The National Journal is reporting that Gingrich is going to go unconventional after the caucuses close tonight. At first I thought that he might pick up a telephone and call Governor Romney to congratulate him. No. That would be a first and it would require true humility and grace. This NJ article has a couple of good links embedded.

Instead of the traditional election night party, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will hold a press conference after the Nevada Caucus on Saturday, raising new speculation about his future in the race.

Ever wonder why Gingrich is losing support and grassroots volunteers? It is no accident when a candidate does not get ballot certified in important primary states like Virginia (Gingrich’s home state) and Missouri. It is lack of organization and lack of focus. He touts “people power” (see his post Florida victory speech) as what will get him the nomination. He must think we are all dumb — Where do “endorsements” come from? Where does “infrastructure” come from? Where does a strong “organization” come from? Where do hundreds of thousands of “grassroots volunteers” in every state come from? Where does strong executive leadership come from? These are all huge strengths attributed to an outstanding leader: Mitt Romney.

Contrast these with what is reported by the National Journal:

Gingrich has had a rough time on the trail ahead of the Nevada Caucus, the first presidential contest in the West. Sources in or close to his campaign gave reporters incorrect information that Donald Trump would endorse Gingrich (he endorsed rival Mitt Romney). Gingrich also missed a meeting with the Silver State’s popular governor, Brian Sandoval, a Rick Perry supporter who was viewed as a possible Gingrich endorsement after Perry dropped out and endorsed the former House Speaker, according to The New York Times.

Who in their right mind would tell any reporter that he had any endorsement if he had not spoken to the person that was endorsing him? Who does such a thing? And Gingrich just keeps trudging along without embarrassment! The very best way to describe a person like Newt Gingrich is using the Spanish language. Gingrich is what is called a “sin verguenza.” Roughly translated means, a person that cares little about his behavior and how that behavior is perceived by those around him.

After the caucuses close, the NJ reports what is up with Gov. Romney:

Romney will be holding a more traditional election night party in Las Vegas. The former Massachusetts governor took 51 percent of the vote in the 2008 Nevada Caucus.

To be candid, Gingrich has reached the level of entertainment. His staying in the race is providing a great deal of entertainment value to a lot of people through the mainstream media. Though speculation might exist that he will drop from the race, I do not believe it for a second. Gingrich is too self-absorbed and too cornered to give up. His ego will not allow him ever to do the right thing (see Jayde’s GREAT post below called “NV Reps Amodei… for more insight into the character of Gingrich).

“I discourage a cult of personality.” — Newt Gingrich

It’s the big day!

As the Nevada caucuses get underway, Romney supporters are revved up and ready to vote in the first GOP contest in the WEST. Marking the fifth competition in the 2012 primary race, the NV GOP Party is hosting and caucuses are only open to registered Republicans.

Caucusing begins at various times across the state, but most will happen between 9 AM and 3 PM Pacific Time. A 7 PM caucus will be held in Clark County to accommodate those who can’t participate in the day due to religious reasons.

Governor Romney made a quick campaign trip today to Colorado Springs to host an event at Springs Fabrication. He’ll be back in Nevada tonight to host a primary rally at the Summerlin Ballroom in the Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa in Las Vegas.

CNN is planning extensive coverage; read more here.

CNN livefeed possibilities may be found here and here.

For those interested in FOX News, television coverage (with Bret Baier) will begin at 10 PM ET. A possible livefeed may be found here.

C-Span Schedule:
10:40 PM ET LIVE Road to The White House Newt Gingrich, NV Republican Caucus
10 PM ET Venetian/Palazzo Congress Center, Las Vegas, NV

11:00 PM ET LIVE Road to The White House Mitt Romney, NV Republican Caucus
Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa, Las Vegas, NV

The following Twitter info has been posted on our chat box for a couple of days; it bears posting here:

Note: According to an email sent to reporters this morning, Newt Gingrich is foregoing the usual election night party tonight. Instead, he has scheduled a press conference. It was reported yesterday that Newt didn’t conduct his usual full schedule of events but spent time on the phone trying to raise money. He also met with his Super PAC sweethearts, Sheldon and Miriam Adelson. Now, speculation is circulating about the purpose of the presser. By the way, his presser will be held in the Venetian hotel (run by Sheldon Adelson). Given Newt’s recent marveling about Donald Trump’s ability to create a media event (when Trump endorsed Romney), it looks like Gingrich is attempting to do the same.

