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ROYAL OAK, Mich. – In the hours before addressing several hundred Tea Party activists in Milford, Mich. last Thursday, Mitt Romney had another important meeting with a much smaller audience.
In a suburban Michigan home, and in the company of senior aides, Romney spoke for an hour with Bob Ritchie, a Michigander of humble roots and a checkered past, who had risen to prominence in the entertainment industry. According to a Romney aide, the two men spoke for an hour – about Michigan, bringing back Detroit, and about U.S. troops overseas.
“The other day I got in my car and I drove out to a home of a fellow that lives in this area, and I asked him whether he might come here tonight,” Romney told the crowd at a rally here tonight. “I think you know him pretty well. He’s a native son of Detroit, loves Michigan, loves Detroit."
And tonight that meeting paid dividends for Romney. Ritchie, better known as Kid Rock – an often-R-rated musician known his off-stage antics and brushes with the law as much as his musical successes – performed a rousing rendition of his hit song "Born Free" at the conclusion of Romney's final rally before the polls open here in Michigan.
Rebecca Cook / Reuters
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney shakes hands with musician Kid Rock at a campaign stop for Romney's supporters on Feb. 27 in Royal Oak, Mich.
The two struck an odd image together on stage, with Romney in a blazer and button-down shirt, and Kid Rock scruffy in his trademark hat, battered jeans and a leather jacket over a white t-shirt. The two men shared handshakes before and after the performance, and Kid Rock planted a hesitant kiss on Ann Romney's cheek.
But somehow, it all worked, and the single-song concert roused more than a thousand Michiganders to their feet for Kid Rock (and for Romney), just hours before votes are cast in what has become a pivotal primary state.
"Mitt, if you’re elected president, will you help me help the state of Michigan?” Romney said the rock star asked him at their meeting. "I said I would. He said, ‘If you’re elected president, will you help me help the city of Detroit?’ I said I would.
"Then I turned to him, and I said, ‘By the way, given the fact that I’m willing to do those things, will you come here and perform a concert tonight for my friends, and he said he would," Romney continued.
A Romney aide told reporters Kid Rock e-mailed Romney personally the day after their meeting to confirm he would perform at today's event. Since then, the identity of the final rally's "Mystery Musical Guest" had been a closely-guarded secret, with campaign staffers sworn to secrecy. Even the marquee here at the Royal Oak Music Theatre promoted only Romney, and an anonymous musical guest.
Reporters speculated that Kid Rock might be the mystery guest. His song "Born Free" has introduced Romney at nearly every campaign event since December, and the two men's shared affinity for all things Michigan seemed to offer a bridge between their wildly divergent worlds.
Tonight, with the politics behind them (there was a political rally here -- largely forgotten after the musical performance), Mitt and Ann Romney took in the performance from the front row, surrounded by Secret Service agents. They smiled and nodded along to the music, clapping to the beat and taking it all in.
Tomorrow, Michigan votes, and the tune could change.
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Mitt Romney’s Top 10 List
10. “I like those fancy raincoats you bought [to people wearing plastic ponchos]. Really sprung for the big bucks.’”
9. “I know what it’s like to worry about whether or not you are going to get fired. … There are times when I wondered whether I was going to get a pink slip.”
8. “Corporations are people, my friend.”
7. “Rick [Perry], I’ll tell you what: 10,000 bucks? $10,000 bet?”
6. “I get speaker’s fees from time to time, but not very much.” [$374,000]
5. “I have some great friends who are NASCAR team owners.”
4. “Ann drives a couple of Cadillacs.”
3. “I’m not concerned about the very poor. … We have a safety net there.”
2. “I’m also unemployed.”
1. “I like being able to fire people who provide services to me.”
Well that pretty much sums it up.
So, you prefer, as president, a man who solemnly intones that we can solve the energy crisis with seaweed? Given that yet another of his big dollar donors is ready to accept even MORE taxpayer borrowed dollars on that particular fantasy- on the heels of the Dollars to Donors recipients who,promised to solve it with solar panels and battery operated cars- you'd think you'd learn. I guess you like throwing money down rat holes- or maybe you're among the 53% who pay no federal taxes?
