comMITTed to Romney!

POLITICO
By: Kenneth P. Vogel

Closing a loop on the campaign finance side of the Sarah Palin clothes saga, the Republican National Committee late last month filed an amended report detailing exactly which disbursements were clothing purchases for the Republican vice presidential candidate and her family.

The amended report shows that the committee paid about $23,000 for clothing in the three weeks before and after Election Day — which is actually $7,000 less than previously reported.

That new report brings the total Palin clothing costs paid by the RNC down to about $173,000 and also makes it easier to spot clothing purchases that had previously gone undetected.

For instance, a $192 payment to the Philadelphia Flyers pro shop previously described as “campaign accessories” was recategorized as “candidate clothing,” possibly for either the Flyers hockey jersey Palin reportedly received with her name and the No. 1 on the back before dropping a ceremonial puck or the one that her younger daughter, Piper, wore at the game.

Similarly, a $289 payment to high-end shoemaker Stuart Weitzman, which had been described as “retail” and “accessories,” became “candidate clothing.”

The report also details a number of clothing payments to retailers not known for their sartorial selection, including $49 to a UPS Store near running mate John McCain’s Arizona ranch; $144 to CVS stores in Ohio, Florida and Wisconsin; and $426 to various Walgreens stores.

The RNC did not respond to requests for comment about the amended report or the fate of the clothes, which were to have been donated to charity.

The amended report came at the behest of the Federal Election Commission, which last month ordered the committee to “include a brief statement or description of why the [accessory] expenditures were made” on behalf of the McCain-Palin campaign.

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Hat Tip to Ron for providing the link to this very interesting “heads up” on Gov. Romney’s possible gearing up for another run. Woo Hoo!!

~~John Cronin~~

http://wbz.com/pages/3453074.php?contentType=4&contentId=3175514

BOSTON (AP) — Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is spending most of the money raised by his political action committee on hiring consultants and staff members, possibly paving the way for another run at the presidency.

The Boston Globe reports Monday that of the $2.1 million raised by Romney’s Free and Strong America political action committee, only 12 percent been spent supporting other Republicans.

Romney spent $244,000 to support GOP candidates between April and the November elections. He has spent more than twice that on staff salaries and contracts to hire professional fundraisers.

Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom says the primary purpose of the PAC is to enable Romney to travel around the country to make personal appearances in support of Republican candidates.

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The title of this post comes from a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, but could have come from anyone of tens of thousands of Party activists across the country. There have been some press reports of friction between loyalists within the Romney camp and the McCain/Palin camp, but whether or not those reports are even true, it bears repeating what I believe is an undeniable truth: Gov. Romney has been selfless and untiring in his support for the Republican ticket in this election and deserves our gratitude and admiration.

Is part of this dedication due to the Governor’s ambition to run for the nomination again in 2012? I sure hope so!! As I look around at the party’s potential leaders in the next election cycle, I see some very promising individuals for the future. By “the future” I mean within the next decade, not the next election cycle. Gov. Romney remains head and shoulders above the rest of the party. In terms of financial and business acumen, conservative philosophy, defense and military strategy, pro life credentials and his communication skills. Everybody else remain a distant second, at best. And some of the so called “contenders” for the nomination next go around are, IMHO, not even Republicans in the way the word has traditionally been defined.

Gov. Romney’s appearances for the McCain/Palin ticket and for Congressional candidates and incumbents have been so numerous that I don’t post many of them due to time constraints. He has personally donated $70,000 according to reports and has raised over $20,000,000 for the ticket.

During this time of service to his party, what have been the contributions of some of his rivals for the nomination? With the exception of Rudy Guiliani, most of them have been AWOL.

As we go into the final days of this election, I know that I am far from alone in looking forward, with great enthusiasm, to a major leadership role for Gov. Romney within the republican Party and hopefully a successful run for the nomination in 2012.

~~John Cronin~~

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Interesting article over at POLITICO.COM, putting some historical perspective on Sarah Palin’s future within the GOP. As in most areas of life, it is sometimes better to wait for just the right moment, than to jump into the deep water before you are ready.

~~John Cronin~~

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14881.html

Many of my down-in-the-mouth Republican friends, contemplating the ongoing implosion of John McCain’s campaign, are consoling themselves with the idea that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin represents the future of the party. She’s the new rock star in the firmament of the Grand Old Party, they’re convinced — and she certainly will be the presumed favorite for the Republican nomination in 2012.

