Political Waters

McCain-Romney Ticket Gains Popularity

2008-07-04T00:28:00.011-04:00

*If you are reading this as a feed you may have to go to the original posting to see the video
(NECN: Jim Braude) - The website Politico.com gave a major boost to Mitt Romney this week, citing the former Massachusetts Governor as the most likely name to appear on a ticket with John McCain.

In the small circle of Massachusetts Republicans there was cautious agreement. As Jim explains, a McCain-Romney ticket seemed a longshot months ago, but now it seems to be a good fit for the GOP. Romney can help pick up votes in key states, and raise a lot of money while doing so.

Joining Jim to discuss, are journalist Seth Gitell of Gitell.com, and Charlie Chieppo, the principal of Chieppo Strategies a public policy advocacy firm. New England Cable News (NECN)

Iran and the Strait of Hormuz

2008-07-01T19:59:00.007-04:00

The Candidates Positions

according to the NYT

An Act of War
MANAMA, Bahrain: The commander of U.S. naval forces in the Persian Gulf says any attempt by Iran to seal off the strategic Strait of Hormuz would be viewed as an act of war.

An Iranian newspaper reported over the weekend that one of the country's generals said Iran would take control of the key oil passageway in the Gulf if it were provoked.

Vice Adm. Kevin Cosgriff, commander of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, told journalists in Bahrain on Monday that "any attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz is an act of war" and said the U.S. would not allow it. The U.S. 5th Fleet is based in Bahrain. IHT - An Act of War

Iran Will Not Be Allowed...
His [Cosgriff] comments came in response to recent Iranian reports from Gen Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, who said if his country were attacked by Israel it would strike back with missiles and would take control of the Strait of Hormuz.

“The rhetoric coming from Iran is not helpful, and I cannot imagine given the criticality of that body of water that the international community would not be outraged should any entity move to restrict the freedom of navigation,” he said.

Vice Adm Cosgriff said about 40 per cent of the world’s internationally traded crude oil passes through the strait, and in a tight oil market the international community would respond “vigorously” to such a threat..." The National - Iran will not be allowed to close Hormuz, US warns

Romney Still Tops McCain's VP List

2008-07-01T17:49:00.005-04:00

From Politico

"...One of the chief reasons the Massachusetts governor is looking so attractive is his ability to raise huge amounts of money quickly through his former business partners and from fellow members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the Mormons.

"...McCain sources tell Politico that they believe Romney could raise $50 million in 60 days. One close Romney adviser said it could even be $60 million.

— He is squeaky-clean and fully vetted by the national media.
— He has presidential looks and bearing and immediately would be a strong campaigner who could be trusted to stay on message.
— His family’s Michigan roots would help in a swing state that went Democratic in 2004..."

Politico - Romney tops McCain veep list

In Massachusetts

"...Bay State Republicans were abuzz on Beacon Hill yesterday following a report on a respected political Web site that former Gov. Mitt Romney tops likely GOP presidential nominee John McCain’s list for running mates.

"...Politico yesterday had McCain campaign sources naming Romney as the number one choice for the Arizona senator, with Romney’s fund-raising ability as his top trait..." Boston Herald - Romney VP excites Mass. GOP

Still Needed In Michigan

"...[McCain] lost the Jan. 15 primary to Romney by 9 points and trails Obama by 6 percentage points in a poll of 1,411 Michigan voters done last week by Quinnipiac University in Connecticut..." Detroit Free Press - McCain gets boost from Romney fans

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve - Just How Big Is It...

2008-07-01T16:33:00.012-04:00

So the United States uses about 20-21 billion barrels of oil a day, and we currently have about 706 million barrels stored in the strategic oil reserves - purchased at the average price of $28.42 a barrel according to the DOE. The current price of oil in the world market: $143

SPR Quickfacts:
Inventory

Current inventory: Click to open inventory update window
Highest inventory - On April 2, 2008, the SPR inventory exceeded 700 million barrels, the highest level ever previously held. The former record was reached in late August 2005, just days before Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, causing the SPR to conduct emergency releases. Repayment of the Katrina loans and resumption of the RIK program (in 2007) has restored the inventory to its former level and beyond.
Current storage capacity - 727 million barrels
Current days of import protection in SPR - 58 days (Maximum days of import protection in SPR - 118 days in 1985)
International Energy Agency requirement - 90 days of import protection (both public and private stocks)
(SPR and private company import protection - approximately 118 days)
Average price paid for oil in the Reserve - $28.42 per barrel

Drawdown Capability

Maximum drawdown capability - 4.4 million barrels per day
Time for oil to enter U.S. market - 13 days from Presidential decision

Past Sales

2005 Hurricane Katrina Sale - 11 million barrels
1996-97 total non-emergency sales - 28 million barrels
1990/91 Desert Shield/Storm Sale - 21 million barrels
(4 million in August 1990 test sale; 17 million in January 1991 Presidentially-ordered drawdown)
1985 - Test Sale - 1.1 million barrels

Are We Safer Now? Yes, we are.

2008-07-01T16:23:00.006-04:00

"...For him (Obama), and many of his supporters, the Bush administration has uniquely and comprehensively degraded the nation's security, especially against the lethal threats emanating from the Middle East. America was much more secure under Hillary Clinton's husband--with the first attack on the World Trade Center, the truck bombing of Khobar Towers, the embassy bombings in Africa, the aborted attempt on the USS Sullivans in Aden, the other attempts at millennial bombings in the Middle East and the United States, and the near sinking of the USS Cole--on the road to 9/11.

