On The Road In Springfield, Illinois

July 03, 2007 12:31pm

On The Road In Springfield, Illinois

I recently had the opportunity to go to Springfield, Illinois to speak to the National Federation of Republican Women's regional conference. Afterwards I visited Abraham Lincoln's old neighborhood which had been restored to its original condition. It was inspiring to visit a place which represents such a pivotal time in American history and the leader who showed such incredible courage during that period.

Senator Rutherford was an incredible host for my two days on the state. Here's a picture of us at the Pasfield House just behind the State Capital.

Posted at 2007-07-03 12:31:39 by Josh Romney



Comments

Thanks Matt, Three generations united with love. A good example is worth 10 thousand words. The spirit of the American Dream, shaped within the four walls of wholesome united families and homes, is where love and respect for neighbours of every nation, people, tongue and creed lives, and where the hope and faith for a better world is born. Families like yours are where love lives in your heart for all nations under the azure skies, and your children will bear the banners of peace, on earth of good-will to all people. --Phill

Posted by dimensio@rogers.com at 2007-07-05 16:39:34

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Hey Bros, where is the ASK MITT schedule? Why isn't it available? If they are "meet the public" events, can't they be publicly posted? HAPPY FOURTH GUYS

Posted by MZollinger at 2007-07-05 05:29:19

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The easiest way to reach voters across the aisle and not get bogged down in the media crossfire is to relate quotes from our nation's historically favorite past presidents to today's issues. I am very surprised that more politicians don't tap more often into this source of inspiration. It without fail inspires Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, because these great leaders of the past of universally seen as everyone's president.

Posted by nowandlater at 2007-07-05 05:29:44

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Hey Josh, nice picture of you and Honest Abe. Coincidentally, my family will be visiting Springfield this summer too, shortly after we drive through IOWA. Are you ever going to post your schedule? We just HAVE to get a family photo in front of the Mitt Mobile! Happy 4th of July to the Romney family and to all of Mitt's supporters! Be sure to catch "A Capitol Fourth" on your PBS station. Our family was there last year in person, and it was awesome but also very hot and muggy! We'll be watching it on the couch with the A/C blowing this year!

Posted by Karla in AZ at 2007-07-04 13:24:02

The Romney Vision: A Stronger America Through Strengthening The American People

Saturday, Jul 07, 2007

THE ROMNEY VISION: A STRONG PEOPLE MEANS A STRONGER AMERICA

Gov. Romney Shared His Vision Of A Stronger America With Young Republicans. GOV. MITT ROMNEY: "Conservatism, Republicanism, is a philosophy of strength. We believe in a strong military, a strong economy, and in strong families and values. We believe in the American people. ... And when you need to call on the strength of America, you don't strengthen government, you strengthen the American people. You strengthen the American people by letting them keep more of their own money, not by taxing them more when they earn, taxing them when they save and taxing them when they die! You strengthen the American people by making sure that the voice of millions of voters trumps the voice of a handful of unelected judges. You strengthen the American people with the world's best healthcare, the world's best schools, and the world's strongest families. We must preserve the institution of marriage – every child deserves a mother and a father!" (Gov. Mitt Romney, Remarks At The Young Republican National Convention, Hollywood, FL, 7/7/07)

Gov. Romney Has A Record Of Supporting Lower Taxes:

Gov. Romney: "Raising Taxes Hurts Working People. It Stifles Innovation." "Now, some states have chosen to raise taxes under the weight of economic stress. We did not, as a state, at least not since I've been in office. Raising taxes is the opposite of giving people the freedom they need to make their own life choices. Raising taxes hurts working people. It stifles innovation. It makes a state and a nation less competitive, not more competitive." (Governor Mitt Romney, Remarks At The National Press Club, Washington, DC, 7/14/04)

Gov. Romney Fought For Tax Cuts:

- INCOME TAX CUT: Gov. Romney Fought To Cut The Income Tax Rate In Massachusetts From 5.3% To 5%. (Scott Greenberger, "Tax Revenue Slowdown In Forecast," The Boston Globe, 12/13/05)
- CAPITAL GAINS TAXES: Gov. Romney Turned The Legislature's $250 Million Retroactive Capital Gains Tax Increase Into A $250 Million Tax Refund. (Governor Mitt Romney, Remarks At The Conservative Political Action Conference, Washington, D.C., 3/2/07)
- INVESTMENT TAX CREDIT: In November 2003, Gov. Romney Signed An Economic Stimulus Package Making The Investment Tax Credit (ITC) Permanent. (Office Of Governor Mitt Romney, "Romney Signs Economic Stimulus, Supplemental Budget Bills," Press Release, 11/26/03)
- PROPERTY TAX RELIEF: Gov. Romney Proposed And Signed Legislation Providing Property Tax Relief To Senior Citizens, Enabling Them To Keep Their Homes. (Office Of Governor Mitt Romney, "Romney Signs Bill To Give Seniors Tax Relief," Press Release, 11/20/05)
- SALES TAX HOLIDAYS: Gov. Romney Signed Several Sales Tax Holidays. (Michael Levenson, "Governor Drums Up Business For State's Tax-Free Weekend," The Boston Globe 8/12/05)

