Posted on 01/24/2008 9:26:48 AM PST by Ol' Sparky
AS FORMER Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney declared his Presidential candidacy, he could not have been more telegenic. With his angular jaw and slicked-back, dark hair, Romney is the GOP's George Clooney. Who needs the White House? Romney should become a movie star. He already is a highly skilled actor.
Romney is either a rock-ribbed conservative who played a Rockefeller Republican to get elected in Massachusetts, or a limousine liberal portraying a conservative to win the 2008 GOP nomination.
This fine thespian has lost himself so thoroughly in both these roles that no one really knows where the performer ends and the characters begin.
Studying Romney's lines only muddles things. His present and past statements on abortion, gays, guns, taxes and Ronald Reagan each conflict diametrically.
Just listen to today's Romney on abortion:
"I am pro-life," Romney wrote in a July 2005 Boston Globe op-ed. "I believe that abortion is the wrong choice except in cases of incest, rape, and to save the life of the mother."
He declared last year: "Roe v. Wade does not serve the country well and is another example of judges making the law instead of interpreting the Constitution."
But yesteryear's Romney could not have disagreed more.
"Let me make this very clear," Romney said in October 2002. "I will preserve and protect a woman's right to choose."
"Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years," he said in 1994. "We should sustain and support it."
Today's Romney may be America's most outspoken voice against gay marriage.
"In order to protect the institution of marriage, we must prevent it from being redefined by judges like those here in Massachusetts," Romney wrote last June, endorsing a federal constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. "From Day One, I have opposed the move for same-sex marriage," Romney said in February 2005.
But yesteryear's Romney aimed to please gay voters, perhaps even more than could his Democratic opponents.
As the Boston Globe reported in October 1994, Romney wrote the gay Log Cabin Republicans, "As we seek to establish full equality" for gays, "I will provide more effective leadership than my opponent," Democrat Ted Kennedy, whose Senate seat he sought.
Romney also told Boston's gay newspaper, Bay Windows: "The authorization of marriage on a same-sex basis falls under state jurisdiction."
And then:
"I have a gun of my own," today's Romney said last month. "I'm a member of the (National Rifle Association) and believe firmly in the right to bear arms."
Yesteryear's Romney, however, was quite gun-shy.
"We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts," Romney said in 2002. "I support them. I won't chip away at them." In fact, Romney signed America's first state-level assault-weapons ban.
Yesteryear's Romney backed the federal assault-weapons ban and the Brady Bill. "That's not going to make me the hero of the NRA," Romney said in 1994. However, he added: "I don't line up with the NRA."
Today's Romney signed Americans for Tax Reform's Taxpayer Protection Pledge and said on Feb. 7 that it was "absolutely critical" to "make the tax cuts permanent," referring to President Bush's 2001 and 2003 tax reductions.
But yesteryear's Romney smiled more on taxes.
In an April 2003 meeting with the Massachusetts congressional delegation in Washington, Romney failed to endorse President Bush's $726 billion tax-cut proposal.
As Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., told the Boston Globe after the powwow: "Here you have a freshman governor refusing to endorse a tax cut presented by a Republican President at the height of his wartime popularity." As for the anti-tax pledge, a Romney spokesman dismissed it as "government by gimmickry."
Today's Romney speaks glowingly of America's 40th President.
"Ronald Reagan is...my hero," Romney said in 2005, as the Boston Globe's Scot Lehigh recalled on Jan. 19. "I believe that our party's ascendancy began with Ronald Reagan's brand of visionary and courageous leadership."
But yesteryear's Romney said in his 1994 debate with Kennedy: "I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I'm not trying to return to Reagan-Bush."
Mitt Romney should warm up to Reagan. After all, Ronald Reagan made it big by moving from acting into politics. Mitt Romney's best bet for fame and fortune may be to make that same journey -- in reverse.
Who do you recommend instead of Mitt?
Romney cannot be trusted and will do for the nation what Arnold Schwarzenegger has done for California.
He was not given a pass. Otherwise Fred had a pretty solid conservative record, and I forgave him his CFR transgression for which he had the right intentions, but the end product, was not of his making.
Now we've got a Romney (A RINO) who has flip-flopped on just about every major conservative issue, and he's supposed to get a pass??
Are you kidding me?!
You got that part right.
>>>>>>You cannot refute ANY of the comparisons I made between Reagan and Romney, so instead you are reduced to calling me names.
I've straightened out you liberal cult-ish Romneyites on many occasions and am happy to do so again. As far as I can tell, you made one unsubstantiated accusation about Reagan on the abortion issue; one statement which applies to background checks at gun shows; and one statement about Reagan's signing of the IRCA of 1986.
>>>>>Reagan was for abortion, before he was against it.
