Elections Blog

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/11/17/romney_faces_a_reckoning_on_08/
With just seven weeks left in office, Governor Mitt Romney is bringing together his advisers and leading supporters for a postelection powwow this weekend as he nears the most important decision of his political career.

Romney, widely expected to launch a 2008 presidential bid in coming weeks, is convening the meetings at an undisclosed location. Aides to his Commonwealth Political Action Committee refused to say who is attending or how big a gathering it is.

“What I can say is it’s an effort to thank those who have been supporters of the Commonwealth PAC over the last year,” said PAC spokesman Jared Young.

The Commonwealth PAC, whose stated objective is to support Republican candidates around the country, says it raised $8.8 million and gave away $1.3 million to candidates and party organizations in the just-completed two-year election cycle.

For the full story, go to The Boston Globe.

Kevin Davis Jr.

Technorati Tags: Mitt Romney, 2008, Presidential Election, Election 2008.

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http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2006/11/daily_troika_ro_3.html From the National Journal’s Daily Troika.

MA Gov. Mitt Romney, who campaigns in Greenville, SC for GOPers today, sent more than 1,000 Republicans in the state a glossy, eight-page brochure that reads like a campaign solicitation and lays out what amounts to a 10-point plan to reinvorgating the conservative movement. The 10/30-dated latter includes a message-testing “State of South Carolina Survey” that asks recipients to agree or disagree with 20 issue statements.

The letter also asks for money, with proceeds being directed to Commonwealth PAC affiliates in Iowa and Michigan.

The letter, written in Romney’s name, states that conservatives “agree on a couple of very important things.” They include a belief that “our government” is “growing again.” Spending “in too many places is out of control.” Also:

The US “cannot fail to defeat radical and violent Muslim extemists” worldwide.

The US “can and must secure our borders first” and “must also ensure our laws promote legal immigration.”

“Affirming America’s Culture and Values”

The US “must use every energy asset we have” and “develop alternatives that help our nation” on “the road to energy independence.”

Conservatives must keep “taxes low” and simplify the tax code.

“Extending health care to all Americans” by “using market-based programs.”

The US “must treat teaching as a true profession”

The US must “meet the economic rise of China and Asia head-on.

The US must continue “investing in technology.”

Commonwealth PAC spokesman Jared Young said the letter was meant as a both a “survey of what issues are important to folks” as well as “a fundrasing letter.” After 11/7, said Young,. “I think it’s be safe to assume that the commonwealth pac will continue to help Republican candidates.”

Kevin

Technorati Tags: Mitt Romney

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http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_4540199 This incredibly postitive article from The Salt Lake Tribune shows how much of a draw Governor Romney is in important 2008 Primary States, and also just as importantly his abilities to raise money for Republican candidates. It just goes to show how strong of a leader Governor Romney is. It’s no wonder “Ankle Biting Pundits” feels such trepidation about him.

He might have an eye on the presidency while he helps governors today
By Thomas Burr
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated:10/24/2006 09:41:56 AM MDT

WASHINGTON - On a visit to Dubuque, Iowa, recently, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney delivered a check for $500,000 to Republican Jim Nussle, who’s in a neck-and-neck race to take the governor’s office back for the GOP.
The Iowa race is “our highest priority,” Romney said.
Handing out money to candidates in Iowa, the scene of the nation’s first presidential caucus, is always a good move for a politician gearing up for a presidential bid. But this money came from the Republican Governors Association, which Romney leads and has a clear voice in how campaign donations are divvied up.
Romney, the former head of the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City who now chairs the multimillion-dollar election machine for governors, has used his spot heading the RGA to traverse the country and drop millions into states, helping Republican candidates and, coincidentally, currying favor with conservatives on his way to a potential 2008 presidential bid.
This year, the organization has pumped “far north of $15 million” into campaigns for Republican gubernatorial candidates, according to the organization. Available records show nearly $6 million given directly to candidates or state parties during Romney’s term, from $1.25 million in Iowa to $1 million for Florida.

