New Romney ad counters ‘flip-flopper’ label
In case you missed it, Mitt Romney grew a bit testy when Fox News’ Bret Baier pressed him with questions about his about-faces on issues like abortion, climate change and immigration in an interview last week.
Now a new ad out from his campaign looks to counter the ‘flip-flopper’ label Romney has grown so tired of talking about. The ad, released online today and due to air in Iowa and New Hampshire this week, features images of Romney as a young man with his family while Romney gives a voice-over:
I think people understand that I’m a man of steadiness and constancy. I don’t think you’re going to find somebody who has more of those attributes than I do.
I’ve been married to the same woman for 25 – excuse me, I’ll get in trouble – for 42 years. I’ve been in the same church my entire life. I worked at one company, Bain, for 25 years. And I left that to go off and help save the Olympic Games
The use of old family photos of Romney and his brood is a useful counter to YouTube clips of a younger Romney firmly espousing positions he’s since renounced. And the reference to his marriage is of course a veiled dig at the twice-divorced Newt Gingrich.
Romney’s inconstancy continues to be his biggest liability, with nearly half of likely Republican caucus and primary voters in Iowa and New Hampshire agreeing that Romney is “a flip-flopper” or “will do or say anything to win,” according to a Bloomberg poll taken last month.
Press release hoaxer targets SEIU, Obama
Someone is unhappy with President Barack Obama, but it isn’t the Service Employees International Union.
Targeting an influential union that is an important source of support for the Democratic president as he seeks re-election, a hoaxer put out a fake press release on Tuesday night saying the labor group had voted to withdraw its Nov. 16 endorsement.
The reason? According to the fake release, the 2.1-million-member union felt it was too early to endorse anyone.
The release seemed odd. It seemed inexplicable that the union would withdraw an endorsement so soon after making it, especially in a statement issued very late at night. And there were technical issues – the email address for spokesman Mark McCullough was misspelled, the telephone number was not his usual one and the “release” was not posted on the union’s website or sent to its normal press list.
But the formatting of the fake release was convincing and a few news organizations fell for the hoax and published stories.
McCullough, adding “(the real one)” after his name, released a statement saying that the union still “proudly” endorses Obama.
Conservatives bash Obama for gay rights stand
Conservative groups and Republican White House hopeful Rick Perry wasted no time in panning the Obama administration for its move on Tuesday to stand up for gay rights abroad – the first-ever U.S. government strategy to tackle LGBT human rights abuses worldwide.
In an seven-point executive order on Tuesday, Obama told U.S. diplomats and foreign aid workers to do more to advance rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered persons abroad – a move that promotes U.S. human rights policies and speaks to a key Democratic constituency at home.
“I am deeply concerned by the violence and discrimination targeting LGBT persons around the world…No country should deny people their rights because of who they love, which is why we must stand up for the rights of gays and lesbians everywhere,” Obama said in the memo, which will be published in the Federal Register. “I am directing all agencies engaged abroad to ensure that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBT persons.”
Obama’s memo coincided with a visit to the White House by pop singer and gay icon Lady Gaga. She was scheduled to meet officials from the White House public engagement office to discuss her new “Born This Way” foundation, which focuses on fighting bullying and homophobia.
Texas governor Rick Perry took time out from his presidential campaign to decry a “war on traditional American values” and termed Obama “out of touch” and “at war with people of faith.”
“Promoting special rights for gays in foreign countries is not in America’s interests and not worth a dime of taxpayers’ money,” Perry said in a release. “Investing tax dollars promoting a lifestyle many Americas of faith find so deeply objectionable is wrong.”
Also wielding the whip was the Family Research Council, a conservative group.
Resident Obama is using the Global Gay community as a TOOL for re-election after three years in office. It’s the same thing Debbie Wasserman-Schultz does to the Wilton Manors Gay community that we have to “put-up” with as well.
Republicans, again, look to older White House candidates
If presidential candidates, like fine wine, improve with age, the 2012 Republican field is in luck. The top three contenders — Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney and Ron Paul — would each be one of the oldest U.S. presidents ever if he were to defeat Barack Obama and win the White House in 2012.
