Friday, August 31, 2007

Leadership

Governor Romney has inspired me to get off my lazy rump! Man, a 60 year old is in better shape than me!

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Mitt Romney Rising


Read this great article on Romney's rise to the top!

"A new Zogby poll of likely Iowa Republican caucus-goers shows something a bit unexpected: former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has barreled ahead of the rest of the pack. In a recent interview with John Zogby, he told me that the trend for Romney is striking: at just 5 percent six months ago, he’s now polling 33 percent today."

What if a Mormon Cured Cancer????

This is pretty funny and ridiculous, yet thought-provoking.......enjoy!

Gov. Romney Discusses Sanctuary Cities With Laura Ingraham

Comstock On Gov. Romney's Healthcare Reform Plan

Gov. Romney's Pro-Growth Agenda

MITT IS IT........Ben Ginsberg is Right!

Thursday, August 23, 2007

September Dawn


All you have to do is read the movie poster (left) to understand that the movie is an exploitation flick (conveniently released a few months before primary elections). I'm not saying don't go watch it, I'm just saying if you do--don't be surprised if there's a lot of Hollywood influence in the film. I have a hard time believing this film will be historically accurate.
Here's what Romney had to say:
RENO, Nev. — Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney says he won't be attending "September Dawn," a movie about the killing of 120 unarmed Arkansas pioneers by Mormon settlers in Utah in 1857.
Romney's ancestors include Parley Pratt, a prominent Mormon murdered in Arkansas several months before the massacre at Mountain Meadows on Sept. 11, 1857.

"That was a terrible, awful act carried out by members of my faith," Romney said during an interview Wednesday. "There are bad people in any church and it's true of members of my church, too."

"I hope on average we're better than we would have been as a faith group by virtue of our religious teachings," he said. "But there certainly can be some extremes, some very bad people."

Romney rejected the claim by some that Brigham Young, then the president of the Mormon church, shared direct responsibility for the attack (he sent a telegram telling the militia not to act--the telegram was late obviously).

Romney Gaining Ground in Florida

Florida's Latest Polls


Monday, August 20, 2007

I'm "Pleased as Punch" with Mitt Romney

Romney's old school persona questioned
BOSTON, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Campaign observers have questioned whether former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is actually as old-school as he comes across or whether it is a political ploy.

But Harvard University professor David Gergen dismisses such allegations, saying Romney's persona appears to be the real deal."This 'Ozzie and Harriet' world in which he lives seems to be his true world," Gergen told the Globe. "For that reason, there are some who find it a throwback. Others are very comfortable with it."
......I, for one, couldn't be more comfortable with it.




Thursday, August 16, 2007

I'm Just James


It’s funny……….

I would never have thought, not in a million years, that I could have a role in any upcoming election. After all, it’s just me……..never considered myself to be overly talented, smart, skilled, or computer-savvy, but here I am posting, almost daily, on behalf of a man I believe will lead our country to higher and better places.

Believe me when I say that it doesn’t take much to make a difference. I’m a husband/father attending dental school……it’s impossible for me to spend a lot of time supporting Mitt Romney, but I’m still able to make an impact (even when it feels like that impact is small).

The internet is amazing…….your voice will be heard if you use it. Sometimes all it takes is voting in a poll, leaving a comment, or even creating your own posts. It’s possible that only a couple of people will read what you have to say, but it’s also possible that hundreds, if not thousands, will…….it’s worth it even if you enlightened only one person’s ignorance. You made a difference—now that doesn’t mean your readers will agree with you, it just means that they heard your side.

I’m convinced that the more people hear our thoughts on Mitt Romney and the future of America, the amount of Romney-supporters will inevitably rise. So if you believe, like I do, that Mitt is the best candidate for our country………it’s time to be heard.

P.S. Blogging, You-tubing, and Forum-posting has become ridiculously easy—so don’t ever feel inadequate…….you’ll find that most things can be learned in minutes.

Oh, have you bought a bumper sticker yet?????????? (See “Mitt Merchandise” on the right column)

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Ann Romney On Nightline

The Religious Right is Shooting Itself in the Foot....

Hey, I'm a conservative.....always will be, but I'm disappointed in the religious right.


