"While Giuliani was ranting at moral decay, his personal life was a shambles. In Giuliani's last year in office, Donna Hanover learned that her husband was divorcing her when he gave a press conference. Giuliani's third wife, Judith Nathan, has provided fodder for the tabloids by wearing a tiara to a charity ball and seeming to enjoy Giuliani's perks and power a little too much."
"Giuliani's loyalty to his last police commissioner, Bernard Kerik, bordered on the blind. The two men had come to know each other when Kerik, acting as an off-duty cop, drove Giuliani during his first mayoral campaign in 1989 (Giuliani lost to Dinkins). Kerik was the sort of diamond in the rough Giuliani appreciated—a tough street cop who got things done. Giuliani has insisted that he did not know about Kerik's questionable dealings with two businessmen with alleged mob connections. City hall records reviewed by NEWSWEEK suggest that the mayor may have been briefed on some of these problems just before Kerik was appointed commissioner. But Giuliani has said he has no memory, and his tight palace guard remains close-mouthed. ("There were mistakes made with Bernie Kerik," Giuliani said earlier this month, adding that Kerik's wrongdoing should not outweigh his crimefighting successes.)"
"Loyalty to Giuliani means staying out of his limelight. Police Commissioner William Bratton discovered that in January 1996, when he made the mistake of posing for the cover of Time magazine in a trench coat to tout New York's astonishing success at fighting crime. Giuliani was not pleased; he ordered city hall's lawyers to start investigating Bratton's expenses, and the commissioner was gone in a couple of months... In truth, both men deserve credit for New York's turnaround. Bratton was a vocal apostle of the "broken window" theory of crime—that small acts of vandalism can create a lawless climate conducive to bigger crimes."
Giuliani endorsed liberal Democrat Mario Cuomo
"There is only one candidate in this race who has actually achieved
health-care reform, and that's Gov. Romney. Mayor Giuliani can only
recite talking points provided to him because he has neither a record
or even a basic understanding of how health care markets work or how
reform is achieved."
Giuliani Falsely Claims That "Violent Crime" Went Up In Massachusetts:
Yesterday, Giuliani Falsely Claimed That "Violent Crime" Went Up In
Massachusetts. "'Gov. Romney did not have a good record in dealing
with violent crime.' Giuliani pulled a sheet of paper out of his
pocket that listed FBI crime statistics for Massachusetts while Romney
was governor. Murders were up 7.5 percent, robbery was up 12 percent,
he said. 'He had an increase in murder and violent crime while he was
governor,' Giuliani said. 'So it's not so much the isolated situation
which he and the judge will have to explain _ he's kind of thrown her
under the bus, so it's hard to know how this is all going to come out.
But the reality is, he did not have a record of reducing violent
crime.'" (Charles Babington, "Romney Calls On Judge He Appointed To
Resign After Washington State Murders," The Associated Press,
11/24/07)
FACT: According To The FBI Statistics, Overall "Violent Crime"
Decreased In Massachusetts Under Governor Romney:
Under Governor Romney, the violent crime rate in Massachusetts
decreased by over 7%. The violent crime rate was lower than the
national average. Prior to Governor Romney, the violent crime rate
was increasing.
Violent Crime Rate Per 100,000 Residents
Massachusetts National Rate
2002 – 484.42002 – 494.4
2003 – 473.12003 – 475.9
2004 – 458.82004 – 463.2
2005 – 4572005 – 469
2006 – 4472006 – 473.5
Source: FBI Crime in the United States Website, "Crime in the United
States, 1987-2006,"
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2006/data/table_01.html, Accessed 10/12/07
FACT: According To FBI Statistics, The Overall Crime Rate Decreased
In Massachusetts Under Governor Romney:
Under Governor Romney, The Overall Crime Rate Fell By 8% Over His Four
Years In Office. "Car thefts and larcenies also were down, in line
with national trends, and helped contribute to an overall 8 percent
decline in crime during Romney's four years, according to the
FBI stats." (Dave Wedge, "Crime Up During Romney Tenure," The Boston
Herald, 9/26/07)
FACT: According To FBI Statistics, Other Crimes Were Down Under
Governor Romney (2002-2006):
Assaults Down 15%. (FBI Crime in the United States Website,
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr, Accessed 10/12/07)
Rape Down 2%. (FBI Crime in the United States Website,
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr, Accessed 10/12/07)
Larceny/Theft Down 6%. (FBI Crime in the United States Website,
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr, Accessed 10/12/07)
Motor Vehicle Theft Down 32%. (FBI Crime in the United States
Website, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr, Accessed 10/12/07)
FACT: This Isn't The First Time Giuliani Has Used "Fuzzy … Math":
ABC News: Giuliani Uses "Fuzzy Healthcare Math" In Radio Ad. "To
hear Rudy Giuliani describe it in his new radio ad, the British
medical system is a scary place. 'My chance of surviving prostate
cancer – and thank God I was cured of it – in the United States: 82
percent,' Giuliani says in a new radio spot airing in New Hampshire.