All I can tell them is, don’t bet the bank on it. (OK, maybe under our economic circumstances that’s not quite the right choice of terminology, but you know what I mean.) During my lifetime (I was born in 1951), only one nonincumbent vice presidential nominee on a losing ticket — Bob Dole, who ran with President Gerald Ford in 1976 — has ever come back to win their party’s nomination, and none has ever been elected president.

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It remains an open question whether McCain’s pick of Gov. Palin is a net benefit for his campaign. But of one thing there is no doubt. She is certainly turning into a cultural icon, inspiring changes in women’s fashions and skits on SNL.

On this site’s chatbox, we have been having fun with a couple of phrases from Thursday’s VP debate: “Doggone it, there you go again” and “You betcha.”

But however much fun Gov. Palin has inspired, there are also some hard political facts we must consider. Namely, McCain is behind in the polls with a month left in the campaign and he has recently pulled the plug on his Michigan campaign. Michigan, with 17 electoral votes and a state that Gov. Romney could have delivered to McCain on a silver platter.

We are getting word from several sources that the move is controversial within the Republican Party. It strikes me as politically tin-eared to make a move that high profile operatives within your own party second guess you on. This stuff all goes back to one of the many reasons Sen. McCain was not my first pick. He just seems to be out of touch with his own party. He is certainly out of touch with the conservative base. His only conservative policies have Mitt Romney’s fingerprints all over them!

For the sake of the country, I hope he gets it right by Nov. 4. Otherwise, Obama gets a chance to complete Jimmy Carter’s second term in office.

~~John Cronin~~

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The road to victory for John McCain has gotten tougher in the past week: He has given up on Michigan, struggled to deal with a financial crisis many voters blame on Republicans and faced skepticism about his vice-presidential pick.

All of that raises pressure on Sen. McCain’s field generals in the battleground states where he is still competing — people like Gentry Collins. The Iowan’s success or failure, and that of his boss, hinges on the rapid-fire decisions Mr. Collins needs to make every day, from appeasing local political leaders to keeping tally sheets on daily phone calls.

Mr. Collins’s territory is rocky terrain. As one of Sen. McCain’s 11 regional campaign managers, he is responsible for Iowa, where Sen. Barack Obama holds a solid lead, and Missouri, a state Sen. McCain has to win but where polls show a close race. At least one of the presidential candidates, and usually both, are in Mr. Collins’s states every week. Voters see those events, though they don’t see the last-minute scrambles by his staff that makes them possible.

Behind the scenes, Mr. Collins’s task is complex. In Iowa, he must contend with a fractured party where most active Republicans wanted someone else for president. In Missouri, a classic swing state that has gone with the winner in 24 of the last 25 elections, Mr. Collins is outgunned by a better-funded Obama campaign that has been on the ground longer.

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http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/palin-biden-walk-fine-lines/story.aspx?guid={004E449C-93E5-4648-98F2-B0575C85EAB9}

Republican seeks to arrest criticism, Democrat can’t look condescending

By Russ Britt, MarketWatch

LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) - When Joe Biden and Sarah Palin take the stage in St. Louis tonight, look for the two vice-presidential hopefuls to walk their own tightropes when moderator Gwen Ifill grills them.

What’s clear is that while Republican Palin will seek to bounce back from some recent public gaffes, Democrat Biden is expected to dance around the PR landmines that could make him appear too condescending if he pounces too hard on his opponent. The question is how high above the fray will each candidate be stepping.

Palin, the Alaska governor, will need to further cause of Sen. John McCain while Biden, a U.S. senator from Delaware, tried to boost the fortunes of Sen. Barack Obama when the vice-presidential candidates meet at Washington University in St. Louis.

Experts from throughout the political spectrum agree that Palin’s recent missteps in interviews and elsewhere on the campaign trail all have helped to set the bar low for her. And they all agree that if Biden is the only one truly on the high wire, then he shouldn’t look down.

“I think he’s doing better in this situation if he attacks John McCain vigorously,” said Richard Edwards, author of “Competitive Debate: The Official Guide” and communications professor at Baylor University. “I think she has a great chance, personally, to do well because the expectations are so low.”

