www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/EliotPeace/2006/03/03/188500.html

So far everything he stands for is more or less acceptible, though just wondering what his stance of guns is.

COLUMBIA, SC -- Why has Mitt Romney spent so much time in South Carolina recently? Perhaps his own words shed some light: "I don't think it's lost on anyone who is considering a national run that no Republican has been elected president that didn't win the South Carolina primary," said Romney.

Of course, Romney won't admit he's running for president, he's merely "keeping [his] options open." But, he continues, “to keep your options open, you have to get out and be seen and do some work for, particularly the early primary states."

Few who pay attention to the rumor mill in politics doubt that Romney will make an all-out effort to capture the Republican nomination in 2008. He has the national profile: CEO of the Salt Lake City Olympic Games; conservative Republican governor in the nation’s bluest state; and opponent of the Massachusetts same-sex ‘marriage’ debacle, his name is no stranger to the front pages of newspapers nationwide—by the way, on the judges who made the ‘marriage’ decision, he said, “I think they’re wrong.”

Governor Romney has ventured to the Palmetto State several times in the past year, most recently in late February for events in the top three most heavily Republican counties in the state. Townhall.com attended two of the three events and garnered some insight into his chances to capture the First in the South primary in 2008.

Romney, who identified himself as a nuanced pro-choicer in his Senate battle against über-liberal Ted Kennedy in 1996, is a changed man. “I’m pro-life,” he offers, “So, the issue is settled.”  Skeptical pundits believe he might have flip-flopped on abortion with the gleam of a 2008 run in his eye and decided to reach out to the GOP base. Certainly, being pro-life is a pre-requisite for achieving victory in South Carolina these days.

Other pundits say that the GOP base, many of them evangelical Christians, might reject a Mormon candidate. However, Romney chalks those assertions up as total bunk. “Most people in South Carolina want a person of faith as their leader. But they don’t care what brand of faith that is,” he said. Surprisingly, he may be onto something.

Dr. Bob Taylor is a dean at Bob Jones University, an evangelical school in Greenville, and generally the political thermometer for the most faithful of South Carolina voters. Political types close to Taylor quote him as not viewing Romney's religion as a crippling issue. As long as Romney maintains his faithfulness to conservative principles, the faithful will accept him.

In one of his speeches, Romney identified three potential problems facing America today: fiscal, military and economic.

On the fiscal front, he identified the challenges, including out of control spending. “We’re spending too much and we’re borrowing too much; it can’t keep on going like this,” the governor said. The budget is too large, government is too irresponsible,” he said.

Spending too much on entitlements threatens the defense budget, which leads right into his second front, the military. While the world is under attack by extremist Muslim terrorists, only one power keeps a radical caliphate from controlling the entire Middle East: the United States. Thus, the American president and the military must ensure that that doesn’t happen.

Leading into his final front, Romney said, “We want to make sure that this country always remains the superpower economically and militarily on this planet. And you can't be a tier one military and a tier two economy." Though the economy is growing so well, he said, we’re losing a lot of high-tech jobs to Asia. Asian high-tech workers are cheaper, say several business executives, and Asia has more ‘knowledge workers.’ China and India have more engineers than the U.S. “Nothing is more vulnerable than entrenched success…let’s avoid becoming the France of the 21st century,” Romney said.

Romney is serious about reforming immigration.  However, his focus is not on keeping people out, but keeping them in.  Government policies that keep the southern border open to illegal aliens, but keep other borders “absolutely sealed against those people who are the best and brightest in the world,” are ridiculous.  He cited stories of PhD candidates receiving fast-track visas to study at his home state MIT but then being forced to return to their native lands upon graduation, taking their knowledge and skills with them. He wants to help them invest their intellectual capital in American industries and American technologies—not China’s.  

Romney also offered solutions. First, we must raise the bar in education, especially by increasing funding for science and math.  Second, he wants to invest billions more in technology—healthcare, fuel, and power technology.  Third, take the burdens off workers and businesses by passing tort reform. Finally, large government overwhelms the playing field and makes it difficult for private enterprises to compete, so shrink it.

One year ago, Romney spoke at another fundraiser in South Carolina. At that time, he was an outsider with little chance of appealing to voters. How much can a year change political realities? This time around, political operatives from around the state were scrambling to meet with him and his staff. Knowledgeable political types whisper that he may have some real traction in South Carolina in 2008.  

Scott Malyerck, Executive Director of the South Carolina Republican Party, believes South Carolina voters have been thoroughly impressed with Romney. “His remarks have been well-received by both moderate and conservative Republicans,” said Malyerck in an interview with Townhall.com.

