Governor Mitt Romney traveled to South Carolina to share breakfast with campaign supporters at Sunset Grill in West Columbia, meet with business leaders at Hudson's Smokehouse in Lexington and announce the support of Lieutenant General Claudius "Bud" Elmer Watts III and Brigadier General Thomas R. Mikolajcik at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant. Romney finished they day by speaking at the Charleston County GOP Convention.
http://myclob.pbwiki.com/South-Carolina
I was listening to Michael Savage talk aobut the need for better mental health care, in relation to what has happened with this Cho. Cho was ruled Mentally ill by court; but let go after a hospital visit. It seems to me that we don't want to tell anyone that there is anything wrong with them. Like we don't want to hurt their feelings...
Apparently Virginia Tech knew he had health problems, but didn't tell his room-mate!
I have an adopted brother who is homeless in LA who has schizophrenia. The issue of mental health care means a lot to me. My brother was told by a psychologist that he had schizophrenia, while he was living with my parents. My parents tried for years to figure out what was wrong with him, and this information from the psycologist would have helped.
Hillary is right. It does take a village or community. I'm glad their was a professional psychologist. Romney is also right. It takes a family. My parents can not take care of my brother. They are 72 years old. They need help, but they need to be included. I wish that this psychologist had worked better with my parents. I wish Cho's psychologist, who said that he was mentally ill, had worked better to protect the community from him.
The problem is that no one seems to look at our institutions holistically. That, I guess, is the lesson learned from Thomas P. Barnett's, The Pentagon's New Map. That is also what Mitt Romney is trying to get to when he says; " Goldwater-Nichols Act removed barriers to unify efforts across the services. This included establishing "joint commands ".
The whole system needs a stem-to-stern review.
Those who have read his book turnaround, or witnessed him first hand at the 2002 winter olympics, can't help but support Romney, because of the wholistic approach that he brings to problem solving.
Do you see a pattern from the following statement?
Too often we struggle to integrate our military and civilian instruments of national power into coherent, timely and effective operations. When facing the need to strengthen the democratic underpinnings of a country like Lebanon, our education, health, banking, energy, commerce, law enforcement and diplomatic resources are in separate bureaucracies, all under separate leadership, all protecting their own powers and their own prerogatives. So while we watched, Hezbollah brought healthcare and schools to the Lebanese. Guess who the people followed when conflict ensued? The same thing happened with Hamas and the Palestinians.
What does any of this have to do with Cho or my brother?
Read the following:
"As the Haleigh Poutre case demonstrates, errors in human judgment occur. What is unusual is how many people involved in Haleigh's care – medical professionals, case workers and administrators from many disciplines – made errors. I welcome new systems and processes that will identify and guard against circumstances where human error may have severe consequences."
Governr Mitt Romney, 03-21-2006 Press Release
Do you see the similarities? It's not a specific healthcare, military, or mental health problem. There is a problem with everything. Everything in America is a beurocratic nightmare where "administrators from many disciplines – made errors. [Romney] welcome new systems and processes that will identify and guard against circumstances where human error may have severe consequences."
No one seems to understand this or point it out. They would rather talk about Romney's positions in his church as a former CEO of a STRATIGIC BUSINESS CONSULTING FIRM, THAT CHARGED OTHER BUSINESSES MONEY TO TELL THEM WHAT TO DO. ROMNEY WAS A CEO FOR A COMPANY THAT FIXED OTHER COMPANIES. HE IS Winston 'The Wolf' Wolfe FROM PULP FICTION.
The Wolf: You're... Jimmie, right? This is your house?
Jimmie: Sure is.
The Wolf: I'm Winston Wolfe. I solve problems.
and
The Wolf: Jimmie, lead the way. Boys, get to work.
Vincent: A please would be nice.
The Wolf: Come again?
Vincent: I said a please would be nice.
The Wolf: Get it straight buster - I'm not here to say please, I'm here to tell you what to do and if self-preservation is an instinct you possess you'd better f----- do it and do it quick! I'm here to help - if my help's not appreciated then lotsa luck, gentlemen.