Romney supporters are invited to join us on our chat box for caucus results.

► Jayde Wyatt

Mitt Romney speaks to a packed crowd at a campaign rally in Las Vegas, Nevada. Feb 1, 2012 (Photo Reuters/Rick Wilking)

Ahead of Nevada’s exciting caucuses today, former New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu and two Nevada Congressmen, Mark Amodei and Joe Heck, held a press conference call yesterday for Mitt Romney. The topic? Newt Gingrich Is An Unreliable Leader For Nevada.

To listen to audio of the entire call click here.

Highlights:

Gov John Sununu

Fmr NH Gov John Sununu

“Good afternoon. I guess it’s just about afternoon there too. So thank you all for joining us. I’m strongly supporting Governor Mitt Romney for president. I have a slight bias toward governors and former governors because they, I think, bring some experience of managing bureaucracies to the table and I think dealing with the legislative bodies in order to get what is often necessary, bipartisanship that is necessary to get legislation. I call it the ‘Ronald Reagan formula.’ I think Ronald Reagan was a great president because he had tremendous experience as Governor of California.

But beyond that, I am extremely concerned that Newt Gingrich, who is now the likely competitor in this primary process to Mitt Romney, is absolutely unreliable and frankly, from my direct experience, is untrustworthy. I’ve had to deal with the former Speaker Gingrich when I was chief of staff for the first President Bush and I found out that what Newt Gingrich would tell you in the morning he would probably change in the evening. Al Simpson put it very clearly in an interview with the Boston Globe; Newt Gingrich lied to the President of the United States. Peter King, current Congressman King, has made it clear that he doesn’t trust anything Newt Gingrich says. Senator Coburn from Oklahoma, former Congressman Susan Molinari, former Congressman Mickey Edwards, former Congressman Vin Weber, all these folks were part of his leadership team. And each one of them has, in their own way, has explained why they feel he is unreliable, both in terms of being erratic, both in terms of changing his mind on issues, both in terms of coming up with a contradictory idea the next day and finding him very incapable for staying focused on issues. Gingrich likes to talk about his big ideas. When Newt Gingrich talks about big ideas, I take ‘big’ as being a synonym for cockamamie because half the stuff he comes up with is unrealistic and undoable at a time when we’re dealing with huge budget deficits, when we are expressing concerns about $15 trillion, $16 trillion debt. He is talking about a trillion dollar program to go to the moon. There are appropriate times to have ideas that are new and different. This is not a time to spend a billion dollars going to the moon. Most of the ideas he has are designed to be self-aggrandizing. This is a man who cares more about his ego than he does about anything worthwhile for the country. And I am absolutely scared to death if someone says to me that this is a man who might win the nomination to run against Barack Obama.

I do want to touch on one item that former Speaker Gingrich raised at one of his meetings today. He played a video attacking Mitt Romney on the basis of a chance comment that Soros made in an interview. Soros was talking about people running for president and Soros suggested the similarity between Mitt Romney and the current incumbent in the White House. If I were Newt Gingrich, I would be self-sensitive to doing something affiliated to that because it would remind people that Newt Gingrich sat cheek-to-cheek with Nancy Pelosi in an ad that was funded by a group that Soros paid for. So in that sense, it was Soros’ money that put Gingrich on TV. And I think that is a clear definition and an underscoring of the fact that on issues like cap-and-trade, Newt Gingrich is not a conservative, certainly in throwing Paul Ryan under the bus as he did on the entitlement reform package that Paul Ryan talked about, Newt Gingrich is not a conservative, and frankly, Newt Gingrich’s principle philosophy is enhancing himself. I’ll stop there and let Joe and Mark have a few words here.”

