Smooth Talking Mitt's Pitch Gets Tougher
January 26, 2007
This weekend, some of America's most notable conservative leaders will get a first hand look at smooth talking Mitt Romney's unrelenting campaign to talk his way out of his record. Under fire for weeks for his shifting positions on key issues like gun control, abortion rights, health care, tax increases, marriage and adoption issues, Romney will address a dinner tomorrow night during the National Review Institute's conservative summit.
As Romney has traveled the country saying anything he can think of to convince conservatives that he's on their side, a growing chorus of activists has rejected his advances. In the last few weeks alone, a leading conservative activist in his home state left the GOP over his failed leadership, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins called Romney's views on gay rights issues "disturbing," and a Christian-right activist in Florida responded to Romney's outreach there by criticizing his "10-year history" of "liberal policies on our core issues." [Standard-Times, 1/21/07; www.NewsMax.com, 12/11/06; Tampa Tribune, 1/7/07]
"Smooth talking Mitt Romney's campaign to charm conservative activists is falling on deaf ears," said Democratic National Committee Press Secretary Stacie Paxton. "As hard as he tries, conservative leaders can see that Mitt Romney believes telling voters what he thinks they want to hear is more important than addressing the inconsistencies in his record."
Conservative Leaders Rejecting Romney's Smooth Talking Ways
As smooth talking Mitt Romney has traveled the country trying to talk his way out of his record, he's left a trail of rejection and skepticism. From his home state activists in Massachusetts to national conservative leaders to activists he meets on the road, a broad cross-section of conservative leaders are rejecting his recent conversion.
"Disillusioned" Conservative Massachusetts Activist Quits Party, Calls Romney's "Worst Administration in 20 Years." "The man who has been the face of the Republican Party on the SouthCoast for the past decade has left the GOP and become an unenrolled voter. Arthur Larrivee told The Standard-Times that he has also submitted his resignation as a member of both the state GOP committee and the town of Dartmouth committee. He had been a member of the state committee for 18 years. A conservative, he was a regular guest on talk radio and commentator in the local press. 'I've been disillusioned for some time,' Mr. Larrivee said. 'We've just had one of the worst administrations (Mitt Romney) in the last 20 years.' [Standard-Times, 1/21/07]
Leading Florida Activist Met Romney, Rejected Explanation for Changed Positions On Gay Rights And Abortion. "Florida's leading religious conservatives grilled Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney on Friday over his changed positions on gay rights and abortion, suggesting the former Massachusetts governor could be a tough sell for the party's influential right wing. The poised speaker didn't win over Orlando attorney John Stemberger, who is spearheading a referendum on same-sex marriage on Florida's 2008 ballot. 'At this time I am not convinced that he is the best candidate for social conservatives,' Stemberger said in a written statement." Stemberger added that Romney has a "10-year history of what I think you could call liberal policies on our core issues, namely same-sex marriage, gay rights, abortion rights." [Miami Herald, 1/13/07; Tampa Tribune, 1/7/07]
Tony Perkins: Romney Log Cabin Letter "Quite Disturbing." "Prominent conservatives are upset after reviewing a 1994 letter signed by Mitt Romney when he ran for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts against Sen. Ted Kennedy. In the 1994 letter addressed to the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay Republican group, Romney strongly argued for gay rights. 'We must make equality for gays and lesbians a mainstream concern,' Romney wrote, adding that he would be more aggressive than Senator Kennedy in pushing for gay rights..." [www.NewsMax.com, 12/11/06] According to the New York Times: "'This is quite disturbing,' said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, who had praised Mr. Romney as a champion of traditional values at the group's conference in late September. 'This type of information is going to create a lot of problems for Governor Romney. He is going to have a hard time overcoming this.'"[New York Times, 12/9/07]
Paul Weyrich: Romney Log Cabin Letter "Makes Him Out to be a Hypocrite." In response to reports that Romney had sent letter to the Log Cabin Republicans in which he argued in 1994 for gay rights, the New York Times reports that "Paul Weyrich, head of the Free Congress Foundation, tells the Times that Romney may be cornered. 'Unless he comes out with an abject repudiation of this, I think it makes him out to be a hypocrite,' Weyrich said. 'And if he totally repudiates this, you have to ask, on what grounds?'" [New York Times, 12/9/07]