Jules: No, Mr. Wolf, it ain't like that...
Vincent: I don't mean any disrespect, I just don't like people barking orders at me.
The Wolf: If I'm curt with you it's because time is a factor. I think fast, I talk fast and I need you guys to act fast if you wanna get out of this. So, pretty please... with sugar on top. Clean the car!
Well, Romney is a little nicer.
It seems that the psychologist who worked with my brother viewed my parents as an enemy, but not a partner. Oh! But they are adults! We can't violate their privacy, or their rights!
If my crazy brother wants to live on the streets, we have to let him! If Cho, or others who have been ruled, "mentally ill" wants to get degrees in our schools, we have to let them!
My parents could have helped my brother a lot more, if it wasn't for patient-client privilege.
I was a life guard (click for picture) on a lake for 3 summers. You had to pass a swimmer's test in order to go into the swimmers area (click link for picture). Those who do not have the ability to survive in the swimmer's area, and those who cannot function in today's society, should not be treated as though they can. It would be wrong of me to let non-swimmers into the deep portion of the lake. Cho was a non swimmer. It was wrong to pretend that he was OK. It was wrong to tell him, that I'm OK, your OK, we are all OK. It was wrong to say that he should be treated the same as everyone else, just as it is wrong for me to let non swimmer go to the middle of the lake.
This from Romneym about 1 year ago:
"As the Haleigh Poutre case demonstrates, errors in human judgment occur. What is unusual is how many people involved in Haleigh's care – medical professionals, case workers and administrators from many disciplines – made errors. I welcome new systems and processes that will identify and guard against circumstances where human error may have severe consequences."
Governr Mitt Romney, 03-21-2006 Press Release
"A tragic crisis shone a spotlight last year on the operations and culture of the Department of Correction. This group of experts worked long and hard to identify areas of weakness in our state prison network. Their conclusion is clear: It is time to correct our system of correction."
Governor Mitt Romney, 06-30-2004 Press Release
Accepting the commission's report at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center
2003
04-18-2003; Governor Mitt Romney names dr. Childs mental health commissioner
02-14-2003; ROMNEY ANNOUNCES COMMISSION TO PREVENT HOMELESSNESS; Tasked with coordinating state services to homeless
02-24-2003; ROMNEY ANNOUNCES HHS REORGANIZATION AS PART OF BUDGET; Plan closes more than 30 under-utilized local offices, achieves $90 million in savings
03-10-2003; HHS CONSOLIDATIONS TO SAVE MILLIONS AND IMPROVE SERVICE; Closing 36 underutilized offices will save the state $2.3 million in FY04
08-01-2003; ROMNEY ANNOUNCES $8.9 MILLION TO CREATE 825 MORE HOMES
2004
09-15-2004; ROMNEY CREATES ADVISORY COUNCIL ON CORRECTIONS REFORM
06-30-2004; HARSHBARGER COMMISSION RECOMMENDS BLUEPRINT FOR REFORM
2005
02-14-2005; LT. GOV. HEALEY FILES BILL TO MANDATE POST-RELEASE SUPERVISION; Move will cut down on recidivism among former inmates
2006
04-13-2006; HEALEY ANNOUNCES MASSACHUSETTS' FIRST RECOVERY HIGH SCHOOL
03-21-2006; Poutre Panel Recommends Reforms in Child Welfare System
~ Mike
Is it true that the mentally ill will no longer receive MassHealth coverage for psychiatric services? No. While psychiatric day treatment coverage has been eliminated, MassHealth clients will continue to receive coverage for medically necessary outpatient mental health services. These services include individual, group and family therapy, medication evaluation and management, psychiatric emergency services and inpatient psychiatric services. In addition, the Department of Mental Health is reviewing the list of people who had received psychiatric day treatment services to determine how many are DMH clients and whether they are eligible for DMH-funded day rehabilitation and support programs.
Romney's actions with regard to Mental Health
According to his 2002 gubernatorial campaign, Romney "is a supporter of the federal assault weapons ban. Mitt also believes in the rights of those who hunt to responsibly own and use firearms." July 1st, 2002 Mitt Romney signed a permanent ban on Assault Weapons. "Deadly assault weapons have no place in Massachusetts," Romney said, at a bill signing ceremony with legislators, sportsmen's groups and gun safety advocates. "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."
