January 11, 2008
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: To the audio sound bites of the Republican debate. This is in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We'll start with Huckabee. The Fox moderator, Carl Cameron, said, "Governor Huckabee, your advisor, Ed Rollins, recently said the Reagan coalition of economic, social, and national security conservatives is gone. You've been quoted as saying that you're not running for another Reagan term. Tell us, sir, what part of the coalition is gone and what has it been replaced by?"
HUCKABEE: The Reagan coalition has certainly not seen those same middle-class, working-class Republicans feeling a part of the Republican Party as they should. Over the years, sometimes Republicans have thought that one part of that coalition was more important than the other. I think they're all important, and we need to recapture them. But we need to make sure that we can communicate that our party is just as interested in helping the people who are single moms, who are working two jobs, and still just barely paying the rent; as we are the people at the top of the economy.
RUSH: That's exactly right, folks! We've gotta talk to these people making a hundred grand who have to take public transport. We have to reach out to these single moms whose 18-year-old daughters have to wake up an hour early in Los Angeles, to take public transportation to go to the ice cream scooping job. We have to acknowledge that this suffering and this pain is going on and that we're going to have, what? A new Reagan coalition of Big Government to fix it! That's not what conservatism is. It's not what Reaganism was. Reaganism did not steer such people to the governments for solutions. Reaganism steered people inwardly. It steered people to themselves. It inspired people to realize that they could be far better than they thought they could be, that they had more potential than they realized. Reagan conservatism had as its purpose the uplifting of all people, not looking at people and seeing them as members of groups and bestowing victim status or sympathy upon them and saying, "I, a politician, in Washington will fix you." In the meantime, we have Governor Huckabee who continues to use this line -- and I'm going to have to paraphrase it.
He keeps using this line about, "I'd rather get to know the guy that I work with than the guy who fired me or what have you." Yeah. Yeah. "People would rather vote for the guy they work with than the guy that laid 'em off." Now, I'm going to repeat something. I'm 56 years old. Throughout my life, there has not been one CEO... (interruption) I'm 56, Dawn! Nitpickers. All right, 57 tomorrow. You know what else I just found out? Dawn put 58 candles in the cake! One to grow on. All right, 57, whatever. That's fine. I've always wanted to be older. This is another thing. I've always wanted to be older because I knew the older I got, the better life would be, and it's been the case. Every year has been better than the previous for me, and I knew it would. That's why when I was 16, I wanted to be 30. Well, I wanted to be 21. When 21, wanted to be 26. Twenty-six, wanted to be 30. When I was 30, I wanted to be 40 because I wanted to get all that behind me. They don't let you enjoy life in this country 'til you're 40. They don't let you make any money in this country 'til you're 40, unless you luck out and end up on Wall Street. Some of those guys make money, but those are exceptions to the rule.
Anyway, I have not lost my place. In all my life, this hasn't been one Big Oil CEO, hasn't been one Big Drug CEO. There hasn't been a CEO of any organization that did me any harm. There hasn't been one CEO that could! I don't care how much the guy made or she made; I don't care what they were being paid. Throughout the course of my life, there has not been one CEO of any large- or medium-size American corporation who has harmed me, who has tried to harm me, or who could. But throughout my life, there have been politicians too numerous to mention who could cause me great angst with policies of increased taxes, increased regulation, and telling me what I can and can't do with my land, telling me what I can and can't do with my lights nine months a year because of a bunch of turtles; telling me what kind of lightbulbs I can't use in 2012; telling me what kind of stupid little car I have to drive in 12 years. But no CEO is telling me this. So this business about, "We've gotta start understanding victims out there and that we offer solutions when government programs," you can call it what you want, and you can espouse that and be for it. Do not call it Reaganism. Do not call it conservatism.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: You just heard Huckabee say, in defining Reaganism, "We need to make sure that we communicate that our party is just as interested in helping the people that are single moms, who are working two jobs, still just barely able to pay the rent as we are the people at the top of the economy." Now, that, I have to tell you, it offends me because the whole point of Ronald Reagan conservatism was to be interested in just that group. This is a media myth. It's a cliché that conservatives only care about the rich.
For crying out loud, in the Obama Stack, wait 'til you hear who it's been that's been bankrolling Obama! Major corporations, nuclear power energy companies, George Soros. The Democrat Party today has more wealthy constituents in its states and districts than the Republican Party does. It's another myth just like the Democrats are directly responsible for making the civil rights movement happen. It's not true! And that's why I cringe when I hear Republicans like Governor Huckabee falling into this trap, or maybe purposely going into it, implying that Republicans don't care about the downtrodden. The whole point of conservatism is to lift the downtrodden. The whole point of liberalism is to keep 'em suppressed and then lower the rich and punish achievement! It's so damned obvious all you have to do is take a look at what they say and what they propose! The economy is going great. People in the lower income brackets are moving out, moving up during the last eight years. This is frankly absurd for a Republican candidate to start running and talking that the Republicans don't care about little people. So here's Fred Thompson and what he said about that.
THOMPSON: Governor Huckabee's campaign manager said it accurately in terms of what they believe. They believe that it is over. This is a battle for the heart and soul of the Republican Party and its future. On the one hand, you have a Reagan revolution; you have the Reagan coalition of limited government, and strong national security. On the other hand, you have the direction that Governor Huckabee would take us in. He would be a Christian leader, but he would also bring about liberal economic policies, liberal foreign policies.
RUSH: And, you know, now, this was unique. This has not happened to date in Republican debates with a Republican calling another Republican a liberal. And this is why Fred was considered to be on fire. He continued.
THOMPSON: He believes we have an arrogant foreign policy in the tradition of blame-America first. He believes that Guantanamo should be closed down and those enemy combatants brought here to the United States to find their way into the court system eventually. He believes in taxpayer funded programs for illegals, as he did in Arkansas. He has the endorsement of the National Education Association, and the NEA said it was because of his opposition to vouchers. He said he would sign a bill that banned smoking nationwide. So much for federalism, so much for state's rights, so much for individual rights. That's not the model of the Reagan coalition. That's the model of the Democratic Party.
RUSH: Where has this been? Everybody is asking, "Where has this been," besides on this program? Where has this been in the context of the Republican debates? When I got home from dinner last night and started checking e-mail both from friends and just others, it was just shy of orgasmic -- there was so much excitement and happiness, and people were also frustrated, where's this been? Fred's finally come alive. This is an annunciation of the conservative agenda that has not been present in their debates before, and everybody has known, a lot of people have known it's there. It just hasn't surfaced. So now, because of Fred's stellar performance last night -- I should say Senator Thompson's stellar performance, guess what's happening? It's predictable. The Drive-Bys, media commentators, the pundits who ought to be so ashamed of blowing New Hampshire as badly as they did, they shouldn't be able to show their face, they suffer no embarrassment whatsoever, they are saying it's too little, too late. We had two states. We had the Hawkeye Cauci; we've had New Hampshire. We had two states. It's too late? Fred doesn't have a chance? Just wait 'til we get to these states where there are full-fledged conservative Republicans, not like New Hampshire, where McCain won the election with Democrats and independents. Mitt Romney got a majority of the Republican vote in New Hampshire. But the Republicans, in a Republican primary, were outnumbered by Democrats and independents.
Speaking of New Hampshire, Dennis Kucinich wants a recount, not because of him. He thinks something's really strange here. He thinks these polls are not that wrong, he thinks there's something astray, something wrong, and he wants an investigation. Precisely because he wants one is why we won't get one. The Drive-Bys are never going to do a story on Democrat voter fraud, even if it happened, they're never going to do that. It will stoke up the kooks. I mean the kooks are demanding it on Democrat Underground and so forth. The Drive-Bys are trying to write off our good guys, and they're going to have to be stopped. They're trying to write off genuine conservatives and prop up those who are not genuine conservatives on the Republican side. They are trying to tell us who will win South Carolina, who's going to win Michigan. They already got it on the books. And when that happens, it's the end of Romney, it's the end of Fred, probably the end of Rudy, leaving us with McCain and Huckabee before we even get to states with genuine conservative Republican voters. The Drive-By Media, all these pundits, are trying to dictate the terms of this election and ultimately back their guy on our side, and their guy on our side is the guy they think will be most easily beaten by their real guy on the Democrat side, or girl, depending on how it ends up.
And I frankly, folks, I don't think even you, and you in this audience are among the most engaged, you are the most informed and the most knowledgeable of all broadcast media, according to the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. I think even some people in this audience don't realize the extent to which the media is attempting to dictate the terms of our primary elections. They're using phony polls; the nonstop commentary trying to demoralize conservatives; the media's unwillingness to actually report, for example, on Senator McCain's record. They have their techniques, and they are in full use right now. It's plain as day for me to see. The Drive-Bys are not just trying to help the Democrats. They helped the Democrats by hurting us. They will always tell you, the Drive-By Media will always tell us, ladies and gentlemen, just who is and who isn't a conservative on the Republican side. Brit Hume said, "Governor Huckabee, did the American commander in the Strait of Hormuz yesterday make the right decision by responding passively when approached aggressively by the Iranian fast books believed to be from the Revolutionary Guards? He also received a warning that said the American ships might be about to blow up, did he make the correct call, sir?"
HUCKABEE: I'm going to trust that the president, with the information that he had and that those commanders had, made the right decision. I think we need to make it very clear, not just to the Iranians, but to anybody, that if you think you're going to engage the United States military, be prepared not simply to have a battle. Be prepared, first, to put your sights on the American vessel. And then be prepared that the next thing you see will be the gates of Hell, for that is exactly what you will see after that.
RUSH: Oh, yeah, right on, right on, right on, people got all excited about that. I have a question. Sorry, ladies and gentlemen, I have a question. We've gone from, "We need to treat the enemies of the United States, terrorists and so forth, with the Golden Rule, do unto them as we would have them do unto us," whatever it is, vice-versa. Apparently that's not playing well, because now if you're one of our enemies, and you target our military, you better be ready for the gates of hell from Governor Huckabee. So we're getting a, how do we say, a more strident tone here. Sometimes it's tough to keep up, even for somebody like me.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: A few more sound bites from the Republican debate last night. Brit Hume said, "Senator Thompson, did the commander on the ground make the correct call in not blowing the Iranian ships out of the water?"
THOMPSON: You can't take the judgment like that out of the hands of the officers on the ground there. I think one more step, you know, and they would have been introduced to those virgins that they're looking forward to seeing.
AUDIENCE: (laughter)
RUSH: Wendell Goler of Fox News asked Senator Thompson, "Would your administration continue to back Pakistani President Musharraf despite polls that show two-thirds of the Pakistani people want him to resign?"
THOMPSON: Oh, my goodness, go against a poll?
AUDIENCE: (laughter)
THOMPSON: How can anybody ever do that? In the first place, you can tell that the news is good news coming out of Iraq because you read so little about it in the New York Times.
AUDIENCE: (laughter and wild applause)
RUSH: Where has this stuff been? I'm trying to race through this. It speaks for itself. But Fred really scored some exciting points himself last night. It was fascinating, too. I went to a bunch of different websites, and the evangelicals thought that Huckabee just owned the night. Look, I learned in '92: You're not going to talk people who have an emotional connection to anything about it. You may be able to emotion them out of it, but I don't have that ability. You're not going to be able to talk 'em out of it. Chris Wallace said, "Governor Huckabee, in your ten years running Arkansas, you raised taxes. They were higher at the end of your ten years than they were at the beginning by hundreds of millions of dollars, and you increased the size of government. Is that your idea of change, to be a Big Government Republican president?"
HUCKABEE: My idea of government is to get the job done and make sure that you balance your budget, that you respond to the needs of your people. I don't think the federal government needs any more money. That's why I've signed a pledge that I would not raise taxes as president. Let me tell you what I raised, Chris. I raised hope. I raised expectations of the kids in my state who didn't have a decent education, and our courts ordered us to put more money into it. And rather than just act about my political future, I acted about the future of those kids. I raised the quality of life by making sure that education and health and highways, were accessible to every kid in that state.
RUSH: Well... That's a first: Making highways accessible to kids? Was that Obama? Can I ask you, was that Obama speaking? That was Huckabee? It says here on my sound bite audio roster that that was Huckabee. You know, my hearing is such that sometimes I can't distinguish voices. Was that Obama? Tell me! (interruption) That was Huckabee, using Obama's lines. "Highways are accessible to every kid in the state." "I raised hope." "I didn't raise taxes, I raised hope." Raising taxes, increasing taxes equals increasing hope or raising hope? Boy, Obama, what an orator! What a soaring guy. Rudy Giuliani said this about the concept of "change."
GIULIANI: Change is either good or bad, and when you just say "change," if the change that you're talking about is raising taxes, if the change that you're talking about is pulling out of Iraq precipitously, if the change that you're talking about is socialized medicine, these are definitely changes, but they're changes in the wrong direction. If the change is in the direction of lower taxes, less spending, giving parents choice over education, energy independence, these are things that are going to make a brighter future and a better America. But just the word "change" doesn't connote good or bad. You've gotta get one step beyond that and start looking at the changes.
RUSH: Here is Wendell Goler of Fox News: "Senator Thompson, the governor says that 12 million people would be looked at individually. How would you find them," this is an immigration question, "and can you do it faster than he would, sir?"
THOMPSON: We would be a nation of high fences and wide gates, and we get to decide when to open the gate and when to close it. It's not just 12 million people. We have to be concerned about another 12 million people. I disagree with my friend John McCain on the bill that they proposed last year. I disagree with my friend Governor Huckabee when he supported in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, when he fought the legislature when they tried to impose verification requirements (Bing! Bing!) before a person could vote so you could determine they were American citizen. I think that we have got to enforce the border, crack down on employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants, and stop sanctuary cities and policies that encourage people to continue across the border while we claim to be trying to enforce the border.
RUSH: Well, it was a long time coming, but there it is: Some actual conservatism in the Republican debate last night. Now, one thing you might have noticed if you watched the debate last night: Nobody went after McCain. What you just heard Thompson say (Thompson impression), "I disagree with my friend John McCain on that immigration bill he proposed," and then he launched into Huckabee. Now, Thompson spent most of the time going after Huckabee, which is understandable. He and Huckabee might be vying for the same voters in South Carolina. (sigh) I'm not a campaign strategerist, but I think the Thompson campaign has gotta go after everybody, and especially has to go after McCain. Nobody went after McCain last night. I mentioned this earlier. Nobody on that panel, and McCain is s the anointed front-runner by the Drive-Bys, and everybody (interruption). Yeah, immigration came up at the end, but they're still a little -- not a little, they're a lot -- afraid to go after McCain here. By the way, can I ask you a question? No matter how McCain does, nobody is saying he has to win this state or has to win that state or get out and he's finished. Nobody. Same with Huckabee. Only Thompson, only Romney, and only Giuliani are the Drive-Bys saying, "If Romney doesn't win Iowa, he's finished! If he doesn't win New Hampshire, he's finished. If he doesn't win Michigan, he's done."
"If Rudy can't put that machine back together real fast, Florida is going to come too late. He's done, too! He doesn't have a chance."
"Thompson? Why, it's a joke? Why, Thompson doesn't have enough time! He got in too late!"
But they never say, "Huckabee needs to win this race, or he's fini," or, "if McCain loses this state where he's so up, if he loses, oh, it's over."
They're not saying that.
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: To the audio sound bites of the Republican debate. This is in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We'll start with Huckabee. The Fox moderator, Carl Cameron, said, "Governor Huckabee, your advisor, Ed Rollins, recently said the Reagan coalition of economic, social, and national security conservatives is gone. You've been quoted as saying that you're not running for another Reagan term. Tell us, sir, what part of the coalition is gone and what has it been replaced by?"
HUCKABEE: The Reagan coalition has certainly not seen those same middle-class, working-class Republicans feeling a part of the Republican Party as they should. Over the years, sometimes Republicans have thought that one part of that coalition was more important than the other. I think they're all important, and we need to recapture them. But we need to make sure that we can communicate that our party is just as interested in helping the people who are single moms, who are working two jobs, and still just barely paying the rent; as we are the people at the top of the economy.
RUSH: That's exactly right, folks! We've gotta talk to these people making a hundred grand who have to take public transport. We have to reach out to these single moms whose 18-year-old daughters have to wake up an hour early in Los Angeles, to take public transportation to go to the ice cream scooping job. We have to acknowledge that this suffering and this pain is going on and that we're going to have, what? A new Reagan coalition of Big Government to fix it! That's not what conservatism is. It's not what Reaganism was. Reaganism did not steer such people to the governments for solutions. Reaganism steered people inwardly. It steered people to themselves. It inspired people to realize that they could be far better than they thought they could be, that they had more potential than they realized. Reagan conservatism had as its purpose the uplifting of all people, not looking at people and seeing them as members of groups and bestowing victim status or sympathy upon them and saying, "I, a politician, in Washington will fix you." In the meantime, we have Governor Huckabee who continues to use this line -- and I'm going to have to paraphrase it.
He keeps using this line about, "I'd rather get to know the guy that I work with than the guy who fired me or what have you." Yeah. Yeah. "People would rather vote for the guy they work with than the guy that laid 'em off." Now, I'm going to repeat something. I'm 56 years old. Throughout my life, there has not been one CEO... (interruption) I'm 56, Dawn! Nitpickers. All right, 57 tomorrow. You know what else I just found out? Dawn put 58 candles in the cake! One to grow on. All right, 57, whatever. That's fine. I've always wanted to be older. This is another thing. I've always wanted to be older because I knew the older I got, the better life would be, and it's been the case. Every year has been better than the previous for me, and I knew it would. That's why when I was 16, I wanted to be 30. Well, I wanted to be 21. When 21, wanted to be 26. Twenty-six, wanted to be 30. When I was 30, I wanted to be 40 because I wanted to get all that behind me. They don't let you enjoy life in this country 'til you're 40. They don't let you make any money in this country 'til you're 40, unless you luck out and end up on Wall Street. Some of those guys make money, but those are exceptions to the rule.
Anyway, I have not lost my place. In all my life, this hasn't been one Big Oil CEO, hasn't been one Big Drug CEO. There hasn't been a CEO of any organization that did me any harm. There hasn't been one CEO that could! I don't care how much the guy made or she made; I don't care what they were being paid. Throughout the course of my life, there has not been one CEO of any large- or medium-size American corporation who has harmed me, who has tried to harm me, or who could. But throughout my life, there have been politicians too numerous to mention who could cause me great angst with policies of increased taxes, increased regulation, and telling me what I can and can't do with my land, telling me what I can and can't do with my lights nine months a year because of a bunch of turtles; telling me what kind of lightbulbs I can't use in 2012; telling me what kind of stupid little car I have to drive in 12 years. But no CEO is telling me this. So this business about, "We've gotta start understanding victims out there and that we offer solutions when government programs," you can call it what you want, and you can espouse that and be for it. Do not call it Reaganism. Do not call it conservatism.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: You just heard Huckabee say, in defining Reaganism, "We need to make sure that we communicate that our party is just as interested in helping the people that are single moms, who are working two jobs, still just barely able to pay the rent as we are the people at the top of the economy." Now, that, I have to tell you, it offends me because the whole point of Ronald Reagan conservatism was to be interested in just that group. This is a media myth. It's a cliché that conservatives only care about the rich.
For crying out loud, in the Obama Stack, wait 'til you hear who it's been that's been bankrolling Obama! Major corporations, nuclear power energy companies, George Soros. The Democrat Party today has more wealthy constituents in its states and districts than the Republican Party does. It's another myth just like the Democrats are directly responsible for making the civil rights movement happen. It's not true! And that's why I cringe when I hear Republicans like Governor Huckabee falling into this trap, or maybe purposely going into it, implying that Republicans don't care about the downtrodden. The whole point of conservatism is to lift the downtrodden. The whole point of liberalism is to keep 'em suppressed and then lower the rich and punish achievement! It's so damned obvious all you have to do is take a look at what they say and what they propose! The economy is going great. People in the lower income brackets are moving out, moving up during the last eight years. This is frankly absurd for a Republican candidate to start running and talking that the Republicans don't care about little people. So here's Fred Thompson and what he said about that.
THOMPSON: Governor Huckabee's campaign manager said it accurately in terms of what they believe. They believe that it is over. This is a battle for the heart and soul of the Republican Party and its future. On the one hand, you have a Reagan revolution; you have the Reagan coalition of limited government, and strong national security. On the other hand, you have the direction that Governor Huckabee would take us in. He would be a Christian leader, but he would also bring about liberal economic policies, liberal foreign policies.
RUSH: And, you know, now, this was unique. This has not happened to date in Republican debates with a Republican calling another Republican a liberal. And this is why Fred was considered to be on fire. He continued.
THOMPSON: He believes we have an arrogant foreign policy in the tradition of blame-America first. He believes that Guantanamo should be closed down and those enemy combatants brought here to the United States to find their way into the court system eventually. He believes in taxpayer funded programs for illegals, as he did in Arkansas. He has the endorsement of the National Education Association, and the NEA said it was because of his opposition to vouchers. He said he would sign a bill that banned smoking nationwide. So much for federalism, so much for state's rights, so much for individual rights. That's not the model of the Reagan coalition. That's the model of the Democratic Party.
RUSH: Where has this been? Everybody is asking, "Where has this been," besides on this program? Where has this been in the context of the Republican debates? When I got home from dinner last night and started checking e-mail both from friends and just others, it was just shy of orgasmic -- there was so much excitement and happiness, and people were also frustrated, where's this been? Fred's finally come alive. This is an annunciation of the conservative agenda that has not been present in their debates before, and everybody has known, a lot of people have known it's there. It just hasn't surfaced. So now, because of Fred's stellar performance last night -- I should say Senator Thompson's stellar performance, guess what's happening? It's predictable. The Drive-Bys, media commentators, the pundits who ought to be so ashamed of blowing New Hampshire as badly as they did, they shouldn't be able to show their face, they suffer no embarrassment whatsoever, they are saying it's too little, too late. We had two states. We had the Hawkeye Cauci; we've had New Hampshire. We had two states. It's too late? Fred doesn't have a chance? Just wait 'til we get to these states where there are full-fledged conservative Republicans, not like New Hampshire, where McCain won the election with Democrats and independents. Mitt Romney got a majority of the Republican vote in New Hampshire. But the Republicans, in a Republican primary, were outnumbered by Democrats and independents.
Speaking of New Hampshire, Dennis Kucinich wants a recount, not because of him. He thinks something's really strange here. He thinks these polls are not that wrong, he thinks there's something astray, something wrong, and he wants an investigation. Precisely because he wants one is why we won't get one. The Drive-Bys are never going to do a story on Democrat voter fraud, even if it happened, they're never going to do that. It will stoke up the kooks. I mean the kooks are demanding it on Democrat Underground and so forth. The Drive-Bys are trying to write off our good guys, and they're going to have to be stopped. They're trying to write off genuine conservatives and prop up those who are not genuine conservatives on the Republican side. They are trying to tell us who will win South Carolina, who's going to win Michigan. They already got it on the books. And when that happens, it's the end of Romney, it's the end of Fred, probably the end of Rudy, leaving us with McCain and Huckabee before we even get to states with genuine conservative Republican voters. The Drive-By Media, all these pundits, are trying to dictate the terms of this election and ultimately back their guy on our side, and their guy on our side is the guy they think will be most easily beaten by their real guy on the Democrat side, or girl, depending on how it ends up.
And I frankly, folks, I don't think even you, and you in this audience are among the most engaged, you are the most informed and the most knowledgeable of all broadcast media, according to the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. I think even some people in this audience don't realize the extent to which the media is attempting to dictate the terms of our primary elections. They're using phony polls; the nonstop commentary trying to demoralize conservatives; the media's unwillingness to actually report, for example, on Senator McCain's record. They have their techniques, and they are in full use right now. It's plain as day for me to see. The Drive-Bys are not just trying to help the Democrats. They helped the Democrats by hurting us. They will always tell you, the Drive-By Media will always tell us, ladies and gentlemen, just who is and who isn't a conservative on the Republican side. Brit Hume said, "Governor Huckabee, did the American commander in the Strait of Hormuz yesterday make the right decision by responding passively when approached aggressively by the Iranian fast books believed to be from the Revolutionary Guards? He also received a warning that said the American ships might be about to blow up, did he make the correct call, sir?"
HUCKABEE: I'm going to trust that the president, with the information that he had and that those commanders had, made the right decision. I think we need to make it very clear, not just to the Iranians, but to anybody, that if you think you're going to engage the United States military, be prepared not simply to have a battle. Be prepared, first, to put your sights on the American vessel. And then be prepared that the next thing you see will be the gates of Hell, for that is exactly what you will see after that.
RUSH: Oh, yeah, right on, right on, right on, people got all excited about that. I have a question. Sorry, ladies and gentlemen, I have a question. We've gone from, "We need to treat the enemies of the United States, terrorists and so forth, with the Golden Rule, do unto them as we would have them do unto us," whatever it is, vice-versa. Apparently that's not playing well, because now if you're one of our enemies, and you target our military, you better be ready for the gates of hell from Governor Huckabee. So we're getting a, how do we say, a more strident tone here. Sometimes it's tough to keep up, even for somebody like me.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: A few more sound bites from the Republican debate last night. Brit Hume said, "Senator Thompson, did the commander on the ground make the correct call in not blowing the Iranian ships out of the water?"
THOMPSON: You can't take the judgment like that out of the hands of the officers on the ground there. I think one more step, you know, and they would have been introduced to those virgins that they're looking forward to seeing.
AUDIENCE: (laughter)
RUSH: Wendell Goler of Fox News asked Senator Thompson, "Would your administration continue to back Pakistani President Musharraf despite polls that show two-thirds of the Pakistani people want him to resign?"
THOMPSON: Oh, my goodness, go against a poll?
AUDIENCE: (laughter)
THOMPSON: How can anybody ever do that? In the first place, you can tell that the news is good news coming out of Iraq because you read so little about it in the New York Times.
AUDIENCE: (laughter and wild applause)
RUSH: Where has this stuff been? I'm trying to race through this. It speaks for itself. But Fred really scored some exciting points himself last night. It was fascinating, too. I went to a bunch of different websites, and the evangelicals thought that Huckabee just owned the night. Look, I learned in '92: You're not going to talk people who have an emotional connection to anything about it. You may be able to emotion them out of it, but I don't have that ability. You're not going to be able to talk 'em out of it. Chris Wallace said, "Governor Huckabee, in your ten years running Arkansas, you raised taxes. They were higher at the end of your ten years than they were at the beginning by hundreds of millions of dollars, and you increased the size of government. Is that your idea of change, to be a Big Government Republican president?"
HUCKABEE: My idea of government is to get the job done and make sure that you balance your budget, that you respond to the needs of your people. I don't think the federal government needs any more money. That's why I've signed a pledge that I would not raise taxes as president. Let me tell you what I raised, Chris. I raised hope. I raised expectations of the kids in my state who didn't have a decent education, and our courts ordered us to put more money into it. And rather than just act about my political future, I acted about the future of those kids. I raised the quality of life by making sure that education and health and highways, were accessible to every kid in that state.
RUSH: Well... That's a first: Making highways accessible to kids? Was that Obama? Can I ask you, was that Obama speaking? That was Huckabee? It says here on my sound bite audio roster that that was Huckabee. You know, my hearing is such that sometimes I can't distinguish voices. Was that Obama? Tell me! (interruption) That was Huckabee, using Obama's lines. "Highways are accessible to every kid in the state." "I raised hope." "I didn't raise taxes, I raised hope." Raising taxes, increasing taxes equals increasing hope or raising hope? Boy, Obama, what an orator! What a soaring guy. Rudy Giuliani said this about the concept of "change."
GIULIANI: Change is either good or bad, and when you just say "change," if the change that you're talking about is raising taxes, if the change that you're talking about is pulling out of Iraq precipitously, if the change that you're talking about is socialized medicine, these are definitely changes, but they're changes in the wrong direction. If the change is in the direction of lower taxes, less spending, giving parents choice over education, energy independence, these are things that are going to make a brighter future and a better America. But just the word "change" doesn't connote good or bad. You've gotta get one step beyond that and start looking at the changes.
RUSH: Here is Wendell Goler of Fox News: "Senator Thompson, the governor says that 12 million people would be looked at individually. How would you find them," this is an immigration question, "and can you do it faster than he would, sir?"
THOMPSON: We would be a nation of high fences and wide gates, and we get to decide when to open the gate and when to close it. It's not just 12 million people. We have to be concerned about another 12 million people. I disagree with my friend John McCain on the bill that they proposed last year. I disagree with my friend Governor Huckabee when he supported in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, when he fought the legislature when they tried to impose verification requirements (Bing! Bing!) before a person could vote so you could determine they were American citizen. I think that we have got to enforce the border, crack down on employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants, and stop sanctuary cities and policies that encourage people to continue across the border while we claim to be trying to enforce the border.
RUSH: Well, it was a long time coming, but there it is: Some actual conservatism in the Republican debate last night. Now, one thing you might have noticed if you watched the debate last night: Nobody went after McCain. What you just heard Thompson say (Thompson impression), "I disagree with my friend John McCain on that immigration bill he proposed," and then he launched into Huckabee. Now, Thompson spent most of the time going after Huckabee, which is understandable. He and Huckabee might be vying for the same voters in South Carolina. (sigh) I'm not a campaign strategerist, but I think the Thompson campaign has gotta go after everybody, and especially has to go after McCain. Nobody went after McCain last night. I mentioned this earlier. Nobody on that panel, and McCain is s the anointed front-runner by the Drive-Bys, and everybody (interruption). Yeah, immigration came up at the end, but they're still a little -- not a little, they're a lot -- afraid to go after McCain here. By the way, can I ask you a question? No matter how McCain does, nobody is saying he has to win this state or has to win that state or get out and he's finished. Nobody. Same with Huckabee. Only Thompson, only Romney, and only Giuliani are the Drive-Bys saying, "If Romney doesn't win Iowa, he's finished! If he doesn't win New Hampshire, he's finished. If he doesn't win Michigan, he's done."
"If Rudy can't put that machine back together real fast, Florida is going to come too late. He's done, too! He doesn't have a chance."
"Thompson? Why, it's a joke? Why, Thompson doesn't have enough time! He got in too late!"
But they never say, "Huckabee needs to win this race, or he's fini," or, "if McCain loses this state where he's so up, if he loses, oh, it's over."
They're not saying that.
By 2008-01-13 08:44:53
by Teej MacArthur 2008-01-20 19:26:33
anonymous (BFE) 2008-01-22 15:44:14
On the heels of Thompson's dominant debate performance, Reagan's Newspaper of Choice says for Conservatives "The Answer is Fred Thompson"
"Human Events Endorses Fred Thompson"
The Editors
Human Events
January 11, 2008
...
We begin by recalling the profound words of Ronald Reagan at the Conservative Political Action Conference Feb. 15, 1975: "A political party cannot be all things to all people. It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must not be compromis ed to political expediency or simply to swell its numbers." We believed that then, and we believe it now. The issue for us -- and for the conservative community -- boils down to which of the candidates is most representative of the fundamental conservative principles we believe in. The answer is Fred Thompson.
...
We conclude that Thompson is a solid conservative whose judgment is grounded in our principles.
In his Senate years, Mr. Thompson compiled an American Conservative Union lifetime rating of 86.1, which is higher than both Sen. John McCain (82.3) and Rep. Ron Paul (82.3). The Club for Growth has praised Thompson as someone who has a strong commitment to limited government, free enterprise and federalist principles.
On the issues that matter most to conservatives, Sen. Thompson's positions benefit from their clarity. He is solidly pro-life. He sai d that he was in favor overturning Roe v. Wade because it was "bad law and bad medical science." As the National Right to Life Committee said in its endorsement of him Nov. 13, 2007, "The majority of this country is opposed to the vast majority of abortions, and Fred Thompson has shown in his consistent pro-life voting record in the U.S. Senate that he is part of the pro-life majority."
Thompson's record is solid on voting to preserve gun owners' rights, cut taxes, reduce government spending and drill for oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He has voted consistently against gay marriage.
...
We like the way Thompson unhesitatingly attacks the liberal ideologues and their activists such as MoveOn.org and the ACLU, and the way he reaches out to those we knew as the Reagan Democrats.
The question now is whether Sen. Thompson will do what he has not yet done: Take the advantages he is given by his intelligence, his principles, his polit ical skills and this endorsement and make the best use of them.
As the primaries and debates speed by, we would like to see Sen. Thompson continue to invigorate his campaign to carry him successfully through Tsunami Tuesday and to nomination at the Republican convention.
Sen. Thompson, you suffer, like most conservatives, from the built-in problem of not being a professional politician. It's precisely as Rush Limbaugh said of you: "The problem with Thompson is, and a little bit with me, is I'm a depth guy. I like depth. Television doesn't reward depth. Television rewards zingers, one-liners, cutesyisms. Fred Thompson produced a brilliant 17-minute video that was on YouTube that explains everything about every issue that he cares about. It's clear he's thought deeply about a whole lot."
...
For example, your stand on reforming th e entitlement programs that threaten to bankrupt our nation is courageous and workable.
...
We agree with Rush Limbaugh's characterization of your December 30 video speech to Iowa voters. More speeches like that one and an ad campaign demonstrating the Reaganesque inspiring optimism we know you have could create a momentum in South Carolina that would carry far beyond its borders.
"Human Events Endorses Fred Thompson"
The Editors
Human Events
January 11, 2008
...
We begin by recalling the profound words of Ronald Reagan at the Conservative Political Action Conference Feb. 15, 1975: "A political party cannot be all things to all people. It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must not be compromis ed to political expediency or simply to swell its numbers." We believed that then, and we believe it now. The issue for us -- and for the conservative community -- boils down to which of the candidates is most representative of the fundamental conservative principles we believe in. The answer is Fred Thompson.
...
We conclude that Thompson is a solid conservative whose judgment is grounded in our principles.
In his Senate years, Mr. Thompson compiled an American Conservative Union lifetime rating of 86.1, which is higher than both Sen. John McCain (82.3) and Rep. Ron Paul (82.3). The Club for Growth has praised Thompson as someone who has a strong commitment to limited government, free enterprise and federalist principles.
On the issues that matter most to conservatives, Sen. Thompson's positions benefit from their clarity. He is solidly pro-life. He sai d that he was in favor overturning Roe v. Wade because it was "bad law and bad medical science." As the National Right to Life Committee said in its endorsement of him Nov. 13, 2007, "The majority of this country is opposed to the vast majority of abortions, and Fred Thompson has shown in his consistent pro-life voting record in the U.S. Senate that he is part of the pro-life majority."
Thompson's record is solid on voting to preserve gun owners' rights, cut taxes, reduce government spending and drill for oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He has voted consistently against gay marriage.
...
We like the way Thompson unhesitatingly attacks the liberal ideologues and their activists such as MoveOn.org and the ACLU, and the way he reaches out to those we knew as the Reagan Democrats.
The question now is whether Sen. Thompson will do what he has not yet done: Take the advantages he is given by his intelligence, his principles, his polit ical skills and this endorsement and make the best use of them.
As the primaries and debates speed by, we would like to see Sen. Thompson continue to invigorate his campaign to carry him successfully through Tsunami Tuesday and to nomination at the Republican convention.
Sen. Thompson, you suffer, like most conservatives, from the built-in problem of not being a professional politician. It's precisely as Rush Limbaugh said of you: "The problem with Thompson is, and a little bit with me, is I'm a depth guy. I like depth. Television doesn't reward depth. Television rewards zingers, one-liners, cutesyisms. Fred Thompson produced a brilliant 17-minute video that was on YouTube that explains everything about every issue that he cares about. It's clear he's thought deeply about a whole lot."
...
For example, your stand on reforming th e entitlement programs that threaten to bankrupt our nation is courageous and workable.
...
We agree with Rush Limbaugh's characterization of your December 30 video speech to Iowa voters. More speeches like that one and an ad campaign demonstrating the Reaganesque inspiring optimism we know you have could create a momentum in South Carolina that would carry far beyond its borders.
More
By 2008-01-12 06:18:27
12-27-07 (Help FDT Run this Ad "Substance")
(h/t Rick Moran and RWNH)
Two Hundred and Thirty One years ago yesterday, a barefoot, ill-clad army of 2,000 men crossed the ice choked Delaware River to surprise the Hessians at Trenton, giving George Washington his most important victory in the cause of American independence.
The story of how that victory came about is instructive to the cause of Fred Thompson%u2019s campaign for the presidency and the reason for this blogburst today. Not because Fred resembles George Washington in any way or that a Thompson presidency would be as significant an event in history as the American revolution. But because when the chips were down and the cause all but lost, a very small group of Americans helped make the difference between victory and defeat.
Consider if you will the circumstances. Washington had been pushed out of New York by the British in a series of battles during the summer and fall where the Continentals had suffered one humiliating defeat after another. The Americans were levered out of New Jersey and forced to cross the Delaware to the Pennsylvania side of the river. There they waited grimly for the British to attempt a crossing and finish them off.
Patriots in New York and New Jersey began to lose heart, giving their oaths of allegiance to the King so they could trade and buy food for their families. The Congress fled Philadelphia for Baltimore which made Washington not only head of the military but titular head of the government as well. There was no food, no clothing, little in the way of arms and powder, no money, and no credit.
And to make matters worse, Washington%u2019s army was set to disband after the first of the year. A last minute appeal to patriotism by Washington (as pitiful a missive ever written by the Great Man) salvaged the situation with a little more than half the army agreeing to re-up.
In short, things couldn%u2019t get any worse for the patriot cause. Both friend and foe believed that American independence was a lost cause. But then two events were to occur that changed the fortunes of the war and turned the tide inevitably toward success.
The first fortunate happenstance occurred on December 23, 1776 when the first of Tom Paine%u2019s %u201CCrisis%u201D essays hit the streets of America. %u201CThese are the times that try men%u2019s souls%u2026%u201D had an electric effect on the citizens and the army. The second event was Washington%u2019s audacious attack on Trenton, as unlikely and impossible a victory as has ever been recorded.
Washington devised a complex plan involving three separate columns crossing the river at three points and converging on Trenton by dawn on Christmas day. One of the columns failed to cross but the other two made it safely through the ice floes and stinging sleet and arrived on the New Jersey side of the Delaware %u2013 late but intact. It was madness crossing the river in the middle of an ice storm. But Washington had the perfect bunch to attempt the impossible; the seafaring men of the 14th Continental Regiment.
Better known to us as %u201CThe Marblehead Regiment,%u201D these were the hard cases of the American army %u2013 a group of swaggering, swearing, spitting fishermen and common seamen led by a remarkable Brigadier by the name of John Glover. Under the guns of the British on Long Island, they ferried 10,000 men and horses across the East River in one night and part of a morning (aided by a heavy fog that obscured the retreat from prying British eyes). This movement forever earned them the gratitude of Washington who liked the spirit and pluck of the sailors as well as their fighting abilities; they held off the British singlehandedly at Pelham, New York in October once again aiding the escape of the bulk of the army.
But that Christmas night in 1776, they truly earned their spurs as they tirelessly rowed time and again across the river and back again, making their way through the ice choked waters in the worst conditions imaginable. Rain mixed with sleet and ice later turning to snow, the waves on the Delaware crashing over the bow covering the rowers with a sheet of clinging ice, the gunwales sometimes perilously close to tipping into the water and capsizing the boats %u2013 a certain death in a matter of minutes given the temperature of the water.
The fate of American independence rested with those 400 hardy souls who manned the oars that blustery night. And herein lies the reason for my little historical digression and an illustration of why, if you support Fred Thompson for President, this is the time to get the hell off the sidelines and start rowing the damn boat.
To be brutally frank in appraising the situation realistically, Fred Thompson%u2019s chances of winning the nomination are not good. I will not attempt to snow you, gentle readers, with the idea that the Thompson campaign is anything but a hope and a prayer at this point. But where there is a will to fight, so there is a will to win. It doesn%u2019t matter how many pundits, pollsters, and assorted %u201Cexperts%u201D have written off Fred Thompson. What matters is that there is still a chance, still life in the campaign, and still a belief that the race can be won. Your support is absolutely crucial to propel the campaign forward, to build on the momentum generated by Thompson%u2019s bus tour through Iowa by giving as much as you possibly can.
The campaign has set a goal of raising $248,000 by sundown on Friday so that they can run a new ad in Iowa. This ad could make the difference and allow Thompson to make a surprise showing in the Iowa Caucuses a week from tomorrow. Exceeding expectations is the game now and this media buy could very well put Fred in a very strong position coming out of Iowa.
So climb aboard and grab an oar. Join the Marbleheaders for Fred and contribute as much as you possibly can to make this Blogburst a big success. Go directly to the contributions page here.
Romney's Claim: "...every piece of legislation which came to my desk in the coming years as a Governor, I came down on the side of preserving the sanctity of life."
- Mitt Romney, Meet the Press 12/16/07
Fact Check
· Romney's health care legislation provides taxpayer-funded abortions for a co-pay of just $50.
- Romney vetoed EIGHT provisions in his health care bill that he deemed objectionable, but he did not veto Planned Parenthoods' guaranteed position on the Advisory Board or ensure that abortions were covered only in medically necessary situations (as required by MA court ruling). All abortions are covered in the Commonwealth Care program with no medically necessary limitation.
· Romney included in his health care legislation a guarantee that Planned Parenthood would have a representative on his MassHealth Payment Policy Advisory Board. No such provision was included for a pro-life representative.
· Romney forced private Catholic hospitals to provide the morning-after-pill, a position applauded by Democrats and pro-abortions groups.
Romney's health care legislation provides taxpayer-funded abortions for a co-pay of just $50. Romney vetoed EIGHT provisions in his health care bill that he deemed objectionable, including the expansion of dental benefits to Medicaid recipients. He did not veto Planned Parenthoods' guaranteed position on the Advisory Board or ensure that abortions were covered only in medically necessary situations (as required by MA court ruling). All abortions are covered in the Commonwealth Care program with no medically necessary limitation. Under the program, abortions are available for a copay of $50. (Menu of Health Care Services:
http://www.mass.gov/Qhic/docs/cc_benefits1220_pt234.pdf; "Romney's Health Care Vetoes," Associated Press, 4/12/06)
Romney included in his health care legislation a guarantee that Planned Parenthood would have a representative on his MassHealth Payment Policy Advisory Board. No such provision was included for a pro-life representative. "You cannot be personally opposed to abortion and then contribute money to an organization whose purpose is to provide abortions," said Jerry Zandstra. "Given the Romney family's support of Planned Parenthood, it now makes sense why he mandated that a member of the RomneyCare Policy board be appointed by the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts." (RepealRomneyCare.com, "Pro-Life Leaders Denounce Romney's Planned Parenthood Connections," Press Release, 5/10/07)
Romney forced private Catholic hospitals to provide the morning-after-pill, a position applauded by Democrats and pro-abortions groups. "Governor Mitt Romney reversed course on the state's new emergency contraception law yesterday, saying that all hospitals in the state will be obligated to provide the morning-after pill to rape victims. The decision overturns a ruling made public this week by the state Department of Public Health that privately run hospitals could opt out of the requirement if they objected on moral or religious grounds. Romney had initially supported that interpretation, but he said yesterday that he had changed direction after his legal counsel, Mark D. Nielsen, concluded Wednesday that the new law supersedes a preexisting statute that says private hospitals cannot be forced to provide abortions or contraception. 'And on that basis, I have instructed the Department of Public Health to follow the conclusion of my own legal counsel and to adopt that sounder view,' Romney said..." (Scott Helman, "Romney Says No Hospitals Are Exempt From Pill Law," Boston Globe, 12/9/05)
· Catholic leaders urged hospitals to reject Romney's mandate or risk "compromising their religious integrity and Catholic identity." "C.J. Doyle, executive director of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts, a conservative Catholic organization, said Catholic hospitals should refuse to abide by the law. 'T he appropriate response for Catholic hospitals is noncompliance. Otherwise, they would be compromising their religious integrity and Catholic identity,' he said." (Steve LeBlanc, "Confusion Over New Emergency Contraception Law Deepens," Associated Press, 12/9/05)
- Mitt Romney, Meet the Press 12/16/07
Fact Check
· Romney's health care legislation provides taxpayer-funded abortions for a co-pay of just $50.
- Romney vetoed EIGHT provisions in his health care bill that he deemed objectionable, but he did not veto Planned Parenthoods' guaranteed position on the Advisory Board or ensure that abortions were covered only in medically necessary situations (as required by MA court ruling). All abortions are covered in the Commonwealth Care program with no medically necessary limitation.
· Romney included in his health care legislation a guarantee that Planned Parenthood would have a representative on his MassHealth Payment Policy Advisory Board. No such provision was included for a pro-life representative.
· Romney forced private Catholic hospitals to provide the morning-after-pill, a position applauded by Democrats and pro-abortions groups.
Romney's health care legislation provides taxpayer-funded abortions for a co-pay of just $50. Romney vetoed EIGHT provisions in his health care bill that he deemed objectionable, including the expansion of dental benefits to Medicaid recipients. He did not veto Planned Parenthoods' guaranteed position on the Advisory Board or ensure that abortions were covered only in medically necessary situations (as required by MA court ruling). All abortions are covered in the Commonwealth Care program with no medically necessary limitation. Under the program, abortions are available for a copay of $50. (Menu of Health Care Services:
http://www.mass.gov/Qhic/docs/cc_benefits1220_pt234.pdf; "Romney's Health Care Vetoes," Associated Press, 4/12/06)
Romney included in his health care legislation a guarantee that Planned Parenthood would have a representative on his MassHealth Payment Policy Advisory Board. No such provision was included for a pro-life representative. "You cannot be personally opposed to abortion and then contribute money to an organization whose purpose is to provide abortions," said Jerry Zandstra. "Given the Romney family's support of Planned Parenthood, it now makes sense why he mandated that a member of the RomneyCare Policy board be appointed by the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts." (RepealRomneyCare.com, "Pro-Life Leaders Denounce Romney's Planned Parenthood Connections," Press Release, 5/10/07)
Romney forced private Catholic hospitals to provide the morning-after-pill, a position applauded by Democrats and pro-abortions groups. "Governor Mitt Romney reversed course on the state's new emergency contraception law yesterday, saying that all hospitals in the state will be obligated to provide the morning-after pill to rape victims. The decision overturns a ruling made public this week by the state Department of Public Health that privately run hospitals could opt out of the requirement if they objected on moral or religious grounds. Romney had initially supported that interpretation, but he said yesterday that he had changed direction after his legal counsel, Mark D. Nielsen, concluded Wednesday that the new law supersedes a preexisting statute that says private hospitals cannot be forced to provide abortions or contraception. 'And on that basis, I have instructed the Department of Public Health to follow the conclusion of my own legal counsel and to adopt that sounder view,' Romney said..." (Scott Helman, "Romney Says No Hospitals Are Exempt From Pill Law," Boston Globe, 12/9/05)
· Catholic leaders urged hospitals to reject Romney's mandate or risk "compromising their religious integrity and Catholic identity." "C.J. Doyle, executive director of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts, a conservative Catholic organization, said Catholic hospitals should refuse to abide by the law. 'T he appropriate response for Catholic hospitals is noncompliance. Otherwise, they would be compromising their religious integrity and Catholic identity,' he said." (Steve LeBlanc, "Confusion Over New Emergency Contraception Law Deepens," Associated Press, 12/9/05)
By 2007-12-16 15:58:23
Mitt Romney Has Decided To Be The Arbiter Of What's
"Republican" or Not, How Ironic...
Today, Governor Romney lashed out at Governor Huckabee for being un-Republican, saying:
"I can't believe he'd say that. I'm afraid he's running from the wrong party...I had to look again...did this come from Barack Obama or from Hillary Clinton? Did it come from John Edwards? No, it was Governor Huckabee.'" (Jim Kuhnhenn, "Romney Slams Huckabee's Critique of Bush Foreign Policy," Associated Press, 12/15/07)
However, Mitt Romney has a long record of running from the Republican Party when politically expedient.
Consider Romney's Previous Comments:
"I'm not running as the Republican view or a continuation of Republican values. That's not what brings me to the race." (Romney Video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbX4RkGlYnk&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eeyeon08%2Ecom%2F2007%2F09%2F19%2Fromney%2Dreform%2Dma%2Don%2Drepublicans%2F, accessed 9/19/07)
"I wasn't a Ronald Reagan conservative." (Mitt Romney In Interview with Marc Ambinder, "Romney Explains Himself," National Journal, 2/9/07)
"Look, I was an Independent during the time of Reagan/Bush. I am not trying to return to Reagan/Bush." (Mitt Romney, 1994 Senate Debate, Boston, MA, 10/25/94)
Watch For Yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pVqZzHm3Z4
Romney on the Contract With America - "Not A Good Idea" and "A Mistake"
Watch For Yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Jzno_apP1Q
"Hillary Clinton Is Very Much Right, It Does Take A Village, And We Are A Village And We Need To Work Together In A Non-Skeptical, Non-Finger-Pointing Way..." ("For City Problems, Future Solutions," The Boston Globe, 3/1/98)
"I'm not convinced that a state would be better off with all Republicans. As a matter of fact, I've been in a state like that for the last three years. It's not a good thing." (Romney Video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbX4RkGlYnk&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eeyeon08%2Ecom%2F2007%2F09%2F19%2Fromney%2Dreform%2Dma%2Don%2Drepublicans%2F, accessed 9/19/07)
"I've lived in a place that has had one party state that was primarily Republican. I thought well won't that be nice? The answer is no." (Romney Video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbX4RkGlYnk&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eeyeon08%2Ecom%2F2007%2F09%2F19%2Fromney%2Dreform%2Dma%2Don%2Drepublicans%2F, accessed 9/19/07)
"I'm very clear I think, to the people across the Commonwealth - my "R" didn't stand so much for Republican as it does for reform." (Romney Video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbX4RkGlYnk&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eeyeon08%2Ecom%2F2007%2F09%2F19%2Fromney%2Dreform%2Dma%2Don%2Drepublicans%2F, accessed 9/19/07)
"It's always a burden for someone to run with "R" for Republican after their name." (Romney Video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbX4RkGlYnk&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eeyeon08%2Ecom%2F2007%2F09%2F19%2Fromney%2Dreform%2Dma%2Don%2Drepublicans%2F, accessed 9/19/07)
Romney called himself a "sensible" Republican, in contrast to pro-life social conservatives. "After completing the [NARAL] questionnaire, Romney met with three NARAL executives. In this meeting, NARAL executives recount, Romney evidenced no hesitation about his pro-choice views... those present recall that Romney argued that his election would make him credible in the Republican party nationally and thus help "sensible" Republicans like him overshadow more conservative elements in the GOP." (Jennifer Rubin, "Mitt Romney's Conversion," Weekly Standard, 2/5/07)
"Republican" or Not, How Ironic...
Today, Governor Romney lashed out at Governor Huckabee for being un-Republican, saying:
"I can't believe he'd say that. I'm afraid he's running from the wrong party...I had to look again...did this come from Barack Obama or from Hillary Clinton? Did it come from John Edwards? No, it was Governor Huckabee.'" (Jim Kuhnhenn, "Romney Slams Huckabee's Critique of Bush Foreign Policy," Associated Press, 12/15/07)
However, Mitt Romney has a long record of running from the Republican Party when politically expedient.
Consider Romney's Previous Comments:
"I'm not running as the Republican view or a continuation of Republican values. That's not what brings me to the race." (Romney Video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbX4RkGlYnk&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eeyeon08%2Ecom%2F2007%2F09%2F19%2Fromney%2Dreform%2Dma%2Don%2Drepublicans%2F, accessed 9/19/07)
"I wasn't a Ronald Reagan conservative." (Mitt Romney In Interview with Marc Ambinder, "Romney Explains Himself," National Journal, 2/9/07)
"Look, I was an Independent during the time of Reagan/Bush. I am not trying to return to Reagan/Bush." (Mitt Romney, 1994 Senate Debate, Boston, MA, 10/25/94)
Watch For Yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pVqZzHm3Z4
Romney on the Contract With America - "Not A Good Idea" and "A Mistake"
Watch For Yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Jzno_apP1Q
"Hillary Clinton Is Very Much Right, It Does Take A Village, And We Are A Village And We Need To Work Together In A Non-Skeptical, Non-Finger-Pointing Way..." ("For City Problems, Future Solutions," The Boston Globe, 3/1/98)
"I'm not convinced that a state would be better off with all Republicans. As a matter of fact, I've been in a state like that for the last three years. It's not a good thing." (Romney Video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbX4RkGlYnk&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eeyeon08%2Ecom%2F2007%2F09%2F19%2Fromney%2Dreform%2Dma%2Don%2Drepublicans%2F, accessed 9/19/07)
"I've lived in a place that has had one party state that was primarily Republican. I thought well won't that be nice? The answer is no." (Romney Video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbX4RkGlYnk&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eeyeon08%2Ecom%2F2007%2F09%2F19%2Fromney%2Dreform%2Dma%2Don%2Drepublicans%2F, accessed 9/19/07)
"I'm very clear I think, to the people across the Commonwealth - my "R" didn't stand so much for Republican as it does for reform." (Romney Video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbX4RkGlYnk&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eeyeon08%2Ecom%2F2007%2F09%2F19%2Fromney%2Dreform%2Dma%2Don%2Drepublicans%2F, accessed 9/19/07)
"It's always a burden for someone to run with "R" for Republican after their name." (Romney Video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbX4RkGlYnk&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eeyeon08%2Ecom%2F2007%2F09%2F19%2Fromney%2Dreform%2Dma%2Don%2Drepublicans%2F, accessed 9/19/07)
Romney called himself a "sensible" Republican, in contrast to pro-life social conservatives. "After completing the [NARAL] questionnaire, Romney met with three NARAL executives. In this meeting, NARAL executives recount, Romney evidenced no hesitation about his pro-choice views... those present recall that Romney argued that his election would make him credible in the Republican party nationally and thus help "sensible" Republicans like him overshadow more conservative elements in the GOP." (Jennifer Rubin, "Mitt Romney's Conversion," Weekly Standard, 2/5/07)
By 2007-12-16 15:53:37
Fred had another outstanding performance in the CNN/YouTube debate last night. He continued to make the case why he is the true conservative in the race with substantive policy proposals that are getting a lot of attention.
On stage he was presidential, substantive, and was able to stay above the fray and out of the constant bickering between others around him.
David Yespen of the Des Moines Register declared Fred one of the clear winners, saying "[T]his one was easily his best." Others were equally as positive:
"Thompson reminded people that he is a steady, consistent, and thoughtful conservative."
- Bill Kristol, Weekly Standard
"And he stayed above the fray when the fights around him got downright nasty."
- New York Post
"Fred Thompson took the opportunity to distinguish himself from both Romney and Giuliani"
- Associated Press
On stage he was presidential, substantive, and was able to stay above the fray and out of the constant bickering between others around him.
David Yespen of the Des Moines Register declared Fred one of the clear winners, saying "[T]his one was easily his best." Others were equally as positive:
"Thompson reminded people that he is a steady, consistent, and thoughtful conservative."
- Bill Kristol, Weekly Standard
"And he stayed above the fray when the fights around him got downright nasty."
- New York Post
"Fred Thompson took the opportunity to distinguish himself from both Romney and Giuliani"
- Associated Press
By 2007-12-03 19:43:16
By CHARLES HURT Washington Bureau Chief
November 29, 2007 -- ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Like a fickle Hollywood actor who maddeningly keeps his own schedule, Fred Thompson finally walked on the set here last night and turned in the performance his long-suffering supporters have yearned for all these months.
The "Law and Order" star's positions were more polished than ever. He attacked Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney sharply and effectively.
And he stayed above the fray when the fights around him got downright nasty.
Giuliani, meanwhile, gave the performance his supporters have always feared, showing his most liberal feathers to date.
He had to defend his past coddling statements about illegal immigration, said constitutional gun rights are open to modification, and faced a question about using New York cops to protect him while snuggling in the Hamptons with a woman not then his wife.
The former mayor's position drew boos from the conservative audience on more than one occasion. Where Giuliani stumbled, Thompson soared.
"Cut taxes for eight years when I was in the United States Senate. Never met a tax I liked," he said simply when asked if he would ever sign a bill to raise taxes.
After Giuliani attacked Romney for having illegal aliens do his yard work, Thompson said he was surprised to hear the mayor scolding anyone about bad hires.
It was a clear and devastating reference to Giuliani's former police commissioner, Bernard Kerik, who now faces federal corruption charges.
And he took a stick to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who is now surging in polls.
A video clip produced by the Thompson campaign showed a corpulent Huckabee begging his legislature for a tax hike - any tax hike - so he could sign it.
It was a sight so ugly only someone in the movie business could have come up with it.
November 29, 2007 -- ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Like a fickle Hollywood actor who maddeningly keeps his own schedule, Fred Thompson finally walked on the set here last night and turned in the performance his long-suffering supporters have yearned for all these months.
The "Law and Order" star's positions were more polished than ever. He attacked Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney sharply and effectively.
And he stayed above the fray when the fights around him got downright nasty.
Giuliani, meanwhile, gave the performance his supporters have always feared, showing his most liberal feathers to date.
He had to defend his past coddling statements about illegal immigration, said constitutional gun rights are open to modification, and faced a question about using New York cops to protect him while snuggling in the Hamptons with a woman not then his wife.
The former mayor's position drew boos from the conservative audience on more than one occasion. Where Giuliani stumbled, Thompson soared.
"Cut taxes for eight years when I was in the United States Senate. Never met a tax I liked," he said simply when asked if he would ever sign a bill to raise taxes.
After Giuliani attacked Romney for having illegal aliens do his yard work, Thompson said he was surprised to hear the mayor scolding anyone about bad hires.
It was a clear and devastating reference to Giuliani's former police commissioner, Bernard Kerik, who now faces federal corruption charges.
And he took a stick to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who is now surging in polls.
A video clip produced by the Thompson campaign showed a corpulent Huckabee begging his legislature for a tax hike - any tax hike - so he could sign it.
It was a sight so ugly only someone in the movie business could have come up with it.
More
By 2007-12-02 17:37:19
http://www.970wfla.com/pages/strawpollgop.html
You too can vote now!
You too can vote now!
By 2007-12-02 16:06:21
The day after the CNN YouTube Debates, Rush Limbaugh made a very interesting observation. Rush stated that of the top 5 Republicans running for the presidency, only one was a true conservative. Rush then stated that the conservative was Fred Thompson. He pointed out that Huckabee, Romney, and Guiliani all had answers which showed they were moderates. Rush does not normally make an endorsement in any primaries, but this is good enough for me.
Hear exactly what Rush said on Thursday at:
http://Vets4Fred.net
Hear exactly what Rush said on Thursday at:
http://Vets4Fred.net
By 2007-12-02 15:30:51
It is time for the Fred Thompson show
Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Opinion
September 13, 2007
In a stunning move that caught no one by surprise, Fred Thompson announced that ... he's ... running ... for ... president.
Time to step up to the plate, he said.
And everybody hit their snooze buttons.
That Thompson is running was a foregone anti-climax after months of testing, consulting, pondering, considering and, most important, letting the other candidates spend their money and exhaust Americans' interest with endless debates.
The debates have become so boilerplate that Thompson himself became one of the topics at a recent forum in New Hampshire. Where was Fred?
Fred was chatting it up with Jay Leno on The Tonight Show set, where he made his formal announcement. The other Republican candidates, doubtless weary from the previous 200 debates, took turns taking shots at Thompson.
Rudy Giuliani got off the best line, saying that he likes Thompson and thinks he's done a "pretty good job of playing my part on Law & Order. I personally prefer the real thing."
The unflappable Thompson was in character when Leno asked him what he thought of the criticism. "It's a lot more difficult to get on The Tonight Show than it is to get into a presidential debate," he deadpanned.
Despite criticism that Thompson played the Hollywood card by going on Leno's show, he was able to make some serious points about Iraq (stay until the country is stable), and complete his thoughts in paragraphs without interruption.
Thompson prompted applause when he answered Leno's question about why the U.S. isn't more popular with other countries. "What are we doing wrong?" Leno asked.
Powerful countries tend to attract envy and resentment, Thompson began. That's the price of being the biggest, strongest nation in the world. A 6-foot-6 man like Thompson might know something about that.
"Our people have shed more blood for the liberty and freedom of other peoples ... than all the other countries put together. (Applause.) And I don't feel any need to apologize for the United States of America."
There's still much to know about this latest addition to the White House race, but as first impressions go, Thompson has at least two things going for him: He's utterly lacking in hubris %u2014 or so it seems %u2014 and he can communicate. If presidents are elected in reaction to the previous officeholder, that's a strong hand.
Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Opinion
September 13, 2007
In a stunning move that caught no one by surprise, Fred Thompson announced that ... he's ... running ... for ... president.
Time to step up to the plate, he said.
And everybody hit their snooze buttons.
That Thompson is running was a foregone anti-climax after months of testing, consulting, pondering, considering and, most important, letting the other candidates spend their money and exhaust Americans' interest with endless debates.
The debates have become so boilerplate that Thompson himself became one of the topics at a recent forum in New Hampshire. Where was Fred?
Fred was chatting it up with Jay Leno on The Tonight Show set, where he made his formal announcement. The other Republican candidates, doubtless weary from the previous 200 debates, took turns taking shots at Thompson.
Rudy Giuliani got off the best line, saying that he likes Thompson and thinks he's done a "pretty good job of playing my part on Law & Order. I personally prefer the real thing."
The unflappable Thompson was in character when Leno asked him what he thought of the criticism. "It's a lot more difficult to get on The Tonight Show than it is to get into a presidential debate," he deadpanned.
Despite criticism that Thompson played the Hollywood card by going on Leno's show, he was able to make some serious points about Iraq (stay until the country is stable), and complete his thoughts in paragraphs without interruption.
Thompson prompted applause when he answered Leno's question about why the U.S. isn't more popular with other countries. "What are we doing wrong?" Leno asked.
Powerful countries tend to attract envy and resentment, Thompson began. That's the price of being the biggest, strongest nation in the world. A 6-foot-6 man like Thompson might know something about that.
"Our people have shed more blood for the liberty and freedom of other peoples ... than all the other countries put together. (Applause.) And I don't feel any need to apologize for the United States of America."
There's still much to know about this latest addition to the White House race, but as first impressions go, Thompson has at least two things going for him: He's utterly lacking in hubris %u2014 or so it seems %u2014 and he can communicate. If presidents are elected in reaction to the previous officeholder, that's a strong hand.
More
By 2007-09-13 06:23:09
Poll: Thompson leading in FL
St. Petersburg Times Blog
The Buzz - Florida Politics
News from the Times Staff
September 12, 2007
And you wonder why Mitt Romney might be pumping money into FL TV? The Florida Chamber of Commerce today released a poll showing Fred Thompson leading Rudy Giuliani 27 percent to 21 percent. Bringing up the rear among Republicans are John McCain at 9% and Romney at 8%. Among Democrats, it's Hillary Clinton at 36%, Barack Obama at 18%, and John Edwards and Joe Biden both at 9%.
"Up until now, Guiliani has been leading in nearly every statewide poll of Republican candidates," said Marian Johnson, political veteran and vice-president of political strategy for the Florida Chamber. "Recent media hype combined with a stronger statewide campaign effort has given Fred Thompson a considerable bump in Florida, a state coveted by all GOP candidates."
St. Petersburg Times Blog
The Buzz - Florida Politics
News from the Times Staff
September 12, 2007
And you wonder why Mitt Romney might be pumping money into FL TV? The Florida Chamber of Commerce today released a poll showing Fred Thompson leading Rudy Giuliani 27 percent to 21 percent. Bringing up the rear among Republicans are John McCain at 9% and Romney at 8%. Among Democrats, it's Hillary Clinton at 36%, Barack Obama at 18%, and John Edwards and Joe Biden both at 9%.
"Up until now, Guiliani has been leading in nearly every statewide poll of Republican candidates," said Marian Johnson, political veteran and vice-president of political strategy for the Florida Chamber. "Recent media hype combined with a stronger statewide campaign effort has given Fred Thompson a considerable bump in Florida, a state coveted by all GOP candidates."
By 2007-09-12 18:33:10
Thompson Tally bound?
Orlando Sentinel
Central Florida Political Pulse Blog
posted by Aaron Deslatte
September 12, 2007
Republican hopeful Fred Thompson is planning to be in Tallahassee next Tuesday to press the flesh with lawmakers and Gov. Charlie Crist.
Details are still being worked out, but other events are being scrubbed so lawmakers can meet-and-greet with Thompson.
Thompson is bound for a three-day tour this week through the same conservative home turf %u2013 from Jacksonville to The Villages, Cape Coral and Little Havana %u2013 that conservatives in statewide races have plowed for years.
State legislators will be in town next week for budget hearings and a slew of fundraisers.
Thompson would also be following the lead of competitors John McCain, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani by trekking to Tallahassee to chat with legislators and coax Crist for a possible endorsement.
Crist spokeswoman Erin Isaac said a sit-down hadn%u2019t been finalized -- yet.
%u201CHe%u2019s been meeting with all the candidates as they come through, but I personally don%u2019t know if everything%u2019s been finalized,%u201D she said.
Orlando Sentinel
Central Florida Political Pulse Blog
posted by Aaron Deslatte
September 12, 2007
Republican hopeful Fred Thompson is planning to be in Tallahassee next Tuesday to press the flesh with lawmakers and Gov. Charlie Crist.
Details are still being worked out, but other events are being scrubbed so lawmakers can meet-and-greet with Thompson.
Thompson is bound for a three-day tour this week through the same conservative home turf %u2013 from Jacksonville to The Villages, Cape Coral and Little Havana %u2013 that conservatives in statewide races have plowed for years.
State legislators will be in town next week for budget hearings and a slew of fundraisers.
Thompson would also be following the lead of competitors John McCain, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani by trekking to Tallahassee to chat with legislators and coax Crist for a possible endorsement.
Crist spokeswoman Erin Isaac said a sit-down hadn%u2019t been finalized -- yet.
%u201CHe%u2019s been meeting with all the candidates as they come through, but I personally don%u2019t know if everything%u2019s been finalized,%u201D she said.
By 2007-09-12 18:17:24
Thompson Leads Giuliani In New Insider Survey For Florida Chamber
Poll Is First To Exclude Gingrich From Choices
Insider Advantage
Sept. 12, 2007
In a statewide survey of registered Florida voters who said they were likely to vote in next January%u2019s Republican primary, former Sen. Fred Thompson led former Mayor Rudy Giuliani by a six-point margin. The telephone survey of 500 likely voters in the GOP primary - conducted as part of a larger survey for the Florida Chamber of Commerce Sept 6-10 - had a margin of error of 4 percent and was weighted for age, race, gender, and political affiliation.
The poll was first reported by our sister publication, Southern Political Report.
On the Republican side, the results were:
Thompson: 27%
Giuliani: 21%
McCain: 9%
Romney: 8%
Huckabee: 4%
Brownback: 3%
Paul: 2%
Hunter: 1%
Undecided: 25%
Poll Is First To Exclude Gingrich From Choices
Insider Advantage
Sept. 12, 2007
In a statewide survey of registered Florida voters who said they were likely to vote in next January%u2019s Republican primary, former Sen. Fred Thompson led former Mayor Rudy Giuliani by a six-point margin. The telephone survey of 500 likely voters in the GOP primary - conducted as part of a larger survey for the Florida Chamber of Commerce Sept 6-10 - had a margin of error of 4 percent and was weighted for age, race, gender, and political affiliation.
The poll was first reported by our sister publication, Southern Political Report.
On the Republican side, the results were:
Thompson: 27%
Giuliani: 21%
McCain: 9%
Romney: 8%
Huckabee: 4%
Brownback: 3%
Paul: 2%
Hunter: 1%
Undecided: 25%
More
By 2007-09-12 18:05:53
Fred Thompson Visits the Sunshine State Tomorrow and Friday!
Click here for updates to schedule.
Thursday, September 13
Jacksonville, FL
The Landing
2 Independent Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32202
8:50 am Doors Open
The Villages, FL
Market Square at Lake Sumter Landing
985 Lakeshore Drive, The Villages, FL 32162
1:00 pm Doors Open
Celebration, FL
Heritage Hall
951 Celebration Avenue, Celebration, FL 34747
4:40 pm Doors Open
Friday, September 14
Miami, FL
Versailles
3555 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33135
8:25 am Doors Open
Cape Coral, FL
Jaycee Park
4125 S.E. 20th Place, Cape Coral, FL
1:20 pm Doors Open
Click here for updates to schedule.
Thursday, September 13
Jacksonville, FL
The Landing
2 Independent Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32202
8:50 am Doors Open
The Villages, FL
Market Square at Lake Sumter Landing
985 Lakeshore Drive, The Villages, FL 32162
1:00 pm Doors Open
Celebration, FL
Heritage Hall
951 Celebration Avenue, Celebration, FL 34747
4:40 pm Doors Open
Friday, September 14
Miami, FL
Versailles
3555 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33135
8:25 am Doors Open
Cape Coral, FL
Jaycee Park
4125 S.E. 20th Place, Cape Coral, FL
1:20 pm Doors Open
By 2007-09-12 17:59:25