RightMarch.com: Romney "Flip-Flopped" On Abortion. "A national conservative political group has jumped into the brouhaha over Mitt Romney's abortion stance, accusing him of flip-flopping on the hot-button issue while governor of Massachusetts. RightMarch.com, a conservative political action committee, blasted Romney yesterday for ordering Catholic hospitals to make emergency contraceptives available in 2005, over the advice of his top public health adviser. Romney's controversial decision came months after he tried to block legislation legalizing RU-486, the 'morning after' abortion pill. 'His campaign is being disingenuous, to say the least, when they respond that he never flip-flopped on RU-486,' said William Greene, president of the RightMarch.com PAC. 'He was specifically quoted as saying, 'It's the right thing for hospitals to provide information and access to emergency contraception.' He flip-flopped.'" [Boston Herald, 1/24/07]
"Rebuffing Romney," Former Mass. Governor, Bush Appointee Endorses Giuliani. "Former Massachusetts governor Paul Cellucci told the Globe yesterday that he is supporting former New York City mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani for president over Mitt Romney -- even though Romney called Cellucci and asked for his endorsement in a meeting two weeks ago." Cellucci served as Massachusetts governor from 1997 to 2001 before President Bush appointed him ambassador to Canada. [Boston Globe, 1/26/07]
American Spectator: Romney's Trying to Persuade Conservatives, But "Messages Keep Getting Mixed Up." "After weeks of attacks from social conservatives, former Gov. Mitt Romney and his press agents are doing their best to persuade conservatives that the Man from Massachusetts is one of them. But unfortunately, Romney's own messages keep getting mixed up. For example, within the past week, the Romney campaign attempted to clarify -- if not solidify -- Romney's position on stem cell research. As Romney's bona fides as a dedicated convert to the pro-life positions continue to be called into question, the campaign and surrogates have ratcheted up the volume on messages that Romney really does believe in the sanctity of life in ways he did not a decade ago." [American Spectator, 1/17/07]
American Conservative Union Board Member: Romney Compromised "On Issue That Many Of Us Would Not Compromise On." Citing Romney's support in 2005 for "obtaining stem cells from fertility clinic embryos because those would probably be discarded anyway and because they were created with the intention of helping couples generate life," a board member of the American Conservative Union is quoted in the American Spectator as saying: "That's the problem some social conservatives have with Romney. He was willing to compromise on an issue that many of us would not compromise on. If you are a Republican and a conservative, you've seen what happens when you support compromisers. I don't care how many people say they know Mitt Romney's heart. President Bush said he knew Putin's and look where that's gotten us." [American Spectator, 1/17/07]
Americans For Truth President: Romney "Flip-Flopped From Being A Very Committed Pro-Abortion And Pro-Homosexual-Activist Politician," Should Retract Anti-Brian Camenker Web Posting. "Americans For Truth President Peter LaBarbera expressed dismay at former Republican Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's public attack against Brian Camenker, the head of Mass Resistance and an American hero in the fight against the radical homosexual agenda...It's not Camenker who is extreme but Romney's (former) 'gay' Log Cabin Republican friends, who wouldn't even endorse President Bush for re-election in 2004 because he favors a Marriage Protection Amendment,' LaBarbera said. He urged Romney to retract the anti-Camenker web posting and apologize to the pro-family advocate, noting that Camenker has done nothing wrong in 'reminding the American public that Romney has flip-flopped from being a very committed pro-abortion and pro-homosexual-activist politician.'" [Christian Newswire, 1/13/07]
Concerned Women For America: [Romney] Has Some Real Explaining To Do. "Through phone conversations and e-mail, it's [Brian Camenker's report] making its rounds and there is a growing tide of concern within pro-family organizations that the governor has some real explaining to do," said J. Matt Barber, policy director for cultural issues at Concerned Women for America. According to the Globe, Brian Camenker is preparing to release a second report highlighting Romney's un-conservative record. The new report, entitled "The Mitt Romney Deception Volume II," will reportedly focus on Romney's "previous support for adoption by gay couples." [Boston Globe, 1/22/07]
44 "Pro-Family" And Conservative Leaders Called On Romney To Reverse Gay Marriage Policy. "MassResistance has released a letter sent to former Governor W. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts in December just before he left office. The letter was signed by a diverse group of 44 pro-family and conservative leaders, including both national and influential state-level activists. It reveals a broader and more profound rejection of Romney's pro-family claims than social conservatives have previously expressed, and directly challenges his assertion that he truly opposed homosexual 'marriage.' The conservative leaders called on Romney to reverse his erroneous directives which began homosexual 'marriages' through an executive order prior to his leaving office on Jan. 3. But Romney declined to act, though he had both authority and obligation to reverse the damage done to the institution of marriage and the rule of law." [Christian Newswire, 1/13/07]