Governor Romney Helped Simplify And Clarify Massachusetts' Gun Laws For Gun Owners:
Also, in 2005, Romney designated May 7 as "The Right to Bear Arms Day" in Massachusetts to honor "the right of decent, law-abiding citizens to own and use firearms in defense of their families, persons, and property and for all lawful purposes, including the common defense."
In 2002, even as he was pledging to uphold the state's strong gun laws, Romney still garnered a "B" grade from the NRA.
Couple of excerpts:
"Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has announced his candidacy for president, and I support him because he is someone who has a record of standing up for the rights of ordinary Americans – people who are starting a business, looking for a job, building a family, and enjoying the freedoms guaranteed to them by the U.S. Constitution.
"Those freedoms are under constant attack, and perhaps none is more threatened than the rights guaranteed to us by the Second Amendment: The right to bear arms.
"Romney understands that this right can be abridged in multiple ways – gun laws can be written poorly, giving desk-based bureaucrats the ability to take away a gun license from a law-abiding individual."
"How do I know Romney understands these things? Because I've studied his record – and it's impressive. As governor, he took real, meaningful steps to affirm our right to bear arms.
"Romney has shown that he is willing to confront the jumble of state gun laws in Boston – and if he can do that with an 85 percent Democratic legislature in one of the most liberal states in the country, think what he could do in Washington with a more supportive base in Congress.
"In 2004, Romney signed a sweeping reform of Massachusetts' gun laws that made the state's gun laws far less onerous for sportsmen."
"And then in 2005, Romney supported and signed into law legislation that clarified the definition of a loaded muzzleloader, so that hunters would understand exactly the safety precautions expected of them."
"Fact is, if Romney just talked about his support for the Second Amendment and the rights of gun owners, that would be welcome. But Romney has been doing more than talking – he has been taking action for several years, and his approach would be a welcome addition to the gun debates in Washington, D.C."
In Romney's book Turnaround he said of his campaign with Ted Kennedy that, "Ideas I brought forward were dissected and distorted to their illogical extreme."
Romney was disappointed that he had failed to "…raise new ideas for government, help rebuild a disappearing second party, and stand for something bigger than self interest… the campaign had been about charges and misperceptions, not ideas and ideals."
Romney has said; "America cannot continue to lead the family of nations around the world if we suffer the collapse of the family here at home."
If you want to know what Mitt Romney thinks about the family read the following links:
Press Releases from Governor Mitt Romney on the Family.
2003
01-21-2004, ROMNEY DETAILS MANDATORY PARENTAL PREP PLAN
02-11-2004, ROMNEY STATEMENT REGARDING CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
02-24-2004, STATEMENT OF GOVERNOR ROMNEY ON THE FEDERAL MARRIAGE AMENDMENT
03-12-2004, STATEMENT OF GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY ON CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
06-22-2004, "Preserving Traditional Marriage: A View from the States"
2006
04-20-2006, ROMNEY ANNOUNCES AWARD OF ABSTINENCE EDUCATION CONTRACT
05-31-2006, ROMNEY FILES BILL TO PROMOTE PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
If you want to see "ideas [Romney] brought forward dissected and distorted to their illogical extreme..." if you want to see the campaign fall into "charges and misperceptions, not ideas and ideals..."
Click here.
I like how the Boston Globe keeps calling people who actually get a pay check from the DNC or Hillary Clinton "Critics". "Critics say such and such about" and then youn find out they work for Hillary. Do people at the Boston Globe talk to anyone other than DNC or Hillary employees? Or do they quote anyone else when looking for an opinion on Mitt Romney?
~Mike
Governor Mitt Romney, his wife Ann and son Josh traveled to Austin, Texas on Tuesday to meet with supporters and later to College Station, TX where they were greeted by Texas A&M students, toured the George Bush Presidential Library. Governor Romney delivered a policy speech that evening at the George Bush Presidential Library.
