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://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/11/16/romney_hires_ex_bush_ad_man/ Yesterday’s rumor is now fact:

Governor Mitt Romney, who continues to sign up big-name political consultants for a probable presidential run, has hired bare-knuckles GOP ad man Alex Castellanos, a veteran of presidential campaigns known for his tough ads against Democratic candidates.

Widely considered one of the country’s more influential Republican image-makers, Castellanos has produced television spots for President Bush, presidential candidate Bob Dole, and former senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina. Romney’s move to recruit him sends a strong signal that the governor plans to mount a serious national campaign for 2008, political observers say.

This is interesting:

Romney knows Castellanos’s work well. The media strategist produced a glowing video about Romney’s four years as governor that the Massachusetts Republican Party showed at its convention in Lowell this spring. Romney’s political action committee, the Commonwealth PAC, then bought the rights to the video, and it is now featured prominently on the PAC’s website.

Read the rest of the story at The Boston Globe.

Kevin Davis Jr.

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

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http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlDC/events/romney_hates_boston_journos_47669.asp

I usually check the Drudge report and Google News each day. I have customized my Google news so that it shows when ever Mitt Romney shows up in the Media. I have longed to hear each morning that Romney has taken his love for statistics, data, and comparison, and done a full-on data rich expose of the Boston Newspapers.

You won’t believe my excitement when I read the drudge report that says, “Romney slams Boston reporters…” Drudge tends to kind of exaggerate the news, but I’m used to that. So I got to the article, and it says: “Romney Hates Boston Journos.”
http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowldc/

All right! Here is the Edward R. Murrow-esque rebuttal of the Boston Newspaper that will be the equivalent of Murrow’s rebuttal of Joseph McCarthy. I was looking for Romney to quote Murrows when he said; “The line between investigating and persecuting is a very fine one.”
It opens:

“Speaking last night at the annual Robert L. Bartley dinner hosted by the American Spectator at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in D.C., Massachusetts Governor (and potential 2008 candidate) Mitt Romney opened up about his true feelings about the journos back home (after all, since the event was closed to press, he really felt at liberty to open up)”

Well the whole thing was very anti-climactic. It was basically the same statement that he made at the Heritage foundation, and it defiantly does not show that Romney “Hates Boston Journos”. All I saw from the quote was:

“We have two factions of media in Boston. On the one hand, we have the Hillary-loving, Ted Kennedy apologists. And on the other, we have the liberals”.

