Free Republic

Mitt Romney is an empty suit. He puts his finger up and sees which way the political winds are blowing, then takes a position. Mitt signed MassCare (with Ted Kennedy no less in the background smiling about it) into existence in 2006, and it has been a proven failure. There are plenty of stories and analyses out there describing the abject failure that MassCare is. The essential storyline is that MassCare is basically Obamacare in one state. That state has gone bankrupt trying to give everyone there universal coverage, and the result of putting so many more people into the...

Massachusetts has the most expensive family health insurance premiums in the country, according to a new analysis that highlights the state’s challenge in trying to rein in medical costs after passage of a landmark 2006 law that mandated coverage for nearly everyone... The report by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit health care foundation, showed that the average family premium for plans offered by employers in Massachusetts was $13,788 in 2008, 40 percent higher than in 2003. Over the same period, premiums nationwide rose an average of 33 percent... Last month, the commission suggested that private and public insurers scrap their...

Many GOP insiders, Beltway mavens, and East Coast conservatives have held up Mitt Romney as the presumptive 2012 GOP presidential nominee and, indeed, he appears to be quietly laying the groundwork for another presidential run. However, with all of the Tea Parties, town meetings, and ObamaCare protests, he has been strangely silent. This is exceedingly odd behavior for a man who would be president. What could he be thinking? Well, I am not a mind reader, but I would guess that his silence is motivated by two concerns. First, he wants to keep his powder dry for 2012. He does...

From the time of her announcement as the Vice Presidential selection by Senator John McCain, Governor Sarah Palin has been the target of a nearly solid wall of attacks from the Democrats. It was obvious to them from the very beginning that with her popularity rating in her home state of Alaska, her knowledge of the issues, added to the fact she is an attractive, young woman with a family must have terrified them. Could it be that she could actually lead the Republicans to the White House in 2009? Speaking from a Conservative viewpoint, I think it goes without...

Glenn Beck took aim yesterday at the Massachusetts universal healthcare system, which liberals and many Democrats have touted for years as a model for the purported glories of socialized medicine. (Snip) Beck noted that Massachusetts is now spending 42% more ($595 million) on health insurance than it did in 2006, and asked rhetorically how the state will pay for an estimated $1.3 billion in healthcare this year?

What? You don't like Mitt Romney? Why not? He brought the finest health care in the world to the citizens of Mass and it's free! Abortion? I think he's against it today. Back when he was running for governor he had to be for it, Ted Kennedy and other liberals forced him to be that way. Just look at his hair dammit and then tell me, if you still can, that you wouldn't vote for him. If you still wouldn't vote for him you must be one of them there haters and bigots and with Powell on the ticket that'd...

Former GOP Governor Helped Make 2006 Reform Reality. BOSTON -- Three years after the inception of Massachusetts’ landmark health reform legislation, which required every citizen to buy insurance, NewsCenter 5’s Ed Harding wondered what former Gov. Mitt Romney, a key political architect of the plan, thought of its progress. Call it protecting his legacy, well-earned pride, or seeing the glass as half-full, but Romney says Massachusetts deserves an ‘A.’ “It’s working like we had hoped it would work,” the one-time republic presidential candidate said. “We got nearly everybody in Massachusetts health insurance, which really, something people didn't think was possible.”...

Don't trust him. He's a RINO. Worse than a RINO. He's the enemy within. You never know where he honestly stands on any issue. What he promises today, he flips on tomorrow. It all depends on which way the political winds are blowing and which office he's running for. He's a liar. He's a big government socialist. His RomneyCare state run health care system is a big government boondoggle. It's tyranny. Government provided, er, forced health care is tyranny not freedom or free markets. Do not believe the socialist propaganda supporting such nonsense. Socialized medicine is simply another step to...

One in four Republicans say Mitt Romney is their top choice for the 2012 presidential nomination -- giving him a slight lead over Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, according to a Gallup poll released Thursday. Of all the Republicans and Republican-leaning respondents polled, 26 percent favored Romney as the nominee while 21 percent preferred Palin. Nineteen percent favored former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and 14 percent chose former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. While Palin trailed the former Massachusetts governor slightly in presidential preference, the majority of Republicans polled had a more favorable opinion of the Alaska governor than they did of...

Former Bay State Gov. Mitt Romney is locked in a statistical dead heat with Sarah Palin for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, despite the Alaska governor’s abrupt resignation last week, according to a new poll of Republican voters. Romney leads all Republican presidential contenders, garnering 25 percent of the vote, edging out Palin (24 percent), former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (22) and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (14 percent) in the Rasmussen poll released yesterday.

