The competence candidate: Can Mitt Romney make competence sell?

After reading this Boston Globe piece today by Drake Bennett the question asked might be changed from "Can", to "Should Mitt Romney make competence sell?"

** Hat tip to Phil James at "Romney Report" for picking up on this piece in his hometown newspaper

A very interesting piece and worth reading the entire thing.

SHOULD HE RUN FOR PRESIDENT, Mitt Romney will have several things going for him. He is telegenic and articulate. He is a Republican who managed to get elected in an overwhelmingly Democratic state. And in Massachusetts's sweeping new healthcare plan he has at least one legislative achievement of note. But as a moderate one-term governor unknown in many parts of the country, he stands out from the pack of Republican hopefuls not due to a particular ideological position so much as a record as a manager and turnaround artist. Romney, in other words, would be running largely on competence.

Granted, Romney is about as competent and successful as they come. He exudes both competence and confidence.

Now would seem to be the right time for a Republican competence candidate. This spring the Pew Research Center reported that ``incompetent" had replaced ``honest" as the word people most often attach to President Bush. Democrats have made ``dangerous incompetence" a key talking point of their campaign to take back Congress-invoking the specter of the continuing bloodshed in Iraq and what they characterize as the administration's bungled response to Hurricane Katrina.

In this context, Romney's managerial skills have a special appeal. As one Republican strategist close to Romney put it, ``Mitt is the cerebral fix-it guy, the level head, the big brain who's cool in a crisis."

``I have a theory that people try to vote for what they think they didn't get last time," the strategist continued. ``What they think they didn't get last time was competence."

Well, that is obviously a matter of opinion and I feel like I could argue that point pretty well, but this is a Romney blog and not a Bush blog.

The article then goes on to say that the last Mass. Gov. to run for President, Dukakis in 1988, ran on ``competence, not ideology." That largely backfired on him.

The article continues:

``When people are voting for governors, they are in a sense electing the CEO of their state," someone whose job is to manage the government. ``There are a lot of very uncharismatic guys elected governor," he says, mentioning Iowa's Tom Vilsack and former Virginia governor (and Democratic presidential hopeful) Mark Warner. ``Romney," he adds, ``isn't one of them."

So, competence AND charisma . . . a potent combination that Romney truly embodies. The piece then delves further into the competence of previous presidents and how that didn't always turn into successful administrations. Bennett then concludes:

Of course, Romney of late has been sounding less like an evenhanded manager than a budding ideologue, emphasizing in a CSPAN interview that his values are ``on the same page" as those of the religious right and calling for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

Here in Massachusetts, these sorts of comments invite suspicions that Romney is pandering to the conservative Republicans who matter so much in presidential primaries. He might, on the other hand, simply be expressing his actual views. Regardless, he can be comforted by the knowledge that voters tend to reward candidates who talk about their beliefs more than those who talk about their abilities.

Well, I believe in Romney's abilities, and know he's able to effectively and convincingly express his beliefs. Some seem to imply that you can't have both . . . Romney may prove them all wrong.

Jeff

Boston Globe: "Kisses in the heartland, kicks at home"

Journalist Joan Vennochi recently used David Yepsen's piece about Kerry and Romney (two Mass. presidential hopefuls) as the source of a Boston Globe editorial today.

I'll skip the Kerry stuff (after the 2004 election, I can barely stand thinking about him). Of Romney she writes:

He (Yepsen) was even more positive about Romney.

In Massachusetts, the public is growing bored with Romney's undisputed mastery of engineering technicalities relating to the collapse of Big Dig ceiling panels. The local press is also starting to ask where Romney was for the last 3 1/2 years, while Big Dig problems were building up to the point of this summer's tragedy. But in Iowa, Yepsen notes that ``Romney wins good reviews for his can-do style and upbeat message."

Yepsen labeled the Massachusetts governor ``the best organized of any of the GOP presidential candidates in Iowa." He said Romney's Mormon faith appears to be helping, not hurting him in Iowa. And he quoted a GOP activist who said Romney reminded her of Ronald Reagan.

``That Reagan standard is a tough one for any Republican to meet. If Romney's meeting it . . . he's well on his way toward winning the 2008 Iowa Republican caucuses," concluded Yepsen. It really doesn't get any better than that for a Republican presidential hopeful, does it?