So until I, Mitt, or one of you gets some more spare time, Edward R. Murrows will keep rolling over in his grave, as his descendents in the news media use the same techniques that he fought so hard against.

~~~Mike

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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.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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http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/la-na-romney13oct13,1,5242084.story?coll=la-news-politics-national OK, tell me how and why LA Times readers would really be interested in who Gov. Romney brings in as advisors to his Commonwealth PAC . . .

OK, is it just general informative news that they’re covering? I’m not buying that because Romney has been bringing in LOTS of advisors for his pre-campaign team and the LA Times hasn’t cared before. So what’s different about this one? Look how they introduces this and judge what their angle is . . .

Sally Bradshaw, a longtime political advisor and confidante to Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, confirmed Thursday that she has signed on as a consultant to Romney’s political action committee.

Known in Florida circles as Jeb Bush’s equivalent to President Bush’s Karl Rove, Bradshaw will advise the Romney campaign . . .

Nice unbiased reporting guys! Linking a Romney hire to President Bush and Karl Rove (when they are hugely unpopular!) Are they trying to set Romney up as “just another Bush?” Don’t look to the LA Times to be a source of positive or credible information regarding a possible Romney presidency (see here for their previous anti-Romney record)

The article finishes by tying Romney even tighter with Bush (but I think this part is good news for Romney!)

Bradshaw’s decision to work for Romney also confirms that the Florida governor, who is prevented by term limits from seeking reelection, is not planning his own White House bid for 2008.

“It should be no surprise that I am not running for president,” Bush wrote in an e-mail late Thursday. “After all, that is what I have told you and others in the press for a long time.”

Bradshaw said Thursday that Bush encouraged her to consider working for Romney, who will appear with the governor next week in Florida at several campaign events.

Wow, that’s exciting . . . Jeb sends one of his main advisors towards Romney! The article finishes . . .

Bush said Thursday that he is not supporting any candidates, but said Romney would be “formidable” if he runs.

Looks like Jeb is seeing the writing on the wall.

Jeff

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http://www.opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=110008991 Hot off the Press with this one:

Romney Rides High
A Mormon from Massachusetts wows social conservatives.

John Fund

Monday, September 25, 2006 12:01 a.m. EDT

WASHINGTON–Right now John McCain is the front-runner for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination. But everyone expects that a single major competitor will emerge to challenge him from the right. The question hung in the air of this past weekend’s Family Research Council summit in Washington: Who will that candidate be for the GOP’s powerful social conservative base?

FRC officials says they invited Mr. McCain to speak, but he declined. But another potential candidate benefited greatly from showing up. Surprisingly, it was Massachusetts’ Gov. Mitt Romney, a Mormon with a Harvard M.B.A who governs the nation’s most liberal state. The 1,800 delegates applauded him frequently during his Friday speech and gave him a standing ovation afterward. Mr. Romney detailed his efforts to block court-imposed same-sex marriage in the Bay State and noted that the liberal Legislature has failed to place a citizen-initiated referendum on the ballot. He excoriated liberals for supporting democracy only when they think that the outcome is a foregone conclusion that favors their views. He certainly picked up fans at the summit. “I believe Mitt Romney may be the only hope social conservatives have in 2008,” says Maggie Gallagher, author of a book defending traditional marriage.

The tall barrier many see as blocking his acceptance by evangelical voters–the fact that many Americans view Mormonism with suspicion or worse–may prove to be a mirage. “Everyone I talked to said they didn’t have a problem with it,” one attendee told me. “If enough people say that to each other, Romney creates a virtuous circle in which evangelical activists decide he’s acceptable.”

Interesting . . . very interesting. One recent GOP activist who tried to take Romney’s Mormonism to task in South Carolina was viewed as very bad taste. Fund later continued.

[Romney] impressed three separate and distinct audiences in Washington last week in a 24-hour speaking blitz. On Thursday about one out of eight House Republicans came to hear him address a weekly luncheon hosted by Rep. Jack Kingston of Georgia. Mr. Kingston told the Boston Globe that Mr. Romney made a very positive impression and was clearly positioning himself for the role opposite Mr. McCain that Mr. Allen once occupied.

Immediately afterward, Mr. Romney went across town to address a group of K Street lobbyists and economic conservatives. “He was impressive in explaining how he governed as a conservative in Ted Kennedy’s home state,” said columnist Robert Novak. The next morning, Mr. Romney appeared before the Family Research Council’s summit. “He won over a lot of people when he recalled how as a businessman he had rescued the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City,” says Chris Butler of Americans For Tax Reform.

That experience helped solidify Mr. Romney’s reputation as a can-do manager who knows how to delegate. “He is the only elected official I’ve met with who gave me a detailed power-point briefing on my area of expertise,” says Bob Moffit, a health-care expert at the Heritage Foundation who worked with Mr. Romney to craft a law mandating that everyone in Massachusetts buy health insurance.

I’ve seen that powerpoint presentation at the Heritage Foundation’s website. Romney quickly masters various areas of expertise (I also remember how he spoke and diagrammed like an engineer during the Big Dig crisis and how well versed he was in his press conferences during the Mass flooding a few months back)

But Mr. Romney also has many advantages. He is perhaps the only candidate who can plausibly claim a base in several states. He has a contributor base in Massachusetts; a large reservoir of political goodwill in Michigan, where he was born and his father served as governor in the 1960s; and the loyalty of many Mormons in Utah and neighboring states. He has a built-in corps of volunteers and contributors in any state where Mormons, the fastest-growing religion in America, have a real presence.

