Transforming Debate for Inclusive and Impactful Participation Objective: To empower thousands—or even millions—to contribute meaningfully to debates by leveraging structured organization and robust evaluation criteria. Together, we can ensure every voice is heard and every idea is thoughtfully considered.
By Matthew Rees
Friday, December 01, 2006
Mitt Romney, Massachusetts governor and Olympics savior, aspires to the White House. What does his background as a Bain consultant and hyper-successful venture capitalist tell us about how he'll perform? MATTHEW REES has the answers.
Click here for the full article:
and some of the most clever Romney art to date:
The episode highlights what would become the defining characteristic of Romney's career as a venture capitalist—and later as a government executive. He was willing to pursue—and analyze—data that others wouldn't bother to chase down. His dogged persistence paid off. During the 14 years Romney headed Bain Capital, the firm's average annual internal rate of return on realized investments was a staggering 113 percent. At that growth rate, a hypothetical $1,000 investment would grow to $39.6 million before fees. Few, if any, VC firms have ever matched Bain Capital's performance under Mitt Romney.
This article is one of the best 5 articles on about Romney. I consider myself an expert, but there were major things about Romney that I had not yet known in this Article.
I like the story were:
True to form, Romney became deeply immersed in crafting the health-care proposal. Moffit recalls that when he was asked to brief Romney, he found the tables turned. Romney was the one who gave Moffit the comprehensive PowerPoint presentation. "In 25 years of briefing elected officials and senior government executives, this was the first time I was the one who got briefed," Moffit says. "It was like being in a private class with a very high-energy professor, and Romney was the professor and I was the student."
I think that it is pathetic that "22 percent said they would not vote for an evangelical Christian; 14 percent would not support a Jewish candidate; and 9 percent, a Catholic candidate."
~~~Mike
Romney gets snickers, raves from Beijing college students Boston Globe, United States - 21 hours ago By Jehangir S. Pocha. BEIJING — Governor Mitt Romney's weeklong trip to Asia took him to the renowned Tsinghua University here ... |
Romney gets mixed reaction in China Eyewitness News, RI - 7 hours ago BOSTON Governor Mitt Romney is getting a mixed reaction from Chinese university students as he wraps up his week-long trip to Asia. ... |
Romney tries political hand in China Boston Globe, United States - 16 hours ago By Jehangir S. Pocha, Globe Correspondent | December 9, 2006. BEIJING -- Governor Mitt Romney's weeklong trip to Asia took him to ... |
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Email and call your Senators to support Abstinence Education funding.
The federal funding for "Title V" Abstinence Education is set to expire by the end of the year. Title V provides a crucial source of public funds for abstinence programs across the country.
A 2005 study confirmed the effectiveness of these programs in changing atitudes towards sexual behavior among teens. As Bridget Maher of FRC points out:
Compared to their peers in a control group, teens who participated in abstinence programs had an increased understanding of the negative consequences of unwed sex. Also, the students viewed abstinence more favorably and unwed sex more negatively.
Recent statistics indicate that teen sexual activity is declining from its peak in the 1990s. However, the distinct rise in explicit media does not bode well for sustaining this trend. As the internet gives teenagers unfettered access to obscenity, it is important that we provide an alternative message of sexual responsibility and personal integrity.
A 2004 study published in Pediatrics definitively showed that teens exposed to sexual content on television were twice as likely to experiment with sex than those who avoided such media. Abstinence education in the public schools gives our children the skills and tools they need. Tell your Senator you support this important legislation.
On June 2, 2006, Romney sent a letter to each member of the U.S. Senate urging them to vote in favor of the Marriage Protection Amendment .[61] In the letter, Romney stated that the debate over same-sex unions is not a discussion about "tolerance," but rather a "debate about the purpose of the institution of marriage." Romney wrote that "Attaching the word marriage to the association of same-sex individuals mistakenly presumes that marriage is principally a matter of adult benefits and adult rights. In fact, marriage is principally about the nurturing and development of children. And the successful development of children is critical to the preservation and success of our nation."