Continuing, Malyerck said, “I think Mitt Romney understands that if he decides to run for president, he will spend many weeks talking to South Carolinians about the future of our country and the challenges that lie ahead. So far, Republicans seem to be impressed with him, like his enthusiasm, and enjoy hearing what he has to say. I suspect we will be seeing a lot of Governor Romney in the future.”

Make no mistake: Romney’s running for president. And there’s no better place to start earning legitimacy than South Carolina.

Eliot Peace is a Project Manager for Starboard Communications, a conservative political marketing and strategy firm in Lexington, South Carolina.

I live in Massachusetts and own guns. I see and hear how these local politicians act, on a daily basis.

Mitt Romney supports our draconian state gun laws, has made AFAIK no comments about changing them, and has gone on record as saying he "supports Massachusetts's 'Assault Weapons Ban'".

He's for Elmer Fudd and the trap/skeet crowd.

He does NOT believe in the RKBA.

Quoted: I live in Massachsuetts and own guns. I see and hear how these local politicians act, on a daily basis. Mitt Romney supports our draconian state gun laws, has made AFAIK no comments about changing them, and has gone on record as saying he "supports Massachusetts's 'Assault Weapons Ban'". He's for Elmer Fudd and the trap/skeet crowd. He does NOT believe in the RKBA.

That is all I needed to know....

Put it this way...if Romney moved to VA, he would be considered a moderate liberal. But in MA, the home of the Far Left Liberal, he looks like a right-wing conservative. He is not a friend to RKBA or gun owners.

Quoted: I live in Massachusetts and own guns. I see and hear how these local politicians act, on a daily basis. Mitt Romney supports our draconian state gun laws, has made AFAIK no comments about changing them, and has gone on record as saying he "supports Massachusetts's 'Assault Weapons Ban'". He's for Elmer Fudd and the trap/skeet crowd. He does NOT believe in the RKBA.

+1

Quoted: Put it this way...if Romney moved to VA, he would be considered a moderate liberal. But in MA, the home of the Far Left Liberal, he looks like a right-wing conservative. He is not a friend to RKBA or gun owners.

you nailed it... the man is an ass clown of the first order

Sure not up to Utah's standards.

Quoted: Put it this way...if Romney moved to VA, he would be considered a moderate liberal. But in MA, the home of the Far Left Liberal, he looks like a right-wing conservative. He is not a friend to RKBA or gun owners.

+1.

New England Republicans could pass for Southern moderates and liberals.

Do not try to understand MA politics.  There is no sense to it, and it will only cause blood to flow from your eyes if you try.




Mitt is worse than Teddy, atleast he doesn't try to pass himself off as a Republican.

Romney is not exactly the best Mormon.  My University has about 500 of them, and the general consensus is that he is NOT as conservative as Mormons generally are.  He likes the UN, and dislikes firearms, foodstorage, and several other things Mormons usually seem to have a lot of.  Me thinks he may lose a lot of the almost assured 12 million votes he could have got from his own church for his liberal views.

-Ben

Quoted: Quoted: I live in Massachsuetts and own guns. I see and hear how these local politicians act, on a daily basis. Mitt Romney supports our draconian state gun laws, has made AFAIK no comments about changing them, and has gone on record as saying he "supports Massachusetts's 'Assault Weapons Ban'". He's for Elmer Fudd and the trap/skeet crowd. He does NOT believe in the RKBA. That is all I needed to know....

He never impressed me as chairman of the Salt Lake Olympic Committee. I was one of the Olympic Police officers for the entire duration of the games, and the widely held opinion of SLOC was that they didn't care about anything other than themselves.

AHAHAHAHAHA!!!!


(I've lived in mass most of my life)

He is barely to the right of John Kerry on the RTKABA

Quoted: I live in Massachusetts and own guns. I see and hear how these local politicians act, on a daily basis. Mitt Romney supports our draconian state gun laws, has made AFAIK no comments about changing them, and has gone on record as saying he "supports Massachusetts's 'Assault Weapons Ban'". He's for Elmer Fudd and the trap/skeet crowd. He does NOT believe in the RKBA.

                          Saying he is for the ‘Trap & Skeet’ crowd is giving him an awful lot of credit.

   

Doesn't sound like the kind of man I'd vote for.

Quoted: Doesn't sound like the kind of man I'd vote for.

Maybe you good folks in Utah could get Gordon B Hinkley or Tom Monson to write him a few letters telling him to shape up or go to hell?

-Ben

Quoted: Quoted: Doesn't sound like the kind of man I'd vote for. Maybe you good folks in Utah could get Gordon B Hinkley or Tom Monson to write him a few letters telling him to shape up or go to hell? -Ben

Maybe they already have.