The decision today by the Iowa Supreme Court that ruled a ban on same-sex marriage in the Hawkeye State unconstitutional is certain to have an impact on the state's critical Republican presidential caucuses in 2012. . . . . . Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who ran unsuccessfully for the nomination in 2008 and is an almost-certain candidate in 2012, did offer a comment on the decision when asked by the Fix. "I believe marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman and the definition of marriage should be left to the people and not to activist courts,"...

For a while now I’ve been saying that Romney is no conservative, and anyone holding him up as the hope for the conservative movement against Obama in 2012 is fooling themselves. During his campaign for the Republican nomination in 2007/2008 Romney held himself up as a rock-ribbed conservative. The reality is that he’s a power-hungry politician. He was one of the first political leaders in America to institute what amounts to a nationalized health care system in Massachusetts, and his various positions on abortion have changed so often in timing so convenient for his political career as to leave one...

Ex President Bill Clinton missing for some time since skipping on a lecture in Scotland has been found. A Canadian newspaper found Bubba holding hands with a new friend. (Picture Included)

I didn't think anyone could irritate me more than Shepard Smith, the guy who hits people standing in his parking space. Now I tune in to the "Happy Hour" show on Fox Business Channel. And I see some guy named Cody Willard. What's up with that?

JAY LENO: On Tuesday my first guest won the Michigan primary in the Republican Presidential race. That makes him a real contender in an election that is pretty much anybody's guess at this point. Please welcome Mitt Romney. (Applause.) JAY LENO: Thanks for coming. I appreciate your making the trip. MITT ROMNEY: Thank you. Good to be here. JAY LENO: And congratulations on Michigan. That was exciting. MITT ROMNEY: Very exciting for me. JAY LENO: You got the gold. You almost took the silver. Got the gold. MITT ROMNEY: I got Wyoming, too; so two golds, two silvers. That's not...

Urges health council to bar infirmaries from opening in city Mayor Thomas M. Menino embarked on a highly public campaign yesterday to block CVS Corp. and other retailers from opening medical clinics inside their stores, an effort that exposed a rift between Menino and the state's public health commissioner, a longtime ally. Menino blasted state regulators for paving the way Wednesday for the in-store clinics, which are designed to provide treatment for sore throats, poison ivy, and other minor illnesses. The decision by the state Public Health Council, "jeopardizes patient safety," Menino said in a written statement. "Limited service medical...

Mitt Romney said last year that it would be “akin to a nightmare” to have to fund his presidential campaign out of his personal fortune. But I can think of worse things. One would be spending $20 million of your money . . . and then losing. Forget “akin to” - that would be the politician’s ultimate nightmare. So now Mitt Romney is about to find out how much it costs to buy - or fail to buy - an election in 2008. A lot more than the $6 million it cost him to buy the Massachusetts governorship in 2002,...

The great burden of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's presidential campaign is that he is the sole Republican competing in all of the key early contests that begin with next Thursday's Iowa caucus. That could also prove Romney's great opportunity. Both Iowa and New Hampshire remain within his reach, something no other Republican can say. One by one, each of Romney's competitors has retreated to a regional stronghold strategy. Mike Huckabee, an ordained Baptist minister, is running hard in Iowa and in South Carolina -- two states where he benefits from the large presence of evangelical conservatives -- but is...

(CNSNews.com) - Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney was asked about his "retreat" on gun control Sunday, just one of the issues raised in his appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press." Host Tim Russert asked Romney about his earlier support for strong gun control laws, noting that in his 1994 Senate race againt Ted Kennedy, Romney backed two gun-control measures -- the Brady Bill with its waiting period on gun sales; and the renewal of a 1994 ban on "assault" weapons. At the time, Romney said he didn't "line up with the NRA." But when he decided to run for president,...

In the race for the Republican Presidential Nomination, Rudy Giuliani continues to lead nationwide with 24% support. Surging Mike Huckabee now attracts 15% of Likely Republican Primary Voters nationwide, Fred Thompson earns 14%, John McCain is the top choice for 13% and Mitt Romney remains in double digits at 10%. Ron Paul attracts 5% of Likely Republican Primary voters nationwide and no other Republican candidate reaches 2% (see recent daily numbers). Results for the Presidential Tracking Poll are obtained through nightly telephone interviews and reported on a four-day rolling average basis. Roughly half of the interviews for today’s update were...