Thank you for that welcome, and thank you President and Mrs. Bush for this invitation to speak at Texas A&M, a proud university with time honored traditions. I've only been here for a few hours, but spending that time with students here, I understand why you chose this place for your library.
You are all lucky to have a national treasure here in this library. I'm not talking about the memorabilia and records – I'm talking about President and Mrs. Bush.
Once they led a nation - today they inspire a nation.
The Navy's youngest pilot became the nation's Commander-in-Chief. And now, he comforts the wounded from Hurricanes and Tsunami.
His 16 year old dance partner became the mother of 6 - including a President and a Governor - the nation's first lady, and the love of their 62 married years.
Inspired by them both, their grandson, George P. Bush, has joined the Navy Reserve.
Their accomplishments changed global politics. Their character changed our hearts.
Let me also add a word of thanks to the Texas A&M community for allowing the Federal government to "borrow" Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
Mr. President, I am told that you have objected to calling your generation the greatest generation. You prefer to add others to the list, including the brave men and women who fought to protect us in Desert Storm, and those who are in harms way today.
I wholly agree with your characterization of our armed forces as the bravest and most patriotic in the world. But I still line up with Tom Brokaw on this. Not due to any deficiency in bravery. But because of what your entire generation of American's sacrificed, and because of what you accomplished.
Frankly, what your generation achieved, for America, and for the world, was so astounding that historians may have a difficult time convincing future students that they are not grossly exaggerating.
Mid century, a menacing madman had captured the wealth and land of all continental Europe. His rantings of genocide had been dismissed as hyperbole, but they were appallingly real. Allied with Japan, Hitler was poised to conquer one last European island and her most famous former colony - us. You stopped them both - your blood washing the beaches of the Atlantic and the Pacific.
And then, another threat, just as horrific. The Soviet Empire hung an Iron Curtain, and spread its leaden weight around the world. The peril of nuclear holocaust was reminiscent of the holocaust that the world had just seen in Europe. This time, the holocaust threatened the entire human race. And again, your generation won.
And the victor was truly an entire generation, not just those, like yourself, who served in the armed forces. In the 40's, you rationed and saved. Your mothers and daughters enlisted to work in factories, just as you did Mrs. Bush. And in the 60's and 70's and 80's, you relentlessly pursued learning and innovation to lead the world in space, in technology, in productivity - you out-competed the Soviets. You drove them to the economic bankruptcy that matched their moral bankruptcy.
Today, we face a new generation of challenges, globally and here at home. We will do as American have always done: we will rise to the occasion.
We have all that we need. We have technology, technology that would have been beyond the imagination of our grandparents. We have national wealth. And most important, we have the heart and passion of the American people - always the greatest source of our strength as a nation.
We need leadership. We are fortunate today to have a President who loves America, who acts solely out of a desire to protect her and to promote liberty around the world. We have a President who leads.
But I think most Americans look at Washington and are appalled at the divisiveness, the bitterness, the smallness, the disunity. Senator Arthur Vandenberg once famously opined that "politics stops at the water's edge." But last week, the Democratic chair of House Foreign Affairs said that we have two foreign policies, one for each party. And then the Speaker of the House helped dignify a state sponsor of terror. At this time of war, her action stands as one of the most partisan, divisive, and ill-considered of any national leader in this decade.
United we stand. United we have stood the test of time and tyrants. Divided is not the American way.
Today, the attention of the nation is focused on Iraq. All Americans want our troops home as soon as possible. But walking away from Iraq, or dividing it in parts and then walking away would present grave risks to America. Iran could seize the Shia south, Al Qaeda could dominate the Sunni west, and the Kurds could destabilize the border with Turkey. A regional conflict could ensue, perhaps even requiring our return into far worse circumstances. The troop surge has a real chance of working, and early signs are encouraging. It is time for Congress to follow the lead of the commanders in the field and the Commander-in-Chief.
What do you see beyond Iraq, into the coming decades? I see what America can be for our children, if we stand united, and if we finally act to honestly face the new generation of challenges that confront us. It is an America that is safe and that is prosperous, even more prosperous than today. It is an America that is respected and appreciated by the nations of the world, because they too will have been blessed with the gifts we enjoy - freedom, security, and prosperity.