And then there is the charisma and poise that Mr. Romney seems to exude naturally. “Many people say he certainly looks like a president–sort of a cross between Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy,” says Genevieve Wood, who founded the conservative Center for a Just Society. Anyone who draws comparisons to those political genes merits further watching.

That’s not the first time I’ve heard the Reagan comparison. This WSJ writer has it right . . . Romney’s on the Rise!

Jeff

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http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/print?id=1907074 I don’t generally quote and entire article . . . but this is a big one from ABC News. See the link here for the original article:

‘Know Thine Enemy,’ Romney Says of ‘Jihadists’
Republican Presidential Hopeful Warns of Religious-Tinged Threat
By TEDDY DAVIS
April 30, 2006 — - Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Mass., has sought to confront the religious element of terrorism.

“They are terrorists, yes, but more directly they are Jihadists,” the White House hopeful told ABC News. “That has broad implications.”

Romney’s determination to avoid referring to America’s enemies solely by the tactics that they use is earning praise from some foreign policy specialists.

“I think it could change the entire center of the conversation,” said Mary Habeck, a professor of strategic studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

By identifying America’s enemies as Jihadists, Habeck thinks the United States would be better positioned to wage an ideological campaign to “portray these people as the extremists that they really are” and to “drive a wedge between them and the vast majority of the Islamic world.”

In her new book, “Knowing the Enemy: Jihadist Ideology and the War on Terror,” Habeck argues that Jihadists are not merely angry about U.S. policies. In Habeck’s view, Jihadists are at war with the United States because they view America as the biggest obstacle to the global rule of an Islamic superstate.

She told ABC News that if you refer to them as terrorists, “you have no idea what holds them together as a group or what gets them to join up as a group.”

Romney’s determination to go beyond the “terrorist” label has also met with approval by a Democratic member of the 9/11 Commission.

“The governor is on the right track,” former Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., told ABC News. “I continue to believe very strongly that a war against a military tactic is not likely to be very satisfying in the end.”

Kerrey is concerned, however, that the root word jihad has multiple implications.

“I would not use the word jihad because there is a peaceful jihad,” said Kerrey.

The former Navy SEAL, who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service in Vietnam, would prefer to see the United States declare war on al Qaeda.

Romney acknowledges that there has been a “big debate” in academic circles about the meaning of jihad, with some people believing that a spiritual jihad was never intended in the world of Islam to be militaristic.

He says, however, that “there is no question” about what jihad means to the Islamic militants fighting the United States. Nor does Romney think there is any question that Osama bin Laden would like the world to see him as a potential caliph.

“The old statement ‘know thine enemy’ is appropriate,” Romney told ABC News.

Romney wants the public to know that Jihadists are not an “armed group of crazed maniacs in the hills of Afghanistan.” Rather, Romney says the United States is facing a “far more sinister and broad-based extremist faction” with a “very 8th century view of the world.”

Based on his reading of books such as “American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us,” by Steven Emerson, and “Future Jihad: Terrorist Strategies Against America” by Walid Phares, Romney believes the Jihadists want to “retake the ancient Muslim lands and unify umma, or the world of Islam, under a caliphate.”

To support his views, Romney points to a memo that Ayman al-Zawahiri is believed to have written to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi on July 9, 2005, in which Al Qaeda’s number two tells Al Qaeda’s top agent in Iraq that their mission must not end with the expulsion of Americans from Iraq.

The letter, Arabic and English versions of which were posted in October to the Web site of the director of national intelligence, lays out a four-part plan that begins with expelling the Americans from Iraq but also includes establishing an Islamic authority over the Sunni areas of Iraq, extending the jihad wave to the secular countries neighboring Iraq, and clashing with Israel since Israel, in Zawahiri’s view, “was established only to challenge any new Islamic entity.”

Romney believes Jihadists are just a “very narrow and very extreme sector” of Islam. But given that there are more than one billion Muslims in the world, he warns that “a small percentage of a very large number is still a large number.”

One outgrowth of Romney’s focus on Jihadism is his support for increased surveillance in the United States.

In a speech to the conservative Heritage Foundation last year, Romney posed a series of rhetorical questions about domestic intelligence gathering.

“We have 120 colleges and universities in Massachusetts, roughly,” he said. “How many individuals are coming to our state and going to those institutions who come from terror sponsored states? Do we know where they are? Are we tracking them? How about people who are in settings — mosques, for instance — that may be teaching doctrines of hate and terror? Are we monitoring that? Are we wiretapping? Are we following what’s going on? Are we seeing who’s coming in, who’s coming out?”

The comments drew fire from Muslims and advocates of civil liberties in Massachusetts while being praised by some conservatives.

Romney told ABC News that it was not his intent to suggest wiretapping mosques, but he has not backed away from wanting to wiretap extremist individuals.

“I would wiretap individuals wherever they are who are preaching doctrines of hate,” he said.

“It’s important for as many of us as possible to understand the nature of those who are our enemies in this war,” Romney told ABC News. “They are Jihadists — an extreme and tiny slice of the world of Islam. They will be defeated by military might and by the forces of modernity and moderation within the world of Islam.”

ABC News’ Mike Westling contributed to this report

Awesome stuff by our man Romney!

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http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=152036 The foiled London air attacks reminded me of a story I forgot to cover last week. It appears that the Massachusetts legislature has cut the tuition benefit for Bay State soldiers, after earlier granting the same benefit to illegal immigrants. From the Boston Herald:Lawmakers have slammed the classroom door shut on Massachusetts soldiers home from Iraq and seeking to go to state college, failing to cough up $8 million needed for crucial tuition waivers.
