Where did Mitt’s Flip-Flop label come from?  Why is he seen as a “new” convert to conservatism?  Those of us who have objectively studied this issue have come to the same conclusion that Darlene Wagner, of Christian News Wire has reached.  In this article she gives an absolutely excellent summary of how these myths evolved, and the truth about Mitt’s record.  She did this by personally contacting the Pro-Life community in Mass., where Mitt was Governor for 4 years.  Here is what she found:

Abortion Issue is Behind the Flip Flop Story of Mitt Romney

Contact: Darlene Wagner 860-456-3165, faceofprolife@sbcglobal.net

MEDIA ADVISORY, Feb. 3 /Christian Newswire/ — Abortion, who would have thought that it would be the secret weapon of John McCain and Mike Huckabee going into the Florida primary and now super Tuesday. Did the election predictors ever envision a struggle that would be fought over the precious pro-life conservative vote? Mitt Romney was noted as a late comer to the pro life scene and undeserving of the title of pro life by both McCain and Huckabee. He was stealing the votes intended for them.

Attack ads on YouTube with links placed in articles by a group called GoneRoe headed by attorney Sharon Blakeney, are featured in an article in Life News.com., a well traveled reliable resource used by the pro life community. Also, Janet Folger, the host of a national talk radio program, wrote in a World Net Daily column that “the ads are welcome for super Tuesday.” The goal is to incite Christian Pro Lifers to vote against Mitt Romney.

Darlene Wagner, a producer for a

Connecticut cable access show called the Face of Pro Life, decided to find out the basis of the McCain, Huckabee and news media charges of flip flopping on issues, she contacted the Mass. Family Institute and Pioneer Mass. Citizen for Life. So what exactly was the relationship of Mitt Romney with the

Mass. pro life community?

Wagner said, “I was astonished to find the real story was quite different. In fact, Governor Mitt Romney was well regarded by the local pro life activists. Respected for having made a difference by providing the leadership to bring about significant change.” His influence was short lived because present Governor Patrick who has anti-life credentials has reversed all those gains.

For a short four years,

Mass. was making inroads into becoming a pro life state in spite of the well know Democrat left leaning legislature.

The online newsletter of Mass. Family Institute writes, “In Defense of Marriage Romney appeared at a press conference in June 2006 and called on the Legislature to vote. He also helped to organize a rally at the Statehouse the following November, attended by 7,000 concerned citizens, and announced a lawsuit to force the Legislature to vote. “Although the SJC dismissed the suit, it also reprimanded the legislators for shirking their duty to vote. The Legislature listened and allowed the amendment process to proceed.” No surprise when Gov. Patrick became governor he had already worked to get 11 votes to have the Defense of Marriage Amendment fail.

The newsletter continued, “Governor Romney championed the sanctity of life during the debate over embryonic stem cell research and cloning. He opposed the loosening of restrictions on research on human embryos and, while unsuccessful, used his executive powers to restrict the creation of human embryos exclusively for use in research.”

In sharp contrast, the present Mass. Gov. Patrick has announced a $1 billion “life science” initiative that will provide funding and tax incentives for companies doing embryonic stem cell research. If John McCain is elected president he will do the same because he is only ½ pro-life. According to the Value Voter’s guide he supports federal funds for embryonic stem research. As recently as yesterday McCain garnered the endorsement of Nancy Reagan who champions this embryo killing procedure.

When Gov. Romney discovered that federal abstinence money was being wasted in the Commonwealth on ineffective media campaigns, he helped redirect the money toward classroom abstinence-only instruction through programs like the Healthy Futures program. $700,000 was used to deliver the abstinence message to hundreds of teenage students. When Gov. Patrick became governor he refused to accept the grant money despite the plea of many inner city teenagers.

What a sharp contrast between the real record and the one that has been hyped by the media, John McCain and Mike Huckabee. To local pro life activists like Dr. Shaw, who said he will be voting for Romney in the primary, “Things have changed for the worse in Mass. Pro Life wise and we would like to have it return to the days when Romney was Governor.”

Sources for this article:

Life News.com

Mass. Family Institute Newsletter

Mass Citizen for Life Web Site

Numerous telephone interviews

Pioneer Mass Citizens for Life

This was not a Romney supporter or campaigner, but a person genuinely interested in finding out the truth.  It is amazing to me that she had to go to such great lengths to bypass the lies the media and McCain and Huckabee have perpetrated about Mitt’s record.  Mitt has always stated in debates and stump speeches that as Governor he came down on the side of life every time.  The facts are there to support this.  Mitt’s record as Governor was strongly conservative, and will be as President as well.

