Posted on 12/30/2007 5:50:44 PM PST by County Agent Hank Kimball
I have a very simple question, and I'd really like your take on it. I don't mean this as antagonistic, but I'd really like to hear your answer.
Somewhere between 70 and 80 percent of the people here on Free Republic consistently express their clear preference in poll after poll for Fred Thompson or Duncan Hunter over Huckabee or Romney.
My question is: Why?
Why do you think, despite Romneys many millions spent and the claims of both Romney and Huckabee to be genuine conservatives, that Freepers haven't bought it? It is quite clear that most here are firm in their belief that neither Romney or Huckabee is an acceptable conservative. At least at this point of the game.
Why do we think this - in your opinion?
And then, why are we wrong?
Hank
And then you have your standard regional stereotyping...
Some want a real Southerner that rides a horse on their ranch.
But with all due respect, have you seen the posting where a person copied a large section of a Romney 2002 position paper? This isn't people putting words in his mouth...these are his own words just 5 years ago. He brags about advancing homosexual rights, brags about being pro-choice. I wish I had copied it. But it is VERY damning.
Hank
Associated press 9/20/06
You might want to take a look at these while you’re at it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpUNVRNVk-E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_w9pquznG4
There's no better example of that than the myth that Fred has been consistently pro-life his whole career.
As I showed in earlier posts, it's just not true. He was pro-choice in 1994, albeit not as radically pro-choice as Rudy. Like many moderate Democrats, Fred supported some restrictions on abortion (like parental notification), he opposed partial birth abortion, and he opposed taxpayer funding of abortion. But at the end of the day, his position was that of a moderate, pro-choice democrat.
Romney is not believably pro-life.
Huckster is as open borders as Bush II.
that is enough for me to say they both suck
Is Mitt a Conservative or a Liberal? I guess he’s all things for all people. Here’s the link to the information below: http://online.logcabin.org/mitt-romneys-flip-flops.html
Mitt Romney’s Record
ABORTION
From the Left:
Romney ran against Senator Edward M. Kennedy in 1994. During a debate, Romney declared: “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 US Senate candidate. I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years we should sustain and support it.”
- Boston Globe, March 2, 2006
“I respect and will protect a woman’s right to choose.”
-2002 Questionnaire for the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL)
Boston Globe, July 3, 2005
From the Right:
“I am pro-life. I believe that abortion is the wrong choice except in cases of incest, rape, and to save the life of the mother. I wish the people of America agreed, and that the laws of our nation could reflect that view. But while the nation remains so divided over abortion, I believe that the states, through the democratic process, should determine their own abortion laws and not have them dictated by judicial mandate.”
- Boston Globe, Op-Ed, July 26, 2005
More from the Right:
“Every decision I have made as Governor in a very liberal state has been on the side of favoring life.” – Governor Romney
- Robert Behre, “Romney Gets S.C. Support,” Charleston Post-Courier, January 30, 2007
STEM CELL RESEARCH
From the Left:
“Romney has decided to support experimentation on surplus frozen embryos from in-vitro fertilization procedures.”
- National Review Online, February 11, 2005
“At a campaign appearance at Brandeis University in June 2002, Romney strongly endorsed stem cell research.”
- Boston Globe, December 17, 2006 Read the article
From the Center:
“Governor Mitt Romney set off a storm of criticism yesterday after he declared in a published interview that he favored banning a specific type of stem cell research. Scientists and the leader of the state Senate accused him of trying to block a promising avenue of research, even as antiabortion groups assailed him for declaring that he did not object to stem cell research involving embryos from fertility clinics.”
- Boston Globe, February 11, 2005 Read the article
From the Right:
“I studied the issue for many months, and entered into conversation with experts from across the nation who were looking for consensus solutions, like Stanford’s Dr. William Hurlbut. In the end, I became persuaded that the stem-cell debate was grounded in a false premise, and that the way through it was around it: by the use of scientific techniques that could produce the equivalent of embryonic stem cells but without cloning, creating, harming, or destroying developing human lives.”