Congressman Joe Heck

NV Rep Joe Heck

“Thanks Governor Sununu, this is Joe Heck. You know, I never worked directly with Speaker Gingrich, but I’ve heard a lot of things from former Congresswoman Barbara Vucanovich, who remains a very respected conservative leader in Nevada. And Congresswoman Vucanovich described the Speaker as too arrogant and cocky to be our nominee. And to me that says a lot. I’ve been a supporter of Governor Romney for a long time and, in fact, I may have been the first elected official to endorse this election cycle. Why am I endorsing Governor Romney? Simple, on the economy and jobs, there’s just no other candidate with Governor Romney’s economic know-how and experience in the private sector for proven leadership. And in Nevada, which has suffered more than any other state under President Obama’s failed economic policies, Nevadans are looking for a leader with a plan to grow the economy and in my opinion, that leader is Governor Mitt Romney. Mark?”

Congressman Mark Amodei

NV Rep Mark Amodei

“Thanks Joe. I’m not going to repeat anything the Governor or Joe said, but I’m going to give you two more pieces of the puzzle that I think are important, specifically in Nevada. Nevadans have been treated to the politics of division for the last three years under the Obama administration. Heck and I can tell you whether it’s in this primary, there’s a lot of people expressing a lot of respect for the Governor on how he has used a lot of restraint until recent when he basically had to come out and point out some things. But Mitt Romney has demonstrated he understands governing is a team sport, and that means bringing people together, not slicing them up for sport. That’s number one. Number two, that’s of particular importance to Nevada, especially when you’re talking about comparisons. Mitt Romney went through the presidential process four years ago and continuing from then until present, he’s got a deep team in Nevada. What that translates to, when you talk about the problems that Joe talked about, economy, jobs, resources, all those sorts of things, he’s got a deep bench in Nevada so he’s well-informed and he’s taken the time to get himself well-informed and build those networks: both north, south and rural in the state of Nevada and that makes him unique in this race.”

The American Spectator’s R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr. provides a perfect follow-up to yesterday’s conference call – specifically to Sununu’s comments:

“Exit Newt”

Read more…

If you were a contributor to the Gingrich campaign, how would you like to hear that your contribution was used to pay Mr. Gingrich for a list of supporters he already owned? Well,  that is exactly what was revealed when Gingrich filed his campaign finances with the Federal Elections Commission last week. Here is what reporters found as reported by Politico:

Newt Gingrich’s campaign paid him $47,000 for a list of supporters and paid one of his companies (Gingrich Productions) another $67,000 for web hosting, according to a report filed Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission.

Gingrich also paid himself another $206,000 for travel.

It’s unusual for a presidential candidate personally to be paid significant amounts for travel or lists — both because candidates can contribute an unlimited amount in cash or services to their own campaigns and because campaigns typically foot travel costs directly. And the Gingrich campaign did not immediately respond to questions about the payments.

I think it is sad that supporters would contribute their hard-earned money to Mr. Gingrich’s campaign only to find out that the contribution they gave was simply pocketed by Gingrich for goods and services already owned by Gingrich. It is also interesting to note that Gingrich is currently paying companies that he owns to do web hosting and other services, which Gingrich will also ultimately make a profit off of.

Gingrich’s unorthodox campaign continues to be more focused on benefitting Gingrich than anyone else. I have mentioned before that Gingrich has been criticized for devoting so much time to selling his books and DVD’s while on the campaign trail. The profits from these books and DVD’s do not go to the campaign, but to Mr. Gingrich personally. 

Gingrich continues to show a pattern of walking in the “grey areas” between what is legal and illegal. It is no wonder he has been in legal hot water before for his activities, and it appears that Gingrich will most likely be there again.

Click here for part I and part II of Gingrich’s questionable legal activities in the last few months.

UPDATE!!!

A lawsuit has been filed against Gingrich regarding the payment of the mailing list and Gingrich’s selling of books and DVD’s for personal gain. The lawsuit can be read here.

Trump International Hotel
Las Vegas

Ending months of suspense, from the glittering golden tower of Trump International Hotel on the Vegas strip, global business magnate Donald Trump has endorsed Mitt Romney…

“Mitt is tough. He’s smart. He’s sharp. He’s not going to allow bad things to continue to happen to this country that we all love.”