Army and Air National Guard soldiers expecting to be rewarded for their war duty under Gov. Mitt Romney’s “Welcome Home” bill found the welcome mat ripped out last week by the Legislature as it ended its formal session without approving money for the waivers.
“One of the main reasons I joined the Army was to get money to go to college,” said David Cowing, 23, of Rockland, an Iraq war veteran who is taking out at least $3,500 in loans to cover tuition for his first year at UMass-Boston because his benefits won’t kick in in time to pay the first bills.
“I went and fought in Iraq. I shouldn’t have to worry about tuition. I should be able to go wherever I want.” Later in the article, Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey makes an interesting observation. Lashing out at the “wrong priorities” of lawmakers, Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey said, “The Legislature has made the appalling decision to vote on things like tuition breaks for illegal immigrants, but they couldn’t take the time to take a vote to help our Massachusetts war heroes . . . I find it deeply disturbing.”
National Guard officials say the bureaucratic red tape has left some soldiers scrambling to meet tuition costs. So the Romney Administration wants to honor our returning heroes with tuition assistance which will certainly pay back dividends to the state, but the Legislature can’t find the money for the plan, even though they gave similar breaks to citizens of other countries who are here illegally. Can someone explain that to me?

Dave

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http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=16381 Human Events Online today posted a wonderful interview with Governor Romney. Here’s a portion:You’ve had to deal with some disasters such as flooding and now the tunnel roof panel collapsing and killing a motorist. How has this changed you?

My career has had a long string of turnarounds and there are three things to remember when dealing with a crisis. First, sunshine is the best disinfectant. Bring some transparency, let people know what’s going on and stop hiding. Second, I believe in bringing in people smarter than me to help deal with some of the situations we have to face. No. 3 is to take personal responsibility. By that I mean I don’t just delegate a job to others and hope they do a good job, I remain actively involved in directing our efforts.That, folks, is the next President of the United States.

Dave

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http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/08/10/romney_to_activate_national_guard_for_logan_airport/?p1=MEWell_Pos5 This Boston Globe article reviews Romney’s actions in calling up the National Gaurd:

“I don’t know what other governors are doing. Logan has a specific history with regards to the initiation of terrorist activity on airlines, and therefore we have a heightened degree of concern here,” he said.

Since Sept. 11, Logan has become a pioneer in testing and using the latest aviation security technology. It was the first airport in the country to launch a permanent system that scans all checked baggage for explosives.”

One of the gaurdsmen that was called up said in the article:

“It’s still safe to fly. At the same time everyone should be aware and be on alert for people who are acting out of the ordinary,” said Sgt. Steven Hines, who carried an MP-5 machine gun on his patrol.

“I think sometimes people get complacent and they forget and think the threat isn’t there anymore,” Hines said. “As you heard the threat is there.”

Another article picked up by the Christian Broadcasting network stated:

“U.S. authorities raised the threat level to “red” for flights from Britain, the first time the highest threat of terrorist attack had been invoked since the system was created. All other flights were under an “orange” alert - one step below red.”

I’m guessing that Logan Airport has plenty of flights in from Britain. Those are “RED alert” flights and Romney took appropriate action. Romney has been VERY intertwined in developing disaster and homeland security plans. I would expect no less from potentially the strongest homeland security leader in the nation!

However, some are saying that this is all a “play to the media.”

Is Schwarzenegger “playing to the media” too (I sarcastically ask)?

“Schwarzenegger activates Guard in wake of London terror plot”

A snippet:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger activated the National Guard Thursday to bolster security at California airports after authorities said they had foiled a terror plot involving U.S.-bound planes from Britain.

“I have ordered the redeployment of security assets to high priority locations to respond to this threat,”

“These assets include bomb-sniffing dogs, the California National Guard, and the California Highway Patrol, in concert with local and federal law enforcement agencies.”

Strong leadership from men of action!

Jeff

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/07/AR2006080700932.html David Broder (considered by many as the most influential political columnist in the nation) of the Washington Post wrote an interesting piece called “Contempt for Congress” Reporting from the National Gov. Assc. meeting in S.C. he details what the governors of the nation have to say about how congress has been working (or not).
Mitt Romney, the Republican governor of Massachusetts, said his wife, Ann, has likened the spectacle of Congress to “two guys in a canoe that is headed for the falls, and all they do is hit each other with their paddles.”

Romney said that considering what has been happening on energy prices, health care and other worries, “the bickering is becoming more and more dangerous because the current is sweeping us toward the falls.”
Broder finishes with:
But beyond these turf battles, the biggest indictment of Congress is simply that it is paralyzed. The sense that voters see Washington as gridlocked is one factor fueling the hopes of the governors eyeing the presidency in 2008 — men such as Romney, Richardson, Huckabee, Iowa Democrat Tom Vilsack and New York Republican George Pataki. All of them are gambling that a frustrated electorate will turn to an outsider for help.
The piece is interesting and captures how frustrated people of all political persuasions are with what is happening “inside the beltway.” It is time for a TRUE D.C. outsider to take over.

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http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/index.cfm?section=9&screen=news&news_id=51389 This comes to us from The Nashville City Paper.

By John Rodgers, jrodgers@nashvillecitypaper.com
August 07, 2006

FRANKLIN – Four years ago, Sen. Bill Frist, now Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and their wives had a conversation about the future of America.