That’s not unusual from past cycles when the RGA - set up to boost and promote Republican governors and candidates donated to races across the country. But Romney’s near-celebrity status has ramped up contributions to record-setting levels.
Romney’s prominent position also gives him invaluable face time with Republicans across the country he may be relying on in a presidential race.
“It doesn’t hurt,” Ed Gillespie, former chairman of the Republican National Committee, said in a Tribune interview. “It helps him demonstrate his strength as a potential nominee.”
The RGA doles out funds according to where the most impact can be made, according to executive director, Phil Musser, and the decision rests with the group’s executive board, which Romney chairs.
So far in 2006, the RGA has pumped $750,000 into the Oregon campaign for Ron Saxton, who is behind in the polls to incumbent Democrat Ted Kulongoski, but gaining. But it has also tossed $1 million to Florida’s Charlie Crist, who is leading Democrat Jim Davis by 15 to 16 points in recent polls.
And Iowa has seen $800,000 flow directly from the RGA to Nussle and another $450,000 to the Iowa First Foundation, records show.
Jared Young, a spokesman for Romney’s Commonwealth Political Action Committee, says Romney’s “focus at this point is on nothing other than helping Republican candidates at all levels of government . . . have the best election in 2006.”
Across the aisle, though, there’s skepticism.
The RGA has given $1 million to Michigan GOP gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos, and nearly $900,000 to Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, who is running to take Romney’s place. Both candidates are multimillionaires, points out Brian Namey, spokesman for the Democratic Governors Association.
“It makes you wonder where [Romney's] priorities are,” Namey says. It makes you question “whether his focus is on 2006 or 2008.”
Musser, the RGA director, says there’s no question the focus is squarely on 2006. And with Romney’s leadership, the group has raised more money in nine months than in previous full years.
“Functionally, our job here is to make sure that candidates and challengers have the resources they need to compete,” Musser says. “In that regard, the RGA under Mitt Romney’s leadership has outperformed.”
Christopher Arterton, dean of the graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University, says Romney’s heading the RGA would help his presidential aspirations in many ways, especially his ability to meet active party members in various states. It may not cement a vote, he says, but “if you’re impressive, maybe they give you a second look.”
Gillespie also heralds Romney’s celebrity status as boosting Republican contenders and incumbents nationwide.
Romney is an asset, Gillespie says. “There’s star power. He can go in for Republican governors candidates as head of the RGA and not only give him a boost with some financial resources, but give them a boost with energy and buzz and get volunteers fired up. He is a leading figure in the party.”
What’s unknown is whether Romney will carry any baggage for expected losses this November for Republican gubernatorial candidates. Romney conceded on CNN last week Democrats likely will hold a majority of governors’ offices after the election.
“The governors’ races are tough, because Republican governors are - are not running for re-election in nine different states,” Romney told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “Only one Democrat isn’t running for re-election. So, the question is, will we lose six or eight governorships, or even more? But we will probably lose quite a few.”
Arterton says that could hurt Romney in some ways, but the position still has plenty of positives. “It’s potentially a two-edge sword,” he says. But “the backswing is considerably duller than the front side.”
Musser notes it is a difficult year for Republican governors, but that Romney has helped draw record coffers. The RGA raised $20 million this year compared to the DGA’s $14 million.
Meanwhile, the RGA also has added to its payroll a few of Romney’s main fundraisers. Since about the time Romney became head of the organization, the RGA has paid some $48,000 to Utah-based Big Cottonwood Group, which is run by Max Farbman, one of Romney’s top fundraisers for his PAC.
The RGA also has paid some $105,000 to Boston-based SJC Consulting.
Musser says the RGA employs fund-raisers across the country and both companies are top-notch in their field. He singled out Farbman, a fundraiser for the previous three Utah governors, as a “well-known Utah political figure.”

tburr@sltrib.com

Ann Marie

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http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/10/19/romney_camp_consulted_with_mormon_leaders?mode=PF The Boston Globe (ever the friend to Romney) ran a story that tries to tie Romney to an endorsement by the church (or at least that’s the headline and picture they’re trying to paint). This isn’t a major scandal, but it’s not good press either.