Yet when we look at what George W. Bush has actually done, it's pretty hard not to credit him with massively improving America's security, both at home and abroad..."

"...The 9/11 Commission report is a chronicle of growing danger unmatched by bureaucratic seriousness or political will. And Bill Clinton, unlike George W. Bush, had nearly eight years to think about Islamic extremism. To President Clinton's credit and great shame, he intellectually understood the nature and horrific potential of bin Ladenism and al Qaeda--as he understood, and regularly tasked his senior officials to explain nationally, the dangers of an increasingly restless Saddam Hussein. Yet he could not summon the fortitude to strike devastatingly against al Qaeda and its Taliban protector or Iraq..." Are We Safer - The Weekly Standard

On Appeasement, Obama, and Bush

2008-05-15T19:11:00.007-04:00

What I love about this story - President Bush didn't reference Obama or any of the candidates, he was talking about the policy of appeasement to an Israeli audience. They have a unique understanding of what letting Hitler and the Nazi's go forward unopposed really meant. Yet this story has turned into something else, a candidate, a President, and the policy of appeasement.

In the clip below, the MSNBC anchors don't even seem to get it - they are worrying more about the 'how dare a sitting President say this!' side of things. Oh how easily we forget to look at the big picture. (video below)

Dana Perino said it best:

The White House said Bush's comment wasn't a reference to Obama. "It is not," press secretary Dana Perino told reporters in Israel. "I would think that all of you who cover these issues and have for a long time have known that there are many who have suggested these types of negotiations with people that the president, President Bush, thinks that we should not talk to. I understand when you're running for office you sometimes think the world revolves around you. That is not always true. And it is not true in this case." MSNBC - Obama and Appeasement

Reagan on Appeasement
"...Those who would trade our freedom for the soup kitchen of the welfare state have told us that they have a utopian solution of peace without victory. They call their policy "accommodation." And they say if we only avoid any direct confrontation with the enemy, he will forget his evil ways and learn to love us..." A Time for Choosing (video below)

Calif. Supreme Court Rejects Voter-Approved Gay Marriage Ban

2008-05-15T16:17:00.003-04:00

That's right, the California Supreme Court overturned the will of the voters... Does anyone else have a problem with that?

"...the California Supreme Court overturned a voter-approved ban on gay marriage... In a dissenting opinion, Justice Marvin Baxter agreed with many arguments of the majority but said the court overstepped its authority. Changes to marriage laws should be decided by the voters, Baxter wrote.

...A coalition of religious and social conservative groups is attempting to put a measure on the November ballot that would enshrine laws banning gay marriage in the state constitution. The secretary of state is expected to rule by the end of June whether the sponsors gathered enough signatures to qualify the marriage amendment, similar to ones enacted in 26 other states.

If voters pass the measure in November, it would trump the court's decision." MSNBC - Calif. Supreme Court Rejects Voter-Approved Gay Marriage Ban

Mitt Romney: "TOP TEN REASONS I DROPPED OUT"

2008-04-23T16:52:00.003-04:00

*If this is a feed, go to the original post to see the video

The former Massachusetts governor, not particularly known for his sense of humor, made a surprise appearance at the Radio and Television Correspondents' Association dinner and delivered a Top Ten list poking fun at himself and his image -- and threw a few barbs at Hillary Clinton and Al Gore in the bargain.

Romney, who has been rumored to be on presumptive GOP nominee John McCain's short list for vice president, said the reasons he dropped out, in reverse order, were:

No. 10: There weren't as many Osmonds as I thought.
No. 9: I got tired of the corkscrew landings of his campaign plane while under fire
No. 8: As a lifelong hunter, I didn't want to miss the start of varmint season.
No. 7: There wasn't room for two Christian leaders in the presidential race
No. 6: I was upset that no one bothered to search my passport files.
No. 5: I'd rather get fat, grow a beard and try for the Nobel prize.
No. 4: Got tired of wearing a dark suit and tie, and I wanted to kick back - in a light colored suit and tie.
No. 3: When my wife realized I couldn't win, my fundraising dried up.
No. 2: I took a bad fall at a campaign rally and broke my hair.
And the No. 1 reason Romney dropped out: We relied on a flawed campaign strategy that "as Utah goes, so goes the nation." Romney's Top Ten

Forbes: McCain-Romney: It Makes Economic Sense

2008-04-11T14:55:00.005-04:00

In 1992, James Carville, then political strategist for Bill Clinton, crafted the phrase “It’s the Economy Stupid” to focus his candidate as he ran against incumbent president George H.W. Bush. Sixteen years later, in the wake of the mortgage crisis and signs of a recession, John McCain’s handlers would do well to heed the advice of Mr. Carville, but with a twist.

The two main themes of the upcoming general election will be the economy and Iraq. McCain, a staunch supporter of the war in Iraq, cannot retreat from his position in the Middle East regardless of what happens there before November. On the other hand, McCain can shore up his ticket on the economic front by selecting someone who has a solid financial footing: former rival Mitt Romney.

Yesterday my colleague, Andrea Murphy, discussed the potential Republican ticket of John McCain and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Despite a recent poll suggesting that a McCain-Rice ticket could win New York in November (a feat no Republican has accomplished since Reagan-Bush in 1984), Mitt Romney is the right choice to join McCain on the ticket.

Beyond Condoleezza Rice’s status as a lightning rod for the failures of the Bush administration, the secretary of state does not address McCain’s largest weakness: his relative inexperience on financial issues.

Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, in addition to readers of Trailwatch, attacked Senator McCain’s first mortgage proposal, which the candidate submitted to Forbes. The criticism: this plan did not do enough to help homeowners hit by the mortgage crunch.

Yesterday, John McCain revised his policy, calling for more government intervention to aid “well-meaning homeowners” who cannot pay their mortgages. To his credit, McCain shows a willingness to modify his positions, but the new plan did not give details on who, exactly, would be eligible for government assistance, earning McCain a new round of criticism from Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

What could Mitt Romney contribute to the Republican ticket? Before serving as governor of Massachusetts, Romney was chief executive of Bain & Company and co-founder of spin-off private equity firm Bain Capital where, over his 14-year stint at the helm, the company enjoyed great success.

A March campaign stop in Utah may have laid the groundwork for a future alliance between the former adversaries. Romney has pledged to raise $15 million for McCain, and he stumped for McCain in Lancaster, Pennsylvania yesterday.

A McCain-Romney ticket makes sense for both men. McCain gets a boost on economic issues and Romney gets a seat next to McCain in the White House—assuming they manage a victory in November. The increased exposure would serve Romney well should he choose to seek the presidential nomination in the future. Considering John McCain’s age, Romney’s chance could come as soon as 2012 if a victorious McCain decided to only serve one term.

--Paul M. Murdock, Forbes

Romney Speaks To 500 In Lancaster, PA

2008-04-11T14:43:00.003-04:00

A crowd of about 500 people listens Thursday evening at Willow Valley Resort and Conference Center as Mitt Romney makes the case for Republican Sen. John McCain's election as president.

Once John McCain's bitter rival, Mitt Romney spoke here Thursday as one of McCain's top backers.

Campaigning on behalf of McCain at the Lancaster County Republican Committee's spring banquet, Romney extolled the Arizona senator as the presidential candidate best able to deal with thorny issues such as Iraq, health care and the stumbling economy.

"America is going to do the right thing. We're going to elect Senator McCain. We're going to remain strong and we will remain what we have always been: the hope of the earth," he told nearly 500 dinner guests at Willow Valley Resort and Conference Center.

Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, dropped out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination on Feb. 7, endorsing McCain a week later. He remains a possible vice presidential pick for McCain, although he has recently sidestepped questions about getting the No. 2 spot.

During his 25-minute speech here, Romney praised McCain while criticizing and belittling the two Democratic presidential hopefuls, Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

"Isn't it fun watching Hillary Clinton trying to convince us that Barack Obama shouldn't be elected; watching Barack Obama try and convince us that Hillary Clinton shouldn't be elected? You see, I agree with both of them," he said, eliciting chuckles and applause from an audience packed with local GOP office-holders.

Romney directed most of his attacks against Obama; when he mentioned Clinton, he paired her with Obama.

Apart from a few playful jabs at the Democrats and a self-deprecating remark about the crowd "getting the guy who lost," Romney's speech was a serious recitation of challenges the country faces.

He argued that McCain was uniquely capable of addressing those challenges, especially the one from "radical, violent jihad."

"This is a movement in the world, it is not just a few people in the mountains of Afghanistan that want to set off a bomb here and there — as terrible as that alone would be. This is a group that is intent on causing the collapse of the United States of America: militarily, economically, and politically," Romney said.

Calling Iraq the front line of the conflict epitomized by the threat from al-Qaida, Romney said Obama is misreading that country's importance and would pull troops out of there too soon.

"(McCain) will do everything in his power to get our troops home, but not to get them home in a way that would lead to genocide or potentially to a regional conflagration that would cause us to have to go back again," Romney said.

Romney also said that both Obama and Clinton misunderstand how to protect the homeland.

"They seem to forget that the most important civil liberty we have is the right to be kept alive. ... Senator McCain, soon-to-be President McCain, is someone who will spend his time thinking about how he can protect the American people, rather than Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, who will spend their time worrying about what the ACLU thinks," Romney said.

Although it seems popular to criticize President Bush, Romney said, "let's not forget that he has kept us safe these last years."

On health care, Romney said McCain favors an approach that doesn't look to government to take over, contrasting that with proposals from both Obama and Clinton.

"I for one want to make sure that our health-care system is not run by the kind of bureaucrats who cleaned up Katrina. Let's elect John McCain," he said.

Since he withdrew from the presidential race, the 61-year-old former venture capitalist has pledged to raise $15 million for McCain. Last month, they jointly attended fundraisers in Utah and Colorado. Romney's appearance here Thursday was the first time he officially campaigned on his own for McCain.

Also at the dinner, county GOP Chairman Dave Dumeyer awarded the party's annual Servant Leadership Award to Linda Gordon, vice chairwoman of the county GOP and longtime committeewoman.

Andrew Heath, executive director of the county GOP, said he expected the dinner would bring in between $10,000 and $20,000 for the party. He added that in recent years the banquet has become less of a fundraiser and more of a party-building event. Lancaster - Romney Stumps For McCain Again

What A Difference 3% Makes...

2008-04-07T20:09:00.003-04:00

John McCain Was One Lucky Guy in Primary Race With Romney
U.S. News & World Report, April 7, 2008

John McCain was one lucky guy. That has been my conclusion as we watched him beat Mike Huckabee in South Carolina January 19 by 33 percent to 30 percent, beat Mitt Romney in Florida January 29 by 36 percent to 31 percent, and then make a huge delegate sweep by winning all the winner-take-all states on Super Tuesday, February 5, including Missouri by a 33 percent-to-32 percent-to-29 percent margin over Huckabee and Romney. In California, which awarded 11 delegates to the statewide winner and three each to the winner in each congressional district, McCain beat Romney statewide 42 percent to 35 percent and carried 48 of 53 congressional districts (it appeared to be 50 of 53 before California finally counted all the votes).

