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."
Looking at it, it's hard to believe it's not a resume, for multiple life times. Mitt's accomplishments are many and amazing.
Yeah, just look at all that leadership he provided in Massachusetts. You have a better chance of finding Elvis alive than a Republican elected official by the time he abandoned his job to the rodentry. Not opinion, just the facts.
I have no juvenile nicknames for any candidates. Re-bait and cast again.
Hit. Nail. Head
Fred Thompson ‘08 = Bob Dole redux
Mitt's accomplishments: Elected more Democrats to the legislature than almost any other state in the nation. Elected an all-Democrat federal delegation to Congress. Elected "Coupe DeVal" Patrick, Marxist Rodent, to the Governorship. Yup, amazing ! Just imagine what he'll do for the Republicans in DC. He'll reduce them to caucusing in a phone booth, just like he did in Boston. Who needs a Republican party, right, Mitt ?
If Hunter is conservative, why is he an irresponsible big-spender?
Example: House conservatives tried to strip earmarks from a recent spending bill. Hunter did NOT back them when they attempted to delete the following:
House Vote 560 $100,000 for the St. Joseph’s College Theatre Renovation in Indiana
House Vote 561 $150,000 for the Maverick Concert Hall preservation in New York
House Vote 565 $140,000 for the Wetzel County Courthouse in West Virginia
House Vote 567 $150,000 for the W.A. Young and Sons Foundry in PA
House Vote 568 $100,000 for the Ohio Association of Professional Firefighters hall
House Vote 569 $1,200,000 for projects related to the Southwestern PA Heritage Route
House Vote 590 $231,000 for Johnstown Industries and Workforce Development in PA
House Vote 591 $500,000 for a project in the Barracks Row area of Washington DC
House Vote 592 $231,000 for the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association
House Vote 593 $129,000 for the Mitchell County’s for Perfect Christmas Tree Project
House Vote 594 $231,000 for the West Virginia U’s small-business incubator
House Vote 595 $231,000 for the Abraham Lincoln National Airport Commission
House Vote 597 148 requested earmarks from the bill.
House Vote 636 $1,000,000 for the Center for Instrumented Infrastructure in PA
House Vote 637 $1,500,000 for Historically Black Colleges Science and Technology
House Vote 638 $500,000 for the Emmanuel College Center in Massachusetts
House Vote 639 $1,000,000 for nano-structured fuel cell membrane electrode in CA
House Vote 640 numerous earmarks
House Vote 654 $34,000,000 for the Alaska Native Education Equity program
House Vote 663 all earmarks
House Vote 664 $300,000 for Bay Area CA Science Teacher Recruitment and Improvement
House Vote 671 $200,000 for the Corporation for Jefferson’s Popular Forest in Forest VA
House Vote 678 $2,000,000 for the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service in NYC
House Vote 679 $200,000 for the American Jazz Museum in Kansas City MO
House Vote 698 $300,000 for the Belmont Complex in Kittanning PA
House Vote 699 $400,000 for the North Central WI Regional Planning Commission in Wausau
House Vote 700 $50,000 for the National Mule and Packers Museum in Woodlake CA
House Vote 701 $300,000 for the Friends of Cheat Rails-to-Trails Program in WV
House Vote 702 $300,000 for the Houston Zoo in Texas
House Vote 735 $200,000 for the Lobster Institute at the University of Maine
House Vote 736 $250,000 for the East Coast Shellfish Research Institute in NJ
House Vote 810 $628,843 for grape genetics research in Geneva NY
House Vote 813 $6,371,000 for wood utilization in MS, NC, MN, ME, MI, ID0, TN, AR & WV
House Vote 839 $2,500,000 for the Presidio Trust national park in San Francisco CA
House Vote 842 $2,000,000 for Paint Shield for Protecting People from Microbial Threats
House Vote 843 $1,500,000 for the Doyle Center for Manufacturing Technology in PA
House Vote 844 $3,000,000 for the Lewis Center for Education Research in Apple Valley CA
House Vote 845 $39,000,000 for the National Drug Intelligence Center in Johnstown PA
Note how Hunter protected the personal pork of Pelossi, Murtha, and Rangel. The spenders own him; Hunter is a fiscal coward. He deserves the support of no one at FreeRepublic.
HEY!!
