ComMITTed to Romney!

http://blogs.columbiatribune.com/politics/2008/06/onder_pans_immigration_decisio.html

June 17, 2008

Congressional contender and state Rep. Bob Onder, R-Lake Saint Louis, condemned a U.S. Supreme Court decision that made it easier for individuals who overstay their visas to seek to remain in the United States legally.
From the AP:

The court ruled 5-4 Monday that someone who is here illegally may withdraw his voluntarily agreement to depart and continue to try to get approval to remain in the United States.
The decision essentially embraced a proposed Justice Department regulation governing the treatment of similar cases in the future.

Samson Dada, a Nigerian citizen, stayed beyond the expiration of his tourist visa in 1998. He married an American the following year and soon began trying to obtain a visa as an immediate relative of a citizen. But Dada and his wife apparently failed to submit some documents, causing immigration officials to deny the visa.

Onder said the decision “created new rights for illegal aliens out of thin air.”

“When I get to Washington, I will fight for the values that Missourians hold dear,” said Onder in a statement. “And one of those values is respect for the rule of law. I will fight for effective law enforcement against illegal immigration in Washington just as I successful fought for it in our own state capitol in Jefferson City.”

Onder is in a five-way Republican primary in the race to replace U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Columbia. Another candidate for that post - former state Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-St. Elizabeth - addressed the issue of immigration earlier this month.

http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/dennert/archives/2008/06/the-money-game.html

P R E S S R E L E A S E FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Matt Guthrie June 18, 2008 (805)

***-**** STRICKLAND FUNDRAISER FEATURING MITT ROMNEY SURPASSES EXPECTATIONS

Strickland Campaign Raises Nearly Quarter Million Dollars (Westlake Village) Last night, featured speaker Mitt Romney addressed a packed room of close to five hundred donors and supporters of Tony Strickland at the State Senate candidate’s highly anticipated fundraiser in Westlake Village. The event, which highlighted the importance of the 19th District Senate race, surpassed the original fundraising goal of $200,000 and took in nearly a quarter-million dollars. The sold out event was an overwhelming success for Strickland and continues the trend of strong and growing support for his campaign. With only two days to prepare, the Strickland team was also able to organize a successful pushback to a protest at the event that had been planned for over a week and included between 30-40 people. At 92 supporters strong, the pro-Strickland crowd more than doubled that of the protest demonstration as they lined the streets with American flags and signs showing their support for Tony Strickland and welcoming Governor Romney to California. Strickland’s opponent also didn’t escape the wrath of supporters as they carried signs slamming her tax and spend positions and exposed the hypocritical nature of contributions received by Hannah-Beth Jackson and the democratic party. Governor Romney’s message to California voters was clear. “I believe Tony Strickland can cut back on wasteful spending and can remove the interest of special interests and bring new ideas to Sacramento,” Romney said in an interview before the event. Strickland received a standing ovation when speaking about the importance of this particular race and his message about growing the economy while being environmentally responsible played well with the crowd. “You can be pro-economy and pro-environment,” Strickland said. ” The solution isn’t raising taxes, it’s to help the economy grow. Raising taxes will only drive people and businesses out of the state. We need to push the green economy so we can get off of foreign oil and reduce gas prices for all Californians”. ###

Hat Tip to 2thepoint for the heads up on this story. Gov. Romney continues to rack up the frequent flier miles as he headlines dinners and fundraisers to benefit conservative republicans. When he is ready to run again in 2012, he will have the most extensive campaign organization in the country.

~~John Cronin~~

Real Clear Politics

By: Reid Wilson

June 05, 2008

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, said to occupy a prominent place on whatever version of vice presidential short list John McCain has in his head, is keeping busy over a two-day stretch in Washington. While McCain is out of town, his one-time rival is certainly making his presence in Republican circles known.

Despite thunder and lightening, and more than a few tornado warnings, Romney attended a fundraiser held by the Susan B. Anthony List, which promotes pro-life Republicans, last night in Washington. Money from the event went to Rep. Steve Pearce, who on Tuesday claimed the GOP nomination to replace outgoing Senator Pete Domenici in New Mexico.

This morning Romney hit three morning shows — on MSNBC, CNN and Fox News — live from McCain’s Arlington, Virginia headquarters.

