Romney Lets His Conservative Mask Slip

Say Anything Blog ^ | 2009-04-04

[rabscuttle385]

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 with the notion that Romney (not unlike Obama) will try to be whatever you want him to be.

And, now Romney is in non-campaign mode, his conservative mask is slipping even more as Soren Dayton at The Next Right points out. In an interview with The Hill, Romney criticizes conservatives for talking about deregulation too much:

In an interview with The Hill, Romney said, "We as Republicans misspeak when we say we don't like regulation. We like modern, up-to-date dynamic regulation that is regularly reviewed, streamlined, modernized and effective."

He comes out in favor of government-run economic stimulus:

Similarly, Romney is among the many Republicans who support a stimulus plan, but not in the form Congress passed in February.

"The best stimulus with the highest multiplier effect is one which gives money back to people rather than having government spend more, and so I think they got it wrong. It's too much weighted toward spending, too little weighted toward tax reductions," Romney said.

And he’s wobbly on illegal immigration:

Romney believes that one way to attract more minorities to the GOP is to pass immigration reform before the next election, saying the issue becomes demagogued by both parties on the campaign trail.

"We have a natural affinity with Hispanic-American voters, Asian-American voters," he said.

Speaking in his Ritz-Carlton room with a pair of blue jeans on the dresser, Romney declined to criticize immigration hard-liners like former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), who backed Romney after he dropped his own presidential bid. Romney argued that all 2008 GOP candidates — including Tancredo — strongly favor legal immigration.

I think a lot of people like Romney because he’s a) got a lot of money and serious political support and b) has the looks and the smoothness that can give even Obama a run for his money.

But I ask: What good is winning elections if the people conservatives back to win them don’t end up governing like conservatives?

I was no McCain supporter in 2008, and I think I’d support Romney even less than I’d support McCain. Romney may at times come off as significantly better than McCain on many issues from the conservative perspective, but his opinions and stances seem so cynically calculated all the time that I’m left with the feeling that while I didn’t like what McCain had to say, I could usually count on the fact that he was at least telling the truth.

[BarnacleCenturion]

“What in those quotations implies that Romney is not a conservative? I’m baffled.”

Nothing. They align themselves with the libs to attack Romney.

They post nonsense from liberal rags and you’ll never see them posting quotes from conservatives such as Rush, Coulter, Ingram, Bork, Hewitt, Levin, etc.

[Gator113]

I will hope ( I hate using that word anymore) for a fire-breathing true full-blooded Conservative that has convinced me that he/she will go through DC like a crazy butcher with a meat clever. I want justice, I want those corrupt politicians in prison.... or worse.

However, I will vote for absolutely anyone that runs against that white hating—America hating— Black racist— arrogant and incompetent— Socialist— craven lickspittle, that is presently contaminating our White House, our country and doing his best to destroy— in all ways— our way of life, the futures of our children and our grandchildren.

Having said all of that, Romney hasn’t done himself any favors of late.

Just bring me my fire-breather...... ;>)

[Diogenesis]

Romney: "Thank Me that my faithful blind RomneyBOTs prevent any exposure my scurrilous record, my fake endorsements, my fake troopers,
sporting fake badges, ‘illegal’ security tactics, bizarre staffers,
hatred of the military, release of unrepentant murderers, receipt of AIG Contributions in 2008 ,
my imposition of gay marriage by usurping the Mass. Constitution,
my infliction of socialized medicine without a vote to impose European "healthcare" (except for me),
my abuse of Seamus violating Massachusetts's animal cruelty laws,
most say were uncalled formaking me a presidential candidate of distinction in many ways leading to
TIME's 200 comments from readers complaining of animal cruelty
which did unfairly expose me, like the Globe about my Belmont illegal alien sanctuary,
or so many about my team secretly criticizing and attacking Gov. Palin and the other candidates."

---

RINO (Dr.Jekyl)GOP-backstabber(Mr.Hyde) Romney: “Make all the promises you have to...”

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"Top 20 Recipients of AIG Contributions in 2008"

---

[trisham]

However, I will vote for absolutely anyone that runs against that white hating—America hating— Black racist— arrogant and incompetent— Socialist— craven lickspittle, that is presently contaminating our White House, our country and doing his best to destroy— in all ways— our way of life, the futures of our children and our grandchildren.

