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twitterRepublican politics:
Romney risks upstaging McCain
Henderson crowd warms to former rival as he backs candidate
Steve Marcus
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, left, greets Nevada Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki at a McCain rally in Henderson on Wednesday.
Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008 | 2 a.m.
Stumping in Henderson for the former rival he handily beat in Nevada’s caucus, Mitt Romney eagerly played attack dog Wednesday for Republican nominee-in-waiting Sen. John McCain.
Romney Stumps for McCain
Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney campaigned in Henderson Wednesday afternoon.
Romney, a serious contender to be McCain’s running mate, charmed the partisan crowd by blasting Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama with a speech he has been giving across the country that mostly harps on Obama’s inexperience.
While McCain has been around for “the ups and downs of the last 25 years,” Obama doesn’t have that kind of experience to guide him, Romney told about 1,000 people at the Henderson Convention Center.
Romney’s appearance in Nevada was intended to harness his own strong support here for McCain, who all but ignored the state during the primaries.
And from the crowd’s reaction, it is support McCain could use among the Republican base.
In opening remarks before Romney took the stage, a Nevada legislator made a strategic error — or at least overestimated the unity in the room.
In trying to rev up the crowd, state Assemblyman Lynn Stewart asked whether there were any Republicans in the auditorium, and received a strong response. But when he asked if there were any McCain Republicans out there, boos filtered back through the cheers. He quickly followed by asking about Romney Republicans, and then brought the crowd to its feet by asking whether there were any McCain-Romney Republicans out there.
In his speech, Romney hit with the typical party-line jabs at Democrats: higher taxes, government interference and cowardly foreign policy.
He blasted Obama on his health care plan, saying it would increase the role of government — and ended up, maybe unwittingly, criticizing the Bush administration.
“I don’t want the guys who ran the Katrina cleanup running my health care, I can tell you that,” Romney said.
As for the energy crisis, he said McCain is the candidate who will do more than talk about it, including drilling offshore and building nuclear power plants.
Although both presidential candidates aim to bring troops home by the end of the first term, only “McCain will bring them home in victory,” he said.
Romney said the Democrats are avoiding talking about terrorism, saying it’s the greatest threat facing the nation and “they don’t even want to mention it.”
Trotting out a familiar line from this week, Romney questioned the foreign policy experience Sen. Joe Biden brings to Obama’s ticket. He said Biden might have been involved with foreign policy for 30 years but he’s also “been wrong in foreign policy most of the time for 30 years.”
Earlier in the day Romney stopped by McCain’s Western regional headquarters in Henderson to rally volunteers working the phones.
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I am not a Romney fan, but as a Republican I believe he would have been a far better choice than John McSame. Actually, any other candidate would.
The current Administration and all the Republican presendential/vicepresidential candidates support overturning Roe V. Wade. They rattle the empty scabbard against Russia. Everybody laughs -- we have no military capability left, no high ground (since we torture), no friends in the world since we did it arrogantly all W's way. Who signed up for the National Guard expecting to occupy Iraq, which had nothing to do with 9/11 and no Al Queda. The Republicans suppot no safety net for those clobbered by the slumping economy. They have given us record deficits. Record trade imbalances. Record forclosures. Record personal debt. They haven't supported universal health care, or equal pay for equal work. McCain was at the bottom of his class at the Naval Academy, where he got in because his granddaddy was an admiral and his daddy was an admiral. He was a playboy who got shot down and imprisoned. Obama was tops in his class and passed up Wall Street to help the needy. MeCain cheated on his hurt wife and married into a beer empire, but he doesn't know how many houses he has. He doesn't know Iraq doesn't border on Pakistan. He is too old, and he's losing his mental sharpness. He was a maverick until castrated by the Bushies in 2000; since then he's been a W clone. Don't be stupid, don't be a bigot, vote for the smart guy with the right positions on the issues.
"don't be stupid, don't be a bigot, vote for the smart guy with the right positions on the issues" and who, pray tell would THAT be - certainly not Obama. So you see the mess our country is REALLY in? We don't have a viable candidate amongst those 2 goons.
It is funny or sad.