Among the top tier Republican candidates, Rush says that only Fred has been a consistent conservative. You have been given your marching orders. Now you know who to vote for. RUSH: …the genuine moderate as opposed to conservative aspects of three of the top-tier, four of the top-tier candidates were on full-fledged display last night. There was one candidate who did not display any moderateness or liberalism or have any of his past forays into those areas displayed, and that candidate was Fred Thompson. … …we have a campaign now where most of the candidates are not genuine conservatives. They...

ST. PETERSBURG -- Mitt Romney bought himself a victory in the straw poll for Republicans at a rain-shortened barbecue in Vinoy Park. Romney got 893 votes, besting second-place Ron Paul's 534 -- despite Paul's shuttling in supporters on a rented trolley and shuttle. The campaign had a plane sporting pro-Paul slogans and a boat touting him, too. In fact, Paul supporters dominated the crowd, which reached an estimated 1,000 people. Tickets for votes cost $20 each. So how did Romney do it? "I voted 20 times," Derek Gyongzois, 38, of St. Petersburg exclaimed after casting ballots. He said he works...

The colorful brochure from Mitt Romney's presidential campaign looks like many of the political fliers flooding Iowa mail boxes this time of the year. But there is a difference. The piece is Romney's first to single out his rivals by name, a shift that shows him becoming more aggressive in the final weeks before the Jan. 3 caucuses. The mailing juxtaposes photos and quotes from Romney showing his support for a federal constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman with photos and quotes showing Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and Fred Thompson all oppose...

I believe I represent the average Republican voter, or at least a significant slice of the R base. My positions - in no particular order - are as follows: Immigration - Amnesty is a deal breaker. If they are here illegally and we come into contact with them, send them home. Iraq - We were winning, we are winning, and we will win. The various pitfalls and difficulties that we have had do not equal defeat. We need a President to stand firm, and to fire all the traitors(I am not using this word lightly) in the State Department and...

Thompson skids while Romney, Paul climb in N.H. pollCNN 19 November 2007 WASHINGTON (CNN) – Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson has skidded into sixth place in a new CNN/WMUR poll of likely Republican voters in New Hampshire, edged out by ex-Libertarian and anti-war congressman Ron Paul and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney topped the poll, widening a lead he has held for months in neighboring New Hampshire, while Arizona Sen. John McCain and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani were running close in the second and third spots. The CNN/WMUR poll was conducted by...

In September, I posted another vanity (linked below) in which I observed that the historical trends in this election favored Fred Thompson. Since then, his RCP average has dropped from about 22% to 16-17%. In the more volatile Rasmussen daily tracking poll, he has also dropped to 16%, about a 10 point drop from his post announcement high. In light of the above poll numbers, is it time for me to issue a mea culpa? No. This is not at all inconsistent with the hypothesis of my previous post. Neither of the successful insurgent candidates in modern times, Reagan or...

Romney puffs up his record. Summary Mitt Romney casts himself as tough on illegal immigration in a new ad in which he says that, as Massachusetts governor, "I authorized the State Police to enforce immigration laws." He doesn't mention that his order never took effect. It came in the closing days of his administration and was rescinded by his successor, as we wrote back in August. He also promises, "As president, I'll . . . cut funding for sanctuary cities." Maybe so, but as governor he took no action against several such towns in his state. We find Romney misleading...

COLUMBIA, South Carolina — Maybe Mitt Romney should study his family tree. Surprised to see a distant relative in the front row at a campaign stop Wednesday, the Republican presidential hopeful interrupted his education speech at a children's museum to introduce her. "In the front row over here is my niece, Heather Glenn," Romney said. "That's probably not your last name anymore, Heather. But Heather is a school teacher. Are you a school teacher?" "No. I'm a pediatrician," she responded. "She's a pediatrician," Romney said, to laughter. "Deals with kids. I haven't seen Heather in, um, 20 years. Good to...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 — Visitors to Gay.com can sign up to find the perfect dating partner, advice on sex and how-to articles on same-sex marriage and parenting. Over the course of at least two days in August, they may well also have seen banner advertisements about the Republican presidential candidacy of Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, according to an analysis of campaign Web advertising provided by the Nielsen Online, AdRelevance, monitoring service. At least 32,000 times over those two days, users clicking on the site got a Romney ad like one saying “Mitt Romney for President — Join Team...

Former Ambassador Thomas Melady Endorses Governor Mitt RomneyTuesday, Nov 06, 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Kevin Madden (857) 288-6390Boston, MA – Today, Governor Mitt Romney announced that Ambassador Thomas Melady, the former U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican from 1989 to 1993, has endorsed his candidacy for President of the United States. Making today's announcement, Ambassador Melady said, "In Governor Mitt Romney, I have found a candidate who represents the family values that are so important to me. His appreciation for the value of a strong family is clearly exhibited in his vision for America. He understands that every decision he...