My quick take . . . the tie to BYU and the action of the associate dean were unwise maneuvers. There will be plenty of support for Romney among members of the church. Patience is required to let it happen the right way. However, being LDS and knowing our incredibly strong record of political neutrality and following the rules (we don’t do “voter guides” like other churches/Christian organizations), it is sort of bothersome that the Globe would paint the church in this light.

A companion article is here which, just by it’s subject matter/title, seems to suggest that the LDS church “better watch out” or else we’ll lose our non-profit tax status. Pretty annoying.

Hotline’s coverage is here.

Part of their disscussion . . .

Fact: the Globe story, read closely, does not suggest that anyone in the church did anything wrong or illegal, or that Romney’s aides acted improperly. Fact: Bishops of Mormon churches are forbidden from using church directories for politics, which means that Romney needs to find other ways to collect LDS church membership lists across the country.

Since Hotline is big on McCain (and therefore not too hot on Romney) it’s interesting that they don’t seem to see much of a scandal here.

Jeff

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15247431/ AP’s got a story today about the 2008 presidential election. It’s not so much an analysis piece as a story about the various candidates methods of gaining the attention of voters and raising the several truckloads of cash that they will all need. Amongst the mentions of Gov. Romney:

Candidates are employing an array of techniques to meet the challenge.

Romney, who decided against seeking another term as Massachusetts governor, is not a federal officeholder like the senators. That frees him to establish political action committees in every state.

Romney has done so in early voting Iowa, New Hampshire, Michigan, South Carolina and Arizona, and recently he sought to cozy up to Jim Nussle, the GOP nominee for governor in Iowa, with a $500,000 donation.

“That’s very effective,” said Tom Rath, a veteran New Hampshire Republican operative who is advising the national political committee Romney is also allowed to maintain. “You give $500 to a guy running for sheriff or county commissioner, and they remember that.”

Pataki and Romney have been frequent visitors to Iowa.

“This is really a time to listen, and I get a lot of perspective from the people of these states, so it’s a chance to be seen and a chance to hear,” Romney said after attending a fundraiser for New Hampshire Republicans at the farm of House Speaker Douglas Scamman.