We are divided.......you know why? There's a Mormon runnin' for President. Yep, three less conservative candidates (Rudy, McCain, and Fred) are ahead of him nationally in the polls. Is it because they're truly our favorites, or is it because our votes are split among Huckabee, Brownback, Fred (kind of), Tancredo, Hunter, Ron Paul (just kidding), and Mitt?


I'd be beatin' the tar out of a dead horse if I said that we are electing a Commander-in-Chief not a Pastor-in-Chief, but apparently it needs to be said again and again. Shouldn't Mitt's policies and values dictate how we should view him politically?


There is a reason why there is "Separation Between Church and State" folks. This is the land of opportunity that welcomes people (legally, of course) from all nations, religions, and races. Not everyone should have to believe the way we do (even God doesn't force us to believe).......so let's stop the bigotry and trying to impose our religious beliefs on others.


Let's stop being one-issue Republicans........I'm talking about abortion. You know, I'm pro-life and proud.......but those who are pro-choice (but personally pro-life) don't bother me as much as they used to......while they are wrong, God gave us our agency. It's when they say that my tax dollars help fund abortions, I get infuriated (that's why Rudy won't be getting my vote if he passes the primaries). Please, my fellow conservatives, let's stop being so judgmental of a man who has converted to the pro-life stance on abortion. I also tire of "holier-than-thou" conservatives who take pride that they've been pro-life longer than others. What does Huckabee and Brownback give us besides their longer pro-life status?


While I've gone off on separating ourselves from the government, on the same note.....let's NEVER let the government impose their will on us (follow the links to see how Mitt will prevent this):


They will try to take Christ out of our vocabulary (i.e. Christmas)........let's not let them.

They will try to redefine marriage (a RELIGIOUS institution).......let's not let them.

They will try to take away public prayers (even when the prayers are offered by non-government employees)......let's not let them.

They will try to take the parents' role in teaching about the sanctity of procreation (sex ed for 5 year olds).......let's not let them.

They will try to dictate what churches can and can't do......let's not let them.


If you guys can't see that Mitt would be the best person to PROTECT our Religious beliefs and institutions, this post has failed immeasurably.

P.S. The picture offends me too! It was drawn by my best friend (a Dem--can you believe it?) who might have a point. Also, this blog is an unofficial blog (not approved by the Romney campaign).

Mitt Romney on Healthcare and Troop Support.....

Part 1:

Part 2:

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Ann Romney: "48,000 new Team Mitt members in 48 hrs."

To view this email as a web page, go here.
Dear Friend,

Have you heard the news? Our hard work is paying off. On Saturday, Mitt won the straw poll in Ames, Iowa!

The voters of Iowa spoke loud and clear in favor of Mitt’s positive vision for a stronger America. They recognized his leadership skills and they appreciated his sincerity.

Now it’s your turn to act. Let’s carry the momentum of the straw poll win across the country. We need your support to grow our grassroots organization at this critical point in the campaign as we take…

I’m confident that as more people get to know Mitt, we can build a grassroots force like nothing that has been realized before. We aim to add 48,000 new Team Mitt members in the next 48 hours.

Please invite your friends to join Team Mitt by sending the below note to everyone in your address book. By joining together, we will take our success in Ames across America!

All the best,
Ann Romney

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Friend,
As you may have heard, the candidate that I support for President, Governor Mitt Romney, just scored big in Iowa by winning the Ames straw poll. With momentum building for Team Mitt, it’s time for you to join me and get on board.
Join Team Mitt, the national grassroots movement in support of Mitt Romney and his presidential campaign. I signed up because Mitt is uniquiely qualified to lead our country with a strong economy, a strong military and strong families. I encourage you to sign up too.
Please take a moment to watch the video about Mitt Romney at the end of this message.
After you watch the video, I hope you'll consider joining Team Mitt. Mitt’s vision for a stronger America is something we can make happen, but to do so we must work together…and invite our friends and family as well.
Video on Governor Mitt Romney


This email was sent by: Romney for President, Inc.PO Box 55899 Boston, MA 02205 USAWe respect your right to privacy - view our policy

Monday, August 13, 2007

Join Team Florida!