Kathryn thinks Thompson's answer on abortion was muddled. (Between the muddiness and meandering, he's the Mississippi River of political rhetoric.) But I'll just note that for wary pro-lifers, Fred Thompson can say something that Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani can't, which is, "look at my record." Maybe that won't be enough for some people; maybe they'll conclude that Romney is speaking more boldly and making more credible promises. But it seems that one way or another, pro-lifers are going to have to compromise with a less than ideal candidate this cycle. Besides Giuliani's obvious flaws and Romney's conversion on the...

WASHINGTON — Influential conservatives said Wednesday that Mitt Romney’s naming of Sen. Jim DeMint as a national chairman of his presidential campaign will help the former Massachusetts governor woo bedrock Republicans in South Carolina and beyond. Romney named DeMint one of three national co-chairmen, along with Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire and Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt. Romney, who has moved into the top tier of GOP White House candidates, said the three men “bring an incredible depth of knowledge and experience to our campaign to build a stronger America with a stronger military, stronger economy and stronger families.” David...

The big news on Fred Thompson's site is the endorsement of Tom McClintock, a popular and conservative state senator. Nothing on Hillary's comment in the debates last night, although his immigration and border security plan is still high on the front page. I think this is another example of Thompson's strategy of choosing to not do the things the media think he should be doing. Romney and Giuliani were quick out of the box to jump on Hillary's statement and denounce driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. Today, that'll show up in every story; the dominant story of the day is...

The Boston Globe’s lead: "The eight Republican candidates for president held a fiery debate last night filled with charges and confrontations about who is a true conservative and "real Republican" as they defended their stands on issues such as abortion, gay marriage, and taxes." The Los Angeles Times headlines the Thompson-Giuliani skirmishes. And it adds, "With groans and cheers, more than 3,000 spectators in the convention hall punctuated the scrappy back-and-forth among the candidates." The New York Times: “The debate stood out for the intensity and personal nature of the exchanges, as Republicans tried to distinguish themselves — a tactic...

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and his rivals for the Republican nomination will face a tough crowd when they address the religious conservatives at the Values Voter Summit starting Friday. “I think what we can expect is a lot of folks talking about how dissatisfied they are with the choices they have,” former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) said. Giuliani’s positions on abortion and gay rights continue to dog him as he looks for support within the leadership of the religious conservative movement, and those leaders say they want to hear more from the former mayor this weekend than...

Although there are hundreds of ways to look at the fight for the GOP presidential nomination, increasingly it looks as if the South Carolina primary could end up as the pivotal contest. Right now, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's early focus on Iowa and New Hampshire appears to have paid off: He sports a big advantage over former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Sen. Fred Thompson in Iowa, but recent polling suggests that Giuliani may have closed some of the gap in New Hampshire. At least for the moment, neither candidate seems to be on the verge...

Like every great sales pitch, Mitt Romney's case for Mitt Romney is low on the hard sell. At the Sheraton Hotel here one recent morning, the boasting is handled by a former governor of South Carolina, who opens this "Ask Mitt Anything" session with a precis of the candidate's career. This includes academic achievements (Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School "in four years!") and election as governor of Massachusetts in 2002, which is described in a tone befitting a miracle. "He ran for governor in the bluest state of all blue states," says James Edwards, "the bluest state you...

Public support for Mitt Romney increased dramatically in the Palmetto State, according to a poll by American Research Group. 26 per cent of Republican Party supporters in the South Carolina would vote for the former Massachusetts governor in the 2008 United States presidential primary, up 17 points since August. Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is second with 23 per cent, followed by Arizona senator John McCain with 15 per cent, and actor and former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson with 10 per cent.

When Mitt Romney appeared last week (via closed circuit from California) before the Council of Retired Chief Executives meeting in Washington, he faced kindred souls: rich Republicans who had managed big enterprises. Yet the second question from the audience inquired whether Romney's Mormon faith was hurting his quest for the Republican presidential nomination. He replied that about the only people who brought up his religion were members of the news media, an answer that simply is untrue. Romney is asked about Mormonism wherever he goes. In my travels, I find his religious preference cited everywhere as the source of opposition...

