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WASHINGTON, DC -- After his stinging losses to Rick Santorum on Tuesday, Mitt Romney has responded with this message: He’s the only Washington outsider left in the race and, thus, the only one capable of changing its culture.
And he has lumped his two main challengers – Santorum and Newt Gingrich – into the dreaded “Washington insider” category.
"I happen to believe that the American people recognize that if we’re going to see change in Washington, we’ve got to see some new faces," Romney said at a campaign event in Atlanta. "I haven’t spent any time working in Washington. I spent my life out in the real economy."
He added: "Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, they've spent a lot of time in Washington and during their years we spent more money than we were taking in … Actually, during Sen. Santorum's time in Washington, the government grew by 80 percent. And he voted to raise the debt ceiling five times. This may work in Washington, or it may have worked in the past, it will not work in the future."
But Romney's efforts to claim the Washington outsider mantle – including calling for a permanent ban on congressional earmarks this afternoon – are at odds with the deep Washington connections he and his campaign have built, winning the support of dozens of members of Congress, and millions of dollars in donations from the Washington power structure.
The fundraiser being hosted by Romney tonight at Washington’s J.W. Marriott hotel is just the latest example.
The former Massachusetts governor’s top policy advisers, along with a group of top congressional supporters, will brief donors on issues ranging from the economy to energy to foreign policy. Donors had to raise $10,000 for the campaign to score the best tickets to the event.
Romney, like other candidates, has turned to elite bundlers in order to help finance the heavy price tag of waging a run for the White House. While the Romney campaign is not obligated to disclose most of its bundlers (The Obama campaign voluntarily makes public its bundlers.), it is required by federal law to disclose which of those elite fundraisers are registered lobbyists.
Romney's fourteen lobbyist bundlers – including representatives from powerhouse D.C. lobbying firms Dutko Worldwide and Ogilvy Government Relations – raised $1.1 million for his campaign in the second half of 2011, according to recent Federal Election Commission filings. Ogilvy chief Wayne Berman, one of Romney's top bundlers, is also a co-chair of his national finance committee.
But Romney’s connection to elite D.C. operatives don’t end with fundraising.
Ron Kaufman, a former Bush Sr. advisers and now one of Romney's top advisers was a top lobbyist for Dutko for years, telling the Boston Globe he decertified as a lobbyist just last year.
Team Romney also includes other top-tier Washington power brokers like Charlie Black, a former top adviser to John McCain began advising Romney earlier this year, and Romney's chief counsel Ben Gingsberg, who held the same role in both Bush-Cheney campaigns, and has represented numerous house and senate campaigns and PACs.
Romney's commanding lead in congressional endorsements, which would otherwise be seen as a sign of strength, also undercuts his outsider message. The former Massachusetts governor's campaign rolled out two new endorsements from Michigan Reps. Fred Upton and Tim Walberg just yesterday, and the Romney campaign has more than double the congressional endorsementsof Paul, Santorum and Gingrich combined.
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Interesting how the liberal media attacks have already begun on the GOP candidates... wow! I guess we already knew that MSNBC has the worst rep for be a biased media outlet
Just checked. Romney was "baptized for the dead" for his wife's father who died a staunch atheist.
Somehow, I don't think his father-in-law would have appreciated it.
So, does this mean that I can do whatever I want during this life- I don't have to be good - as long as I make a pact with someone to get baptized for me after I am gone? I can cheat, lie and even be GAY with no after-life consequences?
What a deal!
Maybe someone should tell Newt so that he can cheat on Callista with no consequences.
If we could get Santorum to get baptized for all of the gay people after they die, maybe he could let them live in peace and quit judging them.
And, hey, they won't have to go to Mr. Bachman's clinic for the great "homosexual cure"! What a savings to Medicaid!
@Sara M - No, you cannot do whatever you like in this life with no consequences. That's not the way "baptism for the dead" works. The person on the "other side" still needs to accept the baptism and it's Mormon theology that the lifestyle you live will carry over to the next life. Those who live the lifestyle you describe will not be inclined to accept their proxy baptism.
Baptism for the dead is designed to give ALL men the same opportunity, but not all will accept it. This is a much more "fair" doctrine than accept Jesus or go to Hell as Evangelicals preach. They would condemn a Chinese monk even though they never got the chance to hear about Jesus or accept Him.
