Romney’s Smooth Talk Gets Stormy Response In Sunshine State
In his desperation to dig himself out of single digit poll numbers among Republican primary voters, smooth talking Mitt Romney has created a real mess for himself in the Sunshine State. In his mad dash away from his real record, Romney is pandering to conservative activists across the country by taking positions that put him squarely at odds with key Florida voters.
During Romney’s last Florida visit, he showed his loyalty to big oil’s big donors by endorsing offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. [Orlando Sentinel, 2/17/07] In 1994, he told Massachusetts voters he would protect Social Security. Now, eager to please the special interests who backed President Bush’s failed Social Security privatization plan, Romney supports “reducing benefits” and has hired the architect of the Bush plan as a campaign advisor. [Union Leader, 3/2/07; Special Report with Brit Hume, FNN, 2/7/07] On immigration reform, Romney struck a moderate tone, favoring a path to citizenship for undocumented workers as recently as 2006. [Lowell Sun, 3/30/06] But now, with conservative activists looking for tough talk, Romney is bashing undocumented workers, bragging about trying to federalize the state police, and calling for English-only education just days before launching Spanish language ads promoting his appearance in Florida.
“Smooth talking Mitt Romney is running from his record faster than a Flagler greyhound chasing an electronic hare, but once Floridians learn about where he stands on the issues they care about he'll have to just keep running,” said Democratic National Committee spokesman Damien LaVera. “From off-shore drilling to immigration to social security, Romney won’t be able to smooth talk his way to higher poll numbers. Floridians are looking for real leaders who present clear plans for America's future, not smooth talking opportunists who will say anything to win primaries.”
Romney on Off Shore Drilling:
Romney Supports Offshore Drilling in Florida. “Romney said he supports an environmentally sensitive plan for offshore oil drilling that would not impact Florida tourism. He didn't go into specifics, but Floridians, liberal and conservative alike, agree that offshore drilling is unpopular in the state.” [Orlando Sentinel, 2/17/07]
Romney: If We Don’t Drill, Castro Will. Romney on oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico: "If we don't do it, Castro will." He later added, "Clearly to have a foreign country drilling in waters that are off our coast doesn't make a lot of sense, but it does make sense, in my view, for us to develop our natural resources here…" [Associated Press, 2/16/07]
Romney Supported ANWR Drilling To Woo Oil Executives. In 2005, Romney announced his support for oil drilling in ANWR as the Bush Administration pushed Congress to approve ANWR drilling in the budget reconciliation bill. Oil from ANWR would not flow from the Alaska refuge for 10 years, and that at peak production in 2025 it would make up just 3 percent of U.S. oil consumption. Romney's support for drilling in the Arctic might win him points in the White House and from deep-pocketed oil industry executives. [Boston Globe, 12/14/05]
Romney’s Dangerous Smooth Talk On Social Security:
Old Mitt: Supported Social Security, Pledged Not To Not Cut Social Security. In 1994, when Mitt Romney ran for U.S. Senate, he said he would not cut Social Security to meet his goal of balancing the federal budget. Romney said, "I don't think you go back and rewrite the contract the government has with people who've retired." [Boston Globe, 10/17/94]
New Mitt: Weighing Deep Cuts to Social Security. “[Romney] is weighing… deep cuts in automatic-benefit programs such as Medicare and Social Security… Romney aides say he is intrigued by the ideas of Democrat Robert Posen who served on Bush's 2001 Social Security Commission. Posen's plan calls for ‘progressive indexation’ that maintains the current Social Security benefit formula for the poor while providing gradual benefit reductions for wealthier individuals.” [Bloomberg, 2/7/2007]
New Mitt: Hired Architects of Bush’s Failed Scheme to Privatize Bush Social Security. According to Fox News Networks’ Carl Cameron, “Many on Romney's economic team worked for President Bush, including Glen Hubbard, the former chairman of the president's Council of Economic Advisers, and Robert Posen, who helped craft the president's failed 2005 plan to reform Social Security with private accounts.” [Special Report with Brit Hume, FNN, 2/7/07]
Bush Social Security Reforms Deeply Unpopular; Just Two Percent Support Cuts Only Approach. According to a recent AARP poll, proposals to raise the retirement age, change the longevity index, cut benefits for new retirees and implement modified price indexing were opposed by large margins. [Politico, 2/7/2007 ] In fact, only 2 percent of respondents favored reforms that would solely cut benefits. [Palm Beach Post, 2/22/2007]
Romney’s Immigration Smooth Talk:
Old Mitt: Supported A “Path to Citizenship” For Undocumented Workers Last Year. “Gov. Mitt Romney expressed support yesterday for an immigration program that places large numbers of illegal residents on the path toward citizenship… ‘I don't believe in rounding up 11 million people and forcing them at gunpoint from our country,’ Romney said. ‘[T]hose that are here paying taxes and not taking government benefits should begin a process towards application for citizenship, as they would from their home country.’” [Lowell Sun, 3/30/06]
New Mitt: Opposes Path to Citizenship, Talks Tough on Immigration. “[T]hose people who are here illegally should not get any benefit by being here. Those that have committed crimes should be taken out of the country.” [ABC “This Week,” 2/18/07] Romney has also called for penalties on employers who hire illegal immigrants, supporting construction of a 700-mile fence along the more than 2000 mile U.S.- Mexico border, and calling for National Guard troops to be stationed at the border until the wall is finished. " [Boston Globe, 12/1/06]
New Mitt: Bashes Hispanics. In an op-ed in the Miami Herald, a Republican activist pointed out that, in his address to the Conservative Political Action Conference, “Romney said, ‘There is a wide open walk across the border for those who have neither skills nor education.’ This is a blatant attack on Hispanics. It is stereotypical, denigrating and wrong.” [Miami Herald, 3/9/07]
New Mitt: Called for English Only Education. Desperate to win the CPAC straw poll, Romney went before the right wing audience and told them exactly what they wanted to hear: “You strengthen the American people by … insisting that the children who come legally to this land are taught in English.” [Mitt Romney, Remarks to CPAC Conference, 3/2/07]
New Mitt: Brags About Trying to Federalize State Police. In an op-ed in the Miami Herald, a Republican activist pointed out that, “Romney described how he federalized Massachusetts state police so they could enforce immigration law. He talked about two of his favorite vetoes as governor: ‘tuition breaks and drivers licenses for illegals.’ Tonight, Romney will speak to Miami Republicans. I suspect he will focus on attacking Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez and painting himself as Jeb Bush's long-lost twin. He will probably spare this audience the details of his vetoes against ‘illegals.’ That speech would not be warmly received in Miami-Dade County, where county commissioners approved a resolution against federalizing local police.” [Miami Herald, 3/9/07]