Just as a side-note: MSNBC seriously needs to update that interactive presidential contender list if they’re going to use it in every ‘08 story.

~~~Thomas

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Washington DC’s insider newspaper The Hill is reporting that Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe will chair Sen. Hillary Clinton’s 2008 bid for the Presidency.
T-Mack is an incredible fundraiser and good friends of the Clinton’s. He’s a powerhouse and a good grab for Hillary.
Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe has told business associates [...]

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I remember when the Sales Tax Holiday was signed by Romney a few weeks back . . . but I didn’t realize that what he signed was the largest such law in the nation (among the many states that have one as reviewed in the USA Today)

On Wednesday, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a Republican, signed a law that creates the nation’s biggest tax holiday. All retail sales under $2,500 will be exempt from the state’s 5% sales tax Aug. 12-13.

Also from the USAToday, a review of 2008 hopefuls actions in the early primary/caucus states highlights how the political landscape may change in this next election cycle. Alabama will stand poised to be “a player” in the Presidential Primaries in ‘08:

Six prospects also showed up over the past year in Alabama, which recently moved its 2008 presidential primary from June 3 to Feb. 5.

Alabama looms large for Republicans as well. Arizona Sen. John McCain has given $107,750 to state and local candidates and committees there since January. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., a leading campaigner for GOP Senate candidates, is squeezing in three fundraisers Tuesday for state legislative candidates. Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee spoke at a state party fundraising dinner, and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is planning a trip.

One of the more palatable Democratic possibles, Evan Bayh is “employing” (literally) and interesting strategey:

Besides giving money, Bayh has found, trained and paid 50 campaign operatives in a program called Camp Bayh. Besides the three in Nevada, he’s sent one to South Carolina, 15 to New Hampshire, 25 to Iowa and six to Indiana.

Bayh’s Iowa contingent is “by far” the largest any Democrat has ever fielded, Bayh spokesman Dan Pfeiffer says. Most are working on legislative races. All, like their counterparts in the other states, are gaining knowledge and contacts that will be invaluable if Bayh runs and they stick with him.

Bayh isn’t the only one getting creative . . . Romney’s state PAC idea has given him an advantage over many other GOP hopefuls:

Romney has created political action committees in Iowa, New Hampshire, Michigan and South Carolina. They can raise lots of money fast because they aren’t subject to federal contribution limits. He’s spent most of his money on state and local races: $192,650 in Iowa, $95,000 in New Hampshire, $168,715 in Michigan and $131,500 in South Carolina, Romney’s records show.

Romney and McCain are fighting a money battle in Michigan and South Carolina, which usually follow Iowa and New Hampshire in the GOP primary lineup. McCain, who won Michigan in 2000, has given at least $158,000 to state and local party committees there, according to federal records and McCain’s staff. In South Carolina, which he lost in 2000, McCain has already spent nearly $150,000 on state and local campaigns.

Another interesting find was someone pointing out the irony of Romney’s “Polygamy Problem” among the GOP frontrunner field.

Romney’s “name recognition” must be improving some . . . because he’s starting to do a little better in phone “cold call” polls about the 2008 GOP race. According to some recent Strategic Vision polls Romney placed in 3rd (behind McCain and Giuliani) in New Jersey, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania and 4th (behind those two and homeboy Newt). In about 8 weeks Romney has made some progress in Georgia (from 5th and 4% to 4th and 6%). Granted, not huge numbers, but Romney is definitely headed in the right direction (just a few months ago it was not uncommon for him to get 0-2% in these polls)!

This New York Times piece reveiws the landscape for the 2008 presidential race and had a few Romney tidbits:

Mr. Romney has four full-time workers in Iowa and three in South Carolina, his aides said. And the candidates themselves do seem to be everywhere, in what officials in both parties take as a sign of how times have shifted . . . Mr. Romney announced that he had created a 75-member Michigan Steering Committee, widely viewed as the cornerstone of a Romney-for-President operation in the state.

There may be a dwindling opportunity to nail down big names — Mr. McCain’s aides said this week that Robert B. Zoellick, the former deputy secretary of state, was the latest big name to join the McCain camp. But it is also important to be perceived by contributors and political journalists as viable and gaining support.

