From Miguel

I believe that John McCain is not being confronted enough on these debates with his immigration record.  What is not getting enough coverage is that when asked about his immigration bill, he never apoligizes for it.  He says we need to restore trust in goverment first by securing the borders.  Translation: you guys are very mad at me, once you come down a little bit, you are getting amnesty for ilegals.  This needs to be brought up in one of these debates, someone needs to get the senator to answer whether he still supports alowing illegals to stay here or not.
And Gov Romney shouldnt let him keep reminding us about his stand in Iraq.  Next time he brings it up he should ask him if we are supposed to forget about amnesty for illegals because of his support of the surge.  Or are we supposed to forget about Campaign finance reform, or forget about describing the Bush Tax cuts using the democrats talking points that they were tax cuts for the rich?
Romney should remind people that if it wasn't for the senators support of the war in Iraq and support of prolife issues, he has far more in common with liberal democrats than he does with Reagan conservatives.
That would be straight talk.

From My Man Mitt

John Nevin penned an op/ed for the Detroit Free Press yesterday. In that op/ed he argued that Mitt Romney is the best candidate for the Michigan and the Great Lakes:
 
Mitt Romney grew up in that tradition and has a firsthand appreciation of how important the Great Lakes are to Michigan's high quality of life. Romney knows that Michigan's ecology and economy depend on healthy Great Lakes and clean water that is safe for drinking, beaches that are safe for swimming, and fish that are safe for eating.


We go ahold of Mr. Nevin and asked him a few follow-up questions.

MMM: What part of Michigan are you from?

JN: I am from Holt, a suburb of Lansing, right near Michigan State University.

MMM: What is your occupation?

JN: I am a policy adviser to a binational group that provides advice to governments regarding water quality and water quantity issues. Previously, I wrote speeches and provided communications advice to Governor John Engler for 12 years.

MMM: How would you describe your political leanings?

JN: My political leanings are definitely conservative but with a pragmatic, common sense approach that emphasizes results more than ideology. I am strongly pro-life and wouldn't support a candidate who wasn't.

MMM: Why endorse Mitt Romney?

JN: I've endorsed Mitt Romney for many reasons. He's an experienced executive with a track record of success who understands how to manage change and to transform complex organizations. Second, just looking at his family, you know right away that he is an incredibly strong and compassionate leader. He doesn't need the presidency. The presidency needs him.

MMM: You say in your Op/Ed that Mitt Romney will be best for Michigan and the Great Lakes. Why?

JN: Mitt would be best for the Great Lakes because I know he wouldn't tolerate the lack of responsibility and accountability for current programs. He's the only candidate who would have the ability to slash the bureaucracy, reorganize and focus on the key threats to the lakes. The bottom line is that Mitt is all about results and that's the kind of leadership we need. And of course, it helps that he is from Michigan and has a true understanding and appreciation for how important the lakes are to our state, our economy and our culture.

Remember, We're Choosing a President


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Remember, We're Choosing a President

By Thomas Sowell

It was not that long ago that the big political question was how Rudolph Giuliani would do against Hillary Clinton in the November election.

The Iowa caucus votes have made that question sound like ancient history, if not science fiction. The results of the Iowa caucus are only a small part of the story of this election year but their implications are significant.

One implication that reaches well beyond politics is that a state that is 95 percent white gave its biggest vote total to a black man.

More Iowa women voted for Obama than for Hillary. So much for the "race, class and gender" mantra among the intelligentsia.

So much also for the "inevitable" or "invincible" candidacy of Hillary Clinton. Perhaps the biggest story out of Iowa is that 71 percent of Democrats voted against Hillary.

The next biggest story is that no one in either party won a majority. It is still a wide-open race in both parties.

As for the Republicans, Mike Huckabee won by 8 percentage points in a state where 60 percent of the Republican voters were evangelicals.

However surprising his victory, it was not massive by any means and the large evangelical factor will not be there in most other states, even among Republican voters-- much less in the general election in November.

With all the media attention to the various political rivalries in both parties, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that all of this is ultimately about choosing a President of the United States.

The question of what kind of President each candidate would make is infinitely more important than all the "horse race" handicapping that dominates the media.

