ComMITTed to Romney!

The Brody File reports another gain for Mitt Romney, this time from the imploding campaign of Fred Thompson.

Mitt Romney’s campaign tells The Brody File that Bill Wichterman, who used to do conservative and religious outreach for Fred Thompson’s campaign, has joined Team Romney. This is a nice “get.” He’ll be a part of the Faith and Values steering committee.

Bill Wichterman left the Thompson campaign because Thompson DOES NOT support the federal marriage amendment. At least the version that is on the table now. Mitt Romney does support it. Wichterman liked that fit. Who can blame him?

This is a guy who has been big on the federal marriage amendment for years. When Bill Frist was trying to push the amendment through the Senate, it was Wichterman who was leading the charge by getting social conservative groups organized and mobilized. Expect him to be a big boost for the Romney campaign when it comes to the marriage issue. His depth of knowledge here is masterful.

It’s not just the marriage issue. By nabbing Wichterman, it’s a sign to inside and outside the beltway social conservative groups that Romney is serious in courting them. Wichterman is very well respected by these groups and he has close contacts at places like Focus on the Family, Family Research Council, etc. When he was on the Hill, he was very active in the Senate’s “Value Action Team” meetings where dozens of groups would meet once a week to go over social policy and plot strategy.

Mitt Romney continues to make “All the Right Moves.”

~Ryan Jesperson

Governor Matt Blunt (MO), Senator Jim DeMint (SC), and Senator Judd Gregg (NH).

Boston, MA – Today, Governor Mitt Romney named Governor Matt Blunt (R-MO), Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) and Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) as National Co-Chairs of the Romney for President campaign. As National Co-Chairs, they will serve as key advisers to Governor Romney and his national campaign.

Making today’s announcement, Governor Romney said, “As leaders in their respective states and for our country, these men bring an incredible depth of knowledge and experience to our campaign to build a stronger America with a stronger military, stronger economy and stronger families. In the coming weeks and months, their support will be critical as we mobilize our grassroots effort throughout the nation.”

“Our country faces a new generation of challenges that demand a leader who has the experience to meet those challenges. Whether in the private sector, at the 2002 Winter Olympics or in Massachusetts, Governor Romney has a proven record of leadership and exceptional experience in turning around troubled institutions. Governor Romney is the best candidate to bring real change to Washington,” said Governor Matt Blunt.

A day after making live www.JimDeMint.com, his own re-election web site, Senator Jim DeMint said, “Governor Mitt Romney is the standard-bearer the Republican Party needs in 2008. His message of conservative change will bring our Party and Washington back to our most basic conservative values of fiscal discipline, smaller government and lower taxes. Governor Romney has the record and experience to bring true change to Washington.”

After joining Romney for President on Monday, Senator Gregg said, “Governor Romney has the experience, vision and values to lead our country forward. In the toughest places, he has made the toughest decisions. He has a clear conservative vision for a stronger America. As a Co-Chair of his national campaign, I look forward to working with Governor Romney as this election heads into the next critical months.”

What about Senator Clinton’s millions of ideas for government? I find it fascinating that while Europe is stuck in stagflation, they are trying to lower their taxes, the Dems want to surpass European nations with higher taxes.
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~ Vic

I really like this video. Take a look.

Roger Simon POLITICO

It seems that Hillary Clinton laid an egg at the latest Democratic debate. Click on over to the Politico site to get all the juicy details.

Obama and Edwards had a field day with her as she came across as evasive, uninspiring and over rehearsed.

I have long believed that Hillary has a sense of entitlement, that this is not an election, but rather a coronation for her. It appears that she is not reacting well to the news that she will actually be asked tough questions during this campaign and that she is expected to give clear answers.

It looks like Hill will have to dip into that boatload of cash she has been sitting on, in order to do some damage control, damage that she caused with her shabby debate performance.

~~John Cronin~~

Rebecca over at Women for Romney has posted two really great pieces, and I wanted to point them out!

White House Should Exemplify Family Values

The “Victimization” of Hillary Clinton

From Carl Cameron at Fox…

So far, the Democratic presidential candidates debate shows just how unrealistic Hillary Clinton and her band of Democrats are when it comes to facing down the serious threats the nation faces in the world today.