You offer no proof, just one sentence that is nothing but a bold face lie. Truth is, Reagan was adamantly opposed to both abortion on demand and later on Roe V Wade. If you have statements from Reagan to the contrary, post them. I've never seen any myself. At the same time and for a period of 35 years, Romney supported abortion rights, defended Roe v Wade and abortion on demand.
*** 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, 3/2/2006
*** "On a questionnaire Planned Parenthood gave to the gubernatorial candidates in 2002, Romney answered ''yes" to the question, 'Do you support the substance of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade?' Romney also professed support for state funding of abortion services for low-income women, [Erin] Rowland [spokeswoman for the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts] said." ~~~ Boston Globe, 3/2/2006
Truth be told. Ronald Reagan and Mitt Romney both supported the Assault Weapons Ban and the Brady Bill in 1994. In Reagan's case, he wasn't running for POTUS, as Romney is today. At the time Reagan was a private citizen standing by his good friend and long time political ally, James Brady. To this day, Romney is still at odds with opponents of gun control and he still supports an assault weapons ban. Btw, Willard becoming a member of the NRA in 2007 was a ridiculous decision. Another example of Mitt`s political expediency driving his decision making.
Just for the record. On May 9, 1983, the NRA named President Reagan an Honorary Life Member, a title bestowed to just 19 individuals in the 133-year history of the NRA. LINK
The October, 1980 issue of American Rifleman left no doubt as to where NRA stood on Ronald Reagan: "Very clearly, Governor Reagan -- a long-time member of NRA -- shares our fervent belief in the absolute meaning of the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution: that the Right to Keep and Bear Arms applies to the individual citizen and that it is a right inviolate, which cannot be abridged."
>>>>>Reagan was not only for comprehensive immigration reform, he is the ONLY PRESIDENT IN OUR LIFETIME TO SUPPORT AND SIGN AN AMNESTY BILL.
The IRCA of 1986 was meant to be a one time amnesty deal. Period. Reagan fought for and won severe penalties for employers who hired illegals --- up to a $1,000,000 fine. Once the Democrats took back the Senate in 1987, Ted Kennedy gutted the enforcement provisions and the rest is history. Roughly 2.7 million illegals were effected by the passing of the IRCA of 1986.
IF Reagan was around today, he wouldn't support another comprehensive immigration reform package. Just ask Ed Meese. Reagan didn't make the same mistake twice. Reagan would want to assure the borders were sufficiently secured and employers halted their practice of hiring illegals in direct violation of US law. I'm confident, Reagan would support building a barrier along the border with Mexico to stop most border crossings.
"This bill, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, that I will sign in a few minutes is the most comprehensive reform of our immigration laws since 1952. It's the product of one of the longest and most difficult legislative undertakings in the last three Congresses. Further, it's an excellent example of a truly successful bipartisan effort. The administration and the allies of immigration reform on both sides of the Capitol and both sides of the aisle worked together to accomplish these critically important reforms to control illegal immigration.
"In 1981 this administration asked the Congress to pass a comprehensive legislative package, including employer sanctions, other measures to increase enforcement of the immigration laws, and legalization. The act provides these three essential components. Distance has not discouraged illegal immigration to the United States from all around the globe. The problem of illegal immigration should not, therefore, be seen as a problem between the United States and its neighbors. Our objective is only to establish a reasonable, fair, orderly, and secure system of immigration into this country and not to discriminate in any way against particular nations or people."
"Future generations of Americans will be thankful for our efforts to humanely regain control of our borders and thereby preserve the value of one of the most sacred possessions of our people: American citizenship. "
Yearly membership I suppose. Expires when, Nov 30th 2008? Gee, did he choose American Rifleman, or American Hunter?
I joined up in 87, over 20 years ago, lifetime. As a member of the NRA, he doesn't get my vote.
“I’d prefer Huckabee over Romney. At least, Huckabee could be trusted to nominate judges to the courts. “
I trust Judge Bork’s judgement to go with Romney over anyone who thinks Huckabee is a sane choice on judges. Huckabee’s comments on the constitution have been dangerously ill-informed.
“I am ashamed and embarrassed to be associate with anyone that would support and man with a liberal record that has absolutely no character.”
Well, after tonight’s debate, if I were you, I’d be embarrassed, too. Mitt Romney kicked rear!!! Are you “ashamed and embarrassed” to be associated with Ann Coulter, Tom Tancredo, and a whole host of conservatives who support Mitt Romney?
Yeah, you're right.
Rush Limbaugh, and Ann Coulter, and Judge Robert Bork, and Tom Tancredo, and National Review, and all the rest are just a bunch of fools.
They don't know anything about conservatism or anything.
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