By far the best presentation as a candidate, among all the candidates in both parties, is that of Barack Obama. But if he actually believes even half of the irresponsible nonsense he talks, he would be an utter disaster in the White House.

Among the Democrats, the choice between John Edwards and Barack Obama depends on whether you prefer glib demagoguery in its plain vanilla form or spiced with a little style and color.

The choice between both of them and Hillary Clinton depends on whether you prefer male or female demagoguery.

Among the Republicans, there are misgivings about the track record of each of the candidates, especially those who have shown what Thorstein Veblen once called "a versatility of convictions."

There are fewer reasons for misgivings about Fred Thompson's track record in the Senate but more reason to be concerned about what his unfocused and lackluster conduct of his campaign might portend for his performance in the White House.

When it comes to personal temperament, Governor Romney would rate the highest for his even keel, regardless of what events are swirling around him, with Rudolph Giuliani a close second.

Temperament is far more important for a President than for a candidate. A President has to be on an even keel 24/7, for four long years, despite crises that can break out anywhere in the world at any time.

John McCain trails the pack in the temperament department, with his volatile, arrogant, and abrasive know-it-all attitude. His track record in the Senate is full of the betrayals of Republican supporters that have been the party's biggest failing over the years and its Achilles heel politically.

The elder President Bush's betrayal of his "no new taxes" pledge was the classic example, but the current President Bush's attempt to get amnesty for illegal aliens, with Senator McCain's help, was more of the same.

President Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon probably cost him the 1976 election and cost the country the disastrous Carter years.

McCain's betrayals include not only the amnesty bill but also the McCain-Feingold bill that violated the First Amendment for the illusion of "taking money out of politics." His back-door deal with Democrats on judicial nominations also pulled the rug out from under his party leaders in the Senate.

The White House is not the place for a loose cannon.

Copyright 2008, Creators Syndicate Inc.

Page Printed from: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/01/what_does_it_mean.html at January 09, 2008 - 03:13:54 PM PST

From the Corner:

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NTIwZDQ2YjVmNWZlMGE5ZWVmODRjMzM3MGY2YjU4Nzk=
RUSH:
I want to remind all my Republican friends that there are many states after Iowa and New Hampshire where the Republican populations are far more indicative of the conservative base, and to get caught up in what happened in Iowa, to get caught up in what's going to happen in New Hampshire as though they're the only two states that matter and that they're going to determine the fallout on both parties is a little bit over the top.

Iowa is a caucus; it's a weird setup. New Hampshire allows independents to vote in the Republican primary, which is why McCain is doing as well as he is doing, and it's why the media want this to be a bellwether against Romney. I mean, Pat Buchanan came in second. He came in a very strong second in New Hampshire in 1992. Now, I'm not saying that these contests are not to be taken seriously here, and that they're not to be fought and to be won, but we don't want to get ahead of ourselves. New Hampshire is no longer the conservative barometer it used to be. The state has changed, it is now quite liberal. A lot of people who used to live in Massachusetts have moved into New Hampshire to escape New Hampshire's high taxation and other problems. New England generally the northern states, states like Iowa, is not where the conservative base resides in large numbers. The Drive-By Media would love to destroy the conservative coalition. They would love to destroy the conservative base to the Republican Party. That's why they are promoting Huckabee; it is why they are promoting McCain.

Strategy For A Stronger America: The Romney Agenda For Tomorrow

Saturday, Jan 05, 2008

"No one votes for yesterday. We vote for tomorrow. Elections are about the future – our future, our families' future, our nation's future." – Governor Romney


In The Past Year, Governor Romney Has Outlined His Vision For Building A Stronger America And A Brighter Future For Generations To Come. The future is now and the only by changing Washington will we be able to solve the great challenges confronting our country today. Washington is broken and unable to meet the challenges ahead. Governor Romney has proposed a Strategy for a Stronger America that will strengthen our economy, our military and our families.

TO DO: Make America Safer:

Governor Romney Will Strengthen Our Military. Across America, there are thousands of families with members in the Armed Forces, Reserves and National Guard who need more support from Washington. To make America safer, Governor Romney will:

- Add At Least 100,000 More Troops To Our Armed Forces.

