comMITTed to Romney!

Boston, MA - A longtime aide of Mitt Romney is considering a challenge of Martha Coakley in the Fall for Attorney General.

Peter Flaherty is a former prosecutor and is considering a run at Coakley. Flaherty was an assistant district attorney in Suffolk County under District Attorneys Newman Flanagan and Ralph Martin.

Peter Flaherty served as deputy manager of Romney’s 2008 presidential campaign. He then served as the director of Romney’s new national political vehicle, the Free and Strong America PAC.

The Boston Globe quoted Flaherty recently:

“I’ve been approached by several people, and I’ve told them I’m flattered by their interest, and it’s something I’m going to discuss at length with my family.”

http://beforeitsnews.com/story/19439/Longtime_Mitt_Romney_Aide_to_Challenge_Martha_Coakley.html

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POLITICO

One of the first big moves of 2012 — Mitt Romney Names Matt Rhoades PAC Executive Director:

BOSTON — Mitt Romney’s Free and Strong America PAC announced today that Matt Rhoades, who has held senior positions on major presidential campaigns and at the Republican National Committee, will serve as the PAC’s executive director. … ‘He’s been a friend and an adviser for several years now and I’m pleased that he has agreed to run the day-to-day operations of my Free and Strong America PAC. He shares with me the view that 2010 is going to be a critical election year, with many races and lots of opportunities to elect Republican candidates,’ said Governor Romney.

“Rhoades is currently a Vice President with DCI Group … He replaces Peter Flaherty, who will become a Senior Adviser to the PAC. He previously served as Communications Director for Romney’s 2008 presidential campaign … During the 2006 election cycle, Rhoades was a Deputy Communications Director in charge of research for the Republican National Committee. He also was Research Director for the 2004 Bush/Cheney re-election campaign. Rhoades also has held the position of White House Liaison at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management in the Bush Administration. Prior to that, he was an Associate Director in the White House Presidential Personnel Office. He holds a B.A. from Syracuse University and an M.A. from George Washington University.”

Rhoades, a big J-E-T-S fan, will be moving to Red Sox Nation.

Kevin Madden: “Matt is one of those rare professionals who blends strategic thinking with a superb management style. The governor has a lot of respect for and confidence in Matt and his leadership abilities. Those sentiments are widely shared by everyone counted as part of the Romney team.”

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Those of us who believe that Obama is dangerously naive in his understanding of foreign policy and national defense have launched an editorial offensive against the eternal dithering of the Obama administration. NATO leaders, Dick Cheney, Mitt Romney, Gen. McChrystal, Ollie North and others have all led the chorus of criticism against Obama’s failure to make a decision to reinforce the troops in Afghanistan.

Just this past week, on SolidPrinciples.com, the site co-founded by me and Craig Edwards, I had the idea to nominate Obama for THE 2009 NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN AWARD.

The graphic that Craig came up with has attracted a fair amount of attention and that article and a couple others have been linked by Politico and other sites, with very supportive comments.

Both major political leaders and the conservative blogosphere all seem to be on the same page. Obama has got to stay away from the staged Town Hall meetings and put down the golf clubs long enough to make a good decision on troop levels for the war effort.

He also will have to deal with Iran and it’s headlong rush to acquire a nuclear capability. Based on his dismal track record of the past nine months, I don’t see much reason to optimistic on this score either.

With all this in mind, I wanted to post an excerpt from an email that I received from Gov. Romney’s Free and Strong America PAC this morning. He has a quote that really struck me, a quote that we should all consider very seriously: “The care of freedom is not long entrusted to the weak and timid.”

~~John Cronin~~

By: Mitt Romney

John,

I have been to Israel twice — most recently in 2007. I came away encouraged by what I saw. If we lived in a neighborhood like Israel’s, with suicide bombers crossing into our country to kill children in school buses, I’m not sure we could tolerate it. That people actually immigrate to Israel, rather than fleeing from the violence of the Middle East, is a testament to their courage, faith and character. But there is a clear and present danger, above all other threats in the region, and that’s Iran.

Iran represents the biggest threat to Israel and peace. Here’s how I describe Iran in a column I wrote last week for Human Events:

“The Iranian regime is unalloyed evil, run by people who are at once ruthless and fanatical. We should stop thinking that a charm offensive will talk the Iranians out of their pursuit of nuclear weapons. It will not. And agreements, unenforceable and unverifiable, will have no greater impact here than they did in North Korea. Once an outstretched hand is met with a clenched fist, it becomes a symbol of weakness and impotence. President Eisenhower said it well: ‘The care of freedom is not long entrusted to the weak and timid.’”

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Below is the email I received from Gov. Romney’s Free and Strong America PAC.

~~John Cronin~~

John,

In response to the overwhelming demand by supporters like you around the country, we are happy to announce the launch of the official store of Mitt Romney’s Free and Strong America PAC.