Using Dave Leip's Election Atlas and the Green Papers, I calculated the delegate count if McCain's share of the vote had been exactly 3 percent less in each primary on January 19 and 26 and February 5 and if Romney's share of the vote had been exactly 3 percent more. After all, those results would have been just about as plausible, given the way the campaign and polling were going, as the actual results.

This 3 percent switch wouldn't have affected the delegate count in South Carolina, where McCain would still have beaten Huckabee 30.15 percent to 29.84 percent. And it wouldn't have affected it in most of the Super Tuesday primaries. It might have moved a couple of delegates in Massachusetts and Tennessee. (In Massachusetts, Leip has McCain carrying and winning 2-to-1 delegate advantages in the First, Fourth, Eighth, and Ninth Congressional Districts; the official state report to which he links has McCain carrying only the Eighth District, and by a margin that vanishes if you switch 3 percent of the vote from McCain to Romney. I can't find the Tennessee results by congressional district.)

But the 3 percent switch has a huge effect on the delegate count in four states. A 3 percent switch would have left Romney leading Huckabee by 33.92 percent to 33.17 percent and ahead of McCain in Georgia. This would have given him 33 additional delegates for winning statewide, yet (astonishingly) no additional delegates from any congressional district, at least as I read the two websites cited. In Florida, a 3 percent switch transforms McCain's 36 percent-to-31 percent victory to a 34 percent-to-33 percent victory for Romney. Florida was allotted 57 delegates on a winner-take-all basis, and that would have switched all 57 from McCain to Romney. Missouri on Super Tuesday was the closest three-way race, with Romney by a narrow margin in third place. But the 3 percent switch puts Romney in the lead, with 32.27 percent of the votes to 31.53 percent for Huckabee and 29.95 percent for McCain. In this scenario, Missouri's 58 winner-take-all delegation would have gone to Romney rather than to McCain.

Then there's California. A 3 percent switch wouldn't have given Romney the statewide lead and the 11 delegates awarded to the statewide winner. But it would have increased the number of congressional districts he carried from five to 18. Instead of 15 delegates, he would have had 54.

Let's put the results down in a table.

From a 255-delegate lead for McCain in these states to a 77-delegate lead for Romney. A 3 percent switch can make a big difference in winner-take-all systems.

After Super Tuesday, McCain had 516 delegates by one delegate count, with 207 to Romney and 142 for Huckabee. (I don't regard these numbers as definitive, but they're probably not very far off.) The 3 percent switch would have changed this to 362 for McCain, 385 for Romney, and 109 for Huckabee. Instead of McCain taking a huge delegate lead out of Super Tuesday, he'd have been a little behind. When you're behind as Romney was after Super Tuesday, you could see that even in a winner-take-all system, you'd have to win practically everything to overcome McCain's lead. Since Romney was in a position where he'd have to mostly self-finance any further campaigning, he was being asked to bet something like $30 million on very unfavorable odds.

Romney made his fortune reading numbers, and he probably realized, if only intuitively, that something like a 3 percent switch would have left him in a very different position. In that case, there was no way he would have gotten out of the race. The Potomac primary was coming up February 12. Romney could hope that with Huckabee still in the race (He had no reason to get out: His campaign cost him virtually nothing, and he was enjoying it), Romney might have carried Virginia (63 delegates winner-take-all) and maybe Maryland (34 delegates winner-take-all), even if one concedes D.C. (16 delegates winner-take-all) to McCain. Wins in the two states and a loss in D.C. would have given Romney 482 delegates to McCain's 378—a triple-digit margin. (I'm ignoring the caucus states here, but Romney generally did better in caucuses than in primaries.) Momentum might have carried Romney to a win February 19 in Wisconsin. One or two weeks of TV time would eat up considerably less than $30 million, and if Romney had been ahead after Wisconsin, he might have found conservative money coming in for him in time to contest Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont on March 4. And if he had still been ahead after these contests, would McCain have stayed in until the Pennsylvania primary on April 22?

(Some readers may remember that the Republican National Committee deprived Florida of half its 114 delegates because it scheduled its primary too early, and that if Florida had had 114 delegates, it would have elected them mostly by winner-take-all in each of its 25 congressional districts. If a 3 percent switch had occurred, would Romney then have called for the full Florida delegation to be seated, as Hillary Clinton has done? Absolutely not. McCain carried 20 of the 25 districts, and even a 3 percent switch would have given Romney only 12 districts to McCain's 13. That means that in a 114-delegate delegation, Romney would have had 75 delegates and McCain 39. That's a smaller delegate lead than Romney would have gotten out of a 57-0 split.)

It didn't take Romney long to read the numbers. A 516-to-207 delegate count meant he had to get out, as he did, quite gracefully, at the CPAC convention February 7, two days after Super Tuesday. A 3 percent switch would have given us an entirely different Republican race and might have made Mitt Romney the Republican nominee. A nominee who was, before Super Tuesday, notably weaker in polls against Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama than John McCain was then and is now. John McCain is one lucky guy.

How Do You Feel About McCain?

2008-04-04T15:14:00.003-04:00

"McCain wasn't my first choice, and I'm not sure about him now, but we've got a zero chance of getting a conservative Supreme Court justice out of either Clinton or Obama. I don't know whether we've got a 25 percent chance, or a 50 percent chance, or a 100 percent chance with McCain—but it's better than zero, and I'm going to do everything in my power to help get him elected. He's our best shot." - Phil Burress, World Mag., Divided We Stand

I agree.

Full Mitt Romney Interview from Morning Joe

2008-04-02T23:24:00.003-04:00

*If this is a feed, go to the original post to see the video.

Below is the complete video of Mitt Romney on Joe Scarborough's Morning Joe on MSNBC on 4/2/08. He talks about the Economy, helping out the McCain Campaign, possibly being tapped as VP, and his wife's pancake making abilities.

Get Tickets To See Governor and Mrs. Romney Receive The Canterbury Medal

2008-04-01T00:25:00.006-04:00

The Becket Fund

Cordially Invites You to

Its Twelfth Annual Dinner

Awarding the Canterbury Medal to

Governor and Mrs. Mitt Romney

Thursday, May 8, 2008

The Metropolitan Club

One East 60th Street

New York City

Reception at 6:30pm, Dinner to Follow

Black Tie

This year the Becket Fund is honored to bestow Governor and Mrs. Mitt Romney with its highest honor, the Canterbury Medal, for their role in expanding the free expression of religious faith in the public square. Each year the Becket Fund awards the Canterbury Medal to someone who has "resolutely refused to render unto Caesar that which is God's."

The governor's extraordinary speech on the role of religion in political life was an important contribution to religious liberty and the national political discourse during this election season. Both Governor and Mrs. Romney have demonstrated exemplary poise and dignity in the face of all manner of provocations aimed at their faith. For these reasons and more, The Becket Fund is delighted to present the Romneys with the Canterbury Medal at this year's dinner.

###

To purchase a table or tickets, contact Ashley Samelson at asamelson@becketfund.org

Or purchase online, I'll warn you now, the tables aren't cheap:

McCain Blogette - At Least Check It Out For The Photos

2008-03-31T23:36:00.006-04:00

http://www.mccainblogette.com/

The blog does have some great semi-candid shots of the day to day campaign - and then there's this:

Her blog, a free-wheeling and often lighthearted affair, documents her travels with her father as he campaigns across the country for the presidency.The recent Columbia grad does a fine job - her posts capture the human side of the campaign and the candidate, and its voice is winningly authentic and seemingly free from the clutches of consultant types...

An AP article, comparing McCain Blogette to a similar blog authored for the Romney campaign by Mitt Romney's sons, seems only briefly curious:

"...Unlike the Romney blog, "McCain Blogette" is independent from the campaign. So independent, the campaign said it could not answer who pays for Meghan and her two friends to travel on campaign planes and buses. A spokeswoman for Meghan did not respond to inquiries..."

I suppose one could accept this hair-splitting premise that McCain Blogette is "independent" from the campaign... Huff Post - Meghan McCain Mystery

Somewhat candid photos from McCain Blogette

"This is our candidate and he needs to be president."

2008-03-28T21:30:00.004-04:00

I have a few friends that are still very bitter over McCain securing the nomination, they are die-hard Romney supporters. If you support Romney, then listen to what he says - as a party we need to come together. McCain is our Candidate, and like Romney we should should do what we can to support him.

"I'm very happy the way our party has come together," McCain said shortly after a meeting of supporters and fund-raisers at The Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City.

Mitt Romney, who had the support of 90 percent of Utah's primary voters, was even more adamant. "When it comes time to get around our nominee, we do it," Romney said. "This is our candidate and he needs to be president." SLT - Romney on McCain: 'This is our candidate'

Two Videos: Romney Campaigning with McCain

2008-03-28T21:22:00.004-04:00

*If this is a feed, you need to go to the original post to see the videos.

Fox News - Romney Campaigning with McCain

Local Colorado Station: Romney Campaigning with McCain

McCain, Romney on their differences: That was then

2008-03-28T14:49:00.003-04:00

SALT LAKE CITY -- Just two months ago, Republicans John McCain and Mitt Romney were engaged in what amounted to a daily boxing match -- taking shots at each other as they battled for the presidential nomination.

To McCain, Romney was the guy who took "at least two positions on every issue," a manager rather than a leader. During their fierce primary contest in Florida, McCain demanded Romney apologize to U.S. troops for once suggesting that American and Iraqi leaders should discuss "timetables and benchmarks" for withdrawal from Iraq, which McCain charged "would have led to a victory by Al Qaeda."

Romney called McCain "dishonest" and warned that the Republican Party wasn't ready "to take as dramatic a departure from the house that Reagan built" as they would if they embraced McCain.

But no one would have guessed Thursday that the men were anything but pals as they strode from a black SUV, framed by Salt Lake City's snowy mountains, to face the cameras during a fundraising swing through the West.

The animosity had vanished -- spurring speculation that they might be able to stomach being running mates after all. McCain, with Romney standing beside him, said the two would be spending lots of time together on the campaign trail.

"I value his advice and his counsel," McCain said, speaking to reporters in the Salt Lake City airport hangar after he and Romney joined up for the first of two fundraisers. "He has earned an important place in the Republican Party. . . . We are united -- now our job is to energize our party -- and I believe that Gov. Romney can play a very important role in that."

'The right person'

Relaxed and tan after a little time off the campaign trail, Romney said McCain, whose credentials he once questioned, was ready to face the challenges of a fragile economy and the threat of violent jihadists.