- Commit At Least 4% Of Our Gross Domestic Product To Defense. This will help provide the resources needed for equipment, modernization, training and care of our wounded soldiers.

- Ensuring Funds Are Used To Support Our Forces By Eliminating Waste And Washington Pork. Governor Romney will bring together a team of private-sector and defense experts to carry out a stem-to-stern review of military purchasing.

- Establish A Special Partnership Force (SPF) To Harness All Elements Of Our National Power In Contested Areas To Defeat Jihadists. The SPF will integrate all elements of national power under a new force with leadership drawn from our Army Special Forces trained to work with civilian governments and intelligence personnel to form a new capability to help defeat the Jihadists.

- Create A Permanent Rapid Innovation Force To Ensure Our Troops In Harm's Way Have The Equipment And Technology They Need. The Rapid Innovation Force will rapidly deploy the equipment and innovative solutions our troops need for their success and protection.

Governor Romney Will Strengthen Our Alliances Around The World. America's strength is amplified when it is combined with the strength of other nations. We need to expand alliances such as NATO and efforts among the world's leading nations to face the new threat of radical Jihad and increase our homeland security. To make America safer, Governor Romney will:

- Launch A New Type Of Marshall Plan Unifying Non-Military Sources Of Power To Support Moderate Muslims. As President, Governor Romney will call together our Middle East allies and the major nations of the developed world to establish a Partnership for Prosperity and Progress. This Partnership will assemble the resources of all developed nations to assure that threatened Islamic states have public schools, micro-credit and banking, the rule of law, human rights, basic health care, and competitive economic policies.

- Build A Global Network Against Terror And Transnational Threats To Link Intelligence From Around The World. The Global Network will link intelligence and law enforcement capabilities around the world to share data about border crossings, biometric indicators, passport fraud, nuclear and biological threats, criminal patterns, human trafficking and drug trafficking.

Governor Romney Will Strengthen Our Intelligence Community. Today, protecting the homeland must begin far from home. Intelligence and law enforcement efforts able to address threats before they reach our shores must be a priority for U.S. and international action. To make America safer, Governor Romney will:

- Strengthen Our Intelligence Communities By Eliminating Bureaucracy And Moving Resources To The Field. We need to eliminate duplicative efforts, revitalize recruitment and prioritize efforts in the field, expanding human intelligence

- Maintain The Patriot Act. The Patriot Act has given our men and women in the law enforcement and intelligence communities the tools they need to defend America.

- Listen When Terrorists Call Into The United States. Our most basic civil liberty is the right to be kept alive and Governor Romney will use every tool at our disposal to keep America safe.

TO DO: End Illegal Immigration:

Governor Romney Will Enforce Our Laws And Reform Our Immigration System. America's immigration system is broken, but for too long all our leaders in Washington have done is talk about ending illegal immigration. Governor Romney believes we must enforce and reform our immigration laws so that we can end illegal immigration. To end illegal immigraiton, Governor Romney will:

- Secure The Border. Governor Romney will follow through on the Congressional commitment to build a physical and technological fence along the southern border, and secure other points of entry throughout the country.

- Implement A Mandatory And Enforceable Employment Verification System. Governor Romney will issue a biometrically-enabled and tamperproof card to non-citizens and create a national database so employers can easily verify the legal status of non-citizens in this country.

- Hold Employers Accountable. Governor Romney will make it easier for employers to verify legal status and work authorization of non-citizens through a federal database. Employers will be held accountable if they hire illegal immigrants with stiffer fines and penalties.

- Reject Amnesty. Governor Romney opposes amnesty or any special path to citizenship for those here illegally.

- End The Magnet Of "Sanctuary Cities." Governor Romney will cut back federal funding to cities that are "sanctuaries" for illegal immigrants.

- Oppose Any Special Benefits For Illegal Immigrants. Governor Romney opposes giving driver's licenses or in-state tuition to those here illegally. He believes states should not provide those types of incentives. As President, he will cut back federal funding to states that do so.

- Promote State And Local Partnerships With Federal Immigration Officials. More state and local authorities should work with the federal government to enforce immigration laws.

- Improve Interior Enforcement. Governor Romney will provide additional resources to enforce existing immigration laws throughout the nation.