Head on over to ULTIMITT! It's Free! Let us Floridians be a little more involved in getting our man elected!

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Christian Science Monitor.....Mitt Romney



Successful businessman, rescuer of the scandal-marred 2002 Olympics, governor of Massachusetts. The highlights of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's résumé are well known. But there's a fourth point that he does not advertise in his stump speech: 12 years in top leadership positions in the Boston-area Mormon community.

For three years, from 1982 to 1985, Mr. Romney served as the bishop, or lay pastor, at his church in Belmont, Mass. After that, he served nine years as "stake" president, overseeing about a dozen Boston-area parishes. But it was his time as bishop that gave him the most contact with everyday churchgoers. He organized weekly church services and ministered to parishioners, offering spiritual guidance on whatever problems they brought to him – financial, marital, physical, anything. He heard confessions of sin and determined who is allowed to enter a Mormon temple, a privilege reserved for those who meet the church's high standards of personal conduct. He distributed church funds to those in need.

Romney's church work was voluntary – Mormon congregations have no paid clergy – but the time commitment was intense, even as he built a high-flying career in his "day job," first in management consulting and then private-equity investment.

Being a bishop is "a very weighty responsibility, which you take with a great deal of care and sobriety," Romney said in a Monitor interview.

He says the experience taught him that, despite the sea of happy faces he saw each week at church, everybody faces hardships. That lesson is just as vibrant for him now, as a presidential candidate, traveling the country and addressing crowds.

"As I sat in that room today and met with all those people, I know that almost everyone there, smiling and cheerful as they are, has some real challenges," Romney said, speaking of the 100 or so voters he had just addressed at an event in Ottumwa, Iowa. "They're hoping that collectively we can help one another, and that's something I very much hope I can do if I'm elected."

Easing public concern

That Romney's Mormon faith infuses his life and informs his approach to public service is evident. But at this unusually religion-focused time in politics, the irony is that Romney has had to be more cautious than most presidential candidates in how he discusses his faith. Public wariness toward the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), the Mormon Church's official name, remains deep-seated. Polls continue to show that a sizable portion of the electorate – 27 percent, Newsweek found in July – would not vote for a Mormon for president. Among GOP primary voters, the numbers get even more daunting: A February poll by the Pew Research Center found that 40 percent of white evangelical Protestants, most of whom are Republicans, would be "less likely" to support a Mormon for president.

One other issue poses as significant a hurdle to Romney in his quest for the nomination: his switch to conservative positions on social issues, including abortion and stem-cell research. Some conservatives remain skeptical over the timing of his conversion, coming as it did after he had won the governorship of liberal Massachusetts and began laying the groundwork for a presidential run.

But it's the Mormon issue that could turn ugly for Romney. Already, anti-Mormon incidents have sprung up out of rival GOP presidential campaigns. In a few instances, voters themselves have confronted Romney with hostile questions. One, captured on a video posted on YouTube, refused to shake his hand.

As the January start of primary season draws closer, "I think [his religion] is a huge problem for him …. if he's doing well in the polls," says Alan Wolfe, director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life at Boston College. "This is a party that unleashes attack dogs, and it will be too tempting for one of the other candidates not to do it.

"It doesn't matter that Mormonism is by now a very fast-growing and successful religion," he adds. "It doesn't matter that Romney's Mormon faith has in no way impeded his political career thus far. Same with Harry Reid [the Senate Democratic leader, also a Mormon]…. When ordinary people start to think about Mormonism, the word that flits across their brain is 'cult.'"
Romney is keenly aware of this fact and has organized "faith and values steering committees" – one national, several statewide – made up of prominent supporters from a range of faiths. The committees advise the campaign on values-related issues and grass-roots outreach.

In addition, Romney has sought to carve out an image of openness toward the public and press. He has held more than 100 "ask-me-anything"-style events in early primary states and has sat for countless interviews with journalists, some of whom have posed the most intimate of questions regarding his religious practices and personal life. Usually Romney takes them in good humor, though in a recent talk- radio interview, he got testy when the host pushed hard on his faith. Romney also defers to church headquarters in Salt Lake City when questioned on Mormon beliefs, such as those about Jesus' past and future ministries on the American continent.