Mr. Romney’s supporters were understandably cheered when David Yepsen, the influential columnist for The Des Moines Register, wrote a column showering Mr. Romney’s efforts with praise, calling him the best organized of any Republican candidate in the state and declaring that he was “well on his way toward winning the 2008 Iowa Republican caucuses.”

Mr. Romney, clearly enjoying his role as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, went to Cedar Rapids to campaign with Representative Jim Nussle, the Republican candidate for governor. There, Mr. Romney announced, to the audible gasps from an audience of devoted Republicans, that his committee was giving $500,000 to the Nussle campaign.

One of the top members of Mr. Bush’s campaigns, Matthew Dowd, who was his chief strategist, is the object of at least interest of both the McCain and Romney campaigns, Republicans say. “Matt is the biggest fish out there who hasn’t signed,” said one of Mr. McCain’s associates, who insisted on anonymity to discuss internal campaign deliberations.

But Mr. Dowd, along with two of the other top lieutenants in the Bush presidential campaign — Karl Rove, the president’s chief political adviser, and Ken Mehlman, the chairman of the Republican National Committee — have told friends they are unlikely to do another campaign.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Dowd follow the rest of Bush’s team to McCain . . . further flaming the fire of a “quid pro quo” between McCain and Bush

In other news:

Amid a gaggle of events and gatherings one stood out: a Romney event on Aug. 18 at a coast resort. Nearly 1,000 people showed up and Romney’s CommonwealthPac garnered more than $1 million. The locals were stunned: Where did that come from?

Romney’s performance at the state’s semi-annual GOP Convention in Century City on Aug. 20—he received a rousing standing ovation following his keynote address and kudos as well from the arch-conservative California Republican Federation—kept the political buzz mounting. One local congressman remarked that Romney “is the most gifted politician I’ve ever met.”
. . .

But the impression is growing of significant Romney momentum among Republican elites and grassroots alike, and some pros compare Team Romney’s prowess to George Bush’s organizational edge in 1999. Now that the internet has changed profoundly the nature of grassroots, no campaign can play a waiting game.

Romney recently touted his record of fiscal conservatism in Iowa:

Romney touted his own record for cutting unnecessary spending in his home state. He said he has eliminated redundant agencies such as combining the state’s three highway departments to save money.

Romney said he doesn’t support cutting costs in areas such as homelessness prevention but has advocated for better use of the money. In Massachusetts, the state spent $20 million on hotel rooms for 599 rooms a night for homeless people to stay after shelters were too full.

Romney said he reorganized the system so that those people who had stayed at the shelter the longest would qualify for the hotel room instead of the newcomers. Now, the state has eliminated the need for hotel rooms, Romney said, and the money has gone to improving housing options for the homeless and low-income people.

“We’ve gotten people out of homelessness,” he said.

That’s a loooong post . . . sorry.

Jeff

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http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2006/08/romneys_michiga.html Wow! Look at “this” list of support! Mitt Romney just about owns Michigan!

Kevin

Addendum by Jeff:

Kevin, you just beat me to this one!

THIS IS HUGE NEWS! A big “show of strength” by Romney. On that list are SEVEN of the Bush Rangers and/or Pioneers (looks like Cillizza will have to update his list . . . Romney was already leading on that list, but now it just looks like he’s pulling away from everybody else.

There are 13 CEO types on that list . . . a clear sign of Romney’s appeal to fellow CEO/management types.

Hotline On Call says of this announcement:
The release of these names is a shot across the frontrunner’s bow of Sen. John McCain, who has the support of Michigan’s two national committee members, among others. It’s also a signal to the media, in Michigan and nationally. And to Republican donors. And to uncommitted activists in other states. And to those pesky National Journal insiders who keep ranking McCain ahead of their guy. And even to the White House.

Add to Del.icio.us

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http://www.boston.com/news/local/politics/blog/2006/08/romney_gone_all.html I picked this up by my stats software. Someone came to this blog through The Globe’s Political Intelligence blog.

Governor Romney is set to return to Massachusetts Monday evening after a long weekend politicking in Tennessee and attending a National Governors Association meeting in South Carolina.