- Teach English In Our Schools. Governor Romney believes we must teach English in our classrooms because to be successful you have to speak the language of America.

- End Chain Migration. Governor Romney believes we should end the policy of chain migration that says if a child is born here to illegal immigrants then, by right, the entire family is brought in based upon that child's citizenship.

- Encourage Legal Immigration. Governor Romney will streamline the visa system to recruit and retain skilled workers in high demand by U.S. companies. He will also welcome the best and the brightest from around the world to our universities.

TO DO: Reduce Taxes:

Governor Romney Will Lower Taxes On The American People. Lower taxes are the key to ensuring continued economic growth and job creation. However, our economy is threatened by looming tax hikes. To reduce taxes, Governor Romney will:

- Make The Bush Tax Cuts Permanent. Making the Bush Tax Cuts permanent is the first step to ensuring that Americans are able to keep more of their hard-earned money.

- Roll Back Tax Rates For All Americans. As President, Governor Romney will cut marginal tax rates across the board, allowing all Americans to save more money.

- Make Middle Class Savings Tax Free. Governor Romney's plan will allow middle class Americans to save tax free by changing the tax rate on interest, capital gains and dividends to absolutely 0%.

- Kill The Death Tax. It is unfair to tax Americans three times: once when they earn their money; second when they invest it and receive income from those investments; and third when they die.

- Lower The Corporate Tax Rate. The United States has the second highest corporate tax rate in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. We cannot afford to have a tax rate that is out of alignment with the other major economies of the world.

- Oppose Any Increase In Social Security Taxes. We can strengthen Social Security without resorting to higher Social Security taxes that will impact all Americans. Governor Romney will oppose any proposed increase in Social Security taxes.

- Prevent The Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) From Hurting More American Families. At the very least, Congress must pass a patch to the AMT that will prevent this tax from affecting more and more families in America.

TO DO: Cut Pork:

Governor Romney Will End Washington's Spending Binge. Americans are concerned about the overspending in Washington. Like the millions of families and businesses across the country, government should also live within a budget. To end Washington's spending binge, Governor Romney will:

- Veto Appropriations Bills That Exceed Spending Targets. He will veto any non-defense appropriations bill that grows spending at a rate greater than inflation minus one percent (CPI-1%). This will save $300 billion over 10 years.

- Give The President The Line-Item Veto Power Again. Restoring this power to the President would allow us to make tremendous strides in eliminating earmarks and cutting inefficient programs.

- Lead An Effort To Review And Reevaluate All Federal Spending Programs. Governor Romney's administration will undertake an exhaustive review of each individual federal program to eliminate and consolidate programs that are no longer useful or are bureaucratic and unwieldy.

- Give The Executive Branch The Authority To Spend Up To 25% Less Than Congress Appropriates. The amount of money Congress tells the President to spend should be a spending ceiling, not a final price tag.

- Call On Congress To Re-Impose A Three-Fifths (60%) Supermajority Requirement To Raise Taxes. Making it even harder to attempt to increase taxes will help impose the fiscal discipline we need to stop overspending.

TO DO: Better Care For Veterans:

Governor Romney Will Improve Care For Our Veterans And Enhance Aid For Our Military Families. Washington is failing our veterans. Governor Romney believes we must do more to support our men and women in uniform, their families and those who have returned home after serving their country. To enhance care for our veterans and military families, Governor Romney will:

- Ensure That The Value Of The Montgomery G.I. Bill Keeps Pace With Rising Educational Expenses. Governor Romney will call for a regular outside review of Montgomery G.I. Bill benefits to ensure that our veterans, active duty military, and their eligible spouses and dependents have the resources they need to pursue the opportunities they deserve.

- Ensure Military Dependents Get Access To In-State Tuition At Public Colleges And Universities. Governor Romney will call on every state to extend in-state tuition benefits to military dependents whose parents are stationed there and, furthermore, to permit the continuation of the in-state tuition rate even if their parents are reassigned and forced to leave the state.

