GOP rivals' knives come out for Romney

The Hill ^ | 6/20/11 | Michael O'Brien

[markomalley]

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's (R) campaign honeymoon appears to have ended, as other candidates for the Republican presidential nomination begin voicing open criticism of Romney.

Romney, by virtue of his status as the putative frontrunner in the race, is now facing increasingly vocal criticism from his competitors, criticism that had otherwise been muted or nonexistent so far in the campaign.

The attacks suggest that the campaign for the 2012 Republican nomination hasn't just begun, but has advanced to the point where candidates have started to throw elbows in order to jockey for position with primary voters.

There was no better example of this inflection point than last week's criticism of Romney by former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R), who coined the term "ObamneyCare" to tie together President Obama's healthcare law, so detested by GOP primary voters, and the similar law Romney signed during his term as governor.

The flak Pawlenty caught for not having made that point directly when sharing a stage with Romney during last week's New Hampshire debate only underscores the pressure the campaigns are facing to throw punches.

"I think the main focus does need to be on President Obama and his failure as a president," Pawlenty said last week on Fox News. "But there's going to be some policy differences between the rests of us and bringing those out in a respectful policy based way, I think is appropriate -- particularly in the context of a debate."

The sniping between the campaigns that had persisted behind the scenes is now in the open; the candidates had largely avoided leveling direct criticism of one another, but that stage appears to have passed, especially as the field of hardens.

The criticism leveled by candidates toward one another certainly won't be limited to

[markomalley]

Gotta love the verbiage in the headline: "knives come out for..."

Trying to tar the remaining candidates like Nazis ("night of the long knives")

No bias there... /sarc

[cricket]

Romney does not appear to be suffering; but if there are wounds; they are largely, self-inflicted.

[cricket]

Romney does not appear to be suffering; but if there are wounds; they are largely, self-inflicted.

[Diogenesis]

Amazing. The chronic GOP-backstabber whines?

THAT is like some NAZI at a crematoria complaining
that someone in the ovens has fought back.

Has there EVER been a time Romney did NOT help Obama and the DNC?

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Romney for Obama in 2008

Late in October, The American Spectator's The Prowler revealed:
"Former Mitt Romney presidential campaign staffers…
have been involved in spreading anti-Palin spin to reporters, seeking to diminish her standing after the election.
'Sarah Palin is a lightweight, she won't be the first, not even the third, person people will think of when it comes to 2012,'
says one former Romney aide…
'The only serious candidate ready to challenge to lead the Republican Party is Mitt Romney.
"Some former Romney aides were behind the recent leaks to media, including CNN, that Governor Sarah Palin was a 'diva' and was going off message intentionally."

---

The Palmetto Scoop reported: "One of the first stories to hit the national airwaves was
the claim of a major internal strife between close McCain aides and the folks handling his running mate Sarah Palin."
"I’m told by very good sources that this was indeed the case and that a rift had developed, but it was between Palin’s people and the staffers brought on from the failed presidential campaign of former Gov. Mitt Romney, not McCain aides."
"The sources said nearly 80 percent of Romney’s former staff was absorbed by McCain and these individuals were responsible for what amounts to a premeditated, last-minute sabotage of Palin."
… aides loyal to Romney inside the McCain campaign, said The Scoop, reportedly saw
that Palin would be a serious contender for the Republican nomination in 2012 or 2016, which made her a threat to another presidential quest by Romney.

---

"These staffers are now out trying to finish her off ….hoping it would ingratiate themselves with Mitt Romney."

---

"Who's the Palin Leaker from the McCain Campaign?
National Review Online The publication of a Vanity Fair profile of Sarah Palin
appears to have opened old wounds in the McCain campaign.
... the source of the “Diva” leak was Nicolle Wallace’s husband."

---

"Peeking Out From the McCain Wreckage: Mitt Romney"

"Someone's got to say it: IS MITT ROMNEY RESPONSIBLE FOR OBAMA'S VICTORY?"

"Vanity: Team Romney Sabotaged Palin and Continuing to Do So?"

"Romney Supporters Trashing Palin"

"Romney advisors sniping at Palin?"

---

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Romney for Obama in 2009

Chihuahua Romney - the Magic RINO:
"I also think it's important for us to nod to our pRes_ _ent when he's right,"
we are pleased with his plans to "finish the job" in Iraq and Afghanistan
I also applaud our pRes_ _ent
for standing up to the evil auto industry. "

---

Romney for Obama in 2010

"Go Mitt. Go Mitt. Go Mitt"

"Rove is pushing Romney so aggressively
some folks are beginning to wonder what's going on,"
grumbled one veteran Republican strategist."

