In the run-up to the election in November, I’ve watched every Republican debate and thought I had a pretty good handle on the candidates up to this point. After first backing Pawlenty and then Perry, now both out of the race, I’ve since been undecided.
If I were a single-issue voter, the one issue would be abortion. There is no more crystal clear issue to me than the sanctity of life, so a less than clear pro-life stance on abortion is a deal breaker.
I know he said he’s changed his mind on abortion, but, from his comments during debates, I was under the impression that, as Governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney’s pro-choice stance was really just deference to his state’s right to set their own laws, deferring to Massachusetts’ law and will of the voters of his state.
“I have always opposed abortion, but when I ran for office, I thought, well, I can say and can understand the idea of leaving the law the way it is. The Supreme Court has made its decision, I’m just going to say I’ll support the law and preserve the law as it exists. That was somewhat naive it turns out, because when I became governor, I found that you can’t just support it the way it is, that the law changes over time. I had a piece of legislation that came to my desk that would redefine when life began in my state. It would authorize the creation of embryos for the purpose of experimentation and ultimately destroying them. I said, look, “I am pro-life and I will defend the sanctity of human life,” I was wrong… I vetoed that bill.”
If you’ve been following the race for the Republican nomination, you’ve surely noticed that Mitt Romney’s years as a venture capitalist at Bain Capital have been under attack, not only the left, but from other Republican candidates.
Specifically, I hope that Governor Romney (and all Americans) read this WSJ article by Daniel Henninger: Bain Capital Saved America.
I suspect he will, but I’m hoping that Governor Romney will make a speech in defense of capitalism.
Something like this:
Recently there has been some confusion about the company I founded, Bain Capital. The role of Bain Capital was, yes, to make money, but to do so by streamlining and reorganize businesses so they would survive, not to loot or pillage as some have suggested. You can see evidence of our success in turning many businesses around by looking at such businesses as Staples and Dominoes.
Yes, some people lost jobs, but, again, businesses had to streamline to survive. Bain went in to pour money into the businesses to enable them to regroup so they could become PROFITABLE so they would survive. Was streamlining difficult? Yes, in some cases, people lost their jobs, but the entire company going under would have been worse- EVERYONE
would have lost their jobs and some did go under DESPITE our efforts. Was that the plan from the onset? NO. No one plans to fail, but not every business can survive, that’s how a free market works. Not unlike the bailouts of 2008, it would have been counterproductive to continually pour money into a business that simply wouldn’t survive. American taxpayer dollars used to temporarily prop up Solyndra is another example of good money after bad. Some businesses just can’t be salvaged. In a free market system not all businesses survive. Those that can provide a product or service that people want at a competitive price will likely survive. Consumers win in this system. Businesses compete to provide
the best product at the best price and that’s what consumers want and get.
America is in a similar situation now. Our country is staggering under an unsustainable debt which ratchets up daily without any real commitment or plan in place to curtail runaway government spending. We need to make some difficult choices and sacrifices to survive – specifically, our government is going to have to streamline so the country will remain the country we recognize and hope to leave to our children. If we don’t make some tough choices and sacrifices now our children and their children will not have the blessings of the free and prosperous America we’ve all enjoyed.
We have to take a long hard look at the money our government spends and decide what we can do without. It’s time to streamline the business of government in America… to shrink it to be a lean, unintrusive, non-obstructive, effective machine that does ONLY what Americans need it to do – provide for a common defense, ensure domestic tranquility, and promote the general welfare while slamming the brakes to keep America from devolving into a welfare state.
We owe it to our children, to future generations to keep the promise of a free and prosperous America alive. Hard won with blood and treasure by those who treasured all that America is so much that they were willing to die for it and many did. We must not squander their sacrifice. Our legacy must be the liberty and prosperity we inherited, not the burden of debt and hardship. We must pull together to right this ship by getting serious about racheting down government spending, paying down our debt, balancing our budget and living within our means.
We MUST let businesses play their natural roles as the engines of our economy, let them flourish and grow unencumbered by burdensome over-regulation and free of government micromanagement. If businesses can grow, they can hire and create jobs for Americans.
And we must also let Americans keep as much of what they earn as possible instead of demanding the lion’s share to continue to feed the beast of out-of-control government. I believe Americans want the dignity of a job and their own money to take care of their families, to build their own dreams, maybe owning a home, opening their own business and/or sending their kids to college. In America these things are possible. These things should ALWAYS be possible. I have the experience and the love for America, the commitment to my own children and grandchildren and to yours, to lead the way.