TO DO: Health Insurance For Everyone:

Governor Romney Has Proposed A Conservative Blueprint To Make Health Care More Affordable And Accessible. Governor Romney has outlined a comprehensive solution to America's health care ills that expands access to affordable, portable, quality, private health insurance. For too long, too many have talked about reforming health care. To make health care more affordable, Governor Romney will:

- Establish Federal Incentives To Deregulate And Reform State Health Insurance Markets So Market Forces Can Work.

- Redirect Federal Spending On "Free Care" To Help The Low-Income Uninsured Purchase Private Insurance.

- Institute Health Savings Account (HSA) Enhancements And The Full Deductibility Of Qualified Medical Expenses.

- Promote Innovation In Medicaid.

- Implement Medical Liability Reform.

- Bring Market Dynamics And Modern Technology To Health Care.

TO DO: End Dependence On Foreign Oil:

Governor Romney Will Work To Make America Energy Independent. Energy costs that put pressure on household finances are a major concern for families. Yet, for too long, Washington insiders have talked about making America energy independent. To end our dependence on foreign oil, Governor Romney will:

- Make Energy Independence A Top Administration Priority. Because energy independence is crucial to our economy and national security, Governor Romney will make it a top administration priority to become energy independent.

- Expand Investment In Research, Development, And Demonstration Projects. This investment will encourage the commercialization of alternative energy.

- Increase Domestic Production, Including Renewable Sources, Biodiesel, Solar And Wind. Governor Romney will pursue our domestic sources of energy, drawing from our broad and diverse base of options, including opening ANWR.

- Increase Focus On Energy Security. Governor Romney will shift federal priorities to emphasize issues of energy security, particularly at the Department of Energy.

- Promote Nuclear Technology. Governor Romney will accelerate the construction of new nuclear power plants in order to ensure that nuclear power continues to be a part of a robust, cleaner and more reliable energy mix.

TO DO: Make Government Simpler, Smaller:

Governor Romney Will Cut The Size Of Government. Government in Washington has become duplicative, burdensome and inefficient. Our government is broken and can only be changed with someone from outside of Washington free of any special interest. To make government simpler and smaller, Governor Romney will:

- Lead An Effort To Review And Reevaluate All Federal Spending Programs. Governor Romney's administration will undertake an exhaustive review of each individual federal program to eliminate and consolidate programs that are no longer useful or are bureaucratic and unwieldy.

TO DO: Grow The Economy And Keep Our Jobs:

Governor Romney Will Maintain America's Competitiveness In The Global Economy. Governor Romney will work to ensure that America's economy, businesses and workers have the tools they need to compete in this global economy. To grow the economy and keep our jobs, Governor Romney will:

- Launch A "Reagan Zone Of Economic Freedom" Among Nations Committed To High Standards and Enforcement: Governor Romney will seek to bring together nations committed to open markets and playing by the rules in the largest ever Free Trade Area, and go beyond traditional trade to promote high standards in areas critical to U.S. competitiveness.

- Conclude Existing Negotiations, Like The Doha Round, To Benefit America. The Doha Round and free trade agreements can be huge opportunities for America.

- Expand Enforcement And New Frontiers Of U.S. Competitiveness. Governor Romney's vision for expanding trade includes stronger enforcement efforts, multilateral efforts to stop currency manipulation, action against intellectual property rights theft, negotiations to open markets for services, and building food, safety and other standards to protect Americans.

- Give The President Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) To Open Markets For America.

- Create Worker Empowerment And Training Accounts. These self-managed accounts will give workers the opportunity to take control of their own futures by getting the training and education they need to succeed in the new economy.

- Streamline And Enhance Access To Worker Training And Educational Programs. Governor Romney will initiate an audit of all existing worker training and educational programs to ensure that workers are being helped most efficiently.

- Provide Employers With Regulatory Relief. As President, Governor Romney will eliminate cumbersome and unnecessary regulations and bureaucracies that hinder economic growth.

- Strengthen Our Education System. As President, Governor Romney will emphasize math and science education, while promoting innovative approaches such as charter schools and public-private partnerships.

- Invest In Building And Repairing The Nation's Transportation Infrastructure.