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For fellow conservatives considering Mitt for the first time, it’s important to understand Mitt’s staunch support of the pro-life platform.  The media has tried to downplay and negate Mitt’s position on this.  They’ve managed to stick a big old post-it note on Mitt’s forehead labelled “Flip Flopper” in permanent ink.  They’ve asserted that he lacks conviction.  They’re wrong.  As Governor, Mitt consistently stuck to conservative principles.  On abortion, marriage, health care, economy and other important issues, Mitt consistenly made conservative decisions.  For a great summary on Mitt’s real record, see Ann Marie’s post back in November 2007.

On Monday, the 35th anniversay of Roe v. Wade, Mitt once again committed to overturning this decision:

After 35 years of Roe v. Wade, we are again reminded why this decision should be overturned,” Romney said in a statement provided to LifeNews.com.

“We recognize the worth and dignity of every person, a fact that is ingrained in our hearts and etched in our national purpose,” Romney added. “Unelected judges should not be the final arbiters on these important decisions which define who we are as a people.”

Recently, Romney told Nevada voters that he wanted the high court to overturn the infamous decision allowing virtually unlimited abortions.

“I am pro-life, and I would welcome a time when the people of America concluded that abortion was wrong, but that’s not where America is, and that’s why I believe that the next right step for America is for the court to overturn Roe v. Wade,” he said then.

“That would return to the states and to the elected representatives of the people the ability to set their own laws related to abortion,” he said.

“Today, as Americans from across this country participate in the annual March for Life, my thoughts are with all those whose dedication and compassionate concern have done so much to educate and assist others in creating a genuine culture of life,” he said.

The last phrase is a very telling remark.  As he does with so many issues, Mitt is able to look at the broader implications and ramifications of following a certain path.  When he discusses his decision to become politically pro-life, Mitt often states that as Governor he realized that the effects of Roe v. Wade weren’t just limited to abortion.  They extended to issues like embryonic stem cell research and teenage pregnancy, and to the very basic fabric of our culture.  The question, “Are we a culture of life, or of death,” has strong ramifications for our children, their education, their government, their health, their society and their future.  Mitt understood (and has helped me understand) that the issue of abortion isn’t solely about choice or murder or rights - it’s about the kind of culture, society and country we are creating (or destroying) for the next generation.

If you are unsure about Mitt’s conviction on this or other social issues such as marriage, please DO NOT believe the picture the media has painted.  Please take a few minutes to visit Mitt’s site where he discusses his belief in “promoting a culture of life,” or visit the Encyclopedia Mittanica, where you can scroll down and find Mitt’s answers to just about any question, all neatly alphabetized according to issue. 

Warning:  if you take a few minutes to do this - to objectively look at Mitt’s platform and record, you WILL find he is a true Reagan conservative, and you WILL most likely want to join, sign up, contribute, campaign for, blog and in all other ways become a Mitt supporter!  Let us know when you do - we’d love to hear your story!

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Those who follow this blog know that I hold in high esteem the journalism of The Wall Street Journal. In fact, I believe it is the finest newspaper in America. But after reading two articles yesterday in the Op/Ed pages, I just about concluded that it belongs with the MSM!

I am disgusted with the media’s continued repeating of false information! Are they just lazy? What happened to honest, diligent research?

In these two articles in the Journal, they repeat as fact that Governor Romney somehow supported gay marriage. THAT IS TOTALLY, COMPLETELY, AND CATEGORICALLY FALSE! It is not some partial truth — it is altogether false! I am sick of their overall lazy writing.

Here are the two articles and cited excerpts (see truth at bottom of this post):

McCain’s Promise — It is cruel to compare the senator to most of his Republican competitors — Monday, January 7, 2008

Who can forget Mitt Romney listening in seeming amazement, a few weeks ago, as Tim Russert pressed him to explain certain extraordinary (if politically convenient) turnabout stands he’d taken on gay marriage . . .

POTOMAC WATCH — The New New Mitt — New Hampshire voters know Romney’s record better than most — That could spell trouble — BY KIMBERLEY A. STRASSEL — Monday, January 7, 2008

They include people like Bonnie (who preferred not to use her last name), an accountant who turned out in frigid temperatures to support Rudy Giuliani at an event in Salem, N.H., and who demonstrated a critical knowledge of Mr. Romney’s record: “[He] allowed gay marriages in Mass[achusetts].”

FACTS SUMMARY: Fact #1: The State of Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that the state’s constitution permits gay marriage. That ruling came when Governor Romney was governor. Governor Romney was against the Court making new law and has been against gay marriage his entire career.  Governor Romney did not sign this into law; the Court did!   Fact #2: Had Governor Romney not taken action, gay couples living outside Massachusetts could have traveled to Massachusetts to get married and their marriage contract would by law have to be accepted as legally valid in the other states. Governor Romney took action, with huge opposition and political capital, to enact laws to prevent Massachusetts becoming the “Las Vegas” of gay marriage. He succeeded!

