Gov. Romney: It's The Tax Payers Money

Romney teaching Huckabee a lesson on government.

Laura Ingraham endorses Mitt Romney???

Laura gives Mitt a tough interview, and he responds quite well. Looking forward to tonights debate.



http://i.timeinc.net/time/2007/thepage/Romney_Ingraham112607.mp3

The False Conservative

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertDNovak/2007/11/26/the_false_conservative

WASHINGTON -- Who would respond to criticism from the Club for Growth by calling the conservative, free-market campaign organization the "Club for Greed"? That sounds like Howard Dean, Dennis Kucinich or John Edwards, all Democrats preaching the class struggle. In fact, the rejoinder comes from Mike Huckabee, who has broken out of the pack of second-tier Republican presidential candidates to become a serious contender -- definitely in Iowa and perhaps nationally.

Huckabee is campaigning as a conservative, but serious Republicans know that he is a high-tax, protectionist, big-government advocate of a strong hand in the Oval Office directing the lives of Americans. Until now, they did not bother to expose the former governor of Arkansas as a false conservative because he seemed an underfunded, unknown nuisance candidate. Now that he has pulled even with Mitt Romney for the Iowa caucuses with the possibility of more progress, the beleaguered Republican Party has a frightening problem on its hands.

The rise of evangelical Christians as the motive force that blasted the GOP out of minority status during the past generation always contained an inherent danger if these new Republican acolytes supported not merely a conventional conservative but one of their own. That has happened now with Huckabee, a former Baptist minister educated at Ouachita Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The danger is a serious contender for the nomination who passes the litmus test of social conservatives on abortion, gay marriage and gun control but is far removed from the conservative-libertarian model of Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan.

There is no doubt about Huckabee's record during a decade in Little Rock as governor. He was regarded by fellow Republican governors as a compulsive tax increaser and spender. He increased the Arkansas tax burden by 47 percent, boosting the levies on gasoline and cigarettes. When he decided to lose 100 pounds and pressed his new lifestyle on the American people, he was far from a Goldwater-Reagan libertarian.

As a presidential candidate, Huckabee has sought to counteract his reputation as a taxer by pressing for replacement of the income tax with a sales tax and has more recently signed the no-tax-increase pledge of Americans for Tax Reform. But Huckabee simply does not fit in normal boundaries of economic conservatism, as when he criticized President Bush's veto of a Democratic expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Calling global warming a "moral issue" mandating "a biblical duty" to prevent climate change, he has endorsed the cap-and-trade system that is anathema to the free market.

Huckabee clearly departs from the mainstream of the conservative movement in his confusion of "growth" with "greed." Such ad hominem attacks are part of his intuitive response to criticism from the Club for Growth and the libertarian Cato Institute for his record as governor. On Fox News Sunday Nov. 18, he called the "tactics" of the Club for Growth "some of the most despicable in politics today. It's why I love to call them the Club for Greed because they won't tell you who gave their money." In fact, all contributors to the organization's political action committee (which produces campaign ads) are publicly revealed, as are most donors financing issue ads.

Quin Hillyer, a former Arkansas journalist writing in the conservative American Spectator, called Huckabee "a guy with a thin skin, a nasty vindictive streak." Huckabee's retort was to attack Hillyer's journalistic procedures, fitting a mean-spirited image when he responds to conservative criticism.

Nevertheless, he is getting remarkably warm reviews in the news media as the most humorous, entertaining and interesting GOP presidential hopeful. Contrary to descriptions by old associates, he is now called "jovial" or "good-natured." Any Republican who does not sound much like a Republican is bound to benefit from friendly media support, as Sen. John McCain did in 2000 but not today with his return to being more like a conventional Republican.

An uncompromising foe of abortion can never enjoy full media backing. But Mike Huckabee is getting enough favorable buzz that, when combined with his evangelical base, it makes real conservatives shudder.

Man or Machine?