TO DO: Fix Social Security:

Governor Romney Will Work To Fix Social Security. By 2050, total entitlement spending by the government will reach nearly 20% of America's GDP. This reality demands action now. Future generations can no longer afford inaction. To fix Social Security, Governor Romney will:

- Work With Congress To Reform Social Security. In a forthright and bipartisan manner, Governor Romney will work with Congress to find a bipartisan way to reform Social Security while opposing higher Social Security taxes.

TO DO: Put People Ahead Of Selfish Interest:

Governor Romney Believes Officials In Washington Should Live Up To Higher Ethical Standards. Far too often, the American people have been forced to put up with the ethical problems of our nation's representatives in Washington. Those we elect should live up to a higher standard. To bring a higher standard to Washington, Governor Romney will:

- Enact A New Ethics Law That Strips Those Who Violate The Public Trust Of Their Government Pensions. Any elected official or federal official who violates the public's trust should be stripped of the taxpayer funded pensions.

- Prohibit Family Members Of Cabinet And Senior Staff Members From Lobbying The Executive Branch. As President, one of Governor Romney's first acts will be to issue an Executive Order prohibiting the immediate family of an Cabinet or Senior Staff member from lobbying the Executive Branch.

Rich Lowry vs. Michael Medved: “isn’t anyone reading the exit polls?”

http://corner.nationalreview.com/

"Huckabee took 14% of the vote and came in fourth in the Iowa caucus among non-evangelicals according to the NBC Republican exit poll. Huckabee's principal voting block was female born-again Christian Republicans living in non-urban rural areas with a population below 10,000. I dearly love such people, but demographically in the country at large there aren't that many of them.When Huckabee moves out of caucus Iowa and into primary state America, he's going to get killed."

Michael Medved just said that is a lie, and that the majority of evangelicals voted against Huckabee. This is were Medved lies with statistics. You see, evangelicals split their votes among Huckabee, Romney, McCain, and Fred Thompson. So perhaps a "majority" of evangelicals did not support Huckabee, but what Rich Lowry said above. Huckabee came in 4rth among non-evangelicals.

But who cares? Why point this out? Am I offending Evangelicals? Well it all has to do with the story line. Medved is going on and on about how wonderful Huckabee is, and how positive Huckabee has been, and that Huckabee has not gone negative.

Huckabee is negative. Huckabee:

  • Called Mitt Romney a liar on many occasions. Saying Mitt Romney is "dishonest and desperate"
  • Said Mitt Romney is disparate (see above)
  • Suggested that Romney should commit suicide (Google it)
  • Huckabee's campaign manager said he would like to knock Romney's teeth out
  • Huckabee has continued to leave posts on his website for over a month now that say that "Mitt Romney worships Satan" and is a "piece of Mormon Garbage". Their are hundreds of these comments on Huckabee's website, which is a clearning house of anti-Mormon information
  • Said that Mitt Romney is lying running for president, and that he would lie once he became president

And Medved has the audacity to go on and on about how positive Huckabee's message has been.

Michael Medved, how are citizens supposed to pick a president? Who ever is the nicest? IS that how we should pick who is president? There is a song that says, you got to be cruel to be kind. It is much NICER that mitt Romney kindly point out that Mike Huckabee pardoned 1,033 people, 12 of whom were convicted murderers, than to have the Democrats release cruel and humiliating heartfealt interviews with the families of these victims, destroying Mike Huckabee and any future that he had.

Mitt Romney is not making this personal. Mike Huckabee is calling Mitt Romney names, saying he isn't a liar, and Huckabee's website says that "Romney worships Satan". Mitt Romney is doing what campaigns should be about: issues. Michael Medved is destroying our ability to reason by saying that being nice is more important than fighting it out and seeing who and what is correct, and who is the last man standing.

This is the time for us to "fight it out" in the war of ideas. If you go to Brittan, and you go to the house of commons, their is none of the "I would like to turn the time over to my esteemed colleague" stuff that you have in the US Senate. They have a nock down drag out fight, and that is what we need to figure out who is best qualified to take on the democrats.

Not a mean spirited fight. But a respectful, but honest discussion of the issues.

And the Ironic thing is that that is exactly how Medved treats his guest. I would like to listen to the Michael Medved show if he could never point out problems with what his guest were saying, like he wants Mitt Romney to never point out problems with the other candidates.

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