The former Massachusetts governor recently told Fox News that he would be honored to be McCain's vice president. On Thursday, he said McCain was "without question the right person to be the next president of the United States."

He pledged to do whatever was necessary to convince the American people "just how important it is to have a man of integrity, experience and capacity, who's been tested time and again, to lead our great nation."

McCain's advisors have cautioned that joint appearances with prominent vice presidential contenders should not be interpreted as auditions. For his part, the candidate would not comment on whether he was considering Romney or Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. -- but he lavished praise on both.

Gesturing to Romney, McCain noted his former rival's leadership at Bain Capital, which he called "one of most successful enterprises in America."

"He came to a very liberal state [Massachusetts] and campaigned as a conservative and governed as a conservative," McCain said. "He ran a very effective campaign for president of the United States."

McCain also said Huntsman was "enormously qualified."

"I know of no two people I'd rather spend time with, not only because of their friendship, but because I learn a great deal from both of them," McCain said.

When asked later on the campaign plane about the possibility of being on the GOP ticket, Romney said: "I can think of probably 20 names of people who I think could be excellent vice presidential nominees from our party, and that's a process [McCain] will carry out."

During a nearly hourlong flight from Salt Lake City to Denver, McCain and Romney settled into a pair of leather seats to talk over turkey sandwiches.

'That's normal'

Asked by reporters whether they had ever apologized to each other for the things they had said as competitors, neither man cracked a smile.

"Look, we had spirited discussions, but I believe it was always very respectful," McCain said. "Of course, we had differences -- that's normal."

In discussing the bitter attacks between Democratic candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, Romney said: "I personally feel that in the final analysis, all of the to and fro of a campaign is brushed aside in the mind of the voters as they think about what is going to be best for their future."

For now, he said, he was glad to return to the campaign trail.

"It's nice not to feel any pressure at all -- I don't have to worry about goofing up," Romney said. "I can just stand behind our nominee and do my very best to support his campaign." LAT - McCain, Romney on their differences: That was then

"McCain Should Bury The Hatchet And Pick Romney"

2008-03-16T16:44:00.003-04:00

Enterprise News - McCain should bury the hatchet and pick Romney
By David Maril
Enterprise staff writer
Posted Mar 16, 2008 @ 03:07 PM

Call the idea crazy, but Republican presidential nominee John McCain shouldn’t rule out selecting Mitt Romney as his running mate.

Too much is made of the fact the two are not close friends. There’s historical precedent for choosing someone who can help you win even if you don’t like to be in the same room. Romney and McCain are a lot closer than John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson were in 1960. Kennedy, however, knew he had a close election on his hands against Richard Nixon and put aside his personal differences with Johnson after besting him in a mean-spirited campaign for the presidential nomination.

The Texan gave Kennedy the balance he needed in the south and even though Robert Kennedy wasn’t enamored with the idea, LBJ was selected and formed a winning ticket.

There are four points in Romney’s favor.

Start with the fact he can probably win Michigan for the Republicans. His father was a popular governor in Michigan and Mitt won the primary there this year. With the Democrats having to deal with a delegate fiasco in Michigan, the state it a lot more susceptible to going Republican.

Secondly, Romney is well liked by the hard-line conservatives who are wary of McCain.

Another point in Romney’s favor, and it is growing in importance, is his strength is in the business area. With our economy headed in a negative direction, as oil and wheat prices rise out of control and lending woes related to real estate problems escalate, a running mate with a solid financial background would boost McCain. McCain has admitted the economy is not his strength.

Finally, McCain, 71, needs someone youthful and vibrant running with him.

McCain/Romney Ticket Now a Real Possibility

2008-03-15T01:38:00.003-04:00

Mitt Romney is now being floated around as a possible Vice Presidential running mate for John McCain, this rumor seems to reveal that the Republican Party is looking to make McCain’s problems with the FEC go away and also that the GOP is desperate to assure satisfaction for the conservative base.

It is often said that a Vice Presidential selection should be able to deliver one state that would otherwise be a difficult victory, in the case of Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, this would definitely be the case. With a super ticket taking shape on the Democratic side, the GOP is likely to counter with a well known one two punch of their own. This will also give the impression that the GOP is united in a way that the Democrats are not, at least not yet.

One only needs to travel back several weeks in recent history to find public bickering between McCain and Romney. But as Ron Paul pointed out in the last debate, their squabbles essentially boiled down to arguments over “who said what when.”

All of the pundits that are playfully weighing the possibility of an “M & M” ticket, or wondering whether or not McCain will be able to stomach having a man on his ticket that he compared to a pig just weeks ago just don’t get it. This is about keeping the White House for the GOP, at any cost. And to a large extent I believe that this choice is out of McCain’s hands, he will be pressured into putting Romney on the ticket if the general consensus is that it will get him 50+1 in November. McCain/Romney ticket now a possibility

McCain Comments on VP, Romney

2008-03-12T19:03:00.005-04:00

EXETER, N.H.—Senator John McCain returned on Wednesday to the state that launched his 2000 and 2008 presidential campaigns, but the nostalgic quasi-homecoming was mixed with the political reality that New Hampshire will be a hard fight for him in November....

...Mr. McCain was regularly asked throughout the day if he would consider as his running mate Mitt Romney, who said on the Fox News Channel on Tuesday night that he would “honored’’ to be on the ticket with Mr. McCain.