- Governor Mitt Romney, Op-Ed, “A Stem-Cell Solution,” National Review Online, June 15, 2007
EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION
From the Left:
“When he ran for governor in 2002, Romney said he supported expanding access to the emergency contraception pill, a high dose of hormones that women can take to prevent pregnancy up to five days after sex . . . On a questionnaire Planned Parenthood gave to the gubernatorial candidates in 2002, Romney answered ‘yes’ to the question, ‘Do you support efforts to increase access to emergency contraception?’ “
- Boston Globe, July 7, 2005
From the Right:
“Yesterday I vetoed a bill that the Legislature forwarded to my desk. Though described by its sponsors as a measure relating to contraception, there is more to it than that. The bill does not involve only the prevention of conception: The drug it authorizes would also terminate life after conception.”
- Governor Mitt Romney, Op-Ed, “Why I Vetoed The Contraception Bill,” Boston Globe, July 26, 2005 Read the article
GAY RIGHTS
From the Left:
“All citizens deserve equal rights, regardless of their sexual orientation. While he does not support gay marriage, Mitt Romney believes domestic partnership status should be recognized in a way that includes the potential for health benefits and rights of survivorship.”
- Romney’s 2002 campaign website
“Mitt and Kerry Wish You a Great Pride Weekend! All citizens deserve equal rights, regardless of their sexual preference”
- A flier handed out at “Gay Pride” by the Romney/Healey Campaign See the flier here
“We have discussed a number of important issues such as the Federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which I have agreed to co-sponsor, and if possible broaden to include housing and credit, and a bill to create a federal panel to find ways to reduce gay and lesbian youth suicide, which I also support. One issue I want to clarify concerns [grammar in context] President Clinton’s “don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t pursue” military policy. I believe that the Clinton compromise was a step in the right direction. I am also convinced that it is the first of a number of steps that will ultimately lead to gays and lesbians being able to serve openly and honestly in our nation’s military. That goal will only be reached when preventing discrimination against gays and lesbians is a mainstream concern, which is a goal we share…”
- Governor Romney letter to Log Cabin Republicans, October 6, 1994 Read the letter here
From the Right:
Lopez: “And what about the 1994 letter to the Log Cabin Republicans where you indicated you would support the Federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and seemed open to changing the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in the military? Are those your positions today?
Gov. Romney: “No. I don’t see the need for new or special legislation. My experience over the past several years as governor has convinced me that ENDA would be an overly broad law that would open a litigation floodgate and unfairly penalize employers at the hands of activist judges...As for military policy and the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy, I trust the counsel of those in uniform who have set these policies over a dozen years ago. I agree with President Bush’s decision to maintain this policy and I would do the same.”
- Interview with National Review, December 14, 2006 Read the interview
MARRIAGE AMENDMENT
From the Left:
In 2002, before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court declared same-sex marriage protected by the Constitution, Romney denounced as “too extreme” the effort by pro-family groups to enact a preemptive state Marriage Protection Amendment prohibiting homosexual marriage, civil unions and same-sex public employee benefits.
- Boston Phoenix, May 14-20, 2004
From the Right:
MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough: “Do you support a national constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage?”
Governor Romney: “Boy, I sure do. You know, that’s a topic that’s really, I think, very important to the country because marriage is not just about adults. Marriage is about the development and nurturing of kids, and in my view, the development of a child is enhanced by having a mom and dad. And so, I think it’s very important that we have a national standard because marriage is a status. You get married in one place and then you move to another, you’re still married at least in the eyes of the community and the children and the benefits may not follow you, but ultimately we’re going to have one standard of marriage in this country and that standard ought to be one man and one woman.”
- MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” September 17, 2007
GUN RIGHTS
From the Left:
“He [Romney] is a supporter of the federal assault weapons ban.”
- Romney 2002 campaign website
More from the Left:
In his 1994 US Senate run, Romney backed two gun-control measures strongly opposed by the National Rifle Association and other gun-rights groups: the Brady Bill, which imposed a five-day waiting period on gun sales, and a ban on certain assault weapons.
“That’s not going to make me the hero of the NRA,” Romney told the Boston Herald in 1994.
At another campaign stop that year, he told reporters: “I don’t line up with the NRA.”
- Boston Globe, January 14, 2007 Read the article
From the Right:
“Americans should have the right to own and possess firearms as guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution,” said Governor Romney. “I’m proud to be among the many decent, law-abiding men and women who safely use firearms.”
