ComMITTed to Romney!

http://www.timesonline.co…2383148,00.html

Seems Gov. Romney’s ascent is so strong that they’re noticing clear on the other side of the Atlantic.

Although McCain remains the clear favourite to win the 2008 nomination, the search is on for a Republican who can unite the anti-McCain wing of the conservative movement.

Romney, whose Massachusetts state is usually a bastion of East Coast liberalism, is considered to be the coming man. At the party he beamed at John Fund, a staunchly right-wing writer for The Wall Street Journal, who had just written about how Romney was �wowing� social conservatives.

The clean-cut governor spent last weekend at the Family Research Council summit in Washington, the spiritual home of Christian �values voters� who provided the bedrock vote for Bush in 2004. Romney is a Mormon, which was once thought to be an insuperable barrier to winning evangelical support. �Everyone I talked to said they didn�t have a problem with it,� one attendee said.

Romney also benefits from chiselled good looks, delegates noted. �Many people say he certainly looks like a president � a sort of cross between Ronald Reagan and John F Kennedy,� swooned Genevieve Wood, founder of the conservative Center for a Just Society.

The future may not lie with an American elder statesman and his young British apprentice [British Conservative Party Leader David Cameron] but with two JFKs, who have yet to forge a relationship.

I wonder how long President Kennedy will continue to symbolize good looking and charismatic presidential contenders no matter where they stand politically. We’re fast approaching half a century since his election. Someone check if Kennedy was compared with President Pierce before he was elected.

~~~Thomas

From NH INSIDER

The Union Leader reports, “Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a potential candidate for President in 2008, will attend two events in New Hampshire this weekend. ”

“Romney will keynote the Republican State Committee’s state convention today at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord. The event begins at 9 a.m.”

“…Tomorrow, Romney will campaign for New Hampshire candidates at the Frank Jones Center on the Route 1 Bypass in Portsmouth, beginning at 4 p.m.”

More in depth from The Union Leader:

Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a potential candidate for President in 2008, will attend two events in New Hampshire this weekend.

Romney will keynote the Republican State Committee’s state convention today at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord. The event begins at 9 a.m.

Prior to the convention, Romney is scheduled to host a breakfast for the delegates, also at the Capitol Center.

Tomorrow, Romney will campaign for New Hampshire candidates at the Frank Jones Center on the Route 1 Bypass in Portsmouth, beginning at 4 p.m.

Also expected to attend the rally are Sens. Judd Gregg and John Sununu, Rep. Jeb Bradley, state Sen. Charles Morse, who is a candidate for the Executive Council, and state Rep. Dan Hughes and Natalie Healey, who are state Senate candidates in the Portsmouth-Exeter area.

Ann Marie

http://www.boston.com/new…thin_estimates/

In an age when you can mentally double any program’s projected cost, it’s nice when things go according to plan:

Governor Mitt Romney’s administration had estimated that premiums would be about $300 a month, while legislative staff members had predicted they would average $325.

Health and Human Services Secretary Timothy Murphy said yesterday the premiums are close enough to the administration’s predictions that he believes the program will have adequate funding, especially given that the number of uninsured residents has dropped since the initial calculations were made.

Of course it helps when the program is well-designed.

~~~Thomas

http://www.economist.com/…tory_id=7971009

The Economist is a great magazine with a lot of smart readers. Here is what they have to say about Mitt:

Mitt Romney, the governor of Massachusetts, is making a concerted bid to seize the mantle as the leader of �the Republican wing of the Republican Party�…

Mr Romney is a scarily perfect presidential candidate. He has handsome looks�a mixture of Ronald Reagan and JFK, according to fans�and fearsome intelligence. He graduated from both Harvard Law School, cum laude, and Harvard Business School in the top 5% of his class…

John McCain has made a good job of turning himself into the party’s heir presumptive. But now Mr Romney is mounting a powerful assault from the right…

On September 22nd he delighted 1,800 �values voters� gathered in Washington, DC, with a barn-storming defence of traditional marriage and patriotism. He has vocally defended Mr Bush’s policies on the interrogation of suspected terrorists, and suggested that the authorities should spend more time monitoring mosques. For a growing number of conservatives he is the answer to their prayers: a man who can not only derail the McCain Express but also hold the White House in 2008.

Mr Romney’s emergence as a conservative champion owes something to luck. His two biggest rivals on the right have imploded: Bill Frist because of his lacklustre performance as Senate majority leader, George Allen because of his gaffe-ridden Senate campaign. But it owes more to years of investment. Mr Romney has not only fought harder than any other governor on �social issues�, particularly gay marriage. He has done so in the heart of enemy territory.