'My chances of surviving prostate cancer in England: Only 44 percent,
under socialized medicine.' But the data Giuliani cites comes from a
single study published eight years ago by a not-for-profit group, and
is contradicted by official data from the British government.
According to the United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics, for
men diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1999 and 2003, the
'five-year survival rate' – a common measurement in cancer statistics
– was 74.4 percent." (Rick Klein, "Rudy's Fuzzy Healthcare Math," ABC
News, 10/29/07)
The Annenberg Public Policy Center: Giuliani Wrongly Claims He Left A
Budget Surplus. "Giuliani's radio ad also asserts that he 'turned a
2.3 billion deficit into a multibillion-dollar surplus' in New York.
Well, not if you're comparing what he inherited with what he left,
which would be a logical way to look at it. When he took office in
1994, Giuliani was indeed facing a $2.3 billion deficit for the next
fiscal year. But Giuliani's last budget, issued in May 2001 – before
9/11 – for fiscal 2002, projected a deficit of nearly $2.8 billion in
fiscal 2003, the first budget year the new mayor would face. The IBO
estimated the deficit would be even larger, about $3.3 billion."
("Giuliani's Tax Puffery," FactCheck.org Website, www.factcheck.org/,
7/27/07)
The Washington Times: Giuliani Exaggerates Tax Cutting Number. "Mr.
Giuliani repeated his claim that he 'cut taxes 23 times when I was
mayor of New York.' It turns out that many of those cuts were
instigated by Republican Gov. George Pataki and the state legislature.
One of several glaring flaws in Mr. Giuliani's record on taxes was, as
the Club for Growth says, his 1994 'opposition to Republican
[gubernatorial] candidate George Pataki's proposed cut in the state
income tax,' whose rates were among the highest in the country."
(Editorial, "Romney And Giuliani," The Washington Times, 10/14/07)
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GIULIANI'S INCREASINGLY "FUZZY" STATS Giuliani Falsely Claims That "Violent Crime" Went Up In Massachusetts: Yesterday, Giuliani Falsely Claimed That "Violent Crime" Went Up In Massachusetts. "'Gov. Romney did not have a good record in dealing with violent crime.' Giuliani pulled a sheet of paper out of his pocket that listed FBI crime statistics for Massachusetts while Romney was governor. Murders were up 7.5 percent, robbery was up 12 percent, he said. 'He had an increase in murder and violent crime while he was governor,' Giuliani said. 'So it's not so much the isolated situation which he and the judge will have to explain _ he's kind of thrown her under the bus, so it's hard to know how this is all going to come out. But the reality is, he did not have a record of reducing violent crime.'" (Charles Babington, "Romney Calls On Judge He Appointed To Resign After Washington State Murders," The Associated Press , 11/24/07) FACT: According To The FBI Statistics, Overall "Violent Crime" Decreased In Massachusetts Under Governor Romney: Under Governor Romney, the violent crime rate in Massachusetts decreased by over 7%. The violent crime rate was lower than the national average. Prior to Governor Romney, the violent crime rate was increasing.