No messing with the Star Wars quotes. It’s FUZZBALL!! :P
Hells Bells, you’re absolutely correct. Don’t we remember just a few short election cycles ago, where you didn’t think about running until fifteen months from the election. Today, it seems, you shuld of had seven “exploratory” campaigns, made at least twenty real campaign stops, and kissed at least a thousand babies. It is too soon.
bethtopaz wrote: “Romney is real.”
Which Romney?
The Mitt Romney who said, “I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. I have since the time that my mom took that position when she ran in 1970 as a U.S. Senate candidate. I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years, that we should sustain and support it. And we should sustain and support that law and the right of a woman to make that choice,” or the newer model?
The Mitt Romeny who said, “I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I’m not trying to return to Reagan-Bush,” or the newer more pro-Reagan version?
The Mitt Romeny who said,”I purchased a gun when I was a young man. I’ve been a hunter pretty much all my life,” or the one whose campaign later admitted that he’d been hunting twice, once when he was 15, and once in 2006 at a Republican fundraiser?
The Mitt Romney who, as a governor, dismissed the idea of an antitax pledge as a gimmick and refused to sign it; or the revision who, as a G.O.P. presidential contender, was the first in the 2008 field to put his name on one?
The Mitt Romney who in Massachusetts bucked the National Rifle Association by supporting the Brady Bill and an assault-weapons ban (boasting, “I don’t line up with the N.R.A.”) or the newer edition who joined that same N.R.A. in preparation for his GOP presidential run?
Is there a core belief in the middle of all of Mitt’s Kerryesque nuances?
None of those quotes are remotely humorous. You would be a terrible speech writer for the Mittster.
Willard the Wookie ?
>>>Fred leads Mitt in every national poll under the sun.<<<
Incorrect. Romney has pulled even with Hollywood Thompson in the most recent polls:
Giuliani – 27% (30% in July)
Romney – 16% (10% in July)
Thompson – 16% (17% in July)
I suspect this trend will continue.
Bingo. They are all far too early. Most of America has no idea who is running and won't pay attention until much later. They sure are spending a lot of money for nothing right now.
Nice jab at Fred. “voters would note who is there — and who is not”. I couldn’t agree more.
Give me a break. Most of the condescending arrogance comes from the Romneybots.
And here are some of Fred’s flaws in his voting record:
Voted in 1996 to continue chain migration
Voted to strip legal reforms from 1996 bill
Voted in favor of chain migration in 1996
Voted for a foreign worker bill with no anti-fraud measures in 2000.
As Committee member, produced H-1B doubling bill in 1998
Nearly doubled H-1B foreign high-tech workers in 1998
Voted in committee against including worker safeguards in H-1B bill in 1998
Voted to allow firms to lay off Americans to make room for foreign workers in 1998
Voted to allow firms to lay off Americans to make room for foreign workers in 1998
Voted to grant amnesty to close to one million illegal aliens from Nicaragua and Cuba in 1997
In 1996, removed higher fines for businesses which hire illegal aliens
Tried to kill voluntary pilot programs for workplace verification in 1996
Fred Thompson is Chairman of Condoleeza Rice’s International Security Advisory Board in the State Dept. (see information below).
Duncan Hunter: Vietnam combat veteran, 173rd Airborne and 75th Army Rangers, Bronze Star, and Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee until the Democrat majority was voted in during the 2006 election. Congressman Hunter continues to work in the Armed Services Committee.
Fred Thompson:
Fred Thompson voted in favor of the “1997 McCain-Feingold overhaul of campaign finance.”
Fred Thompson’s record on immigration:
* Voted YES on allowing more foreign workers into the US for farm work. (Jul 1998)
* Voted YES on visas for skilled workers. (May 1998)
* Voted YES on limit welfare for immigrants. (Jun 1997)
Plus he strongly favors requiring companies to hire more women and minorities. I thought us conservative FReepers knew set-aside quotas were unfair.
And he’s one of the few Republicans not to support a constitutional ban on gay marriage.
Before you say no one on FR should support Hunter (we can support whomever we want, thank you), take a look at your own candidate.
Friday Rasmussen had Rooty at 25%, Fred 20%, Mitt 13% and McCain 11%.
No kidding. He’s missing a debate to appear on the Tonight Show? What kind of impression does that send??
And how would you know?
My question of ‘anytime later’ was in reference to your ‘not counting on him to be first in the polls anytime soon’. Thus my question was how about ‘anytime later’....... Sorry to have confused you....
Fred is not even late in entering the race. He is doing so around the traditional time, the other candidates have been ridiculously early.
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