In an unusual foray into politics since leaving office, former 66th Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice endorsed Republican CA gubernatorial hopeful, Meg Whitman, today:
“California is my home and there is only one person running for Governor who can lead the way toward rebuilding our state.
“In my experiences in and out of government, I find the most effective leaders to be those who maintain a clear vision, mobilize diverse groups, and inspire them to work together in confronting the most pressing challenges. That is why I am supporting Meg Whitman.
“Meg will do what is needed to get California back on track.”
Rice has resisted efforts by voters to persuade her to run for offices ranging from governor to U.S. senator to president of the United States.
The primary election is June 8. The winner in the GOP primary will probably face Democrat Jerry Brown in November.
Brown, 71, previously served as governor of California, 1975-83, and waged three unsuccessful campaigns for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Meg Whitman: A Different Kind of Leader
“I will tell you there is a profound hunger for change, for leadership, and for authenticity.”
~ Meg Whitman
MittRomney is also supporting Meg Whitman. If we help elect Whitman, we can change California. A new California is vital for America! For information on how to help, go here.
24 hours have passed since news was released of Mitt Romney’s endorsement of John McCain for re-election to the United States Senate. Opinions vary as to why this decision was made. Looking at a broader view for America’s future, Romney weighed the potential outcome of the Arizona senatorial election. There were many considerations pro and con, but in the end, Romney chose strength for the United States military and a strong national security. The need for McCain’s gravitas and experienced, respected, powerful influence on national security matters point to Romney’s core belief that keeping Americans safe trumps all.
PHOENIX, AZ – U.S. Senator John McCain’s re-election campaign today announced that former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has endorsed Senator John McCain for re-election to the United States Senate.
Governor Romney today issued the following statement:
“For years, I’ve been an admirer of John McCain. Then we became competitors. Today, I’m proud to call him my friend.
“In my view, it’s hard to imagine the United States Senate without John McCain, especially in the critical times we find ourselves in, with double-digit unemployment, a mountain of debt imperiling future generations and a global terrorist threat from jihadists bent on destroying our very way of life.
“It is times like these that we look to leaders of character. Senator McCain’s record of service and sacrifice for America is honored by all. But I believe that it is his core values of courage, faith and honor – forged in battle and confirmed by a lifetime of service to America – that make Senator McCain’s leadership in the United States Senate so necessary in these perilous times. Not only am I proud to call him a friend, but as an American I am constantly reassured by Senator McCain’s continued involvement in the affairs of our nation, and I am honored to support him.”
“Governor Romney is among the brightest and most dynamic leaders in our Party, and I am proud to have his support,” said Senator John McCain. “I look forward to working with him to advance our shared vision for a stronger, safer and more prosperous America.”
After gracefully exiting the presidential campaign, Romney became a cheerful warrior for McCain. He logged countless hours fundraising for his onetime opponent and appeared on the senator’s behalf almost anywhere the campaign asked, including at the Democratic National Convention. His competence and dedication won him begrudging fans among McCain’s senior staff, who later freely admitted they’d misjudged him. McCain himself was deeply appreciative of Romney’s work, and was won over personally after spending time with Romney and his gracious wife, Ann, at the senator’s Sedona ranch. Romney ended up in serious contention for McCain’s VP slot, and as the financial crisis took over the agenda, he became one of McCain’s valued go-to sources of advice and perspective on economic issues.
So perhaps the news of Romney’s endorsement isn’t all that surprising. It’s good for McCain to have someone with Romney’s financial expertise and centrist appeal come out in his favor. It also helps McCain to appear connected with someone considered part the GOP’s future. The question for Romney, who’s emerging as the GOP’s most serious contender for 2012, is, what’s in it for him? For starters, a friendship with McCain has lots of benefits. McCain is still an excellent drawing card for fundraisers, and although Romney has vast personal wealth, having a name like McCain on board makes a big difference. McCain could also lend a Romney candidacy some foreign-policy and national-security credibility, particularly with Republican voters. Romney lacks it; McCain has it in spades. And McCain has always been popular in New Hampshire, a critical early state.