Most eyes, though, will be focused on Palin, who commanded the spotlight for some time after McCain named her as his running mate Aug. 29. Since then she committed a series of gaffes during infrequent interviews and on the campaign trail.

A recent poll from Quinnipiac University said McCain has slipped in the critical states of Pennsylvania, Florida and Ohio, mostly due to the deteriorating economy but somewhat because of Palin’s falling star. Highly favored in all three states just 20 days ago, the poll showed Palin got unfavorable ratings in two states and broke even in a third, Ohio.

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When Sarah Palin walks onto the stage at the Republican National Convention tonight, we conservatives and the rest of the country will get a very good read on whether her selection as McCain’s VP was a stroke of genius or a grasping at straws.

Obama doesn’t seem poised to run the table at this point. So any significant bounce the ticket gets is potentially a game changer.

I can’t wait to see the crowd’s reaction to Gov. Palin. If she gets a thunderous reception and her address is well received, with numerous applause lines, it looks very good ( barring any major gaffes from either McCain or Palin ) for a Republican win in the general election.

I am also predicting a crowd explosion when Mitt walks on stage. Megan Kelly of FOX NEWS said earlier today that when Mitt walked onto the convention floor, the crowd roared it’s approval. Get the kids, brew a fresh pot of coffee and get your favorite snacks and get ready to witness history.

~~John Cronin~~

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The last time I was this tired was at the end of the Iowa Caucuses. The McCain Campaign was hoping for a crowd in the 8,000 to 10,000 range for today’s Rally. They got 23,000. Mitt Romney can sure goose the gate with an appearance, can’t he?

OK, OK maybe McCain and Palin had something to do with it as well. It was a blast! More tomorrow after 8 hours of sleep.

~~John Cronin~~

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Great article from the WASHINGTON POST as Gov. Romney slices and dices the Dems in Denver. This is Romney at his best as he takes off the velvet gloves and puts the brass knuckles on.

If Romney is the VP pick, we win this election. McCain & Co. have been much, much better counter punchers than I would have given them credit for even a couple of months ago. Add Mitt to the ticket and he brings that extra energy that Obama/Biden will not be able to overcome.

~~John Cronin~~

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/26/AR2008082603046.html

By Shailagh Murray
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 27, 2008; Page A23

DENVER, Aug. 26 – Blocks away from the Democratic convention site Tuesday, Republicans waged an aggressive “Not Ready ‘08″ counteroffensive led by Mitt Romney, a potential running mate for Sen. John McCain who was trying out the attack-dog role.

Romney held back-to-back events that drew overflow crowds of reporters, and he unleashed a stream of sharp critiques about the Democratic team. Gone were all signs of his strained relationship with McCain during their GOP primary battle. “Every effort to try and portray John McCain as someone that doesn’t connect with the American people will fall extraordinarily short — just as short as the effort to say he’s the continuation of George W. Bush,” Romney said. “The American people recognize that’s total baloney.”

He issued a challenge on national security, saying that Obama has ignored “what Republicans consider to be the greatest threat of the civilized world,” which he described as “radical, violent, Islamic jihadism.”

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I remember very well the keynote speeches delivered at both Conventions in 2004. I remember being impressed with the rhetorical skills of Barack Obama. I said to a friend at the time. We’ll being hearing from him again.

I also was very impressed with the Republican speakers as well. Although I don’t like his positions, I remember Arnold Schwarzenegger was very effective in telling us why he loved this country and how grateful he was to live here.

There can be no doubt that a powerful speech at one of the major party conventions can be a career maker for a politician with national ambitions. Here’s wishing Gov. Romney the very best when he gets his chance to speak to the delegates and to the nation. Judging from his acclaimed performances at back to back CPAC conventions, I fully expect that Mitt will hit it out of the park!

~~John Cronin~~

http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080825/NEWS/808250306

Two Massachusetts politicians — Gov. Deval Patrick and former Gov. Mitt Romney — are being counted on to create a buzz at national political conventions in the next two weeks.

Patrick, not quite halfway through his four-year term as Massachusetts governor, is scheduled to address the Democratic National Convention in Denver tomorrow night. A sizzling speech could elevate his national profile.

