Tag: Campaign 2008

GOP Debate: White Guys in Black Suits

Trish

In what promises to be a quadri-annual event, a group of white guys ranging in age all the way from their 50s to their 70s met recently in Manchester, N.H. to model black suits and determine which tie color — red or red patterned — works best with a white shirt.

The men claimed to typify the entire country — even females and non-Caucasians — yet hailed from mostly Western and Midwestern states, including Colorado, Kansas, Arizona, Arkansas, California, and Texas. Eastern seaboard states including Virginia, Massachutahmormonland, and New York were also represented.

Although no clear winner was declared, the consensus was that the wide diversity of white guys in black suits offered a fresh direction for white guys in black suits throughout the entire country, even those who don’t belong to the club or play golf.

Mormons Resurrecting ‘White Horse Prophecy’ Around Romney’s Campaign

Buck Banks

Mitt to the rescue: It was a prophecy allegedly uttered by Joseph Smith himself, but one the modern Church of Latter Day Saints dismisses. It predicts that in some future end time, with the U.S. Constitution hanging by a mere thread, a Mormon will ride in on a white horse to save it and, by extension, the United States.

While presidential candidate Mitt Romney denies giving the prophecy any credence, it has come up each time a Mormon has run for president: in 1968 when George Romney ran, and in 2000 when Orrin Hatch ran.

‘Power will be given to the White Horse to rebuke the nations afar off, and you obey it, for the laws go forth from Zion.’
— Joseph Smith

The disputed prophecy was recorded in a diary entry of a Mormon who had heard the tale from two men who were with Joseph Smith in Nauvoo, Ill., when he supposedly declared the prophecy.

“You will see the Constitution of the United States almost destroyed,” the diary entry quotes Smith as saying. “It will hang like a thread as fine as a silk fiber.”

Not only will the Mormons save the Constitution, under the prediction, but the prophecy goes further, insinuating that Mormons will control the government.

“Power will be given to the White Horse to rebuke the nations afar off, and you obey it, for the laws go forth from Zion,” the prophecy says.

Mormons believe that Smith found ancient gold plates and transcribed them into the Book of Mormon. In 1844, a year after he supposedly told of the White Horse Prophecy, Smith ran for president, but was murdered by a mob. Given the entire premise of the LDS and the fact that the church has posthumously baptised thousands of non-Mormons, including Adolf Hitler and Elie Weisel, it’s curious why it is so quick to deny this particular crackpot prophecy.

The LDS Church denounces the premonition, which was recorded 10 years after Smith’s death. A church spokesman pointed to a quote from the faith’s sixth president, Joseph F. Smith, who called the prophecy “ridiculous.”

“It is simply false; that is all there is to it,” the church prophet was quoted saying.

Mitt Romney claims not to believe in the prophecy, and maintains his daddy didn’t believe in it, either:

“I haven’t heard my name associated with it or anything of that nature,” Mitt Romney told The Salt Lake Tribune during an interview earlier this year. “That’s not official church doctrine. There are a lot of things that are speculation and discussion by church members and even church leaders that aren’t official church doctrine. I don’t put that at the heart of my religious belief.”

But George Romney wasn’t so absolute when he offered an interpretation of the prophecy to “Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought” in 1967:

“I have always felt that they meant that sometime the question of whether we are going to proceed on the basis of the Constitution would arise and at this point government leaders who were Mormons would be involved in answering that question.”

Frankly, given the six years of abuse perpetrated by the Bush administration on the Constitution, any savior on a white horse — Mormon, Jewish, Presbyterian or Scientologist — would be welcome.

Addicted to Bush Fatique? Vote for Fred Thompson

Trish

Lest anyone be pining for an angry white pretender to sanctification because somehow Dick Cheney, George Bush, and Karl Rover just aren’t enough…there’s always Fred Thompson.

Yes, if you were afraid you would be leaving behind the shoot from the hip (and into the face) policies of the world’s worst, yet angriest, bumblers you should back Fred “The Lobbyist” Thompson for president. It’s the best way to ensure more of the same.