You’ll find all of your favorite items there from over the past months, as well as some great new ones, including — just in time for the fall season — the official PAC fleece pullover. And it’s easier than ever for you to order multiple items and even to send gifts directly to your family and friends.

As always, every dollar you spend on these items counts as a contribution to the PAC, and will give Governor Romney the resources to continue advancing conservative causes and helping Republican candidates throughout the country.

And your support couldn’t come at a better time. In less than two months, there will be critical gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia, and we need to work together to do everything we can to ensure that Republican candidates win. In addition, the 2010 congressional elections will be here before we know it, and we need to begin preparing now so that we can take back the House and Senate.

John, we encourage you to check out our store today, and hope you will help us spread our message by wearing and displaying your PAC gear with pride.

Thank you for your continued support,

The Free and Strong America PAC Team

P.S. We’re always looking for great ideas, so please let us know if there are other items you’d like featured in our store in the future.

P.P.S. Even if you don’t want to contribute toward official PAC gear, we hope you will nevertheless consider making a contribution toward our efforts today. The elections in New Jersey and Virginia are fast approaching, and the congressional elections in 2010 will be here before we know it.

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Free and Strong America PAC

Senator John Cornyn has asked Governor Romney to headline at the NRSC Fundraising Dinner in Washington DC on April 1. This event will help GOP candidates in the 2010 cycle. He is also slated to speak at another fundraiser in DC for good friend and advisor Barbara Comstock, who is running for the House of Delegates in Fairfax County.

Also upcoming is the annual Conservative Political Action Convention (CPAC) in Washington DC February 26th-28th, where Governor Romney will speak. The Governor has addressed CPAC many times. Most memorably, the 2008 CPAC speech was the forum Governor Romney chose to bow out of the race for President.

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On page A8 of this morning’s WSJ is a story that I have been anticipating since Gov. Romney’s speech at the CPAC convention this past February when he announced his withdrawal from the primary race.

Here are a few excerpts from the article.

~~John Cronin~~

Wall Street Journal Print Edition Nov.3, 2008

Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has worked aggressively in recent months on behalf of Sen. John McCain and dozens of his party’s congressional candidates, in an effort that could help boost his own political future.

Mr. Romney has been among the most active foot soldiers. Come Tuesday, he will have hit nine states in the final five days of the election on behalf of the Republican presidential nominee. Since April, Mr. Romney has campaigned for candidates in 28 House races, five Senate races and a pair of gubernatorial ones. He has contributed more than $400,000 through his political-action committee, including help for about 80 Republican candidates, said Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom.

Mr. Romney’s PAC has contributed to a number of ballot initiatives, Mr. Ferhnstrom said. The committee, called Free and Strong America, spent $10,000 to support the anti-gay marriage initiative in California and $5,000 in Massachusetts to fight a movement to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana.

State parties have also benefited. After Sen. McCain unofficially withdrew his campaign from Michigan, Mr. Romney contributed $50,000 to the state party. He made similar contributions in Iowa and Georgia.

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Always good to hear from the Chairman of the Board, in my case, that would be Gov. Romney. He has labored diligently in the “Republican vineyard,” to use an expression I heard from a veteran politician years ago and now, come what may Nov. 4, he is the new leader of the Republican Party.

Now its on to 2012 and let’s win then!

~~John Cronin~~

John,

Right now, I’m on a plane somewhere over Nevada en route to New Mexico. We’re in the midst of an exciting five-day, eight state tour to rally support for the McCain-Palin ticket. This trip will take us across the interior west, through the heartland states of Missouri and Indiana, then on to the battlegrounds of Ohio and Pennsylvania, before ending in New Hampshire with an Election Day rally in the blue-collar city of Manchester.

With your support, we’ve targeted dozens of races and poured our resources into them, starting at the top of the ticket with John McCain and Sarah Palin but also dozens of important congressional and state races. We’ve held fundraisers, sent out direct mail, stumped in the districts, held news conferences and basically pulled out all the stops.

But, in the end, it comes down to you. Your vote will make a real difference. The liberal turnout machine, with special interests and big labor providing the grease, is expected to put thousands of people on the ground to get out their vote. Conservatives need to fight back with a super-size turnout of our own. This is where you come in. Take a moment to go to our website,

FreeStrongAmerica.com, and review our list of endorsed candidates. Then, on November 4th, please vote for those who appear on the ballot in the area where you live.

I don’t have to tell you how critical this election is for the future of America. We can either follow the course of Europe, with higher and higher taxes and more and more government in our lives, or we can reaffirm our nation’s founding principles of individual liberty and freedom.

If liberals capture the White House and increase their majorities in the House and Senate, it would be a real setback for the issues we care about - the appointment of conservative judges, getting ourselves off foreign oil, the protection of life, the importance of lower taxes and the need to rid the federal budget of wasteful spending and pork.