Maybe you should join Obama on a trip on the Intercontinental Railroad. Gas is cheaper in Brazil- and maybe Obama would let you join him the next time he scoots down there after sending our armed forces on a "kinetic military action".
Just because the press ignores Obama's idiocy does not mean he is not an idiot. Lucky you have me to keep you informed.
Perhaps you can elaborate on solving the energy crisis with seaweed? I doubt that's true. You probably don't understand the science behind it.
No Joe wants to talk corruption but ignores the Bush Administration actions – here is just one:
In 2002 Halliburton was awarded a 7 billion dollar contract for which only Halliburton was allowed to bid. The very same company headed from 1995 to 2000 by Dick Cheney.
Add it up No Joe, how many BILLIONS has the Obama Administration passed out to his cronies?
BTW - Vice President Dick Cheney’s stock options in Halliburton rose from $241,498 in 2004 to over $8 million in 2005, an increase of more than 3,000 percent, as Halliburton continues to rake in billions of dollars from no-bid/no-audit government contracts.
The Bush administration's energy policy and its $31 billion bill that's emerged in Congress seem to be a pretty sweet deal for big business, including at least one in Georgia.
Administration policy was crafted largely in secret by Vice President Dick Cheney and energy industry executives shortly after President Bush assumed office in 2001. The White House refused on several occasions to make public documents that involved the energy policy discussions, leaving many people skeptical about who truly might benefit from the recommendations sent to Republican leaders in
Congress. Many of the pa icipants were enerous contributors to the Bush-Cheney 2000 election campaign.
http://home.earthlink.net/~acisney6/id45.html
Ken Lay and Enron arranged for Bush campaign aides
and family members to use Enron jets, and even helped to underwrite the 2000 OP convention, the epublican Florida recount campaign and the inauguration. Enron's generosity was rewarded. ompany xecutives enjoyed at least 40 eetings with White House officials in 2001 and met a total of 72 times with fficials from various ederal departments and agencies, including the Commerce Department, the reasury Department, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Federal Energy egulatory Commission and the Export-Import Bank, among other agencies. Lay and ther Enron officials privately advised
Vice President Cheney in 6 closed-door energy policy meetings, exerting nfluence on an energy policy that read like an Enron wish-list with its ommitments to further deregulation of the electricity industry. Much, much more …
http://www.multinationalmonitor.org/mm2004/05012004/may-june04corp5.html
I told you Elvis was still alive!
For heaven's sake, Dennis- grow up.
Ken Lay was a guest at the White House- of Bill Clinton. Was HE responsible for Enron's poor accounting methods? Remember, dear- Enron collapsed just MONTHS after Bush took office. Most of the deceit took place during Cinton's term of office- which has very little to do with anything related to Enron.
You need me to make a list of the number of Obama crony-led companies that took tax payer borrowed dollars to go belly up? Please. I already posted one link-and numerous others in past posts. Do yourself a favor and Google iWatch- they keep on top of this stuff.
As to the seaweed connection- one of Obama's cronies already got about a half billion of our dollars- to supply the Navy with biofuels made from the stuff. Unfortunately, it burns more gasoline, and emits more carbon, than any other biofuel.
In other words, it's snake oil.
By the way- if you DID NOT know that, you're the one who does not understand the science behind it. See, scientists have great ideas, but, sometimes, when trying to bring those great ideas to fruition, the problems get identified. Sometimes they can be overcome- sometimes, the project gets dropped because the problems are overwhelming. This project would have been dropped- but a big dollar Obama bundled had sunk a bunch of money into it- so we taxpayers have to bail him out.
I get that some people have trouble admitting they've been snookered- I guess you're one of them.
Romney supporters listening to a Kid Rock performance? Somehow I don't see Romney supporters being huge fans of Kid Rock.
By the way
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3875941.stm
I suggest you think, then research, before posting.
Otherwise you just embarrass yourself. After all, you spent a good deal of time on a very clever little question about unusual circumstances involving Speakers of the House who became president- only to be proved as wrong as you could be- since Gerald Ford was never Speaker.
Just for you edification- Bush is NOT running for president this year- so, even if you were not off the mark with Enron- so what?
