McCain Buys Anti-Romney Web Site Name

Friday, June 15, 2007 11:11 a.m. EDT
McCain Buys Anti-Romney Web Site Name

John McCain’s presidential campaign has bought the Web site name www.mittvsfact.com and will launch the site to illustrate White House hopeful Mitt Romney’s alleged flip-flops.
As NewsMax reported, the McCain campaign on Wednesday sent out an e-mail release, with a "Mitt vs. Fact” letterhead, that attacked Romney on the abortion issue.

It linked to a video showing then-Massachusetts Gov. Romney vowing to uphold the state’s abortion-rights laws. Romney has now called for the repeal of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion nationally.

A McCain aide confirmed to The Politico on Friday that his campaign had purchased the mittvsfact Web site last month and "indicated that they would use it as a sort of one-stop shop ‘to brand’ Romney,” according to The Politico.

But the Romney campaign said McCain’s attacks pointed to trouble in his own campaign.
"Desperate candidates do very desperate things,” Romney spokesman Kevin Madden declared.
"Sen. McCain has, sadly enough, been faltering so badly lately that his campaign is left with the last resort of launching attacks against Gov. Romney.”

© NewsMax 2007. All rights reserved.

What Happened to the McCain Campaign?

What Happened to the McCain Campaign?

Arizona Senator John McCain (news, bio, voting record) (R) began the Election 2008 season as the presumed frontrunner for the GOP nomination. Now, he is struggling to stay ahead of Mitt Romney for third place in the hearts and minds of Republican Primary voters. The trends aren't encouraging for the war hero who challenged then-Governor Bush for the nomination eight years ago.

Polling completed last night (June 14) shows that just 48% of American voters have a favorable opinion of McCain. That's down from a peak of 59% in December and 55% just two months ago. Forty-five percent (45%) have an unfavorable opinion.

The most recent polling on the Republican Presidential nomination contest shows McCain at 11% (tied with Romney). That's just half the 22% level support he enjoyed in January and less than half the current support for both former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Senator Fred Thompson.

While losing ground, perceptions of McCain's ideology has shifted significantly. More voters are likely to see McCain as politically conservative today than they did when the campaign began. In December, just 26% viewed McCain as a conservative, a figure that grew to 45% in May.

Normally, being seen as more conservative would help a candidate in the Republican primary campaign, but it didn't work for the man from Arizona.
What happened?

In retrospect, it appears that McCain was never really the dominant frontrunner that many had assumed. The early polls showing Giuliani ahead were dismissed as meaningless because "everybody knew" that Giuliani couldn't win the Republican nomination. America's Mayor has shown a lot more staying power than expected. Looking back, it now appears that McCain and Giuliani were holding their own preliminary competition for the right to face off against a more conservative challenger for the nomination. Giuliani won that round and the most likely scenario now is for GOP voters to end up with a choice between Giuliani and either Romney or Thompson.

But, McCain's problems are deeper than just being an over-rated frontrunner when the season began. Substantively, the playing field shifted in ways that made it far more difficult for McCain.
One of the challenges faced by every Republican hopeful in 2008 is to show that they would be different from

President Bush' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> President Bush while also remaining a loyal Republican. McCain, at one level, had seemed a natural for that role. His jostling with the President was a constant feature of the early Bush years. In fact, the bigger challenge for McCain among Primary voters was proving he was a team player.
Now, however, McCain is in lockstep with the President on the two biggest issues of the day… the War in
Iraq' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Iraq and immigration.

Those are precisely the two issues where every candidate would want to have as much separation from the President as possible. Most Americans say the President is doing a poor job handling the situation in Iraq and a candidate seen as extending the Bush approach in Iraq will not win Election 2008.

The Senate immigration bill backed by the President is opposed by a broad cross-section of the American public. McCain's vocal and visible support for that bill has cost him dearly over the past month… both among Republican Primary voters and the general public.

In the end, this places the Arizona Senator in a box that Harry Houdini would have trouble escaping. His positions on immigration and Iraq put him at odds with the American public on two hot button issues. He is identified with an unpopular President on those issues at a time when voters are looking for a new direction. At the same time, many conservatives continue to have doubts about McCain and his loyalty to their team.

Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information.

'Super-Duper Tuesday' May Be Too Big to Matter

Sheer Number of States,Timing Will ReinforceImpact of Opening Trio
By JACKIE CALMESJune 15, 2007; Page A6

An unprecedented number of states have scheduled early presidential primaries to grab some influence from the traditional first kingmakers, Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. But as the law of unintended consequences would have it, the front-loaded calendar could instead make that opening trio of states -- and roughly a half-million voters in each party -- more decisive than ever.

On Feb. 5 -- widely called "Super-Duper Tuesday" -- nearly two dozen states, from New York to California, may hold what approaches a national primary. In 2004, just nine states had voted by then. The crush in 2008 will mean that no contender has the time and money to stump in all the Feb. 5 states with anything near the intensity candidates do in states with January contests. That is why Florida has defied both parties' rules aimed at minimizing front-loading, and moved up its primaries to Jan. 29 from March; Michigan's Democrats might follow.


Read the full story: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118186324620336039.html?mod=tff_main_tff_top

Mark Towner

Giuliani: Nation lacks strong leadership

Giuliani: Nation lacks strong leadership
By RANDALL CHASE
Associated Press Writer

Matt Rourke
Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani greets supporters during a rally in Wilmington, Del., Thursday, June 14, 2007.

WILMINGTON, Del. - Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, in an indirect swipe at President Bush, said Thursday the overwhelming attitude that the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction reflects a lack of leadership.
The nation's bleak mood was evident in the most recent Associated Press-Ipsos poll in which only 21 percent said they believe things in the U.S. are heading in the right direction, the worst mark since the AP-Ipsos poll began in December 2003.
Speaking at a Flag Day rally in Wilmington, Del., Giuliani told more than 200 supporters: "What we're lacking is strong, aggressive, bold leadership like we had with Ronald Reagan."
The same AP-Ipsos poll found public approval with the job Bush is doing at 32 percent, matching an all-time low.
The former New York mayor said he's running for president to keep the United States on offensive against terrorist and to challenge big government.
Before the rally, Guiliani attended a $1,000-a-plate fundraising breakfast that drew about 120 people.
He was joined at the rally by former FBI director Louis Freeh. Freeh, who lives in Wilmington, Del., serves as senior homeland security adviser for Guiliani campaign and heads the candidate's Delaware campaign.
Giuliani was making his second campaign appearance in Delaware this year. While the state has only three electoral votes, Guiliani said it could play a crucial role in the presidential race.
"When you look at 2000 and 2004, one state makes a difference," he told reporters after the rally. "You never know which one it's going to be."

Romney, McCain trade shots over posting of video

Romney, McCain trade shots over posting of video

By Rick PearsonTribune political reporterPublished June 14, 2007, 8:03 PM CDT

Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney on Thursday accused rival John McCain's campaign of dishonesty in posting to the Internet portions of a video that McCain's camp contends is proof of Romney's waffling on the issue of abortion rights.But McCain's campaign fired back, saying it will post on its campaign Web site the entire video, which also shows Romney's support for lifting a federal ban on embryonic stem-cell research which was vetoed by President Bush.