The move fits nicely with Romney’s apparent strategy. My Gaggle pal Andrew Romano calls it the “adult in the room” approach. Unlike some of his potential opponents, Romney is incredibly strategic about his public appearances. He doesn’t weigh in on every news cycle. He gives selective interviews to drive home messages on the key issues facing the Obama administration: the economy, national security, the auto bailout, and health care. But we don’t see his perfect coif on TV every day, and he’s not racking up a litany of quotes he’ll later wish he never said. Instead, he’s using the George Costanza approach: end on a high note and leave them wanting more. Next week he begins a national tour for his new book, which is touted as a “blueprint for maintaining America’s global leadership.” Advisers say he’ll offer a serious, intellectual analysis of America’s place in the world.
I bet John McCain thought, when he won the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, he was playing the most pivotal role he would ever play in the party. Apparently that was not the case. He now has an even more pivotal role. McCain has become a walking conservative litmus test.
The conservative base at the moment is on a mission to rid the party of so-called RINOs, and McCain is the poster boy for their ire. This is not without some justification. McCain’s past support for free-speech-restricting campaign finance reform, his opposition to the Bush tax cuts and his blocking of a Republican attempt to end Senate filibusters against Bush judicial nominees deserved the criticism they received.
But if you’re a philosophical conservative, and your goal is to get policies enacted that are most crucial to the nation from the conservative point of view, it doesn’t necessarily stand to reason that the best way to do it is to toss out every RINO in a primary and replace him with a so-called “true conservative.”
Relax, ‘true conservatives’: There’s a good case to be made for Romney and Palin (and you) backing McCain:
On national security, McCain has always backed, and proposed during his presidential campaign, the very strategy most conservatives believe Obama has erred by not pursuing. If McCain were president, we would still be putting a missile shield in Eastern Europe. We would be taking a hard line on Iran. We would not be bending over to let the Taliban back into the political process in Afghanistan.
On health care, McCain has been a consistent and effective voice against Obama’s proposals throughout the past year, and his own proposals in 2008 would have moved the nation toward the sort of consumer-directed system we need, not the sort of top-down system we already have, and that Obama would make worse.
- Because of his seniority and standing with the media, McCain can be an effective voice for the conservative positions on the above-mentioned issues. Many conservatives have criticized McCain for making too nice with the media over the years, and not without some justification, but at this particular point in time his having done so can come in very handy. It’s precisely because they do regard him as something other than a blustering partisan that his criticisms of Obama carry weight and get air time.
- J.D. Hayworth shows signs of not being a serious person. His big-spending, earmarking track record, we’ve already covered. His past ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff should give any one concerned about ideological principle serious pause.
Surely there are plenty of reasons for conservatives to be upset with McCain about his past track record. But no election held in 2010 is for the purpose of repeating the past. It’s to put the best people in place to make the best decisions for the nation going forward.
Whatever his faults on other issues, McCain is for the right things on spending, health care and national security. His seniority and bipartisan credibility put him in a good position to advocate effectively for these things. And it just might be that, while Hayworth could make the case that he is the “true conservative,” Palin and Romney recognize the results for the nation – from a conservative point of view – might very well be better if McCain is the guy Arizona sends back to the Senate to get them done.
What good does it do to elect a “true conservative” if he can’t achieve what conservatives think is important?
The definition of “RINO” is not “any politician who deviates in any material respect from conservative principles.” A RINO is someone who deviates in virtually every material respect. In fact, when it comes to national security, most social issues, most economic issues, judges, and many other areas, McCain is one of us. I’m not sure that our goal as a conservative community is to simply support the most conservative candidate in any given primary. There’s a lot more to effective leadership than ideology, and such a mindset encourages the rather unpleasant ideological puritans in our midst.
Good news for the California gubernatorial race today! A Rasmussen poll taken yesterday reveals that Romney-endorsed Meg Whitman and probable Democrat nominee Jerry Brown (currently serving as CA attorney general) are tied at 43% approval. Just a month ago, liberal Brown held a four-point lead over Whitman.