Romney's letter was his second attempt to persuade the U.S. Senate to pass the Marriage Protection Amendment. On June 22, 2004 he testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, urging its members to protect the traditional definition of marriage. "Marriage is not an evolving paradigm," said Romney, "but is a fundamental and universal social institution that bears a real and substantial relation to the public health, safety, morals, and general welfare of all of the people of Massachusetts." [62]
Romney was heavily involved in attempts to block implementation of the decision of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court that legalized same-sex marriage in 2003. Romney criticized the decision as harming the rights of children: {{cquote|They viewed marriage as an institution principally designed for adults. Adults are who they saw. Adults stood before them in the courtroom. And so they thought of adult rights, equal rights for adults…Marriage is also for children. In fact, marriage is principally for the nurturing and development of children. The children of America have the right to have a father and a mother." [60]
In 2004, the Massachusetts General Court attempted to address the issue of gay marriage before the implementation of the Goodridge decision. During a constitutional convention, the heavily Democratic legislature approved an amendment that would have banned gay marriage, but established civil unions. An initial amendment offered by House Speaker Thomas Finnernan that would have simply banned gay marriage without a provision for civil unions was narrowly defeated. [63]The compromise amendment needed to be approved in a second constitutional convention to be held a year later before it would have appeared on a state election ballot. The amendment was voted down in the subsequent convention and never made it before the voters of Massachusetts. [64]
Romney reluctantly backed the compromise amendment, viewing it as the only feasible way to ban gay marriage in Massachusetts. "If the question is, 'Do you support gay marriage or civil unions?' I'd say neither," Romney said of the amendment. "If they said you have to have one or the other, that Massachusetts is going to have one or the other, then I'd rather have civil unions than gay marriage. But I'd rather have neither." [65]
In June 2005, Romney abandoned his support for the compromise amendment, claiming that the amendment confused voters who oppose both gay marriage and civil unions. The amendment was defeated in the General Court in 2005 when both supporters of same-sex marriage and opponents of civil unions voted against it. In June 2005, Romney endorsed a petition effort led by the Coalition for Marriage & Family that would ban gay marriage and make no provisions for civil unions. [66] Backed by the signatures of 170,000 massachusetts residents the new amendment was certified as a valid referendum on September 7, 2005 by Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas Reilly. [67] The measure needs the approval of 50 legislators in two consecutive sessions of the Massachusetts General Court to be placed on the ballot.[68] The Massachusetts legislature however declined to vote on the initiative in two consecutive sessions held on July 12, 2006 and November 9, 2006. [69]
The Romney Administration resurrected the "1913 law," which prohibits non-residents from marrying in Massachusetts if the marriage would be void in their home state; the law had not been enforced for several decades. While some legal experts have argued that the original purpose of the legislation was to block interracial marriages and have noted that the law was enacted at the height of public scandal over black heavyweight boxer Jack Johnson's interracial marriages,[70] Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas Reilly has stated that the law had nothing to do with race. [71] In March of 2006 the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court declared the statute legal under the state's constitution. [4] Romney applauded the decision, saying that the "ruling is an important victory for traditional marriage." He also stated that "It would have been wrong for the Supreme Judicial Court to impose its mistaken view of marriage on the rest of the country. The continuing threat of the judicial redefinition of marriage, here and in several other states, is why I believe that the best and most reliable way to preserve the institution of marriage is to pass an amendment to the U.S. Constitution." [5]
When he ran for governor in 2002, Romney declared his opposition to both same-sex marriage and civil unions. [6] "Call me old fashioned, but I don't support gay marriage nor do I support civil union," said Romney in an October 2002 gubernatorial debate. He also voiced support for basic domestic partnership benefits for gay couples. Romney told the Log Cabin Club of Massachusetts (a Republican gay-rights group) that he did not support same-sex marriage or civil unions, but would fight discrimination against gays and lesbians. [7] He also opposed an amendment, then before the General Court, that would have banned same-sex marriage and outlawed all domestic partnership benefits for gay couples. As a result, the Log Cabin Club endorsed Romney in the gubernatorial election. [8]. When campaigning in 2002, Romney's stated position was that "all citizens deserve equal rights, regardless of sexual orientation" and that "homosexuals should have the right to a domestic partnership status that affords them the potential for health benefits and rights of survivorship." [9]
During his 1994 campaign against Senator Edward Kennedy, Romney said that same-sex marriage "is not appropriate at this time" [72] but supported Federal legislation that would prohibit discrimination in the workplace against homosexuals. [73]
There, is a new development at this site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Mitt_Romney
"After noticing that Students Against Mitt was removed as "inappropriate", I just removed all these unofficial, pro-Romney sites (see below). I may be wrong, but they appear to violate WP:EL, as well as WP:NPOV#Undue weight. schi talk 23:10, 5 December 2006 (UTC)"
Romney Sites - National
Romney Sites - By State
Romney Sites - By Organization
When he ran for governor in 2002, Romney declared his opposition to both same-sex marriage and civil unions. [34] "Call me old fashioned, but I don't support gay marriage nor do I support civil union," said Romney in an October 2002 gubernatorial debate. He also voiced support for basic domestic partnership benefits for gay couples. Romney told the Log Cabin Club of Massachusetts (a Republican gay-rights group) that he did not support same-sex marriage or civil unions, but would fight discrimination against gays and lesbians. [35] He also opposed an amendment, then before the General Court, that would have banned same-sex marriage and outlawed all domestic partnership benefits for gay couples. As a result, the Log Cabin Club endorsed Romney in the gubernatorial election. [36]. When campaigning in 2002, Romney's stated position was that "all citizens deserve equal rights, regardless of sexual orientation" and that "homosexuals should have the right to a domestic partnership status that affords them the potential for health benefits and rights of survivorship." [37]
I am discipointed that you would misscharacterize Romney's record.