---

"Rove has made no secret
of his support for Romney as McCain's VP. "

---

Romney for Obama in 2011

“Why on Earth is Romney using his donors’ money
to feed ObamaBOTs working against the GOP?”

---

Mitt Romney Sends Leftover Pizza to Obama Chicago HQ
After spending the day in Chicago fundraising, Mitt Romney
sat down with small business owners at Gino's East,
a pizza joint famous for their deep-dish pizza.
In fact, Romney himself tweeted a photo of a
delivery boy heading out with the loot, writing,
"Great deep dish at @ginoseast.
Sending the extra slices to @barackobama and his Chicago HQ team."

---

Chihuahua Romney - the One and the Only "Magic RINO(TM)":

"Obama was born in the United States"

"Obama Doesn’t Need a Birth Certificate"

"The citizenship test has been passed"

---

Milt Romney in 2007

Romney - the Magic RINO:
"I'm not running as the Republican view
or a continuation of Republican values.
That's not what brings me to the race.
(Romney Video, accessed 9/19/07)

---

"We don't intend to turn the Republican Party
 over to the traitors in the battle just ended.
We will have no more of those candidates who are pledged
 to the same goals as our opposition and who seek our support.
Turning the Party over to the so-called moderates
wouldn't make any sense at all.""
--  President Ronald Reagan

"One of the traditional methods of imposing statism
or socialism on people has been by way of medicine..."
President Ronald Reagan

Romney-Imposed Gay Marriage (through Threats against Clerks)
And Romney Death Panels and ObamaCARE/RomneyCARE
Imposed by the carpetbagging, backstabbing “Milt” Willard Romney.

---

[ZULU]

Just say “No” to son of George Romney.

[Lakeshark]

I find it odd, that of the declared candidates only Pawlenty has had the nerve to criticize Romney care. Bachmann folded like a cheap tent even though she had the most golden opportunity served up to her on a silver platter.

As to Romney suffering, he's got some deep problems if the candidates care to highlight them. There are no long knives necessary, simply the nerve is needed to take on the record of Mitt.

Romney care; Belief in global warming; a record of inconsistencies and flip-flops as bad as John f'n Kerry.

If the candidates cannot highlight those things, they don't deserve to be running, if the press thinks that's "long knives" they are dumber than I've previously thought.

[tet68]

More of the media’s “Let’s you and him fight!”.

Rommny is only the “frontrunner” in the minds of
the press. This is why Sarah has stayed out of it
as yet.

[VanDeKoik]

There is no reason for here to be in this in June of the year BEFORE the conventions!

Let these other people blow money fighting each other for months, and be broke by December.

[Diogenesis]

MSM Projection here.

[LibLieSlayer]

Those that are in the race today had their chance during the last debate... and it does not really count... it does not have the impact... unless it is said face to face to mitt... squared off and toe to toe... and then one must rebut the marxist rebuttal that mitt will give... and those are the facts that no amount of revisionist writings can change. Ever wonder why no one took a shot at mitt's record? Maybe timidity and listening to others and not to themselves. Wow... speaks volumes about leadership skills... or the lack thereof.

LLS

[Anti-Bubba182]

I kind of like the title in Romney’s case. Cut early, deep and often.

[Covenantor]

"Courage to Stand" Tee-Paw, eh not so much.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

Just love the only comment underneath this article. Some lib by the moniker of true patriot ripping on conservatives calling us “hypocrits”. This is why we want to reform public schools, so when the left criticizes us, they can spell the words correctly...

[Clyde5445]

Oh don’t you know Bachmann criticize Romney but not Cain for not signing the SBA pro-life pledge.

Sarah was right it hypocritical for us to demand vetting of Obama BUT not our own. The candidates have a responsibility to the voters to point out each others record. All I know is Sarah is more than willing to do verbal combat and compare her record against anybody.

[Servant of the Cross]

Romney does not appear to be suffering; but if there are wounds; they are largely, self-inflicted.

Definitely wounds, and self-inflicted ... fantastically stupid ... awkward ... delusional (schadenfreude!)

Mitt Romney’s pinch of humor falls flat in N.H. (Later admits being untruthful)

Mitt Romney's 'awkward, delusional' unemployment gaffe

[Sybeck1]

stalking horse

[Lakeshark]

Sorry, I don’t understand your post (dense, must need coffee), who is the stalking horse?

[CommerceComet]

This behavior is alright with me as long as they don’t attack Republicans. Fire away at Romney.

[LibLieSlayer]

Yep... weak sister.

LLS

[greyfoxx39]