- Governor Romney, News Release, January 12, 2007
WAITING PERIODS FOR GUNS
From the Left:
Regarding the Brady Bill which required waiting periods to buy a handgun, Romney stated, “I don’t think [the waiting period] will have a massive effect on crime but I think it will have a positive effect.”
- Boston Herald, August 1, 1994
From the Right:
“Romney says he still backs the ban on assault weapons, but he won’t say whether he stands by the Brady Bill. And after the gun show tour, his campaign declined to say whether he would still describe himself as a supporter of tough gun laws.”
- Boston Globe, January 14, 2007 Read the article
MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE
From the Left:
“The minimum wage is important to our economy and Mitt Romney supports minimum wage increase, at least in line with inflation.”
- Romney 2002 campaign website
From the Right:
Governor Mitt Romney yesterday rejected the Legislature’s plan to raise the state minimum wage to $8 an hour over two years, angering Democratic lawmakers and advocates who accused him of abandoning a 2002 campaign pledge to significantly boost the pay of low-wage workers.
- Boston Globe, July 22, 2006 Read the article
EDUCATION
During his 1994 campaign for Senate he continually called for the abolishment of the Department of Education.
- Club for Growth’s White Paper on Mitt Romney
Governor Romney now supports the No Child Left Behind Act.
- Club for Growth’s White Paper on Mitt Romney
IMMIGRATION
From the Left:
In a November 2005 interview with the Boston Globe, Romney described immigration proposals by McCain and others as “quite different” from amnesty, because they required illegal immigrants to register with the government, work for years, pay taxes, not take public benefits, and pay a fine before applying for citizenship.
“That’s very different than amnesty, where you literally say, ‘OK, everybody here gets to stay,’ “ Romney said in the interview. “It’s saying you could work your way into becoming a legal resident of the country by working here without taking benefits and then applying and then paying a fine.”
Romney did not specifically endorse McCain’s bill, saying he had not yet formulated a full position on immigration. But he did speak approvingly of efforts by McCain and Bush to solve the nation’s immigration crisis, calling them “reasonable proposals.”
Romney also said in the interview that it was not “practical or economic for the country” to deport the estimated 12 million immigrants living in the US illegally. “These people contribute in many cases to our economy and to our society,” he said. “In some cases, they do not. But that’s a whole group we’re going to have to determine how to deal with.”
- Boston Globe, March 16, 2007 Read the article
From the Right:
In his appeals to conservative voters, Romney has made the Arizona senator’s work on immigration one of his favorite targets. When McCain and other senators unveiled the latest reform bill two weeks ago, Romney called it the “wrong approach” and immediately launched a television ad slamming “amnesty” for illegal immigrants.
- Boston Globe, June 1, 2007 Read the article
TAXES
From the Left:
“Governor Romney…imposed a slew of fee hikes and tax ‘loophole’ closures….The largest of these was $259 million worth of fee hikes in FY 2004, the bulk of which came from higher Registry of Deeds fees. Smaller fee hikes, including higher charges for boaters and golfers, we imposed in FY 2003 and FY 2005. Romney also sought $128 million worth of so-called tax loophole closures for FY 2004; $70 million for FY 2005; and $170 million for FY 2006, which were later reduced to $85 million due to backlash from business leaders.”
- Club for Growth’s White Paper on Mitt Romney
“Romney continues to oppose the flat tax with harsh language, calling the tax ‘unfair.’”
- Club for Growth’s White Paper on Mitt Romney
Romney didn’t support President Bush’s tax cuts in 2003. That earned him praise from liberal Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA)
- Boston Globe, April 11, 2003.
From the Right:
“I said no to a tax hike; raising taxes hurts working people and scares away jobs. I also said no to more borrowing; borrowing just shifts our problems to the backs of our kids...Instead, I went after waste, inefficiency, duplication, and patronage.”
- Governor Romney, Boston Globe, October 24, 2005
NO NEW TAXES PLEDGE
From the Left:
In 2002, Romney broke with his predecessor, Jane Swift, and Republican governors before her by declining to sign a written vow not to raise taxes once in office.
- Boston Globe, January 5, 2007 Read the article
From the Right:
Almost five years after he refused to sign a “no new taxes” pledge during his campaign for governor, Mitt Romney announced yesterday that he had done just that, as his campaign for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination began in earnest.