Romney, who served one term as Massachusetts governor, is on the list of those being considered for John McCain’s running mate. Romney is scheduled to speak Wednesday, Sept. 3, the second-to-last night of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn.

For Romney, who could join a McCain administration or return as a presidential candidate in 2012, the stakes couldn’t be higher. But Patrick, too, could make a splash. He insists he plans on running for re-election for governor in 2010, but a well received speech could intensify speculation he would eventually leave to join a Barack Obama administration.

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I just got an email from someone I trust and who has been a Mitt Romney supporter from the jump. This source says that an insider on the McCain team says that Mark Halperin’s leak a couple of days ago was a “trial balloon” to gauge the level of support for Mitt Romney because McCain is “zeroing in on Romney” as his VP pick.

I know we are all getting punchy from the ups and downs of this Veep selection process, but if this information is true, now is the time to pour it on. Swamp every VP poll that you can, email the RNC and the McCain Campaign en masse and let them know that you want Mitt Romney as McCain’s running mate.

Let them know that you will be at your local campaign office the day after Mitt is announced as McCain’s running mate to volunteer to help the Party keep the White House in conservative hands.

~~John Cronin~~

[ Editor's Note: Here is the link to Steve Andrew's post with the links to the VP polls:
http://committedtoromney.com/2008/08/02/you-know-you-wannavote-for-romney/ ]

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I wanted to take some time to encourage everyone of the readers of CommittedToRomney to volunteer their time to their local Republican organizations for the work that needs to be done to insure that we keep the White House in conservative hands.

All of us at this site are confirmed political junkies. That is a confirmed fact. We are all knowledgeable and we understand the political process, much more than the average voter. That is a confirmed fact.

All of us together are a potential gold mine for our local Republican organizations. Much has been said about experience in this campaign. Candidates claim that they are ready to lead “from Day One.” I think that the readers of this blog are ready help the Republican ticket “from Day One.”

I know of several readers who are already involved. Kudos to Renna and to her husband for their support of Congressional candidates. Kudos to 2thepoint for his support as well. I remember Paulee writing that she and her husband Mike volunteered to help their local Republican organization. If I am leaving anyone out, I apologize in advance.

I am sure that you agree that this is an historic election. I believe that the country is at an inflection point. If we make the wrong choice in this election, I believe the financial consequences will be very serious and that a lot of innocent people will pay a steep price for that wrong choice.

Two and perhaps three Supreme Court Justices may need to be replaced over the course of the next four years and I don’t need to tell anyone on this site how very different the nominees of the two Presidential candidates will be.

Please don’t wait for someone else to volunteer. Trust me, these offices are almost always under-staffed and they are so grateful to see your smiling face walk through the door. Don’t assume that they have got it covered, they don’t. Remember that old saying: “If it is to be, it is up to me.”

Give your local office a call first thing Monday morning. Tell them you are willing to help with anything. And then click on to CTR at the end of the day and let us know about your work and your experiences at the local campaign office. I promise to do the same thing.

~~John Cronin~~

“Do not let us speak of darker days: Let us speak rather of sterner days. These are not dark days: these are great days—the greatest days our country has ever lived: and we must all thank God that we have been allowed, each of us according to our stations, to play a part in making these days memorable in the history of our race.”

Winston Churchill, Address at Harrow School, October 29, 1941

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An estimated 300 stalwart Republicans showed up to wait in line for two hours in the St. Louis summer heat to get 250 tickets to the VIP section at T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O’Fallon, Mo. in order to be part of the McCain rally featuring Mitt Romney.

I told Kathy that we better get there early, just in case there was a big turnout and I could see by the look in her eyes that she thought I was being a little over dramatic. So I said to her, look, if I’m wrong and we arrive at McCain’s H.Q. too early, we can go to McDonald’s for a late breakfast and schmooze over a second cup of coffee. Then go back to the office and get in line. Not too bad for a next to worse case scenario, with the worst case being we didn’t get there early enough and the VIP seating had been snapped up.

The best case scenario was that the event had ‘ginned up a big response among the Party faithful and that we would need to be there early.