Mr Romney won the governorship of a state where only 13% of the voters are registered Republicans, and where the congressional delegation is 100% Democratic. And he succeeded in working with a legislature where 87% of the members represent the other party. When he was elected governor of Massachusetts in 2002, he found a $3 billion budget deficit; two years later he was running a surplus of more than $700m.

Click here to read more.

MR. 08 (Mister 08)
Mitt Romney 2008
04=W
08=M

And so forth…

Mike

http://www.boston.com/new…d_perhaps_2008/

As reported by the Krusty Konsrvative a few days ago, Christopher Rants is the latest and highest ranking Mitt Head coming out of Iowa.

“I hope the governor chooses to keep this alliance moving forward,” said Rants, R-Sioux City. “I’m certainly on board for the long haul.”

With his decision, Rants becomes the highest-ranking Republican elected official in Iowa to sign on with a potential presidential candidate.

**********

Rants said he studied the potential Republican candidates who have been flocking to his state before deciding to back Romney. The speaker said he posed each candidate a series of questions, some about politics, others about specific issues.

“I saw in Gov. Romney a leader that I could put my trust in, somebody I thought would inspire other Republicans to follow,” he said.

Rants added: “I will speak for myself; I hope he has plans beyond 2006.”

One step closer.

~~~Thomas

http://nationaljournal.com/racerankings/wh08/

The new rankings are up today (they’re generally updated every month or so).

Still McCain, Romney, Giuliani, and Huckabee as the top 4. They dropped Allen off the list completely and have no one in the #5 spot. Interesting. They also keep Giuliani there despite his lack of putting teams together–anywhere . . . maybe Rudy’s running for VP or maybe he pulls a Wesley Clark and comes into the game very late if there’s an opening?

I’m fine with keeping Romney out of the top spot . . . who wants to be the frontrunner this early? Romney’s had a much better last few months than McCain, yet McCain still tops the list–was he that far ahead? (Also, if you hadn’t noticed, National Journal and Hotline: On Call–affiliated sites–are very kind to McCain and always seem to spin things to where he comes off looking good).

In their intro they say . . .

We’re about six weeks away from the first official presidential announcement. All of the top-tier candidates will want to open up federal accounts for official fundraising as quickly as possible, particularly the candidates that didn’t run last time like Mitt Romney, Mark Warner and Evan Bayh. What’s not clear is when John McCain, Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Edwards announce. They have the standing to wait a bit longer than others, but at the same time, they’d like to make sure their new challengers don’t get too much oxygen. This should be fascinating to watch.

So does Romney announce in Nov (post elections) or in Jan (after finishing in Mass)? I think earlier is better for him to allow time for people to get sick of “The Mormon Question”.

I saw Newt on FOX News say that he wouldn’t announce “yes” or “no” until SEPT. 2007. That seems late for someone who’s never run for POTUS . . . maybe he and Rudy are milking the attention and exposure? I really can’t blame them if they are.

Of Romney, NJ says . . .

In New Hampshire, Romney wants to become the first presidential candidate for whom the endorsement of conservatives in that state signals to conservatives in other states that he’s in the middle of the Reagan coalition and electable at the same time. It’s hard to do. He’s not exactly part of the establishment, although he seems to be consciously assuming the habits and policy positions of the conservative intellectual elite. His pragmatic streak and workmanlike style add a touch of independence. His PAC is ingeniously helping to run Jim Nussle’s field operation in Iowa. New Hampshire Republicans believe he has the Gregg-Rath-Maiola axis all but wrapped up. However, Mormon skepticism, whether induced by whisper campaigns or in public, has begun to show up in South Carolina

Jeff

http://www.cnn.com/2006/P…n.ap/index.html

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans have chosen the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul over Cleveland and other cities for the 2008 presidential convention, GOP officials said Wednesday.

So, Romney will be accepting the nomination in Minnesota! Excellent.

http://www.redstate.com/s…gov_mitt_romney

There is a GREAT interview posted with the next President on Red State radio. Among topics discussed are Taxachusettes, Romney’s Health Care plan, as well as his religion and how it may affect his pending run for President.

It’s a great listen (even for the non Romney fan), as it truly highlights why he is the Republicans best chance in 2008.

Chris

http://krustykonservative…itt-romney.html

A key Iowa Conservative political blog “The Krusty Konservative” has just reported that the Iowa Speaker of the House, Christopher Rants, has just signed on with Romney’s Commonwealth PAC. Rants represents the highest ranking current Iowa politician to sign on with ANY presidential hopeful. Great get (again) for Romney!

Cross posted at Iowans for Romney

Jeff

http://hotlineblog.nation…_keough_jo.html

Another big name for Mitt Romney in New Hampshire! Read about it at Hotline On Call.

Kevin