Thanks for your response. Everyone seems to get how other people's religions can be crazy, but have a hard time seeing the craziness of their own.
Yes, fundamentalists would condemn a devout Buddhist Monk to eternal fire for not "accepting Jesus".
I am not sure how ANYONE can believe in a God so cruel as to send anyone to a fiery hell for the rest of eternity for not having the "correct" doctrine.
R-One... Good basic description of Mormon theology, I suspect you're a Mormon to know that. (I'm an ex-Mormon, so I know about it, too).
Of course it makes one wonder why ritual dunking in water is required, or why Almighty God couldn't just install a baptisimal font in the Telestial kingdom for "after-life" converts to use.
Explanation for non-Mormons: the Telestial kingdom is the lowest level of Mormon heaven, for all the riff-raff that weren't righteous enough for the Celestial (righteous Mormon) kingdom or Terrestrial (righteous non-Mormon) kingdom.
Author removed as it didn't post in right place.
Sorry Sara it doesn't work that way! Although that would be kind of cool if it did. Baptisms for the dead are for those who did not have the opportunity to hear about the gospel of Jesus Christ in this life or those who died without the benefit of being baptized. Some people believe that those baptized are added to the records of the church...they are not.
The Mormon church keeps meticulous records of those they "baptize by proxy", but they're not counted as official church members.
The reason why the Mormon church is so dedicated to genealogy and historical records is they want all those names for their "proxy baptism" ceremonies. Their goal is to "proxy baptize" everyone that has ever lived, which of course is impossible considering how many records have been lost and how many lives have gone unrecorded.
There is one thing that Newt is right about: Willard is an outsider, only because after millions and millions spent he was unsuccessful in unseating Teddy Kennedy in the Senate and unsuccessful against John McCain in '08 (although McCain did annoint him as the "candidate of change"). So, poor Willard has had to cash in his dividends and interest as an "outsider" for much of the past two decades. Those tax returns illustrate the special insights he has gained as an "outsider." He's an outsider like the Whitneys, the Vanderbilts, and the Rockefellers who just cash their investments and don't have to worry about anything until some family friend suggests that he sit on a corporate board or run for office. It makes him tough and rugged on the cold outside. But nobody gave him anything. You know daddy, the former chairman of American Motors and Governor of Michigan, said, "Son, you take nothing from me - you're an outsider. You can't even use the name of Romney." He's a bootstrap baby and never part of the elite - totally on the outside as a second generation governor. Now, an FDR, a JFK, or a Bill Clinton, well, they were insiders. Winston Churchill was an insider. Damn insiders.
None of the GOP guys are nice!
And, should not await a second or third or… wind from nominating contests…!
It doesn´t matter who wins the GOP nomination; in the final analysis, it will be won by a perfect nobody in the sense of not being able to govern this country, including, of course, Mitt Romney who has spent his life in the real economy and not in DCA. He probably wants to change Washington making it more corrupt and a “real life” city as his dubious accomplishments, to be president, attest.
Additionally, Ron Paul could run as independent, even if he sits at the table.
This group of weirdo misfits called GOP presidential candidates, in reality, could not even shine Obama's shoes. They only involve themselves in petty personal politics.
However, so much for the GOP: They have a right to be in total chaos and fractured!
Romney with real world applications – less than 15% effective rate taxpayer, instead of 30%; off shores’ money manager man, Swiss banks and Cayman bank accounts, instead of putting the money in US banks; domestic job destroyer that buys companies for profit and then dissolves them, firing everyone in sight, instead of using his business background to turn around these companies´ economy and boost job creation; immigrant hater; not concerned about the poor, 47 million Americans; and, too filthy rich to be president -- and Gingrich – a serial libertarian cheat, sex maniac at best, while pursuing dreams of living in a moon colony with his ladies; fined for tax evasion and writing fraudulent checks -- are fellows running for the presidency that really, in the final analysis, don´t respect anybody in the good old USA. People don´t matter to them, only money matters! They take orders from their churches (especially the Mormon slime machine), their financial backers, their women, and their money, and that´s all folks. They aren’t worth it!