Mr. McCain was noncommittal. “I think he’s a fine man and I appreciate the enormous contribution he’s made,’’ he said at the news conference in Exeter. Mr. McCain added that Mr. Romney has “very big role to play in the Republican party in our future,’’ but said nothing more. NYT - McCain Returns to New Hampshire

Also, in the LATimes.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, on Fox's "Hannity and Colmes," said Tuesday night that "any Republican leader in this country would be honored to be asked to serve as the vice presidential nominee, myself included."

On the campaign bus, a reporter asked McCain if he would consider Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Democrat-turned-Independent and a McCain backer who was sitting beside him. "No," Lieberman said quickly, sparking a laugh. McCain then praised his longtime friend and colleague, but said he has just begun the process.

Asked to respond to Romney's comment, McCain said only that the main mission is finding someone "who can take your place, shares your principles, your values and your vision and your priorities."

Later, at a town hall in Exeter, N.H., the state that revived his candidacy, a voter also asked McCain for his thoughts on the vice presidency.

"The vice president has two duties," McCain said. One is to cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie vote in the Senate. The other, he said, is to "inquire daily as to the health of the president, especially true in my case."

The 71-year-old McCain added that any president has to prioritize his agenda, and that he is looking for a vice president who shares his sense of the administration's key priorities. McCain said he thinks the first priority of any White House is to secure the homeland against radical Islamic extremism. Noting that public confidence in Congress is now so low that its members are supported only by "blood relatives and paid staffers," McCain said he also hopes to restore public trust in public officials. LAT - McCain ruminates about running mates

Mitt, Sean, and Mac Break It Down To Celebrate...

2008-03-12T14:56:00.014-04:00

See Mitt Romney, John McCain, and Sean Hannity break it down to celebrate the Mittsters 61st Birthday today (March 12th)! Happy Birthday to Mitt. If this is a feed you may have to go to the original post to see the Jib-Jab movie.

Don't send a lame eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Two Chihuahuas and a Big Dog - And Romney Would Accept VP

2008-03-12T14:13:00.004-04:00

Mitt Romney said in his first interview since departing the GOP race that he would accept the number two position on the ticket and that there is no lingering bitterness between him and John McCain.

“I think any Republican leader in this country would be honored to be asked to serve as the vice presidential nominee, myself included," Romney told FOX's Sean Hannity in a broadcast set to air tonight. "Of course this is a nation which needs strong leadership. And if the nominee of our party asked you to serve with him, anybody would be honored to receive that call … and to accept it, of course.”

According to two separate reports, Romney is being talked up as a running mate by members of the Bush inner circle. But McCain and his closest advisers have little regard for their former rival thanks to the bitter, year-long race waged between the two Republicans.

Romney says, however, that he thinks the wounds have healed.

“There are really no hard feelings, I don't think, on either side of this," he said in the interview. "There were no pacts and so forth that make people feel like that we will never come together. Instead these campaigns are all coming together. We are supporting our nominee enthusiastically, aggressively."

Romney said his top fundraisers have already met with McCain's campaign.

"We are laying out ways we can support his campaign.”

Romney also belittled the Democrats, saying that he thought Barack Obama would eventually emerge as their nominee and that such an outcome would play to the GOP's favor.

"I think he is the better match-up for Senator McCain because the public recognizes just how inexperienced he is," Romney said. "With Senator Clinton there is some confusion in perception that somehow being there while her husband was president made her a foreign policy-national security experienced person. She is not. She doesn't have any more experience, really, of a significant nature than Barack Obama does. But in Barack Obama's case, people recognize this guy was a state senator and before that he was a community activist. He has been a United States senator for a short, short period of time. He is in no significant way qualified to lead the country at a time of war, to lead the country out of an economic challenge. This is not a person who can stand up to Senator McCain.”

To make his case, Romney employed a canine metaphor.

Listening to Obama and Clinton discuss their national security credentials, Romney said, is akin to "listening to two chihuahuas argue about which is the biggest dog."

"When it comes to national security, John McCain is the big dog, and they are the chihuahuas," he said.

McCain will be on Romney's turf tomorrow night for a fundraiser in Boston, but aides to the Arizonan's campaign were uncertain if their former rival would be in attendance. The two last appeared together when Romney endorsed McCain last month in the former governor's Hub headquarters. Politico - Romney says he'd take Veep, calls McCain "Big Dog"

Complete Transcript of the Interview

Romney open to VP invitation

2008-03-11T22:22:00.001-04:00

Mitt Romney is declaring that he would jump at the chance to be vice president if Republican John McCain offered the No. 2 slot.

"I think any Republican leader in this country would be honored to be asked to serve as the vice presidential nominee, myself included," Romney said in an interview to be aired tonight on Fox News Channel.

In his first interview after leaving the GOP race, the former Massachusetts governor also called Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama "chihuahuas" and McCain the "big dog" on national security. Unlike many other Republicans, Romney said he hopes Obama wins the Democratic nomination because his inexperience makes him an easier target for McCain.

During the primary campaign, Romney tussled with McCain, who at one point compared Romney to a pig. But Romney endorsed the Arizona senator after suspending his campaign last month and said last night there are no hard feelings. Boston - Romney open to VP invitation

The Veepstakes - And the Winner Is...

2008-03-08T15:26:00.005-05:00

The Veepstakes
There's an obvious winner.
by Fred Barnes
03/17/2008, Volume 013, Issue 26

When John McCain begins his search for a vice presidential running mate, he'll quickly come upon a sad fact. He wants a candidate who will be seen as a plausible president. That's criterion number one. He also wants someone who won't subtract from his campaign in any serious way. That's criterion number two. The unfortunate truth is that few Republicans meet these simple criteria. McCain doesn't have much of a pool to choose from.

