments here are self-evident to any objective observer. That Romney would approach problems differently as President of the entire country than he did in Democrat dominated Massachusetts means he is pragmatic and results-oriented not a flip-flopper.
Nominateing Giuliani will fracture the Republican base beyond repair, so it's time for the GOP to unite behind Romney or we will be singing hail to the Hillary in '08.
Another hit piece on Romney by the pro-Guiliani press from NY.
Those who know Romney best like him the most. Romney leads in Iowa due to ads, and NH due to his record as Gov of Massachusetts. It's silly to nit pick about 1 judge appointed by Romney who left loose a killer. (Romney says the judge should resign BTW) Those who think the family values party will win with 3x divorced, anti-2nd amendment, and pro-abortion candidate are mistaken.
Romney is the only candidate who is NOT a career pol, and is the most qualified to be President.
Why is Romney considered a conservative?
His record on judges includes "Governor Mitt Romney, who touts his conservative credentials to out-of-state Republicans, has passed over GOP lawyers for three-quarters of the 36 judicial vacancies he has faced, instead tapping registered Democrats or independents -- including two gay lawyers who have supported expanded same-sex rights, a Globe review of the nominations has found. Of the 36 people Romney named to be judges or clerk magistrates, 23 are either registered Democrats or unenrolled voters who have made multiple contributions to Democratic politicians or who voted in Democratic primaries, state and local records show. In all, he has nominated nine registered Republicans, 13 unenrolled voters, and 14 registered Democrats."
- Boston Globe 7/25/2005
Also, Romney's successor was a liberal Democrat and yet "Governor Mitt Romney pledged yesterday not to make a flurry of lame-duck judicial appointments in the final days of his administration . . . David Yas, editor of Lawyers Weekly, said Romney is "bucking tradition" by resisting the urge to fill all remaining judgeships. "It is a tradition for governors to use that power to appoint judges aggressively in the waning moments of their administration," Yas said. He added that Romney has been criticized for failing to make judicial appointments. "The legal community has consistently criticized him for not filling open seats quickly enough and being a little too painstaking in the process and being dismissive of the input of the Judicial Nominating Commission," Yas said.
- Boston Globe 11/2/2006
Thirdly, "Romney told the U.S. Senate on June 22, 2004, that the "real threat to the States is not the constitutional amendment process, in which the states participate, but activist judges who disregard the law and redefine marriage . . ." Romney sounds tough but yet he had no qualms advancing the legal career of one of the leading anti-marriage attorneys. He nominated Stephen Abany to a District Court. Abany has been a key player in the Massachusetts Lesbian and Gay Bar Association which, in its own words, is "dedicated to ensuring that the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision on marriage equality is upheld, and that any anti-gay amendment or legislation is defeated." (quote from Parents' Rights Coalition and Mass Resistance's 20plus report on Romney's record)
More than a few of those who know Romney the best like him the least. Voters in Massachusetts saw that guy change virtually ALL of this stated political views on almost ALL "social" issues w/in the span of, roughly, 6-8 months, afte the '04 elections and Mitt got Potomac Fever and figured he needed to tack Far Right in an attempt to appease certain elements of the GOP base. If he did it once for political expediency, there's no reason he won't do it again (Romney- this was the same guy who, in '94, vs. the Senate Bartender, was vocal that he did not want a return to Reagan/Bush- HIS words.) And when you combine his craven flip-flopping on issue after issue (the GOP version of John Kerry!) with his very underwhelming record of achievement as Governor (long on rhteotic, painfully short on results) and compare his record w/ that of another Notheastern Republican who was a chief executive, one who has largely stod by his stated views and convictions on social issues, and one who has a REAL record of not mere rhetoric but results on issues that ALL conservatives and Republicans can embrace: crime reduction, welfare reform and reduction, tax cuts, privatization of services, selling of unneded govt. assets, growth in jobs (Romney was "supposed" to be the Jobs Governor here- total employment still has not rebounded to the lvles it was at before he took office) and much more, the record should be clear on who to support.
