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McCain questions Romney's economic record, Mitt strikes back with anti-Washington message
Politco ^ | 1/25/2008 | Jonathan Martin

Posted on 01/25/2008 2:27:54 PM PST by JRochelle

Not content to let the civility that reigned at last night's debate carry on through another news cycle, the Florida front-runners had some tough words for one another today.

Talking to reporters aboard his bus this morning, McCain went first, unleashing some of his campaign's oppo research on Romney.

"He raised taxes by $730 million, and the flight of manufacturing jobs was double that of the national average," McCain said of the former Massachusetts governor, according to AP. "His health care plan, we now find, is $245 million in the red, according to the Boston Globe yesterday."

But it was McCain's comments about his own background that raised Romney's ire.

"Running an investment company is probably a good thing to do. Making national policy concerning our economy is probably more beneficial to the nation," McCain said.

Sensing an opportunity, Romney aide Eric Fehrnstrom alerted the members of his candidate's traveling press corps before a mid-day event in this Panhandle city that Romney would respond to McCain's remark in his pep rally speech.

"I think he's detoured from what was some straight talk," Romney proclaimed less than three minutes into his stump speech in the parking lot of a military contractor.

Then he cited the two McCain quotes that his campaign sent to reporters during last night's debate where the senator conceded he's no economic expert.

"Now he's engaging in Washington talk," Romney continued. "Washington talk says that somehow because you've been in Washington and you've been on a committee that you somehow know about how the jobs in this country are created."

Predictably, Romney then used much of the remainder of his speech to harp on his outsider theme, using the word "Washington" repeatedly and in a fashion that portrayed it as a completely foreign place.

"Washington is fundamentally broken, it says it right there," Romney said, pointing to one of his campaign signs that says the same thing.

Got the message?


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: mccain; mitt; mittromner; rinos; romney; whiners
Dueling RINOs Alert!
1 posted on 01/25/2008 2:28:00 PM PST by JRochelle
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To: JRochelle

Electile Dysfunction : the inability to become aroused over any of the
choices for president put forth by either party in the 2008 election year.


2 posted on 01/25/2008 2:29:49 PM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo (Tracking The "Flyin' Imams" since 11/20/06)
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To: JRochelle

The Goon calls the Thug a creep.


3 posted on 01/25/2008 2:30:56 PM PST by the gillman@blacklagoon.com (And close the damned borders!)
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To: ButThreeLeftsDo

Blush

Send that to Rush...

I think he will use it


4 posted on 01/25/2008 2:32:02 PM PST by Tennessee Nana
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To: ButThreeLeftsDo

Is there a cure?

What the politcal Viagra?


5 posted on 01/25/2008 2:33:23 PM PST by JRochelle (John Thune in 2012.)
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To: JRochelle

correction

Should read Whats


6 posted on 01/25/2008 2:34:16 PM PST by JRochelle (John Thune in 2012.)
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To: JRochelle

Broken, broken, broken, change, change, change. Sounds like Romney’s running for head job creator.


7 posted on 01/25/2008 2:34:25 PM PST by Norman Bates
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To: JRochelle
Unfortunately the entire stable of GOP candidates are Rino’s. Who are you supporting?

RuPaul doesn’t count, he can’t even get out of single digits.

8 posted on 01/25/2008 2:35:21 PM PST by alice_in_bubbaland (Wandering in the wasteland of GOP RINO's.)
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To: JRochelle
Romney’s recounting of the very long list of Washington failures, from Immigration to Budget Balancing, was the most effective answer to any question by any of the panelists last night. IMO A real indictment of the ruling classes, both Dem AND Rep.
9 posted on 01/25/2008 2:35:33 PM PST by TCats
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To: JRochelle

Since the Country Club Blue Blook wing of the Republican have gotten their wish (with all the conservative candidates out of the race: Brownback, Gilmore, Tancredo, Hunter, Thompson), this election is all of them to prove that they can win an election or not.

No excuses.


10 posted on 01/25/2008 2:37:34 PM PST by bluebeak
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To: All

These are word for word the comments of the Keyes, Bauer and Forbes supporters in 2000.

You go to war with the Army you have. It was Bush in 2000 and that victory got us John Roberts, Samuel Alito, sharp tax cuts and a permanent military presence on the 2nd largest oil reserves in the world.

If Gore had been elected we would have NONE of that. None. Not a single item.

You go to war with the Army you have. Romney is going to be the Army this year.

