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Subscribe to RSSSeeking to affirm his conservative credentials in front of a crowd of Republican activists today, Mitt Romney waged a defense of his time as governor of Massachusetts, declaring, “I was a severely conservative Republican governor.”
“I fought against all odds in a deep blue state,” Romney said. “But I was a severely conservative Republican governor. I understand the battles we as conservatives must fight, because I have been on the front lines, and expect to be on those front lines again.”
It was a defense of a part of his record that has come under frequent attack during the course of the GOP primary.
Earlier this morning, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum likened the statewide health care plan Romney launched in 2006 to a "stepchild” of President Obama’s federal program.
Romney’s speech was, in some ways, a vigorous defense of this morning’s broadside from Santorum, who swept a series of primary contests Tuesday night, posing a new threat to Romney’s path to the nomination.
But the defense involved a delicate dance for Romney, who touted his time as governor of Massachusetts, all while railing against career politicians.
“I happen to be the only candidate in this race – Republican or Democrat – who has never worked a day in Washington,” Romney said, adding, “I don’t have old scores to settle, or decades of cloakroom deals that I have to defend.”
“This gathering has always welcomed me,” Romney told the crowd of his record, “and you’ve consistently supported me, not because of my rhetoric, but because of my record in that deep blue state.”
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Sure, we believe you Mr. Flip Romney.
Romney's speech at CPAC was inspiring and he is the best chance we have of fixing our economy. Obama certainly won't do it. Independents who are concerned about the economy and our debt WILL vote for Romney. Obama has destroyed our economy by increasing our debt by 50%, has had no budgets for THREE years, FUDGED the numbers about unemployment, inflation, and jobs"saved". All these people do is spend money we don't have (up to $1.40 spent for every dollar earned).
America has officially hit 100% of debt to GDP, that's in the same category as Greece, Portugal, and Ireland. If Obama is reelected, America's debt is on track to reach $21 TRILLION at the end of his second term and we WILL face a Greece Wall.
Much better, Rational One. You took out "libtards."
While Santorum 'sizzled' - Willard flatly 'fizzled'!
Irrational,
Why can't you put the blame for the recession where it belongs with "W" like any rational person? And why has your party (you are a teaparty republican, be honest!) done nothing but do all it can to kill the economy? We know you are pissed because things are getting better. With McCain we would have been in a depression all of this time.
Anyone who has read one of your posts has read them all! Can't you mix it up a little? You are NOT invited to the Dewdrop Inn!
Rational One, not to throw cold water on your enthusiasm, happy that you were inspired by his words. But Romney's speech sounded like yesterday's reheated mashed potatoes. He gave no specifics on how he plans to fix the economy or anything else for that matter. It was the same old "most powerful military" makes us sound and economically strong baloney that has broken our budgets and deprived this country of other much needed things like infrastructure and education. He threw out the same kind of rah, rah, we're good and Obama's bad, we're the hope of the future fluff as the others.
P.S. When did the economy collapse? Who ran Congress and the White House for 6 years? Who took us into two unfunded wars? Who passed an unfunded Rx drug plan for medicare? Who never paid for one single thing they did? Now, oh Rational One, ask yourself how all that was President Obama's fault.
It's becoming painful to listen to and watch Mittens.
Begging the base to like him. Turning himself into a pretzel trying to please them...It's horrible to want something (the Presidency) so bad but then have to realize you got to become a contortionist..
Poor Mitt!
A person/business doesn't necessarily have to work in Washington. With enough money they can pay a lobbyist to do their bidding/deals for them.
Only if Romney can stop running away from Romney then they might get know him..........and again, that depends on which Romney shows up.
Gosh, so many Republicans are showing signs of short term memory. I myself remember how bad the economy and unemployment were under President Bush and getting worst up to his last days in office.
So actually the truth is, President Obama inherited this incredible brink of depression mess from President Bush, and President Obama has done a great job of turning the country around.
I honestly have to say anyone that doesn't recognize this fact is pretty out of touch with reality.
Thank God for President Obama.
Why does Romney need to put down Obama for being a community organizer at one point in his career? I don't get it. He has also been a professor, lawyer, and senator. I have a newsflash for Mr. Romney--we don't need you to save America from the brink of disaster--Obama already has. You can stop your hyperbolic fearmongering--we ain't buying it!
