Posted on 11/15/2007 4:31:41 AM PST by JRochelle
Fred Thompson received the endorsement of the National Right to Life Committee on Tuesday and a surrogate for the campaign of Mitt Romney claimed Wednesday that it was motivated by money. Paul Weyrich, president of the Free Congress Foundation, says he can't find any other explanation. National Right to Life officials said Tuesday they backed Thompson because of his 100 percent voting record on pro-life issues, his willingness to back overturning Roe and the viability of his campaign.
But Weyrich, a Romney backer, told the Washington Times the endorsement "makes no sense" and claimed the Thompson campaign bought off the pro-life group.
"I think in all probability the Thompson people were engaged with the National Right to Life people in financial dealing," Weyrich said.
"In the past, the Republican Party has funded National Right to Life, and while [National Right to Life] can raise money on its own, it needs funding," Weyrich claimed.
David O'Steen, the executive director of the leading pro-life organization, called the claims ludicrous.
"He's got to be joking," O'Steen told the Washington Times. "There is absolutely no financial arrangement between [Right to Life] and the Thompson campaign or Fred Thompson."
Todd Harris, the communications director for the Thompson campaign, told LifeNews.com that the Weyrich accusations that the National Right to Life Committee was bribed by the Thompson campaign in exchange for its endorsement are "outrageous."
He said National Right to Life is supporting Thompson "because of Fred's 100% pro-life voting record."
"It is unseemly for the Romney campaign and its supporters to suggest that National Right to Life's coveted endorsement is based on a bribe," Harris added.
"If the Romney campaign is looking for the reason they did not receive the National Right to Life endorsement, they can start with the fact that Gov. Romney was pro-choice just two years ago," he told LifeNews.com.
"The Romney campaign was clearly hoping for this endorsement and are now clearly upset. But being denied an endorsement is no excuse to impugn the integrity of the very organization they were just days ago trying to woo," he concluded.
:-)
So he makes this outrageous accusation because HE can't "find any other explanation"? He needs to keep looking.
This is an outrageous charge - Mr. Weyrich needs to get out front and center to take his ridiculous accusation back - very quickly.
Well, that’s a new one.
Well, in the general election, you aren't going to be able to ban Hillary supporters. They don't come here. You can piss and moan all you like about the "unfairness" of the Clinton machine but it won't change a thing. If Fred Thompson is so fragile a candidate that he can't take what he and his supporters are dishing out in the primaries, how's he going to fare against Clinton Inc.? Both you and your candidate need to calm down, grow up and grow a pair or we will be singing "Hail to the Chief" to another Clinton.
Of course they have to try to make a big deal about the Weyrich statement so that no one will pay attention to the other statements of disagreement with the NRTL made by prominent members of the Concerned Women for America, the Republican Pro-Life Caucus, and other pro-life groups.
Before you argue about this fact you should know you can't have it both ways, if Hillary is responsible for her aides actions then Mitt is responsible for his aides. Any other stance will be gross hiprocrisy.
Paul Weyrich is not a member of the Romney campaign. He is not an "aide". He is a private individual, a prominent conservative leader, who privately chose to endorse Romney. The Romney campaign has no control over Weyrich or what he says. To make the accusation that Mitt himself put Weyrich up to making his foolish statement is an outrageous lie.
Grow up and face facts: Mitt is a useless Rino who will do nothing to abolish RoeVWade and in all likelyhood will push a health care plan that makes Hillary's look simple by comparison.
Actually, I don't complain about Mitt's money - but those who do are usually suggesting he spends a lot of money ADVERTISING, and uses his personal fortune to pay for it.
I haven't heard anyone claiming Mitt buys endorsements.
Weyrich is a supporter just like Larry Craig.
Don’t worry, Mitt will throw Paul under the bus in due time.
I guess you don't read the threads announcing the Romney endorsements.
"The Romney campaign was clearly hoping for this endorsement and are now clearly upset. But being denied an endorsement is no excuse to impugn the integrity of the very organization they were just days ago trying to woo," he concluded.
****************
Where is Romney in all of this? Shouldn't he be denouncing what Weyrich said?
To name a few, National Review, the Heritage Foundation several pro-life groups. etc. I don’t know all the names, just know there are a lot.
Back when he was running against Ted Kennedy, he wanted to prove his liberal creds so he donated to Planned Parenthood.
Fred has not done that. He has a real conservative record.
Mitt has had to purchase his conservative creds.
No, it came from Paul Weyrich who is not part nor has he ever been part of the Romney campaign. He is the president of the Free Congress Foundation, a prominent conservative leader who privately chose to endorse Romney. Your contention, as well as the Thompson campaign's contention, that the Romney campaign or Mitt Romney himself had anything to do with Weyrich's foolish statement is an outrageous lie.
No. Craig was actually a member of the Romney campaign. Romney had no choice but to dismiss him when it was revealed to Romney that Craig had been arrested and had pleaded guilty to criminal charges.
I haven't heard anyone claiming Mitt buys endorsements.
That's my take as well, though I don't camp out on this site 24/7 like some do. I might've missed seeing a Fred supporter accuse Mitt of bribing an endorser. Surely the Romney supporters will post links to support this allegation.
See... there's this little thing called evidence that you may want to consider. Romney hasn't exactly been shy or secretive about pumping large amounts of money into winning straw polls (e.g., booking every bus in Iowa to prevent other candidates from being able to bus in supporters and busing in senior citizens to vote in a straw poll by the Florida Young Republicans).
He's been lavishing dishing out money to conservative groups while seeking their endorsements. groups he's never contributed to before, mind you, nor similar ones either. In some cases, they were groups that had previously opposed him.
No such track record exists for Thompson, so the cases are not comparable. Weyrich's comments reek of projection -- what was his price?
“Paul Weyrich is not a member of the Romney campaign. He is not an “aide”. He is a private individual, a prominent conservative leader, who privately chose to endorse Romney.”
Weyrich’s endorsement wasn’t very private, it was meant to be on a par with the NLTL endorsement. You just got burned by your own guy and now you have to spin spin spin, like usual.
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