Prepare for battle.


11 posted on 01/25/2008 2:38:59 PM PST by Owen
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To: JRochelle
And McCain was been the executive of what entity?

There is a reason we do not elected Senators to the office of Presidency.
12 posted on 01/25/2008 2:39:55 PM PST by elizabetty ("Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." .Ralph Waldo Emerson)
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To: alice_in_bubbaland
RuPaul doesn’t count, he can’t even get out of single digits.

How come he's still in the field then? ROFL

13 posted on 01/25/2008 2:39:58 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist
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To: JRochelle
Not content to let the civility that reigned at last night's debate carry on through another news cycle...
If I said what I actually thought about the writer of this sentence I would be rightfully banned from FR... or at least have my post removed. It would be full of four letter words.

Instead, I'll struggle to remain civil and point out that the point of a campaign process is not to maintain civility but for the voters to have a chance to decide between alternatives.

So go... never mind. I said I wasn't going to say that, so I won't.

14 posted on 01/25/2008 2:39:58 PM PST by samtheman
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To: JRochelle

Mitt can’t hold a candle to McCain’s economic achievements.

The old Keating five deal was a great money maker...for a while.


15 posted on 01/25/2008 2:40:04 PM PST by labette
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To: Tennessee Nana
Blush Send that to Rush... I think he will use it

He used it a couple of years ago when Federal Agents borded his plane and decided to let the world know he had a perscription of Viagra.

Rush said, "I have no idea how that got there but I told my doctor I had electile dysfunction."
16 posted on 01/25/2008 2:41:51 PM PST by elizabetty ("Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." .Ralph Waldo Emerson)
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To: Owen
These are word for word the comments of the Keyes, Bauer and Forbes supporters in 2000.

You go to war with the Army you have. It was Bush in 2000 and that victory got us John Roberts, Samuel Alito, sharp tax cuts and a permanent military presence on the 2nd largest oil reserves in the world.

If Gore had been elected we would have NONE of that. None. Not a single item.

You go to war with the Army you have. Romney is going to be the Army this year.

Prepare for battle.

I nominate this for Post of the Day, Post of the Month, Post of the Year.
17 posted on 01/25/2008 2:42:10 PM PST by samtheman
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To: bluebeak

Blue blood wing ... that is


18 posted on 01/25/2008 2:43:21 PM PST by bluebeak
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To: alice_in_bubbaland
I am not supporting anyone.

I will cast a vote for McCain. He is the least vile of the mess that is left.

He is the only one of that sorry lot who can beat Hillary.

I don’t like the candidates we have left. But I hate Hillary enough to be motivated to vote against her.

19 posted on 01/25/2008 2:44:48 PM PST by JRochelle (John Thune in 2012.)
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To: JRochelle
McCain has been calling Romney a manager all day.

McCain clearly doesn’t know the difference between a manager and an executive.

Maybe because he’s never been either.

Oh, the presidency, that’s an executive job and Mitt’s held those jobs all his life.

20 posted on 01/25/2008 2:51:31 PM PST by Beckwith (Dhimmicrats and the liberal media have chosen sides -- Islamofascism)
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To: JRochelle
>>>>> [McCain] is the only one of that sorry lot who can beat Hillary.

That should piss off the Romney cultists for sure.

21 posted on 01/25/2008 2:52:12 PM PST by Reagan Man (FUHGETTABOUTIT Rudy....... Conservatives don't vote for liberals!)
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To: Owen
If Gore had been elected we would have NONE of that. None. Not a single item.

I cannot picture any way we would have had any of that with Romney in charge either. He appointed mostly judges that we would find objectionable in his term as governor. He opposed the Bush tax cuts. The presence we have in Iraq is not permanent. The right to negotiate for bases was negotiated away in one of the funding fights.

22 posted on 01/25/2008 2:55:17 PM PST by Ingtar (Romney is not the answer. What was the question?)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist
RuPaul doesn’t count, he can’t even get out of single digits. How come he's still in the field then? ROFL

Because he is too dumb to quit.

23 posted on 01/25/2008 2:55:38 PM PST by Logical me (Oh, well!!!)
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To: Logical me
Paul can’t quit.

His supporters are generally nuts, he needs to stay in the race for his own safety.

24 posted on 01/25/2008 2:58:37 PM PST by JRochelle (John Thune in 2012.)
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To: Beckwith

25 posted on 01/25/2008 2:59:20 PM PST by etradervic (Join the RINO Hunt)
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To: labette

LOL! Hmmmm...let’s see, Keating...or Bain. Gee, I don’t know which is the better option.