@All - Wow, of course W. started the wars, caused much of the economic mess we are in, and was a weak president. I will give credit where credit is due. Don't think because I am anti-Obama that I was ever for Bush. However, Obama is MUCH WORSE and has continued this mess on steroids.
If you think we have come off the "brink of disaster", just wait four more years. We WILL hit the Greece Wall with a projected debt/GDP ratio of 138% (we are already at 103%). True Americans will try to prevent that from happening by voting for Romney.
We will be just fine and in great shape with 4 more years with President Obama.
Obama / Biden 2012
Mr. Not-so-rational: I beg to differ with you...I AM a "true American", and I will definitely not be voting for Romney this fall. I have not seen any evidence of his possessing a magic wand that will get rid of the debt, and his plans to lower taxes on the wealthy will only decrease revenue. Furthermore, what's his plan for paying off the war debt incurred by the last Republican president? (And yes, continued, necessarily, by Obama; fortunately, the Iraq War is ending and hopefully, Afghanistan will follow shortly). It's fine for you to bash Obama--that's your right--but you don't tell us how Romney is going to be so much better. In my view, he has several flaws that make him much worse.
@Bethie - The simple fact that Romney will CAP, CUT, and BALANCE the budget will go a LOONG way to fixing our economy. We do NOT have a revenue problem, but a SPENDING problem. Obama is spending $6Trillion/yr, which, on average $2Trillion/yr more than Bush (50% more). The wars were $100B/yr, which is 1/60th of Obama's spending, a small fraction.
Romney has quite an agenda that will help our economy go a lot further...
http://mittromney.com/blogs/mitts-view/2011/09/believe-america-mitt-romneys-plan-jobs-and-economic-growth
We need to get the religious cult's out of our government .This country was founded on freedom not religion ! These cult's are ruining this country. They destroy the very fiber of this great nation .
"I happen to be the only candidate in this race – Republican or Democrat – who has never worked a day in Washington,"
Not to worry, he will never work a day in Washington. His record will stand the test of time.
Mitt should have added---thanks to the $57,000 per day that I earn in interest income from my investments, I actually don't have to work in Washington or anywhere else.
"severely conservative"
OK, that's got to be a dog whistle for something. Death penalty advocates? Throw women in jail who try to get abortions? I mean, really, what is a "severe conservative?"
Amy -
I don't know,I think it's something between "seriously conservative" and "gravely conservative" - but I'm sure it's covered under Romneycare.
Reminded me of the scene in A Few Good Men where Kevin Pollack (sp?) gets on Demi Moore for strenuously objecting to something after their objection's already been over-ruled:
""I strenuously object?" Is that how it works? Hm? "Objection." "Overruled." "Oh, no, no, no. No, I STRENUOUSLY object." "Oh. Well, if you STRENUOUSLY object then I should take some time to reconsider."
Romney will still be strenuously objecting that he's "severely conservative" the day after President Obama's second inauguration.
How great that Mitt ad-libbed that "seriously conservative" line while the rest of his speech was on a .....TELEPROMPTER!!
Yeah, Amy. Picked up on that, too. Except I don't think it's a dog whistle. I imagine everyone in the audience thought it sounded a bit odd, too.
If anything, it's another indicator that he's lying. Who describes what he sees as a positive attribute with the adjective 'severe' in front of it? "I'm severely pissed." Sounds okay. But, "I'm severely happy?"
Besides, anyone who really was 'severely conservative' wouldn't have to explain over, and over, and over, and over... that he was severely conservative. Or as Steeler Fan says, seriously conservative.
Which brings up another joke. I wonder if it was on his teleprompter and Romney misread it? If so, Obama supporters can get a whole lot of mileage out of that one. Yeah, he uses a teleprompter... but at least he can! Lol.
Poor guy. Mitt was supposed to be a shoe-in by now according to the polls and political pundits. To slip so soon from the top and have to go back on the defensive regarding where he stands amongst the rest of the candidates has really got to hurt.
Now he must know how his dog feels up there on the roof alone - no breeze coming in, the elements beating down on him, with the drone of the highway and vibration rattling his cage. Mitt's rattled all right.