Meanwhile, Santorum is an ex lobbyist that has made millions while in DCA, and many feel that the mafia would resuscitate if he made it to the White House. This guy is a suck-up who panders and postures to whomever he thinks will give him the vote. Another warmonger who just wants to defeat Obama -- never mind he has absolutely no plan or vision. Just more of the same -- more debt, cut domestic programs but NEVER the military. He knows where his bread is buttered. Cut military spending and you cut your own throat.
Finally, Ron Paul is too conservative, constitutionalist, and libertarian for anybody´s liking.
Clearly, the GOP has managed to set loose in the election scene of the country four stooges, and weirdo misfits, Banana republic style, that are not convenient for the presidency of the USA.
I myself would rather stick it out with Obama for the next four years. His management of the country´s economy makes him capable of carrying out another 4-year term in office with great success, nationally as well as internationally. His Administration has now added 3.2 million new private sector jobs over the last 22 months. Wow!
Yea, he's had great success, thats why we have it sooooo good, right? 8% unemployment, $15 trillion debt, bailouts to companies like Solyndra, he has even assassinated American citizens without a trial! At least Romney knows how to make money instead of just spending it.
Frankly I don't give importance to your article . All we need in this country right now is a restored ECONOMY, I will soon received forclosure notice on my home in Florida. if Obama , Santorum, Gingrich are POTUS I will be in the wilderness or on the colony moon. Can someone on the debates or interviews with Santorum ask him when will he release his taxes? We need to know his report in details what he has done concerning the economy for the country, if he has done one . We're tired of hearing his so called social issues, that will not give us jobs, food on our tables, save our houses from foreclosure, he must tell the voters what he has in his agenda before he goes around the country to give concerts w/o music.
Well said. I was wondering whether Santorum would release his tax returns, too.
little lord romney claims he's a washington outsider and is going to change the washington culture. what a crock. i seem to remember carter saying that and we all know how effective he was as pres. all we need is another dunce to muck up the works. lord flip flop at his finest.
This race has been tilted towards those with deep pockets. The most important thing is election reform so that big money is out of the picture. People need access to be able to vote, today there are barriers to voting. See the link:
democracychronicles.com
We have become a welfare country. People are so worried the top 1% doesn't pay thier fair share of the taxes, well, how about the 50% of Americans who pay NO tax whatsoever? And how about the dependence on the government? 70% of every government dollar goes to dependence programs. People can now make more money not working than working. I guess a lot of liberals like that idea, but they shouldn't. We need to get the economy back to what it should be, the strongest in the world, and Obama isn't doing it.
don53 --- ah yes, i remember 1776 fondly. life was simply wonderful then wasn't it? do you remember summer, pretzels and beer? yes, bring back those days.
Don....
As long as the politicians give out money, there will be losers to take it.
But look at it this way. Welfare is a cheap price to pay to guarantee the trailer trash and riffraff will never earn enough to move into our neighborhoods.
rationalnone, look at your votes. No one will take you seriously with that babble.
Not too keen on Obama but Romney scares me with his "business" background and experience. It appears that his business practices cut more jobs than they create and that sends more jobs overseas. If he had been in office when the recession hit, it probably would have been deeper and longer. Romney says: "I spent my life out in the real economy". Let them work a manual labor job for 6 months and see how they feel, physically and financially. Maybe there should be an "Undercover Politician" program and let them get into the trenches with the rest of us. There are almost no politicians that have spent time in a "real economy". Once in office there are few, if any, that buy fuel, pay bills, pay mortgages, buy food, pay for vacations, balance a checkbook, etc. You can tell they haven't balanced a personal checkbook by the way they can't balance the government books. It's all political games. Their mouths are moving but the answers don't mean anything in regard to the questions asked.
Stupid is the word that comes to mind. You make statements but you give no facts. Staples is all going overseas? He built and helped companies to make it here in the US not overseas. If Washington was more like a business we all would be better off. Find me one company that does not have finances that are tracked and that the IRS can not audit. The government is does not have that requirement. That is why the DOD told Congress that they don't know where all the money is going. Romney is what we need in the White House and as our President.