– Donald Trump

From the Romney Press office:

MITT ROMNEY ANNOUNCES SUPPORT OF DONALD TRUMP

Boston, MA – Mitt Romney today announced the support of Donald Trump. Mr. Trump joins a growing list of over 2,500 elected officials, leaders and activists from across the country who have endorsed Mitt Romney.

“I am humbled by the endorsements I have received from Republicans across the political spectrum. Donald Trump’s endorsement of me today sends a strong signal that he believes we have the best chance to make President Obama a one-term president,” said Mitt Romney. “We share both a background in the private sector and a belief that Washington needs to get out of the way of small business. His support is a sign that business leaders are fed up with Washington and want someone with actual experience creating jobs and working in the real economy in the White House.”

(emphasis added)

Donald Trump joins these public figures in endorsing Governor Romney:
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell
South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley
Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman
Utah Governor Gary Herbert
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam
Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty
Former New Hampshire Governor John Sununu
Former Rhode Island Governor Don Carcieri
Former New Hampshire Governor and Senator Judd Gregg
Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman
Senator John McCain (AZ)
Senator Kelly Ayotte (NH)
Senator Rob Portman (OH)
Senator John Thune (SD)
Senator Lisa Murkowski (AK)
Senator Jim Risch (ID)
Senator Mark Kirk (IL)
Senator Roy Blunt (MO)
Senator Thad Cochran (MS)
Senator Richard Burr (NC)
Senator John Hoeven (ND)
Senator Mike Johanns (NE)
Senator Orrin Hatch (UT)
Congressman Darrell Issa (CA)
Congressman Connie Mack (FL)
Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA)
Congressman Greg Walden (OR)
Congressman Jason Chaffetz (UT)
Congressman Jeff Flake (AZ)
Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (FL)
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL)
Congressman Mark Amodei (NV)
Congresswoman Kay Granger (TX)
Congressman Charlie Bass (NH)
Congressman Aaron Schock (IL)
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi
Colorado Attorney General John Suthers
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette
Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne
Maine Attorney General William Schneider
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam
Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu
Conservative Leader Bay Buchanan
Conservative Leader Christine O’Donnell
Professor Mary Ann Glendon
Scott McNealy, CEO of Sun Microsystems
Meg Whitman, CEO of Hewlett-Packard
Andy Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants

With the alarming news today from the CBO, the real and urgent need for America’s business leaders to boldly fight their way to the front lines on Capitol Hill couldn’t be more clear. Good Ship America is sinking under the crippling cargo of burgeoning debt, harmful business regulations, heavy taxation, squandering of federal monies, crony capitalism, trade imbalances, dependence on foreign oil, and a growing entitlement mentality.

Obamanomics and anti-capitalist rhetoric, combined with class warfare, are tonnage that makes it almost impossible to come up for air.

Today’s endorsement from Donald Trump, whose name brand is known throughout the world, shines a spotlight on growing support for Romney from America’s job creators, entrepreneurs, risk-takers, small business owners, large industry leaders, venture capitalists, and more. It’s a call for all capitalist hands on deck.

Keep the American Dream alive.

Support Mitt Romney; donate to his one-term fund today!

*Speaking on Neil Cavuto’s FOX News TV program this afternoon, contributor Monica Crowley said “Newt would have walked over his grandmother’s grave for this endorsement.”

► Jayde Wyatt

UPDATE: Bolstered by the huge win the Florida, Mitt Romney has launched the first official money-bomb of this campaign!

We’ll be here all night with updates… To borrow a line from the Black Eyed Peas, I’ve got a feeling that tonight’s gunna be a good good night

[Chat has moved back to the side bar ---->]

Full Delegate Count so far…

Also, Newt’s robocall may have sucked any last shred of credibility he has. Hot Air takes Newt to task and I imagine Newt won’t be able to live this one down. Newt has likely mobilized the Ron Paul army against him with this pathetic situation.

While you’re chatting with us later tonight, there will be a special edition of the Mitt Romney Radio show following the primary election in Florida from 9-11 ET. In addition to the show’s guests, they’d like to hear from you, too. Listen live, call in or catch the podcast later.