- Boston Globe, January 5, 2007 Read the article
CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS
From the Left:
Governor Romney has changed his position on key campaign finance reform issues several times during public life. During his 1994 Senate campaign, he held far left positions that advocated for abolishing PACs and creating strict campaign spending limits.
- Club for Growth’s White Paper on Mitt Romney
From the Right:
As he runs for President, Romney abandoned his previous stance and has come out as a harsh critic of McCain-Feingold, and those presidential candidates who support it. His transformation has even propelled him to call for the legislation’s repeal.
- Club for Growth’s White Paper on Mitt Romney
ON HIS FAVORITE BOOK
From the Left:
He told Fox News his favorite book is L. Ron Hubbard’s “Battlefield Earth”
From the Right:
He also told Fox news his favorite book is the The Bible
Or
Who Knows:
His MySpace page said his favorite book is “Huckleberry Finn”
As to the first youtube, there's so much background noise, it's very difficult to tell what he's saying. I will grant you, however, that Romney has hardened his position on immigration, at least in tone. But so has Thompson (in substance and in tone):
http://www.youtube.com/watchv=IkN2fYnMTBs&feature=related
Regarding the second youtube you posted, yeah, I know, Romney was pro-choice once. But as I have pointed out before, so was Fred, although it seems Fred had his change of heart earlier than Romney.
I also agree overall with your tone. It would be better if we didn't view other candidates as our enemies. I will admit that in Huckabee's case, this is difficult for me since I honestly see very little difference between him and the Dems on economic issues. Plus, using your criteria of grading harder when a person is from a conservative state mitigates pretty heavily against him.
I would quibble about Fred's vote against one of the two impeachment resolutions. Everything I've heard from him indicates that his legal reading was that the burden of proof just hadn't been met on the second count. I disagree, but think he should score integrity points for that in any event.
Finally, my point in asking the question was to try to get supporters of these two candidates (MH and MR) to be a little more focussed on the clear fact that these two ARE more liberal than Hunter and Thompson. Now I'm not saying that makes them bad.
As I've said in other threads, there was a time when people proudly described themselves as liberal republicans and moderate republicans. I believe it is profoundly clear that Huckabee and Romney fall into those categories. I think we can have a much more illuminating discussion here if the supporters of those candidates will simply say: "I think Thompson and Hunter are too far right on this and that issue," than we have in the present environment where their supporters feel compelled to fit round moderates into square conservative holes.
Let's have the battle: moderates versus conservatives. But let's have it honestly.
Hank
“It’s more than that. If any friend of mine were to reveal themselves as psychologically capable of voting for a flim-flamming liar like the Huckster, a pro-death/abortion-defender like Rudy, or a back-stabbing RINO like McCain who thought nothing of trying to shred the First Amendment with his abysmal CFR, you better believe I’m going to do some re-evaluating.”
Isn’t FRED!! good friends with McCain?
There should be. It's really annoying.
DMW, can't you make an argument in your own words, or are your communication skills so inept that you feel the need to lift whole articles from other webpages?
At any rate, I'll answer some of the charges you spam. I don't have time to go through them all.
Abortion and stem cells: we know Mitt changed his position on abortion, and stem cells are a related issue. Mitt's been very up front about his change of heart, so I don't see why you see the need to keep rehashing it.
As regards to gays, Mitt's always been against gay marraige, but he supports equal rights for gays under the law. I don't see why any conservative should have a problem with that.
On gays in the military, yeah, his position changed in 13 years. Big woop.
Mitt didn't see the need for a constitutional amendment on defining marriage until the courts imposed gay marraige on his state. That's not a flip-flip. That's adapting to new realities. Opposing constitutional amendments unless they are absolutely necessary is a conservative position.
As to taxes, he remained silent on the Bush tax cuts because they were a Federal issue, not a state issue, and as a governor, his job was to focus on state issues.
Yeah, he raised fees as governor, and I say good for him. As a conservative, I believe the users of government services ought to pay for those services as much as possible rather than the taxpayers. So good for him for raising fees. It was the conservative thing to do.
Same thing with closing loopholes. Tax evaision and creative tax accounting result in lower taxes for a priviliedged few and higher taxes for everyone else. Good for him for stopping that.