Republican Meg Whitman, the former eBay chief executive, is running neck-and-neck with Attorney General Jerry Brown in a California gubernatorial matchup, with each drawing 43 percent of voters, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted Feb. 15. Six percent prefer someone else and 8 percent are undecided. The margin of error is 4.5 points.
If State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner managed to get the GOP nomination, Brown would be leading him 46 percent to 34 percent with 7 percent preferring another candidate and 13 percent undecided.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported in late January that some California state legislators were thinking of pressing three-term Sen. Dianne Feinstein to jump into the race because they believe she could break through legislative gridlock and achieve reforms necessary to deal with the state’s financial crisis.
If that happened, Feinstein does not fare much better than Brown. She leads Whitman by a statistically insignificant 45 percent to 43 percent with 2 percent preferring some other candidate and 9 percent undecided. Like Brown, she easily beats Poizner, 48 percent to 36 percent with 5 percent preferring another candidate and 11 percent undecided.
Whitman and Brown get about the same level of support from members of their own parties, but Whitman has a modest edge of 49 percent to 42 percent among unaffiliated voters.
“Let’s say what we mean, and mean what we say – and let’s get the job done.” ~ Meg Whitman
As you probably already know, my good friend Meg Whitman is running for governor of California. I want you to know that she has my strongest support. Click here to see why I hold her in the highest esteem personally and professionally, and why she is exactly the leader your state needs to restore the California dream.
Meg and I were colleagues at Bain & Company, and she proved herself to be a tremendously smart, dedicated leader with a remarkable understanding of business and what it takes to grow an economy to create jobs and wealth.
Meg was an early and tireless supporter of my presidential campaign. I consider her a loyal friend and one of the first people I would turn to for advice. In February, it was my pleasure to attend the California Republican Party Convention with Meg and officially announce my support of her candidacy for Governor of California. I am convinced that she is the only candidate who can get California back on the right track.
Please join me today in supporting Meg. Meg has a bold vision of how to meet the extraordinary challenges facing California today and to secure a bright and prosperous future. It’s inspiring and I know that she can make it happen. With her at the helm, there is no dream beyond California’s reach. Be sure to click here now and help Meg work to restore the greatness of California.
The United States needs a fiscally vibrant California. California desperately needs Meg Whitman. Let’s roll up our sleeves and do all we can to elect her!
Great news! Hot off the press from National Journal: Romney will head to South Dakota this month to raise funds for Senator John Thune, who is up for reelection later this year. It’s great to see Mitt uniting with other respected conservatives in an effort to win our country back from the mindless Democrats.
Mitt Romney to Fundraise for John Thune
By Erin McPike
Get out the long lenses in South Dakota: Ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney (R) is making one of his first high-profile fundraising stops of the 2010 midterm cycle later this month for none other than Sen. John Thune (R-SD), chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee.
Romney will join Thune for a fundraiser to benefit the senator’s re-election bid at the Holiday Inn City Centre in Sioux Falls, SD, on Feb. 19, according to a copy of the invitation obtained by National Journal. The suggested contribution is just $100.
Romney and Thune met several years ago in the Capitol and have seen each other at a couple of social functions since then, but they have never made a joint appearance. Sioux Falls and Sioux City, Iowa, a conservative bastion in the first-in-the-nation pres. caucus state, share a media market, so photos of the once and likely future pres. hopeful and a possible rival — or ticket-mate — will hit voters in the caucus state.
“This has 2012 written all over it. Two high-profile Republicans in the same place — one who has already run for president and one who is being encouraged to do so — to have them together makes for quite a photo-op,” said one veteran GOP strategist.
The rest of Romney’s itinerary has yet to be determined, but an IA GOP strategist said he doubted Romney would drop down to the Hawkeye State since he is scheduled to be there for his book tour in March.
“But to have two superstars like that together, people will pay attention. It wouldn’t be unheard of for the two of them to do a media avail,” the operative said, since the media market reaches a wide swath of northern Iowa.
As for Thune, with $6M in his war chest and no Dem challengers on the horizon ahead of the Mar. 30 filing deadline, why the early, splashy fundraiser? As Thune campaign manager Justin Brasell put it, “Sen. Thune has been through 2 grueling and very expensive Senate races, and if there is one lesson he took away from those contests it’s that you can never be too prepared.”