Talk about great ideas! Remember this ad beating the drums for war with Iraq back in 2003? As if from Cheney’s own mouth comes the final note of fear mongering: “And when people ask, ‘What has Saddam done to us?’ I ask, ‘What had the 9/11 hijackers done to us…before 9/11?'”

Oooooh, scary stuff.

Report: Bush and Cheney Not Invited to ’08 GOP Convention

Jon Ponder

This sounds a little strange because Pres. George Bush is the head of the Republican Party, but it is amusing if true:

Republican National committee chairman Ed Gillespie confirmed rumors that President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney would not be appearing at the September 2008 convention. According to Gillespie, “The Presidents’ screw-ups will be fresh in the minds of the American public, we are hoping a Republican event without George W. Bush can focus viewers’ attention on the future of the party, not its grand failures…

“If the Presidents’ polling numbers don’t climb above 51 percent, he really is no use to the party,” stated Gillespie.

Committee chairman Gillespie did leave the door open for the President, “I believe a wait and see attitude is called for. If the situation on the ground in Iraq improves we may invite the President to make an appearance, possibly a video message.”

Ed Gillipsie is one of the most reliable GOP apologists on the planet so these statements are extremely out of character for him. In fact, if the RNC really intended to exclude the president and vice president, it would be more in character for Gillespie to lie about it by floating non-denial denials at this early stage.

Update: Yes, this is a hoax. Gillespie stepped down as RNC chair in 2005, and is currently chair of the GOP in Virginia.

Romney Would Likely Donate Presidential Salary to Mormon Church

Trish

If Mitt Romney is elected president, the Mormon Church can expect quite a windfall.

Romney says if he wins, he will donate his presidential salary to charity. If he stays true to past form, that means most of the money will go directly to the Church of Jesus of Latter Day Saints.

Romney explains his largess with that ol’ golly-gee Republican bootstraps rags-to-riches fairy tale.

Go ahead, vote for Romney. The Mormons need your money.

“When I got started, I went to school and I never anticipated that I’d be as financially successful as I was, and then my business went far better than I expected it would,” Romney said at a question-and-answer session…

Mitt’s business was probably really boosted by the fact that his father was the governor of Michigan and former chair of American Motors. At any rate, Romney is rich. Way rich. So rich he doesn’t need to collect the paltry salary we taxpayers are willing to pay a president.

Aides have said Romney’s net worth reaches into the hundreds of millions of dollars, but a clearer snapshot of his finances will emerge when he files financial disclosure documents with the federal government in the coming weeks. Romney, who has given millions to charity in the past, is believed to be the wealthiest candidate in the 2008 race.

Which is why he can well afford to be generous with those less skilled at picking parents. As recently as 2005, he gave to the Mormons in a big way. Like a $2.2 million way.

Governor Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann, have donated nearly $2.9 million to more than 40 healthcare groups, schools, and other charitable organizations since 1999, including $2.2 million to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a Globe review of Internal Revenue Service documents shows.

The couple’s private charitable foundation donated primarily to groups in Massachusetts and Utah, where they lived while Romney ran the 2002 Winter Olympics. The foundation stepped up giving to groups based in Massachusetts after Romney was elected governor in 2002.

His contributions to the Mormon church, where he has long been active, are by far the largest. The foundation gave $1.9 million to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2003, the first year Romney was governor, and $311,000 more in 2000 and 2001. The foundation donated $250,000 to the Mormon-affiliated Brigham Young University of Provo, Utah, including $50,000 in 2004.

Go ahead, vote for Romney. The Mormons need your money.