In their efforts to find skeletons in Mitt Romney's closet the liberal media has met with frustrating results- their aren't any. So, what's a biased editorial board to do? The answer is obvious, "He's too perfect". After the campaigns of Gary Hart, Bill Clinton's numerous affairs, the didn't inhale episode, the boxers or briefs questions, George W's cocaine accusations, and DUI's, you'd think American would be ready for a President who's only baggage brought to the White House are the ones that will contain his clothes.

The Liberal media is having none of this. And, what's worse some conservative news outlets online have generally shown a theme of repeating the liberal media's mantra. I don't know if they consider themselves to be Anti-Romney websites, but they sure come across that way. I'm speaking about Worldnetdaily.com and Hotair.com. Hotair sure had seemed to thrown it's hat in with Fred Thompson at least initially. Now they don't seem to know who to go to. Well, as a Romney supporter I want to say you all are welcome aboard the Romney express.

What bugged me about their cite most recently was their linking to and seeming to endorse the rhetoric of the LA times with this snipet:

Indeed, when a woman he bumps into while walking precincts here happens to mention he was once half an hour late to a house party, Romney stops dead in the middle of the street and turns disbelievingly to an aide: “I was late? I’m never late. . . . When was I a half-hour late?” It is finally determined that he was not late, the world makes sense again, and he trots happily down the block, where a “Mitt Romney for President” yard sign the size of a billboard greets him.

The article on the front page of their site has the caption, "Man or Machine"?

A few of the bloggers who left comments were astounded by Romney's seemingly odd behavior. I would like to remind those posters that punctuality is an important characteristic of leadership. If Mitt Romney has this ingrained into him, well he's in good company.

I'm refering to page 291 of Sterling W. Sill's book style="font-style:italic;">Leadership. Before Tony Robbins, and before Steven R. Covey there was Sterling W. Sill. He was I'm sure the inspiration for a lot of what those men do and he wrote numerous books on how to be successful, leadership, and how to be a good Christian. He was a powerful Mormon speaker, and had this to say on punctuality:

George Washington once made an appointment to buy a span of horses at three o'clock. The would-be seller showed up at 3:01. But General Washington was no longer interested in the span of horses nor the man who was not faithful to his word. The amount of time involved may be great or small, but the difference is only one of degree; the principle remains the same. Technically the appointment is cancelled if one of the parties defaults by being late, but he inconvience and discourtesy can never be cancelled. President Washington had a habit of inviting new members of Congress to dine with him. Occasionally someone would arrive late and be mortified to find the President eating. Washington once said, "My cook never asks if the guests have arrived, but only if the hour has arrived." Experienced senators who knew the President never arrived late for any appointment with Washington.

When the secretary of George Washington tried to excuse his lateness by saying that his watch was slow Washington replied, "Then you must get a new watch or I another secretary."

So, I guess the only question left is - George Washington, Man or Machine?

WATTS WINS AGAIN!

The latest poll we ran had J.C. Watts being selected as Mitt Romneys' running mate yet again. This is the second time we've ran a poll asking who you'd like to see on the ticket, and this is the second time Watts wins in a landslide with nearly 60% of the votes.

Last time we ran the poll there were some people who were under consideration for the nomination by bloggers and pundits who we didn't list. So, this time we listed the top ten potential running mates, including Sarah Palin, Charlie Crist and Mike Huckabee. It's clear the Republicans are excited for J.C.Watts, and they ought to be. Here are some of the things that having a Romney-Watts ticket would bring to the table.

* Romney-Watts 08 - it just sounds good

* The Clintons have already shown propensity of using the flip-flopper charge against the Romney campaign. No one says that about J.C. he is true blue conservative.

* The first black vice president should be a Republican. The Republicans have a chance to make history. The word out of Hillary's camp is there is no way she will have a minority on the ticket as her running mate. The leading assumptions are she will run with either General Wesley Clark (White-male) or Senator Evan Byah (White-Male). Romney with J.C. Watts as veep gets a lot of headlines, and free press that another running mate might not. They'll need this as the media worships the Clintons.

