Posted on 09/04/2007 8:40:11 PM PDT by SmithL
Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson's current political playbook - a high-profile visit to the "Tonight" show, a splashy bus tour, the efforts to take a familiar actor and reintroduce him in a new political role - contains pages that look eerily familiar to California voters.
Maybe that's because the former Tennessee senator now has at his side some of same key aides who - in nine short weeks - helped transform Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger from "The Terminator" into the chief executive of the Democratic-leaning most populous state in the nation.
Thompson plans to formally kick off his presidential bid - shaped around the themes of "security, unity and prosperity" - beginning today with a blitz that reflects his media savvy and his advantages as an actor better known to many Americans as District Attorney Arthur Branch on TV's "Law & Order."
Thompson's campaign includes two veterans of another whirlwind effort - the 2003 California recall election starring Schwarzenegger - who know first hand at least some of the challenges ahead.
They are Todd Harris, who was Schwarzenegger's campaign communications director and will hold the same title for Thompson, and veteran Republican strategist and Fox News commentator Karen Hanretty, the former press secretary for the 2003 recall effort, who will be Thompson's deputy communications director.
Adam Mendelsohn, the governor's current communicators director, said the pair provide Thompson a "a big picture thinker out of the box" - Harris - and "one of the most effective political spokeswomen in the country" - Hanretty.
Both are "seasoned in translating the benefits that someone has from working in entertainment into a political reality," he said. "For Fred Thompson, it's a very smart hire: there's not a lot of people who understand taking a national entertainment figure and translating that into political value."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
No, I deserved it. “;^(
All politicians are actors. Some of them are just too ugly to work in Hollywood.
True, Romney has donated to a huge list of conservative causes recently.
Mr. Romney and a group of his supporters also contributed a total of about $10,000 to a nonprofit group affiliated with National Review. Over the past two years, he contributed $35,000 to the Federalist Society, an influential network of conservative lawyers. And in December 2005, he contributed $25,000 to the Heritage Foundation, a leading conservative research organization.
The recipients of Mr. Romney’s donations said the money had no influence on them. But some of the groups, notably Citizens for Life and the Family Institute, have turned supportive of Mr. Romney after criticizing him in the past.
Coming on the eve of his presidential campaign, Mr. Romney’s contributions could create the appearance of a conflict of interest for groups often asked to evaluate him. All the groups said he had never contributed before, and his foundation’s public tax filings show no previous gifts to similar groups. Its 2006 contributions will become public with its tax filings later this year.
The support of such leading conservative organizations in Mr. Romney’s home state has become an important element of Mr. Romney’s primary campaign because he faces doubts from some conservatives over his past support for abortion rights, embryonic stem cell research, gun control and gay rights.
Mr. Romney has said he had a change of heart on all four issues by the time he left the governor’s office.
Conservative critics of Mr. Romney have already seized on a $15,000 donation to Massachusetts Citizens for Life — which was first reported in January on a little-noticed anti-Romney blog by Carol M. McKinley, an antiabortion activist in the state — to argue that he is trying to buy the group’s support, or at least silence its criticism. Mr. Romney’s wife, Ann, is also helping to raise money from others for the group.
Massachusetts Citizens for Life was critical of Mr. Romney, who was then a supporter of abortion rights, during most of his tenure as governor. But over the past few months, its officials have issued favorable statements about his record on abortion issues that have become an integral element of his appeal to social conservatives.
At a conference of conservative activists in Washington last week, Mr. Romney’s campaign passed out a statement from the group praising him as one of Massachusetts’ “strongest assets.”
The first of Mr. Romney’s recent wave of donations to conservative groups was $25,000 to the Heritage Foundation at the end of 2005. The foundation analysts worked with him on a health care plan and later praised it, as did some other conservative groups.
Mr. Romney followed a $25,000 contribution to the Federalist Society in 2005 with an additional $10,000 last year, the group’s officials said. Although the Federalist Society does not endorse candidates or policies, some of its top officials are highly influential voices among conservatives on the subject of judicial nominations. “
“Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, said in an interview that his organization received a $10,000 check from Mr. Romney late last year with an appreciative note. The group previously criticized Mr. Romney as taking liberal stands during his first years as governor, but Mr. Mineau recently sought to enlist other Massachusetts social conservatives in signing an open letter supporting the governor. (Some balked because of his record, The Boston Globe reported.)