Fred Thompson Worked as a Washington Lobbyist for 18 Years

Jon Ponder

There’s fresh word today that Fred Thompson will announce in July that he is getting in the GOP presidential race. Coincidentally, here’s a bullet point on his resume that was news to me:

Thompson’s successes as a lobbyist include pushing for deregulatory legislation that led to the savings-and-loan crisis of the 1980s

Over about two decades of lobbying (during which he also acted and practiced law), Thompson made nearly $1.3 million and represented clients including a British reinsurance company facing billions of dollars in asbestos claims, Canadian-owned cable companies, and deposed Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, according to government documents and media accounts from his first run for the Senate in 1994…’There’s nothing wrong with lobbying. It’s an honorable profession,’ Thompson spokesman Mark Corallo said…A year after stepping down [from the Senate in January 2003], he registered to lobby for British reinsurance company Equitas Ltd. The company paid him $760,000 to guard its interests against several bills seeking to protect businesses from asbestos lawsuits.

And:

Critics point out that Thompson’s aw-shucks, shit-kicker populism is more than a little bit phony. That he spent 18 years as a registered Washington lobbyist, doing the bidding of such high-powered clients as General Electric and Westinghouse, pushing for the passage of the deregulatory legislation that led to the savings-and-loan crisis of the 1980s.

Conservatives have been hailing Fred as the living incarnation of St. Ronnie, but “Republican lobbyist” has become synonymous with “D.C. call girl,” thanks to Jack Abramoff and his merry band of pranksters and murderers.

Guvs Starting to Dole Out Endorsements to Prez Candidates

Buck Banks

Is it me, or does it seem way early for governors to be backing candidates in the run for the White House? Nonetheless, they are choosing their horses early, with Hillary Clinton and John McCain getting more goodwill of the guvs:

New York’s U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Arizona’s U.S. Sen. John McCain have garnered the most gubernatorial endorsements with three each.

Stumping for Clinton are Democratic Govs. Martin O’Malley of Maryland, Jon Corzine of New Jersey and Eliot Spitzer of Clinton’s adopted state of New York. In McCain’s corner are Republican Govs. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, Mitch Daniels of Indiana and Jon Huntsman of Utah.

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) enjoys the backing of Democratic Govs. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Rod Blagojevich of his current home state of Illinois. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) has the endorsement of Republican Govs. Matt Blunt of Missouri and Don Carcieri of Rhode Island.

South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds (R) backs former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R). The only sitting governor in the presidential race — Democratic New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson — has yet to be politically blessed by any of his gubernatorial colleagues. Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) also has not been endorsed by any current governor to date.

Predictably, governors of early primary states and caucus states are showing admirable restraint by not endorsing any candidate, preferring, it seems, to let their voters decide for themselves — next year.

Poll: Americans Seeking the Anti-Bush for Next Prez

Buck Banks

When I was a kid, I used to read comic books where the plots explored alternate universes (apparently due to a lack of plausible plot ideas). In these alternate comics, Superman would use his powers for evil and was a really unlikeable character, etc. In a recent Zogby poll, it appears that, after nearly two terms of George W. Bush, Americans are ready for their own version of an alternate universe, one featuring the anti-George. You know, someone with diplomatic, managerial, verbal and math skills:

On the traits most important to voters, the front-runners of both parties — Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican Rudy Giuliani — were deemed well-equipped to deliver.

The results suggest that Americans are looking for strong, unifying leadership skills both at home and abroad. About eight in 10 said it was very important to elect a “competent manager” and someone who could “bring the American people together.” Also very high on the priority list: someone who could take charge of the military, promote the United States’ image abroad and demonstrate “personal morality.” Lower on the list of priorities were party loyalty and resume-oriented measures such asbusiness, diplomatic or legislative experience.

On the traits most important to voters, the front-runners of both parties — Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican Rudy Giuliani — were deemed well-equipped to deliver. They were the top two out of 19 prospective candidates characterized as competent managers. On foreign policy matters, Clinton topped the list, with 24 percent saying she could best promote the U.S. image abroad; Giuliani came in second with 16 percent.

Who’d most likely be a “uniter, not a divider,” for the American people? Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., came out ahead of Clinton on that measure, tying Giuliani for the top spot with 22 percent. But when it comes to uniting partisans on Capitol Hill, more respondents had faith in Clinton (19 percent) than Obama (15 percent).

On the Republican side, Arizona Sen. John McCain’s military experience is still his greatest asset, with one-third saying he’d be the best candidate to command the armed forces.