The Democrats in their conventiion have not mention one time the radical Muslism threat that often state their goal is to destory US and Israel.
They rarely mention keeping the US safe.
I guess they do not care.
Nance, you make my job so easy, because you just repeat utter lies.
"And for the last seven years, the administration has failed to face the biggest forces shaping this century: the emergence of Russia, China and India as great powers; the spread of lethal weapons; the shortage of secure supplies of energy, food and water; the challenge of climate change; and the resurgence of fundamentalism in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the real central front in the war on terror."
"Should you trust the judgment of John McCain, when he said only three years ago, "Afghanistan, we don't read about it anymore in papers because it succeeded"?"
"Or should you believe Barack Obama who said a year ago, "We need to send two more combat battalions to Afghanistan"?"
"The fact of the matter is, al Qaeda and the Taliban, the people who actually attacked us on 9/11, they've regrouped in the mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan and they are plotting new attacks. And the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has echoed Barack's call for more troops."
"John McCain was wrong, and Barack Obama was right."
That's Joe Biden, last night, at the convention.
Why do you bother posting here if you can't get it right?
It took them 3 nights to get that point.
And it is only like four sentences.
Wooooooweeeereeeeee....the Democrats are focused on terrorism!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wwoeooqwerowoowowoowowowow.....we are all safe now.
That's all you can do when caught in a lie? Flail?
Mission accomplished.
I have found that jfnance32 does that alot, thebs. Lie and flail. LOL!
I hope McCain picks Magic Underwear Mitt to be his running mate. Someone needs to be there to take the 3 am phone calls while McCain is sleepwalking under the influence of Ambien! Plus, they hate each other, so it would be funny to watch them pretend to get along.
The republicans should have nominated Mitt in the first place, McCain isn't even a real conservative!
I said: "The Democrats in their convention have not mention one time the radical Muslism threat that often state their goal is to destory US and Israel."
The Democrats in this convention have not used the words "radical Mulsim threat" nor have they mention that those people want to destory the US or Israel.
So you ksand99 and you theBS are the liars. You lied about what I said.
theBS and Ksand argument skills:
Statement: "The sky is blue."
theBS and Ksand: "The sky is light blue. You lied! Nah, nahiee....You lied!"
"It took them 3 nights to get that point." That was you acknowledging they talked about it.
Did you forget you wrote that 30 minutes ago? And yes, you said ""Democrats in their convention have not mention one time," which is just a lie. I am sorry you are mad that you keep lying about what is and is not said and we are here to call you on it. I can understand why you must be frustrated when you are embarassed.
So you want another example? Ok! Maybe you missed Rep. Robert Wexler's scathing attack on the threat to Israel posed by John McCain:
"We entered into an unnecessary war and remain bogged down in Iraq, as Afghanistan backslides, and the architects of Sept. 11 remain free. On Bush and McCain's watch, we have witnessed the growing influence of a belligerent Iran that has destabilized the Middle East and threatens our ally, Israel."
"Americans have a clear choice in November. John McCain offers more of the same failed policies that endanger America and Israel. Barack Obama offers the change we need. Barack Obama will responsibly end the war in Iraq, prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, and turn our focus back to defeating al Qaeda. And he will bring to the White House an unshakeable commitment to Israel's security."
"In his heart, in his gut, Barack Obama stands with Israel. Not only his words, but his deeds, bear testament to this fact. Barack Obama, not John McCain, led the fight in the Senate by introducing divestment legislation that would deliver powerful economic sanctions against Iran."
"Barack Obama has seen, with his own eyes, the genuine threats faced by Israelis every day. He recently traveled to Sderot, along the Gaza border, and met young families who want nothing more than to go about their lives in security and peace. Instead, as they go to work, as they take their children to school, they have suffered under the daily terror of rocket attacks."
"Barack Obama understands the threats Israel faces from Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran. And as president, Barack Obama will strongly support Israel's right and capability to defend itself, and finally make progress toward the goal of a two-state solution that preserves Israel's security as a Jewish state."
"During his recent trip to Israel, Barack visited Yad Vashem, Jerusalem's Holocaust memorial, where he recommitted himself to combating anti-Semitism and ending the genocide in Darfur. Because Barack Obama knows that the words "never again" must have real meaning in our time."