UPDATE 1: Networks are reportedly going to call the race for Mitt the moment the final polling places close at 8:00.

UPDATE 2: Ann Romney will be on CNN around 8:00 and we’ll post the interview here as soon as it’s available.

UPDATE 3: Mitt wins!

CNN’s Political Ticker, Rachel Streitfeld reported this from Florida yesterday:

The former Massachusetts governor, who polls show widening his lead over his rival in Florida, accused the former House speaker of “finding excuses everywhere he can” and likened him to President Barack Obama.

“He’s on TV this morning going from station to station complaining about what he thinks were the reasons he thinks he’s had difficulty here in Florida,” Romney told an audience of roughly 2,000 at an outdoor rally. “But you know, we’ve got a president who has a lot of excuses, and the excuses are over, it’s time to produce.”

Gingrich, lacking any important surrogates to get out on the campaign trail with him to promote him and defend him, is relying on the surrogate whiners. Fred Thompson has joined Sarah Palin as one of Gingrich’s best complainers as reported by Epstein at Politico Live:

Former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) on Sunday attacked Mitt Romney for “unseemliness and overkill” in his aggressive campaign against Newt Gingrich, the candidate Thompson has endorsed.

Romney’s “modus operandi, basically, is to play Mr. Nice Guy until somebody gets close to him,” Thompson said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “And then he unleashes his attack machine. And that’s what happened in Iowa and it’s what’s happening in Florida.”

Gingrich has to be in his hotel room tonight thinking to himself, “Is this the best Fred can do for me? Come on Fred! Get out here on the campaign trail and drive home my message! Help me get some votes!”

Fred is only doing what Newt is doing: Whining and complaining.

I followed the Fred Thompson presidential campaign closely four years ago. He was constantly criticized in the press for appearing to be lazy. Think about it. What do lazy people do? They complain and they whine all the time.

Finally, I could list 50 ironies surrounding Newt Gingrich. Let’s just take a few here. What happens when Gingrich passes Governor Romney in the polls or wins a primary? Gingrich gloats and tells the world he is going to be the nominee. Governor Romney stays on message, works even harder, and drives forward.

What happens when Gingrich falls behind? Governor Romney stays on message, works even harder, and drives forward. Gingrich complains and whines as if he is about to cry.

And who is dishonest? Romney immediately corrects those who misrepresent his record. Gingrich tells the world that he offered up “mutual friends” to ABC to show that he never wanted to be a swinger in his marriage and then later quietly admits that he lied and that there never were any such friends (which, by the way, CNN did not call him out on in the very next debate! — he gets another pass by the liberal MSM). Last week he ran a Spanish language ad that lied about Governor Romney’s immigration policy and Gingrich was forced to pull it when Senator Rubio publicly demanded it. I could list many more of these Gingrich character flaws and his serial lying — space does not allow. Who is dishonest?

George Will – that conservative intellectual that you know Gingrich would love to have in his brilliant back pocket, right? Here is what George had to say about Gingrich yesterday on ABC’s “This Week” (click here to watch the 56-second video clip) — I just love poetry!

“I don’t know if you have ever told Longfellow’s nursery rhyme to your 4-year-old daughter, Alice,” Will said to Tapper, reciting:

There is a little girl
Who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead,
When she was good,
She was very good indeed,
When she was bad,
She was horrid.

“We’re at the horrid stage with Newt Gingrich,” Will concluded.

Gingrich is unable to support or defend his own history — his own record — his own rhetoric — his own policies. So what does Gingrich do? Deflect!

Deflection by flattery (“Wolf, you and I have been friends for many years and now I am going to slam you . . .”). Deflection by lying and hope nobody checks the facts. Deflection by complaining. Deflection by whining. Deflection by filibuster (changing the subject by pontification). Deflection by lecture (“I will tell you how it really was”).

Irony: Gingrich slams capitalism, shoulder to shoulder with the Occupiers.

And my last two ironies for now:

The Sarah Palin Lackey: Gingrich wants us all to think he is so smart. Ironic. Need I say more?

Herman Cane Endorsement: The ultimate irony. Need I say more?