Romney attended a Republican fundraiser in Tennesssee, chronicled by one of the many Romney blogs popping up [Note: The one they are speaking of is this one]. (Looks like Mrs. Romney joined the trip.)

The governor’s office told the Globe’s Adrienne Samuels that on Saturday Romney attended an NGA session on health care and before that he gave a presentation on responding to emergencies. Monday, the governors are to focus on education and will recognize the outgoing governors - including Romney.

The NGA is meeting in Charleston, SC.

Meantime, columnist Robert Novak, who has been closely following Romney’s early presidential maneuvers, reports that the Mass. governor has the lead in early organizing for 2008, particularly in Iowa. Novak calls Romney’s name ID with Republican voters “anemic.”

And the Nashua Telegraph [Note: You must scroll down to get to the part of the article in which Mr. Dahl is referencing] reports that on Thursday, Romney bused “14 GOP state senators to a Boston fund-raiser to benefit the Gatsas-led Senate Republican Victory PAC.” Gatsas is the state Senate President in NH. The paper reports that the fundraiser took place at the penthouse at the Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Posted by David Dahl, Political Editor at 08:00 AM

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I’d been working on getting my table for the Williamson County GOP event sold for three weeks (at $150 a ticket, it was a bit steep for people understandably). Well, I finally had them all sold just under deadline.

I was scheduled to pick up Heather Johnson from Women for Romney at Nashville International Airport (she came in from North Carolina) at just before 4PM, well the Nashville area was inundated with torrential downpours, and severe storms so her flight was diverted to Louisville. She was understandably upset, but told us to go on and when she got there, she got there.

Well, it worked out. Governor Romney was also delayed by the same storms, and could not fly into Nashville either. Therefore, he landed in Bowling Green Kentucky, and drove into the event from there. Heather and Governor Romney got to the event within about a half hour of each other. Cheryl and Stephanie were delayed a bit getting to the event too, having to go around a flooded street.

Heather had sent the proofs for our new Women for Romney business cards to a local printer, and she did a wonderful job getting the word out about Women for Romney. Both Stephanie Barrett and I also passed out quite a few, and I saturated the crowd with Elect Romney in 2008 cards.

Bill Frist attended the event (and later introduced Governor Romney prior to his speech), and Cheryl from our group was able to ask him a couple of question that she’d been wanting answers to for a while, and that worked out for her.

A few from our group met Governor and Ann Romney in one of the hallway of the hotel, and we were able to get several great pictures. They were so engaging. Ann Romney just thought it was great that we had such a great organization going for the Women for Romney, and she was charming to my son Abe, Governor Romney shook Abe’s hand and Abe just took it all in. Later on in the evening Abe turned around in his chair, and placed his hands on the top of the back of it and rested his chin and hardly batted an eyelash throughout the entire speech. He was definitely one happy boy, and he will definitely remember this event for a long time to come.

Here are a few of the pictures…with captions.

Governor Romney, Stephanie Barrett, Ann Romney, Cheryl Sartain

Heather Johnson, Governor Romney, & Ann Romney

Governor Romney, Ann Marie Curling, Ann Romney, Joel Blodgett (Ann Marie’s husband), in front Abe Blodgett (Ann Marie’s son)

Governor Romney & Ann Marie Curling
This was the final picture that was taken before Governor and Ann Romney left out a secret door off the dining room.

I was also able to speak to the Williamson County GOP Chairman Doug Grindstaff at length during the event, and later on after the event was over in the hotel bar/restaurant. He said he liked almost everything about Romney except his health care plan. However, he was very impressed by him overall.

Heather Johnson and I spoke to Marsha Blackburn (local congressional representative), and we all exchanged cards.

Before Governor Romney arrived, I spoke to Governor Candidate Jim Bryson, and offered any assistance netroots related that I could give to their campaign to unseat incumbent Phil Bredesen.

The dinner was spectacular comprising of chicken breast and beef strips with rice and oriental vegetables. Dessert was strawberry cheesecake.

Various Tennessee GOP leaders spoke before Governor Romney detailing the previous day’s primary results.

The people who sat at my table were my husband Joel, my son Abe, Rob & Lynn Grzech, Gregory Szyszuta, Frank Cortese, Heather Johnson, Stephanie Barrett, Cheryl Sartain, and myself. Our table was right next to the Evangelicals for Mitt table, which on a side note we were able to meet David and Nancy French shortly after they arrived to the event.

