Posted on 01/14/2007 1:45:09 PM PST by JRochelle
ORLANDO , Fla. -- Former governor Mitt Romney, who once described himself as a supporter of strong gun laws, is distancing himself from that rhetoric now as he attempts to court the gun owners who make up a significant force in Republican primary politics.
In his 1994 US Senate run, Romney backed two gun-control measures strongly opposed by the National Rifle Association and other gun-rights groups: the Brady Bill, which imposed a five-day waiting period on gun sales, and a ban on certain assault weapons.
"That's not going to make me the hero of the NRA," Romney told the Boston Herald in 1994.
At another campaign stop that year, he told reporters: "I don't line up with the NRA."
And as the GOP gubernatorial candidate in 2002, Romney lauded the state's strong laws during a debate against Democrat Shannon O'Brien. "We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts; I support them," he said. "I won't chip away at them; I believe they protect us and provide for our safety."
Today, as he explores a presidential bid, Romney is sending a very different message on gun issues, which are far more prominent in Republican national politics than in Massachusetts.
snip/
On Wednesday, Romney said on an Internet podcast, "The Glenn and Helen Show," that he hopes states would continue to ease regulations on gun owners, and he expressed enthusiasm for guns and hunting. "I have a gun of my own. I go hunting myself. I'm a member of the NRA and believe firmly in the right to bear arms," Romney said.
Asked by reporters at the gun show Friday whether he personally owned the gun, Romney said he did not. He said one of his sons, Josh, keeps two guns at the family vacation home in Utah,....
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
I wanted Steve Forbes to kick GWB's butt in the primary and I thought GWB was a liberal. People on FR accused GWB of being a RINO etc back then. Many supported Gary Bauer and the CRA (California Republican Assembly) voted to endorse Gary Bauer. REMEMBER?!!
Mitt Romney would be a great candidate. But first folks on FR were making fun of him and saying horrible things about his faith (Mormon) and that didn't really work too well so now they are pounding away calling him a liar etc.
I say give the guy a chance. Have a heart, people.
I used to be against the death penalty but then I grew up and changed my mind. Look at Romney's voting record. I think he'll make a great candidate for us. Meanwhile, the democrats are creating the perfect storm for a conservative candidate.
By the way, I am registered as "decline to state" - I quit the Republican Party because I can't stand the way Republicans pick on each other over petty crap.
Sheeeeesh already.
I see Mitt as the one RINO who has a shot at winning the nomination. If he can pull the wool over everyone's eyes.
My candidate? See my tagline.
I could support Keating too. I'm very flexible.:)
Romney possibly would be a good or even great (doubtful) candidate for the Republicans next year. What most posters on FR want is a great president, though, and that is where Mitt is clearly lacking.
The only two possible GOP nominees I can think of offhand who have strongly supported 2nd Amendment rights since day one are Duncan Hunter and Newt Gingrich. But unfortunately I don't think either of them can win the primaries, and even if one of them did he would probably lose to either Hillary or Obama, one of whom is almost certain to be the Rat nominee. We finally seem to be making progress on 2nd Amendment issues at the state level, but at the national level it's not looking very good on that issue
Some Freepers won't like this but........
I don't care if he is/has changed positions. He's a pol just like most others. He didn't win in '94 so his statements are mute. He did win in 2002 and he kept his promises. I believe he will keep whatever promises he makes in the campaign and that is what counts. Whether the positions he takes are his true core or not is unknown but that is a fact of politics. Romney can win because he is engaging, quick-witted, attractive and forceful when need be....he kill Hillary/Obama etc. in a debate. Romney will/has a quick response team that will counter immediately any bs. He is a candidate that is able to use the media coverage to his advantage which is imperative because of the blatants "assists" the LMSM gives any Dem nominee.
He has a stellar private sector record.
So am I using superficial criteria? Sure. Can he win? Absolutely.
Shades of John sKerry. "Can I get me a hunting license here?"
Of course Reagan supported the Brady Bill!
My goodness, Reagan was the target of the bullet which put Brady in the position he is in today!
He would have done anything for Jim Brady.
McCain or Giuliani may not run on a pro-gun control platform, but their previous record on that issue will follow them around like a dog after a bitch in heat. Giluiani's record on that issue in NYC is as bad as Hillary's or any other Democrat's, and McCain showed his true anti-gun colors right after the Columbine shooting. Add Giuliani's NYC position on 2nd A issues to his outspoken support for abortion and homosexual "rights", and he would lose every state south of the Mason Dixon line and most of the interior western states to boot.
As for the Democrat nominee he or she would have to denounce the party platform's position in order to appear to be against more gun control laws, and even then that wouldn't fool anybody who hasn't lived in a cave in Borneo for the last 50 years.
The 'military' appearing semi-automatic rifles are the generally less tactically equipped versions of the very state-of-the-art military weapons the Second Amendment was written to guarantee the individual could keep and bear.
To target this particular group of arms and their more capable cousins, is to demonstrate a distinct antagonism toward Constitutional principle, individual liberty, and the citizenry in general.
thankyouverrymuch! Next, please.
If you think about, the average Southern RATs (at least on a local level) are more conservative than Rudy McRomney. It goes to show how the GOP lowered its standards. Roy Barnes and Zell Miller would make better Presidents than the GOP frontrunners.
Has he done anything to repudiate his earlier statements? If he hasn't explicitly repudiated them, I see no reason to expect he wouldn't attempt to "honor" them.
A candidate's stand on abortion or gun control is not "petty crap". For a great many of us who call ourselves conservatives those are extremely important issues, and how I vote depends largely on how a candidate stands on them. I absolutely positively will not vote for any candidate or nominee who supports spurious abortion "rights" or opposes authentic 2nd Amendment rights.
Boston Globe, enough said. Yeah, they really care about gun owners and how they're going to vote.
Which is why I don't understand the hyperventilating over Rudy and Romney when it comes to guns. The 2nd Amendment survived the Clinton years. I'm sure it'll survive a Rudy or Romney presidency.
As a Georgian I'm not totally sure I would agree concerning Barnes after he sold out so many of his conservative Democrat supporters with his "smoke-filled room" midnight deal with the Reeeeverend Jackson, but I would take old Zig-Zag Zell over any likely Repub who is now running except Hunter or Gingrich. Yeah I know the Newtster is currently "undecided", but you can put money on it, he's running.
Sounds like an enemy of the Constitution to me.
Mitt is saying the right things. Let it play out. Pick a Democrat to harp on.
As governor Romney has no voting record. The last thing he did of any substance (only last year!!!) was to impose Hilarycare in Massachusetts. Next, the revisionist Romneyites wil claim that Ronald Reagan was for socialized health care!
I'm not the type of girl who 'settles'.
Thats what the primaries are all about, to hash out who the best choice is for the nomination. If you don't like the debate fine. No on is forced to read this stuff.
Now, fast forward to 2009 and a hypothetical Romney presidency. Naturally, gun owners are nervous about what he would do if a Rat controlled Congress sent up some piece of excrement gun banning bill. Given his past recent performance in 2004, he'd probably sign it in and heartbeat and brag about it.
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