Four years later, Romney, a Republican governor in a very blue state, and Frist spoke at Williamson County’s Reagan Day Dinner Friday still focusing on the future of the country – only this time with White House aspirations in mind.

Both are potential presidential candidates - and rivals - for 2008.

And both acknowledged the unique situation while showing support for the other.

“We’re good friends,” Romney said in an interview with The City Paper. “He’s a terrific man. We’ve got great leaders in the Republican Party, and he’s one of the best.”

Romney gave the keynote address to the crowd of about 350 at Embassy Suites Hotel. Frist introduced him.

When asked if it hurt his ego to introduce a possible presidential rival to speak in his home state, Frist dismissed the proposition.

“I would say we’re very good friends, and I look forward to supporting him with whatever he does in the future,” Frist said.

“We’re not here as competitors right now.”

Frist said that he and Romney are “locked together” in their Republican principles. He said an additional parallel is that both are “citizen legislators” who have served in the private and public sector.

Frist was a heart surgeon while Romney served in different roles, including heading the organizing committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

On policy, Frist praised Romney for his new health insurance plan in Massachusetts, which requires people who can afford health insurance to buy it and offers government assistance to those who can’t afford it.

“I have tremendous respect for him,” Frist said. “A bold leader and innovator, one who has led in health care reform in the United States of America by taking Massachusetts’ health care system and refocusing it around values.”

Gov. Phil Bredesen has disagreed with Romney’s plan, saying he favored a public-private partnership approach to health care and thinks people should have an option to purchase health insurance - as seen through his Cover Tennessee program - rather than the insurance requirement in Massachusetts.

Romney said he isn’t familiar with Bredesen’s Cover Tennessee, but that his program requires no new taxes or “government takeover” and is “entirely free-market based.”

He said health insurance premiums in Massachusetts are about $350 a month per person. Under his new plan, that will be reduced to about $200 a month.

“It’s a lot better than putting people on government programs,” Romney said.

As chairman of the Republican Governor’s Association, Romney came to Williamson County to help raise funds for Jim Bryson, a state senator from Franklin who won the GOP’s gubernatorial nomination Thursday.

Doug Grindstaff, the chairman of the Williamson County Republican Party, said the event grossed about $40,000. The net proceeds, which aren’t known at this point, will be distributed between multiple Republican candidates, with Bryson being a “top priority.”

I know that this is a Nashville paper, and they have to play up “their hometown son”, but personally I think it’s ridiculous to think of Senator Bill Frist and Governor Mitt Romney as rivals. I just don’t see how Senator Frist has a chance at the Republican Nomination. This event was billed as being a fundraiser with Governor Romney, it was only at the last minute did Senator Frist become a part of this (I had spoken to the leadership at the Williamson County GOP, and it was only a few days before the event that it was announced that Senator Frist would be introducing Governor Romney). The 350 people that attended the event came out to see Governor Romney, not Senator Frist. And Governor Romney was well received by those in attendance.

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http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2006/08/06/the_competence_candidate?mode=PF After reading this Boston Globe piece today by Drake Bennett the question asked might be changed from “Can”, to “Should Mitt Romney make competence sell?”

** Hat tip to Phil James at “Romney Report” for picking up on this piece in his hometown newspaper

A very interesting piece and worth reading the entire thing.

SHOULD HE RUN FOR PRESIDENT, Mitt Romney will have several things going for him. He is telegenic and articulate. He is a Republican who managed to get elected in an overwhelmingly Democratic state. And in Massachusetts’s sweeping new healthcare plan he has at least one legislative achievement of note. But as a moderate one-term governor unknown in many parts of the country, he stands out from the pack of Republican hopefuls not due to a particular ideological position so much as a record as a manager and turnaround artist. Romney, in other words, would be running largely on competence.

Granted, Romney is about as competent and successful as they come. He exudes both competence and confidence.

Now would seem to be the right time for a Republican competence candidate. This spring the Pew Research Center reported that “incompetent” had replaced “honest” as the word people most often attach to President Bush. Democrats have made “dangerous incompetence” a key talking point of their campaign to take back Congress-invoking the specter of the continuing bloodshed in Iraq and what they characterize as the administration’s bungled response to Hurricane Katrina.

In this context, Romney’s managerial skills have a special appeal. As one Republican strategist close to Romney put it, “Mitt is the cerebral fix-it guy, the level head, the big brain who’s cool in a crisis.”

“I have a theory that people try to vote for what they think they didn’t get last time,” the strategist continued. “What they think they didn’t get last time was competence.”

Well, that is obviously a matter of opinion and I feel like I could argue that point pretty well, but this is a Romney blog and not a Bush blog.

The article then goes on to say that the last Mass. Gov. to run for President, Dukakis in 1988, ran on “competence, not ideology.” That largely backfired on him.

The article continues:

“When people are voting for governors, they are in a sense electing the CEO of their state,” someone whose job is to manage the government. “There are a lot of very uncharismatic guys elected governor,” he says, mentioning Iowa’s Tom Vilsack and former Virginia governor (and Democratic presidential hopeful) Mark Warner. “Romney,” he adds, “isn’t one of them.”

So, competence AND charisma . . . a potent combination that Romney truly embodies. The piece then delves further into the competence of previous presidents and how that didn’t always turn into successful administrations. Bennett then concludes:

Of course, Romney of late has been sounding less like an evenhanded manager than a budding ideologue, emphasizing in a CSPAN interview that his values are “on the same page” as those of the religious right and calling for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

Here in Massachusetts, these sorts of comments invite suspicions that Romney is pandering to the conservative Republicans who matter so much in presidential primaries. He might, on the other hand, simply be expressing his actual views. Regardless, he can be comforted by the knowledge that voters tend to reward candidates who talk about their beliefs more than those who talk about their abilities.