All of us are still basking in Scott Brown’s historic U.S. Senate victory. It’s still hard to believe that we were able to pull it off against all the odds.
Governor Romney Introduces Scott Brown at Victory Party:
[I'm adding video of Brown giving special thanks to Romney that we haven't posted yet ~Nate]
I especially want to thank a very special friend, whose encouragement from the beginning helped show me the way, and show us the way to victory -- and that is former Governor Mitt Romney. Thank you Governor.
Praise for Mitt Romney came a couple of days ago from FOX News’ Kirsten Powers and Charles Krauthammer in regard to being the strongest Republican candidate for 2012. Senator-elect Scott Brown’s warm words for Mitt, combined with a solid $3 million dollar 2009 fundraising report for Romney’s Free and Strong America PAC deserves a shout-out to a great man. Romney’s relentless efforts for conservatism are being noticed and affirm his reliability, likeability, and magnanimity.
Kirsten Powers:
“I think the strongest candidate in a general election would probably be Romney… He understands the economy. He’s a good candidate… People like him so I think he’d be strong.”
Charles Krauthammer:
“The best candidate, I think, as of today would be Mitt Romney…
You’d want a Romney- who is solid, economically savvy, reliable, rooted, experienced. I think he’d be very strong.”
Romney gave you early financial and public support. What’s your relationship like with him?
Brown: “He’s changed, he’s changed. You know, he’s actually — before he was an outsider coming in and he was, you know, kind of, you know, stiff. But he’s actually, like, funny, he’s like — when he was at my events he was cracking jokes, when we were on the bus — I was like, who is this guy? He’s really kind of, I think, settled into his role kind of being the elder statesman of the party and everything he went through [running for] as president. It’s kind of, and once again it’s my opinion but he’s really a different guy than I knew when he was here, and I certainly appreciate everything he did for me.
Romney’s Free and Strong America PAC fundraising efforts paid off last year. He raised just under $3 million dollars in 2009. As the mid-term elections heat up, our continued support for the FSAP will be key in helping conservative candidates across the nation. From Chris Good -- The Atlantic Jan 29, 2010:
Mitt Romney had a pretty good year in 2010, when it comes to political money: his political organization, the Free and Strong America PAC, raised just over $2.9 million in 2009, the PAC announced today. Along with that haul, it doled out a total of over $120,000 to candidates and causes. (That total looks miniscule compared to the money taken in, but keep in mind that 2009 was an off year, and it’s just now time to start thinking about serious 2010 spending.)
It’s unclear how this will compare to the political action committees of the other Big Three Republican 2012 contenders--Sarah Palin’s SarahPAC and Mike Huckabee’s HuckPAC--but, at the midway point of 2009, Romney’s PAC had led them substantially.
In their last Federal Election Commission disclosure reports, counting donations through June 30, 2009, Romney’s PAC led with $1.9 million raised in the first half of the year. Palin’s PAC had raised over $730,000, while Huckabee’s PAC had raised over $300,000.
The year-end filing deadline is this Sunday, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern, so we should know soon how much Palin and Huckabee’s organizations raked in.
If those three want to use their PAC money to support their own presidential campaigns in 2012, they’ll only be able to contribute $5,000 from the PACs to their campaigns for the primary, and another $5,000 for the general election (if one of them wins the nomination). But the PACs can spend unlimited amounts on their own to support a candidate--so, theoretically, that money could be just as good as a campaign war chest, though it would have to be used via independent expenditures.
The Meg Whitman campaign put together a nice video that covers Meg’s background.
From a young age, Meg learned never to give up and to always seize opportunity. She was in the fourth class of women at Princeton University. She led with confidence at companies such as Hasbro, FTD and Disney. Time magazine has ranked her among the world’s most influential people. And at eBay, Meg helped inspire millions of people to chase opportunity. Now, Meg wants to bring optimism and opportunity to all Californians.
Some interesting facts from the video are: As CEO of eBay she grew it from 30 employees to 15,000. Not to mention the millions of people that work from home selling goods on eBay. She also helped grow their annual revenue from $4,000,000 to nearly $8,000,000,000. Those are pretty darn good numbers!