* The Clinton machine is sure to attack Romney over his religion, and it's history of blacks and their full membership into his church. Having Watts as veep, takes an arrow out of their quiver.

* It has long been said that the Democrat party is so dependent on the black vote that should 20% of them vote differently the Democrats could never win another national election. The African-American voters belong in the Republican party, a large majority of African-American voters are pro-life, pro-school voucher, pro-job growth, and pro- border enforcement. So, with J.C. Watts on the ticket, a greater number are more likely to study the issues than simply vote for their traditional party as always - especially if it's Hillary and Clark, or Byah (an all white ticket).

* The other thing having J.C. on the ticket does, is show that Baptists and Mormons can get along. The south is a crucial voting block for the GOP and while the mainstream media, and the pundits would question the wisdom of Romney's choice of J.C.Watts as his running mate, suggesting that the "racially divided" south would be less likely to vote a black man into power - they have another thing coming. Like most issues, this is one where the MSM and the pundits don't know what they are talking about and are completely out of touch. The south will vote for J.C. Watts, in fact a lot of white people will vote for the Romney-Watts ticket just BECAUSE they are fed up with the media telling them how racist they are. The first black vice president will happen with the Romney-Watts ticket, and white people in the south will not only vote for him, but will say, "It's about time".

* The best part is it would fragment the DNC, the Romney-Watts ticket is sure to pull 20-40% of the black vote away from the Democrats. After they win, the question has to be asked, if the Democrats are the party that is for the African-Americans why was the first one in the White House a Republican? African-American dissatisfaction with the DNC is at an all time high, this election could be the tipping point.

* Watts is one of the best speakers and debaters of our time. He would make headlines wherever he went. And if he were used to focus almost exclusively on education, the GOP could really attract a lot of voters. Vouchers make too much sense, especially for those who live in big cities with bad schools, places like Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, Oakland, Los Angeles. If the Romney-Watts ticket can find a way to make it a national issue, Clinton's staunch defense of the teachers unions is going to ring as hollow and purchased as it really is. She has no programs, no ideas for improving education, her interests are the teachers unions interests, and those are preserving the status quo. Get Watts to rally the nation around the idea of school choice, and this becomes an issue that not only helps Romney to the presidency but will help GOP members in congresssional, senate and local elections. Not to mention, it would put Illinois, California and New York into play. And that spells bad news for the Clintons, and good news for America.

Click on the link to see J.C. Watts slam Rudy Giuliani, like only J.C. can:

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/10/jc-watts-compares-abortion-to-slavery/

Romney Wins Wyoming Straw Poll

Romney wins county Republican straw poll

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By Tim Dudley
November 5, 2007

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney ran away with 61 percent of the vote in what the Teton County Republican Party was touting as one of Wyoming’s first straw polls Saturday night.

County GOP Chairman Joe Schloss called Romney’s showing remarkable considering the number of other candidates. About 100 people voted during the party’s Elephant Jam event Saturday at 43 North. The get-together and fundraiser celebrated the one-year countdown to the presidential election.

A straw poll is a nonbinding vote taken before an election to gauge support for each candidate.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani took second, with 12 percent of the vote. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee had 10 percent, U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas each received 5 percent, U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter of California had 4 percent, and lawyer, actor and former Sen. Fred Thompson got 2 percent. Other candidates received 1 percent or less, Schloss said.

Schloss said he thought Romney did well because he is a conservative candidate.

“That goes in line with the way that many of our citizens in Wyoming think,” Schloss said. “By nature I think we’re a conservative group, and certainly Romney fits that bill.”

Schloss said Romney is also one of the few candidates, if not the only one, who has been running a strong campaign in Wyoming, which has just three electoral votes.