Gingrich, who currently leads the Republican pack, would be 69 years and 7 months old on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2013. That would make him the second-oldest first-term U.S. president, just behind Ronald Reagan, who was 69 years and 11 months old when he first took the oath of office in January 1981.
Romney is a bit younger than Gingrich, who was Speaker of the House in the 1990s. But, at 65 years and 10 months old on Jan. 20, 2013, Romney would be tied for third place in the presidential age stakes, after Reagan and William Henry Harrison. James Buchanan, the 15th U.S. president, was 65 years, 10 months and 9 days old when he was sworn in on March 4, 1857, the same age that Romney would be.
Harrison, the ninth U.S. president, was 68 years and 23 days old when he became president. And while Reagan exuded health and vitality — many Americans remember him on horseback — Harrison, who died after just 32 days in office, was hardly an endorsement for an older chief executive, with the caveat that he served in 1841, long before the age of modern medicine.
The former brigadier general’s death was attributed to complications from pneumonia, blamed on his delivering the longest inaugural address in U.S. history on a cold and wet day, wearing neither overcoat nor hat.
Ron Paul, who now places third in national polls of contenders for the Republican nomination, would be the oldest U.S. president, by far, if elected. The Texas congressman, now winning about 8 percent support in national polls of the GOP hopefuls, would be 77 years and five months old on Jan. 20, 2013.
Just what is a “Lincoln-Douglas” debate?
Republican frontrunner Newt Gingrich and long-shot Jon Huntsman say they’ll hold a “Lincoln-Douglas” debate in New Hampshire on Monday. So how will it be different from the usual debates?
During the 1858 race for U.S. Senate in Illinois, incumbent Democrat Stephen Douglas and upstart Republican lawyer Abraham Lincoln held a series of seven three-hour debates in towns throughout the state on the day’s hottest topic: slavery.
The debates had no moderator, and the candidates spoke in paragraphs rather than today’s rehearsed 45-second sound bites. In each of the debates, the first candidate was given 60 minutes to make opening remarks. His opponent was given 90 minutes to respond, and the first candidate was allowed a final 30-minute rebuttal.
Today’s Republican voters will be spared a bladder-busting three-hour talkfest. Tim Miller, a spokesman for the Huntsman campaign, says Monday’s debate is likely to last just an hour and will focus on national security and foreign policy. The question of whether to have a moderator, and whom it might be, has yet to be decided, he said.
Both candidates have expressed annoyance with how the Republican debates have been moderated thus far. Until recently Gingrich’s debate performances had been most noteworthy for his attacks on the media. In a September debate in California, for instance, he told moderator John Harris of Politico: “I’m frankly not interested in your effort to get Republicans fighting each other.”
Huntsman, a former U.S. ambassador to China and Singapore who has the most foreign policy experience of any Republican candidate, had to wait 40 minutes to get asked his second question during the foreign policy debate last month and spoke for just over 6 minutes in the entire 90 minute debate, according to Politico.
In fairness to the moderators, debates exist to highlight policy differences between the candidates, and it could be argued that Huntsman, who has hardly registered in some national polls, has been given more media attention than his position in the race merits.
Shaq throws in support for Obama in 2012
NBA star Shaquille O’Neal said on Monday he believes President Barack Obama is doing a ”fabulous job” and will win the 2012 presidential election.
O’Neal, who retired from pro basketball this year, joined a handful of celebrities endorsing the Democratic president, ranging from singer Lady Gaga and actor Tom Hanks to Basketball hall-of-famer Magic Johnson.
“It’s a hard job … You can’t please everybody but I think he’s doing a fabulous job,” O’Neal told CNN host Piers Morgan. ”The world is in a little bit of turmoil right now — the economy’s down — but … he’s going to pick it back up and I think he’s going to win this next election.”
A group of current and former NBA stars are due to play in a fundraising game in Washington on Dec. 12, the Obama campaign website says. Confirmed players include Johnson, Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, Alonzo Mourning and Jerry Stackhouse.
