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."
“Where was Romney’s name on the 2006 ballot ?”
Where was Rudy’s? Where was Fred’s?
Where was Mike Huckabee’s? Where was Jim Gilmore’s?
Romney is to ‘blame’ for hard-core Democrat Massachusetts not turning into a Republican state, ie, he is to be trashed for not parting the seas and saving the day. This is the silliest line of reasoning I’ve seen in a long time. I dont see any other miracle worker running who turns the bluest states in Republican ones in a few election cycles. It isnt Fred for sure. But of course, there is one miracle Romney worked: Getting himself elected in 2002 in a heavily Democratic state.
I am not ‘hun’ or ‘kid’ and you’re approaching incomprehension with your bizarre names for Romney. Childish, very childish.
Man...what a debate.
What if we all just wrote our own name on the ballots in the primaries? That would be amusing.
((Kidding))
I dont appreciate your slanders, especially directed at me.
Good bye.
Hey, this has potential!
Q. How many conservative former Massachusetts Governors does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A. No one knows. There's never been one since they invented lightbulbs.
If the GOP can’t muster up any better than the three miserable front runners that they have now, I believe a good many people will do just that.
So, with two comments to prove both assertions, Fred Thompson both supports AND doesn’t support amnesty. A flip-flopper. Just like Romney!
This is why I’m voting for Hunter by the way.
...oh yeah—Reagan Man I know you will have something to say but it’s late here on the east and I’m out for the night. I’ll get back to you tomorrow. This ain’t over!
We're not talking about Rudy. He served his two terms as Mayor.
"Where was Fred’s?"
We're not talking about Fred. He served his two terms that he pledged to serve. He also helped keep our open Senate seat in GOP hands last November. I know that really grates on you. Republican leaders electing Republicans instead of rodents.
"Where was Mike Huckabee’s?"
He was term-limited. Was Precious ?
"Where was Jim Gilmore’s?"
What office would he have run for ? Governor isn't up until 2009. The Senate had an incumbent Republican. You're grasping at straws. Your boy ran away from his job after a single term. So sad and weak.
"Romney is to ‘blame’ for hard-core Democrat Massachusetts not turning into a Republican state"
No, he is to blame for abandoning his state for an office he is unqualified for. He left a hapless Lieutenant to fight the tide and gave her no support (after sandbagging a strong candidate for Lt Gov in 2002, who would've at least put up a fight). Nobody expected him to turn the state into a Republican stronghold, which it used to be until the 1950s, and competitive until the 1990s, what we expected of him was exactly what he said he would do, increase the numbers in the legislature (to at least the point of having a solid GOP minority bloc -- there is no excuse for the legislature not being at least 1/4th or 30% GOP -- after all, the Senate was 40% Republican as recently as January 1993) and enact a positive Conservative agenda that he now claims to champion. He failed, he ran away, and now he wants a reward. Sorry, no dice.
"I dont see any other miracle worker running who turns the bluest states in Republican ones in a few election cycles. It isnt Fred for sure."
Fred accomplished something for OUR party that no Republican had in the history of Tennessee. He worked hard to ensure that both his and Frist's seats remained in Republican hands. No Republican Senator in the history of TN had turned his seat over to another, until Fred came along. And he did it twice. That's leadership. Your boy didn't even have the common-courtesy to provide that.
"But of course, there is one miracle Romney worked: Getting himself elected in 2002 in a heavily Democratic state."
Really ? Heard of Don Carcieri ? He didn't cut and run in his heavily rodent state of Rhode Island. He won in 2002 and was reelected in 2006. He didn't turn into a weasel on being a pro-lifer. He's a helluva lot more qualified to run for President than Precious.
Dealing with illegal aliens who are already here ~~~ Fred Thompson
“I’ve pointed out that I don’t think that we have to have a choice between amnesty on the one hand, and trying to arrest everybody and put them on buses. Practically, that’s not going to happen. But you don’t have to choose between those if you can have attrition through enforcement, if we enforce the law with regard to employers - and we have an eligibility verification system out there that’s voluntary; it should be mandatory.”
Awww. Cue the violins.
>>I’m not seeing Romney improving his position here. Looks like my County pretty well shows support for Fred!<<
Sussex County, Delaware, will probably decide this next election.
You make a very good point. ;)
Again, nowhere in there does he repudiate a path to citizenship (amnesty).
Hey, now. MA’s best Governor in the past 50 years was the DINO Ed King. He actually was a Conservative, and managed to beat Dukakis in the rodent primary in ‘78... before what sane few straights stopped voting in their primaries in 1982. He was the one responsible for the “Massachusetts Miracle” that Dukakis took credit for. Reagan’s favorite Democrat Governor and a real gentleman. He passed not too long ago, RIP.
“”Anyone want this type of thinking in the White House?””
http://youtube.com/watch?v=zy0d1HbItOo
Holy Cow, and Gee Whillikers! That is a must see video for everybody!
It goes beyond two comments. I gave you links to two videos. Fred is anti-amnesty. He wants to secure the borders and enforce employer sanctions. Just like Hosue bill HR4437 called for back in Dec 2005.
Better yet, don't listen to Fred`s videos. Remain ignorant.
As I embark on what is sure will be a grueling read of 200 some odd posts on this thread, I’d like to first note the following things:
1) Mitt has a good sense of humor and I think what he said was a great way to handle the subject. He often handles such things with grace and humor, which is a welcome change from many candidates and shows one of Mitt’s better qualities. I do wish the same could be said for some of his more hostile supporters.
2) This isn’t a ‘Mitt Romney’ thread. It’s one of those crossover thingies where we all get warring with each other because it’s about what one of them said to or about the other. Different story. As far as attacks from one candidate’s supporters to another’s, this kind of thread would definitely be the place to do it.
3) Mitt is generally beaten around a lot by pretty much anyone who supports a conservative candidate. FredHeads are the majority of that group, but they do not have a monopoly on Romney bashing.
4) There is a handful of Mitt supporters (not including you personally) who are more hateful, nasty, and spiteful towards Fred Thompson and his supporters than any of the FredHeads have ever even dreamed of being towards Romney and his supporters. That’s by any objective opinion.
Now, everyone grab a baseball bat and let’s go to town! :p
>>>”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.
Like you did with Texas, right Mitt?
Nice! Bookmarked for future HunterBat ammo! :D Thanks!
Whassamatta? You can’t take a joke?
j/k
;-)
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