On the other hand, he absolutely refused any and all tax increases as governor, and even got through some tax cuts.
So he opposes the flat tax. Big whoop. This is a policy question upon which conservatives can disagree in good faith.
As far as gun rights are concerned, I don't see how his position changed. Back in the mid 1990's he background checks (the Brady Bill) and bans on some so-called assault weapons and he still supports the same positions. I'm not thrilled with the position on assult weapons, but no candidate is perfect.
And BTW, your source is being very deceptive about the Brady Bill. The final bill (which Romney AND the NRA supported) only included a waiting period so as to allow for a background check. Once technology for instant checks was in place, the bill provided for an end to the waiting period. Romney, like the NRA, supported this final version of the bill because of the background check. Romney only supported a waiting period only where it was necessary to complete a background check, and that is a position he continues to hold to this day.
That's all I have time for. Good night.
Where’s the evidence on Fred being pro choice.
How about this:
Mitt Romney: No Amnesty for Romney for Immigration Flip-Flops
By admin - Posted on August 17th, 2007
Tagged: 2008 Presidential election • Immigration • Mitt Romney • Politics • Republican Party
August 16, 2007 — It’s hard to find an issue Mitt Romney hasn’t flip-flopped on, but on immigration reform, the smooth-talking presidential candidate has a particularly notorious record. Despite launching a new ad in Iowa yesterday saying “amnesty will not work” and talking tough on the campaign trail, Romney supported the Bush-McCain immigration proposal in 2005, and even supported a “path to citizenship” as recently as 2006. Now, struggling to earn conservative votes, Romney has reversed himself. [Boston Globe, 3/16/07; Lowell Sun, 3/30/06; AP, 8/15/07; Boston Herald, 8/15/07]
All along, Romney has done the one thing he is consistently known for, not offering a plan of his own. Even the RNC Chairman himself, Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL), blasted Romney for not offering any solutions on immigration. [McClatchy Newspapers, 6/9/07]
“Smooth-Talking Mitt Romney may think his tough talk on immigration will get him amnesty from conservatives, but his record speaks for itself,” said Democratic National Committee spokesman Luis Miranda. “On immigration, like on so many other issues, not only does Romney not have a vision or a plan, but his blatant flip-flops have made it impossible for voters to know where the candidate really stands. That’s hardly a winning formula.”
Smooth Talking Mitt Romney’s Real Record on Immigration
November 2005: Romney Supports McCain-Bush Immigration Bill, Saying They Are “Quite Different” From Amnesty. According to the Boston Globe, in November 2005 Romney spoke “approvingly of efforts by McCain and Bush to solve the nation’s immigration crisis, calling them ‘reasonable proposals.’” In the November 2005 interview, “Romney described immigration proposals by McCain and others as ‘quite different’ from amnesty, because they required illegal immigrants to register with the government, work for years, pay taxes, not take public benefits, and pay a fine before applying for citizenship. ‘That’s very different than amnesty, where you literally say, ‘OK, everybody here gets to stay,’” Romney said in the interview. ‘It’s saying you could work your way into becoming a legal resident of the country by working here without taking benefits and then applying and then paying a fine.’” [Boston Globe, 3/16/07]
March 2006: Romney Supports A “Path to Citizenship,” Opposes “Rounding Up” Undocumented Workers.” Gov. Mitt Romney expressed support yesterday for an immigration program that places large numbers of illegal residents on the path toward citizenship… ‘I don’t believe in rounding up 11 million people and forcing them at gunpoint from our country,’ Romney said. ‘[T]hose that are here paying taxes and not taking government benefits should begin a process towards application for citizenship, as they would from their home country.’” [Lowell Sun, 3/30/06]
December 2006: Romney Caught Using Undocumented Workers At His Own Home. “A lawn service used for several years by Gov. Mitt Romney, who is considering a run for president, employed illegal immigrants to work on the grounds of his suburban home, according to a published report. The Boston Globe said it interviewed in Spanish four current and former employees of Community Lawn Service with a Heart, and all but one who said they had worked on Romney’s property said they were in the country illegally. The employees told the newspaper the company’s owner, Ricardo Saenz, never asked them to show documents on their immigration status, which is required by federal law.” [Boston Globe, 12/1/06]