During Obama's Presidency:
1. The US exported more oil than it imported for the first time in 62 years.
2. The number of Oil Drilling rigs has quadrupled.
3. Oil production is the highest it has been in 8 years.
4. Oil production has risen every year since he has become President. (It used to go down).
5. For the first time in 30 years a new Nuclear reactor was approved, in fact it was actually 2 new Nuclear reactors that will be built in Georgia.
6. This President has also pressed for alternative energy sources such as Solar.
Seems you have seaweed in between your ears. (Just kidding of course) The fact is this President is finally a President that is DOING SOMETHING to end the energy crisis.
Oregon, while your oil related comments are true, what yo fail to acknowledge is that it takes between 5-15 years from the beginning of a drilling to the oil getting to market. That would mean that the rise in production has NOTHING to do with Obama. Those drilling rigs were started under previous administrations. Nice try.
5 to 15 years to find oil, drill a hole, pump oil, refine into gas and deliver to gas stations? It only takes 10 years to build a nuclear reactor and if the design is pre-licensed, then it could be done in 7 years. So we are suppose to believe your 5 to 15 years? Additionally, a 10 year spread is quite a lot.
Beyond that here is some additional information:
Rig Count
Oil production graph since 1980
Oil - production rank chart
How oil drilling works
US DOE Enhanced Oil Recovery/CO2 Injection
One private and three public funded studies have recently concluded that global peak conventional oil production was reached in 2006.
http://www.iea.org/Textbase/npsum/weo2010sum.pdf (page 8)
It isn't necessarily a good thing to see the United States exhausting its resources if you ask me.
No illegals I'm running for office for a goodness sake.
Add, "I like cars. My wife drives a Cadillac. Two of them."
Oh, and add: "I don't follow Nascar racing all that much, but I have friends who own Nascar teams". Seriously, Romney couldn't fake being "one of the people" or "an average Joe" if his elite, privileged life depended on it. I have no problem with his wealth, but with his disconnect, and with the facade that he attempts to cover this with.
I have no problem with his wealth, but with his disconnect, and with the facade that he attempts to cover this with.
You're one of guys that always say its not the money it's the principle.
Sorry it's always about the money.
Kid Rock has done more for the City of Detroit and the State of Michigan than Obama will ever do.
Yes, many of us are big Kid Rock Fans. Hard for you Libs to believe since you only seem to get your news here and have stereotyped all of the people who oppose Obama as "Old White Men".
Nice story Garret. Painting Kid as a "an often-R-rated musician known his off-stage antics and brushes with the law as much as his musical successes".
Could you be more Biased? "Tomorrow, Michigan votes, and the tune could change."
Holy Crap!
Actually here in Michigan he is as well known for his philanthropic activities as he is for his music.
He was given an award by the NAACP last year for those efforts in fact.
But Garret, I'm sure you knew that. Must have forgot to put it in the story.
How did you feel about Common at the White House?
WCA- I agree, I like Kid Rock a lot, but I think I've lost some respect for him, I never thought in a million years he'd support Mitt Romney, I figured he'd lean more with "Willie and Waylon and the boys" ;)
Do you have a source for that? Not questioning your integrity I just would like to read about it myself.
I still think my reply to Nojoe.... was accurate.
So Kid Rock wants to see the auto industry close up shop? Well, whoda thunk? I would have thought Mi. valued the auto industry.
Yep Mitts, is really for the American Middle Class...
The people aren't buying what he's selling....
Whose Policies Favor the Middle Class?
And, yet AGAIN, Mitt shows how TWO FACED he really is!! And Kid Rock fell for his LIES! "I will help Detroit"...do what? Go BANKRUPT??
Kid Rock....what are you thinking???? I couldn't agree with Jo-An 435 more.....what are you going to help Detroit do? Romney would have thrown the auto workers and the millions tied to it under the bus.....Wow ....Kid I think you make a huge mistake agreeing to support Romney in this election....I know I will never support your music until you publicly announce your opposition to Mr. Romney's distaste and disconnect when it comes to the American Blue collar worker......