Now, read this awesome post by David French, a lawyer and outstanding researcher (co-founder with his wife, Nancy French, of Evangelicals for Mitt) — [David was recently deployed to Iraq, 12 miles from Iran]. This post was written by David almost exactly one year ago. Click here and be sure to click through the links he provides:

TRUTH — David French — January 11, 2007

~ Vic

Governor Romney Needs YOUR Help to Win a National Campaign — PLEASE CONTRIBUTE NOW, HERE

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One Man, One Woman: A citizen’s guide to protecting marriage
Governor Mitt Romney, Wall Street Journal

No matter how you feel about gay marriage, we should be able to agree that the citizens and their elected representatives must not be excluded from a decision as fundamental to society as the definition of marriage. There are lessons from my state’s experience that may help other states preserve the rightful participation of their legislatures and citizens, and avoid the confusion now facing Massachusetts.

In a decision handed down in November, a divided Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts detected a previously unrecognized right in our 200-year-old state constitution that permits same-sex couples to wed. I believe that 4-3 decision was wrongly decided and is deeply mistaken. Contrary to the court’s opinion, marriage is not “an evolving paradigm.” It is deeply rooted in the history, culture and tradition of civil society. It predates our Constitution and our nation by millennia. The institution of marriage was not created by government and it should not be redefined by government…

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As we approach the primary voting season, there are more and more new folks finding their way to our humble blog. The information I found on this blog was extremely helpful to me as I assessed the various candidates in search of “the One.” As such, I thought it would be fitting for me to share why I am a staunch supporter of Governor Mitt Romney in his run for the White House.

In a nutshell, Mitt Romney is the only “full-spectrum” Conservative who can rally the support of all three wings of the Reagan coalition, namely, Social, Economic, and Foreign Policy Conservatives.

For a full treatment of Mitt Romney’s positions, I would refer you to his comprehensive policy book “Vision for a Strong America.” Let me summarize here, however, the highlights across the major issues:

• Foreign Policy
o War against Islamic Fascism: We are engaged in a multi-front war which will require using all of our military, economic, and diplomatic might to win; we must defeat the terrorists and those who aid and abet them as well as help the Muslim people enter the 21st century (click here and here)
o Iraq and Afghanistan: The surge is working and we must do what it takes to help Iraq and Afghanistan become stable democratic allies in the war on Islamic Fascism and support our troops (click here and here)
o Iran: Iran must not be allowed to become a nuclear state; diplomacy and economic sanctions are critical, but may not be enough; the military option must remain on the table (click here)
o Military: Need to increase defense spending to a minimum of 4% of GDP to make sure our armed forces have the equipment they need in the field and the support the need back home; the best ally of peace is a strong America (click here and here)

• Economic Policy
o Taxes: We need to keep the Bush tax cuts permanent, eliminate the Death Tax, and cut taxes on capital gains, dividends, and interest to zero for the Middle Class (click here, and here)
o Spending: We need to restrain Federal spending and close the deficit; will veto any budget where non-defense discretionary spending growth exceeds inflation minus 1%; Need to give the President a line-item veto; Strong track record of financial management from Massachusetts where he closed a $3B deficit and turned it into a $1B surplus without raising taxes; carry out a comprehensive review of government spending to increase efficiency and effectiveness (click here and here)
o Entitlements reform: Maintain benefits for current Seniors, but institute fundamental reforms combining slowing the rate of increase for benefits based on income, extending the retirement age, individual retirement accounts, and no tax increases (click here)
o Healthcare: Mitt Romney is the only candidate on either side of the aisle who implemented a universal health care plan; He covered all of the citizens of Massachusetts using market-based insurance without raising taxes; Governor Romney advocates a Federalist state-by-state approach to make health insurance more affordable for everyone (click here)
o Globalization: Continue to trade around the world but make sure we negotiate level playing fields in foreign markets and upgrade American competitiveness through investments in education and innovation (click here and here)

• Culture and Values
o Illegal immigration: Control the border first and turn of the “magnets” that attract illegal immigrants by implementing an employment verification system, no special path for illegal immigrants to become citizens (i.e. no amnesty), no sanctuary cities, increased enforcement by local police agencies (click here, here, and here)
o Traditional marriage: In favor of amending the constitution to keep marriage defined as between a man and a woman; fought the Massachusetts Supreme Court to prevent the state from becoming a destination for same-sex couples looking for marriage licenses (click here and here and here)
o Life: Much has been made of Governor Romney’s switch from being Pro-Abortion to Pro-Life; This is a critical issue for me; I have heard many times why he made this change, and I believe him; I believe that Mitt Romney will fight for the rights of the unborn and be a great leader in supporting Life (click here, here, and here)

The choice of a nominee and President, however, is not strictly a “right-brained” decision based on policy statements and positions. There needs to be something inspirational about a candidate whether it’s the way that they speak to a crowd, interact one on one, or something about their personal story that sets them apart.