Well, I believe in Romney’s abilities, and know he’s able to effectively and convincingly express his beliefs. Some seem to imply that you can’t have both . . . Romney may prove them all wrong.

Jeff

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http://www.sacbee.com/24hour/healthscience/story/3345289p-12317837c.html From the National Governors Association Convention. Read about it here:

Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, right, and Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher, left, examine a display during a presentation given by Secretary Michael Leavitt, of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, on “Health Care Reform” at the National Governors Association Convention on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2006 in Charleston, S.C. AP Photo/ALICE KEENEY
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - Two years ago, the nation’s governors were wrestling with exploding health care costs, soaring populations and agonizing choices over how to keep their Medicaid programs afloat.

Now, as governors met Sunday for their annual summer meeting, health care seems less hopeless. Their choices are vastly different as many states embark on unprecedented experiments to revamp the health care program for the poor and health care overall.

Massachusetts has captured the spotlight with a universal health insurance plan that demands everyone in the state get insurance, and gives them help to get it. In different shapes and sizes, other states have begun experiments, from West Virginia to Idaho, Florida to Maine.

“There’s an imperative for change out there,” said Michael O. Leavitt, the secretary for health and human services, who on Sunday asked governors to join President Bush in demanding nationwide standards on medical quality and information-sharing. “The system is moving.”

For most governors, what’s happened so far are just baby steps - but they are steps toward change.

- Massachusetts created universal health insurance by requiring everyone to carry insurance, with a combination of subsidies and penalties to make coverage more affordable and encourage people to buy it.

- Florida tried to rein in costs, starting in two large counties, by shifting many Medicaid recipients into private managed care. Medicaid recipients choose a managed care group to coordinate their care and the state pays a premium to the group. Companies will get more money for sicker patients.

- West Virginia aims to encourage Medicaid families to make healthier decisions and save money by reducing benefits if they refuse to sign contracts promising to show up for doctors’ appointments and use the emergency room only for emergencies.

Most programs are not yet in place or too new to assess whether the change is for better or worse, or even if they work. Democrat Gov. John Baldacci’s overhaul in Maine - which brings state and businesses together to get more people on insurance - is one of the oldest, though so far has failed to enroll the numbers of uninsured that it aimed for.

There is a partisan divide, too, as Republicans push many of the more ambitious plans so far - though the changes in Massachusetts and Vermont only passed with Democratic help in their legislatures. Many Democratic governors are coming up with their own proposals.

“The current system is not working. The states are experimenting,” said Democrat Gov. Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, who is following Massachusetts’ model with a proposal to create a more affordable private market for insurance, subsidies for the poor and incentives to get more businesses to cover employees.

Health care experts are watching carefully and monitoring the results. “The question is, does this work?” said Judith Solomon, a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal think tank. She’s looking closely at programs that aim to encourage healthier - and more cost-efficient - decisions.

“A lot of states are really seeking different approaches to change behavior,” she said. “But the short of it is it’s not that easy.”

While on one hand governors work on often technical details of insurance markets and quality control, they are also targeting the nation’s culture of eating and exercise.

“The only thing that really does have a real shelf life is having a health care population that doesn’t cost so damn much,” said Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas. “Sick people aren’t going to get cheaper. You can trim a few pennies, but we need to trim dollars.”

That means getting people to live healthier, said Huckabee, who has made that goal the focus of his past year as NGA chairman. Once more than 100 pounds overweight, he now runs or cross-trains six days a week, and has focused on ways that government can encourage its citizens to reduce obesity and chronic disease.

The different elements come together as governors seek to rein in rising Medicaid costs, which has ballooned to about $275 billion. The states pick up, on average, about 43 percent of the overall costs.

Some ideas are nuts and bolts, though even details are massive when tackling the entire medical industry. Leavitt said Bush would soon issue an executive order to demand doctors and hospitals that work with government to adopt standards on quality, information and performance. He asked governors to do the same.

Others are even more massive, such as the proposal from Tommy Thompson, who preceded Leavitt as the administration’s health and human services secretary and served 16 years as Wisconsin governor.

He called for a massive change in Medicaid where states would only be responsible for acute, short-term care and the federal government would take on all the costs of long-term care - a huge bill that’s rising with the aging of American society.

And states need to get that change rolling, aggressively pursuing new models that, if successful, can be adapted to other states. Thompson - the architect of a welfare reform plan in Wisconsin that was a model for the national welfare reform plan under President Clinton - spoke the governors’ language.

“It can be done. It can start in one state,” Thompson told the governors. “Congress is not going to do it. You’re going to have to do it.”

Kevin

Originally Kevin had the link to the article, but it requires registration, so I just copied it all here!

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http://cbs4boston.com/topstories/local_story_218131130.html The National Governors Association is meeting today in Charleston. As always, there’s lots on the agenda at these meetings, particularly in an election year with so many vulnerable open seats. Governor Romney is the chair of the Republicans, so he’s surely working strategy at these events.

And, of course, S. Carolina is a key early primary.

