From T&T

I know here that you will agree with me that standing up for America also means standing up for the God who has so blessed our land. . I believe it longs to see traditional values reflected in public policy again. To those who cite the First Amendment as reason for excluding God from more and more of our institutions and everyday life, may I just say: The First Amendment of the Constitution was not written to protect the people of this country from religious values; it was written to protect religious values from government tyranny."

-President Ronald Reagan

"If  we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone  under." - Ronald Reagan  

Cartoons By Michael Ramirez

Cartoons By Michael Ramirez

Fred Update



August 30, 2007
Read More: F. Thompson

Sources: Thompson to announce Sept. 6th

Fred Thompson's campaign-in-waiting will hold a 4 p.m. conference call today with supporters to brief them on plans for the former Tennessee senator's presidential announcement next week, according to an e-mail obtained by Politico.com.

Randy Enwright, Thompson's political director, said in the message that they will "discuss the next steps as we move forward as an organization." A Thompson aide confirms that they'll share the news about the long-awaited formal launch. "By the end of the day, we'll have more clarity," the aide said, declining to reveal which day the announcement would take place.

UPDATE: Still no official confirmation from the campaign, but Thompson sources now confirm that he will announce his candidacy next Thursday, Sept. 6. The launch will include a tour of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida. As expected, Thompson will not appear at the GOP debate in New Hampshire on Wednesday, Sept. 5.  

It's the announcement of the announcement about the announcement for the announcement. Fred, are you being forced against your will to run? I mean tell us now. You act as if there is a gun to your head.

Posted By: Craig | August 30, 2007 at 11:18 AM     

abuse iconREPORT ABUSE


So Fred is holding a press conference to state the date of a press conference where he might state his intentions in regard to the presidential race? Yawn.

Posted By: George P. | August 30, 2007 at 11:22 AM     

If Fred Thompson's presidency is going to be masked in as much ambiguous uncertainty as his bid(?) for the white house, count me out. This guy makes George Bush look like a sure-footed transparent leader.

Posted By: Frank | August 30, 2007 at 11:48 AM     
Mr. Thompson, pleeease. An announcement to tell us when you are going to announce that you are a formal candidate. Just do it when you want. Despite your lack of executive/managerial experience, you were the person I hoped would get in the race long before the idea of a Thompson candidacy was mentioned in any of the media. I must say, however, you are beginning to make me a little nervous. If you are getting in a row all of your ducks, fine. Do make sure a solid campaign system is in place. But if there is any reluctance whatsoever on your part concerning entering the race, then please do America and the Republican party a favor and don't do it.

Posted By: dtomaselli@bmpllp.com | August 30, 2007 at 11:53 AM     
Fred thanks for coming to the party. Unfortunately the party is over..........Today Rasmussen Reports on daily president tracking poll shows Fred at 18% and Mitt at 16%. The 18% is the lowest poll rating for Fred to date. Turn out the lights the party is over.

Posted By: perception50 | August 30, 2007 at 11:58 AM     
Fred is just a little lazy. Everyone just relax. He's already played a president on T.V. so he's all set.

Posted By: eatme | August 30, 2007 at 12:13 PM     
Tim, I get your point and will vote for Fred in a heartbeat if he's nominated. But it's partly a matter of perception. The delays and staff turnovers don't look good. That negative image will hold over into the general election.

Posted By: VDS | August 30, 2007 at 12:25 PM  
running his own kids won't vote for, and the other a Morman?? Fred's got my vote when he comes into the race! VP Ted Nuggent??

Posted By: bruce | August 30, 2007 at 12:29 PM     
How dare some people on here compare Fred to Reagan seriously how dare you! A senator who was known for not really doing anything. An tall actor on a mediocre show. A foot dragging undeclared candidate. Please his advisers are keeping him out because they know how weak he is. Rudy, McCain, and Romney will run circles around this guy in a debate.

Posted By: JMTS25 | August 30, 2007 at 12:30 PM   

Gov. Romney: I've Learned How To Get The Job Done

CNN: Romney Harnessing Creativity Of Web Users

Norquist: Gov. Romney First Candidate To Sign No Tax Pledge

CFG's Toomey On Gov. Romney's Pro-Growth Record

 

posted at 12:00 pm on August 29, 2007 by Bryan
Send to a Friend | printer-friendly

This is from Tuesday's show. Laura interviews Gov. Romney about the Craig scandal and Washington's corrupt culture, sanctuary cities, campaign prognostication, the rise of China and more. No fireworks, but the Gov comes across like a polished, informed statesman. And he takes a mild shot or two at Rudy Giuliani.
 
Click here for the link.

Reagan Says Thompson is No Reagan

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."

Reagan could not seem to find anything he liked about Thompson other than the fact that he was an actor. One statement he made in particular struck me as insightful, " When people hear Fred speak, I'm still not getting that 'wow' factor – 'Wow'! Fred Thompson's going to lead us where?"
 

More Staff Trouble in Thompson Campaign

Chris Cillizza's Politics Blog -- The Fix

washingtonpost.com's Politics Blog

 
Linda Rozett, the communications director for former Sen. Fred Thompson's (R-Tenn.) presidential bid, has left the campaign, according to an internal e-mail obtained by The Fix.

"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.

Leadership That Empowered Individuals

By: Tim Murphy
Townhall
Friday, Aug 24, 2007

"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

View Full Article

David of Elect Romney in 08: “Flip flop” whack-a-mole

By David | August 23, 2007 - 6:05 pm - Posted in Analysis, Commentary, and Editorials , 2008, Competitors, Abortion Edit

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?

Sphere: Related Content

Tim Murphy Discusses Governor Romney's Health Care Record

Former Massachusetts Health and Human Services Secretary Tim Murphy on Governor Romney's record of conservative principles in health care.

Rally For Romney

Club for Growth on Huckabee

Lopez: You've hit Mike Huckabee hard. Is there a point to that? One assumes he won't be the nominee?

Toomey: There is no question that Mike Huckabee is a charismatic politician, but Governor Huckabee is attempting to use his charisma to hoodwink American voters and the media with respect to his economic record. While there is little chance of Governor Huckabee catapulting into the coveted first tier, he is being discussed as a viable vice-presidential pick, especially if the eventual nominee needs a social conservative to shore up the conservative base. The Club for Growth's original observations about Huckabee's tax-and-spend record have been born out in recent weeks as Huckabee embraced a new brand of lefty populism and class warfare rhetoric that one often hears from Democrats. It is important for the Club for Growth to continue to push to clarify the true nature Mike Huckabee's economic record and policies.