FACT: According To FBI Statistics, The Overall Crime Rate Decreased In Massachusetts Under Governor Romney: Under Governor Romney, The Overall Crime Rate Fell By 8% Over His Four Years In Office. "Car thefts and larcenies also were down, in line with national trends, and helped contribute to an overall 8 percent decline in crime during Romney's four years, according to the FBI stats." (Dave Wedge, "Crime Up During Romney Tenure," The Boston Herald, 9/26/07) FACT: According To FBI Statistics, Other Crimes Were Down Under Governor Romney (2002-2006):
FACT: This Isn't The First Time Giuliani Has Used "Fuzzy … Math": ABC News: Giuliani Uses "Fuzzy Healthcare Math" In Radio Ad. "To hear Rudy Giuliani describe it in his new radio ad, the British medical system is a scary place. 'My chance of surviving prostate cancer – and thank God I was cured of it – in the United States: 82 percent,' Giuliani says in a new radio spot airing in New Hampshire. 'My chances of surviving prostate cancer in England: Only 44 percent, under socialized medicine.' But the data Giuliani cites comes from a single study published eight years ago by a not-for-profit group, and is contradicted by official data from the British government. According to the United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics, for men diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1999 and 2003, the 'five-year survival rate' – a common measurement in cancer statistics – was 74.4 percent." (Rick Klein, "Rudy's Fuzzy Healthcare Math," ABC News, 10/29/07) The Annenberg Public Policy Center: Giuliani Wrongly Claims He Left A Budget Surplus. "Giuliani's radio ad also asserts that he 'turned a 2.3 billion deficit into a multibillion-dollar surplus' in New York. Well, not if you're comparing what he inherited with what he left, which would be a logical way to look at it. When he took office in 1994, Giuliani was indeed facing a $2.3 billion deficit for the next fiscal year. But Giuliani's last budget, issued in May 2001 – before 9/11 – for fiscal 2002, projected a deficit of nearly $2.8 billion in fiscal 2003, the first budget year the new mayor would face. The IBO estimated the deficit would be even larger, about $3.3 billion." ("Giuliani's Tax Puffery," FactCheck.org Website, www.factcheck.org/, 7/27/07) The Washington Times : Giuliani Exaggerates Tax Cutting Number. "Mr. Giuliani repeated his claim that he 'cut taxes 23 times when I was mayor of New York.' It turns out that many of those cuts were instigated by Republican Gov. George Pataki and the state legislature. One of several glaring flaws in Mr. Giuliani's record on taxes was, as the Club for Growth says, his 1994 'opposition to Republican [gubernatorial] candidate George Pataki's proposed cut in the state income tax,' whose rates were among the highest in the country." (Editorial, "Romney And Giuliani," The Washington Times, 10/14/07)
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Gov. Rod Blagojevich is moving ahead with a broad expansion of state-subsidized health care even though a legislative oversight panel told him "no" last week.
Blagojevich is expanding FamilyCare income eligibility to $82,600 for a family of four to give more people medical coverage. Previously, the income cutoff was $38,202 per year for that same family.
On Tuesday, a legislative rule-making panel voted to block Blagojevich's attempt to enact the health-care expansion. But Abby Ottenhoff, a Blagojevich spokeswoman, insisted the panel is not legally empowered to block the governor's actions.
"[The panel's] role is merely advisory," Ottenhoff wrote in an e-mail response to the Tribune late Friday. "It does not have the constitutional authority to suspend the regulation."
Lawmakers who thought they had blocked the governor last week were caught off guard by Blagojevich's decision to press ahead despite the rejection.
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| Over seas zoos are cooler, because they let you have more of an experience with animals |
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| Walking around a pasture without shoes! Not too smart. |
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| I didn't have dogs growing up but we had a couple of cats |
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| Megan's dog Finley wearing my glasses |
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| James enjoying Finnley's new dog house |
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| Me in my back yard with my cat, about the age that my son is now. She had a great back porch that it lived under. I had a great back yard, and a pasture, and a cool tree near the ditch that I had a tree fort in. I had a telescope and could watch the birds from my tree fort. I think I had the perfect balance of living right on the outskirts of town... Perhaps I'm overly nostalgic about how important it was for me to have unsupervised time outside to just think, and wander along the ditch, and go for walks, away from buildings, and people... I remember going in the winter time, through the snow too... I mean there is nothing that I can point at and say how it has helped me in my life for sure, but I miss it. I miss the time out of time... the time with just the earth, sky, water, plants, and me. I feel guilty living in a neighborhood. for my kids... I wish for them to have the exact childhood I had. It seems weird not being able to go back in time, and bring them up in the same house, and place that I knew... I feel like a stranger in my neighborhood away from my family, and I don't know how to point to the world, and say this is something I understand kids, go enjoy it... I am hear for a job, I got this house, because it had more room than some of the other houses, I don't know any of our neighbors, and I don't really like the cars that drive up the road, and I don't want to let you wander around the neighborhood, but we can do the best we can with this place that is thousand of miles from where I grew up, where your grandparents are from, and hopefully you can make wherever you are feel like home, and hopefully wherever you go you can find people that understand, respect, and make room in their lives for you... |
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Finley was a very good dog, and a great friend for our son
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| Portrait of Steve Irwin with his daughter by Hugh Stewart. He experienced animals in their natural habitat, and gave his family a good life. So great that he took his daughter with him into nature, but let her still be a princess. |
03 Sep 2007 01:59 pm
MILFORD -- After a devastating flood last April, Milford needed a boost, and the Labor Day parade here, one of the oldest in the country, did the trick. There was Barack Obama and his moving rope line greeting students. Mitt Romney pausing to shake hands with firefighters. Chris Dodd holding his beautiful young daughter.