For the past nine months, Mitt Romney has had a clear and explicit strategy: win Iowa, win New Hampshire and hope the momentum from those victories would carry him to the Republican nomination. For eight months, that strategy appeared to be working. But there are now signs of trouble in New Hampshire. Romney has experienced a September slide in the Granite State. At the beginning of last month, his standing in New Hampshire hovered around 30 percent. Today, it's closer to 25 percent. Three polls in the past week have recorded a decline in his support, with Rudy Giuliani and...

Mitt Romney is debuting a new ad in which he challenges Republicans to get back to their historic principles: "If we're going to change Washington, Republicans have to put our own house in order,” warns Romney, as he walks towards the camera. “We can't be like Democrats – a party of big spending. We can't pretend our borders are secure from illegal immigration. We can't have ethical standards that are a punch line for Jay Leno.” Romney adds, “When Republicans act like Democrats, America loses. It's time for Republicans to start acting like Republicans. It's time for a change and...

Ever since before it was arguably complete, there has been an "upper tier" of candidates for the Republican nomination. If the top tier is determined by early polling in States with early nominating contests, the upper tier would be Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, and Fred Thompson. If the top tier is determined by national polling, the upper tier would be Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, and John McCain. Fundraising? It would be Rudy (and Romney, if you include self-donations). Well, there is a sort of early revolution going on in the GOP with this upper tier nonsense. The candidate who cavalierly...

SALEM, N.H. - Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney in an interview Monday dismissed concerns he's too nice to be a viable candidate in a vicious race, proving it by taking a swipe at yet-to-announced GOP rival Fred Thompson. "We all get the chance to go on the talk shows. But it's not the sort of questions you get in the debates or the town meetings that I've had," Romney said in an Associated Press interview, alluding to plans by Thompson to formally announced his candidacy during a planned Wednesday night appearance on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno." "The talk show...

Hillary Clinton's aides have launched a characteristically withering attack against two long-expected biographies of the Democratic presidential front-runner. Bill and Hillary Clinton. Mrs Clinton's senate spokesman referred to the upcoming biographies as 'cash for rehash' They have dismissed one as "totally discredited" because of a single disputed anecdote, and claim that both simply rehash old ground. The former First Lady's battle-hardened war machine is suspected of leaking at least one of the books so that it could launch a co-ordinated rebuttal campaign and take the steam out of the revelations before their official publication next month. In a suspiciously well-prepared...

Suppose the GOP candidate in ‘08 were a conservative who communicates better than George W., has excellent executive experience, knows how to appeal to a wide range of voters, and runs on constructive conservative ideas? Of all the current candidates, only Governor Mitt Romney fits that bill. With Hillary heading the Dem pack, a strong GOP candidate is essential. We live in dangerous times, and the Dems are still hiding their heads in the sand—so a strong GOP president in 2008 may turn out to be crucial for national security. Romney is a personally attractive candidate, but he’s more than...

<p>FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON ON NOT CAPTURING BIN LADEN: 'At least I tried. That's the difference between me and some, including all the right wingers. They ridicule me for trying. They had eight months to try, they did not try. I tried. So I tried and failed'...</p>

A man walking his poodle near the Public Garden detects his Dog acting strangely and looks down to discover it has snatched up a rat in its jaws.Down the block, a couple on an evening stroll among the shops and bistros on Newbury Street encounter several of the gray rodents congregating under a bush.Michael Ross, the district city councilor, visits a friend in the Back Bay and looks out the living room window. "I saw seven rats the size of small children," said Ross with a tremor of disgust.........

Tuesday, May 16, I was wakened from a deep sleep at 5:30 am by something biting me, I leapt out of bed and turned on the closet light to see a large rat run under the covers. I was later informed by a lady two streets over that we are under a sudden rat invasion. I had never seen a trace of a rat in my home. I took my bloody thumb to the sink and washed the wound throughly and put alchol on it, then repeated about ten mins later. I called my physician who told me to go...

WASHINGTON (AP) - The impeachment of former President Bill Clinton is in a gray area of history, too long ago to be a current event, too recent to be judged in perspective. Yet history is already judging Clinton in the place where millions of students get their information about him - textbooks. Seven years after he was impeached in a scandal of sex, perjury and bitter politics, Clinton has become a fixture in major high school texts. The impeachment is portrayed in the context of his two-term tenure, a milestone event, but not one that overshadows how Clinton handled the...

Foster: The problem today is that evangelism has reached the point of diminishing returns. I talk with people and they say, "What am I to be converted to? I look at Christians and statistically they aren't any different." You want to be able to point to people who are really different. Willard: … and people who are running a bank or a school, or functioning in government, maybe even in the military. What we need is more examples of people who actually have character that is Christlike. Isaiah brought up this problem of people whose lips are "near me" but...