“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan – to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.” — Abraham Lincoln (March 4, 1865 – Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address)

ASIDE: Secret Service Secrets Video
,

By Greg Stapley (guest editorial)

I’m still a bit nauseous from the President’s invocation of Abraham Lincoln during his annual Capitol Hill Medicine Show, aka the State of the Union Address, last week. For this president, or anyone from his far-left edge of the Democrat Party, to call upon Mr. Lincoln for any reason is practically sacrilegious. But doing so in a thinly-veiled stump speech – especially one as factually-detached from reality as this snake-oil-filled STOTU was — should raise the hackles of principled people everywhere.

Oddly, in this election cycle Obama is not the only ego-driven political chameleon making fantastical speeches while trying to wrap himself in the aura of Republican icons. And conservatives would do well to cast a jaundiced eye toward those who imply that they could even partially fill the enormous shoes of a Lincoln, Reagan or Kemp.

Like Reagan, Lincoln stands tall in both American and Republican history because he was a leader of superlative discipline, who understood well the sharp distinction between principles and preferences, and who never deviated from his moral foundation.

At a time when many clamored for revenge against the subdued South, a measured and self-effacing Lincoln believed that forgiveness was better than retribution, pragmatism was superior to justification, and a united America was more important than scoring political points. Steady and sure, he kept his head and saved a nation — not just the Northern part, but the whole nation.

For his benevolence toward the South, and his principled leadership of the North, Lincoln’s reward was a bullet in the head. But all indications are that Lincoln knew it was coming, felt it was worth the risk, and would have taken that bullet again if he thought that it would help Americans bridge the divide between them.

Lincoln believed in a strong and united America. Unlike Obama and the counterfeit conservatives who haphazardly invoke his name to distract voters from their true character and agendas, Lincoln was the real deal. To him, One America was the only Grandiose Idea that mattered.

The Republican Party has always been the rightful heir to Lincoln’s legacy of political selflessness, unifying grace, and unwavering faith in American exceptionalism. With that inheritance comes a responsibility to make sure that the dream of America is reachable by every American who is willing to stretch for it. But in today’s America, we are ruled by a leftist cabal who have a different vision, and a different set of values, than the ones espoused by Lincoln and Reagan.

We — the Party of Lincoln — need to turn this around right now. And nobody can do it but us.

To start, the Republican Party must first unite itself, and do so in a way that allows it to then open its arms to others. Coming together after being effectively disenfranchised for so long is a difficult and emotional task. It requires a whole segment of the population — decent people who have been abused, maligned, exploited, steamrolled and marginalized by the Party in Power and their mainstream media lackeys – to ignore both their pain and their relatively minor differences. It requires us to fixate pragmatically, as Lincoln did, on the ultimate objective.

In selecting a nominee who can unite us and lead us out of Obama’s wilderness of false hope and devastating change, we have a clear choice.

One who would seek our approval seems to be alternately running for the imaginary offices of Debater-in-Chief and Head Speechmaker. A historian by training and a career politician by both trade and nature, his behavior suggests a mistaken belief that Lincoln’s electoral appeal and political clout derived solely from his gift for oratory. He boasts conceitedly that his best qualification for office is that he can out-debate Obama, and he’s probably right — that is sadly his very best qualification.

At once articulate and bombastic, glib and confrontational, he is comfortable with fiction and adept at making it up as he goes. A lifetime spent at the podiums of power has prepared this unabashed panderer to deftly work the oily levers of populism that are normally the province of the limousine liberals.

Read more…

This recording of a conference call could be a game-changer for Newt Gingrich. In this video, Gingrich says that he is calling for and supports the individual mandate that Obama was considering in 2009 when Obama’s health care law was being developed. Let’s remember that Gingrich has been on the record in support of a FEDERAL insurance mandate for over 20 years, but he has denied recently that he ever supported the individual mandate for ObamaCare.

I think the crucial difference between Romney and Gingrich in regard to individual mandates is that Gingrich has supported the idea of a FEDERAL/NATIONWIDE mandate for decades, but Romney has never supported a mandate at the federal level. Romney is a federalist and he believes that each state should have the freedom to design its own unique health care program. Romney wants each state to have the same freedom to design their own unique health care plans that he had in Massachusetts, not the federal government dictating to the states how to run their health care programs. Health care has traditionally been a state issue, not a federal issue, and Romney wants to give that power back to the states.