Later she notes:

Could Iowa ultimately set up Kerry vs. Romney instead? Yepsen might be on to something.

As for Romney, there is something Reaganesque in his speech inflection. Unlike Reagan, Romney does not generally need cue cards. . . . But for now the Massachusetts governor exudes can-do confidence, especially when he is beyond Massachusetts and its hypercritical media.

Great stuff from Iowa to Boston . . . thanks to Yepsen; actually, thanks to Romney.

Romney . . . "the smartest, toughest guy in the race"

This Examiner article has some interesting "insider information" for the 2008 GOP presidential race.

To quote the start of the article:

"Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Virginia Sen. George Allen are strong candidates for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, although each has serious challenges to overcome.

That's the view of Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, and one of the most influential conservatives in Washington.

"When I talk to each of the presidential candidates, every one of them brings up Romney -- unsolicited -- because they're all focused on him as the smartest, toughest guy in the race," Norquist told reporters Wednesday at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. "He is very well thought of."

Seriously folks . . . ROMNEY IS THE REAL DEAL! I've seen him here in Iowa and the buzz about him is amazing (see here and here). Once the rest of the country gets exposed to him like political activists have here in Iowa he will emerge as the frontrunner.

Plus, Norquist said later in the article there were two serious challenges for Romney to overcome . . .

1. the fact that he GREW UP IN UTAH (ultra-conservative) and then governed in Massachusetts(ultra-liberal) and has no experience "in the middle".

2. the whole "Mormon Issue"

Well, strike that first one since Romney DID GROW UP IN THE MIDDLE . . . born and bred in Michigan . . . solidly "midwest" (especially when he grew up there.)

As for the "Mormon Issue" I'm pretty convinced that Romney can overcome that.

As for Allen, Norquist sees the "mini-Bush" image he has as being a major obstacle, especially if he shows any sign of inarticulateness.

So, since the competition has already identified Romney as "the smartest, toughest guy in the race" watch out for the onslaught of attacks seeking to discredit him. . . I guess I'm not surprised that he caught such flack over the relative "non-issue" of the "tar baby" comment.

Hear Mitt Speak. Speak Mitt, Speak

A new Iowa political blog focused on the 2008 presidential race is being run by Kevin Schmidt. It is named "RealWorldPolitico." I breifly met Kevin at Romney's PAC event in Ames and he seemed like a nice guy. Fortunately, Kevin recorded Romney's speech and the Q&A session (two seperate mp3s) and has them available at this link (the speech cuts out a few minutes early). In the Q&A session, mine is the second question about the political risk of taking over the Big Dig . . . yes, the question that brought forth the now famous "tar baby" comment.

Additionally, this link should get you to the streaming audio (about 13 minutes) of Gov. Romney on today's "Morning in America" radio talkshow hosted by Bill Bennett . . . he states he has 2.4 million listeners/day and is the #9 radio talk show in the nation. Sounds like good exposure for Gov. Romney. Not sure how long it will be available online as free streaming audio.

Topics discussed:
The Big Dig
Welfare Reform
Immigration
War on Terror/Iraq/Afghanistan
Israel and Lebanon
China and Economic Policy

One thing that struck me from the interview . . . Romney said: "we under-communicate to the world and to the American people when we call it a "War on Terror." Terror is the technique that's involved by the others side. This really is a war against radical jihadists. And we're going to have to recognize that, and see it's breath and help the world of Islam reject the extremists, because they and we together are going to have to do this."

Just after the interview Bennett said of Romney: "Clear, smart, an articulate voice thinking about the wider world as well as his own state of Massachusetts . He's shown that he can work with Democrats; the question is can he work with Republicans--because there aren't any up there . . . or at least not very many."

Great showing, once again, by our man Mitt!

In Cedar Rapids with Gov. Romney Last Saturday

Pictures up now. Will fill in details later . . . The first two photos are credited to Jim Kirkpatrick of The Iowa Caucus Report 2008 . . . Great shots Jim!)
Romney stumps to GOP audience



Dinner program and the "Iowans for Romney" pins (thanks AGAIN to Jim Kirkpatrick for producing these!)