This is a Republican town; no other Republican had a presence here, except for a pair of signing-waving Guiliani backers and a truckload of veterans for McCain. This day, it seems as if his GOP rivals were yielding New Hampshire to him.
Romney, cheerful, suntanned, dressed in a polo shirt, came prepared with a few sound bites for the reporters. At a brief press conference,he teased Ex-Sen. Fred Thompson, who has decided to announce his presidential candidacy one day after an important debate here.
"I guess the only comment I'd make to Fred Thompson is, 'Why the Hurry?' Why not take a little longer to think this over? From my standpoint, if he wants to take 'till January and February, that's ideal."
Romney noted that the rest of the Republican field "would have had five debates without him."
Of this Wednesday's debate, which Thompson will skip, Romney said: "I think it will boost the ratings for the Jay Leno show, but I'd rather be doing well in New Hampshire."
He also tweaked Sen. Hillary Clinton, whose speech yesterday made the newspapers here for her assertion that she'd bring change to the country.
"I have no doubt in my mind that she would do her best to change America, but she would not take us in the direction that would lead to a strong America," he said. "Hillary Clinton: she'd bring change, it would be a sharp left turn..."
Done with the press, Romney walked about 20 yards to his east. There, Barack Obama was greeting a small crowd of wellwishers, mostly high school and college kids wearing "Department of Peace" tee-shirts. A Secret Service agent guarding Obama's rear tried to stop the phalanx consisting of Romney, several camera crews and Romney aides from slipping right behind Obama, but it was to no avail. Romney stuck his head in the camera shot and gave Obama a big "Hello, Senator!" Obama seemed mildly amused. "Well, let's wait until we debate," he said.
Romney jaunted off.
CNN's Candy Crowley asked Obama what he thinks he should do differently to jar Hillary Clinton out of her seeming lead in the state and nationally. (Note: Obama's campaign would dispute the premise). "People know me in terms of my name, but you get a sense that I sort of popped on the scene two years ago, instead of knowing my track record, working as a civil rights lawyer, as a community organizer and a state legislator," he said. "What we're doing is describing to the American people my background, why I think I can bring something new to the American political scene, why it's so important for us not to just change parties in the this election but to change politics in Washington."
You stay up for 16 hours.
He stays up for days on end.
You take a warm shower to help you wake up.
He goes days or weeks without running water.
You complain of a "headache", and call in sick.
He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.
You put on your anti war/ don't support the troops shirt, and go meet
up with your friends.
He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.
You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket.
He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.
You talk trash about your "buddies" that aren't with you.
He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.
You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.
He patrols the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.
You complain about how hot it is.
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.
You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.
He doesn't get to eat today.
Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.
He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean.
You go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.
You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.
He's told he will be held over an extra 2 months.
You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight.
He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.
You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.
He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.
You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if
they'll ever meet
You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and
remembers why he is fighting.
You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him.
He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.
You see only what the media wants you to see.
He sees the broken bodies lying around him.
You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't.
He does exactly what he is told.
You stay at home and watch TV.
He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.
You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable.
He tries to sleep but gets woken by mortars and helicopters all night long.
You sit there and judge him, saying the world is probably a worse
place because of men like him.
If only there were more men like him
If you support your troops, resend this with a "Hooaahhh!"
If you don't support your troops well, then don't resend, it's not
like you know the men and women that are dying to preserve your
rights.
