Posted on 09/03/2007 3:24:18 PM PDT by asparagus
Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney on Monday said he would welcome Republican rival Fred Thompson to the race, but also took some jabs at Thompson's long delay in formally announcing his candidacy.
Thompson, the "Law & Order" television actor and former senator from Tennessee, is expected to officially enter the race this week. Instead of attending a Wednesday night debate in Durham, N.H., Thompson will be in Los Angeles to appear on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."
"I think it will boost the ratings for Jay Leno's show, but I'd rather be doing well in New Hampshire," said Romney, who is leading in most polls in this early voting state.
Thompson's candidacy has been a shadow on the GOP contest. He has equivocated about getting into the race, while his campaign organization has been in flux. His entry comes remarkably late in a campaign cycle that began days after the 2006 midterm elections.
"Well, I guess the only comment I'd make to Fred Thompson would be: Why the hurry? Why not take a little longer to think this over?" Romney jokingly told reporters. "From my standpoint, if he wants to wait until January or February, that would be ideal."
That's when the primaries unfold in rapid succession.
Romney spent Monday opening his fall campaign, marching in a Labor Day parade in Milford and attending retails stops elsewhere. He said voters would note who is there — and who is not.
"I think people will notice there have been a bunch of guys who have been working real hard to get to know voters across the country," Romney said.
As for Thompson's entry, Romney quipped: "I think he'll have some fun. We're going to presumably have some debates with him. We'll have had five without him."
Only number 8 ? Sheesh. Were there any other sitting Governors who ranked higher in that list ?
You may also want to look this over...
**Voted against the Exon Amendment No. 2525 to the 1995 Welfare Reform Bill; “To prohibit the payment of certain Federal benefits to any person not lawfully present within the United States, and for other purposes”. Fred Thompson was one of six Nays. The others included open borders republicans Judd Gregg, Lisa Murkowski, Rod Grams and democrat Paul Simon (who received an F- grade from Americans for Better Immigration) – Congressional Record, September 1995.
**Voted against the Simpson Amendment No. 3671 to the 1996 Immigration Bill. The amendment stated “Any alien who falsely represents, or has falsely represented, himself to be a citizen of the United States is deportable.” – Congressional Record, April 1996.
**In 1996, removed higher fines for businesses which hire illegal aliens
Sen. Thompson, in committee consideration of S.1664 protected businesses from having to pay higher fines when they are caught hiring illegal aliens. Under the idea that current fines were not enough of a deterrent against businesses cutting their labor costs by hiring illegal aliens, the Senate immigration subcommittee approved higher fines. Various study commissions have found that the willingness of U.S. businesses to hire illegal aliens is the No. 1 incentive for foreign workers to become illegal aliens here. But Sen. Thompson voted with a 10-8 majority in the Judiciary Committee to remove the higher fines from the 1996 legislation against illegal immigration. – Numbers USA
** “When it comes to personal courage and integrity, and the courage to do what he thinks is right, regardless whether or not it is particularly popular at the moment, John McCain has shown the characteristics of leadership like no one else I’ve ever seen.” – Fred Thompson, August 1999
** “Because we allowed ourselves to wait until we woke up one day and found 12 million illegals here, there’s no easy solution. And I think that you have to realize that you’re either going to drive 12 million people underground permanently, which is not a good solution. You’re going to get them all together and get them out of the country, which is not going to happen. Or you’re going to have to, in some way, work out a deal where they can have some aspirations of citizenship, but not make it so easy that it’s unfair to the people waiting in line and abiding by the law.” - Fred Thompson, April 2006, Fox News
** “We are all very well aware of the fact that we have an illegal-immigration problem in this country. As usual, we avoided the problem for as long as we could and when we couldn’t avoid it any longer we were told that, indeed, somewhere between 12 and 20 million people had somehow come into this country unnoticed. It’s like we went overnight from “no problem” to a problem so big that it now defies a good solution. It’s become one of those “there are no good choices only less bad choices” that Americans are becoming all too familiar with.” – Fred Thompson, March 2007, ABC radio.
Yes. Pataki of New York was #6. Here’s the list...
1. Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R.I.)
2. Sen. Olympia Snowe (Maine)
3. Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.)
4. Sen. Susan Collins (Maine)
5. Rep. Christopher Shays (Conn.)
6. Gov. George Pataki (N.Y.)
7. Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (N.Y.)
8. Gov. Mitt Romney (Mass.)
9. Rep. Michael Castle (Del.)
10. Rep. Jim Leach (Iowa)
Shouting in bold and repeating false assertions doesnt make it anymore true than the first time.
I’ve lived in Massachusetts. I know that it was a socialist Democrat cesspool long ago, so blaming Romney for that piece of reality is ignorant.
” As Governor, his vetoes were worthless. “ Wrong. He was able to turn a tax hike into a tax cut with his actions. He was able to shave significant amounts of money off the budgets in the first 2 years. Yes he had little leverage with a Democrat supra-majority but he got the most out of what he had.