Severely conservative eh? Ouch. Does sound like it really hurts.
I'm at a loss for words - and as some of you know, that doesn't happen often.
Can they still nominate this guy? His lack of integrity isn't just a late night monologue joke - it's fodder for intraparty jokes now.
What the Republicans need is a FISCALl conservative that can put together a government willing to cut spending, cut outdated programs, revise the tax codes, and come up with some sources of revenue even if taxes have to be raised. The raising of taxes only after all cuts necessary have been made.
We do not need SOCIAL conservatives such as Santorum nor do we need a Libertarian like Ron Paul. Romney may not be the main choice of Republicans but he is the best chance we have to take back the WH. If republicans have to hold their nose and vote, so be it.
The Republican battle cry has to be the same as Clinton used "IT'S THE ECONOMY STUPID."
That's a new one, just being a conservative republican isn't enough, one must be a "severely conservative republican". Having listened to some of Romney's speech, the audience must have been stacked in his favor or else it was a wild cheering and applause sound track. Come to think of it, every time they cheered and applauded, it did sound just like the previous round.
Money can't buy you love, but it sure can fill the bleachers.
Conservative, moderate, conservative, moderate, conservative, moderate, conservative. It depends on where he is and who he is speaking to which he is. Good ol' Willard just can't help pander to whoever he thinks will help him.
It is never a good sign when someone has to go on the defensive to prove their point.
deep blue state
How did Romney get elected in such a deep blue state anyway? Was he kidnapped?
you tell us you border Mass
Maine borders Massachussetts?
oops my bad, i just drove from Mass to Maine and it was such a short drive I forgot about NH
Mittens is an embarrassment to himself and his severely conservative audience. He should have just gone on the podium, got down on his knees, and begged them to like him. At least it would have been honest.
As an animal lover, I will never forgive him for leaving his sick dog on the roof of the car. If he does that to his own pet, I hate to think what he would do to strays who happened to step a paw on his lawn.
Romney claiming to be a conservative? what a joke...
Romney is a joke. He is so removed from everyday people... he just doesn't have a clue. He thinks collecting $57,000 a day while sitting on his a** is the same as you and me being unemployed. He thinks owning several luxury homes around the country is living on the REAL streets of America. He also thinks travelling miles along the highway with your dog on the roof is normal.
No, my friends, that man is so far removed from normal... its scary.
We knew republicans , not all but most were racists bigots , they have the tea party , now they asked peter brimlow to come to the table , will any of the repugs running for office deny this person !!!!!!! we are waiting and watching !!
"Romulian Romney" is as Conservative as President Jimmy Carter was. The "Romulian" is a "Closet Socialist/Communist," who likes only talking in quiet rooms. He is also the "Speculator and Chief" of the GOP/RNC, and has NO clue what earning a paycheck of his OWN means. Now the "Romulian" is used to spending/speculating with the earned money of others. The "Romulian" is a "Bain Trained" CEO of Bain Capital, and has huge tax questions that he still has to answer too. No one knows poltically, economically, socially, or culturally what the "Romulian" is. He is so "Alien" economically to the Middle Class, the Working Poor, the elderly, and the disabled. That is fact!
Let's talk how nominating Romney will guarantee President Obama 4 glorious more years. Let's talk about electability , 99 % of christians in USA will not vote for a faithful former Mormon Bishop ( still active in his church ) who uses magic underwear , who believes he has no choice but practice polygamy in heaven, who has heard the confession of women …….and yes, yes, the Church has adopted openly anti-feminist positions on political matters like the Equal Rights Amendment. …….. plus
Olympic scandals, and baptizing King Tut, Elvis, the Popes and going to heaven by avoiding coffee, and MUST practice poligamy in heaven because the shortage of righteous men !
Do not believe me...... GOOGLE IT ! Obama Super pack will have a feast !
the weird beliefs of Mormonism
RICK SANTORUM: "We're not going to win this race the way Gov. Romney has won the states he's won already, by outspending his opponent by 5-to-1 and beating them up. He's not going to outspend Barack Obama 5-to-1," Santorum said. "How are you going to win an election if your greatest attribute is `I'll spend more money than the other person'?"
Mormon Problem