A person who can so easily change his position on issues has no core values.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57174
Which Romney do you believe?
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/04/03/romney_takes_hits_...
Romney takes hits in 'Doonesbury,' but may draw attention
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/02/27/document_shows_rom...
Document shows Romney's strategies
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=2898726&page=1
Romney's Changing Views: Candid or Convenient?
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/02...
Mitt's turnaround
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=54077
The Mitt split
http://nationaljournal.com/about/njweekly/stories/2007/0209nj1.htm
Journey To The Right
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=54214
Mitt Romney's flip-flop: Like father, like son?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17202400/site/newsweek/
Governor Romney, Meet Governor Romney
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/02/19/romney_joined_nra_i...
Romney joined NRA in August
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/04/05/romneys_record_on_...
Romney's record on guns questioned
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/04...
Guns, trust, and Romney
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/
Romney: In the Bunker on Shooting Incident
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/04/16/romney_takes_back_...
Romney takes back endorsement of Clinton's "village" concept
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/05/10/romneys_wife_made_...
Romney's wife made contribution to Planned Parenthood
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/05/11/romney_calls_self_...
Romney calls self 'convert' to antiabortion cause
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56674
Experts: Credit Romney for homosexual marriage
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56637
Don't be fooled by Romney
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/08... Romney's honesty problem
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070816/EDITO...
The two Mitt Romneys
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57208
The many faces of Mitt Romney
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/editorial/view.bg?articleid=103...
Romney's rules are now history
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57786
2002 Romney flier promotes 'gay' rights
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071010/NATIO...
Log Cabin ad calls Romney flip-flopper
BOTTOM LINE: Romney is no conservative!
Thanks to the Honest Mass Residences recommendations for Romney .
When people and journalists use fear and smear at this late date I discount it all. It has the fear and fright tactics that rob the freedoms of a free American people, that must have faith only in what is true..
If you have doubts, don't vote. If you are fearful don't vote. That is until you really know the candidates and you can vote your conscience.
The salesman that says if you don't purchase now, this is your last chance for such a special buy. It really is the last chance for the salesman, and a deal you are better off without.
The same with a smear campaign, which should be outlawed and considered libel, and defamation of character if proven to be false.
You you morons talk of flip floppers you must be talking of the he-woman Bitch Hillay!!!!!
You you morons talk of flip floppers you must be talking of the he-woman Bitch Hillay!!!!!
If New Hampshire is the state where people are most familiar with Romney's true record - that certainly explains why Romney's largest lead over all other candidates in any one state happens to be New Hampshire. Hmmmm...go figure.
Jennifer Rubin - this article is very, weak, dishonest, and a pathetic attempt to attack Romney.
John K makes an interesting set of points, I can't quite figure out what Mitt is about this week. Rudy will have to answer for his tax payer funded love nest. McCain's ship was torpedoed in 2000 by the Bush attack dogs. That leaves the GOP with Huckabee. Pity it won't be Ron Paul since he could actually bring the country.
In the mean time, I will vote for Sens. Clinton, Obama, Edwards, or anything else the Democrats select. This nation cannot afford another Republican president.
The Republicans have assembled an amazing variety of losers:
- Huckabee is a clown. No more abortions, no more porn.
- Giuliani is a fascist. Lets watch everybody 24 hours a day.
- McCain is ossified. We need more fighters, ships, and tanks!
- Romney is an opportunist. What should I say today?
- Thompson is a nothing. But at least he looks Presidential.
Still, given how the GOP managed to steal the last election and put the biggest idiot of them all in the White House, its probably a safe bet that one of these will be our next President and continue the American slide to mediocrity while China, India, Russia, etc., run circles around us. We need Bill Clinton, the last great American President, back in the White House, making America great again!
The author, Jennifer Rubin, must have nightmares of Romney. Four of her last five articles have been negative articles about Romney, yet he is still the front runner. Click on the Jennifer Rubin's name right above this article and look at her past articles.