~~~Thomas

In light of this event, here is Governor Romney’s Bio courtesy of the National Governors Association…

Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney
Birth Date: March 12, 1947
Birth State: Michigan
Party: Republican
Spouse: Ann Romney
Family: Married Ann Davies; five sons; six grandchildren (Ann Marie Note: this is now nine grandchildren)
Religion: Latter Day Saints (Ann Marie Note: This should read member of The Church of Jesus Chris of Latter-Day Saints).
School(s): Brigham Young University; Harvard University
Address: State House
Room 360
Phone: 617/725-4000
Fax: 617/727-9725

Relation to Another Governor:
Son of Michigan Gov. George Romney

Governor’s Web Site
State Web Site

MITT ROMNEY was born on March 12, 1947. He received his bachelor’s degree with highest honors from Brigham Young University in 1971. In 1975 he earned a master’s in business administration from Harvard Business School and was named a Baker Scholar. In 1975 he also received his law degree, cum laude, from Harvard Law School. From 1978 to 1984, he was a vice president of Bain and Company, Inc., a Boston-based management consulting firm. In 1984, he founded Bain Capital, an investment company that founded, acquired, or invested in hundreds of companies, including Staples, Domino’s Pizza, and Brookstone.

In 1990, Romney took a two-year leave of absence to return to Bain and Company as its interim-CEO during a period of financial turmoil. While there, he led the company’s highly successful turnaround. With the 2002 Winter Olympics mired in controversy and facing serious financial crisis, Romney was asked to become President and CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee. During the three years he ran the games, Romney succeeded in erasing a $379 million operating deficit, organizing 23,000 volunteers, galvanizing community spirit, overseeing an unprecedented security mobilization to ensure public safety, and leading one of the most successful Olympics in the nation’s history.

He was elected governor of Massachusetts in November 2002. Romney was recently appointed by President George W. Bush to the Homeland Security Advisory Committee and is the National Governors Association’s co-lead governor for homeland security. He is also a member of the Executive Committee and the Education, Early Childhood, and Workforce Committee of the National Governors Association.

Ann Marie
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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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http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/08/03/kisses_in_the_heartland_kicks_at_home/ Journalist Joan Vennochi earlier today used David Yepsen’s piece about Kerry and Romney (two Mass. presidential hopefuls) as the source of a Boston Globe editorial.

I’ll skip the Kerry stuff (after the 2004 election, I can barely stand thinking about him). Of Romney she writes:

He (Yepsen) was even more positive about Romney.

In Massachusetts, the public is growing bored with Romney’s undisputed mastery of engineering technicalities relating to the collapse of Big Dig ceiling panels. The local press is also starting to ask where Romney was for the last 3 1/2 years, while Big Dig problems were building up to the point of this summer’s tragedy. But in Iowa, Yepsen notes that “Romney wins good reviews for his can-do style and upbeat message.”

Yepsen labeled the Massachusetts governor “the best organized of any of the GOP presidential candidates in Iowa.” He said Romney’s Mormon faith appears to be helping, not hurting him in Iowa. And he quoted a GOP activist who said Romney reminded her of Ronald Reagan.

