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 ...
{Barnes after he sold out so many of his conservative Democrat supporters with his "smoke-filled room" midnight deal}
Barnes seriously thought about being a Veep in 2004. He needed to statisfy the moonbats in order to be in the running for consideration. Fortunately, Sonny Perdue defeated him in the biggest political upsets in GA history. Interestingly though, Barnes did receive NRA endorsements in 1998 and 2002.
The 2nd barely surived Clinton, and then only after losing it's heart and soul to the so-called "Assault weapon" ban.
And that was with 6 years of pro-gun Republican Congresses preventing him from achieving the worst of his plans for disarming Americans. Either Giuliani or McCain could do more damage to our Constitutional right to arms with compliant RINO GOP Congressional leaders to back him up than Clinton did with pro-gun GOP Congressional leadership holding him in check.
Your tag line gives you away. Amazing how you have it all sorted out this early.
Barnes was strong on 2nd Amendment rights, I'll give him that.
In fact, off hand I can't think of very many Georgia Democrats from outside of the Atlanta perimeter that haven't been at least reasonably good on 2nd A issues, except for the much venerated Senator Sam Nunn who somehow got away with supporting practically every anti-gun bill that came up for a vote.
I want a real conservative.
Not some Johnny come lately to all things conservative.
Hunter is my pick so far. There are others I would vote for.
But you'll never catch me voting for the 3 RINOS, in any primary.
I think you misunderstood his point. No candidate is going to be overtly anti-gun during a nationwide campaign. Any serious candidate who is anti-gun will try to hide such leanings. Therefore, one must be cautious to avoid electing an anti-gunner in disguise.
I would consider the Lautenberg Abomination an even bigger attack on the Constitution than the AWB. Remind me about the pro-gun Senate that passed it 97-2?
Has anyone ever met a gun owner with just one gun?
Most pols say the "right" things when they want our votes. It's what they will actually do that matters, and Romney hasn't done much of anything as MA guv that makes me want to vote for him.
OTOH JRochelle's favorite Duncan Hunter has done quite a few things that would make me want to vote for him. I just have serious doubts that as a conservative CA Congressman he is well enough known nationally to win the primaries. If he gains enough support to be a viable primary candidate I would vote for him in a heartbeat. Unless that is, his congressional voting record has something in it that I can't stomach, and AFAIK at this point in time it doesn't.
Let it play out.
For my part I'm through letting it play out, all that has given us is tons and tons of RINOs. If the best the GOP can come up with is disastrous pro-abort, pro-homo, anti-gun northeastern liberal RINOS like Rudy, dangerous unbalanced nutjobs like MCain, and opportunistic quick change artists like Romney, I will vote for a 3rd party nominee next time and and change my registration to Independent after the '08 primaries. That would prevent me having a voice in future GOP primaries, but if there are no viable candidates in the primaries who I am willing to vote for what's the big deal about not having a voice? As far as I'm concerned the mainstream of the GOP is rapidly becoming just an unappetizing diet-lite version of the DImoRat party. Sure, the Dim candidates are worse, but if the whole shebang is going headlong into the dumpster what difference does it make who's driving the dump truck?
Would you bring a cold, lifeless rattlesnake into your home to thaw out? Character is something that doesn't change. This is campaign posturing, not a genuine support of the 2nd amendment.
I had somehow forgotten the Lautenberg abomination, and I agree that it is even worse than the now defunct AWB. The fact that 97 United States Senators including practically all Republicans voted to override the US Constitution with that bill is another disgraceful act of cowardice and betrayal to hang around the neck of the so-called conservative Republican Party.
When you get right down to where the rubber meets the road we don't really have a Constitution. What we do have is not much more than an interesting old historical document that means nothing in the real world of political ambition and the lust for virtually unlimited power over the lives and liberties of other Americans. In spite of my tagline I can't say that I feel optimistic about our future as a nation, although personally I enjoy great anticipation of nothing less than perfection in all matters concerning my eternal future.
Hmm... maybe we need a less depressing topic than RINOs; your comment above seems like a good starting point.
What do you think makes heaven different from Eden?
IMHO, the answer lies in the Prodigal Son parable. Eden was the home before the son left; Heaven is the home upon his return. Still pretty much the same place, fatted calf notwithstanding, and yet somhow better the second time.
Romney needs a FLIP-FLOP pancake on his head!
"...see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet" (Matthew 24:6 KJV)
PINGING ROMNEY COMMENTATORS.
Can we quit it with this Kerry-like "Flip-flop" comparison?
A "flip-flop" means to change ones position "the flip" and then to change it back "the flop". Kerry had tons of true "flip-flops" (I was against the war before I was for it before I was against it . . .) Romney has matured politically and seen the benefits of conservatism (call that a "flip" if you want . . . but there's no evidence of "flip-flops".)
Kerry was very circular in his reasoning and explanations.
Just like Samuel Brownback's flip on abortion (Sam was prochoice in 1994), Romney's political direction seems similar and quite linear to me.
Romney has repudiated his former opinions/statements on abortion and the federal non-discrimination act.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1753566/posts
"My position has changed and I have acknowledged that. ... I believe that abortion is the wrong choice, except in cases of incest, rape, ... "
Another confirmation is at the start of this interview:
http://richmedia.pajamasmedia.com/audio/politicscentral/glenn_helen_show/20070110-Romney.mp3
Sheesh. Reminds me of the Kerry 2004 hunting poses.
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