Romney's "experience" is almost completely in the corporate world. He touts this as a strength, but it actually makes him terribly unqualified to administer a government. The purpose of corporations is the make money for its investors. This often means laying off thousands of workers, cutting back on health and safety standards, and marketing their products in such a way as to attract maximum profit. Government is designed to provide for the common good, which is often not "profitable." It is not the responsibility of a corporation to ensure that their products are available to all citizens regardless of their profitability. Government, on the other hand, has to work for all of the people, including the poor even though it is not "profitable."
Mitten's only government experience was as governor of Massachusetts, where he was considered a very weak leader (as evidenced by the fact that the Democratic-controlled legislature ran the government).
Bruce you to must have your head in the sand or somewhere else. What are you talking about with the government? The government would make a profit if it did not spend more than it received. As a Budget Analyst and I can tell you if we ran the government more like a business we would be better off. Yes the government should work for the people but not support them in their every need. The government that you claim is for the common good, has made some big mistake and they still are. Just last years Government was 6 months late in passing a budget and when it was said and done it was full of pork. Santorum knows what that smells like he had is head all the way up it with earmarks when he was making the decisions. Example did you know we wasted 7 million dollars in the study of why Monkeys throw their feces. That could have feed a lot of hungery people. That is what is wrong with the government. If you ran a company and you wasted your money on @!$%# you would not last very long. As far as your comment about Romney as the governor of Massachusetts he was a very strong leader he stood up the the Democratic controlled legislature many times he uese his veto more than 19 time. That takes strength not weekness. How many has Obama threaten and how many has he done. So pull your head out and look around you the government that you would like to have is going down the drain and no one is trying to stop it.
I wonder where he spent his time out in the economy? Who paid for it?
It seems to me that everyone just eats up what the media has to say. People need to read about New Gingrich he is a low life. Just take the time and read He abused his power. He can not be trusted.
But the media is just as nice to Santorum but he is just like Newt read below:
Santorum, 53, was a big spender in Congress who voted to raise the debt ceiling and approved such pork-barrel projects as Alaska's Bridge to Nowhere, a tea pot museum in North Carolina and an indoor rain forest in Iowa. (link.reuters.com/nug85s)
Santorum, a lawyer with working-class roots, was 32 when he was first elected to Congress in 1990 from a western Pennsylvania district. He served two terms in the House of Representatives before being elected to the Senate. He served two Senate terms from 1995-2007, before losing his seat in a landslide.
As a senator, Santorum went further, playing a key role in an effort by Republicans in Congress to dictate the hiring practices, and hence the political loyalties, of Washington's deep-pocketed lobbying firms and trade associations, which had previously been bipartisan.
Dubbed "the K Street Project" the Washington street that houses most of these groups, the initiative was launched in 1989 by lobbyist Grover Norquist, whose sole aim, he said, was to encourage lobbying firms to "hire people who agree with your worldview, not hire for access."
But the rubric "K Street Project" came to encompass the entire climate of cozy cooperation between Republicans and lobbyists.
When Republicans won control of the House in 1994, House Majority Leader Tom Delay and others organized regular meetings with lobbyists that reviewed K Street job openings with an eye toward filling them with party loyalists, who would in turn steer support and donations to the members.
By 2001, Sen. Santorum was also holding one-hour breakfast meetings with lobbyists on alternating Tuesday mornings at 8:30 a.m.
In 2004 he denied being involved with Norquist's effort to staff K Street. But Santorum convened Senate Republicans to discuss the appointment of Democrat Dan Glickman as head the Motion Picture Association, according to Roll Call, a newspaper covering Capitol Hill.
"Yeah, we had a meeting, and yeah, we talked about making sure that we have fair representation on K Street. I admit that I pay attention to who is hiring, and I think it's important for leadership to pay attention," he told the paper at the time.
In 2006, as the influence-peddling scandal that sent lobbyist Jack Abramoff to jail unfolded, Santorum said he was ending the breakfasts in his conference room. However, hisstaff confirmed to Washington newspapers that they resumed almost immediately, on the same day and at the same time, at a location off the Capitol grounds.
Abramoff never attended Santorum's breakfasts. "I was focused on the House," he told Reuters. Yet the mushrooming scandal about Abramoff's activities cast a harsh light on all aspects of the lobbyist huddles on Capitol Hill.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a liberal government watchdog group, named Santorum among three "most corrupt" senators in 2005 and 2006, accusing him of "using his position as a member of Congress to financially benefit those who have made contributions to his campaign committee and political action committee."
