Free Republic

Andrew Kaczynski dug up this Romney press release today from the Web Archive, showing that he signed off on a permanent Assault Weapons ban in 2004: In a move that will help keep the streets and neighborhoods of Massachusetts safe, Governor Mitt Romney today signed into law a permanent assault weapons ban that forever makes it harder for criminals to get their hands on these dangerous guns. “Deadly assault weapons have no place in Massachusetts,” Romney said, at a bill signing ceremony with legislators, sportsmen’s groups and gun safety advocates. “These guns are not made for recreation or self-defense. They...

Mitt Romney was a moderate governor in Massachusetts with an unimpressive record of governance. He left office with an approval rating in the thirties and his signature achievement, Romneycare, was a Hurricane Katrina style disaster for the state. Since that’s the case, it’s fair to ask what a Republican who’s not conservative and can’t even carry his own state brings to the table for GOP primary voters. The answer is always the same: Mitt Romney is supposed to be “the most electable” candidate. This is a baffling argument because many people just seem to assume it’s true, despite the plethora...

Top Line Points While campaigning for Governor, Mitt Romney pledged not to raise taxes, but after he became Governor, Mitt Romney did raise taxes In 2008, John McCain agreed that Romney raised taxes as Governor, which is why McCain said that Romney "raised taxes by $730 million. He called them fees; I'm sure the people that had to pay it - whether they called them bananas, they still had to pay $730 million extra." It is also why the McCain campaign published a web video describing Romney’s record of raising taxes in Massachusetts.*** According to the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation...

Cato Institute: “Myth” That Romney Stood By No-New-Taxes Pledge Massachusetts Business Owners Recognized Romney’s Tax Increases,Whether He Admitted It Or Not Cato Institute On Whether Romney Stood By His No-New-Taxes Pledge: “That’s Mostly A Myth.” “Romney will likely also be eager to push the message that he was a governor who stood by a no-new-taxes pledge. That’s mostly a myth. His first budget included no general tax increases but did include a $500 million increase in various fees. He later proposed$140 in business tax hikes through the closing of ‘loopholes’ in the tax code.” (Steven Slivinski, “Fiscal Policy Report Card...

If you are curious about how President Barack Obama's health plan would affect your health care, look no farther than Massachusetts. In 2006, the Bay State enacted a slate of reforms that almost perfectly mirror the plan of Obama and congressional Democrats. Those reforms reveal that the Obama plan would mean higher health insurance premiums for millions, would reduce choice by eliminating both low-cost and comprehensive health plans, would encourage insurers to avoid the sick and would reduce the quality of care. Massachusetts reduced its uninsured population by two-thirds -- yet the cost would be considered staggering, had state officials...

There he goes again. Newsmax has published an interview with Mitt Romney in which he once again touts his big government Massachusetts health care plan as a monumental success: "What we were able to accomplish was to get almost all of our citizens insured without breaking the bank and without having a so-called public option," Romney says. "I think the program is a real success and that it can teach lessons to other states, and to the nation." To start with, Romney is wrong on the merits. Michael Cannon has done an excellent job documenting what a colossal failure Romneycare...

BOSTON — Much of the business community in Massachusetts was puzzled. Mitt Romney, a Republican with high-caliber corporate credentials, had run for governor pledging to sweep aside barriers to business and act as the state’s “top salesman.” But just a few months after Mr. Romney took office in 2003, what he delivered seemed anything but friendly to the C.E.O. crowd: a bill to financial firms for what they saw as $110 million in new corporate taxes — and a promise of more to come. . . . . . . . . For the next three years, the Romney administration...

Mitt Romney says he is a leader, but how do we know what direction he wants to lead. Where does Mitt Romney stand? Whichever way the wind blows.

Mitt Romney is pro-life or pro-choice based on where he is campaigning. "Every piece of legislation that has come across my desk I've come down on the side of life." Except for Romney Health Care that pays for abortion, promotes chemical abortions with Plan B, gives Planned Parenthood a seat on the Mass. health advisory board, and attempts to force pro-life hospitals to dispense abortifacients. Mitt also supports killing the tiniest humans for research, asked the federal government to start funding abortifacients, appointed pro-abortion Democrat Matt Nestor to a district court, attended a fundraiser for Planned Parenthood, and told the...

Honest, Gun owners express their trust of Gingrich and their mistrust of Romney.

Mitt Romney likes mandates

Jim Pethokoukis spotlights a new Health Affairs study on how Romneycare laid the foundation for Obamacare, and what it portends for the federal health insurance scene. In short: Expanded government coverage, higher taxpayer costs. Read here for details and analysis. His conclusion: The authors conclude that based on the Romneycare experience, Obamacare will improve coverage and not kill employer-based insurance, but containing costs will be a “considerable challenge.” That is probably the avenue Romney should use to a) attack Obamacare and b) present his own national health reform. But this study will perpetuate the meme that Romneycare was the prototype...

"Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace presents GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney with his 2007 statement on "Meet the Press" where he advocates an individual mandate for the nation (December 18, 2011).

Mitt Romney caught in a Bill Clinton truth-telling moment. More proof of the constant lying of Mitt Romney

Appearing before the National Rifle Association annual meeting this afternoon, Newt Gingrich called for a new United Nations treaty that would give the right to bear arms to every person on the planet. This proposed treaty would counter the United Nations Small Arms Treaty currently supported by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. After Gingrich’s speech concluded, NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris Cox came out on stage and said “The Gingrich Treaty…I like that.” The Daily Beast noted that Newt’s reception from the crowd of 5,000 people was more enthusiastic than Governor Romney’s. If the Republican presidential nomination were decided by the...

Faneuil Hall, Boston, MA, April 12, 2006 Romney previewing what we can expect if, God forbid, he wins the Presidency; His Bi-Partitianship

More proof of the perfidy of Mitt Romney

Since Mitt Romney had a mediocre record of job creation as the governor of Massachussetts, he has touted his record of creating jobs at Bain Capital. He’s noted time and time again that he created 100,000 jobs at Bain and has presented this to voters as a core reason why they should vote for him. Additionally, part of the response to the incredibly effective ads featuring people who lost their jobs because of Bain has been, “Well sure, some people lost their jobs, but Mitt created a lot more jobs than he killed.” The problem with this is that there...

How depressing. Conservatives remain divided this election cycle while the most liberal candidate for the GOP nomination in decades continues to pile up delegates. Meanwhile, the evidence continues to mount that Romney will govern to the left of George Bush – either one. Romney’s effort to portray himself as a conservative has had great success, primarily due to a black out on Romney’s record not only by the mainstream press but also by much of the conservative media. Moreover, much of America’s conservative “leadership” has decided to give Romney a pass. I posted a piece here a few weeks ago...

Video of campaign of Mitt Romney openly declaring he is a progressive. "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