I am often asked whether I am a neo-conservative or a realist. Sorry, those terms are too confining. In my view, our objective is a strong America and a safe world.
We should always remember that those two things are connected. As Ronald Reagan observed: "Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong."
A strong America requires a strong military and a strong economy. You can't be a military superpower if you are a second tier economy. The weakness of the Soviet economy was the vulnerability that Presidents Reagan and Bush exploited to bring down the Evil Empire. I have previously addressed action we must urgently take to preserve our economic lead - smaller government, lower taxes, better schools and healthcare, greater investment in technology, free trade.
But there is further action we must take if we are to remain strong and if we are to build a safe world, with peace, prosperity, freedom and dignity. This action will be controversial. It will be strongly resisted. Because this action requires change.
Change in and of itself is difficult. And in the absence of a clear and convincing crisis, it is even harder to garner the will necessary to set a new course. Look at how long it took us to confront the reality of Jihadism. They bombed our embassies, they bombed our Marines in Lebanon, they bombed the USS Cole, they even set off a bomb in the basement of the World Trade Center. But we failed to truly see the threat, and to change. After September 11, 2001, our President led us from denial to action.
I think many of us still fail to comprehend the extent of the threat posed by radical Islam, by Jihad. Understandably, we focus on Afghanistan and Iraq. Our men and women are dying there. We think in terms of countries, because we faced countries in last century's conflicts. But the Jihad is much broader than any one nation or nations. Jihad encompasses far more than the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For radical Islam, there is an over-arching conflict and goal - replacing all modern Islamic states with a caliphate, destroying America, and conquering the world.
It sounds insane. It is insane. It is just as insane as Hitler and Stalin. But it is also just as real.
Their methods are entirely different than those of the World Wars and the Cold War. Rather than armies, they employ sleeper networks and indiscriminate terror. Their soldiers include children, as do their victims; among their generals are radical clergy. They communicate by Internet. They recruit in schools and in houses of worship and in prisons. And now, they pursue nuclear weapons - they even contemplate using them.
What we face is different, different than what we have faced before. And that means we will have to change if we are to defeat it. And the change will require sacrifice from the American people. I believe America is ready for the challenge.
Today, I'd like to discuss four changes among those I believe are needed.
I propose that we sharply increase our investment in national defense. I want to see at least 100,000 more troops. I want to see us finally make the long overdue investment in equipment, armament, weapon systems, and strategic defense.
After President Bush left office in 1993, the Clinton administration began to dismantle our military, in what some called a peace dividend. They took the dividend, but didn't get the peace. It seems that we had come to believe that war and threats and evil men were gone forever. As Charles Krauthammer observed: we took a holiday from history.
Simply look at the neglect of our military
We purchased only a small fraction of what was needed to maintain our strength. Instead, we have lived off the assets that had been purchased in the prior decades. The equipment and armament gap continues to this day.
We wring the useful life out of old and inadequate equipment, starving our budget for purchasing modern and ample armament.
What is the right amount to spend? Secretary Gates has proposed a 10% increase for next year. Bravo. But we will need at least an additional $30 to 40 billion per year over the next several years to modernize our military, address gaps in our troop levels, ease the strain on our National Guard and Reserves and support our wounded soldiers.
A look at our military spending over time is instructive.
Based on my analysis, we should commit to spend a minimum of 4% of GDP on our national defense.
But increase spending must not mean increased waste. If I am fortunate enough to become President, I will convene a team of private sector leaders and defense experts to carry out a stem-to-stern analysis of military purchasing. First, I want to hear about spending on equipment and programs that is more about making a politician's home district happy, than about protecting our nation. That's worse than pork-barrel spending, and it's got to stop. I will work with Congress to install strict lobbying rules and new sunshine provisions to keep a far more watchful eye on self-serving politicians, current and past. And second, I want my team to see if and where we are being fleeced by contractors and suppliers. There will be no sheep allowed in the military purchasing department!
So number one: a stronger military.