The Democrats want to reduce our foreign policy and military posture to a garden party with just carrots and sticks, choosing empty rhetoric over any semblance of a detailed vision for safety and security. Governor Romney, on the contrary, firmly believes that America’s place in the world is defined by its strength and purpose, not carrots and sticks held by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

He doesn’t mince words, does he? He’s telling it just like it is. No holding back, just the way I like him to be.

Goooooooo Romney!

A season ticket holder for the 2007 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox, Tagg Romney was able to catch some the excitement and magic often found in Major League Baseball‘s fall classic. Attending game one at Fenway Park last Thursday, Tagg explained that he knew the Red Sox would claim the franchises second championship this decade when pitcher Josh Beckett started the game by striking out the side and following Dustin Pedroia’s first inning home run blast.

“We were all going crazy, it was a lot of fun.”

On Tuesday morning, ElectRomneyin2008.com spoke with the 37-year old Tagg Romney, who frequently shares his thoughts and experiences at the Five Brothers Blog, to discuss the excitement surrounding the current success of Boston’s multiple sports teams, as well as the latest from the campaign trail.

Being a fan of a sports team can provide a surge of energy and excitement when that team performs well. Have you sensed a boost from the success of the Red Sox post-season run?

“It definitely made for a great weekend. The Red Sox won the World Series, the Patriots won 52-7, my dad picked up a major endorsement in New Hampshire and we had another really positive poll in Iowa, so you get this feeling of momentum and you try to roll with it.”

You mentioned the Patriots. They remain undefeated and have a huge game against the undefeated and defending Super Bowl Champions Indianapolis Colts this weekend. Additionally, Boston College football currently undefeated and ranked second in the country. Boston has become quite the sports town.

“It sure has and the Celtics are about to start their new season with new big three (Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett & Paul Pierce). You have to knock on wood, because you know things always go up and down and my kids don’t realize that it won’t always be this good.”

What was your dad’s reaction to fellow presidential candidate Tom Tancredo’s wager offer of him dropping out of the race if the Colorado Rockies lost or your father dropping out if the Red Sox lost?

“I don’t think he was really aware of it to be honest with you. It was humorous. It was like when Tancredo challenged him to a skeet shooting contest.”

Was your father able to attend any of the World Series games?

“He wasn’t. We tried hard to get him to game two, but he had events scheduled in Iowa that he couldn’t miss that started at 7:00 a.m. the next morning and there was no way we could get him back to Iowa in time. We were hoping to get him back for game six or seven, but the Red Sox took care of that problem for us.”

“He can definitely get animated when watching the Red Sox play. He loves to watch sports.”

Shifting gears a bit, how is the campaign trail treating yourself and the other brothers?

“It’s going great. We are working as hard as we can. It’s a long process. I visited my 22nd state yesterday, so we are going all over the place and meeting a lot of great people. I was in North Dakota on Saturday and we won another straw poll out there. Things are going really well.”

The leads that your father has built in the polls in Iowa and New Hampshire has been well documented. What is your sense of the momentum in other early primary states?

“The momentum is going very well, especially once people get to know who he is. He had a much bigger hurdle to overcome than the other guys because no one really knew he was, while the others all have universal name recognition. His message and his background has already caught fire in Iowa and New Hampshire and we’re seeing that spread to the other early states as they get to find out who he really is.”

“We’re confident that he is the right person for the Republican Party regardless of which state you may live in.”

It’s often stated that your father’s largest hurdle in being chosen as the GOP’s nomination is his Mormon faith. However, he has received a number of strong endorsements from evangelical leaders during the past few weeks because of his strong Christian values. Do you get a sense that his religion of choice may actually become a positive as the campaign goes on?

“People respond not to what church or faith that you belong to, but what values you have and what your beliefs and principles are. I think they responded to his core values and principles. They know that he has strong family values and is going to be a standard-bearer for strengthening the American family and helping to restore the nation’s core convictions. I think people are realizing that he’s a pretty good candidate for that.”

What’s up next on the schedule?

“He’s going to Iowa tomorrow. I’m going to be here at campaign headquarters for a few days and then head up to New Hampshire. We’re continuing the Mitt Mobile, which I believe is heading to Michigan soon. We’re fanning out all across the county.”