Massachusetts Citizens For Limited Taxation Executive Director Barbara Anderson: "There was no one else out on the horizon and with the legislature almost entirely Democratic, we felt it was necessary to have a grown-up in the corner office. ... And we were right to back him. He's been a really good friend to the taxpayers." (Shawn Macomber, "Mighty Mitt Romney," The American Spectator, 3/06)

As President, Gov. Romney Will Fight For Lower Taxes:

Gov. Romney: "You Don't Create Economic Prosperity By Raising Taxes." (John J. Miller, "Matinee Mitt," National Review, 6/20/05)

Gov. Romney Was The First Potential 2008 Presidential Candidate To Sign The "Taxpayer Protection Pledge" Promising To Oppose Any Effort To Increase Taxes. "Demonstrating his commitment to oppose any effort to increase taxes on the American people, Governor Romney has signed Americans For Tax Reform's 'Taxpayer Protection Pledge.' As part of his pledge, Governor Romney will 'oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates' and 'oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits.'" (Romney For President Exploratory Committee, "Governor Mitt Romney Signs 'Taxpayer Protection Pledge'," Press Release, 1/4/07)

Gov. Romney: "It's Absolutely Critical That We Don't Have That Massive Tax Hike And Instead We Make The Bush Tax Cuts Permanent." (Governor Mitt Romney, Remarks At The Detroit Economic Club, Detroit, MI, 2/7/07)

Gov. Romney Proposes Lowering Tax Rates For All Americans. GOV. ROMNEY: "We should ... promote fairness and simplicity by ending special interest loopholes and lowering tax rates for all Americans." (Romney For President, "Governor Romney's Remarks At The Club For Growth," Press Release, 3/29/07)

Gov. Romney Has A Record Of Market-Based Healthcare Reform:

Gov. Romney: "No New Taxes, No Employer Mandate And No Government Takeover." "Every uninsured citizen in Massachusetts will soon have affordable health insurance and the costs of health care will be reduced. And we will need no new taxes, no employer mandate and no government takeover to make this happen." (Gov. Mitt Romney, Op-Ed, "Health Care For Everyone?" The Wall Street Journal, 4/11/06)

- Gov. Romney: "[M]y plan calls for a personal responsibility principle: Everyone must either become insured or maintain adequate savings to cover their medical expenses." (Gov. Mitt Romney, Op-Ed, "Health-Care Reform Gets A Fair Shake," Boston Herald, 6/21/05)

The Heritage Foundation: "In reality, those who want to create a consumer-based health system and deregulate health insurance should view Romney's plan as one of the most promising strategies out there." (Edmund F. Haislmaier, "Mitt's Fit," The Heritage Foundation, www.heritage.org, 1/28/07)

As President, Gov. Romney Will Encourage States To Reform Healthcare Without Raising Taxes Or Empowering Big Government:

Gov. Romney: "I Do Not Believe That Putting The Government In Charge Of Health Care For All Our Citizens Is The Way To Go." (Dolly A Butz, "Romney Calls For Isolation Of Iran," Sioux City Journal, 2/19/07)

Gov. Romney Supports Having States Experiment With Their Own Plans, Not A "'One-Size-Fits-All" National Plan. "If elected, Romney said he would not propose a 'one-size-fits-all' national health-care plan, but would encourage the federal government to provide flexibility to let states carry out their own plans. 'Some states will probably do it better,' said Romney, adding that more than 20 states are considering plans similar to the Massachusetts experiment." (Ryan J. Halliday, "Romney Defends His Health-Care Plan," The [Nashua, NH] Telegraph, 6/7/07)

THE DEMOCRATS: BIGGER GOVERNMENT

Democrats Want More Of Your Tax Dollars:

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) Wants To Eliminate The Bush Tax Cuts. "Joining other Democratic women senators at an event for Sen. Barbara Boxer, who's seeking re-election, Hillary Clinton told hundreds of party faithful to expect to lose some of the tax cuts passed under President George W. Bush if Democrats take control in Washington next year." (Beth Fouhy, "San Francisco Rolls Out Red Carpet For The Clintons," The Associated Press, 6/28/04)

Sen. Clinton: "Shared Responsibility For Shared Prosperity." SEN. HILLARY CLINTON: "It's time for a new beginning, for an end to government of the few, by the few and for the few, time to reject the idea of an 'on your own' society and to replace it with shared responsibility for shared prosperity. I prefer a 'we're all in it together' society." (Manchester School Of Technology, Manchester, NH, 5/29/07)

- Sen. Clinton: "We're Going To Take Things Away From You On Behalf Of The Common Good." (Beth Fouhy, "San Francisco Rolls Out Red Carpet For The Clintons," The Associated Press, 6/28/04)

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) Wants To "Roll Back" The Bush Tax Cuts. SEN BARACK OBAMA: "I would roll back the Bush cuts for those making over 250,000." (CNBC's "Kudlow & Company," 6/4/07)

Former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) Wants To End The Bush Tax Cuts. SEN. JOHN EDWARDS: "I would pay for it by getting rid of Bush's tax cuts for people who make over $200,000 a year." (CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360," 6/6/07)

In May 2007, Congressional Democrats Proposed A Budget That Raised Taxes And Boosted Spending. "Congressional Democrats yesterday proposed a $2.9 trillion budget plan that seeks to boost spending by $23 billion over the president's request, setting up a confrontation with the White House over funding for education, health care and veterans' services. ... The five-year budget plan ... assumes, for now, that taxes on dividends, stock sales and the income of the wealthiest families would go up in 2011." (Lori Montgomery, "Democrats Make Budget Proposal," The Washington Post, 5/17/07)

Sen. Clinton Would Raise Corporate Taxes, Too. SEN. HILLARY CLINTON: "Let's start holding corporate America responsible, make them pay their fair share again." (Sen. Hillary Clinton, Remarks At Campaign For America's Future Take Back America Conference, Washington, DC, 5/29/07)

Democrats Want Government-Run Healthcare:

Sen. Clinton, On Paying For Her Big Government Health Plan: "That's Going To Mean Taking Money Away From People Who Make Out Really Well Right Now." "On Saturday, she said that the failure of her proposal for universal coverage in 1994 made her more determined to achieve the goal now. 'It also makes me understand what we are up against,' Mrs. Clinton said. 'We have to modernize and reform the way we deliver health care. But we have to change the way we finance it. That's going to mean taking money away from people who make out really well right now.'" (Robert Pear, "Candidates Outline Ideas For Universal Health Care," The New York Times, 3/25/07)

Sen. Obama Would Pay For His Government-Run Health Plan By Rolling Back Tax Cuts. "Obama said his plan could save the average consumer $2,500 a year and bring health care to all. Campaign aides estimated the cost of the program at $50 billion to $65 billion a year, financed largely by eliminating tax cuts that are scheduled to expire." ("Obama Unveils Universal Health Care Plan," The Associated Press, 5/29/07)

Sen. Edwards "Would Raise Taxes" To Pay For His Health Plan. "Seven Democratic candidates for president promised Saturday to guarantee health insurance for all, but they disagreed over how to pay for it and how fast it could be achieved. ... John Edwards, the former senator from North Carolina, offered the most detailed plan for universal coverage, saying he would raise taxes to help pay the cost, which he estimated at $90 billion to $120 billion a year." (Robert Pear, "Candidates Outline Ideas For Universal Health Care," The New York Times, 3/25/07)

Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) Would Redirect Money From The War On Terror To Pay For His Health Proposal. "Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico offered a potpourri of ideas to achieve universal coverage, including tax credits to help people buy insurance and an option to let people ages 55 to 64 buy coverage through Medicare. To help pay for his proposals, Mr. Richardson said, he would 'get out of Iraq' and redirect money from the military to health care." (Robert Pear, "Candidates Outline Ideas For Universal Health Care," The New York Times, 3/25/07)

THE DOUBLE STANDARDS ARE SIMPLY STAGGERING

Friday, July 06, 2007

THE DOUBLE STANDARDS ARE SIMPLY STAGGERING

I'm going to vent for a moment. Please forgive me.

Over the last couple of days I've been reading with interest Beliefnet's "Blogalogue" between Al Mohler and Orson Scott Card about whether Mormons are Christians. While the debate is fascinating on its own terms, it is -- as both participants acknowledge -- taking place only because of the presidential race and only because Mitt Romney has a serious chance to become President of the United States.