Our economic and military strength require it. I'm not just talking about symbolic measures, I mean that we must finally take the necessary steps to actually produce as much energy as we use. This may take twenty years or more. Of course, we will continue buying fuels from our friends, but we will buy AND sell. We will end our strategic vulnerability to an oil shut-off by nations like Iran, Russia, and Venezuela. We will stop sending $1 billion a day to other nations, some of whom are using that same money against us. And we will rein in our emissions of greenhouse gasses at the same time.
True energy independence will require employing technology to make our use of energy more efficient, in our cars, in our homes, and in our businesses.
Energy independence will also mean pursuing our ample domestic sources of energy: more drilling offshore and in ANWR, nuclear power, renewable sources like ethanol, biodiesel, solar, wind, and full exploitation of coal - solid and liquid. In some cases, we may need to guarantee floor prices to stimulate private investment. In others, shared investments or incentives may be required.
I will initiate a bold and far-reaching research initiative - an Energy Revolution. It will be our generation's equivalent of the Manhattan Project or of the mission to reach the Moon. This will be a mission to create new, economic sources of energy, clean energy. We will license our technology to other nations and we will employ it here at home. It will be good for our national defense, for our foreign policy and for our economy. It will also be good for the world. And while scientists are still debating how much human activity impacts the environment, we can all agree that alternative energy sources will be good for the planet. For any and all of these reasons, the time for true energy independence has come.
Following World War II, America created structures designed to meet the demands of the Cold War. It worked. During the Reagan-Bush years, it became clear that the bureaucratic boundaries in the military between the branches were getting in the way. So the Goldwater-Nichols Act removed barriers to unify efforts across the services. This included establishing "joint commands" with individual commanders fully responsible for their geographic region. Those theaters of responsibility are as shown here.
Our non-military resources enjoy no such jointness, no such clear leadership, no such clear lines of authority and responsibility. Too often we struggle to integrate our military and civilian instruments of national power into coherent, timely and effective operations. When facing the need to strengthen the democratic underpinnings of a country like Lebanon, our education, health, banking, energy, commerce, law enforcement and diplomatic resources are in separate bureaucracies, all under separate leadership, all protecting their own powers and their own prerogatives. So while we watched, Hezbollah brought healthcare and schools to the Lebanese. Guess who the people followed when conflict ensued? The same thing happened with Hamas and the Palestinians.
The problem was just as evident in Iraq. While the military moved in rapid order to topple Saddam Hussein, many of our non-military resources moved like they were stuck in tar. They fight over which agency will pay the $11.00 per diem cost of food at the same time that we are spending over $7 billion a month and taking human casualties.
It is high time to truly transform our civilian instruments of national power. We need to enable joint strategies and joint operations. Just as the military has divided the world into common regions for all of its branches, so too the civilian agencies should align along consistent boundaries. And one civilian leader, a Deputy lets call him or her, with authority and responsibility for all agencies and departments, must be fully empowered, just like the single military commander for CENTCOM. These Deputies of our civilian resources must have sufficient authority over the activities in their region. They will be heavy hitters, with recognized reputations around the world. They must be given objectives, budgets, and responsible oversight. They will be measured by their success in their region in improving such things as healthcare, education, and economy, and for their progress in promoting peace and democracy.
The wonders of America - like our healthcare technology - can be powerful tools to promote the foundations of liberty. It is time that we apply these American wonders to make the world, and in turn to make America, a safer, freer, and more prosperous place.
I don't need to tell you that the failures of the UN are simply astonishing. Consider the infamous work of the UN Human Rights Council.
The infamy of the UN has made a number of people understandably cynical when it comes to multinational and multilateral institutions. Some of us will be tempted to retreat to American isolation. Others will favor American unilateralism. But America's strength is amplified when it is combined with the strength of other nations. Whether diplomatic, military, or economic, America is stronger when we have friends standing with us.
That may be even more true tomorrow than it is today. The world will look quite different in the future than it has in the past.
The Middle East is facing a demographic crisis. Today, over half the region is under 22 years old. But the combined GDP of all Arab nations, including oil, is less than that of Spain. With the growing populations and lack of jobs, the ground for radical Islam will be increasingly fertile.