Giuliani, he said, is strong nationally but his name hasn’t come up too often yet in Wyoming. Schloss said he also was somewhat surprised at Thompson’s result but that it was in line with the “lukewarm” response to his candidacy in the rest of the nation.

There’s still time for candidates to catch up to Romney, though, he said.

Schloss said he thinks Romney would do well against the Democrats’ frontrunner, Hillary Clinton.

“I think it would be a lot closer than a lot of folks realize,” he said.

Huckabee Has Clintonesque Ethics Problems

Arkansasesque not Clintonesque, got it Huck. Great clarification. I feel much better about everything now.

Huckabee's Record Of Higher Taxes

Huckabee tries to joke and play off his tax record again. Huckabee's answer to a crisis- RAISE TAXES. A vote for Huckabee might as well be a vote for Hillary, he's against school vouchers, pro-amnesty for illegals, and pro-tax increase.

The only thing that makes him conservative is the abortion issue, which he never had to confront as Governor of a conservative state like Arkansas. Huckabee is running for President because he could never get re-elected in Arkansas where people are still fuming over the new taxes they are paying.

Huckabee wrong on taxes, wrong on immigration

I wrote in an earlier post about Huckabee missing on of the legs of the three legged stool of the Republican coalition (Economy, Military, Family) , namely not being for a strong economy based on his record of raising taxes. He was responsible as governor for the largest tax increase in the history of Arkansas. What I neglected to mention however is that one of the other legs of the stool is wobbly.

I'm talking about National Security. He says he is in favor of securing the border while on the campaign trail, but his actions as Governor have been very much against the rule of the law. Mike Huckabee has been in favor of:

- Tuition Breaks for Illegals
- Amnesty for Illegals
- Welfare for Illegal Immigrants
- Advocated for a Mexican Consulat office to be built in Arkansas so illegals there could have easier access to ID's
- He has said that "Family values don't end a the Rio Grande."
- He has called legistlation to cut off funds for illegals "racist"

Here is a candidate for President who says that he wants to enforce the border, but doesn't want to do anything to stop the sanctuary cities, and benefits that are drawing them here in the first place. Either he doesn't understand the issue, or is not as pro-border enforcement as he is campaigning to be. By blaming only the federal goverment and border agents for the problem he gets to appear pro-rule of law, while distracting from his record as Governor. The long and the short of it is, he was behind the largest tax increase in Arkansas history, supports benefits for those who illegally stay in the country, and has said he would support a Nanny-state nationwide ban on cigarette smoking. Sorry Mike, it's three strikes and you're out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5Dp7FaKIJo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pLOC4krZI4


In other bad news for Governor Huckabee, he DID pick up an endorsement. Unfortunately, it's Bill Maher's:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pLOC4krZI4

Mitt Romney On Veterans Day

http://www.mittromney.com/News/Press-Releases/Veterans_Day

Boston, MA – Today, Governor Mitt Romney issued the following statement on Veterans Day:

"Today, we honor the men and women who have served our country in the Armed Forces. Every American is grateful for the very extraordinary acts these men and women have performed so that we may continue to enjoy freedom and liberty at home.

"On this day, we also must recommit ourselves to honoring their service when they return home. Every wounded veteran, fallen soldier and grieving family paid the price for our freedom and our security. All they require is the care they and their families need. We are indebted to them for their service and that debt needs to be paid without delay or inefficiency.

"In Massachusetts, Republicans and Democrats were able to work together to expand benefits for our state's veterans. In Washington, we must do the same. This is one issue where party identification does not matter. Our men and women are serving in far away places, and they should always be confident that their government stands behind them. On this Veterans Day, let us make a commitment to our military men and women, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, and mothers and fathers truly worthy of the 21st century."