Photo Credit: REUTERS/Scott Audette (Shaq waves to fans at an exhibition game), REUTERS/Larry Downing (Obama compares his shoe with a basketball sneaker belonging to O’Neal)
Im black and I can confirm that there are many local black politicians that play and win on race. Especially with urban poor in gerrymandered districts.
However in statewide and national races, this is not true. There are many famous black personalities that supported Clinton over Jesse in prior primaries. Shaq was one of them.
As to why do 90% of African Americans support Obama – well its because many are poor and poor peoples interests are represented by Democrats (well at least from a superficial level). Cain would have not got majority of the black vote if he would have won the Republican nomination against a white democrat. Its not racial voting when there are underlying ideological reasons.
Romney camp hits back at DNC for “Mitt v. Mitt” attack ad
Mitt Romney’s campaign lined up a bevy of surrogates on Monday to respond to the DNC’s new “Mitt v. Mitt” ad campaign by pressing home their point that Obama is attacking Romney in order to avoid talking about the sputtering U.S. economy.
Although Romney had no public events scheduled for Monday, his campaign arranged a series of conference calls with supporters to “discuss President Obama’s record.”
Former Minnesota Governor and presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty, three Ohio legislators, and New Hampshire’s state Senate Majority leader and House Majority leader were among supporters who set up at least six different press conference calls with reporters in states targeted by the DNC.
Their message: Obama is attacking Romney because he doesn’t want to talk about the high 9 percent unemployment rate.
“Before the first vote in the Republican primary is even cast, the Democrats are blasting Mitt Romney and trying to tear him down, and I think the reason for that is they don’t want to focus on their own failure,” said Pawlenty, who joined Romney’s team after ending his own presidential campaign in August. “The last thing they want to do is run against Mitt Romney.”
Photo credit: REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Romney has, according to the latest Rasmussen poll, fallen into a distant 2ND place; and in THIRD place in Iowa polling (behind Gingrich and Ron Paul). Odd that while Newt is surging in the polls, Obama continues to go after Romney. They must think that at some point, Newt’s candidacy will implode.
Newt, schmoot – Democrats keep sights firmly on Romney
Newt Gingrich may have jumped into the lead among Republican presidential hopefuls in some national polls, but the Democrats — at least – seem convinced that Mitt Romney will be President Barack Obama’s opponent in November 2012, at least if you look at how they are spending their advertising dollars.
The latest barrage, an early salvo in what is expected to be a particularly nasty presidential campaign, is a four-minute-long attack titled “Mitt v. Mitt: The Story of Two Men Trapped in One Body.” Slamming the former Massachusetts governor as having changed his position on a wide range of issues, the ad uses clips showing Romney speaking at varying points in his career and expressing different viewpoints on issues such as healthcare, immigration, climate change and even Ronald Reagan.
Speaking of Reagan, the video shows the former president saying, “There you go again,” a particularly devastating line the Republican icon used in a debate with Democratic President Jimmy Carter, whom Reagan defeated in the 1980 election. It also uses clips from late-night television hosts depicting Romney as a candidate who “flip-flops” by changing his position, echoing Democratic attacks on Romney.
In one, comedian Conan O’Brien is shown saying, “Experts are predicting kind of a tough fight between Romney and his biggest ideological opponent, Mitt Romney from four years ago. Those guys don’t agree on anything.”
A shorter preview of the four-minute video posted on the Internet will appear as a television ad in several states expected to be closely contested in the 2012 presidential election, including New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Romney’s campaign lashed back that Obama and the Democrats were attacking Romney because they do not want to talk about the sputtering U.S. economy and high unemployment rates. “The last thing the White House wants is to have to run against Mitt Romney and be held accountable for the many failures of this Administration,” Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul said in a statement.