Meanwhile, the “moral values” question remains Giuliani’s Achilles’ heel. Only 6 percent of respondents said he displayed personal morality, while McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) registered in the teens. In a CBS News/New York Times poll last week, 37 percent of respondents said they did not think Giuliani shared the same values as “most Republicans”; the same percentage said he does. But in that poll’s primary matchup, Giuliani still topped McCain and Romney among Republican voters.

McCain Lost His Temper During Senate Negotiations

Jon Ponder

Meltdown: Word on the street has it that Sen. John McCain has a bad temper. He needs to keep it under wraps while he runs for president but that may be too difficult:

“[Expletive] you! I know more about this than anyone else in the room,” shouted McCain at Cornyn.

During a meeting Thursday on immigration legislation, McCain and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) got into a shouting match when Cornyn started voicing concerns about the number of judicial appeals that illegal immigrants could receive, according to multiple sources — both Democrats and Republicans — who heard firsthand accounts of the exchange from lawmakers who were in the room …

Things got really heated when Cornyn accused McCain of being too busy campaigning for president to take part in the negotiations, which have gone on for months behind closed doors. “Wait a second here,” Cornyn said to McCain. “I’ve been sitting in here for all of these negotiations and you just parachute in here on the last day. You’re out of line.”

McCain, a former Navy pilot, then used language more accustomed to sailors (not to mention the current vice president, who made news a few years back after a verbal encounter with Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont).

“[Expletive] you! I know more about this than anyone else in the room,” shouted McCain at Cornyn. McCain helped craft a bill in 2006 that passed the Senate but couldn’t be compromised with a House bill that was much tougher on illegal immigrants.

McCain’s staff denied that the senator said he knew more about immigration than anyone else.

Will Bushes’ Support Hurt Romney’s Campaign?

Jon Ponder

George W. Romney: There are definite signs now that the Bush family, their retainers and supporters are supporting Mitt Romney in the upcoming GOP primaries. While it might seem strange that the uber-establishment Bushies would go for the Mormon candidate, on closer consideration Romney is not only a logical choice but, in a sense, their only option.

The Bushes can relate to Romney. He is from the Northeast, WASP-ish (WASM?), worth $250 million or so, and the son of a famous Republican politician, the late governor of Michigan, George Romney.

They’re leery of John McCain who switched from Bush hater to Bush BFF practically overnight after the 2000 election, and could easily switch back after 2008. Giuliani is not a WASP and is squishy on social issues and, well, crazy. Besides, except for religion, they have much in common with Romney: He is from the Northeast, WASP-ish (WASM?), worth $250 million or so, and the son of a famous Republican politician, the late governor of Michigan, George Romney.

In any case, it is clear that Jeb, the president’s more successful younger brother, is supporting Romney behind the scenes:

While Jeb Bush has refrained from endorsing anyone publicly, he has personally introduced Romney to many of his political allies. Jeb Bush’s chief operatives — political strategist Sally Bradshaw and fund-raiser Ann Herberger — have gone to work for Romney. And his former lieutenant governor, Toni Jennings, is also backing Romney

Jeb’s cronies and the president’s other siblings are in the Romney camp, too:

[Jeb] has steered his allies to Mitt Romney … who is seen by some Republicans as the best combination of electability and conservatism. Another of the president’s brothers, Neil, and his sister Dorothy have directly helped Romney raise money…

And then there is “L” word:

Those close to Bush are deeply concerned with protecting the president’s legacy, and they want the next president to be someone who will pursue Bush’s agenda, especially in prosecuting the Iraq war.

They need to face facts about W’s legacy: That ship has sailed. Absent a miracle over the next 12 months or so, history will remember his presidency as one of failure and malfeasance.

Which brings us back to Romney. Is it smart for him — or any candidate — to be the standard-bearer for a failed presidency in campaign? Even if it were to help among Bush deadenders in the GOP primaries, Bush’s political taint would obliterate Romney’s chances among normal voters in the general.