Your conclusion is not only stupid, it is not honest: "But that's Willard Romney: He could have been an exceptional, ideologically independent governor, just as he could have been the real-deal conservative he now appears to be. It's just a pity that he didn't pick one face and stick with it. "
You prove that you are not ideologically independent writer, but choose to call someone a flip flop, even when their positions have never changed.
By Michael Levenson and Jonathan Saltzman, Globe Staff | December 3, 2006
Governor Mitt Romney has reached an agreement with federal authorities that allows the Massachusetts State Police to arrest immigrants who are in the state illegally, his spokesman said.
Currently, state troopers have no power to detain people for violations of their immigration status alone, said the spokesman, Eric Fehrnstrom. If troopers stop people who they suspect are illegal immigrants, they can call a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Vermont to check on their status and detain them if federal officials request it, he said.
Under the deal, brokered after months of negotiations, troopers can detain people they determine are illegal immigrants during regular police duties, Fehrnstrom said. This authority will be given to two dozen or three dozen troopers who undergo 4 1/2 weeks of training in immigration laws, civil rights, and ways to avoid racial profiling, he said. The troopers will probably be members of special units that pursue violent fugitives or combat street gangs.
Ferhnstrom said the troopers would not go on patrols aimed at rounding up illegal immigrants. But they will be able to arrest, for example, a motorist they stop for a broken tail light if they determine the motorist has violated immigration law. Fehrnstrom, speaking Friday, said the pact would be announced publicly this week. He declined to provide more details yesterday.
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Recently Governor Mitt Romney and the Commonwealth PAC welcomed several top supporters to Boston. In an effort to thank those who have been supportive of Romney and the efforts of the Commonwealth PAC over the last year, the group gathered for dinner. During the event, the results of the mid-term elections were discussed as well as how the Republican Party can move forward.
Some of those in attendance included Eric Tanenblatt (Bush Ranger and Georgia Chair), Peter Karmanos (President and CEO of Compuware), Nancy Coverdell (wife of late U.S. Senator Paul Coverdell of Georgia), Meg Whitman (President and CEO of Ebay), Gary Hunt (Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger's Finance Chair), Dave Phillips (President Bush's North Carolina Finance Chair and Bush Ranger) and Dick Williams (Founder of President Bush's Mavericks Program).
Wouldn't that be cool if Meg Whitman ran as VP? Maybe it is not very well thought out, but it would propose a great alternative to Hillary. Here is someone who made it big on her own, with out following the coat tails of a creep of a husband...
Whitman began her working career at Procter & Gamble from 1979 to 1981, when she built her experience in brand management. She then spent eight years working for the consulting firm Bain and Company, eventually becoming a vice-president.
Did Romney and her work together? Wasn't Romney also vise-president? Romney's not worth a Billion is he? No. Does anyone else think she would be good? Is she interested in policy? She is a great manager, or you would assume she is...
What do you guys think?"Greg Mankiw's Blog: Random Observations for Students of Economics"
Greg Mankiw is advising Mitt Romney on Economic issues, for those of you who have an interest in economics.
Please look around, before you comment. From what I understand his readers want to keep the discussion focused on Economics, and not politics.
So if you are interested in Economics, check it out here.
Also stop by to learn a little more about Glen Hubbard here.
Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! You have got to watch this video!
~~~Mike
People keep saying that Mitt Romney is a Bigot or a Homophobe, but they don't say why. They never give quotes or example of things that he has done that were bigoted or homophobic.
Here is a good example.
Romney has said:
"This is a subject about which people have tender emotions in part because it touches individual lives. It also has been misused by some as a means to promote intolerance and prejudice. This is a time when we must fight hate and bigotry, when we must root out prejudice, when we must learn to accept people who are different from one another. Like me, the great majority of Americans wish both to preserve the traditional definition of marriage and to oppose bias and intolerance directed towards gays and lesbians."
- Governor Mitt Romney, 06-22-2004 Press Release
Then the other side keeps saying that he won't stand up for traditional marriage, and that his position has changed as he has started his run for president. These people are not very interested in truth. Romney's position has been the same from the beginning. When he ran for governor in 2002, Romney declared his opposition to both same-sex marriage and civil unions. "Call me old fashioned, but I don't support gay marriage nor do I support civil union," said Romney in an October 2002 gubernatorial debate.
He did not change his position because he wanted to be president. His position has always been the same. People on both sides are going to beat up on him. People on the right will hate Romney because he acknowledges that there is some bigotry towards gays, and because he calls for equal treatment. People on the left will call him a fascist because he puts the desires of children to have a mother and a father above the rights of adults. Both sides are wrong.