Posted on 12/09/2006 5:32:29 AM PST by shrinkermd
Gov. Mitt Romney, the Massachusetts Republican who has built a presidential campaign on a broad appeal for conservative support, is drawing sharply increased criticism from conservative activists for his advocacy of gay rights in a 1994 letter.
Mr. Romney’s standing among conservatives is being hurt by a letter he sent to the Log Cabin Club of Massachusetts saying that he would be a stronger advocate for gay rights than Senator Edward M. Kennedy, his opponent in a Senate race, in a position that stands in contrast to his current role as a champion of a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.
“We must make equality for gays and lesbians a mainstream concern,” Mr. Romney wrote in a detailed plea for the support of the club, a gay Republican organization.
The circulation of the letter by gay rights groups in recent weeks has set off a storm of outrage among social conservatives, and by Friday was looming as a serious complication to Mr. Romney’s hopes.
Aides to Mr. Romney, who did not dispute the letter’s legitimacy, said that the governor’s opinions on gay issues had not changed. They said Mr. Romney had always been an opponent of same-sex marriage, had always opposed discrimination against gay men and lesbians and had been consistent in his views about allowing them to serve in the military
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
To say the least, Romney is going to have problems with this letter. Whether it deep sixes his chances remains to be seen.
There is something about the water in Massachusetts. Politicians will tell the voters whatever they want to hear. He's just like Kerry. He supported it before he opposed it.
The letter thakes him off my list of viable candidates.
No more of electing the Rino's just because they say they're republicans. Either show me
conservatism, values, and the fight that's within you, or get out of our way!!
NO MORE RINOS!
Amen, Amen and uh... oh yeah. Amen!!!
Love,
The Conservatives that stayed home
Media liberals are going to attack any serious McCain opponent for the repub. nomination. I am not going to let Russert, NY times, Katie Curic, etc. choose the nominee. If it is McCain versus any dem., they have won because the policies will be the same. Romney or Rudy will get my vote.
Bingo, Hydroshock. Well said.
I see the 100 per centers are out in force here today - good luck to you all 70% - 80% is better than 100 per cent of nothing.
"A chameleon can turn every color except white." Greek saying.
Some people cheer this on. Look at the group that works within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
http://bethany-in-seward.home.att.net/html/ecp.html
No such article for the real RINO's Mc Cain and Giuliani. The NYT wouldn't mind them as President.
No such article for can't win conservatives such as Duncan Hunter. The NYT hopes Republicans nominate someone so easy to defeat.
But a Republican Governor of MA running as a conservative? Attractive, smart, articulate. Nothing to smear. Romney turns Democrats white with fright.
So to turn gullible conservatives away from Romney, The New York Times uses its Jedi mind tricks. It slowly waves two fingers back and forth and intones: "Romney is not the conservative you are looking for".
I ma not a 100%'er but when you have liberal rino like Mitt, I can not support them. Because with him I would get a pro gay, pro abortion (funny he has only started speaking out about when he started going national), anti gun liberal rino.
<< Whether it deep sixes his chances remains to be seen. >>
But not for long.
I agree conservatives cannot trust the press in any way. Still, Romney has to address this and answer it to the satisfaction of the conservative base. That may or may not be fair but it's a reality. I hope he can overcome the charges but the one thing he cannot do is allow it to be out there unanswered.
The LDS church most emphatically does NOT endorse gay marriage.
Romney's religious credentials are in serious doubt.
Romney is a conservative? Perhaps relative to the Bolsheviks infesting Massachusetts, but I see precious little in his background and record as governor to think that he's the second coming of Reagan.
I love the way you presented that,to bad so many people are fooled so easily,the NYT's plays these knee jerks like a cheap fiddle.
I can probably vote for Mitt or Rudy, but I cn't see myself walking precincts for either. But if McCain gets the nominiation, I'm going third party.
Sit at home or vote third party. Either way, between 2009 and 2017 there should be no bitching or complaining about President H.R. Clinton anywhere on Free Republic. The worst RINO (other than Lincoln Chaffee) would be a better president than Mr. and Mrs Clinton.
I am getting so fed up with Free Republic. YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET A CANDIDATE WHO AGREES WITH 100% OF WHAT YOU AGREE WITH. My god. What kind of babies are you? You pick your top ONE maybe, two issues and you go from there. The only way you're going to get a candidate who you agree with is to run yourself...if you're not willing to do that, STFU.
ok a 1994 (!) letter.
