Vanity: Team Romney Sabotaged Palin and Continuing to Do So?

vanity ^ | 11-5-08 | Various

[TitansAFC]

Today, Red State ran an article on the origination of nasty lies from within the McCain/Palin camp. They report, Romney staffers now working on the McPalin campaign have been spreading the stories of Palin’s “ineptitude” to the press. Red State and other reporters accuse Romney staffers, including Kevin Madden (former Romney press-man) of pushing reporters into “Troopergate” stories and other possible negative Palin story angles. Palin provides a threat to Romney for a presidential run, but now is not the time for in-party fighting.

American Girl has been very critical of long-time Romney supporter Kathleen Parker (see here and here), a “Republican,” from the National Review for her consistent ridicule of Palin instead of criticising the Democrat ticket. Parker has proven to be a putrid, vile opportunist in this election. Parker has only proven to me that she would stab my dog if it helped her personal interests.

Mitt Romney has an obligation to his party and beliefs to publicly hog-tie Madden, Parker, and his surrogates (I have a list). If Romney fails to reign them in and rehires them for another WH bid, he can count on American Girl fighting hard against his nomination.

This is no threat, but a promise. I will take my money, my volunteers, my time, this blog, and more - and back another candidate. Guaranteed.

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When I was in St. Paul for the Republican Convention, more than a dozen people told me acolytes of Mitt Romney were feeding all the stories to the media portraying Palin in a negative light.

In fact, I heard that one of the biggest pushers of anti-Palin stories, including encouraging reporters to pursue the "Trooper-gate" story was Romney spokesman Kevin Madden.

I did not blog on it at the time because I perceived it to be people trying to finish off Romney. It likewise seemed clear to me that if this was going on, it was people loyal to Romney who were still hoping for his come back and not Romney himself.

These days it is hard to miss Kathleen Parker's savage attacks on Sarah Palin. She, along with several others listed here attacking Sarah Palin were also some of the first pundits in bed with the Romney campaign in 2007/8.

Again, it is hard for me to place the finger on Romney. It seems to me that these are people who are still convinced he's the better nominee and don't want Palin to be in any position to challenge him in 2012.

At this moment, however, it is absolutely clear -- there is an effort, organized or not, by supporters of Mitt Romney to harm the reputation of Governor Sarah Palin.

The American Spectator documented it yesterday.

Former Mitt Romney presidential campaign staffers, some of whom are currently working for Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin's bid for the White House, have been involved in spreading anti-Palin spin to reporters, seeking to diminish her standing after the election. "Sarah Palin is a lightweight, she won't be the first, not even the third, person people will think of when it comes to 2012," says one former Romney aide, now working for McCain-Palin. "The only serious candidate ready to challenge to lead the Republican Party is Mitt Romney. He's in charge on November 5th."

Though I initially dismissed the Kevin Madden rumors, Amanda Carpenter has Kevin in his own words going after Sarah Palin.

And it is not just Madden. It may be hard for you to believe, but there are Romney supporters now working on John McCain's campaign who are, in fact, indisputably out to damage Sarah Palin's reputation. I am not just convinced of it. I know it to be fact. That there are "conservative pundits" echoing the same talking points makes me deeply suspicious.

I agree with Matt Lewis. I doubt Mitt Romney is responsible or encouraging it. In fact, I suspect he'd be extremely disappointed to find this out. Nonetheless, whether organic or organized, it is happening and it deeply worries me that these people now undermining Sarah Palin view Romney as the logical choice to lead the RNC or be the front runner in 2012. You don't get to sabotage your own side and then have your guy be the front runner.

We must remember this. Contrary to the quote in the American Spectator, if November 5th ushers in President-elect Obama, I stand with Sarah.

[PhiKapMom]

Do you know the difference between Romney and Romney paid staff? I know some of his sleezy paid consultants personally and he was advised not to hire them but he did anyway. He knew how sleezy they were as the person they came from recommended they not be hired after they had tanked him.

Time to move on and not support ANY candidate that ran in the primary. We need new blood and these attacks on Sarah are not working with a lot of us. You are going to start seeing more names come out — big mistake!

[redgirlinabluestate]

This is really a bit much. Romney has no say over which pundits support him or hate him or any control over what they say or don't say. He is not the thought police or the speech dictator.

To lump everyone together in a "Team Romney" when most Romney team members supported Gov. Palin wholeheartedly is unfair and painting with far too broad a brush.

Additionally, there is no evidence linking Romney or his people to this campaign infighting which, instead, points to former Bush WH people, Nicolle Wallace and Steve Schmidt. Should we blame Bush for this too then? Team Bush is to blame? That's silly. These people are respsonsible for their own actions regardless of who they worked for in the past.

Nicolle Wallace and Steve Schmidt, the McCain campaign handlers involved in the infighting and leaking, did not work for Romney.

Instead of misdirecting all of this anger towards an innocent person (or his team), we should be trying to find out if Nicolle Wallace's actions were mere negligence or sabotage.

.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2127085/posts

Nicole's Knifework (David Frum Identifies the anti-Palin Leaker)

[GBA]

I hope that someone is keeping a list of the saboteurs. It will be needed for the next few elections...assuming multiple candidate elections are allowed after this last one.

[redgirlinabluestate]

Not to belabor the point since it is not that important, but I wanted to clear up the facts you may not be aware of —— Mitt was only echoing the party line on that. Both McCain and Palin also refused to call Obama a socialist.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/30/obama-not-a-socialist-mcc_n_139294.html

http://thepage.time.com/2008/10/21/palin-on-cnn-tuesday-nbc-wednesday/

[La Enchiladita]

Well stated, redgirl. Let’s get on track with actual names and actual facts rather than the innuendo and far-reaching offered by the Romney-bashers.

This all strikes me as overblown cheap gossip anyway.

[EverOnward]

Kathleen Parker has never been hired by Romney — she’s merely a writer/journalist (and journalists deserve no credibility). So how can you blame Romney for her antics? It’s more than a stretch to implicate Romney had anything to do with bashing Palin — but then distorting truth is rampant of late.

[TradicalRC]

American Girl has been very critical of long-time Romney supporter Kathleen Parker (see here and here),

The Doll/Book company? (See where and where?)

[evad]

Anyway, go Palin/Jindal 2012 because I can’t see liars smear a good man like Romney again.

Good On Ya..the disinformation on this thread is nauseating.

[Rameumptom]

>>>If he can't control his staff, how can he hope to be President?

Madden hasn't been working for him since he dropped out at CPAC right after Super Tuesday. This is akin to the crowd that thinks Dick Cheney is still running Haliburton.

[Rameumptom]

>>I know some of his sleezy paid consultants personally and he was advised not to hire them but he did anyway.

Until we get names, its just rumor mongering. I remembering discussing the possibility of fomer Bush aides before in a thread over a month ago with you. If you produce the actual names it will bolster your argument from just heresay.

I am proud that I voted for Romney in the primaries and Palin in the final vote. Palin won the states Romney won (Alaska, Utah, wyoming, Montana, North Dakota) States that went for McCain or Huck (Iowa, Florida etc) Obama won. The conservative movement needs both Romney and Palin. And a heck of a lot of others.

So many FReepers this go around seemed so intent on tearing each other's candidate down. Most of us would have been happy with Fred, Duncan, Mitt. (The day before super Tuesday 74.9% of Freepers said they supported Mitt) I've openly criticized Huck and McCain (until he got the nod) and even occasionally Keyes and Paul. I have to admit today though that I'd be much happier with a President Paul, Keyes, Tancredo, Gilmore etc. Even President Huck (populism and all) than Pres. Obama.

There isn't just a battle for the soul of the GOP, which is important, but a battle for the soul of America. Though I think there is hope. If even Commufornia can pass Prop 8 (Proud to say my brother in CA worked on it) then there is hope for the US.

[Jane Austen]

It wasn’t Romney people. That is a plain lie. However, they may have had connections to Bush.