Darik and Kristine Anderson attend their first Romney event and got a great photo-op! Kristine detailed her account in this blog entry "Mitt and Me" at her own political blog "Confessions of a Moderate Conservative." She's put up a lot of interesting reflections/commentary recently . . . check it out! Way to go Kristine!



Keith Steurer in a candid shot with Gov. Romney.



Karl, Tara, and Lauren Basham with the good Governor.



Jason Bonham from Illinoisians from Mitt (one of the better and more active state blogsites). We really enjoyed getting to know Jason and both he and we were very glad he made the trip over from the Chicago area. Jason is an accomplished concert violist!



Keith's parents, George and Maurine Steurer



I don't know who cracked the joke . . . but it must have been pretty funny



Gov. Romney with Linn County City Councilwoman Sara Henderson and GOP activist/campaigner/staffer/Jedi-Mastern Todd Henderson (know in the Iowa political blogosphere as "Yoda")



Some more laughs with the crowd . . .



Cedar Rapids GOP activist Rose Eaton (partial face shots of Keith Steurer and Joni Scotter--she's "AWESOME INCREDIBLE!")



Our "Iowans for Romney" table . . . three had to overflow onto another table



Representative Jim Leach speaking about the war on terror, worldwide religious strife, and introducing Gov. Romney . . . see this previous post for his very interesting introduction to Gov. Romney.

My Ames Experience Last Saturday

I drove over to the event with my brother-in-law, Karl Basham, Illinoisians for Mitt blogger Jason Bonham (below), and four of our children amonst us (aged 5-7).
We arrived a few minutes early and I ran into (and said "Hi" to) Doug Gross and David Kochel. I also met political columnist, David Yepsen, and RGA operative (and native Iowan) Gentry Collins, for the first time. A few people came up to me and mentioned that they recognized me from the blog and liked what I was doing.
Romney arrived in the room as people were eating the Brats, Hamburgers, and, of course, corn on the cob (hey, it's Iowa!). There was an immediate focus on him and the supporters and cameras came-a-calling quickly. I introduced Jason to him and snapped their photo.

Then I had a breif moment to speak with Romney. First he chuckled and said that he liked my "Iowans for Romney" pin (thanks to Jim Kirkpatrick for getting these done up . . . boy did they go quickly!) I asked Gov. Romney about his son in medical school at Tufts (and just got a great score on USMLE Step I--the first of the series of lisencing test.. He's starting his third year and is interested in Cardiology as a specialty . . . I, of course, put in a plug for my specialty, Ophthalmology.


More pictures and commentary to follow.

Coverage of Romney's Recent Iowa Swing: Weekend Round-up

In the Iowa Blog world the following accounts detail Romney's visit and the bloggers opinions:

Iowa GOP Chairman's Dinner in Cedar Rapids:

Jim Kirkpatrick who runs The Iowa Caucus Report blog has some great photos of the Cedar Rapids Event.

Kristine Anderson, of Cedar Rapids, was also at the home-town event with her husband, Darik, and details her impressions in a blog entry "Mitt and Me" at her blog "Confessions of a Moderate Conservative." Pretty interesting commentary over there.

The Krusty Konservative had a "Kommentator" give their impressions of the Cedar Rapids event as well.

Apparently there was a good article covering the event in the Cedar Rapids Gazette, but I can't get it online and haven't found a hard copy. (If anyone has a copy or access I'd love to know what it said.)

Romney's Commonwealth PAC Event in Ames:

Over at the Caucus Cooler a "Cooler Columnist" gave their impression of Romney and the event in general. Some interesting inside info there. At the same site a seperate blog entry was dedicated to the "tar baby" comment.

A "new" political blogger, Kevin Schmidt (who formerly ran "The 9 Dwarves" during the 2004 election), has hit the scene with a new blog called "RealWorldPolitico." He weighs in on the "tar baby" comment and also gave his impression of the Ames event in general. He seems warm on Romney now. We'll be sure to keep an eye on his blog.

The news coverage was also copious: The Des Moines Register covered the Ames indoor picnic event here and here (that 2nd is the David Yepsen article quoted in a previous blog entry--Comparing Romney to Reagan).