Later, Romney will hold a media availability at a swank hotel just up the road from McCain Central, with former Governor Jim Gilmore, the GOP nominee for retiring Senator John Warner’s seat, and businessman Keith Fimian, who is running for Tom Davis’s Eleventh District. Romney is also slated to attend a fundraiser for Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, who will run for re-election in 2009.

Great news from the Beatty Campaign. Jeff Beatty, former elite Delta force member and Purple Heart winner has easily qualified for the Republican Senate ballot in Massachusetts, pitting him against John Kerry, former 2004 democratic Presidential nominee and 24 year Senatorial incumbent.

Congratulations to Jeff and to Team Beatty, including the unsung heroes of all successful campaigns, the grassroots activists who are the foot soldiers who ring the doorbells, put out the yards signs and make good things happen!

~~John Cronin~~

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday. June 3, 2008
CONTACT:
Joe Manzoli
774.722.1611
joe@jeffbeatty.com

Summary: US Senate Candidate Jeff Beatty, a Republican from Massachusetts, has secured a spot on the ballot thanks to a grass roots campaign that gathered 17,000 certified signatures. Beatty thanked volunteers, staff members, donors and supporters at a gathering in Westborough this past weekend, where he also outlined his campaign plans for the coming months.

US SENATE CANDIDATE JEFF BEATTY THANKS VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF FOR SUCCESSFUL NOMINATION DRIVE, OUTLINES CAMPAIGN TO NOVEMBER

Grass roots effort results in 17 thousand certified signatures delivered to the Secretary of State’s office, assuring Beatty’s place on ballot

Boston - US Senate candidate Jeff Beatty, Republican, celebrated gaining access to the ballot by personally thanking supporters and volunteers who powered his signature drive. For two months, hundreds of supporters canvassed the Commonwealth sharing Beatty’s campaign vision and filling enough nomination sheets necessary to get Beatty on the ballot. Beatty’s successful nomination follows another significant milestone announced last month - 30 thousand donors who gave almost $1 million dollars to his campaign.

“I’m honored by how many people have decided to invest in our campaign, giving their time and effort to bring new leadership to the U.S. Senate,” said Beatty at a supporter gathering held in Westborough over the weekend. “This proves that people are excited about this race and, after 24 years of lackluster leadership, are ready to send a real fighter to Washington.”

Beatty began this campaign a year ago by launching an exploratory committee in April 2007. Since then he has traveled throughout Massachusetts listening to voters and sharing his vision to protect their families, protect their jobs and protect the Commonwealth and country.

“It is time to send someone with relevant experience to Washington to fight for these basic values,” said Beatty, a former Delta Force Officer and founder of a homeland security and public safety company. “I have owned a business, worked for years in public safety and security, and developed the background to solve the serious problems we face today. I’m running because we have waited too long for someone to step up and do the work.”

Beatty will spend the remaining spring and summer months introducing himself to voters and preparing for the hard contest coming in the fall.
###

Jeff Beatty is a Candidate for the US Senate who can be found at www.jeffbeatty.com. Beatty is a small businessman (founder of totalsecurity.us) who previously served in The Delta Force where he received a Purple Heart while helping rescue hundreds of Americans. He also served as a Special Agent of the FBI, advising the national Hostage Rescue Team and as a CIA Counter-terrorism Officer running successful operations in Europe and the Middle East.Beatty has received broad media coverage, at the national level from CNN and Fox News and locally from WBZ, The Boston Herald and Boston Globe. Beatty has also received great attention and support from bloggers across the state.

