Posted on 10/04/2007 1:24:02 AM PDT by Canticle_of_Deborah
As the phoney "phoney soldier" controversy swirled today --and Rush is in no hurry to end it as it reflects well on him and poorly on Senate Democrats-- Fred Thompson released a statemnt blasting the attack on Rush. Rush was discussing it today, and e-in-box began to fill up with complaints that Mitt Romney had abandoned Rush. I shot off a query to the Romney campaign: What is this all about?
Not only did the campaign respond immediately, Governor Romney called the show to discuss the controversy and state that Rush has "got a long record of supporting our soldiers. There’s no question that this is a man who has been very much on the side of our fighting men and women." (Transcript here.)
--snip--
What the Thompson/Romney reactions to the Senate Democrat attacks on Rush and the Giuliani/Romney blast at Hillary's boondoggle both demonstrate is that the campaigns are on continual alert to the ever smaller news cycle. They do not intend to allow any story that might impact the race to go unremarked upon, especially those that might reflect ont heir standing with the GOP base. An attack on Rush is an attack on the GOP base, and I will be shocked if Rudy doesn't weigh in by COB tonight as well.
(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...
HH: Now Governor, expanding the scope here a little bit to how the campaign has changed, today, Rudy Giuliani’s in New Hampshire, he’s at the Chocolate Moose, and he misstates where he is. He says he’s in Massachusetts. All right, the kind of stuff that happen every day on the campaign trail. But then it shows up on the Politico.com Jonathan Martin blog as being a significant issue. You’ve run statewide in Massachusetts twice. Was there anything ever like this kind of scrutiny on one word showing up and immediately becoming an issue?
MR: Well, it is interesting today that gotcha politics is alive and well. It used to be that you had a day to clean up your mistakes. So if you made a mistake, you know, you’ve got to fix before the news cycle. But now, the news cycle is instant, and everything is made a huge matter. And you know, I’ve made at least two or three gaffes in my campaign so far. They’re made big deals by not just the media, but by the opposition. And you know, frankly, look, I’m going to mess up where I am now and then, and so will Rudy and so will John McCain and everybody else. And let’s give the process a bit of a break.
• Send FReep Mail to Unmarked Package to get [ON] or [OFF] the Mitt Romney Ping List •
I have nothing bad to say about Romney except that he just doesn’t say much that’s very interesting. And that’s going to be fatal in an election cycle in which the American public is very bored and tired with the Republican in the White House. Romney simply doesn’t separate himself from the crowd, for all the talk of his religion and photogenic family.
What “American public” do you mean? Surely you don’t mean the part that has supported this president through out his two terms of office? Bored and tired you say? Maybe the MSM is, but as one said before me “may you live in interesting times.”
I think the present era qualifies! ;-)
Fred Thompson’s strong support of Rush Limbaugh is just indicative of his strong support for conservative values, federalism, small government, first principles, the American family, national defense, strong borders and our way of life. On immigration issues, he states: “...in the post-9/11 world, immigration is more of a national security issue. A government that cannot secure its borders and determine who may enter and who may not, abrogates a fundamental responsibility. I am committed to:
Securing our borders and enforcing immigration laws. Amnesty is not an option and the toleration of “sanctuary cities” must end. Reviewing our immigration laws and policies to ensure they advance our national interests.
Uniting Americans by welcoming legal immigrants willing to learn English, assimilate into our communities, and become productive citizens.”
Fred will appoint judges faithful to our Constitution, and strongly support the Second Amendment of the Constitution, which protects an individual’s right to keep and bear arms.
On education, he will give parents more choices in education and schools less bureaucracy. Review federal programs for cost-effectiveness, reducing federal mandates, return education money to the states, and empower parents by promoting voucher programs, charter schools, and other innovations that enhance education excellence through competition and choice. He will also encourage students and teachers to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math—fields that are crucial to our security, competitiveness, and prosperity.
Promote transparency to assess performance, promote accountability, and share innovations in education at all levels.
For these and many other reasons, I ask you to join me in supporting Senator Fred Thompson for president. Thank you!
No thanks, but Jeri should run for office. She is, as Fred said, a better politician than he is :-)
Maybe someday, after Fred has served eight years in the White House and the kids are older...
Fred and Rush vs Mitt and Huff vs Silent Rudy
"..Mitt on September 28 swallowing the Media Matters line hook, line and sinker and, incredibly, SENDING A PRESS RELEASE TO THE FAR LEFT HUFFINGTON POST WEBSITE:
We don't know if Mitt, like he did when he denounced Gen. Pace after taking the word of an MSM reporter slander of Pace on gays, simply and lazily, responded off the cuff or made a calculated decision to attack the most credible important leader of conservative republicanism since Reagan left the public scene..."
Now we know that Fred and Mitt will stand up for a conservative pundit who has been insulted and had his veracity questioned by Harry Reid. When Reid insulted our troops, questioned their integrity and attempted to demoralize them five months ago; What did Mitt and Fred say to Reid at that time, if any of you know?
I think it’s a distortion and a weak attempt to make a mountain out of a molehill. It’s a general statement. I don’t disagree with it. Mitt came back and addressed the specifics satisfactorily.