Over the weekend, with cancer survivor and research advocate Lance Armstrong in the state for RAGBRAI and Sen. Majority Leader, Bill Frist M.D. in town campaigning, there was a natural focus on cancer treatment and research. One Des Moines Register article reviewed how cancer had effected the lives of presidential hopefuls. For Romney it stated: "The wife of Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney lost both of her parents to cancer, the Republican said in Iowa on Saturday." I didn't know that.

A related piece detailed the position stances of 2008 POTUS hopefuls toward cancer research. Some of the GOP candidate's positions are listed below. Of those listed, Romney is the one that seems most fiscally conservative (my personal solution would be to cut AIDS funding by 50-75% and shunt the majority of that money to cancer research . . . it's still astounding the amount of money spent on AIDS per person effected, abosolutely disproportionate compared to any other disease state):

Sen. Bill Frist--Tennessee
Frist favors increasing funding for the National Cancer Institute, including restoring the $40 million cut proposed by the Bush administration. Frist also touts Congress' doubling of spending for the institute every year between 1998 and 2003.

Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani--New York City
Giuliani supports expanding embryonic stem cell research and has been active in promoting prostate cancer awareness and prevention. As mayor, Giuliani also started a citywide study of cancer victims, aimed at determining environmental causes.

Gov. Mike Huckabee--Arkansas
Huckabee supports increasing federal spending to the National Cancer Institute, including restoring the $40 million cut proposed by the Bush administration. He also favors increased spending on prevention programs that target environmental and behavioral causes.

Gov. Mitt Romney--Massachusetts
Romney backs increasing screening for early detection which he says has been made more available through a measure passed in his state requiring all residents to carry health insurance and providing coverage for those who cannot afford it.

No response from some candidates
The Register also sought, but did not receive, responses from New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, who is a Democrat, and Virginia Sen. George Allen, Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, Arizona Sen. John McCain and New York Gov. George Pataki, who are Republicans.

Yet another Des Moines Register article discusses Romney's travels out of his state for pre-candidacy and RGA purposes. It also mentions: "Romney was in Iowa to meet with GOP gubernatorial nominee Jim Nussle." At one of the events Romney mentioned that he flew in with Nussle from Chicago.

Well, I think that's the complete "round-up" from a great weekend for Romney in the Hawkeye state!

Boston Herald Columnist Offers Semi-apology to Romney for Over-reaction to "Tar Baby" Comment

Boston Herald columnist, Virginia Buckingham, wrote a peice today titled
"Mitt unduly tarred with Mel’s brush". It represents a semi-apology to Romney, and, if not that, at least a well-reasoned defense of his use of the term.

It’s a coincidence that Gov. Mitt Romney is taking heat for what some see as a racial slur in the same news cycle as Mel Gibson’s anti-Semitic rant.

But it would be a real shame if there was no distinction made by the guardians against discrimination between Romney’s common reference and Gibson’s disgusting tirade.

All slurs are not created equal.

Romney quickly apologized for his use of the term “tar baby” to describe his involvement in the Big Dig political mess. If unintentional bigotry loves company, Romney has plenty of it including Sen. John Kerry, The Boston Globe editorial board, the Boston Herald editorial board, White House press secretary Tony Snow and WBUR’s “On Point” host Tom Ashbrook.

In a June 2003 Boston Globe profile, Kerry described his leadership of a congressional committee on missing soldiers in Southeast Asia as a potential “tar baby.”

In a 1994 editorial, the Globe described U.S. dealings with Iran as resembling a “tar baby” and even articulated the term’s assumed meaning in a 1998 editorial on China’s censoring of the Internet: “The Communist rulers of Beijing ended last year tangling with a tar baby. The tar baby - passive, sticky and invincible - was played by the Internet, which the leaders want to censor.”

The Herald weighed in on Romney’s Turnpike merger proposal in a 2004 editorial noting “What lawmaker wouldn’t want to pass this tar baby to the guy who may be running for re-election in 2006?”

More recently, in May, the White House’s Snow colorfully refused to comment on a government surveillance program saying that doing so would “hug the tar baby.”