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| Romney unplugged |
| The canned events, dog 'n' pony shows, sound bites and photo-ops — no wonder voters become desperate for authenticity, real emotion, a true look into a would-be president's heart and soul? We turn to candidate debates hoping for a bit of spontaneity. Some candidates oblige with a seemingly spontaneous line. But most often these bloodless affairs are little more than serial press statements hurled at barely related questions, slogans in search of car bumpers. We're left asking what's this or that candidate really like when the tape's not on — or when he thinks it's not on. How does he or she react in unplanned or uncomfortable situations? We came close to seeing that last week in Iowa with a candidate in need of letting down his perfect hair on an issue he has every right to vent on. Enter Mitt Romney into a cramped studio in Dowling. He was there for a sit-down with talk-radio host Jan Mickelson. Romney has two problems as a candidate. One is that he's almost too perfect. He has a stellar resume, a storybook family, movie-star looks and no hint of scandal. He speaks in crafted paragraphs and conducts himself with cheer and decency. But even if you're an admirer, you still ask: Is this guy for real? His second problem is he's a Mormon. Some think that matters. I don't. His character, ethics and views on public issues should matter; his Mormonism should be no more significant than other candidates' religious views — but Mickelson and others do. Not only did he want to talk about Romney's religion, but also this non-Mormon was soon telling Romney that he didn't understand his own church's strict views on abortion. "You happen to be incorrect on this," Romney said before adding, "I'm not here to discuss a religion or discuss the principles of a religion." That was while they were on the air. The earphones came off at the break, but the talk continued — and Romney was being taped on the radio studio's video cameras. The host began by telling the candidate he was making a big mistake "distancing yourself from your faith." It was too much for Romney. The prominent jaw jutted even farther, and there was a hint of anger in his eyes. "I'm not distancing myself from my faith," he shoots back. "I'm proud of my faith." Romney attempting to tell Mickelson there was a critical difference between running for pastor or pope or rabbi and running for president. Still off the air, Mickelson returned to instructing Romney on Mormon doctrine. What ensued was a real-time, unscripted scrap and peek into the real Romney. (See the whole thing at www.youtube.com.) The GOP candidate was clearly irked. He asked Mickelson to grant that I might "understand my faith better than you do." Mickelson wouldn't do that. "Well, then it's hardly worth having a discussion," Romney shot back, waving him off. After a short return to the air to bid Romney farewell, Mickelson told Romney he'd like him to come back to expand on these issues. Don't bet on that. "I'm not running as a Mormon, and I get a little tired of coming on a show like yours and having it all about Mormon . . .," Romney said. "I'm not running to talk about Mormonism." Exactly. Romney's obliged to clear up any confusion or misinformation about what impact his faith has on his political views. That's a legitimate area of inquiry, and it's politically prudent for Romney to address this. But he's right to take sharp exception to efforts to engage him on the particulars of the Mormon faith. That is, unless we're going to ask Catholic presidential candidates to debate the Immaculate Conception, Jews to discourse on the Levitican code or Protestants to pontificate on the Reformation. What's was most telling about the dust-up, however, was what it revealed about Romney. There was the decency, restraint, verbal skill, steadiness and humility — "I've made other mistakes," he said when telling Mickelson he's been a faithful Mormon on abortion. But there was also a reassuring intensity, scrappiness and measured anger. Romney was not going to play patty-cake to get along at all cost. The real unscripted Romney turned out to be just like the real scripted Romney — only not too perfect. Perfect. |
-President Ronald Reagan
"If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under." - Ronald Reagan
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President Reagan's son Michael Reagan appeared on Your World with Neil Cavuto recently to talk about the '08 presidential election. He took issue with people comparing former Senator Fred Thompson to his father. He said: When you went to a Ronald Reagan speech, and you listened to it, if you listened to one of them or all of them, you always felt the speech he just got done giving was the greatest speech he had ever given. And you would follow him to the moon if he'd have led you there after the speech – and I'm not seeing that in Fred Thompson at all. I see no call.Reagan, who claims not to have a "horse " in this race, says, "I think the lower-tier that nobody gives any credit to, the Huckabees the Hunters – I think they offer something."
"It is my duty to let you know that Linda Rozett is no longer with our committee," wrote campaign manager Bill Lacy. "I will have to make a lot of tough decisions to make our venture successful, and this was one of them. Linda is a talented, professional and gracious lady who will be missed."