Experiencing Mitt through articles and videos really helped seal the deal for me. Below, I have listed some of what I would consider the best of the best articles and videos that helped me come to the decision to support Mitt actively. I’m sure I’m missing some great material, but there is a lot down below. I would encourage you to click through as much of this as you can, and if you have a favorite that wasn’t listed, please leave a link in the comments!

Key videos, speeches, appearances, and articles:
• Articles
o Romney to the Rescue (Newsmax) – Great overview of Mitt Romney
o National Review’s endorsement of Mitt Romney
o The House that Mitt Built (Private Equity International) – Behind the scenes view of how Mitt ran Bain Capital and his leadership style
o The Making of Mitt Romney (Boston Globe) – Reasonably balanced biography of each of the major phases of Mitt’s life starting from his youth through today
o Consultant in Chief (Wall Street Journal) – Interview of Mitt where he talks about how he would fix the Federal Government
o For Romney & Company, Campaign is all Business (NY Times) – How Mitt runs his campaign and what it would mean for his Presidency
o Evangelicals for Mitt statement of support
o Mark DeMoss on why Evangelicals should support Mitt
o Ann Romney Opens Up (People Magazine) – Great interview with Ann; she would be a fantastic First Lady!

• Speeches
o “Faith in America” – Seminal address on the role of religious faith and liberty in our nation
o Address to the Value Voters Summit – Seminal address on culture and value issues
o Iowa Straw Poll victory speech
o Highlights from the Republican debates (click 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th)
o Speech at CPAC 2007 – One of Mitt’s first major addresses to the leading grassroots gathering of Conservatives; one of his best speeches in my opinion
o Presidential Campaign Announcement – Mitt announcing that he’s running and why he’s running

• Campaign videos
o Biographical overview video of Mitt Romney (click part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, and VII)
o “Path to Victory” webcast – Mitt and Meg Whitman (CEO of eBay) discussing the 2007 campaign and discussing the plan for 2008
o Retrospective of Governor Romney’s campaign in 2007
o Online “Ask Mitt Anything” – For those of us who don’t live in an early primary state, Mitt held an online town hall meeting which provides a really good overview of his key positions
o Christmas 2006 – Behind the scenes look at the Romney family and how they made the decision together that Mitt should run for President; cynics have criticized this video as contrived, but I love the fact that he has held his family together while achieving such exceptional success; you can’t fake this stuff

• Media appearances
o Mitt on Jim Cramer of CNBC’s Mad Money – Great interview by Jim Cramer where he calls Mitt the “Best businessman in America”
o Mitt on ABC News talking about Ann – Great interview of Mitt where he discusses what he loves so much about Ann
o Mitt on Meet the Press – Tim Russert throws everything he’s got plus the kitchen sink at Mitt who proceeds to address each point in a clear, classy, and compelling way

• My favorite TV spots
o “Searched” – Compelling true story of how Mitt Romney shut down Bain Capital and moved all the employees to NYC to search for and find the daughter of one of his partners
o “Choice: Judgment” – Striking contrast ad highlighting Mike Huckabee’s 1,033 pardons and clemencies (more than 2x his three predecessors) vs. zero from Mitt Romney
o “Choice: The Record” – Ad contrasting Mitt’s record on illegal immigration vs. Mike Huckabee’s record of supporting tax payer funded scholarships and in-state tuition for illegal immigrants
o “Not Politically Correct” – Mitt’s record supporting life, English immersion education, and traditional marriage
o “Experience Matters” – Ad highlighting the lack of real world, executive experience on the part of Hillary Clinton (and equally applicable to the other Democrats)
o “Ready for Action” – Summary of Governor Romney’s stump speech in 60 seconds; user-generated ad based on a contest that was run back in September
o “Our Home” – Some precious footage of Mitt playing with his children and grandchildren; focuses on the importance of strengthening our families
o “Leadership” and “Energy” – I just love the images of Mitt jogging through the backwoods and the focus on his track record in business; I think he’s the only politician I’ve seen jogging where it looked like he was actually in shape…not just a photo op
o “Ocean” – Ad lamenting the degradation of our culture and Mitt’s thoughts on how he would like to address it; as a parent this one really resonated with me
o “Tested, Proven” – One of his early ads highlighting his track record in Massachusetts
o “I Like Vetoes” – Ad highlights his track record of vetoing excessive spending; no doubt in my mind that he’ll control spending after seeing this ad and other times when he has addressed this topic

Finally, it is one thing to support Mitt with your vote, but I’d like to ask you to consider supporting Mitt in a more active way. Like many of you, I had always followed politics, but never became active in politics (other than voting) until this year in support of Governor Romney.