“That Reagan standard is a tough one for any Republican to meet. If Romney’s meeting it . . . he’s well on his way toward winning the 2008 Iowa Republican caucuses,” concluded Yepsen. It really doesn’t get any better than that for a Republican presidential hopeful, does it?

Later she notes:

Could Iowa ultimately set up Kerry vs. Romney instead? Yepsen might be on to something.

As for Romney, there is something Reaganesque in his speech inflection. Unlike Reagan, Romney does not generally need cue cards . . . . But for now the Massachusetts governor exudes can-do confidence, especially when he is beyond Massachusetts and its hypercritical media.

Great stuff from Iowa to Boston . . . thanks to Yepsen (actually, thanks to Romney.)

Jeff

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http://www.opinionjournal.com/best/?id=110008740 This is a continuation of the “semi-apology” given by the Boston Herald’s Virginia Buckingham.

From The OpinionJournal:

Yesterday’s item on the kerfuffle over Mitt Romney’s reference to the Big Dig as a “tar baby”–sometimes, though clearly not in this case, a racial slur–spurred many readers to call our attention to other uses of the phrase:

* The Boston Globe has used the term in at least two editorials, reports the Boston Herald’s Victoria Buckingham: ” In a 1994 editorial, the Globe described U.S. dealings with Iran as resembling a ‘tar baby’ and even articulated the term’s assumed meaning in a 1998 editorial on China’s censoring of the Internet: ‘The Communist rulers of Beijing ended last year tangling with a tar baby. The tar baby–passive, sticky and invincible–was played by the Internet, which the leaders want to censor.’ ” (The Herald also referred to the Big Dig as a “tar baby” in a 2004 editorial.)

* Ditzy left-wing columnist Molly Ivins wrote in October 2001, “It now looks, with 20-20 hindsight, as though he should have taken a few more deep breaths before smacking that tar-baby that is Afghanistan.”

* In a 2003 interview with the Boston Globe, John Kerry described 1992 hearings on missing soldiers in Vietnam as a political “tar baby.”

* This past May, White House press secretary Tony Snow said of a program to monitor terrorist communication, “I don’t want to hug the tar baby of trying to comment on the program–the alleged program–the existence of which I can neither confirm nor deny.”

* The athletic teams at California’s Compton High School are called the Tarbabes. (The population of Compton is more than 40% black.)

Is there a double standard here? The Angry Left site ThinkProgress.org tried to incite a kerfuffle over Snow’s use of the term, but we don’t remember anyone on the left getting upset over the Globe’s, Ivins’s, Kerry’s or Compton High’s use of it. Nor, for that matter, has anyone objected to Sen. Hillary Clinton’s anti-Asian comment just yesterday that “this is a slippery dangerous slope.”

Hillary, Hillary, we’re kidding! On the other hand, Joe Lieberman in blackface is a truly offensive image. Are there no limits to the racism of the “progressive” left?

(Carol Muller helps compile Best of the Web Today. Thanks to Ted Wilder, Michael Segal, Dave Wheeler, Charlie Gaylord, John Willard, Mark Van Der Molen, Walt Neuman, Mario Loyola, Jonathan Kaufman, Leland Hein, Jeryl Bier, Mike Glasgow, Lindsay Osbon, Dan O’Shea, Ethel Fenig, Abe Beyda, Ed Lasky, Stephen Miller, David Kaufman, John Neal, Dale Terry, Ruth Papazian, Brendan O’Scannlain, Bob Sanchez, David Bowman, Joseph Tully, C.E. Dobkin, Clara Magram, Peter Iorio, Bob Franklin, Gary Lambert, Dave Bouchillon, Steve Tefft, Joe Sanders, Tom Torget, Bill Hoyt and Greg Hartman. If you have a tip, write us at opinionjournal@wsj.com, and please include the URL.)

Ann Marie

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http://www.opinionjournal.com/cc/?id=110008742 A Wall Street Journal editorial today takes on the Big Dig, including a conversation with Governor Romney. A portion:Mr. Romney, one of the leading Republican presidential contenders, has arrived at a Rudy Giuliani-type moment that could elevate or ruin his political fortunes. He inherited this pile of political manure, and Massachusetts’s heavily Democratic careerist legislators “just don’t want him cleaning out the stables,” as Eric Fehrnstrom puts it, who focuses on transportation as one of Mr. Romney’s top aides.

But Mr. Romney scored his first significant victory when he forced the resignation of the independent Turnpike Authority head, Matthew Amorello. Mr. Romney is now empowered to put his own clean-up crew in charge. He seems well qualified for the task; after all, he first gained international renown for righting the scandal-plagued Salt Lake City Olympics.

Dave

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