So I'm curious, when is Beliefnet going to schedule the debate between Al Mohler and any given pastor or priest in the Presbyterian Church USA, Episcopal Church, a lapsed Catholic, or some "I never darken the door of any church but I consider myself a really spiritual guy" theologian over whether their respective watered-down, unbiblical, faiths (complete with wholesale justifications of immoral and repulsive acts like adultery and abortion) are "Christian."

I respect the heck out of Al Mohler. He's one of the really great and insightful thinkers of the modern evangelical movement, but I just flat-out don't buy the following concern he expresses about Mitt Romney:

I am concerned that a Mormon in the White House would do much to serve the worldwide missionary cause of Mormonism. I do not worry that a President Romney would push that agenda from the White House. My concern is more about symbolism and perception.

Let me ask this (and it's a rhetorical question because the answer is obvious): What is a greater threat to orthodox Christianity? Mormon missionaries or our own theological and moral collapse? As we evangelicals circle our wagons around theology when it comes to the Mormon in the race, perhaps we need to understand that one of the great appeals of the Mormon religion is the fact that these guys tend to live what they believe. A bad Baptist is infinitely more damaging to evangelical Christianity than a good Mormon.

So we approach the Mitt Romney candidacy and worry about the "symbolism" of his election. But I'll tell you the symbolism that worries me more, and that is the symbolism of the evangelical movement embracing the lapsed, watered-down "Chrsitianity" of the other Republicans rather than vote for (eww!) that "Mormon guy."

Is it the case that "thinking" evangelicals should embrace candidates with multiple marriages, overlook adultery, and not worry about theological niceties so long as someone is at least in the pew next to us and mouthing the Nicene Creed (or used to sit in the pew next to us and used say the creed)? But at the same time it's just too much to vote for a Mormon who loves Jesus, loves his wife, has raised five great sons who love Jesus and love their wives, and shares every relevant moral and political value with us -- because, well, it's just symbolically a bad message?

We should never forget that debates like Beliefnet's "Blogalogue" take place in the real world and that tearing down the Mormon candidate invariably helps someone else. And that someone else is not Mike Huckabee. In 2007 and 2008, that someone else will be a person who does not share our moral and political values.

I'm sorry, but that makes no sense at all.

Governor Mitt Romney On Venezuela's Independence Day

Boston, MA – Governor Mitt Romney issued the following statement today regarding Venezuela's Independence Day:

"On the 196th anniversary of Venezuela's independence, we honor the contributions of the thousands of Venezuelan-Americans who have enriched our nation with their talents and energy.

"These are troubling times in Venezuela, as Hugo Chavez continues his methodical assault on democratic institutions and his people's freedom. I am particularly troubled by the government's hostility towards a free press and recent actions to take Radio Caracas Television off the air. There should be no doubt that the United States stands with those men and women of good will who step up to secure their God-given liberty – in Venezuela and throughout the Americas. The future of freedom and democracy in our Hemisphere also requires the friends of freedom in Latin America to speak clearly and forcefully to defend liberty, democracy and human rights."

To listen to Governor Romney's statement, visit: http://www.mittromney.com/Audio/conf470620-58243.wav

Romney's Data Cruncher

By: Chris Cillizza
The Washington Post
Thursday, Jul 05, 2007

"In late 2002, Alex Gage sold his share of a well-established polling firm and set about convincing Karl Rove that he had the answer to ensuring President Bush's reelection.

"His pitch was simple: Take corporate America's love affair with learning everything it can about its customers, and its obsession with carving up the country into smaller and smaller clusters of like-minded consumers, and turn those trends into a political strategy. The Bush majority would be made up of thousands of groups of like-minded voters whom the campaign could reach with precisely the right message on the issues they considered most important.

"At first, Rove and campaign manager Ken Mehlman had doubts about the potential of microtargeting, according to Bush pollster Matthew Dowd."

...

"[But] it wasn't long before this new, more sophisticated form of data mining became part of the mythology surrounding Rove and his role as 'the architect' of Bush's reelection. Its use in Ohio, in particular, was credited with unearthing Bush supporters and delivering the state and the election to him.

"Now Gage is working for another Republican presidential candidate entranced by the possibilities of microtargeting – Mitt Romney. A Harvard Business School graduate who went on to head Bain Capital, Romney has made a point of adapting modern business techniques to politics, and it was in his successful 2002 campaign to be governor of Massachusetts that Gage's methods were first tried.