@Gayle189,
I find it interesting, it seems Kid wasn't particularly happy to do this one song gig, BUT HE did IT! I have to wonder what Romney promised him!!
Wow....makes me dislike Romney even more than I already do. Did not think that was possible, but anything associated with Kid Rock is laughable.
Actually, Kid Rock is helping to revitalize Detroit. He opened a local brewery and is employing people who live in the city. He promotes the city everywhere he goes. What, exactly, have you done that is on par with what he has done?
I'm not a huge Kid Rock fan but I dislike Mullet's much more.
So true...mullets were so yesterday...
Someone should have told Kid Rock that Romney would sell his first born to be president. Making empty promises to a long hair rocker type means nothing. He makes promises he's not going to keep every freakin day.
EXACTLY!!
sheeesh...
Gives new meaning to the "strange bedfellows" theme!
I wonder if Santorum has Madonna on speed-dial?
Well, he does seem to have Dave Mustaine from Megadeth in his camp. I think it's time for a Battle of the Bands! Winner gets to tell everyone what to do with their genitalia!
Amazing.
An artist supporting a hate organization that tried to outlaw both the arts and science.
Its like all the trailer park right-wingers on welfare voting for the people who promise to end welfare.
When DID we enter the Age of Stoopid and how the hell do we get out of it?
I would venture to say we entered the Age of Stoopid right around Tuesday January 20, 2009...and it should end right around Sunday January 20, 2013.
Did Mitt get up and sing?
Thanks! I bet if he sang the "cowboy" song I'd lose it completely. Bad mental picture.
YES!! Makes me want to throw up...
sorry Rick Santorium.
They are BOTH nuts and out of touch.
President Obama for President 2012!
How interesting the image management here with the convenient timing of the one-two punch with a recent governor's formal endorsement and now the informal, man of the people event at the last minute. How long can it last? And how will such image management be conducted in the Oval Office and what will the real Romney be like in and out of the White House?
Hopefully we'll never get to find out.
"I can't beat Mitt Romney" Barack Obama. "I'm begging all you blind sheep to H-E-L-P me"
“A vote for Rick Santorum is a vote for me” Barack Obama “Democrats, cross the line and vote for me, I know you don’t like me, but it helps Obama if I beat Romney” Rick Santorum. ANYTHING SEEM STRANGE HERE? Michigan vote ROMNEY.
Romney Beats Obama, no one else comes close. Don’t be played for a sap. Good for the Kid......
Kid Rock sucks!
That pretty much sums up his musical talent right there.
I am down grading Kid Rock to Zero. I know he came from money but I thought he was more than that, but I guess not since he is now attached to Rommey.
Congratulations to Mr. Romney on Kid Rock's endorsement. It will be funny if it turns out the Tea Party doesn't like Kid Rock. Then this endorsement won't help at all because he won't even get the nomination.
I hope Kid Rock has a LARGE home because Romney would "help" Detroit by dismantling it and selling it to the highest bidders, Leaving several hundred thousand people jobless, homeless, and another city destroyed just like the string he left behind running Bain.
Detroit has been destroyed for decades already.
Detroit, like most large Democrat controlled cities are among the poorest cities in the country.
Bo- I would LOVE to know what you are referring to with the "dismantling"comment. Romney had an overwhelmingly positive record at Bain- The list is long on the companies he helped to either create or save. Yes, there were some failures- buy the idea that Bain was a "Vulture Capitalist" company is incorrect- they were Venture capitalists- BIG difference! The dismantling of a company is always the absolute LAST resort, and it happened rarely in Romney's tenure.
If you are referring to the bankruptcy he advocated- it was the right course of action if it had happened immediately and not after the UAW was paid off.
You obviously know nothing about Chapter 11 bankruptcy law or what Bain Capital did for MANY companies. Romney KNOWS business- do you?
But, Lloyd, Romney did NOT suggest a Chapter 11, he suggested a Chapter 7, LIQUIDATION...The auto companies needed CASH to file a Ch 11, no private companies had or would lend them the money...NOT BAIN either...
This is why the government stepped in and gave them the cash they needed in order to file a Chapter 11 and REORGANIZE!!
