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First off, this is a loaded game . . . every politician has stances that won't please everyone. Reagan was pro-choice and pro-amnesty . . . was a much more liberal governor than Romney has been is a less liberal state. However, he became the darling of conservatives (and one of my personal heroes).

Of course you can bring up some liberal statements from someone who has campaigned in MA twice and has had to deal with a 87% Deocratic legislature . . .

I'll try to "play" this game . . . but I'm working at a decided disadvantage--letting JohnnyZ pick the topics:

Guns . . . Romney won't take your guns away. There has to be a limit on the type of weaponry that is legal to own (or should we all be able to weild bazookas and nukes?). The AWB draws the line at guns capapble of mass violence. Romney supports it as do the vast majority of americans. I've heard through a source that Romney is not a candidate that the NRA will work against . . . he's a reasonable and pragmatic person . . . someone they feel they could work with.

Gays/Boy Scouts etc . . . I would ask: Should a gay (or even sexually confused) young man be excluded from participation in the Boy Scouts? The fact that Gay-rights groups constantly bash Romney and hate him should tell you something. Granted Gays have the same civil rights that all Americans should enjoy (never seen where Romney has supported actual "gay anti-discrimination laws" like JohnnyZ says). Has never been for civil unions (initially was considering a supporting an emergency bill to stop gay marriage that did allow civil unions, but that bill broke down due to lack of support from the uber-liberal legislature . . . again JohnnyZ . . . tell the whole story man!).

Can we reverse the game? How about playing that JohnnyZ has to explain all of the copious "obviously out of character" conservative stances/policies of Romney. Turnabout is fair play, no?

Conservative credentials:

1--Turned $3 billion deficit into a $400 million surplus within one year without raising taxes and by cutting pork projects and needless "feel good" social programs

2--Most articulate and outspoken supporter of traditional marriage (i.e. anti-gay marriage) in the nation.

3--Helped push through and stand up for English only (English Immersion) education.

4--Vetoed Stem Cell Research bill in Mass.

5--Vetoed bill seeking to lower age of parental consent for abortions.

6--Vetoed bill seeking to approve the "moring after pill"

7--Strong on Homeland Security and War on Terror stances (suggested wire-tapping Mosques that have been know to promote terroist activities)

8--Managed to get Abstinence Education in ultra-liberal Mass

9--Supports drilling in ANWR

10--Strongly supports charter schools and voucher programs.

11--Pushed for approval for MA state troopers to arrest illegal immigrants for that crime alone (generally only federal agents can do that)

12--Stood up against and vetoed bill expanding free day-care to all MA residents.

13--Pushed for a bill requiring stiffer penalties for spouses that don't pay child support.

14--Just signed into law the largest "tax-relief" weekend of any state in the USA (no tax on ANY item less than $2500)

15--CONSTANTLY pushed for a decrease in the state income tax.

Need I go on . . . I really can!

And since you (sitetest) said that "Points accrue for good manners" I can assume that I get a "head start" on JohnnyZ since, just in this comment thread has called me a "moron" and accused me of being a liar and a "paid Romney staffer." I have disclosed my true name, my profession, my religion and why I support my candidate of choice--when asked. JohnnyZ has been less than forthcoming when asked about some of these issues. I'm just not buying that he's so avidly against Romney because he's a "stealth liberal" .

I want to know his background. I want to know where is this "double post" that he accused me of being a Mormon. I want to know what candidate he supports. I think he has another favorite (boss or not) and sees Romney as a threat.

A few quotes below bolster Romney's Conservative Creditials . . . he's no Tancredo or Steve King (no uber-conservative will win a general election) but he's much more conservative than most of the GOP candidates (McCain, Giuliani, Frist, Huckabee (on fiscal matters), etc . . .

In a recent National Review article it stated: “Romney has done his best to defend the culture of life on what is probably the most inhospitable terrain in the country.”

Maggie Gallager, The President of the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy said: “Mitt Romney is a brave man. While the GOP glitterocracy attended the first gay wedding of one of their own, Gov. Romney was in Washington, D.C., making the single most eloquent and articulate defense of our traditional understanding of marriage I have heard from an American politician.”

Kris Mineau from the Massachusetts Family Institute stated: “On marriage and cloning, he has provided aggressive leadership as a positive, pro-family governor”

Charles Colson, a promient evangelical leader has also said: “I could in very good conscience support Romney as a fellow social conservative on most of the issues we care about.”

Kathryn Lopez, a Townhall.com columnist says:

"As more Americans meet Mitt Romney, I think they'll see beyond the handsome exterior and see not just a good salesman, but a thoughtful (and, yes, conservative) leader."

Hugh Hewitt--Conservative Radio Talk Show Host: "Romney is a true conservative, both fiscally and socially, and has the charisma and personality that reminds you of a younger Ronald Reagan. In fact, he might just be the perfect candidate."

Barbara Anderson, Citizens for Limited Taxation - Massachusetts: "We couldn’t be happier with him. Without Romney, we would have been slapped with a lot of new taxes."

Cal Thomas calls Romney "a Conservative" http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=36&url_article_id=16929&url_subchannel_id=&change_well_id=2

OK . . . I've written enough for now.

Dear Jeff Fuller,

"Reagan was pro-choice. . ."

As I stated before, Mr. Reagan publicly disavowed with anguish his actions on abortion while governor.

"And since you (sitetest) said that 'Points accrue for good manners' I can assume that I get a 'head start'..."

No, you just lost points for not accurately representing Mr. Reagan. That's rude.

"The AWB draws the line at guns capapble of mass violence."

Really? It only bans fully-automatic weapons? That's a relief to know! But wait a minute, those are already banned at the federal level.

Or does Mr. Romney's "assault weapons" ban mirror the farcical piece of trash pushed through the federal Congress some years ago by the Dems, and which was mercifully permitted to expire?

"Gays/Boy Scouts etc . . . I would ask: Should a gay (or even sexually confused) young man be excluded from participation in the Boy Scouts?"

As a Catholic traumatized by what has happened in my own Church by permitting homosexuals access to our structures, the answer is a very simple and very emphatic YES. They should be excluded.

Although that isn't really the point. The question is, do the Boy Scouts have the RIGHT to exclude homosexuals. Again, the answer is a resounding "yes."

I'll also note that he has interpreted the law in Massachusetts as requiring Catholic adoption agencies in the state to place children with homosexuals, IN SPITE of all his nice rhetoric about not giving special rights to homosexuals.

"4--Vetoed Stem Cell Research bill in Mass."

Yes - one of his "post-conversion" "pro-life" actions that came, apparently, after he'd decided he wasn't going to run for re-election as governor of (very liberal) Massachusetts, but rather for President of the United States from the (much more conservative) Republican Party.

Excuse me if I retain some skepticism.

"5--Vetoed bill seeking to lower age of parental consent for abortions."

Ditto.

"6--Vetoed bill seeking to approve the 'moring after pill'"

Ditto.

"13--Pushed for a bill requiring stiffer penalties for spouses that don't pay child support."

Having seen these laws in action, this doesn't exactly persuade me to vote FOR him.

However, all-in-all, your presentation persuades me that I'm right to think that Mr. Romney isn't as big a RINO as Mr. Giuliani.

As for JohnnyZ, I really don't care about who he is or anything else.

Neither did I ask any of those questions about you. I really don't care.

If you are being paid by Mr. Romney, but are telling the truth, it doesn't really matter much to me. If you're just a groupie for him, but you're also fibbing or shading the truth, that you're not paid by him won't matter to me either.

sitetest