Jeff Beatty
20 Lyman St Suite 201
Westborough, MA 01581
774 733 4077

From The Salt Lake Tribune

WASHINGTON - Mitt Romney isn’t talking about Mitt Romney.
He’s talking about John McCain, about energizing the party base, about strong candidates for a “strong economy, strong families and strong military.”
The former presidential candidate spent more than a year officially on the trail, talking himself up to voters as he sought the Republican nomination for the White House. But now he has a new role: boosting other Republicans.
The move, which brought Romney back to Utah last week to join President Bush in another fundraising blitz, is meant to prove Romney is a loyal soldier, and to help burnish his credentials for a possible White House bid in the future.
Romney, McCain’s former chief rival, now is one of the Arizona senator’s most active, effective fundraisers and cheerleaders. The head of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City appears to have headlined more events than any of the large field of former GOP presidential candidates and may be on track to raise the most money of the pack.
“I could go back to the private sector but I believe what I said during my campaign,” Romney told The Wall Street Journal recently. “I think this is a very critical time for the country. And I was helped by a lot of people and turning back to entirely personal pursuits would not be consistent with the many contributions of time and resources that came my way. So I’m going to help Senator McCain and other people who I think would make a difference.”
In a sense, Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, never left the trail when he ended his campaign last February. He has criss-crossed the country serving as a surrogate for McCain and backed the nominee-in-waiting on multiple television appearances.
McCain spokesman Jeff Sadosky said Romney has played a large role in the campaign and has been a “very, very active” surrogate.
“Governor Romney has been a tremendous help and we value his support,” Sadosky said.
Romney has spoken at the state party conventions in Nevada and Maine, and the Lancaster GOP convention in Pennsylvania. Saturday, he hit the Colorado Republican Convention and he’s slated to appear for McCain at the conventions in Oregon and Texas within the next two weeks.
Romney also is offering his help to boost McCain’s coffers, and has become essentially a Western warrior for McCain, drumming up support in areas where Romney is popular.
This week, Romney, with help from President Bush, raised about $2 million for McCain and the party in a fundraiser at his Deer Valley home. Since withdrawing, this was Romney’s second trip to raise money in Utah, the state second only to California in financial donations for Romney’s failed bid.
Romney also has called on his top money raisers to work on McCain’s behalf, inviting many of them to Houston in early May to meet the senator and jump on the Straight Talk Express.
Romney’s aggressive support for McCain has many pundits saying he is actively campaigning to be McCain’s running mate.
Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom dismisses such talk.
“We’re not going to join the . . . guessing game over who is going to be John McCain’s running mate,” FehrnÂstrom said. “That is not what Gov. Romney is focusing on. His focus is on helping John McCain and other Republicans get elected.”
To that end, Romney recently launched a new political action committee, the Free and Strong America PAC.
The group, with a post office box in his home of Belmont, Mass., is aimed at helping elect Republicans at all levels. Romney’s former deputy chief of staff and conservative outreach guru, Peter Flaherty, is serving as executive director.
Former senior adviser Tom Rath, who helped shepherd President Bush through the New Hampshire primary in 2000, says Romney has been getting some “positive feedback” from stumping for McCain and some people who weren’t sure of him as a candidate are now getting to know and like him better.
“He likes being involved, is getting really engaged on the ‘we need to elect John McCain’ message and feels he’s helping,” Rath says.
“He’s not spending much if any time thinking about V.P.,” Rath adds. “He knows it’s a long shot at best and basically out of his control, and he’s not a guy who worries too much about things he can’t control.”
Romney acknowledged to the Journal that he’d like to be the nominee, but he’s doing his best to pump the party up nonetheless.
“I would rather have the shoe on my foot but you recognize that when you don’t win, then, in some respects, I think you have a responsibility to help the person that does,” Romney told the newspaper.
tburr@sltrib.com

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s name is coming up more often in recent weeks as a possible McCain VP candidate. Reportedly, WIZBANG.COM had somebody “drop a dime” about a McCain advance man being spotted recently in Juneau.

~~John Cronin~~

http://wizbangblog.com/content/2008/05/29/
alaska-gov-sarah-palin-to-meet-with-mccain-vp-search-team.php

A tipster sent us word that John McCain’s VP advance man Arthur Culvahouse has been spotted in Juneau, Alaska. There’s only one reason he would be there - to meet with Alaska Governor Sarah Palin about the Vice President position.

This comes on the heels of McCain’s Memorial Day weekend barbecue attended by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, former White House budget director Rob Portman, and Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman. Supposedly that was in informal affair, not a vetting session, but it appears that the VP selection game is very much afoot.

Governor Palin would (in my estimation) make an excellent VP candidate for McCain. Thomas Cheplick at The American Spectator makes the case that she’s probably the only VP candidate who can balance the ticket against Obama. She’s also a potential magnet for disaffected Hillary Clinton voters, many of whom are just looking for a reason not to vote for Obama

My sentiments exactly.

~~John Cronin~~

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_9406882

Tribune Editorial

Article Last Updated: 05/28/2008 10:14:38 PM MDT

As Mitt Romney helps his Republican pals rake in treasure for the fall campaign, he also is racking up credits with other GOP candidates as a big-name guy they can call to help them on the stump. All of which suggests that Romney could cash in those credits when the 2012 presidential race rolls around.