Finally, I’d ask you to also consider making a contribution to the Free and Strong America PAC. With your ongoing support, we can continue to advocate for candidates and ideas that will strengthen our economy, our military and our families.

Thank you for all you have done.

Mitt Romney
Honorary Chairman

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Please see the post below from an email to Steve Andrew (as he heads off for tropical climes) from Mitt Romney.

~~John Cronin~~

Steve,

I hope you have been enjoying your summer. For Ann and me, it has been a time for family and friends — and some campaigning.

Summer is a time that is traditionally considered “slow” in politics, but this year, we cannot afford to slow down. The Democrats certainly aren’t and conservative Republicans across the country need our help to ensure we have the resources to spread our message to voters.

That is why I am writing to ask if you would consider making a contribution to the Free and Strong America PAC. Since I launched the PAC in May, we’ve helped Senator McCain and nearly 50 other candidates who are ready to confront the challenges facing America. I will be traveling around the country on behalf of many of them as well.

Of course, none of this would be possible without your support, and I would be grateful if you would consider making a contribution to the Free and Strong America PAC to help these efforts today. For a limited time, if you contribute at least $50 , we will send you the official Free and Strong America PAC t-shirt as a token of our appreciation. It’s great for the beach and cookouts, and by wearing it, you will show that you are committed to making a difference in this critical election.

And, as an added bonus, the first 100 people who contribute at least $100 will receive their t-shirt signed.

Thank you for your support and dedication,

Mitt Romney
Honorary Chairman

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I just received this email from Gov. Romney. While most of the information is known to our regular readers, there is some news on Gov. Romney’s schedule for the coming weeks. I also posted this with the thought in mind that this site is now being linked by several other sites on a daily basis, so, hopefully other conservatives who don’t usually come to this site will see the info on Free and Strong America and join in this new effort to rebuild the Republican Party.

~~John Cronin~~

Dear John:

I’d like to update you on what’s been happening since the campaign ended and to tell you about my latest venture.

First, Ann and I have some exciting news. We have three new grandchildren on the way! That’ll make 14 and counting. There’s nothing like the love of our growing family to remind us of the truly important things in life.

I’ve also been busy traveling the country again, campaigning for John McCain and appearing as a surrogate on his behalf. We’ve been to Pennsylvania, Nevada and Maine with plans to go to Oregon, Colorado and Texas in the coming weeks. Next week, I’ll be hosting President Bush at my home in Utah for a Victory 08 fundraiser to benefit the national ticket.

And I have a new organization that I hope will make a difference in preparing our nation to meet the challenges of the future — the Free and Strong America PAC.

Free and Strong America PAC will support officeholders and candidates who are dedicated to promoting public policies that will strengthen America at this critical time in our history. I invite you to check out our website at FreeStrongAmerica.com to learn more about us and some of the candidates we are supporting. While there, you can sign up for our newsletter, spread the word about us to your friends, and even make a contribution to support our efforts.

I must admit — it feels good to rejoin the fight. Thanks again for your support and friendship.

Sincerely,
Mitt Romney
Honorary Chairman

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This post is aimed at every Mitt Romney supporter who feels that the Republican Party and the country is headed in the wrong direction. If you agree that the guiding philosophy of the party has moved away from the conservative principles that made it great in the past, then here is your opportunity to steer the party back toward policies that Ronald Reagan articulated in the 1980’s and those that Mitt Romney spoke of in the primary campaign.

I hope you will visit Gov. Romney’s new website and that you will get involved. It promises to be great fun and I believe you will be rewarded with that feeling of accomplishment that only responsible civic involvement can bring.

~~John Cronin~~

https://www.freestrongamerica.com/

Sign up for our grassroots network!

If America is to remain a leader in the world, we must be prepared to face the numerous challenges of the 21st century. These problems can be tackled with innovation, determination, and a commitment to our nation’s founding principles. Together with you, Free and Strong America PAC will work tirelessly to promote these principles, and help elect like-minded candidates who are prepared to take on the challenge of keeping America free and strong.

You may be wondering what else you can do to help our efforts. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to take a moment today to:

1) Make a contribution to Free and Strong America PAC. Your contribution will help promote conservative causes and support conservative candidates.

2) Spread the word about Free and Strong America PAC to your friends and family. We need to grow our grassroots network as broadly as possible in the coming months and we are counting on your help.

3) Learn about the candidates we are supporting. Every week, we will be profiling new candidates on our website so that you can learn more about them and support them directly if you wish. Please visit our website often for the latest updates.

Thank you again for all of your support and dedication. With your continued help we will ensure that this great nation remains – as it always has been – the beacon of freedom and hope of the world.

Best Regards,

Mitt Romney
Honorary Chairman

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