Romney Appeals to Bush's Base

washingtonpost.com ^ | December 20, 2007 | Peter Baker

[Romneyfor President2008]

For the past year, Republican presidential candidates have kept a distance from their politically hobbled leader, criticizing President Bush's handling of Hurricane Katrina, his immigration overhaul, his spending habits, his democracy promotion agenda and, at times, his leadership in Iraq. They wrapped themselves instead in the mantle of Ronald Reagan, often going through debates without mentioning the name of their incumbent president.

Now comes former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney voicing something not heard before in the campaign -- a full-throated defense of the president. Ever since last weekend, when former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee published a scathing critique of what he called Bush's "arrogant bunker mentality" when it comes to foreign policy, Romney has jumped all over his chief rival in the Iowa caucuses by backing up the president.

[Diogenesis]

"Look, I was an Independent during the time of Reagan/Bush. I am not trying to return to Reagan/Bush."
(Mitt Romney, 1994 Senate Debate, Boston, MA, 10/25/94)

"I'm very clear I think, to the people across the Commonwealth -
my "R" didn't stand so much for Republican as it does for reform."
(Romney Video, accessed 9/19/07)

"I'm not running as the Republican view or a continuation of Republican values.
That's not what brings me to the race."
(Romney Video, accessed 9/19/07)

"I wasn't a Ronald Reagan conservative."
(Mitt Romney In Interview with Marc Ambinder,
"Romney Explains Himself," National Journal, 2/9/07)

"I've lived in a place that has had one party state that was primarily Republican.
I thought well won't that be nice? The answer is no." (Romney Video, accessed 9/19/07)>br> Romney - The Democrat's RINO

"Hillary Clinton is very much right, it does take a village, and we are a village
and we need to work together in a non-skeptical, non-finger-pointing way..."
("For City Problems, Future Solutions," The Boston Globe, 3/1/98)

[AmericanInTokyo]

Thank you for your life long dedication and long term support of Free Republic.

[pt17]

Romney will be good for the American businessman just like Bush was.

First, some of us aren't all that thrilled with GWB, so that may not be your best lead-in. Second, conservative folks who were in Masshole during his little sojourn there are somewhat confused about what exactly he stood for or did as Governor.

[Mojohemi]

when you find the conservative outside of Duncan Hunter will you please post his or her name on the freerepublic

[zeugma]

It only took two posts. THese bots need to get a new script.

[jveritas]

Romney has not stab President Bush in the back during time of war and this is a sign of a great man. Anyway, we are on the verge of winning the war in Iraq (we won it in my opinion), and it will be a fatal mistake for the Republican nominee to go after the President. He can disagree with him in some areas but to attack him is absolute foolishness.

[jveritas]

Is 1+1=2? What type of question is that?

[ejonesie22]

Good call...

[GovernmentIsTheProblem]

“For the rest of it....blah, blah, blah.”

WHile I was typing a short list of the many broken promises, my thoughts were -

Why am I wasting my time with this guy? He asked for it, but didn’t want to hear the answer - it will be disregarded.

You’re like a little girl who plugs her ears with her fingers and goes, “nyah nyah nyah, I can’t hear you!” when she hears somethign she doesn’t like.