This may sound cynical, but it’s the way the political game is played. Richard Nixon and Bob Dole played it that way, and so do aspiring Democrats. It’s a way for a candidate to burnish relationships with others in his party and generally pay his dues. Give something of yourself to others and the party, and when the time comes, they’ll give back to you.

A conservative voice for Republicans, Tom Coburn, writes in the online edition of the WSJ what many of us are thinking: If Republicans want to start winning elections again…Start acting like Republicans!

~~John Cronin~~

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121184690228421415.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries

By TOM COBURN

May 27, 2008; Page A21

As congressional Republicans contemplate the prospect of an electoral disaster this November, much is being written about the supposed soul-searching in the Republican Party. A more accurate description of our state is paralysis and denial.

Many Republicans are waiting for a consultant or party elder to come down from the mountain and, in Moses-like fashion, deliver an agenda and talking points on stone tablets. But the burning bush, so to speak, is delivering a blindingly simple message: Behave like Republicans.

There are a couple of links on Mr. Chaffetz’ website that will allow you to listen to him outline his policies on immigration on The Bob Lonsberry Show. Mr. Chaffetz is a rock-ribbed conservative on immigration. Some of the stats he quotes will blow you away.

Click on over to his website and consider supporting this conservative Republican from the great state of Utah.

~~John Cronin~~

http://www.jasonforcongress.com/page/page/5011447.htm

Utah State Senator Howard Stephenson Endorses Jason Chaffetz for Congress:

” I enthusiastically endorse Jason Chaffetz to represent Utah’s 3rd Congressional District in the United States Congress. Jason has repeatedly demonstrated to me his deep understanding of key issues and his passion for returning to core conservative values. These traits are key to strengthening our Republican Party and returning us to the majority in the U.S. Congress.
Jason understands the importance of being a true fiscal conservative. He is willing to make difficult choices and stick to his principles rather than swaying to politically convenient positions. When Jason served as Governor Huntsman’s Chief of Staff he was professional, organized and clearly willing to do the hard work of managing thousands of government employees.

He’s a successful business person, a family man, and someone we can count on to represent us well in Washington, DC. As delegates, you have an important decision to make. I have spent time interacting and studying the positions of all three candidates. In my opinion, it’s time for a change and we should make that change by electing Jason Chaffetz.”

- Utah State Senator Howard Stephenson, 4/18/08

{Editor’s Note: Below are some poll results I just came across in the Chaffetz/Cannon Race}

http://electionadvantage.blogspot.com/2008/05/deseret-news-utah-house-races-2-1-r.html

UT-03 GOP Primary:

Rep. Chris Cannon 39%
Former Gubernatorial COS Jason Chaffetz 37%

The three general elections are all non-races, but the primary between Cannon and Chaffetz looks like the race to watch. Every two years it seems, Cannon faces a stiff primary challenge from the right, primarily due to his moderate stance on immigration. But actually, Cannon fares much better among Republicans (44%-33% lead) than among Independents (48%-21% deficit). If Chaffetz can get big turnout among Independents, he can certainly win this; he also should be encouraged by the fact that Cannon is polling so far under 50%.

Congressman Mike Pence hits the nail on the head in identifying if the problems the Party had in 2006 were a matter of “killing the message or killing the messenger.”

Bulletin to NRCC: Let the Democrats be Democrats. You folks in Washington are out of touch
with your base. If something doesn’t change in the next several months there will be more new faces in town and they won’t be Republicans.

~~John Cronin~~

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/
2008/05/21/AR2008052102570.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=
newsletter

By Ben Pershing

washingtonpost.com Staff Writer

Thursday, May 22, 2008; Page A03

Party strategists say the question remains whether the GOP’s electoral woes are the result of tactical mistakes or a larger identity problem in the national party. Republican leaders have been working to address the latter issue by rolling out a new legislative agenda.

“You don’t turn the Queen Mary around overnight,” Davis, a former NRCC chairman and critic, said of the GOP’s recent losing efforts. “We need more of a facelift than just shuffling at the NRCC.”

“I don’t blame the candidates,” agreed Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.). “I don’t blame the committee. The Republican Party as a whole has a credibility problem.”