Mr. Romney has also acknowledged that he made a small contribution last August, in the form of a personal membership fee, to the National Rifle Association, a major force in the Republican primary. He had previously campaigned as an advocate of stricter gun control laws. In an interview, Wayne LaPierre, the N.R.A.’s top executive, said the organization appreciated every membership but was staying out of the primary for now.”
Romney responded to a lesbian mother in the crowd who argued that her family was an American family too, by simply saying that it was the "American Way" that she had the choice to decide the make-up of her own family (even if he did not personally support it). She's free to live her life as she sees fit and Romney is free to disagree with it ----> it's the American way.
You know better than that. In no way, shape or form did he ever say that gays raising children is, or should be, the "American Way" as you imply. Romney has always opposed gay marriage and has said repeatedly that children prosper when they are raised by a mother and a father. MUST READ letter from Massachusetts pro-family groups praising Romney's efforts to strengthen the American family.
Also, he was never a "strong" supporter of abortion. He merely promised to maintain the status quo in a state where approximately 75% of the citizens supported it. He never lobbied for a pro-abort group. He never took pro-active steps to support the pro-choice movement. On the contrary, while governor, he took the side of life on every issue that crossed his desk. Romney's Pro-life Record Proven
Romney’s market oriented health care proposals will be a part of what will help us stop the growth of govt spending in medical care.
See National Review’s symposium on his health care plan:
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZmQwZTIzODQxYWQ3ZDlkNmVlZjVjYzA3MTA3ZTBkNzU=
“Romney’s health-care-reform proposal is a refreshing reaffirmation of federalism. “ - Robert Moffitt
Policy briefing on his proposal:
http://mittromney.com/News/Press-Releases/Policy_Briefing_Health_Care
Governor Romney Proposed Six Concrete Steps To Reach His Health Care Reform Goals:
- Step 1: Establish Federal Incentives To Deregulate And Reform State Health Insurance Markets So Market Forces Can Work. Many Americans can’t afford private health insurance because state markets are over-regulated and in serious need of reform. Governor Romney will provide federal incentives for states to deregulate and reform their health insurance markets. This will bring down the cost of health insurance and facilitate greater consumer choice, while giving states the power to institute the reforms that suit them best.
- Step 2: Redirect Federal Spending On “Free Care” To Help The Low-Income Uninsured Purchase Private Insurance. Currently, taxpayers subsidize “free care” for millions of uninsured Americans who receive treatment when they need it. Governor Romney will end subsidized care for “free riders” by redirecting these existing federal and state resources to help the low-income uninsured purchase their own private health insurance. States are free to craft their own programs and institute their own eligibility requirements. Most importantly, this can be done without the need for new spending or taxes.
- Step 3: Institute Health Savings Account (HSA) Enhancements And The Full Deductibility Of Qualified Medical Expenses. The tax code currently discriminates against those who do not buy their health insurance through an employer and creates incentives for the over-consumption of health care services. Governor Romney will make private insurance more affordable for every American by reforming the tax code. He will expand and grow HSAs. He also supports the full deductibility of qualified medical expenses, which will allow Americans to deduct the cost of their health insurance and out-of-pocket medical expenses, where accompanied by at least catastrophic insurance.
- Step 4: Promote Innovation In Medicaid. States have very little flexibility under current law to enact innovative changes to Medicaid that help more of their citizens while containing costs. Governor Romney will encourage innovation by block-granting federal funds to states and removing the burdensome administrative requirements that prevent them from improving the program. This initiative has the added benefit of helping to constrain runaway entitlement spending.
- Step 5: Implement Medical Liability Reform. Too many doctors are practicing defensive medicine because of frivolous lawsuits and an out-of-control medical liability system. Governor Romney will implement medical liability reform, including federal caps on non-economic and punitive damage awards in medical malpractice cases. He will also encourage states to engage in additional medical liability reforms that will both honor the rights of patients and respect the work of physicians.
- Step 6: Bring Market Dynamics And Modern Technology To Health Care. Consumers are not empowered in the current system to make intelligent decisions about the purchase of health care and many aspects of the health care system remain technologically backwards. Governor Romney will bring health care into the 21st century by enhancing the use of information technology, establishing cost and quality transparency, encouraging more HSAs and co-insurance products, and calling for more provider options.
In '94 he campaigned to the LEFT of Ted "The Swimmer" Kennedy on abortion.
Mitt Romney received the endorsement of an anti-abortion group, Massachusetts Citizens For Life, in his Republican primary race for the 1994 Senate election. (Anti-abortion group endorses Romney bid, Boston Herald, September 8, 1994)
James Bopp, Jr. wrote:
mney’s conversion was less abrupt than is often portrayed. In his 1994 Senate run, Romney was endorsed by Massachusetts Citizens for Life and kept their endorsement, even though he declared himself to be pro-choice, because he supported parental-consent laws, opposed taxpayer-funded abortion and mandatory abortion coverage under a national health insurance plan, and was against the Freedom of Choice Act, which would have codified Roe v. Wade by federal statute.
It’s not right to dig into McCain, Rudy and Thompson just because they have had multiple marriages or dated in between them. The Democrats will get nasty enough about personal issues, we don’t need to. And its sad to see people go after Jeri and Ann and other spouses. Enough.
Still, a candidate who is still married to his high school sweetheart and didn’t remarry when he made it big, and has kids and grandkids, none of them estranged, shows the kind of family values walk-the-walk that our party needs to project in the wake of Foley and the rest. It’s one of the first things that made me sit up and take notice to Mitt Romney. He shows more family values in his personal life than we’ve seen in a lot of other politicians, and would definitely be a great counterpoint to Hillary.
mney’s conversion = Romney’s conversion
“”Also, he was never a “strong” supporter of abortion.””
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9IJUkYUbvI
This is one of the videos that turned me against Romney, he actually is more convincing than Ted Kennedy in this abortion debate.
Watch how convincing, and sincere, and effective he is at establishing his pro abortion creds. It is unforgettable, when listening to him now saying the opposite, or frankly, anything about any subject.
“Mr. Romney followed a $25,000 contribution to the Federalist Society in 2005 with an additional $10,000 last year, the group’s officials said.”
There is a good group. I am glad Romney is helping them.
I am hopeful that the group will in turn help Romney come up with the Scalia-clone short-list when the time comes to nominate the successor the Justice Stevens. I am sure Romney’s USSC choices will be a solid.
No politician is 100% perfect.
Thompson helped in some lobbying calls for a pro-abortion group way back when. Not a big deal, but certainly Ann Romney’s PP donation is an even smaller deal yet that comes up.
I’ve cited the items that a pro-life support of Mitt mentioned
of things Mitt Romney did to help the pro-life cause as Governor. it wasnt just a switch for becoming president, it started when he was governor:
http://www.americansformitt.com/prolife_perspective.html
Romney has acknowledged that his position on abortion has changed since 1994. His 2005 op-ed in the Boston Globe laid out his change in stance openly.
“Watch how convincing, and sincere, and effective he is ...” ... he ability to articulate is just a part of who he is, and is an asset.
Good luck with that logic (not).
“”There is a good group. I am glad Romney is helping them.””
There is no question that coinciding with his effort to run as a conservative, that Romney has started scattering his wealth to the four corners of conservative groups.
We can all trust his sincerity as displayed in this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9IJUkYUbvI
Mitt Romney was on the board of directors for the BSA, Boy Scouts of America, an organization that I greatly admire, from 1993 to 2001 or so.
Romney has been an excellent supporter of the BSA.
In all those years, he didn’t do anything to change their stance on gays in scouting, and has stated that he believes each council should make their own decisions on matters like that. Pro-Federalism if you will.
As an Eagle scout and a supporter of the Boy Scouts myself, I know he will be a friend to scouting in the White House.
Gay activists and Kennedy hoped to use his BSA position and lack of action pushing the gay agenda onto Scouting into baiting him as ‘anti-gay’ during the 1994 senate race, and he attempted to deflect that in 1994. Your ‘gay scoutmasters’ comment is unwarranted hyperbole.
“There is no question that coinciding with his effort to run as a conservative, that Romney has started scattering his wealth to the four corners of conservative groups.”
Yes, that is a very good thing, and I thank Mitt Romney for helping out conservative causes and organizations. I support many of the same organizations and they can always use help.
“All politicians are actors. Some of them are just too ugly to work in Hollywood.”
So how come John Edwards is the politician and Fred Thompson is the actor? That seems backwards. :-)
When something is so damning, and captured on video, it can’t be ignored, as confirmed in this video,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_w9pquznG4
When the candidate tries to counter his life with such transparent efforts as described in post 164, most of us quickly come to the appropriate conclusion, that is why Romney gets so little support among the good conservatives at FR.
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