This year is different. First, this is arguably the most consequential election in over twenty years. The challenges and issues that will be faced by our next President will have far reaching ramifications for our children and grandchildren.

Additionally, we face a set of candidates on the Republican side who represent vastly different positions and perspectives, some of whom threaten to tear asunder the Reagan coalition that has served us so well. Whether it is the socially liberal and sanctuary city defending Rudy Giuliani, the divisive, theocratic, soft on crime and illegal immigration, and fiscally populist Mike Huckabee, or the McCain Feingold, “Gang of 14”, and pro-Amnesty John McCain, there are clear differences in the way that each of these individuals would take the Republican Party.

If you’ve found this persuasive, please do whatever you can to support Mitt Romney’s candidacy. If you’re from Iowa, please caucus for Mitt (get more information here). Winning Iowa is job one between now and January 3.

If you are not from Iowa, please stay informed by checking in here at Elect Romney in 2008 every day. Make a donation to help Mitt win the media air war. Put on a bumper sticker or put up a yard sign (get them here). And most importantly, talk with your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors about why you’re supporting Mitt Romney! Personal testimonials from trusted individuals are by far the most effective ways to gain more supporters for Mitt!

If you still have questions or remain unconvinced, leave a comment and we’ll do our best to answer your question. Or better yet, if you are also a Mitt supporter, leave a comment telling us why! Thank you for reading!

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Some people ask us why we spend time talking about the competitors on this blog. That what they come to this site for is information about Mitt, not negatives on the competitors.

I can understand that sentiment, but I’m going to do another Giuliani post anyway. I believe that an important role of this blog is not only to give information about Mitt, but also to arm Mitt supporters with the information they need to refute the charges coming from the other camps.

Hopefully all of us are talking with our family, friends, and co-workers about why we like Mitt. An important part of being credible in that conversation is being knowledgeable on the other candidates, and convincing about why we don’t support them.

So, click through here to go to the Romney campaign’s latest press release describing how Rudy and Hillary share Liberal values and a “New York State of Mind” in common. (full text after the jump).

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The following paragraphs are from an email to me by Gwen Dyrud, who I met this past summer at The St. Louis Straw Poll.

Gwen is Secretary for the California Republican Assembly and I excerpted several points she made that I hope will be of interest to our readers.

It also occurs to me that the news of the California convention endorsing MR was not taken up with any great enthusiasm by our friends in the MSM.

“After the dinner I was talking with Sen. Talent and asked why he hadn’t responded to the whole raft of accusations Chuck Devore brought up. He said that was a deliberate decision. Devore looked worse for not having someone fight him back. It appeared that Talent knew what his candidate wanted and Devore was acting without counsel. Then we asked whether the evangelicals would back an LDS candidate. Sen. Talent rested his finger tips on my arm and looked straight at me while he related Gary Bauer’s statement: The Mormons have stood with our candidates we we’ve asked them to, we need to stand with their candidate. That truly surprised me because I had read that Gary Bauer was urging the Arlington Group to endorse Thompson, but they balked because of Fred’s stand for McCain-Feingold and against the federal marriage amendment act.

Absentee ballots for states with early presidential primaries will be mailed in just a few days. CA will vote on Feb 5. That puts an urgency to our prayers, research and decision making. My thanks to each of you who have joined in the discussion and replied with your thoughts and challenges. Last week saw Sen Brownback endorse McCain, McClintock endorse Thompson, Paul Weyrich endorse Romney and Pat Robertson endorse Giuliani. Team Huckabee thought they had James Dobson’s endorsement but that was soundly denied. It appears conservatives across the nation are still struggling with this decision.

Calif. conservatives just took two big steps forward in the coalescing and leadership process this past weekend when California Republican Assembly and Young Republican Federation of California delegates both endorsed Gov. Romney as their presidential choice. Reaching the 2/3rds threshold required by CRA is no small achievement. Team Romney put in many weeks of preparation to make it happen and that superior organizational strength is what is placing Romney ahead in almost all of the first six state primaries back east.”

National polling First ballot (the best I could do)

Romney – 139
Thompson - 30
Ron Paul - 21
Hunter - 20
Keyes - 9
Giuliani – 6 McCain-0
Huckabee- 4 Tancredo-1

~~John Cronin~~

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SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

The Right Romney Record

BOSTON – Last week, local radio talk show host Gregg Jackson penned an op-ed on the “real Mitt Romney.” Unfortunately, it failed to note the many conservative accomplishments Mitt Romney had as Governor of Massachusetts. Here is Governor Romney’s real record of leadership in Massachusetts:

THE RECORD #1: Gov. Romney Provided Strong, Pro-Life Leadership In Massachusetts And Massachusetts Pro-Life Organizations Agree.