For more on Tagg’s recent trip to North Dakota, click here.

From Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire:

The American Research Group released new surveys of the presidential races in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.

Among Republicans:

• Iowa: Romney 27%, Huckabee 19%, Giuliani 16%, McCain 14%
• New Hampshire: Romney 30%, Giuliani 23%, McCain 17%
• South Carolina: Romney 29%, Giuliani 23%, McCain 13%, Thompson 10%

Analysis: “Mike Huckabee is in second place in Iowa. Rudy Giuliani is in second place in New Hampshire and South Carolina. Fred Thompson has dropped 8 percentage points in Iowa since September. Romney leads among men in all three states, and he leads among women in Iowa and South Carolina. Romney is tied with Rudy Giuliani among women in New Hampshire.”

***UPDATE*** The Boston Globe has this now

For those of you who think that Romney will be beholden to the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, should read this opinion piece. In it, it catalogs just how Governor Mitt Romney would be less likely to be Pro-Mormon. It also gives a great insight into how previous Presidents (both from Republican and Democratic stripes) have dealt with those of the Mormon faith. I think it’s a sad state of affairs that we’re in in terms of Governor Romney and his faith.

Please also read my previous commentary from July 22nd, 2005 on this subject.

Here’s a list of the relationships of past Presidents with the LDS church just as a reference point:

Theodore Roosevelt publicly supported the controversial seating of U.S. Senator Reed Smoot, a member of the LDS Church ’s high ranking Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. TR also wrote a vigorous defense of the persecuted Mormons in Collier’s magazine. You won’t see Mitt Romney advocating for an LDS apostle to become a U.S. Senator.

Dwight Eisenhower appointed another Mormon apostle, future church president Ezra Taft Benson, to serve as his Secretary of Agriculture. Benson would be the only member of Ike’s cabinet to serve all eight years. Richard Nixon had two Mormon high priests in his cabinet; David Kennedy (Secretary of the Treasury) and Mitt’s father, George Romney (Secretary of Housing and Urban Development).

The current political climate would never allow Mitt Romney to appoint an LDS apostle to his cabinet, or even multiple Mormons to his cabinet like Nixon. Utah Governor Jon Huntsman knows that there won’t be room for many Mormons in a Romney cabinet, and some speculate that is partially why he has cast his endorsement toward John McCain.

Other presidents provided help or honors for the Mormons that a President Romney could never get away with. James K. Polk formed a 500-member Mormon Battalion during the Mexican War, thereby enriching the Saints with government dollars. Millard Fillmore appointed LDS president Brigham Young as Utah ’s territorial governor. Herbert Hoover allowed a Mormon apostle to spend a two-week honeymoon in the White House. Lyndon B. Johnson formed such a good friendship with Mormon President David O. McKay that he once had Air Force One spontaneously land when flying over Salt Lake City just to drop in for a visit. (Imagine the outrage if Romney did such a thing!)

Gerald Ford had the LDS Church ’s president and his counselors as his guests in the president’s box for the national bicentennial gala at the Kennedy Center . Jimmy Carter had the centerpiece of his National Family Week celebration be his address in the Tabernacle on Temple Square at Mormon headquarters. Ronald Reagan surrounded himself with numerous Latter-day Saints in his administration, and dropped his plans for storing MX missiles in the Great Basin once LDS officials opposed it.

As for George W. Bush, he not only honored LDS President Gordon B. Hinckley with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and awarded the Mormon Tabernacle Choir with the National Medal of Arts, but he also appointed a Mormon as Secretary of Health and Human Services (Mike Leavitt).

If Mitt Romney is successful in his bid for the White House the fact that he doesn’t take orders from Salt Lake City won’t be what is remarkable. (Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, also an active Mormon, does not take his orders from Temple Square . Neither have the many LDS senators, congressmen, and governors.) What will be ironic to the student of history is that the Romney administration was not as pro-LDS as plenty of other White House predecessors.

I would like to give special thanks to Michael K. Winder for writing this piece, it’s timely and bring a perspective that none other has shown thusfar. He deserves kuddos for his dedication to writing it.

More on the Author:
Michael K. Winder is the author of “Presidents and Prophets: The Story of America’s Presidents and the LDS Church.”