I agree with former Prime Minister Aznar of Spain that we should build on the NATO alliance to defeat radical Jihad. He has called for greater coordination in military, homeland security, and non-proliferation efforts. He is right. We should look to expand and deepen this and other alliances.
Today, I want to take his recommendation a step further. As one of my first acts as President, I would call for a Summit of Nations. In addition to the United States, the convening countries would include moderate Islamic states and other leading developed nations. The objective of the Summit would be to create a worldwide strategy to support Muslim nations and peoples, in their effort to defeat radical, violent Jihad.
I would envision that the Summit would lead to the creation of a Partnership for Prosperity and Progress. This Partnership would assemble the resources of all developed nations to work to assure that threatened Islamic states had public schools, not Wahhabi madrassas, micro credit and banking, the rule of law, human rights, basic healthcare, and competitive economic policies. The resources would be drawn from public and private institutions, and from volunteers and NGOs. And policies would favor expansion of free trade and investment.
Merely closing our eyes and hoping that radical Jihad will go away is not an acceptable answer. And American military action cannot change the hearts and minds of hundreds of millions of Muslims. Only Muslims will be able to defeat the violent radicals. But we can help them. And we must help them. For the consequences - for America and for all nations - of a radicalized Islamic world, possessing nuclear weapons, are unthinkable.
I know that the new generation of challenges that we face seems daunting. But confronting challenges has always made America stronger. And the heart of the American people is good. And it is willing. When called to rise to the occasion, the American people will be just as valiant as those of you in the Greatest Generation.
The world awaits our leadership.
On the wall of your library are these words: "Let future generations understand the burden and the blessings of freedom. Let them say we stood where duty required us to stand." We do understand. We stand in duty today. And we are ready stand again, for the future of America.
Thank you.
"Mitt Romney tells the audience at a town-hall meeting here how his kids got him a 1962 Rambler - the American Motors car produced by his dad George Romney – for his 60th birthday. It seems just a charming story to warm up the crowd. Romney says, 'We got it started, drove it up the road – and then pushed it home.' People laugh. But Romney is really telling a parable about his favorite theme: change.
"He says his 1962 car had no arm rest, no seatbelts, no bucket seats, and a great big steering wheel that it took a lot of muscle to turn. 'Cars have changed a lot,' he says. And then he launches into his real point: 'People selling us goods and services figure out they got to make them better every year.' The people who run government feel no similar obligation, especially in Washington where 'talk is the currency.' Romney says 'talk has no value – not in the real world,' and that he 'grew up in the real world.'
"This is the core message of Romney's campaign, and it is a credible one that accords with his background and interests. He's a businessman populist running as a Washington outsider, although without the nasty edge or fiery rhetoric of past populist anti-Washington candidates (think Gephardt circa 1988, Perot circa 1992, or Buchanan circa whenever). Romney is technocratic and non-threatening, giving the impression that he will slay the slouching beast of ineffective, wasteful government with flow-charts and unremitting politeness.
"It is impossible to be around Romney and not be impressed – by his obvious intelligence, by his fluid speaking style, by his accomplishments in business and government, by his appearance. The former venture capitalist and Massachusetts governor is a technically proficient candidate, a good fundraiser and organizer who makes a winning impression on the stump. And yet, one still wonders whether voters will buy him."
...
"Prior to his Derry meeting, Romney visits a small manufacturing firm in Manchester, Granite State Manufacturing. He gets a politician's typical speed tour, getting briefed on the company's products ranging from semi-conductors to the small robots the military uses against bomb threats. Then he is brought out onto the shop floor to deliver remarks to the couple of dozen gathered employees from behind a podium.
"Romney seems an incongruous presence, crisp and well pressed, in this industrial setting, with a concrete floor and buzzing lights overhead. He says that he was wondering about what united the company's different products, and his guide explained the company is good at 'things that are changing a lot.' That, of course, sets up Romney nicely, and he gives a kind of mini–business tutorial. It is possible to imagine him fitting in here, after all – as a business consultant.