But his selection matters enormously, all the more because of his age. McCain will turn 72 on the eve of the Republican convention this summer. Choosing a running mate is the first major decision that a presidential nominee makes. And the nominee is judged by the quality of his pick and even by the smoothness of his selection process. So McCain had better choose well.

He has the right idea in mind. McCain thinks three vice presidential picks from the recent past were wise: Republican Dick Cheney in 2000 and Democrats Joe Lieberman in 2000 and Al Gore in 1992. They were nationally known political heavyweights who passed the most important test. They were accepted almost instantly as ready to replace the president if necessary. And they had no significant drawbacks.

The list of plausible presidents is short. Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, Tom Ridge, and Joe Lieberman qualify. That's about it. There are a number of popular Republican governors--Charlie Crist of Florida, Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, Mark Sanford of South Carolina, Haley Barbour of Mississippi--but they fall short of Cheney-Lieberman-Gore stature. It's not their fault, but it's nonetheless true.

So how about Lieberman in 2008? He's a pal of McCain, a brave backer of the war in Iraq, and now the most prominent Democratic supporter of McCain's presidential bid. He would surely enhance McCain's appeal to independents and moderate Democrats. He's a political adult.

But he's no Zell Miller. Lieberman is a liberal on domestic issues, including abortion. McCain already has trouble with conservatives and picking a Democrat would make things worse. Lieberman would probably subtract more votes from the McCain ticket than he'd add.

So would Giuliani and Ridge. True, Giuliani was a hero of 9/11 as mayor of New York, and Ridge, a former Pennsylvania governor, was President Bush's first homeland security chief. But both are pro-choice on abortion and would horrify social conservatives, an indispensable part of the Republican coalition. Giuliani or Ridge might prompt a third party pro-life presidential challenger.

Fred Thompson, the ex-senator from Tennessee and now a TV actor, is also a close friend of McCain. If he'd run a more spirited presidential campaign of his own this year, he'd be the obvious pick for running mate. But his campaign was dreary and disappointing. McCain needs someone more vibrant and upbeat.

That leads to Romney. He has run a vigorous national campaign and been vetted by the press and his opponents for the Republican nomination. These are very strong pluses. A pick who produces unhelpful surprises, as Geraldine Ferraro did in 1984 (her husband's business deals) and Dan Quayle did in 1988 (his National Guard duty), is exactly what McCain doesn't need. Romney is a known quantity.

Romney has three other add-ons. He's acceptable to conservatives and especially to social conservatives, who disproportionately volunteer as ground troops in Republican presidential campaigns. He's unflappable in debates. With the downturn worsening, the economy may surpass national security as the top issue of the campaign. And after years of success as a big time player in the global economy, Romney understands how markets work. He could shore up McCain's admitted weakness on economic issues.

Romney has allies in the Bush wing of the Republican party. President Bush favors him as McCain's veep. Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor, preferred Romney over McCain in the primaries, but never endorsed him publicly. Karl Rove, the president's political strategist, has hinted that he considers Romney to be McCain's best running mate.

Is there a downside to Romney? Possibly. It's not his Mormonism. He lost the nomination to McCain, but religion wasn't the reason. As a corporate turnaround artist, he rescued companies, sometimes by laying off workers. When he ran for the Senate from Massachusetts in 1994, the incumbent, Teddy Kennedy, raised the layoff issue with punishing effect. No doubt Democrats would use it again, and it might have resonance if a recession hits and unemployment is increasing.

Mike Huckabee's name is bound to come up in the veepstakes, since he's now run nationally and been vetted. According to Rove, he would "double" McCain's trouble with conservatives. Both foreign policy and economic conservatives would scream bloody murder if McCain chose the Huckster.

Presidential nominees once tried to balance their ticket with someone who'd helped win a state they might otherwise lose. This hasn't entirely gone out of fashion. Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota is often mentioned in this regard. Former House member John Kasich and ex-trade representative and budget director Rob Portman, both from Ohio, are too.

McCain has also been advised, at least by the media, to pick a much younger person for vice president. Governor Matt Blunt of Missouri, 37, and a handful of others have had their names trotted out. Some of them have impressive credentials. Blunt, for example, is an Annapolis graduate and a Naval Reservist called to active duty after 9/11.

But I don't believe the option of choosing a running mate for purely political reasons is open to McCain--not during wartime, anyway. His strong suit against Barack Obama, his likeliest Democratic opponent, or even against Hillary Clinton, is experience. In fact, Clinton has set up Obama to be attacked by McCain on this front.

Her TV ad raising doubts about Obama's readiness to be president was critical to her victories last week in the Ohio and Texas primaries. She also said in a campaign appearance: "Senator McCain will bring a lifetime of experience to the campaign. I will bring a lifetime of experience [to the White House] and Senator Obama will bring a speech he gave in 2002. I think that is a significant difference." In Obama's 2002 speech, he opposed the invasion of Iraq. One can envision her comment in a McCain TV ad zinging Obama.

McCain would throw away the experience issue if he named a much younger running mate or someone without national stature or a background in world affairs. Obama's response could be devastating: "If experience is so important, why did you pick a running mate who has so little, indeed less than I do?"

Romney thus appears to have the best ratio of virtues to drawbacks. But there's just one problem: McCain doesn't like him. Just how important compatibility is--that is something McCain will have to decide.

Fred Barnes is executive editor of THE WEEKLY STANDARD.