Romney didn't think they could pull off an 11 and if you think he did...I have some waterfront property, REAL CHEAP, in ARIZONA!
It must be nice to be a multi-millionaire wannabe politician with a bottomless money pit of a political organization to supplement the purchase of your position thus far. Please, check out the video of his campaign passing out "hand-made" signs for his stops across Arizona. Priceless? Only because he can't pay someone to take it off or youtube maybe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GkR4dIHKKE&feature=g-all-f&context=G28fe811FAAAAAAAAAAA
I didn't know Kid Rock fans had a deep intellect or cared about politics. I don't think most of them know Romneys policies would screw them real good. Hey at least Kid Rock would get a good tax cut...
Wow, that's too bad. I kinda liked Kid Rock's music. Now it will never be the same because he is an idiot.
I just can't believe that a man, Mitt Romney, would put his dog in a box, put the box on his car and drive his family and the dog to Canada. What a foolish idea!
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012
Darrell, Issa, Chris Christie, John Mica, Virginia Foxx, Bob McDonnell, Jan Brewer, and now Kid Rock? With support like that, who needs competitors?
Pandas might be an endangered species, but Panderers are all too prolific.
Kid Rock has always been a cracker skank, so the only suprise is he didn't go for Newt.
Was this an actual endorsement or a paid gig? I'm sure for the right price, Romney could get Flava Flav to perform.
I think it's cute how the article put this the single-song concert roused more than a thousand Michiganders to their feet for Kid Rock (and for Romney), correctly making Romney an afterthought for those cheering tea partiers.
Kid Rock put the PARTY in the Tea Party.
Who is Kid Rock? Who Cares?
Oh wow, Kid Rock. Never new Willard was such a hard core Rocker.
This could spell disaster for the Democrats. I mean, how could we ever hope to respond to such incredible talent as this??? Whatever can we do folks when faced with an overwhelming onslaught of incredible talent like Kid Rock???????????????
Uh, well let's see; Springstein, Bono, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Sir Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Dixie Chicks, Jackson Brown, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, Peter, Paul & Mary, Bett Midler, Diana Ross, John Fogarty, John Mayer, John Mellencamp, Bon Jovi, Madonna, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Natalie Cole, Mick Jagger, Patti Labelle, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Wonder, Tim McGraw, Willie Nelson, Faith Hill........
Somehow, impossible as it may seem, I think we'll find a response for Willard.
Willie Nelson already supports Gary Johnson.
John Mayer and Tony Bennett support Ron Paul along with Kelly Clarkson, Michelle Branch, Prodigy, Joe Perry, Barry Manilow, etc...
I did find this list for you though:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Barack_Obama_presidential_campaign_endorsements,_2012#Musicians
I don't have time to go through the rest of your list, but I don't see any of them on President Obama's list.
Ted Nugent and Kid Rock - now there's a Conservative, patriotic, country-loving ticket!
Another reason to be a Kid Rock fan........
Another reason? ANOTHER reason? What is the first reason?
His off stage antics and problems with the law or his R rated lyrics?
WOW.
Then you must realy hate black people and Hip-Hop........what a shame.
Hate Black people and Hip Hop?
It has nothing to do with color. Love Jazz, The Blues, Old School Rhythm and Blues, Motown, the Banjo, Reggae, Afro-Caribbean, Gospel, etc.
Hip Hop? Meh.
I like Music, when a person can actually hit the notes without using an Auto-Tune device.
When there are instruments actually being played by humans instead of a computer.
You know - MUSIC.
What is sad is you think the only music that Black culture has ever done is Hip Hop. WOW.
PS
Kid Rock is White.
I should have added, KR does a variety of styles, he just is mediocre in my opinion.
It doesn't take much talent to scream.
The ONLY reason he has a name is because of the R rated Lyrics and his behavior.
Other musicians are famous for much the same but some of them can actually play.
His live shows are great.......
.your description in 26.1 is dead on for the majority of Hip hop artist......wanted to know if you only dislike the artist that support Republicans......you explained otherwise!!!!......check out #29.1 also for where I was coming from with the 26.2. hip hop example
Sex and controversy sell........Hip Hop music industry motto........not my favorite style either JO