Romney Preaches Military Might

By: Tim Gallagher

Sioux City Journal

Friday, Jul 20, 2007

"Mitt Romney stood on an old wire chair Friday morning, delivering remarks to nearly 100 who gathered to hear him out at the Ida Grove Pharmacy & Soda Fountain.

"His position atop the chair was a metaphor for his place among GOP Presidential hopefuls in Iowa: Perched at the top; rarely off-balance.

"'I was undecided about who I was for before I came in here today," said Republican Gene Triplett of nearby Battle Creek. 'But Romney has sold me. I liked Tancredo and Brownback, but this guy impresses me.'

"Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, has been at or near the top of polls surveying the GOP field whose 10 members jockey for position prior to the Jan. 14, 2008 Iowa Caucuses. The 60-year-old candidate stormed through Northwest Iowa Friday, shaking hands and speaking to at least 600 who gathered at five venues from Denison to the Iowa Great Lakes.

"Along the way, he positioned himself as a conservative who believes in military might, lower taxes and a family foundation to our society. He derided Democratic contenders John Edwards, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, saying, 'all three I believe would take us on a sharp turn left.'

"He connected Clinton to a Karl Marx ideology and said, 'I don't think her platform would get her elected in France, let alone the United States.'"

...

"As president, Romney promised to add 100,000 active military personnel while increasing defense spending to $30 to $40 billion annually. He said soldiers such as Mahlberg's children must have sufficient equipment abroad and first-rate care when they come home.

"'Strength is the best deterrent against terror,' he said. 'Ronald Reagan made us stronger. And in doing so he made us safer.'"

...

"He also earned an enthusiastic reaction in Denison when he detailed a plan to halt illegal immigration. Romney wants to secure the border while requiring every worker to show employment verification before they start work.

"Finally, he said he'd tell immigrants here illegally to get back in the line. There will be no preferential treatment of any kinds for illegal immigrants, he said.

"'Amnesty didn't work before, it won't work now,' he concluded.

"Romney also touched on family issues, hailing his wife of 38 years, Ann, and his five sons and their wives. Son Josh and his wife and three children are currently touring Iowa's 99 counties to campaign for Dad. Romney believes America needs stronger families for a brighter future.

"'We can achieve this by teaching kids that marriage comes before babies,' he said."...

'Yankee Governor With Southern Values' Backs Military And Attacks 'Hillarycare'

Spartanburg Herald-Journal

Friday, Jul 20, 2007

"Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney made a stop at Spartanburg's Beacon Drive-In shortly after noon Thursday, summarizing his presidential platform, taking friendly (and a few not-so-friendly) questions from the audience, and attacking three Democratic presidential hopefuls.

"About 250 people – including the media and campaign staff – crammed into the Beacon's Panther Room for Romney's sixth visit to Spartanburg since early 2005. June Bond, a local GOP activist and a county organizer for the Romney camp, welcomed the candidate and his wife, Ann, as a 'family of faith.'

...

"Ann Romney introduced the presidential contender by using what's becoming a catch phrase on the current leg of her husband's tour: 'He's a Yankee governor with Southern values,' she said with a trademark smile that got plenty of laughs.

"The equally charismatic Mitt Romney summed up most of his platform in the first 10 minutes, noting that he opposes socialized medicine (which he called 'HillaryCare'), raising taxes on corporations or individuals, and amnesty for illegal immigrants. He attacked John Edwards, who has called the war on terror a 'Bush bumper sticker,' saying other countries would disagree with that assessment.

"'There is a war being waged by the terrorists. And as long as we have a Republican president, we're going to have a war on terrorists,' he said."

...

"'After the tragedy of 9/11, we woke up to new threats,' Romney said. 'America is going to change. The question is, in what direction are we going to change? Republicans, like myself, look to the Founding Fathers ... they said, it's the people who were sovereign, and the government was the servant.'

"The rhetoric sat well with the party faithful, who clapped and cheered at regular intervals. Romney signs, stickers and DVDs were available at the entrance to the Panther Room.

"Romney talked a bit about the need to remove pornography from the Internet and then criticized Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama, whom Romney said wants sex education taught in kindergarten." ...

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Ann Romney On The Trail

By: Michael Falcone

The New York Times

Friday, Jul 20, 2007

"Though Ann Romney darted around South Carolina this week, traveling to five towns in two days on her first major campaign swing without her husband, she wasn't complaining about the grueling pace.

"In fact, Mrs. Romney, the wife of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, said she was loving it.

"'I've had way more fun that I should have,' she declared, and added that the scene on campaign bus even seemed a little bit like a 'pajama party' at times. Friends and family members, including her daughter-in-law, Mary, and grandson, Parker, joined her on the trail this week."

...

"In an interview yesterday while on her way to link up with her husband for a third day of campaigning in the state, Mrs. Romney said that the goal of her solo trip was not to get into the thick of policy issues, but rather to give voters a peek at her husband's personal side. Eschewing formal speeches and note cards, Mrs. Romney said that she finds it much more effective to speak from her heart: 'For whatever reason, it seems to resonate with people.'

"But that has not stopped her from paying close attention to the concerns she's hearing and passing them along to her husband. Immigration, health care and the war in Iraq tend to come up the most often, she said."

...

"Though she's spent part of her life as an advocate on women's issues, she does draw the line on one question: Is the country ready for its first woman president?

"'I'm guessing it probably would be,' she said. 'But I'm just hoping it's not this particular woman president.'"

Romney Rises In Poll, Keeps Focus On NH

By: Chris Outcalt

Portsmouth Harold

Friday, Jul 20, 2007

"Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is headed to New Hampshire this weekend - a state where he continues to gain ground over his republican competitors.

"A poll released this week by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center showed Romney with 33 percent of the support of likely granite state voters. Giuliani was Romney's closest competitor, with the support of 18 percent of those polled."

...

"'Romney's strategy of concentrating his campaigning in New Hampshire and spending on television here is working for him, especially as the other Republican candidates have been spending much of their time in other states,' said Andrew Smith, Director of the UNH Survey Center."

...

"Bruce Keough, Romney's New Hampshire Chairman, also pointed to the governor's consistent presence in New Hampshire as a reason for his strong poll numbers.

"'He's continued to place a high priority on doing well in New Hampshire,' said Keough, who also credited Romney's message for change in Washington."...