I know that is disappointing for those with an agenda but those who are rational will not get worked up. Don’t take the bait.
It was a smart move by Fred Thompson to get out front on Phonygate. Conservatives want to know where Rush’s defenders are and it is the perfect non-issue where the first ones who jump in to defend Rush will reap the reward among his fans.
We’re dying to see somebody in the GOP who isn’t afraid to be a conservative, to fight for conservatives and go after liberals. I keep saying that the candidate who acts like he’s running against the Democrats instead of running against Bush or other Republicans is going to tap into the thousands of conservatives who are sick of always playing defense and want a candidate who will go on offense.
Believe me, if I were rich and better looking, I’d be out on the campaign trail sounding like Ann Coulter giving Dems a piece of their own medicine, throwing charges back in their faces.
I can forgive a lot if there’s even one Republican in the field who will call out Democrats for the traitors that they are and run against *them* instead of Bush or the other GOP candidates.
And you know, I’ve made at least two or three gaffes in my campaign so far. They’re made big deals by not just the media, but by the opposition. And you know, frankly, look, I’m going to mess up where I am now and then, and so will Rudy and so will John McCain and everybody else. And let’s give the process a bit of a break.
Now former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney is weighing into the fray. In a statement to the Huffington Post, Romney's spokesman Kevin Madden offered the following on Limbaugh:
"Governor Romney would disagree with the negative characterization of those men and women who serve with honor and distinction in the United States Military. There may be disagreements with individual opinions, but no one would ever dispute the fact that those members of the military who disagree with the war have earned the right to express that opinion."
I'm not up to go through the dance again. If you really think Bush and the war are supported by the majority of the American public there's no talking with you.
Romney DID NOT defend Rush. His first statement was a condemnation of Rush and went right along with the Dems stupid rants. The statement has been posted for the world to see and nothing Romney does or says now will change it. He is on record as jumping into the fray on the Dems side and he will own it and go down in flames. What a putz he is.
I love to dance! The Cha Cha, the Twist or the Surrender Monkey! I see only not talking or dancing, but not believing is also one of your shortcomings. Get a life, tool, and do the fandango!
I think it’s a distortion and a weak attempt to make a mountain out of a molehill. It’s a general statement. I don’t disagree with it. Mitt came back and addressed the specifics satisfactorily.
Only a true believer would think this is a general statement. Romney jumped on the Dems bandwagon without checking out what Rush really said. Rush discussed this on his show and said that Romney had thrown him under the Bus but that Thompson had stood up for him. He was absolutely correct. If Romney changed his tune later it was only because he saw what a fool he had made of himself and that he was bound to lose support.
The only weak attempt here is yours in trying to make excuses for this poor specimen of a candidate.
Frankly, I'm sick and tired of politicians. I want a leader as president, not another politician. I don't want another Slick Willie from either party.
Rombot is wrong on Rush.
--->What about this? Has anyone found out how Huffington Post framed the question to Madden?
To Mitt: Keep Kevin Madden on a short leash
I am a big supporter of Mitt Romney, but when the spokesperson get’s in a liberal media’s trap, I’ll call him on it. Kevin Madden is Mitt Romney’s spokesperson. He looks like Mitt, but in my opinion, he’s not as polished on answers to ad hoc questions like Mitt is. It may be bad of me to hold Kevin up to Mitt’s level of orator finesse, but as the spokesperson, Kevin should be as good if not better than Mitt at quick questions from the press about timely topics.....
It’s obvious the Democrats are trying to take what Rush said and draw attention away from MoveOn.Org’s character smear of Gen. Patraeus. They are wrong for doing that. Do we know who Rush was talking about? Yes, phony soldiers. That’s it. He didn’t say who was an example until later in the full transcript....
Back to the statement made by Kevin Madden,
Although I agree with this statement in principal, Huffington Post, to whom this quote was given, is raising the stink that Romney is slamming Rush Limbaugh. Thus, in my opinion Kevin fell into a trap by the Post to get Rush fans to be angry with Romney’s campaign. It is working? I know of some Rush fans that have been offended by the campaign’s remarks.
Was Kevin Madden (Romney’s Spokesperson) wrong saying what he said? I don’t know. What was the question posed to him by the reporter from Huffington Post (a liberal media website)? Weren’t we talking about phony soldiers? It doesn’t sound like the answer was even to a question about phony soldiers, but soldiers of honor and distinction. Looks like the Huffington Post didn’t post that context. But they sure are using it to drive a wedge between the Romney campaign and Rush fans. I believe Kevin should have known better when talking to a liberal media outlet about the respected grandfather of conservative talk radio.
Sound off. ~~Nathan Waite
http://blog.electromneyin2008.com/
You hire someone who you think you can trust to make impromptu statements on your behalf on ocassion. The campaign schedule is too demanding for every little statement to be discussed before it is released. Huffington Post caught Madden off-guard and not fully informed.
I think Kevin Madden made a mistake in this case. Happens to all of us (remember it happened to Fred Thompson and his spokesman when they didn't get the abortion lobbying story absolutely clear the first time -- and that guy no longer works for the Thompson campaign).
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