He added: "But in the limited amount of time we have I feel it critical to have a communications point person with significant campaign experience."
Rozett's departure follows that of press secretary Burson Snyder last week.
"In April 2006, Massachusetts passed historic legislation aiming to increase dramatically the number of people covered by health insurance. While only in effect since July 2007, the early signs are encouraging. More people are signing up for affordable private insurance plans. Massachusetts is leading the way in the effort to provide all citizens the opportunity to purchase affordable health insurance. This landmark achievement is due in no small part to Governor Mitt Romney and his strong leadership, working in cooperation with the legislature.
"Fewer Republican presidential candidates are better prepared to meet our nation's health care challenge than Governor Romney. Health care is a complex issue and tackling it is no easy task, as politicians from across the country have discovered. Yet, Governor Romney brought together all sides to find a solution that at its heart advances individual choice and responsibility, and free-market principles.
"Under Governor Romney's plan in Massachusetts, state citizens are empowered to enter the private market and obtain their own health insurance. Personal responsibility is the defining principle of his plan. To facilitate movement towards a free-market, Governor Romney's reforms created a new insurance marketplace and provide subsidies to lower-income state citizens to obtain their own private plan."
...
"Beyond this, Governor Romney took additional steps to limit government's role in health care. He vetoed a Democrat proposed $295 per employee fee for businesses that fail to offer insurance. While the State Legislature did not adopt all of Governor Romney's free-market proposals, he did make progress in helping insurers create lower-cost plans by modernizing our insurance markets."
...
"At the heart of Governor Romney's plan in Massachusetts is a core belief that the solution to the challenge of reforming the health care system lies in private market solutions. What we have done in Massachusetts is unleash the power of competition. For the first time, many Massachusetts citizens are buying their own health care plans. This was achieved not by putting the government in the health care business but instead by empowering individuals."
Tim Murphy is the former Massachusetts Health And Human Services Secretary
Sometimes I feel like we are playing whack-a-mole (you know, the carnival arcade game) with the whole "Mitt's a flip-flopper" meme in the MSM (and from rival campaigns).
The latest concerns some comments Mitt made recently about overturning RvW and giving the Abortion decision back to the states and how that might be inconsistent with supporting the GOP platform advocating a Human Life Amendment.
Having followed Mitt closely, I think it's clear that these are not mutually exclusive, but rather two phases of a long-term change effort. Rather than just give you my opinion, however, I'll let a couple well known right-wing bloggers weigh in more eloquently.
Marc Ambinder of the Atlantic states it well:
"Mitt Romney is simply struggling to explain the Republican Party's conventional pro-life position. Which is: overturn Roe v. Wade. And then, slowly build up public support for a constitutional amendment banning abortions. ETA: 30 years or more.
This is not a flip-flop.
The reason why Romney is struggling to explain the complicated two-step is that he is relatively new to the dance. Pro-life activists who have been in the trenches for years are very comfortable with the nuance and subtlely of their beliefs and know how to translate them into morsels for the media's consumption. This measured, incremental approach — relatively new to the movement — has been successful in many ways."
Next, here's Kathryn Jean Lopez of National Review:
"I know it's cool on all sides not to trust Romney, but this strikes me as no there there, despite the reporter's contention otherwise. He supports a human life amendment but lives in the incremental real world. If Roe is overturned, states will take up the issue. If Roe is overturned, it would be helpful to have a president who supports a federal ban, and who will presumably support those trying to ban abortion in their states (something worth hearing him make clear he would). Romney's position makes sense to me.
Sorry, no "waffle."
A pro-life, pro-Romney friend on the Hill sends me this:
The piece this morning is a regurgitated hit piece. The same "hit" took place on August 6 when Mitt appeared on GMA. Romney's position is quite simple: Romney says, "I am pro-life, I support a ban on all-abortions, but since that doesn't seem likely to pass, our immediate goal must be to overturn Roe V Wade and return the law to the states."
Neither of these folks is particularly known as a Romney apologist…they seem to be very fair analyses of what's going on here.
The MSM is what it is…I'm not expecting much from them. For the rival campaigns, however, my question is why don't they try differentiating themselves with positive messages regarding their competence, experience, track-record of results, etc. instead of demonstrating how intolerant the Right can be for folks who come around to our pro-life position (better late than never).
Perhaps if those things were the primary criteria for President, Mitt would clean their clocks?
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