LIFE AFTER CONGRESS
The blowback from the K Street Project contributed to Sen. Santorum's crushing 18-percentage-point defeat in his 2006 reelection bid. His image as a conservative firebrand who made polarizing comments about abortion, gays and single mothers played a role as well.
A few weeks after he left Congress, although his law license had expired, Santorum landed a job in theWashington office of Pittsburgh-based law firm Eckert Seamans. Lawyers at the firm had given Santorum 45 political contributions totaling $24,400 while he was in Congress, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.
As senator, Santorum "was a friend of the firm," said Timothy Ryan, Eckert Seamans' chief executive officer. Santorum helped make introductions and did other relationship work," including providing Eckert Seamans' clients with business and
strategy counseling, Ryan said.
Since then, thanks to his political contacts, Santorum has cobbled together a comfortable living as a political pundit, policy advocate and corporate consultant. His 2010 financial disclosure form shows that the self-described "grandson of a coal miner" earned at least $900,000 that year.
* Fox News paid him $239,153 to appear as an occasional contributor;
* Radio Salem paid him $83,999 to serve as a guest host on "Bill Bennett's Morning in
America" radio show;
* The Philadelphia Inquirer paid him $23,000 as a freelance columnist.
* The Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative advocacy group, paid him $217,385 as asenior fellow.
Santorum also collected a total of $332,500 in consulting fees from three corporations:
* $65,000 from the American Continental Group lobbying firm
* $142,500 from Consol Energy
* $125,000 from the Clapham Group, a Virginia-based corporation started by longtime Santorum staffer Mark Rodgers. On its website, Clapham says its mission is to "influence culture upstream of the political arena."
"Rick's been around Washington for quite some time," American Continental president David Urban said. "When he looks at the tea leaves he may see things differently than others. We'd chat about which way different pieces of legislation might be heading. He is a very bright guy so I paid for his insight.
American Continental Represents Microsoft, the American Gaming Association, Monsanto and the Association of Mortgage Investors among others.
A spokesperson for Consol Energy (CNX.N) said that they "engaged Senator Santorum to provide strategic counsel on a variety of public policy-related issues."
The most high-profile issue for the company recently has been the gas mining technique called hydrofracking, which critics allege has in some places polluted ground water.
Santorum sang the technique's praises at a campaign stop in Iowa, saying that in Pennsylvania "we are drilling, baby, drilling."
Also during his 2006 reelection bid, Santorum's supporters created a different sort of political action group they named Softer Voices. As a "527" organization under Internal Revenue Service rules, Softer Voices was able to accept unlimited contributions from a small group of wealthy donors.
Because Santorum was struggling with women voters, the group created a website with testimonials from women. The FEC then chided the group for not registering as a political operation, and Softer Voices chose to cease operations.
Read about Newt Gingrich just google: In the Matter of Representative Newt Gingrich. It is the site of Committe on Ethics. Ethics is something Gingrich does not have. It is a good read. It has all the facts and you can see why no one that has ever work with him are not backing him now.
The GOP is about to grasp defeat from the certain jaws of victory. Romney is the only candidate who can win the support of independents. Santorum’s evangelical following may excite a few Republicans but will never have enough support to win. There are not enough registered aliens in outer space to elect Newt or Ron Paul. We need someone with executive and business experience to fix the mess our country is in. The true conservative and our only hope to unseat Obama, which is our ultimate goal is Mitt. Here’s an example of his ‘take charge’ leadership and integrity: http://www.snopes.com/politics/romney/search.asp
If beating Obama isn’t enough to excite the base, then prepare to hand him 4 more years.
The fat lady - you know the one who's cheeks hang over both sides of the Walmart hover cart - has not filled her lungs yet.
And it ain't over till she sings.
Rediculous. Just because you are endorsed by those in congress doesn't mean you are a Washington insider.
Romney wont make wehad already a president with his silver foot in his mouth, we dont need a repeat of another idiot in the white house, Obama will get his second term.