26 posted on 01/25/2008 3:03:18 PM PST by VegasBaby (<---Just one of many who refuses to vote for McCain or Huckabee under any circumstance)
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To: etradervic

Whoa, that’s one of the most poorly drawn political cartoons I’ve ever seen. Who did this?

Funny “Washington is broken, it says it right there” pointing to a campaign sign. Hilarious.


27 posted on 01/25/2008 3:07:22 PM PST by SuperCapitanAmerica
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To: elizabetty

> And McCain was been the executive of what entity? <

He brags about having been the leader of the Navy’s largest flight squadron. But tellingly, his leadership doesn’t seem to have been of the caliber that would have led to an Admiral’s berth.


28 posted on 01/25/2008 3:33:17 PM PST by Hawthorn
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To: Reagan Man

>>>>> [McCain] is the only one of that sorry lot who can beat Hillary.


That is only because if McCain is not allowed to be the Republican nominee, he will try to be the Democrat vp.


29 posted on 01/25/2008 3:50:17 PM PST by broncobilly
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To: JRochelle

Geraldo Rivera and Juan Hernandez are also supporting McCain. A vote for McCain is a vote for wide open borders. He is more dangerous than even Hillary or Obama.


30 posted on 01/25/2008 3:56:10 PM PST by DFG
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To: VegasBaby
"...let’s see, Keating...or Bain. Gee, I don’t know which is the better option."

Tough call, indeed. The media just has to be licking their chops at these prospects. Talking about the Keating five will allow them to label an 80% {100% ?} Democrat scam as a Republican scam.

Bain "news" will portray those wascally wepublicans as the party of the rich, don't care about the lil' guy, blah, blah, blah.

31 posted on 01/25/2008 4:18:37 PM PST by labette
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To: JRochelle

Future President McCain is right about the Romulan...he’s nothing more than a manager, not a leader. He was pretty good for stockholders when downsizing companies by firing workers with the Bain company but he’d be a complete disaster trying to win a war...or getting 100,000 more troops into the armed forces when his five sons won’t even consider being in uniform.


32 posted on 01/25/2008 4:24:06 PM PST by meandog (Pray for future President McCain!)
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To: JRochelle

Can anyone name anything apart from congressional committees and a member’s office that Senator McCain has actually run?

It reminds one of what Coleman Young said about Jesse Jackson when the Reverend Jackson ran for Prez.


33 posted on 01/25/2008 4:27:40 PM PST by AmericanVictory (Should we be more like them, or they like us?)
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To: bluebeak

The phrase is ‘blue blood.’


34 posted on 01/25/2008 6:23:42 PM PST by mbraynard
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To: JRochelle

It’s a meal ticket for his fundraisers and staff. Why should they quit as long as the $$ is coming in? His fundraisers probably make around 30% of what comes in off the net and in the mail. The rest goes to over-priced vendors who rebate 15% back to the staffers.


35 posted on 01/25/2008 6:25:42 PM PST by mbraynard
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To: meandog

You’re absolutely clueless. McCain would be a disaster


36 posted on 01/25/2008 6:49:24 PM PST by NYC Republican (Romney/Barbour -the ONLY one to stop Huck, McCain, Rudy and Hillary!)
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To: mbraynard

i know ... typo


37 posted on 01/25/2008 7:29:00 PM PST by bluebeak
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To: JRochelle

this is rich!

i first heard it on rush this morning.


38 posted on 01/25/2008 7:33:26 PM PST by ken21 ( people die + you never hear from them again.)
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To: JRochelle

In my opinion, Mitt’s Anti-Message has always been weak.

So what, who really cares anymore?

He was a governor for how many years?

How does this qualify him to be an outsider?


39 posted on 01/25/2008 9:20:07 PM PST by SoConPubbie
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To: AmericanVictory
Can anyone name anything apart from congressional committees and a member’s office that Senator McCain has actually run?

Riddle me this!

Can anyone name anything that Abraham Lincoln ran before he became President?

This is really a worthless reason to vote for or against anyone.
40 posted on 01/25/2008 9:21:40 PM PST by SoConPubbie
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To: SoConPubbie

He ran a very successful law practice, not an easy task.


41 posted on 01/26/2008 11:32:37 AM PST by AmericanVictory (Should we be more like them, or they like us?)
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