Posted on 11/27/2006 4:10:07 PM PST by shrinkermd
He may be Santa to GOP politicians in the rest of the country, but when it comes to giving to Bay State Republicans, Gov. Mitt Romney is one big Grinch.
Using cash generated by his federal political action committee, Romney donated almost $190,000 to 70 Republicans in 31 states running for office in 2006, but gave Massachusetts GOP hopefuls nothing.
Bay State Republicans left out in the cold during their campaigns for U.S. Congress were Rick Barton, Jack E. Robinson and Jeff Beatty. Ditto Ken Chase, who challenged Ted Kennedy for his U.S. Senate seat.
“I am saddened and disappointed,” Chase said. “I was very active in his two campaigns for governor.”
In 2004, Romney created the Commonwealth PAC, a federal political action committee that, according its Web site, is responsible for “electing Republican candidates” and “solidifying the party’s status as America’s majority.” While Romney’s PAC doled out $192,250 to GOP candidates across the United States, Massachusetts Republicans running for federal office got zilch.
“He cut and run from the Massachusetts Republicans,” said GOP activist Jim Rappaport.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bostonherald.com ...
I don't suppose it would be because most Massachusetts Republicans are slimy turds in the mold of Jim Jeffords and Lincoln Chafee, would it?
Romney is just a bit too much like Bill Clinton for my tastes....much too slick and calculating.
Romney shelled out millions in 2004 to assist Massachusetts Republicans, all he got in return was a loss of two seats in the State House. He finanically supported the most candidates the Republican Party had put up since 1994. So, when 2006 came around, and these same pathetic candidates ran, Romney decided to send his money to Republicans elsewhere in the nation that were actually credible candidates and could win. I dont see what is wrong about that.
I hadn't realized how pro-abort he is until someone pointed it out on a recent thread.
No, thanks.
So this proves what? That he's a prudent fiscal manager?
How many of these candidates were even close?
It's nice to see though, that the obvious source of the story, Rappaport, actually went on the record. I wonder which presidential candidate he's associated with.
Why should Romney throw good money after bad by supporting Republican candidates in a state that has become so nut case Democrat a Democrat who's a convicted murderer (or one just guilty of manslaughter at Chappaquidick) would stand a better shot of winning political office than a Republican pure as the driven snow? Romney was right not to waste money on Republicans in a state like Massachusetts in a year like this when even in the best Republican states GOP candidates had a struggle on their hands to hold on to office, much less to take over Democratic-held seats. As if a Republican congressional candidate in MA. had an ice cube's chance in hell...
That's significant information. However, I'd want Romney to make some contributions, whether personal or from his fund, to some Massachusetts Republican candidates (Chafee types excepted) even if they had no chance of winning. From the story, it looks like he gave to a few but not many. It would be interesting to know more detail.
Romney changed his stance on abortion when he studied it further during the debate over stem cell research. Purely political? Maybe. But most of us evolve in our positions over time. If it becomes a habit with Romney then it becomes a problem with me. But I can allow the man one change of position. Most people don't remain totally static in their beliefs.
Furthermore in 1994 when running for the Senate, Romney was full pro-Abortion (though he opposed federal funding for it). By his 2002 Governor's race, he declared himself personally Pro-Life, but would Govern with a moratorium on changing Abortion laws as Massachusetts is 70% Pro-Choice.
During the 2004 election cycle Mitt was still considering running for reelection in '06, so he maintained his liberal positions on social issues and invested in the state GOP.
During the 2006 election cycle Mitt had decided to run for president and started adopting a new position on abortion, finding meaningless symbolic gestures to pander to conservatives nationally and get himself headlines, invested money nationally to win himself support in the primaries, and abandoned the Massachusetts GOP and started making fun of the state on his out-of-state campaign stops.
The guy's a weasel, a Clinton clone from the Bay state. (Remember, Clinton did a similar switch from pro-life to pro-abort when he was preparing to go national.)
I figured as much. Most of these kinds of stories are personal grudges.
This is exactly the kind of fiscal characteristic we should desire in a president.
Do you mean Kerry Healey? How did THAT work out, pray tell?
Oops, God forbid anyone who's not one of Romney's close personal friends comment on him, they might say something bad, and we can't have that!
Slick Willard for ya.
GHWB *was* pro-abort when he ran for president in 1980, but converted to pro-life at some point during the Reagan admin. The change in positions was apparently sincere and lasting, and the Bushes had dinner table arguments on the subject with Barbara on one side and GHW, GW, Jeb on the other.
I'm not familiar with the reason for GHWB's change on the issue, but considering he'd already run strongly for president before it's hard to compare it to Mitt's "I'm pro-abortion in Massachusetts" oops now I'm gonna call myself pro-life without giving specifics so I can run for president.
So in 2002 his view on abortion had evolved to be the same as Ted Kennedy and Dick Durbin.
No thanks.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.