"'The governor believes in accountability, benchmarks and metrics,' said Beth Myers, Romney's campaign manager, explaining his interest in microtargeting. 'He believes in using data when it comes to making decisions.'"

...

"The more information he has, the better he can group people into 'target clusters' with names such as 'Flag and Family Republicans' or 'Tax and Terrorism Moderates.' Once a person is defined, finding the right message from the campaign becomes fairly simple.

"'Flag and Family Republicans' might receive literature on a flag-burning amendment from its sponsor, while 'Tax and Terrorism Moderates' get an automated call from [former New York mayor] Rudy Giuliani talking about the war on terror, even if they lived right next door to one another,' Alex Lundry, the senior research director of TargetPoint -- the firm Gage founded in 2003 -- wrote recently in Winning Campaigns magazine."

...

"And in a presidential primary, in which voters are far more homogenous than in a general election, can microtargeting find meaningful distinctions between groups? Gage and Romney are convinced that it can."

...

"Gage said that when he pitched microtargeting to the Harvard MBAs advising Romney in his gubernatorial campaign, they were stunned that the idea had never been used in politics. 'You guys don't do this already?' they asked, according to Gage."

...

"Michael Murphy, then Romney's campaign strategist, became intrigued by the high number of independent voters in Massachusetts, seeing them as the key to winning in a Democratic stronghold. He sought out Gage for help.

"'I wanted to break the independent-voter file into target segments and Alex's approach was the best way to do it, so I reached out to Alex and we, along with Tagg Romney and Alex Dunn of the Romney staff, sort of invented microtargeting in that race,' Murphy said.

"What did they find?

"That a 32-year-old white Protestant woman with two children and a retired Roman Catholic male engineer – while both independents – were driven by often contradictory issues, Murphy said. 'Some independents are more base Republican – like, some are pure fiscal [voters], some are focused on education,' he added.

"All of this seems somewhat straightforward."

...

"But, he added, the key insight of political microtargeting is that, rather than simply determining whether married men are more likely than unmarried women to support a candidate, a campaign can identify segments within larger demographic groups and tailor messages down to the household level – an extraordinary amount of precision that helps turn a guessing game into a series of targeted strikes."

...

"The first step in doing this is conducting a large survey of voters. By matching up their political views with detailed information about their consumer habits, a model is established that can be applied to the population as a whole.

"A campaign would then know which issues are important to an unmarried woman who subscribes to Outside magazine and is a frequent flier, and how they are different from issues important to an unmarried woman who has two grown children, uses corrective lenses and is an AARP member -- even if they are next-door neighbors."

...

"What [Gage] does is as much art as science, and he never stops tinkering with his models. 'Part of the challenge is to constantly attack what you're doing and try to do it better,' he said."

...

"Eighteen months ago, Gage made the trip up to Boston to meet with Myers. At a Beacon Hill restaurant, the two old friends chatted about Romney's potential as a presidential candidate and microtargeting's ability to help deliver him the GOP nomination.

"Over the next months, Gage and Myers talked from time to time about how microtargeting might best be used to make a difference in a presidential primary. One Saturday last fall, Myers, Gage and Will Feltus, a member of National Media Inc., the company that handles Romney's advertising, gathered for a final bull session.

"At issue was whether microtargeting could find meaningful – and measurable – differences in a primary electorate that was Republican to begin with and similar in its demographic and ideological traits. After hashing out the details on maps and graphs, Myers and the rest of the Romney team reached a decision. 'The question was whether you could differentiate between the eight kinds of chocolate,' she said. 'I became convinced that the power of microtargeting was enhanced by segregating a generally homogenous universe.'"

...

"Gage is ... humble about his role, calling himself a 'planner.' He said, 'I have always believed in Eisenhower's observation: "In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable."'"

View Entire Article

Fwd: Obama asks question, gets answer on Yahoo Answers (Yahoo is right!)

From Paul Ashley

What a phoney this Obama is.
 
 
My return question was:
 
If someone is running for the presidency of the most powerful and most democratic nation in history, why in the world does he have to ask such a question?  He should already know the answer.  He's asking this to make it appear as if he wants to include you and to appear to be "hip" because he's using the web.  What a crock.  Obama has hardly any experience and is an ambitious climber according to those who worked with him here in Illinois.
 
One other comment.  How can our children learn democratic principles and love their country when our schools don't teach American history and when they do, spend most of their time denigrating it?

Governor Romney On The Senate Immigration Bill:

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