It’s rousing! It’s reminiscent Paul Revere! It’s real!
Backlash is coming… backlash is coming.
In the deepest blue of states, overwhelmingly controlled by Democrats, contesting a sacred 50 year senatorial tradition, on the eve of Obama’s one-year anniversary as president, and against all odds…Senator-Elect Scott Brown triumphed yesterday. Trailing by 30 points just a month ago, a focused and vigilant Brown ascended to win by 5 points over favored-to-win opponent Democrat Martha Coakley.
I’ll bet they can hear all this cheering down in Washington, D.C.
And I hope they’re paying close attention, because tonight the independent voice of Massachusetts has spoken.
From the Berkshires to Boston, from Springfield to Cape Cod, the voters of this Commonwealth defied the odds and the experts. And tonight, the independent majority has delivered a great victory.
I thank the people of Massachusetts for electing me as your next United States senator.
Every day I hold this office, I will give all that is in me to serve you well and make you proud.
Most of all, I will remember that while the honor is mine, this Senate seat belongs to no one person and no political party -- and as I have said before, and you said loud and clear today, it is the people’s seat.
Brown’s victory speech Part 2:
Raising taxes, taking over our health care and giving new rights to terrorists is the wrong agenda for our country. What I’ve heard again and again on the campaign trail, is that our political leaders have grown aloof from the people, impatient with dissent, and comfortable in the back room making deals. And we can do better.
Across this country, we are united by basic convictions that need only to be clearly stated to win a majority. If anyone still doubts that, in the election season just beginning, let them look to Massachusetts.
Fellow citizens, what happened in this election can happen all over America. We are witnesses, you and I, to the truth that ideals, hard work, and strength of heart can overcome any political machine. We ran a campaign never to be forgotten, and led a cause that deserved and received all that we could give it.
I go to Washington as the representative of no faction or interest, answering only to my conscience and to the people. I’ve got a lot to learn in the Senate, but I know who I am and I know who I serve.
I’m Scott Brown; I’m from Wrentham; I drive a truck, and I am nobody’s senator but yours.
The epic upset of Brown’s election can’t be overstated. The referendum on Obamacare, taxes, terrorism, transparency, Washington bullying, bribery, and back room deals is a message that will be perilous to ignore. Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) broke rank yesterday to end the pursuit to vote on health care in the senate before Brown is seated:
In many ways the campaign in Massachusetts became a referendum not only on health care reform but also on the openness and integrity of our government process. It is vital that we restore the respect of the American people in our system of government and in our leaders. To that end, I believe it would only be fair and prudent that we suspend further votes on health care legislation until Senator-elect Brown is seated.
President Obama will address our nation a week from today in his State of the Union address. That gives him seven days to determine if a political pivot on his dangerous policies is prudent or if he’ll continue his course for 2010. Either way, we, the people, witnessed a Massachusetts miracle yesterday and will move forward to take back America.
Gas up the truck, Scott! You’re going to Capitol Hill!
Editor note: No doubt Mitt Romney’s encouraging Brown to run for the MA senate seat, along with his endorsement and untiring efforts to help Brown win are a huge credit to Romney and a great ’save’ for America. This topic deserves elaboration in a post of its own.
Over the three major elections since the 2008 presidential election, Mitt Romney has a 3-0 record against Barack Obama when it comes to endorsing candidates that Obama has campaigned for personally.
As he builds political capital, Romney is setting himself up to be a formidable opponent in 2012.
From looking at the exit polls, it might be fair to say “Romneycare defeats Obamacare!”
So if anyone has video of Romney’s introduction of Scott Brown on Tuesday night, we’d love to post it.
Addendum by Ross
In an attempt to sort through the Massachusetts fallout, Politico offers its list of special election winners and losers:
WINNERS: Romney Inc.
While the former governor and presidential candidate himself was mostly absent from the campaign trail, Romney’s advisers were responsible for the strategic vision and execution that helped propel a little-known state senator to a historic upset victory.