Yes Romney is so squeaky clean, he has nothing to be ashamed of this is one question he won't answer.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/11/01/316040/romney-solamere-ponzi/?mobile=nc
Then there's that other nasty habit of his...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2093241/Mitt-Romneys-family-baptized-Ann-Romneys-atheist-father-Mormon-church-year-AFTER-death.html
No independents, no GOP victory. Romney WILL WIN THIS ELECTION. In November when Obama has 4 more years and you wonder how this could happen, go look in the mirror.
If beating Obama doesn't fire up your base, then be prepared to share the responsibility for 4 more years of Obama.
VOTE ROMNEY 2012
It's over. Let's not get bogged down in details. The worst Recession since the Great Depression has ended. The number crunchers have spoken and reality will soon follow.
Unemployment goes down month by month. Employment goes up. It took 10 years for the Great Depression to end. Obama has managed to make this Great Recession end in just three years!
Still, Romney and Gingrich and Boehner and Trump and McConnell and Canter and Hannity and Limbaugh keep yammering away, feeding us their spoonfuls of pure BS that Obama is some kind of old school socialist, or he's a reincarnated labor leader from the Thirties, or a Commie-Pinko from the Fifties, or God forbid he's from that lowest rung on the ladder of human evolution -- community organizers.
Luckily for us, events have now overtaken them and they can't keep up. Even as the words leave their lips they're history. It's like one of those badly synched movies from the early days of the Talkies -- where you see the actor's lips move but you don't hear the words until a second later.
Still, the Republicans carry on. Despite the competitive glee I feel when I watch them, I still get a pleasant twinge of empathy for their plight. What choice do they have but to slog on? But whether they'll admit it or not, the numbers have spoken and reality will soon follow. It's over. Obama has won.
The government blatantly allowing corporations and industries to evolve to an economy threatening "too big to fail" status clearly says we have lost capitalism and embraced fascism. At this point with the federal collusion over the past 3.5 years with the Federal Reserve, IMF, UN, Goldman Sachs, military contractors and the Oil companies I can't even call this "crony capitalism" anymore. The $16 trillion Obama and the FED shoved out the back door in secret between 2009 and 2010 sealed our fate of losing the dollar as the global currency. There is too much irresponsible debt and currency production for it to be useful anymore. We screwed ourselves good.
It is blatant Fascism as is also evident in the evolution of our law enforcement which is set up more to protect the government from the citizens than the citizens from themselves. The faceless, black militant Gestapo style threatening uniforms armed with automatic weapons and riot control gear are now even in our local law enforcement. The destruction of our civil liberties and the infusion of the military into civilian law enforcement is also a true sign of Fascism.
We are invading countries at the drop of a hat and raiding our Treasury to guard the investor profits of these massively overgrown monopolies of the largest industries in our economy.
Obama is so far in over his head it is frightening. The economy, the government budget, the deficit, the future war with Iran, the removal of the US dollar from global currency, failure of the Euro and the collapse of Europe are all propped up on toothpics. Obama, Congress and most of all the lobby owned press want you to think everything is just fine.
Well drink your Kool-Aid and wave your pom poms for your favorite baby kisser because the s**t is going to hit the fan and these clowns in office and the GOP candidates are not going to help. Ron Paul would try but it is probably way too little way to late. The rest of the country is in total denial and determined to go down with the Titanic.
Adams watch the Kool-aid talk, you read where that came from and if you didnt look to my page for comments I have made on that Kool-aid topic. The watchers will delete your account when referencing Jim Jones Occult incident!
On the rest of it, I agree, we have no protection, and you and I are the ones held accountable for our representatives actions. If a bomb dropped tomorrow they have nice little shelters nearby to protect our so called govt, while you and I are left to deal with the consequences of THEIR actions! Vote Ron Paul even if you have to write him in bc he stands by a hands off policy of policing and ticking off other nations. I am sure if he was elected and another holocaust was about to occur we might step in but only as WE agree to step in. Thats what his whole stance is based on, yours and my decisions not our presidents whims! And he gives you a funny little oxymoron, an anti war republican! How weird is that?
Well, he's an idiot. Or counting on vast numbers to not be paying attention. Because that's what it boils down to - the only way you can con yourself into believing that this man is any kind of outsider is through willful denial of reality. That's why the election is a foregone conclusion and Romney isn't even a remotely legitimate challenge to Obama's re-election attempt.