"He explains that if you're making the same product or delivering the same service over an extended period, 'you're in trouble.' To illustrate that improvement is always possible, he says when Hank Paulson left Goldman Sachs for the Treasury Department, everyone assumed the firm couldn't possibly be run any more effectively, but 'the new chief executive changed everything and now it's doing better.' Then – of course – he complains that government doesn't change enough, and tells the workers that, in the private sector, 'I learned to change things.'
"Romney doesn't have a highly ideological message on the stump. He is running as a mild limited-government conservative. He says over and over again that to make America better 'you don't strengthen government, you strengthen the American people.' He plumps for lower taxes (he wants to cut taxes on saving and investment), advocates keeping federal spending below the level of inflation, and notes that he liked to veto bills in Massachusetts. None of this is hard to believe of Romney."
...
"At every stop, he lauds New Hampshire voters for the intensive nature of their primary, during which they take the time to learn 'about the character of those running.' He urges them to 'measure us for our character and heart and passion and values.'"
...
"At his town-hall meeting, he talks about the importance of marriage. 'Kids deserve a mom and a dad,' he says, and 'where we can, let's encourage marriage before children.' By way of illustrating the de-valuing of marriage, he tells of an aide going to Babies 'R' Us with his pregnant wife and getting asked by a salesperson, 'What's your girlfriend's name?' There are a few gasps in the audience.
"This might seem a tame volley in the culture wars, but few other major politicians talk about the culture of marriage at all, and Romney's upstanding personal life allows him to do it without embarrassment."
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"On this day, he's campaigning with his oldest son Tagg and Tagg's daughter. Before introducing him at the Granite State Manufacturing event, Romney explains that he 'fell in love in high school,' and married his high-school sweetheart, Ann. Tagg was 'born on our anniversary, one year after we got married' – one of those perfect touches in what seems a perfect family life. He says that Tagg's daughter is taking the day off from school. But could a Romney ever play hooky? 'She's seeing how the political process works and then writing a paper on it for Monday.' She'll probably get an 'A.'
"Years ago, a pollster asked people which presidential candidate they would rather have baby-sit their child. Forget baby-sit – most people would probably be comfortable having Mitt Romney raise their children."
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"He has a quick sense of humor to go along with his cheerfulness. When he mentions the Rambler, a few people clap, and he quips, 'A couple of guys had Ramblers – but they're not the ones clapping.' At Granite State Manufacturing, he manipulates a bomb-squad robot using a joystick on a table. He points it mock-menacingly toward a reporter: 'Let's see, I'll go for the AP today.' When an official at a charity he visits jokingly says to the assembled cameras that he himself is getting into the presidential race, Romney interjects from the sidelines, 'Not another one!'"
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"On this trip, Romney is campaigning on the high of having outpaced the other Republican candidates by raising $23 million. The big number ensured he would stay in the first tier of candidates. As a Romney aide explains, with anticipated candidates Sens. George Allen and Bill Frist never getting in the race, the press put Romney in the top tier without his really having to earn it. Now, he's earned it."...
Governor Mitt Romney was joined by Senator Jim Talent (R-MO) during his visit to western Iowa on Thursday where he met with local activists and caucus goers for a luncheon. They later traveled to Onawa, IA for a coffee break with area Republicans.
On Monday, February 19, Governor Mitt Romney and his wife Ann traveled to Iowa to meet with local area residents and community leaders at the Sioux City Chamber of Commerce. They were later joined by Congressman Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) as Governor Romney delivered the keynote speech at the Sioux County Lincoln Day Dinner in Orange City, IA.
Governor Romney traveled to Des Moines, IA, Wednesday where he met with Republican Legislators at the Iowa State Capitol before traveling to Pioneer Hybrids in Johnston, IA, for a tour and meeting with employees. Romney ended the day with the opening of the Iowa campaign headquarters in Urbandale, IA and hosted the second "Ask Mitt Anything" Town Hall Meeting by telephone. 
[https://www.mittromney.com/img/Photo_Gallery/4.4.07_Iowa/20070404_iowa027_LRG.jpg 