Notice her bias against Romney, it is so obvious, and poorly done, that you would think she writes for the Onion. I guess that is why Jennifer writes for the New York Observer, because if she was better at hiding her bias she would write for the New York Times.
The Romney camp should be very happy that she predicts Romney will lose Iowa as she did in this article. Consider what she wrote on Oct. 2 in the article titled "As Mitt Leaves New England, New England Leaves Him"
"Then New Hampshire voters started paying attention. Mr. Romney’s early lead in state polls there has been whittled away—a recent CNN/WMUR survey of likely primary voters showed Rudy Giuliani having pulled into a statistical dead heat—forcing the Romney campaign to scramble into expectations-lowering mode by suggesting that New Hampshire is not critical to their game plan after all."
As of Nov. 28, 2007, Romney has 32%, with the next closest candidate, Giuliani, at 18%.
If you keep letting your emotional anti-Romney bias drive your political analysis your going to end up writing for a two-bit paper like the New York Observer, oh wait, you already do.
A little advice for you Jen. It doesn't matter how much you rail against a guy like Romney, that won't cure the hurt you feel due to all the good-looking never paying any attention to you for your entire adult life. It is time to get over it.
I will be waiting for your next artilce to see if you have got over your demons.
The author, Jennifer Rubin, must have nightmares of Romney. Four of her last five articles have been negative articles about Romney, yet he is still the front runner. Click on the Jennifer Rubin's name right above this article and look at her past articles.
Notice her bias against Romney, it is so obvious, and poorly done, that you would think she writes for the Onion. I guess that is why Jennifer writes for the New York Observer, because if she was better at hiding her bias she would write for the New York Times.
The Romney camp should be very happy that she predicts Romney will lose Iowa as she did in this article. Consider what she wrote on Oct. 2 in the article titled "As Mitt Leaves New England, New England Leaves Him"
"Then New Hampshire voters started paying attention. Mr. Romney’s early lead in state polls there has been whittled away—a recent CNN/WMUR survey of likely primary voters showed Rudy Giuliani having pulled into a statistical dead heat—forcing the Romney campaign to scramble into expectations-lowering mode by suggesting that New Hampshire is not critical to their game plan after all."
As of Nov. 28, 2007, Romney has 32%, with the next closest candidate, Giuliani, at 18%.
If you keep letting your emotional anti-Romney bias drive your political analysis your going to end up writing for a two-bit paper like the New York Observer, oh wait, you already do.
A little advice for you Jen. It doesn't matter how much you rail against a guy like Romney, that won't cure the hurt you feel due to all the good-looking never paying any attention to you for your entire adult life. It is time to get over it.
I will be waiting for your next artilce to see if you have got over your demons.
To my fellow Mass. Republicans so smitten w/ Romney (and yes, I voted for him, in '94, and in '02; the '02 vote being one in hindsight I would like to take back) what is this "great" record of accomplishment you seem to imput to Mitt? What has he actually accomplished, as opposed to merely proposed? Did he lower the income tax? No. Did he accomplish privatization of delivery of state services? No. Did he reduce the state budget? No. He claimed he would be a jobs magnet- Massachusetts still has fewer jobs than it did in '01, despite a rebounding national economy. Did he institute capital punishment? No. Did he roll back our state's very liberal abortion laws? No. The list goes on and on and on... The only "accomplishments" I can think of were that he did not raise- nor allow the legislature to raise- the income tax, and yes he did reduce the short-term state budget deficit he inherited (worth noting that apparently current Guv/Romney's successor Deval Patrick was left w/ a deficit as well.) I know the Mittophiles will whine that he wasn't able to accomplish his goals because of the Democratic state legislature. Well, it seems the former Mayor of New York was able to not only advocate but accomplish a conservative turnaround, he not only spouted rhetoric but produced results, while also saddled w/ a very liberal Democratic legislative body (the NY City Council) and liberal cultural/media establishments. And on top of ALL of this, add on Romney's flip-flops on issue after issue after issue to position himself- surprise!- as some sort of social conservative, once he decided he might run for Prez. Give Giuliani his due; he has stayed far more consistent to who he is, to his core views and stated opinions and philosophies and values; Romney simply wets his finger and sticks it up to see which way the wind is blowing currently. Does anyone believe Romney HAS any core values and guiding principles beyond pandering to those whose votes he craves?