Romney, a former Massachusetts governor who is seeking conservative backing in his bid for the GOP nomination, has been forced along the campaign trail to repeatedly detail his conversion from a supporter of abortion rights to an opponent of the procedure—as he did during a campaign and fundraising visit to Chicago on Thursday.During a debate in his 2002 run for governor, Romney pledged to Massachusetts voters that he had "been very clear" and would "preserve and protect a woman's right to choose."But Romney has said he began opposing abortion rights in November 2004 after he said a discussion with a researcher involving embryonic stem cell research made him feel that human life was not being valued.Earlier this week, in an unusually sharp attack for this stage of the campaign, McCain's campaign released a video of a Romney news conference from May 2005 in which the then-governor said he was "committed" to maintaining existing abortion laws."Mitt Romney's biggest challenge in this election will be convincing Republicans he has principled positions on important issues, especially now that it's known that he remained committed to pro-choice policies after his 'epiphany' on abortion in 2004," Matt David, McCain's deputy communications director, said in a statement.Romney said Thursday the portion of the video posted to the Internet only showed a portion of his remarks that day. In its entirety, he said, the video was shot at a news conference "at which I described why I was vetoing cloning legislation because it didn't respect the sanctity of life."And Romney contended the Arizona senator's campaign was "not being honest enough to put the full press conference" on the Internet. And, with another GOP contender, Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas, weighing in on the attacks on Romney Thursday, the former governor contended his opponents had "stooped to making an attack."But a McCain spokesman said the entire video shows Romney expressing support for lifting the Bush administration's ban on federal embryonic stem-cell research. ABC News, which reported Thursday on Romney's May 2005 speech, said the then-governor supported the use of surplus embryos from in vitro fertilization. The Massachusetts legislation Romney vetoed that day would have gone further to include human cloning and allowed for the creation of embryos purely for research."The facts are clear, Mitt Romney advocated pro-choice policies even after his alleged 'epiphany' in 2004," said McCain spokesman Danny Diaz. "Voters should go to www.johnmccain.com to watch the entire press conference and judge for themselves as to whether Mitt Romney not only changed his position on abortion, but also federal funding of stem cell research."ABC News also reported that within two months of Romney's November 2004 conversion as an abortion rights opponent, he appointed to the Massachusetts bench a Democrat who was a noted supporter of abortion rights.On another topic, Romney lashed out at U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald's handling of the special CIA leak investigation in Washington that resulted in the conviction of former vice presidential chief of staff Lewis "Scooter" Libby. Romney contended Fitzgerald may have abused his prosecutorial discretion as special prosecutor in the Valerie Plame leak case.Libby was ordered Thursday to report to prison soon while his conviction is being appealed.Romney said Fitzgerald, who has earned a reputation of a corruption fighter in his role as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, "may well have abused prosecutorial discretion by pursuing the investigation" after learning that former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage revealed Plame's identity as a CIA operative to the media in 2003."He knew that, therefore, a crime was not committed and yet he proceeded with an investigation knowing there was no crime to pursue," Romney said of Fitzgerald.Romney said he was not calling for any sanctions against Fitzgerald, but said "that abuse of prosecutorial discretion justifies a very careful look at a possible [presidential pardon]." Romney also said he had not awarded any pardons during his tenure as governor.Looking at an important issue during his tenure as governor, Romney criticized lawmakers in Massachusetts for failing to allow voters Thursday to decide the issue of gay marriage there after a state Supreme Court ruling made it legal. He said it underscored the need for a constitutional amendment to define marriage."We need to have a federal marriage amendment to assure marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman because states like Massachusetts will take the course they did, which is letting the (state) Supreme Court make this decision, taking the decision away from the people," he said.Romney contended that throughout civilization, marriage was defined between a man and a woman on the basis of child raising."I believe moms and dads associated with the development and nurturing of children is one of the major purposes of marriage and therefore, to protect that nurturing setting, we need to have moms and dads and not two moms and two dads," he said.Rap30@aol.com

Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune

SURELY A MORMON CANNOT BE PRESIDENT

SURELY A MORMON CANNOT BE PRESIDENT

By David Shurtleff, Mormon chaplain in the U.S. Army

Heliumites, bloggers, Political Scientists...lend me your eyes. I come to criticize Mitt Romney. The evil that men do is highlighted by the media. The good is often buried under labels...so let it be with Romney.

The Media has touted that Romney is a Mormon, if it is so, it is a grievous thing and may cost him the election.

When the scandal laden Olympics was embarrassing our nation, Romney stepped in and turned it into a showcase-Yet Romney is a MORMON, and surely a MORMON cannot be President.

Romney won the governorship of Massachusetts as a REPUBLICAN, yes, in a state that gives us Sen. Kennedy. He showed the ability to work with all people, of all political backgrounds-Yet Romney is a MORMON and surely a MORMON cannot be President.

Romney saved a state government facing fiscal disaster, bringing economic expansion and staving off unemployment, something this nation could use- Yet Romney is a MORMON, and surely a MORMON cannot be President.

Unlike many politicians, Romney has remained faithful to his wedding vows, keeping his commitments to his wife and blessing his children-Yet Romney is a MORMON, and surely a MORMON cannot be President.

The twelfth article of Romney's faith, one which he no doubt memorized as a child, affirms that it is his duty to honor, obey, and sustain the law- Yet Romney is a MORMON, and surely a MORMON cannot be President.

Romney's faith group is recognized and respected by governments throughout the world, it was so respected that it was miraculously allowed to build a temple in communist East Germany before the wall came down-Yet Romney is a MORMON, and surely a MORMON cannot be President.

Romney's church teaches that the constitution is a divinely inspired document and that this nation was established by the God of Heaven. Such respect for our nation and it's founding document can make just another politician into a statesman-Yet Romney is a MORMON, and surely a MORMON cannot be President.

Romney's religious organization teaches love and compassion for all human beings and provides millions of dollars in aid to many countries. It also sent thousands of volunteers to aid Katrina victims in our own country. That aid is given freely, without regard to the religious preference of the recipients-Yet Romney is a MORMON, and surely a MORMON cannot be President.
Wait a minute. What is it about being Mormon that disqualifies Mitt Romney from being an effective president? It is true that there may be theological differences that exist between Romney and others, but he is not running for Bishop, Rabbi, Pope, Minister, Imam, or Pastor. He is running for President.