The Romney loyalists, now part of the Boston-based consulting shop The Shawmut Group, crafted a series of memorable ads that underscored Brown’s everyday image, including a spot of him driving an old beat-up pickup that’s already an instant political classic. Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom, a former reporter, deserves special kudos for his ad imagery and media management, as do aides Beth Myers, Peter Flaherty and Rob Gray.
A couple of weeks ago, President Obama appeared to be on the brink of achieving the Democratic dream of comprehensive health care reform.
Today that dream is at risk of being derailed in the most Democratic of states: Massachusetts.
Democrats are increasingly nervous over the once inconceivable prospect that they will lose Tuesday’s special election to replace Sen. Ted Kennedy, who died last August. Losing the seat would strip Democrats of their 60-seat Senate majority and give Republicans enough votes to block the reform bill — along with other key parts of the president’s agenda.
Kennedy — an advocate for health care reform throughout his career — held his seat for more than 46 years.
No poll released in the past few days has shown Coakley ahead.
Brown’s campaign, by most accounts, has seized the momentum in a race that until recently attracted little national attention.
Obama and former President Bill Clinton hit the campaign trail over the past three days in an attempt to save a Coakley candidacy often hampered by complacency and missteps.
Even diehard Democrats accuse Coakley, who once had a double-digit lead, of running a lackluster campaign.
“I wish she was more likable as a candidate. There are some things that are turning me off about her as a candidate,” said Scott Olson, an undecided Democrat.
Stumping at Northeastern University in Boston yesterday (1/17/10) on behalf of Martha Coakley, Obama repeatedly disparaged Scott Brown and his truck. Here is one example:
Later, Brown took the opportunity to slam the president on government spending. “Mr. President, unfortunately in this economy, not everybody can buy a truck,” Brown said in a statement. “My goal is to change that by cutting spending, lowering taxes and letting people keep more of their own money.”
In spite of all that is being done to save Martha, the White House predicts that Coakley will lose. Polls are showing Brown in the lead, but the figures vary. Go here for the latest polling.
Brown’s statewide tour that began on Jan 16, 2010:
Take a look at the crowd at Brown’s The People’s Rally held in historic Mechanics Hall
in Worcester, MA yesterday, January 17, 2010
Veteran Randy May drove 1,600 miles to volunteer for the Scott Brown for Senate campaign in Massachusetts January 17, 2010:
From Mitt Romney Central commenter David L. Dodge, Chairman, Bradford County, Florida Republican Executive Committee:
I am a former Massachusetts resident who now lives in Florida and am very active in the Republican Party as a county Chairman. I still care what happens in Massachusetts because I have many friends and family there. The people of Massachusetts have been under the thumb of Democrat machine politics since I was a boy. Thousands of MA citizens have tried to turn the tide, but have not been able to gain enough strength to do so. The time has come. The Kennedy Dynasty is finally yesterday’s news. The Democrat machine politicos will stoop as low as necessary to stop Massachusetts from becoming an actual two party state that represents all of the people. Good people of Massachusetts, I beg you not to let them do it. Your vote for Scott Brown can change the face of politics in your state and even in the nation. You at least should have a balanced representation in the U.S. Senate. The first American Revolution began at Concord and Lexington. Let the second one begin in the United States Senate.
Hear! Hear! Tomorrow can’t come soon enough. MA voters, we’re counting on you!
Finally, if you live in Massachusetts, please pledge to guarantee your friends will go to the polls at Scott Brown’s Voter-Bomb.
MittRomneyCentral.com is a pure grassroots website. It is not paid for, endorsed by, or affiliated in any way with Governor Mitt Romney or the Free and Strong America PAC.
The move fits nicely with Romney’s apparent strategy. My Gaggle pal Andrew Romano calls it the “adult in the room” approach. Unlike some of his potential opponents, Romney is incredibly strategic about his public appearances. He doesn’t weigh in on every news cycle. He gives selective interviews to drive home messages on the key issues facing the Obama administration: the economy, national security, the auto bailout, and health care. But we don’t see his perfect coif on TV every day, and he’s not racking up a litany of quotes he’ll later wish he never said. Instead, he’s using the 
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