Yes, he looks the part. But don't buy the hype. And don't take anyone else's word for it; simply study his record as Governor, it speaks for itself. Mitt doesn't happen.
The discussion following this artical is nuts. To read the comments you'd think they had nearly all been written by naive adolescents who didn't know a lick about the perennial workings of American politics. The (D)'s and the (R)'s all play the same fool spin game and when facing an ugly pig of a situation such as a policy blunders, a misstep, a lousy appointment to a position, a change in direction, etc. they all apply lipstick to the pig to make it more attractive....but it is still a pig. True to form, one has to admit that American business is conducted much the same way. All the candidates are trying to make themselves look good and simply can't get enough lipstick to do the job. Mitt Romney, the ONLY, non career politician and business executive of the bunch, has learned to apply the lipstick most effectively. His political blunders, missteps, flip-flops, etc. are no more egregious or consequential than any other candidates are, in fact his are arguably less so. The difference is that at the end of the day, Romney has accomplished more practical and real political and business goals and objectives than any of his opponents have and he hasn't had to spend a dime more for lipstick.
He's approachable, friendly, reasonable and a brilliant prognosticator. He's sincere, diligent and thorough. As with any 60 year old experienced candidate, of course he's got 'baggage'. However, the baggage he's accumulated isn't going to catch the party, the country or the world community off guard and embarrass the hell of us. There has never been a better time or a greater need for a candidate like Mitt Romney than right now. (Unless it's 4 or 8 years from now after another Clinton has had her way with Washington.)
Yes semper, you're the only poster who is adult and worldly enough to have added anything of substance to the discussion. You alone deduce the "real" state of politics in America. Please.
Obviously you support Romney's candidacy. but to claim:
"His political blunders, missteps, flip-flops, etc. are no more egregious or consequential than any other candidates are, in fact his are arguably less so" is simply spin, not fact. Why- because YOU say so? His blunders, missteps, flip-flops, etc... speak to political acumen (or lack thereof) and, as he's seeking a political office (not a CEO's chair) they are consequential; they speak to what kind of political leader he was, the best indicator of what kind of political leader he would be.
"Romney has accomplished more practical and real political and business goals and objectives than any of his opponents..."
Really? He has really accomplished more "practical and real political goals... than any of his opponents"? Care to name any? (And we are talking achievements here, not rhetoric.) And more than ANY of his opponents? Any of them? Giuliani? McCain? Even Huckabee? Romney has accomplished more?? As for his business goals, objectives, and achievements, yes, obviously he was a VERY successful businessman, to his credit. But how did that success in the private sector translate to success in the political one? The piece, as well as other posters here, have outlined his, to be charitable, underwhelming record of actual accomplishments as Governor of Massachusetts. The best indicator of future performance is past performance in a comparable situation; on that scale, given his record as Governor of Mass, Romney comes up short when compared to others.
Romney just sickens me. I guess what scares me more is that what he is pretending to be is what the religious whack jobs of our party want! Why not just profess his own overbearing, judgmental & controlling faith?? - oh yeah, the evangelicals think its a cult. Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?
There is a reason that national polls say one thing and these state by state polls say something else. The general election is about reality and it involves the real people of the nation. These State contests are not reality - they are the loudest and most vocal idiots of both parties trying to maneuver a position. When the entirety of the American people get involved (not just the activists)the moderate, reasonable candidates from BOTH parties seem to rise to the top, thus Rudy & Hillary.
Someone mentioned in this thread how voting for Rudy is stepping away from "our values" --- perhaps the Republican party will finally get the hint that we don't need or want the religious right. THEY do not represent the American people's values. If this party doesn't start to move to some moderation (and a bit of thoughtful humility) then kudos to Hillary and congratulations on the win. I would rather deal with a moderate democrat that a sanctimonious Republican (and Mitt tops that list).