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KNOXVILLE, TN-- Mitt Romney took a daylong break from a marathon Ohio campaign swing to make two appearances in southern states his own campaign advisers admit he's unlikely to win, for one simple reason: He's hunting Super Tuesday delegates.
Romney made quick stops in an Atlanta suburb and in Knoxville, Tennessee today -- strategically selected locations in states Romney advisers say he is unlikely to carry, but where the campaign sees delegate pickup opportunities.
"I don't know if we have any realistic expectation of beating Newt Gingrich in his home state," Romney senior adviser Eric Fehrnstrom told reporters traveling with the candidate today. "But we look to taking some delegates out. Same thing in Tennessee."
In Georgia, Romney's team has targeted downtown and suburban Atlanta districts, where Romney performed well four years ago, with one senior adviser comparing the demographics of suburban Atlanta to those of Oakland County -- Romney's home county in Michigan -- which he won with fully fifty percent of the vote last week.
Today in Snellville, east of Atlanta, Romney drew an overflow crowd for a pancake brunch that morphed into a town hall. He told voters in the overflow room he felt good about his fifth-straight victory in Washington state Saturday, and later gamely passed out breakfast to voters -- never serving up more than subtle criticism of his republican rivals, and focusing his ire on President Obama.
In Tennessee, Romney has relied on deep bench of establishment support, including a clutch of congressmen, Senator Lamar Alexander and Governor Bill Haslem, to buoy his campaign's efforts. Former Senator Rick Santorum, now widely considered to be Romney's chief rival for the nomination also failed to get on the ballot in some Tennessee districts, further opening the door for Romney to slip away with southern delegates.
Today's campaign event in Knoxville was his first public event in the state this cycle. Introduced by Haslem, Romney was in a confident mood, congratulating the state's famous basketball team, the Lady Vols, and reminiscing about the Davy Crockett theme song from his boyhood.
Romney's confidence pervaded campaign staff, with Fehrnstrom describing the candidate as "thrilled" by the Washington state victory, and brandishing statistics about the New Hampshire and Florida contests to fend off the narrative.
"If you look at New Hampshire, Mitt Romney won by a bigger percentage than Ronald Reagan, and I don’t remember anybody saying Ronald Reagan had a problem connecting with people," Fehrnstrom said. "You look at Florida; Mitt Romney got more votes than any Republican ever in a presidential primary."
But even as the campaign works to highlight the importance of winning delegates, Fehrnstrom told reporters that in the end, the way to silence Romney's critics who say he cannot connect would be simple: win.
"We’re just going to keep focusing on racking up wins, and I think that answers the question," Fehrnstrom said.
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Will Mr. Romney denounce Rush Limbaugh's attack on Ms. Sandra Fluke - and upon women's equal accesss to affordable health care?
So far, Romney has said he supports all the anti-women positions of the Far Right.
So why, reading about Romney's search for southern delegates I suddenly think of Elmer Fudd? "Shhh! Be vewy, vewy quiet. I am hunting wabbits!"
Hey Garret, are those Delegates the size of Rodents, since thats what Malibu Mitt says he Hunts for nowadays?
Occupy SoggyBottom!
Bain Capital is one of the primary owners of Clear Channel, Bain Capital is a major source of Romney campaign funding, Clear Channel is the host of Limbaugh's program.
Why would Romney decry Limbaugh when the revenues Limbaugh generates have a 2-step journey directly to Romney?
Let's see where this goes as the 7th advertiser on Limbaugh's show leaves the Clear Channel network.
What a bunch of hooey! The liberals can dish it out, but they can't take it. It's perfectly OK for Ed Shultz to call Laura Ingram a slut on the air and get away with it... not a word from the liberals about women's rights, or denigrating women... Not one PEEP! Let a conservative do it and all hell breaks out.
This is symptomatic of the problem with the left. They are so hell bent on destroying the right they accept the hypocritical actions of their own kind. They quest to destroy the right, but let the right say they want to make Obama a one term president and again, all hell breaks out.
Talk about playing the public like a fiddle... an ideology with nothing but loser ideas and a crybaby attitude... no wonder this country is in the shape it's in... look who's running the show.
What post were you replying to Brian? Looks like you are having a conversation with yourself about a topic that is not even being discussed.
Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (R-Fla.), in response to the Rush Limbaugh-Sandra Fluke controversy, told the host of Meet the Press Sunday, "I don't know any woman in America, David, that thinks that being called a slu t is funny."
This comes less than two months after the Florida Congresswoman appeared on vulgarian Bill Maher's HBO program Real Time !
"REP. SCHULTZ: Yes. Mitt Romney. What, what woman in America--and Rush Limbaugh, in that apology, said that he was trying to be humorous. I don't know any woman in America, David, that thinks that being called a slu t is funny."
But Maher thinks that's funny and so do his fans.
On March 18, 2011, to cheers and applause, the host of HBO's Real Time called former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin a "dumb twa t."
Then, according to the Dallas Voice, while performing at the Winspear Opera House nine days later, Maher called Palin a "cun t."
If slu t is so offensive to Wasserman Schultz, shouldn't "dumb twa t" and "cun t" also be?
Apparently not... for on January 13, 2012, the Congresswoman appeared on Maher's HBO show. And her boss Obama took a $1 million dollar contribution from Maher.
First of all, Sarah Palin is in the public domain - she is a politician and is fair game. She is not a private citizen. I heard "Morning Joe" making the same argument which I find ridiculous. He's a proponent of "free speech" until it comes to someone on his side.
I am not one to call other people names, but I do have opinions, I do not think it is right that I have to pay for anyone's birth control except my own, if this young woman wants to have sex, then she should be responceable for her own behavior, don't make me pay to protect her.
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Other industrialized nations, eg. across Europe, have made women's birth control free for DECADES.
Across the border in Canada, this is also true.
Insurance companies make $Billions off our premiums that are not given to us in health care, but stay in their pockets.
Women have babies, not men. That is being responsible, no?
Mothers need to space their children and plan their families so that their own health remains strong. Strong enough to take care of their families. Birth control can help with cysts and all kinds of illnesses as well. It is a win-win.
Guys' viagara etc. is also covered.
Doris - she was testifying on behalf of women who have suffered because birth control was NOT COVERED BY THE INSURANCE SHE AND THOSE OTHER WOMEN pay for while they are in school. No cost to taxpayers, only to those who pay the premium for the insurance. No cost to the school, only to those who pay the insurance premium.
Get it? the discussion was completely and entirely about having to pay for prescriptions and procedures ABOVE AND BEYOND the premiums they pay for their OWN insurance...and since you have not stated you are a student, paying the premiums on the same policy as these women, no one is "asking" you to do anything except pay attention.
It's amazing to me that with all of Romney's money he is still behind in Tennessee, Oklahoma and Ohio. He will probably rally and win one or two of them, but his money and organization advantages are staggering. Additionally, he has that big bloated SuperPac helping him. Romney is the opposite of alchemy.
here's the difference between people making fun of Ingram or Palin, and using vulgar terms to do it, and what Limbaugh did. Ingram/Palin are professionals who gladly wade into the deep waters of politics and take their own shots. What each of them has said about the professional is disrespectful but all part of politics. The young lady Limbaugh attacked was a college student testifying before a congressional committee. BIG difference...almost as big as Rush's big fat butt.