Romney's approach to the press extended to his home on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire last month, when he invited about 30 journalists for an off-the-record barbecue with his family and campaign staff. (Reporters paid for their own meals.) Most of his immediate family was there – four of his five sons, their wives, and the 10 grandchildren. (Note to those keeping score: No. 11 is on the way.) Oldest son Tagg offered rides around the lake in a motorboat.


If part of the point was to show family values in action, it worked. Among Romney backers, the hope seems to be that eventually the Mormon theme will play out and the media will move on. For now, though, it's still a matter of public concern, or at least curiosity. In public forums, Romney's approach is to steer his rhetoric away from the specifics of his faith and toward the common ground of values, God, and patriotism – themes that play especially well among GOP primary voters.


At a recent "Ask Mitt Anything" forum in Indianola, Iowa, the first comment from the audience centered on Romney's faith.


"You know, one of the great things about this country of ours is that we don't choose our leaders based on what church they go to. We care about the values they have," Romney began, his wife and son Josh at his side. "And if you want to learn something about my values, you can meet my wife and my son and you can see that we have American values like anyone else in this country.


"And I'm really proud of the fact that wherever I go, people say, 'We love the fact that you're a person of faith, you believe in God, you believe in the Bible, you believe that Jesus Christ is the savior of the world.' Those are my beliefs, they form who I am. And one of the great elements of America is that we accept people of all faiths as long as they share our values and our love for this great country."


But even in that answer, in mentioning Jesus Christ, Romney is treading on sensitive territory. Many Protestants and Roman Catholics do not recognize Mormons as Christian because the church does not adhere to the common view of the Holy Trinity. The Mormon Church, instead, sees God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost as three separate beings – God and Jesus having human form – who collectively make up the Godhead.


Another objection is to the church's use of additional scriptures, such as the Book of Mormon. Richard John Neuhaus, a prominent conservative Catholic priest, calls Mormonism "a false religion." The Southern Baptist Convention instructs its members to view Mormonism as a cult.


In addition, Mormons' past practice of polygamy – disavowed by the church in 1890 – and the HBO series "Big Love," which features a modern-day polygamous family in Utah, do Romney no favors. Ditto Romney's own well-known ancestral history of polygamy. Mormons' successful efforts to win converts also make evangelical Christians uncomfortable, even as the LDS Church loses members to evangelical proselytizing. Some non-Mormons worry that a President Romney would be the ultimate missionary, making the church more attractive worldwide.


This fall, an independently produced documentary called "A Mormon President" – examining the history of church founder Joseph Smith's presidential campaign – will bring yet more attention to politics and Mormonism.

The speech
One big tactical question hanging over the Romney campaign is whether the candidate should give a major speech that addresses his faith and how he would relate to his church's central leadership if elected. That is, should he follow in the footsteps of John F. Kennedy during the 1960 presidential campaign, when he faced similar doubts about his Roman Catholic faith and delivered a groundbreaking address to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association. Romney has read Kennedy's speech.


In late July, Romney went from "maybe" to "more likely than not" on the speech question. But he cannot say when, and has yet to weigh pros and cons.


"I don't know that there's a lot of downside risk," he says. "The question is when's the right time…. So we'll let people think about it in my team, but it's not anything imminent."

The Mormon Church states that while it encourages members to vote and be active in politics, it does not try to direct or dictate to elected officials. When Romney's father, George, ran for president in 1968, his candidacy did not create the extended "Mormon moment" that Mitt's campaign has sparked, but George did feel compelled to assert his view to a group of non-Mormon ministers that the church should not become politically active, conservative talk-radio host Hugh Hewitt notes in his book, "A Mormon in the White House?"


Among outside political observers, many say that Mitt Romney should address the Mormon question head-on, and soon. Kennedy's speech came late in the game – fewer than two months before Election Day. But Romney's challenge comes in the primaries. Though he leads among Republican voters in Iowa, Nevada, and New Hampshire, the first three nominating contests, he is far behind in the next states, South Carolina and Florida.