I hope Governor Romney takes a stand and delivers his ‘Time for Choosing’ type speech in defense of capitalism, which would also be in defense of American prosperity.
House Majority Leader, Eric Cantor, a Virginian, channeled Reagan today and I couldn’t be more proud to claim his as a Virginian. Cantor’s words during his speech at AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) in Washington, D.C., “Peace at any price isn’t peace, it’s surrender” reminded me of Reagan’s speech about having peace in the next moment via surrender.
But more than just his words, Cantor’s steadfast, unflinching support of Israel, in the face of renewed and critical uncertainty in the Middle East and in, to my horror, its relationship with the U.S., harkened back to the strength and determination of Ronald Reagan. His courage of conviction to speak hard truth without regard to political correctness is a breath of fresh air.
The highly charged face-off of Wisconsin teachers protesting in Madison to protect collective bargaining rights vs. Wisconsin’s newly-elected Governor Scott Walker, who is trying to rein in Wisconsin’s spending to meet his legal obligation to balance Wisconsin’s budget, has presented the first highly visible hurdle for the 2012 Republican presidential candidate nominee hopefuls.
How the 2012 (R) hopefuls respond is a critical first test of political courage and finesse.
Rudy Giuliani, former New York Mayor and 2008 Presidential candidate: crickets? (unable to find any comment)
Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas Governor and 2008 Presidential candidate:
“…his advice for embroiled Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is to “stay firm, hang in there.” “If the Democrats are serious about saying we want dialogue, we want negotiation, then get back in your seats in the senate,” Huckabee said. “These people were elected to stand up and do a job. If they can’t do it, then quit and let somebody else step in there who will.”
Bobby Jindal, Louisiana Governor: crickets? (unable to find any comment)
You don’t have to kowtow to the union bosses who are not looking out for you, but instead are using you. You can join millions of other union members in a commonsense movement to help fight for the right causes in our great country – for budgets that share the burden in a truly fair way and for commonsense reforms that take power away from vested interests like union bosses and big business lobby groups, and put it back where it belongs – with “We the People.”
Tim Pawlenty, Minnesota Governor: Pawlenty released the following video, position stated at the end: “It’s really important that America stand with Walker, stand with Wisconsin.”
Ron Paul, U.S. Congressman (Texas): crickets? (unable to find any comments on this issue)
“Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a likely 2012 GOP presidential candidate, announced Thursday that his political action committee has donated $5,000 to the Wisconsin Republican Party as a sign of support for Gov. Scott Walker (R) in the state’s ongoing budget fight.”
Rick Santorum, former U.S. Senator (Pennsylvania):
Donald Trump, Business magnate:
“I’ve been very impressed by him and his stance. I really think he’s doing the right thing for his state,” said Trump.
Support for Walker was joined with kind words for unions that Trump has worked with.
“New York is very heavily union, I’ve had great relationships with the unions over the years,” Trump said, “But at the same time, I fully understand the governor of Wisconsin, what he’s trying to do. He’s trying to fix a very, very serious problem, and probably he will be victorious.”
So, how’d they do? In this Independent conservative’s estimation:
Pawlenty’s use of the internet and simplicity of message put him on top of this round.
Perry, Gingrich, and Romney finished strong.
Daniels did a decent job of back-pedaling his earlier “salute” remark, but not sure he’ll be able to fully recover from that stumble.
If Bolton plans on being a serious candidate for 2012, he’s going to have to weigh in on domestic issues and not just rely on his strengths in foreign policy and national security to make him a strong contender.
It’s still early yet. Let’s keep an eye out.. there will likely be many game changers along the way.
This is government-run health care. Sure it’s free (well, if you don’t count paying through the nose in taxes for it), but do you really want a bureaucrat deciding whether the cost of keeping your loved one alive is in the budget?
This case is heart-breaking. Canadians should be up in arms protesting this. Why aren’t they?
This moment isn’t about Americans, but I pray for the freedom of the Egyptian people. I pray for your liberty and for peace. Please seek both. The time for choosing new leaders is near. Please look carefully and choose only those who you can trust with your freedom and the future of your children.
Today is International Holocaust Rememberence Day.
The date was chosen for a reason – on January 27, 1945, Russian troops liberated the notorious Nazi death camp at Auschwitz. More than one million people were murdered there during World War II, part of Hitler’s evil plan to exterminate the Jewish people.