Here is the link to the video on Youtube.

For more information about why Romney used the individual mandate in Massachusetts, click here.

More info on how RomneyCare was not meant to be used nationwide, click here.

To find out the key differences between RomneyCare and ObamaCare, click here.

(every photograph tells a story)

California suffered many large and devastating wildfires in the Fall of 2007. San Diego County was no exception. In fact the scale and number of fires there were unprecedented.

This Los Angeles Times web page lists many very good articles that describe the human tragedies as well as the enormous property damage sustained during this “fire season” as we describe it in our state. Another article describes how many victims found relief and solace in their faith.

This news item describes the some of the impacts following the 2007 San Diego area fires.

During this time, it seemed like all of California could burn away as we were experiencing wildfires in all counties surrounding our home. This was almost exactly four years ago and the presidential race was in full swing, as it is today.

I remember receiving a tip to a story of someone’s home that needed a tree stump removed — the result of a tree that had been badly burned during one of San Diego’s wildfires. Several men responded to the need by organizing and working hard for a few hours to remove the deeply rooted tree trunk. One of those that showed up for the needed work was Governor Romney. He and his son Matt worked alongside a few other men to get the job done.

That story is as impressive to me today as it was when I first heard it. Nobody from the press or media was ever present and, as far as I can recall, this story was never publicized in any major news outlets.

Contrast this little service project with the many we witness every year by politicians that work the soup lines or other charity events at which they know there will be numerous reporters and cameras. The soup lines in particular always annoy me in a big way. The people in line are the most poverty stricken among us and aside from their obvious need for sustenance, they have a natural need for dignity. Exposure to television cameras serves only to diminish human dignity in a setting like those.

In the case of the tree stump removal, obviously Governor Romney did not do the service for notoriety or media exposure, as there were none. There is no question in my mind that such hard, manual labor would be cathartic during an intense and grueling presidential campaign. So there is a good chance Governor Romney needed the break, the exercise, and the stress release anyway.

The service provided by these men is best described in this short YouTube by the brother of the woman that lived in the home with the tree stump (posted almost exactly four years ago today):

Few people know that Governor Romney received (as I recall) $1.00 every year in compensation when he served as governor and for three years after he took the helm of the 2002 Olympics turn-around “service project” — which, by the way was a tremendously enormous responsibility (I believe he also was paid $1.00/year when he was asked to come back to Bain to turn it around). Think about it: He inherited a $379 million deficit in 1999 and during the time he was chief executive, the world’s worst terrorist event occurred. In addition to turning around a failed project, dealing with a corrupt international Olympics entity, he instantly had a mandate to guarantee that no terror event would interrupt the Games. Many experts felt the Games should be cancelled for practical and safety concerns. Governor Romney ignored those suggestions and drove the team to an astounding success — one of the most successful Games in history [please fact check me!]. Oh, and he delivered a $100 million profit/surplus after it was over! This story, that Governor Romney refers to as a footnote, is nothing short of extraordinary IN EVERY WAY.

Now, what would have happened if Gingrich were given the very same responsibility with a failed Olympics project? He would have demanded a huge salary, #1. The team he inherited would have quit after the first week, #2. The next team he brought in would likely quit a few weeks later and tell the media how hard it is to work with the man, #3. This last one is only my opinion and I own it: When September 11th happened and Gingrich heard the cries to cancel, he would have quit with a large deficit in place. Remember, he is an ideas guy, not an execution guy — he is not an executive.

The cynical have nothing good to say about Governor Romney or his actions. That’s fine:They are wrong. His many years of selfless service are proved out by his talent, skill, art, and experience in turnaround executive leadership. No current presidential candidate compares, even to a small degree.

Compare Mitt Romney any day to Newt Gingrich, whose life for the last 20+ years has been 100% devoted to self-aggrandizement and self-promotion.

“I like the silent church before the service begins, better than any preaching.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson