In his own words: Mitt Romney 1.0

Conscience of a Conservatarian ^ | November 11, 2007 | Josh Painter

[Josh Painter]

"My hope is that, after this election, it will be the moderates of both parties who will control the Senate, not the Jesse Helmses." - Source

"In my view, it is not a good idea to go into a [Contract With America] like what was organized by the Republican Party in Washington, laying out a whole series of things which the party said, 'These are the thing's we're going to do.' I think that's a mistake." - Source

"Look, I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I'm not trying to return to Reagan-Bush." - Source

“I remember in my earliest political experience my father fighting to keep the John Birch Society from playing too strong a role in the Republican Party. He walked out of the Republican National Convention in 1964, when Barry Goldwater said, ‘Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.’ Because he saw that as a tacit approval of the effort the John Birch Society was making to influence the Republican Party. I think that extremists who would force their views on the party and try to shape the party are making a mistake." - Source

"We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts. I support them. I won't chip away at them. I believe they help protect us and provide for our safety." - Source

"Deadly assault weapons have no place in Massachusetts. These guns are not made for recreation or self-defense. They are instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people." - Source

"I don't think [The Brady Bill's mandated waiting period] will have a massive effect on crime but I think it will have a positive effect." - Source

"I don't line up with the NRA." - Source

"I've been a hunter pretty much all my life." - Source

"I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. I have, since the time when my mom took that position when she ran in 1970 as a U.S. Senate candidate. I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years, we should sustain and support it. I sustain and support that law and the right of a woman to make that choice." - Source

"I think it would be a positive thing to have women have the choice of taking morning-after pills….I would favor having it available." - Source

"There will be children born to same-sex couples, and adopted by same-sax couples, and I believe that there should be rights and privileges associated with those unions and with the children that are part of those unions." - Source

"All people should be allowed to participate in the Boy Scouts regardless of their sexual orientation." - Source

[Osage Orange]

“I remember in my earliest political experience my father fighting to keep the John Birch Society from playing too strong a role in the Republican Party. He walked out of the Republican National Convention in 1964, when Barry Goldwater said, ‘Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.’

This snippet just cements it for me...cause liberals always screw this quote up...by not quoting the WHOLE THING!!!

The following is the correct way to quote it.

"Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue." --Barry Goldwater

[ReddingNAble]

Thank you for posting this!

[ReddingNAble]

Thank you for posting this!

[kevkrom]

How will Romney supporters defend his own words?

Umm... he has nice hair?

[kevkrom]

Some people would see the job of a politician as finding a group of people whose view reasonably-well match his own, and then--if elected by those people--putting his own view in office. Other people see the politicians' job as finding a group of people whose views are at least somewhat in line with his own, putting forth a collection of views in line with what the people want, and then--if elected--pushing those same views in office that he advocated prior to election.

And then there's the Clinton and Romney types who will just tell everyone what they think the audience wants to hear, and then just do as they damned well please once elected.

[Jim Robinson]

Bump!

[FastCoyote]

“Mitt Romney’s slam against Jesse Helms is beyond the pale. Jesse Helm’s office was the leader in the introduction of new technologies that ushered in the modern era, and the victory in the Cold War. In his memoir, “Day after Roswell” Lt. Jerome Corso, a high level staffer in Helms’ Washington office, detailed how he fed American corporations pieces of Alien hardware recovered at Roswell in 1947. From these seeds sprang lasers, micro circuits, kevlar and much more.
This proves that Mitt is out of the loop, when in comes to inside the beltway skulduggery.”

Actually, Jesse Helms was instrumental in using peep stones he pulled out of a well to translate ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic treatise on advanced lost civilizations here in America. While sitting next to the fire in his toasty magical garmies, Helms often held forth that people on the Star Kolob ruled the universe and would come and save us all from the Commies. Helms was so right about all this, that he became a God with multiple Celestial wives popping out Spirit Children like popcorn.

Oh wait, did I confuse Jesse Helms with Mitt????

[FastCoyote]

[Senator Strom Thurmond, who wrote a glowing introduction for Lt.Col. Philip Corso’s book “The Day After Roswell”, has made a strong statement claiming that he was not informed that the book would be about UFOs, and that he does not believe in UFOs, etc., etc. The publisher has promised to eliminate the introduction from future editions. All this leaves Corso iooking rather ridiculous!.]

[JTC1767]

On the abortion issue, that one is easy. Mitt Romney has said: "I wasn't always a Reagan Republican, but then, neither was Reagan."

Ronald Reagan signed what was then the most liberal abortion bill in the country in 1967. He said years later that he regretted signing the bill and should have vetoed it. Some years later, he changed his mind on abortion and became a strong pro-life president.

At one time Reagan, as you know, was a Democrat and was a big admirer of Harry Truman. He changed course on that, too.

This is by no means intended as a criticism of President Reagan, who I admired very much, but rather to point out that even a Republican icon like Reagan had several changes of heart on his way to becoming one of the most effective leaders this country has known.

Mitt Romney has also changed his position on abortion. The pro life movement is all about "conversion." So when we win a "convert", lets welcome them into the fold!

[AFA-Michigan]

The only thing better than reading Mitt’s words is to watch them come out of his own mouth in his own voice.

For example, here’s the real reason the National Right to Life Committee didn’t endorse Romney...

They remember what he did to the last pro-life group that tried to endorse him, the last time he ran for public office.

Massachusetts Gubernatorial Debate
November 2, 2002

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_w9pquznG4

Watch the whole amazing thing, or to see how he felt about pro-life endorsements in particular, fast forward to 3:45 of the video.

[AFA-Michigan]

And Josh, you’ve only scratched the surface on this guy.

The Great Prevaricator word-tricks even himself!

To paraphrase a well-known Democrat who also used word games to evade telling the truth...

It depends on what your definition of the word “choice” is.

---

Mitt Romney, Fox News Sunday, August 12, 2007:

“I never called myself pro-choice. I never allowed myself to use the word ‘pro-choice,’ because I didn’t feel I was pro-choice. I would protect the law, I said, as it was, but I wasn’t pro-choice.”

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,293017,00.html

Romney, Aug. 5, 2007: “My greatest mistake was when I first ran for office being deeply opposed to abortion but saying I’d support the current law, which was pro-choice and effectively a pro-choice position. That was just wrong.”

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,293017,00.html

Romney, Aug. 6, 2007: “I never said I was pro-choice, but my position was effectively pro-choice.”

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2007-08-05-gop-debate_N.htm

Romney May 2007: “I was effectively pro-choice at that time.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/09/AR2007050902263.html

Romney 2002 gubernatorial campaign interview: “So when asked will I preserve and protect a woman’s right to choose, I make an unequivocal answer: yes.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKwVNUz52vo

Romney 2002 gubernatorial debate: “I will preserve and protect a woman’s right to choose, and have devoted and am dedicated to honoring my word in that regard. ...I’m not going to make any changes that would make it more difficult for a woman to make that choice herself. ...A woman should have the right to make her own choice as to whether or not to have an abortion...I have held that view consistently. ...I do not take the position of a pro-life candidate. I’m in favor of preserving and protecting a woman’s right to choose.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_w9pquznG4

Romney 1994 senatorial debate: “I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. ...I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years, we should sustain and support it, and I sustain and support that law and the right of a woman to make that choice.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9IJUkYUbvI

[Clara Lou]

So when we win a "convert", lets welcome them into the fold!
I have no problem welcoming Romney to conservatism. I do have a problem electing him President, though. Anyone can say anything about themselves, but the proof is in the pudding. Romney's pudding is runny, so far. Maybe it will set in 4 or 8 more years, He doesn't get my vote this time around.

[Clara Lou]

I don’t understand why no Romney fans have addressed your post—a very good one. I suppose that it’s embarrassingly difficult to argue with a candidate’s own words.

[mission9]

I am not in the Mitt Romney campaign because he is the perfect candidate, each candidate has his positives and negatives. One should always choose words carefully, for they may come back to haunt.

I am in this campaign because Mitt holds the largest number of positives.

The biggest positive that a candidate can possess is that he can win. Romney is the only candidate who has promised to run a 50 state campaign against Hillary.

I am in the Romney campaign to hold him accountable to the conservative ideals which he now holds. If he takes a stand opposed to conservative ideals, I will oppose that stand, and still support the man. Who then will he listen to in the time of controversy? His enemies or his supporters? We have all had to eat similar humble pie with our family and friends for George Bush. But what was the alternative? John McCain? Al Gore? John Kerry?

When Mitt wins, the more sane of his opponents will fall in line to defend liberty and capitalism from Democratic encroachments. Who will have more haunting words to eat then? Mitt Romney, or his opponents?

[Clara Lou]

If he takes a stand opposed to conservative ideals,
Of course, if he were going to do that, it would be AFTER the election-- and too late for you react in any way that matters.

[FastCoyote]

[The biggest positive that a candidate can possess is that he can win. Romney is the only candidate who has promised to run a 50 state campaign against Hillary.]

It is clear that while he may win the nomination, he is giving up at the least 3% to 5% of the evangelical vote off the top. He is also giving up a number of votes because he is a RINO. That means he is unelectable in the general.

“I am in the Romney campaign to hold him accountable to the conservative ideals which he now holds.”

That worked so well with Bush, and so well with the RINOs in Congress.

“If he takes a stand opposed to conservative ideals, I will oppose that stand, and still support the man. Who then will he listen to in the time of controversy? His enemies or his supporters?”

Romney is on a God path, why would he listen to anybody? That’s why I will never vote for him.

“We have all had to eat similar humble pie with our family and friends for George Bush. But what was the alternative? John McCain? Al Gore? John Kerry?”

John Kerry or Al Gore would have cured America of liberalism. GW has been an enabler. He did the right thing in Iraq and taxes, but failed on many core values. No do overs for Bush-lite.

“When Mitt wins, the more sane of his opponents will fall in line to defend liberty and capitalism from Democratic encroachments.”

You absolutely do not understand the size of the divide between Christians and Mormons. It’s like trying to shove a watermelon down a goose. You are obviously free to try, but don’t be surprised at the ugly results.

” Who will have more haunting words to eat then? Mitt Romney, or his opponents?”

Anyone who tries to browbeat me into submission to their wacky metaphysical political nightmare does not receive my thanks for offering me stray crumbs for bowing to the yoke.

[mission9]

JUST TO be sure that you are correct in your assessments, and not just obstinate, when will you confront Mitt Romney in person with these weighty arguments? If you don’t then, your arguments are fluff, so please stop repeating them here.

[mission9]

“too late for you react in any way that matters.”

So our opposition to the George Bush shamnesty was not anything that mattered?

[Clara Lou]

There’s nothing you can do after Mitt gives us judicial activists and otherwise non-conservative, Roe v. Wade-friendly judges. (for example)

[aMorePerfectUnion]

BTTT!