*******************

I hear you. That's why I held my nose and voted for McCain. I only hope we have another election in 2012.

[trialbyfire]

I was at CPAC and was VERY impressed with Senator Jim DeMint. I’d love for him to throw his hat into the ring.

[Oldpuppymax]

Horsefeathers. Republicans didn’t pick McCain. Crossover dems voting in open primaries gave us McCain. And then Huckabee stayed in a pointless race with McCain just to make certain he would drain the required number of votes from Romney. The republican party powers that be and democrats voting in republican primaries blessed us with Juan. NOT conservatives who you suggest threw out too many “unacceptable” candidates.

[oldbrowser]

That’s not “great.” By the way, this week he’d been dissing “all God’s children” because they didn’t vote for him in 2008. Truly a man of principle. /sarc

I was thinking more of his military record when I said he was a great guy. As a senator he has been all over the map.

[Finny]

You LIAR, you are at it again, falsely claiming as "praise" for Romney from the likes of Rush and Levin, words that in the real context were lukewarm at best.

Lurkers, if this LYING Romney supporter posts quotes from Rush and Levin to prove me wrong, please take the trouble to investigate the complete context of those quotes. This LIAR has even written entirely falsely here on FR that Rush "said on his show that he voted for Romney." Funny, every word Rush ever uttered is in trascript and heard by millions, and no one has ever managed to find the transcript where he said that. It's because, Barnacle Centurion, you are a LIAR and I will call you out every time I see you doing it.

Romney supporters have to LIE about their guy and about what folks like Rush and Levin have (more accurately, what they haven't) said about Rommey in order to convince you to support Rommey. That speaks pretty loudly and lowly of Romney. Romney is a loser and bad news for the GOP, and that is WHY Rush never endorsed Romney, and Levin only did it out of last minute desperation -- you can google it and read it for yourself, beyond the carefully selected and sequestered quotes Romney supporters use to mislead fellow FReepers and conservatives.

Romney is bad news, and the contempt for truthfulness exhibited by Romney supporters speak volumes about why Romney is bad news for everybody.

Barnacle Centurion, you are a liar and have zero credibility. You are contemptible.

[BarnacleCenturion]

Get a grip, ok? Read what I posted then read your reply. Keep calling me names without any substantiation and I’ll report you.

[MHGinTN]

Since the moderator is watching this thread, to whom will you run to to report your fellow freeper? You’ve been a member since 08/09/2007, have you still not figured out that Romney kneepads are not respected at FR?

[BarnacleCenturion]

His name calling was not against romney, it was against me personally. He can bash romney all he wants. But I thought I read somewhere that personal attacks are against forum rules.

[curiosity]

What exactly is wrong with what Romney said?

As far as I can tell, you object to three of his points:

1) Conservatives don't dislike regulation per say. There needs to be some regulation, but it needs to be up to date and effective. Do you seriously disagree with that? Are you seriously proposing to eliminate the SEC? Do you want to abolish insider trading laws? Do you want to abolish margin requirements at the CFTC?

I also note that you selectively edited the part of the article where he notes that some regulation is burdensome and needs to be eliminated.

2) He favored a stimulus made up of tax cuts. So are you against tax cuts designed to stimulate the economy? If so, you are no conservative.

3) He mentions the need for some immigration reform. The article does not give the details, which I would like to hear from the horse's mouth myself.

So are you seriously saying that our immigration system fine just as it is? That it needs no reform?

Are you seriously saying that our nepotism-based legal immigration policy, where we give people visas based on family connections rather than job skills, is just fine as is? Are you seriously saying that letting in millions of legal immigrants with little to no education is just fine?Because that's what opposition to all reform amounts to.

I agree with you, that if he comes out in favor of a reform that allows illegals to stay and gives them a path to citizenship, that's amnesty, and I will renounce him if he takes that position. However, there is nothing in the article that indicates that's his position.

The depths of intellectual dishonesty some people will go just to bash Mitt never ceases to amaze me.