Seriously, LDS leaders stay out of taking sides in politics as much as possible.  They strongly encourage members to vote and participate, but they won't tell you who to vote for.


Hmmm...I think I'll fire off an email to Romney asking him to detail his position more clearly.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Doesn't sound like the kind of man I'd vote for. Maybe you good folks in Utah could get Gordon B Hinkley or Tom Monson to write him a few letters telling him to shape up or go to hell? -Ben Maybe they already have. Seriously, LDS leaders stay out of taking sides in politics as much as possible.  They strongly encourage members to vote and participate, but they won't tell you who to vote for. Hmmm...I think I'll fire off an email to Romney asking him to detail his position more clearly.

We just had a section in our History of Warfare course on the Mormons in war.  Like many politics, I see what you mean.  The presidency in the different publications from church newspapers and stuff were very good at taking stances that couldn't really be held against them one way or the other.  But if they are talking to someone of their own faith, there has got to be some sort of, I dunno, something, that can be done to encourage him to get back in his place?  Like, not telling him he HAS to do something, but that there will be consequences if he doesn't?

-Ben

Mitt Romney on Gun Control
Republican MA Governor
www.ontheissues.org/Governor/Mitt_Romney_Gun_Control.htm

Will support assault weapons bill and Brady Bill
The candidate reiterated his support for an assault weapons ban contained in Congress' crime bill, and the Brady law which imposes a five-day waiting period on handgun purchases. `I don't think (the waiting period) will have a massive effect on crime but I think it will have a positive effect,' Romney said.
Source: Joe Battenfeld in Boston Herald Aug 1, 1994
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Mitt Romney - Gun Owner/Idiot

Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Mitt Romney - Gun Owner/Idiot

Governor Mitt Romney, speaking as a guest on The Howie Carr Show last night, actually admitted that he does in fact own a "real gun". The subject came up when a disgruntled Massachusetts gun owner (apologies for the redundancy) called up to complain about the state's licensing requirements pertaining to the ownership of firearms.

(big snip- read the rest at the URL above!)
..........................................................

Gun foes take shot at Mitt’s absence
By Kevin Rothstein
Thursday, March 2, 2006 - Updated: 08:42 AM EST


Gov. Mitt Romney and staff missed the unveiling of an anti-gun billboard. (Staff photo by Angela Rowlings)

A regular on the Republican rubber-chicken circuit, Gov. Mitt Romney couldn’t find time yesterday to join a high-profile call to crack down on gun laws that officials say are letting firearms flood into Boston and other cities.

   Neither Romney nor anyone from his administration joined Mayor Thomas M. Menino, police and activists at an event yesterday targeting gun laws in other states that allow firearms to be bought without criminal background checks.

   “Nothing. No response,” said Stop Handgun Violence’s John Rosenthal, about the invitation he e-mailed last Wednesday to Romney scheduler Erin Brenner.

   A massive new billboard was unveiled alongside the Massachusetts Turnpike aimed at the states that are some of the biggest sources of guns used in crimes in Massachusetts: New Hampshire, Maine, Georgia and Vermont.

   Those states do not require criminal background checks for gun buyers at flea markets and gun shows. Joining Rosenthal at the press conference and unveiling were Menino, Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley, Boston police Commissioner Kathleen O’Toole, Boston police detectives and ballistics experts, and police from Springfield and the MBTA.

   Romney, frequently traveling out of state now as he eyes a presidential run, was in Massachusetts yesterday. Spokeswoman Corbie Kiernan said the governor “appreciated” the invitation but was in meetings all day.

    Kiernan said she wasn’t aware of any contact Romney had with other states that supply 50 percent to 60 percent of the guns used in Bay State crimes, but said, “Massachusetts has some of the toughest gun laws in the nation to prevent handgun violence and the governor believes these laws should be enforced to the fullest extent possible.”

    Massachusetts Democratic Party spokeswoman Cyndi Roy wondered why Romney didn’t send somebody else from his administration if he was too busy.

   “Regardless of whether or not he’s running for re-election there are still issues in this state that need to be addressed, and when you have groups that are talking about things like gun violence, especially considering what’s happening in Boston last year, you need someone from the state who is engaged in these kinds of conversations,” she said.

    The National Rifle Association gave Romney a “B” grade when he ran for governor.




   

having lived in mass for 15 years, and going to high school with one of Mit's boys, meeting him several times, hes a nice guy but thats about it.... I can tell you, he is a mod to liberal republican AT BEST.  As far as I knew, he never did anything to advance the RTKA's nor did he ever oppose any of MA's brutial gun laws.

no fucking way.