We arrived at a little after 10 AM and the front parking lot had a couple of cars parked there, but I noticed a small paper sign taped to the front door that said: “McCain tickets in back of building by loading dock.” So I thought, we’re here, I might as well drive around to the back of the building so that we will know where to go when we get back. As I pulled around the corner of the building, I saw that the line was already starting to form. There were only about 10 people ahead of us, but within the next 15 minutes the line started snaking back toward the back of the parking lot. We were all standing in the sun, but some people had brought lawn chairs and umbrella’s. I looked to my left and saw that there was a shaded area about 15 feet wide going down the length of the building, so I walked out to the middle of the lot and said: “Everybody, lets reform the line over against the side of the building so that we can all keep our places in line and get out of the sun.” They all felt that was a good idea and started moving into the shaded area. I thought I would try a little humor so I said: “This is why we are going to win this election. If this was a crowd of Democrats, they’d sit out here until they passed out from heat exhaustion.” We had a good laugh at the Dems expense and I have to say, even with the heat, it was a good time. They were a very knowledgeable crowd, they “got it” and they were fun to talk to. Not surprisingly, a very pro Romney crowd. I recognized several Romney volunteers from the primary campaign and one man that I used to work with on the pro life committee.

Former Sen. Jim Talent was there and spoke for about ten minutes, expressing his opinion that America finds itself in very challenging times, especially with what is going on in Iran and Russia.

We signed up to work for the campaign to do door to door canvassing and phone bank calls, so our lives have ratcheted up another couple of notches, but that’s OK, because this is what political junkies do. Or as my son might say, “This is how we roll!”

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I was driving from my home in Kirkwood, Mo. to Clayton, Mo. to get my new auto license plates this morning and I was listening to the conservative ( what else? ) talk radio station in St. Louis, 97.1 FM, when I heard the co-host, Jamie Allman, say that he had just gotten information that McCain, Romney and Huckabee had announced that they will host a campaign rally at a minor league ball park in the St. Louis suburb of O’Fallon, Mo. on Sunday Aug. 31!!!

Jamie said that the info was so new that they didn’t have it up on their website at the time I was listening to the show. When I got home around 5:30 PM, I logged on and went to my emails first and then to this site to see what had been posted. I didn’t see any posts or emails on the event, so I thought to myself, did I get the info right? When I clicked on the station’s website, all the information I heard this morning was there. The site had this to say: “Join 97.1 FM Talk at the Road to the Convention Rally with John and Cindy McCain with his newly announced VP running mate on August 31, 2008 at T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O’Fallon, Mo.” Special guest appearances by Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and country singer John Rich.

I don’t want to be a sensationalist or to spread false hype. At this point, this is all I know. We are heading up to McCain’s St. Louis H.Q. early Saturday morning to get tickets. I’ll post again tomorrow as soon as we get back. In the meantime, if any eagle-eyed Mittheads scope out any more skinny, please weigh in at the comments section.

~~John Cronin~~

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12711.html

And that interpretation was reinforced when word spread among Romney loyalists last night that the vice presidential rollout tour included Michigan.

But Michigan is a battleground, and the tour also includes a stop in the swing state of Ohio a week from today.

Making matters more confusing, Politico has learned that McCain will visit suburban St. Louis for a major rally with Romney and his still-bitter primary nemesis Mike Huckabee on Sunday, Aug. 31, the day before the start of the GOP convention.

Top Missouri Republicans yesterday received the invitation for a rally featuring McCain and his two top primary challengers. They’ll be joined by country star John Rich at a minor league baseball stadium in O’Fallon, Mo., about 35 miles west of St. Louis.

Missouri was hard-fought territory on Super Tuesday, with each of the three Republicans faring well. So the event would seem to represent a pre-convention unity rally in a swing state where each has a strong following. But Huckabee and Romney can hardly stand one another, and Huckabee has warned twice this month against selecting his once and perhaps future rival.

It would take a considerable act of pride-swallowing for Huckabee to stand before thousands of fans and watch as McCain touts Romney as his running mate.

But then it would take the same amount of magnamity for Romney to join such a rally the day before the convention if McCain were to tap somebody else as his veep choice and then laud that person in Missouri.

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Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will hold a rally for Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

The rally will be Thursday, August 28 at the Henderson Pavilion starting at 4 p.m. The address is 200 S. Water Street. Prior to that rally, Romney will host a fundraiser for the Nevada Republican Party.

Romney, was a one-time competitor with McCain for the GOP nomination

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