"That's the leadership we need to keep America strong and allies like Israel secure. Leadership that restores our strength and America's global standing under the next great President of the United States, Barack Obama."
Where's the "emotican" of a fist, moving up-and-down at a 45 deg angle at??
I can't find it anywhere.
I thought "you guys' had an award-winning website??
That's right, Nance, they haven't used your words "radical Mulsim threat," mostly because "mulsim" isn't a word. I wasn't aware of any mulsim threat to our nation. Maybe you can elaborate.
You can get as whiny as you like. You made a factually incorrect statement that they had not mentioned the threat to the US, or the threat to Israel, and you have been proven wrong on both accounts now.
Keep whining about it and watch your credibility degrade even further.
Ksand99, that was quite a find. I've been a fan of Wexler since his short documentary that centered on his interns that aired on Sundance.
LOLOL! That is right, thebs! The Democrats have also not said anything about them wanting to "destory the US or Israel."
Destory? What does that mean? Take the story away? Why would they talk about that?
Jfnance32 you are too funny.
Yes, just take one part of the sentence which means on top of you being a liar you also can not read.
Liar...liar...nayeeeee...nahaieeeee...liar...liar....
"LOLOL! That is right, thebs! The Democrats have also not said anything about them wanting to "destory the US or Israel."
Destory? What does that mean? Take the story away? Why would they talk about that?"
I believe that. The Democrats and Obama are so naive about the world. They think all you have to do is sit down and have a nice chat and our enemies will be our friends.
Reducing liberals to criticizing spelling and picking nits as the bulk of their message IS victory in itself. Don't worry, parsing is all there is "left" after the first shot is fired.
Hang in there, "nance"!
It's all just lib-whining now....
Liberals lost big today - and Obama has not even blessed the multitudes yet, lol.
Wait until there is NO "bounce" from the convention for the Obamacons - especially after the rank narcissism and "45 deg. fist-stroking" we'll see from the Messiah tonight.
Wait until there IS a bounce after Minneapolis / St. Paul.
I'm guessing 8-9 points inc margin for McCain 10 days to 2 weeks from now.
That's just me, though.
Oh Nance, how odd.
I understand your frustration. Now you run away from your own words. You wrote, "The Democrats in their conventiion have not mention one time the radical Muslism threat that often state their goal is to destory US and Israel."
Let's break this down, shall we? "The Democrats," meaning every Democrat in the building.
"in their convention," meaning during the 2008 DNC.
"have not mention one time," poor grammar meaning have yet to point out.
"the radical Muslism threat?" Now here, we have a difference of opinion, clearly. "Muslims" are not a threat. Radical islamic extremism? That's a threat, and since you weren't specific about it, that what I think everyone thought you were talking about.
"that often state their goal is to destory US and Israel." More awful grammar, but we get your point.
YOU made the claim that NO Democrat had referenced radical Islamic extremism. or it's threat to the U.S. or Israel.
Now that I've taken your argument apart, you can clearly see that this statement DOES NOT FOLLOW THE FACTS. In fact, it quite ignores several speeches heard on the floor of the DNC by Biden, Wexler, etc. which DID, (in quoted language here on this very webpage) mention the threats of radical Islamic extremist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, and extremists in Afghanistan.
Your specificity was key to destroying your argument here, and now you just flail. You can call me a liar, to which I'll shrug and dare you to prove it, but the facts don't bore out your argument, Nance.
In fact, it fails, miserably, any test of verification.
And what is an untrue statement? A lie.
If you want people to overlook the specificity of your argument, you might, next time, choose better wording.
"Wait until there is NO "bounce" from the convention for the Obamacons"
Wait, what's the sound? It sounds like Makz choking on reality:
"Democratic candidate Barack Obama has gained ground in the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking average from Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and now leads Republican John McCain among registered voters by a 48% to 42% margin."
http://www.gallup.com/poll/109897/Gallup...
Sorry you are so angry you were wrong and got destroyed about it. Instead, you just whine.
Here's a clue, if you don't want to be called on your incorrect statements, don't say untrue stuff.