Richard Land, head of public policy for the Southern Baptist Convention, calls the Kennedy speech "tone perfect," in the way that it appealed to "Americans' basic sense of fair play." Last October, at a gathering the governor held for religious conservative leaders at his home in Massachusetts, Mr. Land says he told Romney, "In my opinion, Governor, the Mormonism issue is not a deal-breaker, but only you can close the deal. Only John Kennedy could make millions of Americans feel comfortable with voting for a Catholic president. Only Mitt Romney can make millions of Americans feel comfortable voting for a Mormon president."

Romney himself raises the opposing view of Mr. Hewitt. "Romney's best strategy," Hewitt writes, "is to overwhelm any objections to him based on faith by demonstrating that he is simply the best-prepared, best-qualified candidate to run for, win, and then serve as president."
Ultimately, the decision may boil down to how Romney is doing on the eve of the primaries. If he's behind, he may decide he has nothing to lose. If he's competitive, and still delivers such a speech, the risk is that it reignites discussion about Mormonism – possibly adding to public unease about electing a Mormon president.

Duty to God
On the campaign's home page, a video called "The Decision" shows the big Romney family in heartfelt discussion over whether Dad should run for president. In the end, son Tagg concludes that his dad has no choice but to run, given his talents and good fortune. "I think you have a duty to your country and to God to see what comes of it," he says.

In his 20-minute Monitor interview, Mitt Romney was asked to explain how running for president fulfills a duty to God.

His reply: "If you come with a fundamental view that you are a child of God, and if you've been blessed in some way by being in this country, there is an obligation to serve if you find yourself in a unique position to make that service."

On questions of policy – such as his shift away from supporting abortion rights – Romney says he leaves the specifics of his faith at the office door. "I felt that in a secular position [as governor], my job was to [make] the considerations not from a religious standpoint but from a standpoint of a successful civilization," he says. "From that standpoint, I believe that a civilized society should respect the sanctity of life."

What about his brother-in-law's sister, who died from an illegal abortion in the 1960s? This family tragedy weighed on Romney's mother when she ran for the US Senate from Michigan in 1970 as an abortion-rights candidate.

"I've given a lot of thought to that issue, and someone like myself who is very much opposed to abortion, as I have always been, struggles with what the role of government ought to be in making that choice," he says. "It's not an easy decision, but when it went from a matter of discussion and a philosophical view to actually making a decision relating to life and death, I as governor concluded I had to come down on the side of life."

The issue at hand in Massachusetts was embryonic cloning, as Romney has recounted repeatedly. But from that came his change of heart on how government should address abortion. As president, he says, he would like to see the legality of abortion decided state by state.

Given his position on life, why does he favor the death penalty?
"In my view, a person who takes life should be subject to having life taken, in certainly the most extreme cases," he says. "To show respect for life, it is entirely consistent to say [that] somebody who flagrantly and violently and in a heinous manner takes the life of humans should not be given the privilege of being kept alive."

The family religion
The Mormon Church and the Romney family go way back. Mitt Romney's great-great grandfather Miles Romney converted to the LDS faith in 1837, just seven years after Joseph Smith started the religion. At what point in Mitt's life did he know that Mormonism was for him, a doctrine and lifestyle he could embrace as his own?

The answer centers on matters of the heart. While a freshman at Stanford University, he wanted nothing more than to be back home in Michigan with his girlfriend, Ann Davies, who was still in high school. The last thing he wanted to do was go overseas as a church missionary.
"The question had to be reached: Did I really believe my religion, or was it just the family religion?" he recalls. "And so I did a lot of soul-searching that year, and by the time the end of the year came around, I was convinced that God lived, and that Jesus Christ was my savior, and that my responsibilities included service to my church. And I was convinced that my church was right, and so I committed to go on my mission."

After Romney went off to France, Ann decided to convert to Mormonism. But Romney says he would have married her anyway. "Look, I was so completely in love, and she was, that we'd have gotten married no matter what. But as I became a missionary for my church and became more and more a student of the Bible and of the scriptures in our church, I was more and more pleased that she had decided to look into our church herself and decided to join."

Thirty-eight years later, the family commitment to the LDS faith remains whole. Mitt Romney remains a full tithe payer, meaning he donates 10 percent of his income to the church. All five sons graduated from the church-affiliated Brigham Young University, and all five married Mormon women in temple weddings. And even if there's an effective fire wall between Romney and the church leadership in Salt Lake City, Romney has willingly fulfilled whatever he has been called to do in his local parish.

"You pretty much always do what you're asked to do – everything from teaching kids, teaching teenagers, working in Boy Scouts, and … for a few years, I was the adult Sunday School teacher," he says. "I like teaching. I taught the New Testament, I taught church history, I taught the Book of Mormon, I taught the Old Testament, and learned a lot about those."

When the president of the LDS Church decided in 1995 that a temple – a large structure used for certain church rituals – should be built in Belmont, Mass., Romney did his part to see the project through. He met with neighbors to assuage their opposition, spoke at a zoning hearing on the height of the steeple, which exceeded local bylaws, and donated money.

Even today, Romney fulfills a role in the Belmont church, as a "home teacher." Every member is assigned to visit another member once a month to see if anything is needed. According to family friend Grant Bennett, Romney told the current bishop that these days he's around only one day a month, and the bishop said, "Meet your family on that day."

Romney "doesn't wear his religion on his sleeve," says Kirk Jowers, who served as general counsel to Romney's political action committee. "But I know that in his heart, that and his family are the two things that really move him and motivate him."
--- -->The Christian Science Monitor

Friday, August 10, 2007

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Coming Soon: 24 Hours On The Trail

Haha......a roadtrip in Iowa was never so intense!!! Classic!

P.S. "Holy Moly"

Romney Tells Floridians About Values, Experience

Click here for the scoop (Orlando Sentinel)

Brody....... Not Always Spot On

This article has the rebuttals posted by many people impressed with Romney's "off the air" heated religious argument with an Iowan radio personality.

"I think that all the Brody File readers make a good point. Romney did show that he is quick on his feet and he clearly showed that the Mormon Church won’t be running 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Hey listen; I’m an open minded guy. I get your point. Well taken. I’m not always spot on. I’m man enough to take it. Just don’t send wacko letters written with cut out words. That would really creep me out!"--David Brody

Romney Comes to FL

Read about it here........man I'm glad we have someone like Steve, from EFM, livin' in Florida.

Monday, August 6, 2007

Obama is Incompetent

He doesn't understand that soldiers are real people.
He doesn't understand the difference between friend and foe.
He's clumsy discussing nuclear warfare.
He doesn't understand geography.

Our military is having success in Iraq......what does Obama want to do? Take them out of course.........no, not home necessarily, but to Pakistan, a nation of 170 million muslims who would make Iraq look like a walk in the park. Obama would successfully crush the morale of our armed forces more than the Dems already have.

Pakistan is working with us. Instead of threatening our allies, why can't he promise support? I appreciate Mitt Romney's comments stating that Obama wants to have tea with our enemies and blow up our friends, going from Jane Fonda to Dr. Strangelove in one week.

When asked about using nucs....Obama was absolutely clumsy in stating his policy.....it was like he never even thought about it before (see "Obama the Orator" below). How can anybody want this guy as CIC? Honestly?

Does Obama have a clue about the importance of Pakistan? How does he think we get supplies to our armed forces in Afghanistan? Through Iran......a teleporter perhaps......FedEx?

Madame Hillary has never looked so good.

What They're Really Saying About Governor Mitt Romney At The Des Moines, Iowa GOP Debate

Part I
Part II

Florida Women for Mitt

"As a proven leader with a track record of success in both the private sector and in public service, Governor Romney is the best equipped candidate to lead our nation as we face a new generation of global and domestic challenges," said former Lt. Governor Jennings. "The Florida Women for Mitt team looks forward to sharing Governor Romney's conservative principles and optimistic vision for America's future with voters across the state."

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Obama the Orator

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said Thursday he would not use nuclear weapons «in any circumstance.«I think it would be a profound mistake for us to use nuclear weapons in any circumstance,» Obama said, with a pause, «involving civilians.» Then he quickly added, «Let me scratch that. There's been no discussion of nuclear weapons. That's not on the table.

As Charles Mitchell from EFM (Evangelicals for Mitt) said..........."huh?"