As I look at the sorry sorry set of Republican “rivals” on the other side, it makes me more thankful than ever…. to have Barack Obama as President of the United States, and as a viable candidate for re-election. Mr. Obama: your heart, your values, and your basic decency are all in the right place. But… your hands are tied. Unfortunately they were tied by us, the electorate…..when we failed to provide you with a Congress that you can work with. Instead, you are saddled with a don’t-tax-the-1%-do-nothing Congress that battles you at every turn, while the people suffer. God, they don’t EVEN let you pass your own appointments. It’s not Tea-publican gridlock – it’s Tea-publican sabotage. Heck, it’s Tea-publican treason. And then they try to pin the blame on Mr. Obama. These people have no shame…or else its been purchased by those who can afford to do so. Thankfully, with Occupy Wall Street America has found its voice : a voice that reminds us that people -ordinary working people- really DO matter. Instead of talking about less government , and more painful cuts, its a voice that demands a government that WORKS, a government that works FOR ALL OF US, not just for a favored few, not just for the rich. Its a voice that comes up from the grassroots, and lifts us up: because it says that this land IS our land…and we WANT IT BACK! And most importantly, it’s a voice that will help us to re-elect the President AND give him a more progressive Congress to work with. Mr. Obama: I wish you well. You STILL give me hope.
Gingrich takes heat over “amnesty”
Electrified fences, predator drones and anchor babies were nowhere to be found when the subject of illegal immigration came up in the latest of a series of Republican presidential debates.
The softer, gentler tone Tuesday night at Constitution Hall was a contrast from when the White House hopefuls took on the subject at a debate in Las Vegas last month.
But there was still heat at the Washington debate — and this time Newt Gingrich got scorched by expressing a relatively moderate position on illegal immigration.
The former House Speaker opened himself up to sharp criticism from rivals in the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, and conservatives in general, with one word he did not even utter — “amnesty.”
As Reuters’ Steve Holland reports, the new Republican front-runner may have put himself into a box with his comments about immigration.
Conservatives who tend to vote in Republican primaries generally oppose extending any form of legal status to people who entered the country illegally. Gingrich may have some explaining to do if he hopes to secure their support.
Republican strategist Phil Musser told Holland: “There is a professional cottage industry that exists within the conservative universe that is intensely focused on the details of this issue, and Newt for better or for worse walked squarely into a hornet’s nest.”
Nothing scares Republicans more than voters. That’s why they are working feverishly to make it as diffcult as possible for people to register, to vote, and have their votes counted. Anyone who is legally residing in the United States should be allowed – no – REQUIRED to vote, in every election.
One person, one vote. Not one dollar, one vote.
Romney opens ad offensive against Obama
Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney’s first television commercial attacking Barack Obama’s record hits the airwaves in New Hampshire on Tuesday — just in time to welcome the president on a visit to the early primary state.
A discussion of jobs was on the agenda for Obama’s quick trip to a high school in Manchester. But Romney didn’t wait for the president’s arrival.
The former Massachusetts governor previewed his new ad Monday night on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity” show.
The 60-second spot opens with a shot of Obama delivering a campaign speech in New Hampshire — in Oct. 2008. About a third of the way in, the ad shifts focus to Romney.
“The contrast between what he said and what he did is so stark, people will recognize we really do need to have someone new lead this country,” Romney said, describing what he’s trying to convey in the TV spot. “And then I, of course, described why I’m the right person for that responsibility.”
And the reviews from the Obama campaign are in. “… Romney launches a deceitful and dishonest attack rather than outline his own record or plans for the future.” — Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt.
Here’s the Romney spot posted on YouTube:
Looks like Mr. Romney can’t fight using the truth, so instead he resorts to lies in his advertising. Doesn’t bode well for this lying Mormon to be elected POTUS.
What WAS the message in Romeny’s ad? What is it with all these ads, Gingrich, Perry, all of them saying the same crap about “I believe in America and I won’t apologize for America and join me in creating a new America and like you I bless America and vote for me so we can continue to work at making America strong.”
What the HELL are you gonna DO exactly? “Oh, uh, that, I don’t know.”
In Ron Paul’s ad, he says “Bring the troops home, secure our borders, cut 1 trillion in spending in the first year and shut down 5 depts.”
THAT’S a message. Agree or disagree but THAT’S a message.
The Romney ad is just inconsequential doubletalk with some nice flowery music playing the background.