The Democrats DID mention Israel, the threat of fundamentalism to Israel, the threat of Hamas and Hezbollah, our committment to Israel's security, etc. etc.
Instead, you chose to use the words "not once." You opened yourself up to that attack. I am sorry you were so specific that you proved yourself wrong, but there's no reason to be angry at people who point it out. Just admit you were wrong, be a man, and move along.
Instead, you wail and rant about how angry you are you were proved wrong.
It is not hard to use a spell checker. People do it all the time. You have no one to be angry at but yourself. "Destory?" "Muslism?" "Mulsim?"
You chose your words, you have no one to blame but yourself jfnance32.
They did not mention Israel being destoryed on national TV. It was not important to them.
Defense of the USA and Israel is only worth a couple of sentences to the Democrats on national TV.
It is not an important topic to them.
Would you mind defining "destoryed?" You've used it several times today. Uhhh... what?
And I quoted a few choice words from Biden, but you should really go watch his speech, and then flail and tell us how they didn't talk about national security, when, in fact, they did.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKsEWrYv3...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jop31YLx...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09ugYiF5t...
But no, they didn't defensively mention being a POW every 30 seconds, so I guess they didn't satisfy your national security credentials like McCain. LOL!
Yeah, and trying to refine your argument several hours after the fact? Weak! Specificity is a virtue, Nance.
Of course they didn't mention Israel being destroyed, jfnance32.
Israel hasn't been destroyed.
They have spoken about many issues. About health care and the economy, global warming and global terrorism, green energy and oil, the mortgage crisis, women's rights and gay rights, Israel, Afghanistan, Russia, Georgia, the poor, Katrina, croneyism, Bush, McCain, Cheney, all of the important issues of our day. They understand that there isn't a single issue that defines this race, we must have a broad, inclusive platform.
I guess you aren't worried about any of those other issues.
But you didn't qualify your argument by saying "on national TV" until now. I have been watching all of the convention on CSPAN, which shows ALL of the speeches.
Since you seem to know so little about what is going on there, maybe you should check it out.
Democrats give a very low priority to national defense.
Everything else gets ton's of mention during the time they address the national audience.
Who cares what they say to the delegates on the floor.
Comment removed by staff.
Wow, "stupid?" That's quite rude NVMakz! I have read many of your comments here, so it doesn't surprise me that you would attack someone that way, but I wonder why the Las Vegas Sun doesn't do something about your nasty mouth, NVMakz.
But I cannot predict the future, so I'm not going to guess about the outcome of the convention.
I'm not psychic like you are. LOL!
Jfnance32, you have been proven completely wrong today. Your opinion is pretty meaningless at this point. You didn't even know what they said in their speeches, why should anyone believe you?
Out of hours of national speeches...Democrats spoked about 5 minutes on national security.
They just do not care about it.
LOL, you've been wrong so many times today, jfnance32, it makes perfect sense you would keep repeating yourself.
Forget swallowing the koolaid, you've mainlined it!
Sorry, but I doubt you watched even a single speech. The fact that you say it was merely 5 minutes PROVES you didn't watch.
I mean, earlier you said they didn't say anything, now you say they said 5 minutes.
In an hour, you'll probably tell us they spent an hour!
LOL!
I say this way...less than 5% of all the Democratic speech making during the convention and the national primetime hours was spent on national security concerns.
The Democrats do not care that much about national security.
I challenge you to prove different.
"Wow, "stupid?" That's quite rude NVMakz! I have read many of your comments here, so it doesn't surprise me that you would attack someone that way, but I wonder why the Las Vegas Sun doesn't do something about your nasty mouth, NVMakz.
But I cannot predict the future, so I'm not going to guess about the outcome of the convention.
I'm not psychic like you are. LOL!"
"the bs" deserves the rebuke.
I'm not surprised someone whined about it, but it's good to know there are SOME boundaries around here. I'll see it as hitting a nerve.
"registered" vs "likely" voters in polling. The difference is clear as crystal = except to those who sling "the bs".
So, liberals, back to your main argument style, the nit-pick-fest........
It's all your side has "left".