“He entrusted it to an incompetent Marxist racist buffoon.” Romney did no such thing. The Mass. voters did.
“And spare me his phony pro-life stances” ... uh huh, ‘dont bother me with the facts while I’m ranting’ ...
You are simply wrong and your bashing and ranting are childish. Pay heed to the 11th commandment and based your comments on facts, not childish insults.
The GOP had been in decline from majority party status in the late 1950s, and do you know why ? Because its insistence on running leftward and refusal to appeal to ethnics outside its rich RINO brahmin circle. But not until this past election were the Republicans completely shut out of ALL federal and statewide offices in the history of the party going back to the 1856 elections. That is Precious's ultimate legacy. He buried the party.
"Dont you remember? The only state to go for McGovern in 1972 was Massachusetts!"
Yup. And in 1980 and 1984 the state went for Reagan, or have you forgotten that ? Have you forgotten that in 1990, the GOP got within FOUR seats of winning the State Senate ? Elected 5 statewide Republicans (Gov, Lt Gov, Treasurer, 2 Exec Councillors). It was competitive in FIVE out of 10 Congressional seats and was competitive even for the U.S. Senate. Flash forward from 1990, and the state GOP is now non-competitive for President, non-competitive for the Senate, for the statewide offices, and there is not a single Congressional district that is competitive, and the legislature is only about 12% (!) Republican. 12% ! MA is a rodent state, but not nearly 90% ! In 16 years, all thanks to incompetent RINO "leadership." And you want the man who was responsible for leaving the state and party in its weakest shape in 151 years to become PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES ? Are you insane ? Seriously.
Pathetic. He abandons his state, his party, sells his soul for power, and he's not a RINO ? You're a damnable liar, sir.
Pataki earned that one, although he didn’t leave his state as weakened as Precious did. At least the NY GOP still controls the State Senate, for what it’s worth. Of course, at least he had the common-courtesy to spare us the spectacle of a Presidential campaign he was threatening.
I print my comments in bold to distinguish them from yours. Get a grip.
"I’ve lived in Massachusetts. I know that it was a socialist Democrat cesspool long ago, so blaming Romney for that piece of reality is ignorant."
Then by your own admittance, he changed NOTHING there. Thank you for the first honest thing you've stated so far.
"Wrong. He was able to turn a tax hike into a tax cut with his actions. He was able to shave significant amounts of money off the budgets in the first 2 years. Yes he had little leverage with a Democrat supra-majority but he got the most out of what he had."
His vetoes were worthless. Whatever he did was irrelevent, because leaving the state completely in the hands of the far-left rodentry negated anything he might've tried to do positively. Are you getting me, hun ?
"Romney did no such thing. The Mass. voters did."
Where was Romney's name on the 2006 ballot ? Where was his active campaigning for Republicans in 2006 ? For his hapless Lieutenant ? He abandoned them to go whoring after a job he is singularly unqualified for, period. That's not a leader, that's a cheap punk politician.
"uh huh, ‘dont bother me with the facts while I’m ranting’"
Said the Preciousbot. A pro-lifer, huh ? I've got a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn. Precious sells his positions to those paying the highest price. Ya dig ? I was up in Massachusetts, too, during his Senate campaign in 1994.
"You are simply wrong"
For somebody who is simply wrong, you have yet to refute a single point of what he left behind. I'm still waiting on that recitation of all the Republicans he helped elect in MA. Where are they ?
"Pay heed to the 11th commandment and based your comments on facts, not childish insults."
Dig it, dude, I show no respect to RINO punks who aid and abet the rodent party. He's no Republican. He sure as hell is no Conservative. He ceased to be one a long time ago. He's in the wrong party. Are you getting me, kid ?
Maybe you fell into the Matrix or something. I’m right here, but not in 100% possession of my faculties right now.
Wrong.
"We solve the security problem first. .... no amnesty or nothing blanket like that".
~~~ Fred Thompson on Fox News Sunday, March. 11, 2007
"We should scrap this “comprehensive” immigration bill and the whole debate until the government can show the American people that we have secured the borders -- or at least made great headway. That would give proponents of the bill a chance to explain why putting illegals in a more favorable position than those who play by the rules is not really amnesty."
~~~ Fred Thompson, May 18, 2007
I’m right here*, even....FR acting weird again
The fact he has missed every debate gives me serious pause! But it will be be a cold day in heck before I vote for the Spineless Panderer from MA or the out right Liberal from NY..
Yeah, the fumes from this thread are more potent than a college dorm room.
FR is fine. Are you OK, dude ?
Well, even you should know that in light of our recent immigration war that just because someone says that they don’t support amnesty doesn’t mean that they oppose it.
Fred stated “deportation isn’t going to happen” and “a path to citizenship” (which supporters of such nonsense never call amnesty) is the way he’s going to go.
I’m surprised you’re so susceptible to senatorial word games.
Just had a little too much to drink earlier...
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