• Gov. Romney Vetoed Legislation That Would Have Provided For The “Morning After Pill” Without A Prescription. (Gov. Mitt Romney, The Boston Globe, 7/26/05)
• Gov. Romney Promoted Abstinence Education In The Classroom. (Office Of Gov. Mitt Romney, “Romney Announces Award Of Abstinence Education Contract,” Press Release, 4/20/06)
• Gov. Romney Vetoed Legislation That Would Have Changed The Longstanding Definition Of The Beginning Of Human Life From Fertilization To Implantation. (Gov. Mitt Romney, Letter To The Massachusetts State Senate And House Of Representatives, 5/12/05)
• Gov. Romney Supports Parental Notification Laws And Opposed Efforts To Weaken Parental Involvement. (John McElhenny, The Associated Press, 10/29/02)
• Gov. Romney Supports Adult Stem Cell Research But Has Opposed Efforts To Advance Embryo-Destructive Research In Massachusetts. (Theo Emery, The Associated Press, 5/27/05)
• Massachusetts Citizens For Life Executive Director Marie Sturgis: “Having Governor Romney in the corner office for the last four years has been one of the strongest assets the pro-life movement has had in Massachusetts.” (Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review, 1/10/07)

THE RECORD #2: Gov. Romney Championed Traditional Marriage In Massachusetts.

• Gov. Romney Called For A Massachusetts Constitutional Amendment Defining Marriage As Between A Man And A Woman. “I disagree with the Supreme Judicial Court. Marriage is an institution between a man and a woman. I will support an amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution to make that expressly clear.” (Office Of Gov. Mitt Romney, “Statement By Governor Mitt Romney On SJC Decision On Same Sex Marriage,” Press Release, 11/18/03)
• When The Legislature Would Not Vote On The Amendment, Gov. Romney Filed Suit To Force A Vote. “Governor Mitt Romney and a group of Massachusetts residents asked the state’s highest court yesterday to override the Legislature and let voters decide whether to ban same-sex marriage, accusing legislative leaders of violating the state constitution by refusing to act on the proposal.” (Jonathan Saltzman, The Boston Globe, 11/25/06)
• Gov. Romney Enforced A 1913 Law Preventing Out-Of-State Same-Sex Couples From Marrying In Massachusetts. “Same-sex couples who live outside Massachusetts will not be able to marry in Massachusetts when gay marriage becomes legal here next month, Gov. Mitt Romney said.” (Pam Belluck, The New York Times, 4/25/04)
• Massachusetts Family Institute Kris Mineau: “He’s been rock solid on the issue of marriage.” (Steve LeBlanc, The Associated Press, 1/12/07)

THE RECORD #3: Gov. Romney Put Conservative Principles To Work In Health Care.

• The Club For Growth: “Governor Romney Deserves Credit For Proposing A Plan That Encourages Individually-Owned Health Insurance…” “Given these limitations, Governor Romney deserves credit for proposing (and to a lesser extent, enacting) a plan that encourages individually-owned health insurance and circumvents some of the inequities carved into the federal tax code.” (The Club For Growth, 8/21/07)
• Health Care Reform “Has Cut The Number Of Uninsured In The State By Nearly A Third.” (Steve LeBlanc, The Associated Press, 4/11/07)
• The New York Times: “Observers of the state’s progress since the health care law was passed in April 2006 say they are impressed that the varied constituencies – including health insurers, businesses, advocates, medical providers and taxpayers – largely continue to support the law and have worked to resolve differences.” (Pam Belluck, The New York Times, 7/1/07)
• Uninsured Massachusetts Residents Can Obtain Health Care Insurance For As Little As $175 A Month. Steve LeBlanc, The Associated Press, 3/3/07)

THE RECORD #4: Gov. Romney Appoint Judges Who Would Be Tough On Crime And Would Not Legislate From The Bench.

• For The State’s Highest Courts, Governor Romney Said He Would Appoint Judges With “Strict Construction, Judicial Philosophy.” (Raphael Lewis, The Boston Globe, 7/25/05)
• For The State’s Lowest Courts, Governor Romney Focused On Legal Experience And Whether The Nominee Would Be Tough On Crime. “He said he has focused on two factors: their legal experience and whether the nominees would be tough on crime. He said most of the nominees have prosecutorial experience. ‘People on both sides of the aisle want to put the bad guys away,’ Romney said.” (Raphael Lewis, The Boston Globe, 7/25/05)
• The Boston Globe: “Some of Romney’s nominees do have stellar Republican or conservative bona fides. For example, Romney’s pick for Peabody clerk magistrate, Kevin L. Finnegan, is a former two-term Republican state representative. Another choice was Bruce R. Henry, the son-in-law of former SJC Justice Joseph Nolan whom Romney wanted to represent his administration in seeking a stay of the court’s gay marriage ruling.” (Raphael Lewis, The Boston Globe, 7/25/05)

THE RECORD #5: Gov. Romney Took Action When Problems Were Found With The Big Dig. He Removed The Head Of The Turnpike Authority And His Quick Response Was Widely Praised.