And Ashbrook, as well as Romney apparently, missed the resulting brouhaha since the WBUR host also used the term in a June 16 broadcast to describe the Guantanamo prison issue.

I personally have used the term tar baby, at least in conversation, if not in writing (though I’ve done that, too) plenty of times in my 19-plus year career.

And I confess not only did I not know of its racial implications, I also didn’t know of its origination as a literary trap for Br’er Rabbit. The Boston Globe’s language expert, Jan Freeman, filled me in on that in a June column.

Ignorance isn’t an excuse, it is only an explanation. I assume most, if not all, of those who were offended by Romney will accept his explanation and apology and, more, understand his comment in the spirit in which he offered it.

A voice of reason coming out of Boston? I thought Romney was the only capable of that!

Seriously though, Romney was immediately denounced by the "race baiters" community and painted as a racist for using the term. I commented before how they seem to give Democrats/Liberals a pass when they use the same term. Where was the public outcry when John Kerry used it? How can the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald use the term without even a ripple, but when Romney says it to a small group in Iowa, it's major national news? How can the term be used in this Massachusetts Magazine article JUST TWO WEEKS AGO without any public outcry (Hat tip: Jason Bonham at Illinoisians for Mitt for this last one) . . . I mean Romney is NOT the first person to refer to the BIG DIG as a "tar baby". To quote the article:

Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney: At first blush he appears to be a winner, as he calmly rolls up those white shirt sleeves and takes control — but not so fast. Mr. Clean may have gotten national credit for purging the Winter Olympics of scandal, but this ceiling panel thing could prove a tar baby for him yet.

Funny how they can refer to the BIG DIG as a "tar baby" without repercussions but Romney cannot.

More National Attention . . . Hotline On-Call infers that I am an official Romney Blogger

Over at Hotline On-Call (an arm of The National Journal) they have mentioned that we now have some Iowa GOP 2008 blogging competition and in the process said this:

Get ready for some Straight Talk, Iowa style. Supporters of Sen. John
McCain have a new Iowa blog. We're not sure who's behind the blog and don't know whether they have official McCain connections. STIS joins Iowans for Romney, which is run by Romney PAC adviser Jeff Fuller. Let the back and forth begin.

I commented there that, though I was asked to serve on the PACs Iowa Advisory Board by one of his Iowa staffers, I am not paid, not a "consultant", and have never been asked for, nor given advice. The PACs Iowa Advisory Board is essentially a show of strength among Iowan Romney supporters. Count me among that group . . . but as far as the "political strategy" stuff goes, I'm COMPLETELY out of the loop.

They have not put up my comment yet. So this post is to clear the air.

My disclaimer in the side bar at this blog has been there for months:

This is an unofficial "grassroots" support group that is not affiliated in any official capacity with Mitt Romney (though, since starting the site, I have
been invited to join Romney's Commonwealth PAC Iowa Advisory Board.) This is an
"ad-free" site and no financial support comes from any political party, group,
527, or PAC. Just a group that feels that Romney is the best man for the job in
2008!

Anyways, since they haven't put up my comment yet, I wanted to get the straight scoop here.

Now some of McCain's people seem to be playing the blogging game in the wrong way.

See here, here and here.

Yepsen Again Touts Romney's Skills (The nation will soon take notice)

Granted, Romney had to share in this piece with John Kerry (scroll down for the Romney Part):

In a previous blog entry I wrote

First, there will be a free indoor picnic for Romney supporters in Ames from 1-2:30PM (Gateway Hotel, Conference Center). My own "read" on this event, and the timing of it, is that it is about one year in advance of the all important Ames Straw Poll, where many a presidential campaign is made or broken (5 GOP hopefuls dropped out after the 2000 straw poll, which Bush one). Romney supporters should make their plans now to attend this 2007 event to support him in the Ames Straw Poll!

Yepsen starts off his piece with a similar idea (has he been reading this blog?!?! . . . I did give him an "Iowans for Romney" handout Saturday)

Later Saturday afternoon, down the road in Ames, Romney proved why he's the best organized of any of the GOP presidential candidates in Iowa. Over 200 activists showed up at the Gateway Hotel for a picnic someone had the good sense to bring inside on a sweltering day.

One year from now, the state GOP will hold its all-important straw poll in Ames. It's a survey that in the past has knocked poor finishers out of the presidential race. Romney is already at work trying to win it.

The praise for Romney continues and our efforts here are being noticed!:

He has made more than a half-dozen trips to the state and lined up some of the best political talent in the Iowa GOP to work for him. While some experts say Romney's Mormon faith will hurt him with some voters, it seemed to be helping him here Saturday. Romney organizers said several church members showed up and are deciding on their own to volunteer. "We don't have to work it," said a key operative. "It works itself."

Well, I "have to work it" . . . I guess our collective Iowans for Romney group may act like an extra (and free!) staffer or two.

Yepsen continues:

It's a measure of Romney's dedication to his Iowa effort that he broke away from the "Big Dig" calamity in Boston to keep his commitments in Iowa. Romney has taken charge of the investigation into the collapse of some ceiling tiles inside a Boston tunnel, a collapse that killed a woman, closed part of the system and raised new questions about the safety and quality of work done on the project. Some in Boston thought he should have remained in the state to deal with the issue.

A VERY positive sign then follows:

Romney wins good reviews for his can-do style and upbeat message. Charisse Schwarm, a longtime GOP activist from Lake Mills, sought me out to note how he reminded her of Ronald Reagan and the effect he had on crowds.

That Reagan standard is a tough one for any Republican to meet. If Romney's meeting it with people like Schwarm, he's well on his way toward winning the 2008 Iowa Republican caucuses.

We'll do everything we can to make sure that happens! Hop on the Romney train . . . it's picking up steam!

AN ENGINEER'S PERSPECTIVE OF THE BIG DIG FAILURES

Here is a "guest blog" from one of the "Iowans for Romney", Keith Steurer, an Engineer giving his take on the BIG DIG and Romney's response to the situation:

ENGINEER'S PERSPECTIVE OF THE BIG DIG FAILURES

I am a structural engineer, licensed in 2 states, with 6 years design experience. The recent BIG DIG failures have been of great interest to me and to my co-workers. There is an unwritten rule in engineering, that when things go wrong, you read up on them as much as possible to make sure that it never happens again. There have been several historic engineering failures throughout history. Usually, the only thing that makes them historic the loss of life (IE Hyatt Regency catwalk failure), or the freak factor (Tacoma Narrows Bridge failure). The BIG DIG has both of these factors because there has unfortunately been a life ;lost due to the failure, and this project is freakishly expensive, large, and encompassing.

I have read up much about the BIG DIG tunnel ceiling failure, and how it happened. Basically, there were concrete panels, hung above the traffic with epoxy anchors. We use epoxy anchors all the time in construction because they are versatile, easy to install, and take very little training or expertise to install. HOWEVER, great caution should be used when installing them in a ceiling. This is known throughout the engineering world. They only perform correctly if installed correctly. As a designer, I actually have a rule that I never use epoxy anchors in a ceiling. WHY? Because the epoxy doesn't tend to fill the hole completely, and while the epoxy is setting it can run out of the hole. Manufacturers of the epoxy anchors have plenty of testing to show that they are safe for use in ceilings, but sky diving is also technically safe, and I still do not take that risk either. Also the panel fastening system was not redundant. Meaning, if one fastener fails, the remaining will not have the capacity to support the system, and they will all fail, one at a time. They reported that many of the anchors were not tightened adequately either. This is a simple installation problem. Unfortunately, these anchors are most often installed by the least trained, least responsible laborers on a job site, and are rarely tested in place to verify correct installation. I deal with this on my own projects.
I read a great article in the Engineering News Record. See link : http://enr.ecnext.com/free-scripts/comsite2.pl?page=enr_document&article=netrar060731
This is written for engineers, by engineers. I feel it is very honest in exposing the back and forth of who was taking charge of the project and inspections, and what needs to be done. Governor Romney is quoted as having questioned all 1,150 epoxy anchors in that particular tunnel, which is exactly what any trained inspector would do. Unfortunately, it appears as if the previous inspectors (if any), and others involved in this massive project have too much money at stake, too much bribing, and corner cutting going on to take reasonable charge of their own work. No one likes to be the guy that shuts down a construction site to have things tested, but someone has to do it for this level of risk. I am impressed with Romney's resolve to ensure every part of the project is safe, not just the immediate areas of concern. He has taken on much larger challenges that this, so I am sure he will not fail the people of Massachusetts. I look forward to seeing what type of system they come up with to replace the anchors, and hopefully this will never happen again. Are you listening, fellow engineers???

Keith Steurer, PE, LEED AP

Great stuff Keith! Glad to have you on our "Iowans for Romney" team. Below is a semi-candid shot of Keith with Gov. Romney at the Cedar Rapids GOP Chairman's Dinner which Romney Headlined.

The Political Personality Profile

I am Ronald Reagan and a "Strong Republican!" Just took this personality quiz (see link at the bottom of the pictures if you want to take it too) that I found by browsing around Blogosphere reactions to Romney's visit to Iowa (hat tip: Kristine at "Confessions of a Moderate Conservative"--who is actually a "centrist"? ).

That man (Reagan) is one of my idols! I'm sure glad that I didn't end up as the Unibomber, or even worse . . . Hillary!

You are a Social Conservative (25% permissive) and an... Economic Conservative (78% permissive) You are best described as a: Strong Republican Link: The Politics Test on OkCupid Free Online Dating Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

Rep. Jim Leach: Religious Intolerance is What We're Fighting . . . Not Who We Are as Republicans and Americans

My title to this blog entry: "Religious Intolerance is What We're Fighting . . . Not Who We Are as Republicans and Americans" is one that I chose to convey the gist of my U.S. Congressman, Jim Leach's speech just before Romney took the stage at the GOP Chairman's Dinner in Cedar Rapids this past Saturday night. His speech focused on the religious tension and strife that dominate world politics and foreign relations. He mentioned the religious strife between Israel and Hezbollah. He also mentioned that in Iraq, much of the problem stems from the strife amongst militant factions of Shiites and Sunnis (despite having Islam as a common base). This was a segue into the final point of his discourse (which he was kind enough to write out for me! Thanks Jim!):
****First off, Rep. Leach was clear that these words were not to be viewed as "an endorsement" of Romney . . . but they sure aren't damning of Romney and his efforts!***********

"In America, no one should be excluded from leadership based on their faith.

"All individuals should be judged on the timber of their convictions, not the nuances of inter- of intra-faith differences. That is the American way. It is why we Republicans respect, for instance, the Democratic Party for putting forth a Catholic who became a great President, John F. Kennedy. It is why we welcome this evening to Cedar Rapids an extraordinary leader, a man of a minority faith.

"I have watched Gov. Romney from afar, and, on several occasions, up close. His is the kind of leadership the country yearns for. I am confidant Iowans will give him respectful consideration and that he will not let the party and, more importantly, the country down."

Representative Leach is a good and smart man. I have had occasion to speak with him rather in depth on four occasions over the last two months. Leach is a self-proclaimed moderate Republican . . . however, he is the kind of congressman we need since he, has proven again and again, that can keep our district Red when it leans heavily to the blue side. Interestingly, Leach was listed as #10 on the "Top 10 RINOs" by Human Events online (BTW, Romney was listed as #8 on that list . . . Leach seemed very surprised that Romney was on that list at all since he realizes that Mitt is much more conservative than he is. We speculated that it may be the fact that he governs in Massachusetts, or that possibly, some people whose real objection to Romney is his religion would feel more comfortable giving him a label like RINO as a reason to not vote for him/consider him.)

Well, on a brighter note, it seems pretty clear that the visible leadership of the Evangelical community will not "blackball" Romney because of his religion. That doesn't surprise me, but recently Jerry Falwell said:

I have no problem voting for a person who is not of my faith as long as he or she stands with me on the moral and social issues. (Massachusetts governor) Mitt Romney may be a candidate for president. He's a Mormon. If he's pro-life, pro-family, I don't think he'll have any problem getting the support of evangelical Christians.