Many people were impressed by what they saw from Governor Romney, which to me just comes naturally when you actually hear him speak in person. He once again showed just how personal of a person he is. His speech was in some ways his “typical” stump oration, but in other ways, it had more meat to it than previous addresses I had seen given by him either on TV or in person. The crowd was engaged throughout, and listened intently to what he was expressing.

Ann Romney had stated earlier in the evening that she wanted to get a picture with the Women for Romney group that I had put together, but because of time constraints they left quickly out a side door off the dining room after the get together was adjourned. I was able to sneak one last picture of Governor Romney and myself.

After the event, several of us hung out in Heather’s room and got to know each other. Joel, Abe, and I did not leave the Embassy until after 3AM. We really had a great time.

When Stephanie, Cheryl, and Heather get their thoughts together about the event I’ll cross post those comments here, just so that a varied perspective can be gained from the experience. In addition, if I think of anything else I will post more later. I’m still tired from getting in so late last night, and lack of sleep to make up for it today. I shall survive though.

From Fox 17 Nashville Reporting the Event.

Frist and Romney Fundraiser
08-04-2006 — Franklin, TN

FOX 17 NEWS –

THE PRIMARY IS OVER… BUT IT’S ANOTHER HUGE NIGHT FOR POLITICS IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE.

TWO MEN EXPECTED TO ENTER THE RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE… TENNESSEE SENATOR BILL FRIST AND MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY… ARE HOSTING A FUNDRAISER IN FRANKLIN TONIGHT.

WILLIAMSON COUNTY IS BILLING THIS AS ITS BIGGEST POLITICAL EVENT… EVER

TENNESSEE SENATOR BILL FRIST AND MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY WALKED SIDE BY SIDE FOR WILLIAMSON COUNTY’S REAGAN DAY DINNER.

MANY THINK THE TWO MEN WILL RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2008 BUT THEY SAY TONIGHT IS ALL ABOUT IS GETTING JIM BRYSON ELECTED AS TENNESSEE’S GOVERNOR.

BRYSON WON THE REPUBLICAN NOMINATION LAST NIGHT…HE IS NOW PLANNING A 95 COUNTY TOUR ACROSS THE STATE.

HE WILL FACE GOVERNOR PHIL BREDESEN IN THE FALL …AS FOR ROMNEY AND FRIST ALTHOUGH THEY COULD BE VYING FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL SEAT IN TWO YEARS THEY SAY THERE IS NO COMPETITION BETWEEN THEM.

TICKETS FOR TONIGHT’S ROMNEY-FRIST FUNDRAISER WENT FOR 150 DOLLARS PER PERSON , ALL OF THAT MONEY WILL GO TOWARDS THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY G.O.P

THEY WILL BE DIVIDED BETWEEN STATE CANDIDATES IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, AND POSSIBLY THE G.O.P.’S GUBERNATORIAL AND U.S. SENATE CANDIDATES.

Coverage from The Tennessean:

Frist, Mass. governor offer big-name support to Bryson

By RACHEL STULTS
Staff Writer

FRANKLIN — Two Republicans hinting at presidential runs came together Friday night to throw their support behind Tennessee’s GOP candidate for governor.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, both rumored to be running to lead the nation in 2008, spoke at a fundraising event for gubernatorial candidate Jim Bryson that drew 350 supporters and nearly $53,000 for the Williamson County Republican Party.

The main goal of the $150-a-plate dinner, held at the Embassy Suites Hotel, was to offer big-name political backing to Bryson, who won the Republican primary on Thursday and will face off against Gov. Phil Bredesen in the November election.

Romney said before the event that he came to lend a hand for a candidate that he supports.

“People thought Bredesen had a cakewalk, but he’s got a real competitor,” Romney said.

The event was just the beginning of “a tough campaign that is important to the future of our country,” Frist said. He praised the county’s grass-roots approach to campaigning and strong support for the GOP.

Bryson has represented Williamson County and a small part of Davidson County in the state Senate for four years, and said he plans to run his campaign from his home base there. “Tennessee can do a whole lot better and somebody had to step forward with a big vision and big heart to make a difference in this state,” Bryson said. “So that’s what I did.”

Bryson’s two supporters also acknowledged the irony of speaking together, considering they may face off in a Republican presidential primary. Romney and Frist said they look forward to seeing the other step out as a candidate. Neither has officially declared his candidacy yet.

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Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT) is off and running in his quest to win the Democratic nomination in 2008. According to the Hartford Courant, Dodd raised $1 million dollars this week in his first major push for presidential bucks ($$).
Dodd’s greatest need is to come up with a campaign kitty that will be considered [...]

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