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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

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Visit CBS News to watch the entire video.

He goes further in depth about his faith than he has before…

I’m happy about it, I have felt that it’s been a shame that he’s had to be so careful (understandably so) about talking about his faith. Every other candidate (like Mike’s post from earlier from the Boston Globe piece) can talk openly and freely about their faith. They can meet with religious leaders of their faith whenever they want (press in hand even). But, Governor Romney has to fight against such utter bigotry on this issue that he is shackled. I’m sure that privately he speaks to leaders of the church, etc., but it’s just not the same as the other candidates can do.

I am hoping that it becomes less and less of an issue, but at least for now that looks almost impossible. So, he has to take what he can get and hope that it turns out for the positive. It’s so nice to see some evangelicals coming out and endorsing him for President. It was absolutely awesome to see him win the FRC straw poll vote, it’s just so unfortunate that the faith issue has to dog him so badly all the time. But, because Governor Romney is who he is, and he’s faced this sort of rejection his entire life if anyone can overcome it he can.

Here’s Bob Schieffer’s written commentary after the interview:

(CBS) Weekly commentary by CBS Evening News chief Washington correspondent and Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer.
When former Senator Bill Bradley of New Jersey sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2000, he said he believed in God and would say no more about it than that. He said the rest was his business.

That’s a good answer as far as I am concerned. That’s why - when I interviewed former Governor Romney - I asked how much of his faith he felt obligated to share with voters.

I brought it up because polls show many Americans say they just won’t vote for a Mormon. For a Mormon politician, that’s not a religious problem, it’s a political problem.

So when Romney said he was happy to be asked, I asked.

I found his answers interesting. He outlined how he saw the relationship of his religion to the duties of the presidency in much the way that John Kennedy explained his faith in that 1960 speech after people questioned his Catholicism.

Romney didn’t go as far as Kennedy but I came away feeling I knew more about who he was and that helps to make a political, not a religious judgment.

Had he said his religion was none of my business, I would have taken that as a legitimate answer. In America, what we choose to tell others about our faith is nobody’s business but our own.

Kennedy said he hoped no one would vote for or against him because he was Catholic. Romney said the same.

I think they got that part exactly right.

CBS News Face the Nation Transcript

Update:
YouTube now has Bob Schieffer’s Commentary…

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Boston, MA – Tonight, Governor Mitt Romney delivered remarks at the Family Research Council’s “Washington Briefing: Values Voter Summit.” In his address, Governor Romney proposed a 12-point conservative plan to strengthen families in America. Below is the full text of Governor Romney’s remarks as prepared for delivery. More »

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Kathleen Parker wrote CHRISTIANS FOR SELF-DEFEAT for Townhall.com. Here are excerpts from the article:

Evangelical Christians never had it so good, but they seem not to know it. Instead of supporting the candidate who most shares their values — Mitt Romney — they seem hell-bent for the proverbial cliff.

Perfection is a tough standard and hardly anyone is just right. John McCain has a perfect pro-life record, but he supports federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. He also doesn’t support the Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA), which conservatives believe is necessary to protect marriage as between a man and a woman.

Under the radar, some conservative leaders say that McCain has contempt for pro-lifers, which perhaps explains his inability to successfully woo social conservatives.

Fred Thompson, upon whom many had pinned their hopes, has turned out to be a disappointment, not to mention a cure for insomnia. In Iowa recently, Thompson had to prompt his audience — their faces masks of ennui — to applaud. Freight trains have sparked more animation.

Thompson also doesn’t support the FMA, which this week prompted one of his key campaign consultants, Bill Wichterman, to walk out. Wichterman, who previously served as conservative outreach director for former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., had been considered an important “get” for Thompson.

And then there’s Mike Huckabee. If Dobson really meant what he said in his op-ed — that winnability shouldn’t be the deciding factor in supporting a candidate — then Huckabee should be receiving bouquets of Ben Franklins with his morning beignets. A southern Baptist preacher, the former Arkansas governor is a human checklist of conservative values, as well as being personable, likable and funny.

What Huckabee doesn’t have is the golden coffer, which means that electability is, in fact, a Christian concern.

That leaves just one person — Romney — as the obvious pick for the values party. If anything, the golly-gee guy is too perfect. Nary a follicle out of place, he’s never enjoyed a caffeine buzz nor awakened to the rare tortures of having been overserved.