Previously, prominent Evangelical leader, Chuck Colson, said something similar:

Someone willing to go on the record was Charles Colson of Prison Fellowship. Notwithstanding his "fundamental" theological differences with Mormonism, Colson said, "I could in very good conscience support Romney," calling him "a first-rate guy in every respect" and "a social conservative on most of the issues we care about." Colson obviously wasn't declaring for Romney, but simply indicating that he would not in religious principle, so to speak, be opposed to Romney and indeed could find political reasons to support him.

Also, the rather glowing 9 minute profile of Romney on the Pat Robertson run 700 Club News segment for CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network) seems to show that there is not inherent opposition to Romney because of his religion.

While I wouldn't expect any of these leaders to go on record as being against Romney because of his faith, at least they are willing to publically say "the right thing" on the issue. I'm apt to believe them on the individual level. However, whether the every-day religious-right voter will feel the same way remains to be seen.

Anyways (and getting back to my first point), I thought Jim Leach made a great point: that the U.S. sacrifices too much time, effort, money, and lives helping to resolve religious conflicts around the world . . . that we, as Republicans, cannot afford to let any similar religious disagreements to potentially divide our party or our country. A great man with a great mind.

Questions (Mine) and Answers (Romney's) Making the News Again

My question to Governor Romney made the headlines of the Boston Globe article covering the event! It was also the main focus of the AP article that ran about Romney's visit to Ames hosted by his Commonwealth PAC. This experience is similar to the comment/question I made to Romney a couple of months ago at the Iowa Christian Alliance House Party which ended up being discussed by David Yepsen in the Des Moines Register and in a seperate article in some no-name journal called the Wall Street Journal (See this blog entry and this one too)

I mentioned that Dick Morris had recently opined that Romney was taking a huge (and unwise) potilical risk in taking over the "Big Dig" (See article here with this comment: “I think he is digging himself into a hole as big as the Big Dig,” said Dick Morris, a former top adviser to President Clinton. “He is now going to be held responsible for every delay, every cost overrun and every construction defect. Some things are best kept at arms length.”) I asked Gov. Romney what he thought of Morris's opinion; the answer he gave was great!

AMES, Iowa -- Nearly three weeks after a ceiling collapse in a Big Dig tunnel killed a Boston woman, Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney yesterday portrayed his stewardship of the crisis as a sign that he is ``willing to take action."

Romney, in his first significant out-of-state political trip since the July 10 accident, told 200 people at a Republican lunch yesterday that he had stepped in to oversee the beleaguered $14.6 billion project when others would not.

``The best thing for me to do politically is stay away from the Big Dig -- just get as far away from that tar baby as I possibly can," Romney said, answering an audience question about whether his new responsibility for the project's safety carried political risk. ``But I got elected as governor of Massachusetts. It's part of my job to do what I think is the right thing."

He cast himself as willing to tackle a seemingly intractable problem. ``One thing's for sure, I am sure tired of people who just have nothing but talk and are not willing to take action. I'm willing to take action, and that's what I'm going to do," he said to rousing applause.

Just, for the record, this question was not scripted, or "a plant." I just wanted to know his opinion on the issue and I suspected that he'd give a strong answer. He did not disappoint me!

Over the next couple of days I'll give my commentary on both events (In Ames and in Cedar Rapids) which I attended with friends and family. It was again a great experience to see and speak with Gov. Romney. He seems quite appreciative of the support we, as "Iowans for Romney" are giving to him.

Update 7/31 in the afternoon:
Apparently, "race baiters" are trying to paint Romney as a racist for using the term "tar baby".
A new Iowa Political Blog, RealWorldPolitico, by Kevin Schmidt (who was at the event too) has his take on the comment as well as his own audio file (mp3 link) to the 10 second comment to put it in context.

The comment section in this entry and the preceding one reveal these kind of people for what they are . . . In coordination with The Caucus Cooler, we caught someone from a server in Little Rock, Arkansas who posted under multiple names about how horrible it was for Romney to use the term.

This subject is also being discussed at blog entries of "The Caucus Cooler" and "The Krusty Konservative"

It's official . . . Romney IS coming this weekend to Iowa

It's official (link) . . . Romney IS coming this weekend to Iowa! (barring any disasters in his state I'm sure)

This is after the nice opportunity to dine with the Cheney's and Massachusetts historian/author Nathaniel Philbrick tonight.

We sure are looking forward to having him!