Notice how Gene Kirkpatric dies and the FIRST think mentioned is that she USED to be a Democrat. (then they mention she was a mentor to Bolton)
How many people are fooled by the civil union BS it is explained? How many people realize that without a constitutional amendment the JUDGES have decided what the conclusion should be.
I am no big Romney supporter but a 1994 letter in and of itself is meaningless. This is election school 101, reach back as far as possible in order to show a trend.
The NYT is trying to smooth the path for a RINO in some form.
I hope you enjoy every minute of the next Congress. :)
We need to run someone from the north, midwest, or west coast in order to win. A regional candidate from the south will lose.
McCain is going to get the NYT endorsement because he has explicitly said homosexuals should be allowed to marry.
RINO go home.
Remember folks DINO trumps RINO.
How is it a Jedi mind trick when Romney doesn't even dispute that he wrote the letter? Seems like the Times is just having a chuckle at potentially sinking the chances of someone who claims to be a conservative, for sure, but would you rather Hillary was able to hold up that letter and say "Romney was for gay rights before he was against them. Who does that remind you of?"
Well, I will definitely just have to take your word for that. ;)
Sorry, but I'm a little confused. What, exactly, are you charging Romney with?
The 100 per centers will complain the loudest about being in the political wilderness for the next twenty years.
I'm not so sure. Republican legislators who would normally oppose bad legislation being pushed by Democratic chief executives often approve of equally bad legislation if the chief executive is a RINO.
As a case in point, California's Republican governor Pete Wilson pushed a massive tax increase through the state legislature. It narrowly passed because he got a number of Republican legislators to vote for it. These legislators would likely have opposed the bill had the governor been a Democrat.
Maybe "charges" wasn't the best word to use. My point was the Romney cannot win the base over if he's perceived as being a RINO and too liberal on issues such as abortion, homosexual marriage and gun rights. For Romney to win support of the GOP base he has to address these issues and not let them fester in the minds of Republicans. What may win in MA is not going to appeal to the broader base of Republicans across the country.
I see the nyt has been in full trashing mode of a decent Republican who is a viable contender for the elections.
Could you please give us Reagan Republicans just one positive reason to vote for McCain--other than the fact that he's not Hillary and that he has an "R" by his name?
Fair enough.
But, where does his stand on ...say....the WOT and the economy fit into your assessment of him as a contender for President?
I remember watching the debate between Mitt and Teddy. Before the debate Teddy's people insisted on changing from smaller stalk-style podiums to large podiums to hide the girth of their beloved dunce.
Then Mitt tried to out-Dem the Swimmer by agreeing to do everything Swimmer would do.
Turned off the set in disgust.
If someone can't successfully run against a family with a legacy of murder, rape, vehicular homicide and three Darwin nominations what the Hell good is he?
LOL
You're welcome! :o)
It isn't as if this twelve year-old letter is the only evidence of Romney's fraudulent political nature.
After all, it wasn't long ago at all that he single-handedly brought about gay marriage in Massachusetts.
Another good thread on this subject:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1750851/posts
Romney's "stance" on gay rights isn't hurting him with conservatives - I doubt there's a single conservative with one bit of use for Romney to begin with!
This is the "Governor Romney" who instituted a bigger medical welfare system in Massachusetts than anything even HIllary would have dared to propose.
The visual is now burned in your head, everytime you see or hear about a democRAT congress for the next two years.
Excuse me it was the courts who mandated Gay Marriage...
Bears repeating!
Hah. You need to study the series of events a little more carefully. The court said that the legislature needed to pass a law, which they did not do. Romney then used his Executive power, which he should have been using to rein in an out-of-control judiciary, to ram gay marriage down the throat of his state.
Mitt Romney is exactly the sort of constitutional moron this country absolutely cannot afford.
That's all fine and dandy but what about 30%? Would you settle for 30%?
How about 20%?
Or 10%?
Would 10% good, 90% bad be fine with you?
Should we prostitute our principles for 5% of what we believe in?
Because that's what we'd be getting with the Mittster.
ping...
Romney bought about gay marriage in Massachussets? Single handedly?
Hmm..excuse me isn't the activist judges on the state supreme court.
What else is Romney responsible for, is he responsible for the snowing in Boston during the winter season.
I rather a rino than a rat...
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