His resume otherwise has perfect creases. As governor of Massachusetts, he fought same-sex unions and embryonic cloning. He’s pro-life, even if he was previously pro-choice. As a businessman, he made a personal fortune and bailed out the Olympics. He’s even got a beautiful, first-ladylike wife, who thus far has not demanded cell-phone reassurances of unfaltering love during her husband’s stump speeches.

Ultimately, Christian leaders (some of whom make off-the-record, supportive calls to Romney, I’m told) most likely will back the Mormon. But their actions meantime have hurt Romney as he tries to close the deal nationally.

If they were smarter, they’d embrace Romney as the one who can beat Hillary because he, more than anyone else, unites all wings of the party — economic, security and social.

If.

~ Vic

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This article clearly shows how Evangelical Christians are distancing themselves from Giuliani and Thompson as they continue to warm to Romney. It is amazing to me that any American leader in today’s world, that has the strong, proven values of Governor Romney, would have to work so hard to wooo the Christian Right.

Dobson’s statement is viewed as significant in the Romney campaign because Dobson has ruled out supporting GOP candidates John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, and Fred Thompson, but has left open the possibility of supporting Romney.

“Dr. Dobson is keeping an open mind on Mitt Romney, and I think that is because they do share in common so many values,” Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said yesterday.

The leaders of major evangelical groups have been respectful but noncommittal. Increasingly, however, Romney has benefited from the battering that his main opponents have taken from evangelicals.

For much of the summer, some Christian conservatives expressed hope that Thompson would emerge as their candidate, but Dobson recently issued a scathing denunciation of the Tennessean for both his failure to support a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage and his ineffectiveness on the stump.

Romney, meanwhile, has increased his efforts to convince evangelicals that he should be their candidate. Last Friday, Romney met privately in Salt Lake City with approximately 200 members of a powerful group called the Council on National Policy, to which Dobson belongs. Aides said Romney assured the group that his conversion to being an abortion opponent is complete and that he supports a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. He also fielded questions about Mormonism.

A day after Romney met with the council, a subgroup of 50 Christian conservatives headed by Dobson issued a statement saying they would back a minor-party candidate if Republicans nominated someone with whom they disagreed on issues such as abortion. The statement was widely viewed as an assault on Giuliani, the leader in many national polls, who favors abortion rights.

A revolt by social conservatives would be a devastating blow to the current field of Republican candidates, because it could dampen the turnout in the primaries and possibly siphon off Republican votes to provide the margin of victory to Democrats in the general election.

The Romney campaign insists he is the one major GOP candidate who can keep evangelicals in the GOP fold, despite the doctrinal differences between conservative Protestants and Mormons.

In addition to attacking Thompson’s desire to leave gay marriage to the states, Dobson has questioned whether the former Tennessee senator is a committed Christian.

Thompson responded on Fox News on Wednesday, saying of Dobson: “I don’t particularly care to have a conversation with him. . . . I’m not going to dance to anybody’s tune.”

Dobson also has said he has “moral concerns” about Giuliani, who favors abortion rights and has been married three times.

The entire article is worth reading. There are references to recent comments by the influential Richard Land this week in the article.

~ Vic

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The Brody File

David Brody

CBN News Senior National Correspondent

Read David’s Bio

New Fred Thompson Video on Gay Marriage: “So Be It”

October 4, 2007

The Brody File is working around the clock and this time has found video of Fred Thompson talking this week to the Des Moines Register editorial board. He’s explaining his view of a federal marriage amendment. This video has not been out there before. It is now, courtesy of The Brody File. Watch it here.

Part of the transcription reads:

“A judge couldn’t impose this (gay marriage) state or federal unless they had the acquiescence or unless the state legislature moved on its own to put it into law. If a state chose to recognize it (gay marriage) and the Governor signed off and signed it into legislation so be it.”

His position here is not new. But the words “so be it” may be just a tad bit flip for social conservatives. The marriage issue could very well be a problem for Fred Thompson with many Evangelical voters. I know that his view is not well received with certain Evangelical groups. Comments like “so be it” don’t help.

You see, let me try and explain what’s going on here. The millions of religious conservatives who are adamantly for a strict federal marriage amendment believe that marriage IS a one size fits all approach. Thompson is trying the federalism track here but here’s where he gets into trouble. Let’s take slavery for example. Hypothetically, if a state legislature approves slavery and a Governor signs it into law, then “so be it”? Of course not. Well, I would suggest that the majority of religious conservatives believe that protecting the institution of marriage is one of those issues that trump the federalist argument. Many would argue that traditional marriage, just like abolishing slavery should be a one size fits all approach.

Link to David Brody’s Site

~ Vic

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