May 2007: Romney Opposes Immigration Bill, Even Though It Includes Everything He Supports. “The record shows Romney repeatedly has demanded stronger border security. A campaign ad calls for tamper-proof identification cards. And in a debate last week, he said illegal immigrants need to go back to their home country and ‘get in line’ before they can become citizens. ‘That’s exactly what’s on the table. All of those things are part of the immigration package,’ said Marshall Fitz, spokesman for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, a nonpartisan organization of lawyers and professors. ‘Romney and the other candidates who continue to beat their chests against this legislation are just playing to the conservative base.’” [Miami Herald, 5/25/07]
June 2007: Romney Now Calls Bill Amnesty. “Romney’s response to the bill has varied with his audience. Most of his criticism has focused on the so-called Z-visa, a document proposed for registering the estimated 12 million illegal aliens in the country. Last month in South Carolina, home to the type of social conservatives Romney is courting, he said, ‘I think we should not call it the ‘Z’ visa; we should call it the ‘A’ visa, because it’s amnesty and that’s what it stands for.’ Yet a week later in Florida, he said, There are some who get involved in whether it is technically amnesty or not and I’m not really trying to define what is technically amnesty. I’ll let the lawyers do that.’” [AP, 6/4/07]
August 2007: Romney Launches Ad Saying “Amnesty Will Not Work.” Romney began running an ad in Iowa this week in which he says he will secure the borders and that “amnesty will not work.” [Boston Herald, 8/15/07]
I think we are lucky to have W in the White House.
“I think some folks are focused on an ideologically “pure” candidate and that anyone who fails to meet their standard is a “liberal” or “rino.””
The title is President of the USA, not President of the Right Wing nor President of FreeRepublic.com .
A lot of people around here forget that.
See post 318.
And BTW, Fred also changed his position on amnesty, except his change was more recent than Romney's. I posted a youtube link to his earlier, pro-amnesty statements somewere between this post and post 318. Shouldn't be hard to find.
Mitt Romney is one of the most decent GOP presidential candidates to come along in many years. The guy is intelligent, extremely hard working, proactive, is calm under pressure, is decisive, values life, has raised a great family, loves his (one and only) wife..You get the picture. He’ll be a president we’ll all be proud of.
“By the way Mitt said that republicans not supporting the presidents amnesty bill was a big mistake.”
That is false.
“The few rational ones left disproving the claim of a ‘liberal Romney’ are overrun by the power of numbers and the kind of frat-boy club that has grown around some of the other candidates. It’s pointless to argue with highly emotionally-charged cheerleaders.”
An echo chamber of true believers.
“But with all due respect, have you seen the posting where a person copied a large section of a Romney 2002 position paper? This isn’t people putting words in his mouth...these are his own words just 5 years ago. He brags about advancing homosexual rights, brags about being pro-choice. I wish I had copied it. But it is VERY damning.”
So?
Romney has already said he’s changed his mind. In a debate, he said he was “wrong”.
No one, not one person has shown me an example of where Romney did something different as governor than what he campaigned on when running for governor.
-----
Maybe. At this point, it doesn't look like he's going to be the nominee, but who knows.
Hank
Huckabee does, Romney doesn't.
Now it's true, the pre-2003 Romney was a moderate on social issues and center-right to right on fiscal issues.
I'll also grant you that Romney has moved a lot to the right on social issues and slightly to the right on fiscal issues.
But on net, he hasn't moved more than Fred Thompson. Romney moved to the right on abortion, so has Thompson. Romney moved to the right on immigration, so has Thompson. Okay, Thompson never supported gays in the military as far as I am aware. So Thompson might have one fewer issue where he moved. On the other hand, Romney has an actual record of concrete actions taken against illegals (denying the drivers lisences and in-state college tuition), where has Thompson has none.
And as for their current positions, Thompson and Romney are about even on the left-right scale. Romney is a little to the left of Thompson on guns (Romney supports the assault weapons ban, Thompson doesn't) but a little to the right of Thompson on abortion (Romney supports the Human Life Amendment, Thompson doesn't). Romney's also a little to the right of Thompson on taxes (he signed the no-new-taxes pledge, Thompson didn't).
So where do you get this idea that Thompson is somehow a solid consverative but Romney isn't? I'm sorry, but the evidence just isn't there.
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