Mike Huckabee one leg short

Reading the morning news, I was shocked to see an article saying that James Dobson was going to endorse Mike Huckabee for President of the United States. My state of shock didn't last long as about an hour later, there was another article circulating saying that James Dobson was not in any way going to endorse Hucakabee. (Below)

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/11/09/457977.aspx



That made a lot more sense to me. I don't follow Dobson much at all, aside from the occasional spot on the radio with his focus on the family program. I know he is a social conservative, but not too much else. That being said, the reason I was suprised to hear of his endorsement is I had always thought that Dr. Dobson was a conservative in the three ways that Mitt Romney talks about, namely being for a strong military, strong economy and strong families. The three legged stool of conservatism needs all three legs to stand, and by my count Governor Mike Huckabee is missing one of those legs. Or in other words, he doesn't have a stool to sit on.

What am I talking about? Well, I think Huckabee has the strong families thing down. He's a former Baptist preacher, so I'll give him that without knowing too much about his record. And, I'll give him a pass on the strong military too, as he seems to have answered the questions fairly well in the debates on this issue.

So, what leg is he missing? It's the economy, stupid. Or, as Mitt Romney put it in an interview a few days ago, "It's about growth, stupid".

Huckabee's record on economics is downright Democrat party worthy. In fact, the Club for Growth has written a stinging rebuke of his record.

http://www.clubforgrowth.org/2007/01/a_report_on_mike_huckabees_fis.php

Here are some of the highlights:


* Immediately upon taking office, Governor Huckabee signed a sales tax hike in 1996 to fund the Games and Fishing Commission and the Department of Parks and Tourism (Cato Policy Analysis No. 315, 09/03/98).

* He supported an internet sales tax in 2001 (Americans for Tax Reform 01/07/07).

* He publicly opposed the repeal of a sales tax on groceries and medicine in 2002 (Arkansas News Bureau 08/30/02).

* He signed bills raising taxes on gasoline (1999), cigarettes (2003) (Americans for Tax Reform 01/07/07), and a $5.25 per day bed-tax on private nursing home patients in 2001 (Arkansas New Bureau 03/01/01).

* He proposed another sales take hike in 2002 to fund education improvements (Arkansas News Bureau 12/05/02).

* He opposed a congressional measure to ban internet taxes in 2003 (Arkansas News Bureau 11/21/03).

* In 2004, he allowed a 17% sales tax increase to become law (The Gurdon Times 03/02/04).

* Under Governor Huckabee's watch, state spending increased a whopping 65.3% from 1996 to 2004, three times the rate of inflation (Americans for Tax Reform 01/07/07). The number of state government workers rose 20% during his tenure (Arkansas Leader 04/15/06), and the state's general obligation debt shot up by almost $1 billion, according to Americans for Tax Reform.

* Governor Huckabee is on record opposing the most important element of genuine school choice-voucher programs that allow poor students in failing public schools to attend private schools and inject much needed competition into a decrepit public education system-because of a concern about government control of parochial schools (Arkansas Times 09/22/05). He also called No Child Left Behind "the greatest education reform effort by the federal government in my lifetime," (Washington Times 03/01/05) a program that stripped schools of local control and increased federal spending on education by 48% over three years (Heritage.org 11/09/06).



So, in summary let me get this straight, Mike Huckabee has raised taxes on everything from groceries, medicine, sales tax, the internet, cigarettes, gasoline, and beds, and increased the size of government in his state by 65% and he is anti-school vouchers! And he is running on the Republican ticket?!?! Who is he getting his advise from?

Rudy vs Hillary- Differences On The Issues

Hillary Clinton was elected in New York - Rudy Giuliani was elected in New York

Hillary Clinton is Pro-Tax Increase - Rudy Giuliani is Pro-Tax Increase

Hillary Clinton is Pro-Abortion - Rudy Giuliani is Pro-Abortion

Hillary Clinton is Pro-Sanctuary Cities- Rudy Giuliani is Pro-Sanctuary Cities

Hillary Clinton wears dresses on occasion - Rudy Giuliani wears dresses on occasion



I guess there weren't as many differences as I thought.