[Plutarch]

"Schmidt was importuned by several of the Republican aspirants for president earlier this year. Mitt Romney sent him an antique chair to symbolize a seat at the table."

Would a FR RomneyBOT share with FReeRepublic a picture of that chair your Master sent his minion?

Oooh, you've got Romney now. He sent Schmidt a chair! That proves that it is Romney behind these Palin attacks. What does it matter that Schmidt was actually in the employ of McCain? Romney tried to hire Schmidt a year ago, you see, so Schmidt has been a secret Romney minion.

From your link, it looks like Romney is one of the few that Schmidt is not associated with, but it was Romney that sent him the chair!

Congrats, among the Romney-haters at FR, you are bidding for the tin foil crown.

[Diogenesis]

Romney would have won this election.

Myth Romney: "You will embrace this attack on Gov. Palin and her children using Jindal's, McCain's and Huckabee's names
like our attacks on McCain and Thompson using Huckabee's name. Support it, from our lands in
the north using the fake law enforcement badges we fabricated. I will gain GOP favor by condemning it and
ordering it opposed from our lands in the south with Fox News and the MSM. Whichever way
the tide runs, we will rise."

[Diogenesis]

Romney: “Make all the promises you have to...”

Guilty

[Antoninus]

I think I actually prefer Obama as president to Romney. At least we're sure Obama is our enemy.

Romney needs to be told, politely, to get lost. He is a cancer on the party.

[Antoninus]

This may be disinformation to further fragment the Republican Party.....

Or it may be Mitt Romney acting like Mitt Romney. He leaves destruction in his path. Ask the Mass GOP....

[Diogenesis]

“The Massachusetts Republican Party died last Tuesday.
The cause of death: failed leadership.
The party is survived by a few leftover legislators
and a handful of county officials and grassroots activists
who have been ignored for years.
Services will be public and a mass exodus of taxpayers will follow.
In lieu of flowers, send messages to New Hampshire Republican voters
warning them about a certain presidential candidate named Romney.”
- Boston Herald, 11/12/2006

"In 2006, while Romney was chairman of the National Republican
Governors Association - a group dedicated to electing more
Republican governors - his own hand-picked Republican successor
as governor lost badly to the Democrat, despite the fact that Republicans
have held the governorship in Massachusetts since 1990. Romney largely
ignored the Massachusetts elections and spent most of the time
during the campaign out of state building his presidential campaign.
He came back and publicly campaigned for the Republican candidate
the day before the general election!
“Locally, this is a rebuke to Mitt Romney and checking out within six months
after being elected and having accomplished almost nothing,”
[Jim] Rappaport [former chairman of the state Republican Party]."
- Boston Globe, 11/8/2006

[hunter112]

I know that McCain refused to call a spade a spade, but I do remember hearing Sarah Palin use the word “socialism” several times to describe what an Obama administration would bring. If that is fundamentally different than calling him a socialist, then I stand corrected.

[patriotspride]

” You may also want to consider Nina Easton of Fox Panel. Her husband was a muckity-muck in the Romney campaign. Another one who couldn’t wait to sink her claws into Governor Palin.”

Thanks for that insight. I ws wondering why she turned negative so quickly.

Also interesting election night during the panel discussion to see real fear in her eyes, and her discussion of President Elect Obama. I think it finally sank into her and Juan Williams that we really don’t know who Obama is.

But Yes, we can ....... ( At least we may not hear that again ) as now it time for “ Give me Mine “ which is what his loyal supporter will start to chant......

[patriotspride]

” She was pulled from her element into a media firestorm and delivered almost every single time.
She will grow into handling the media..it’s called lack of inside the beltway experience, it’s not stupidity.”

68 days. That’s all she had on the national scene.

Show me another person who would have accomplished what she did in the same time.

I think she may have made it a closer election head to head with Obama.....

After all to watch the coverage that’s what they tried to do pit her against Obama to cover for Barry’s inexperience.

Guess what it succeeded on two fronts. He was elected, and they got enough damage to offset her in their minds for future elections.