Subject: [big campaign] Fact-Check on Romney's RNC Speech Exerpts
From: "Andy Meyer" <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2008 20:11:52 -0400
List-Id: <bigcampaign.googlegroups.com>

All,

Attached, please find some quick bullets responding to the released 
excerpts
<http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/09/romney_speech_exce
rpts.php>  of Romney's speech tonight.

-AKM

 

FACT-CHECK ON GOV. MITT ROMNEY'S PRE-RELEASED REMARKS AT THE REPUBLICAN
NATIONAL CONVENTION

________________________________

Romney's 

Prepared Remarks 

9/3/08

FACTS

"We need change all right - change from a liberal Washington to a
conservative Washington! We have a prescription for every American who
wants change in Washington - throw out the big government liberals and
elect John McCain."

Romney: McCain is "Outside The Mainstream of Conservative Republican
Thought." On January 31, 2008, in a debate at the Ronald Reagan
Presidential Library in Simi Valley, CA, Romney disused McCain's
legislative record and concluded, "those views are outside the
mainstream of Republican conservative thought. And I guess I'd also note
that, if you get endorsed by the New York Times, you're probably not a
conservative."[Transcript, GOP Presidential Debate, 1/31/08]

Romney: McCain is "Dishonest" & "Does Not Understand the Economy." On
Sunday, January 27, 2008, the Politico reported that earlier in the day,
Romney told CNN's Wolf Blitzer, "He's simply being dishonest. He knows
that, but he's desperately trying to change the subject because he does
not understand the economy, has no experience in the private economy and
right now, that's the biggest issue people are facing." [Politico,
1/27/08]

Romney: McCain a Washington Insider Not Making Great Things Happen. On
Sunday, January 27, 2008, the Politico reported that earlier in the day,
Romney told CNN's Wolf Blitzer, "Senator McCain has been in the Senate
for the last 20 years. And frankly, being a committee chairman is not
leading a great organization or making great things happen." [Politico,
1/27/08]

"The right course is the one championed by Ronald Reagan 30 years ago,
and by John McCain today."

Romney: "I was an Independent during the time of Regan-Bush, I'm not
trying to return to Reagan Bush." On October 27, 1994, the Boston Globe
reported that when, in a debate, Sen. Ted Kennedy, "accused [Romney] of
trying to return the country to the policies of the Reagan-Bush
administrations. Romney objected to the characterizations, saying: "I
was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I'm not trying to
return to Reagan-Bush." [Boston Globe, 10/27/94]

Romney Attacked McCain for Not Supporting Bush Tax Cut Which Reagan
Would Have Signed. On January 31, 2008, in a debate at the Ronald Reagan
Presidential Library in Simi Valley, CA, Romney said, "I think that the
Bush revolution and the downturn that we faced when he came in office
suggested that we needed a tax cut. There's no question in my mind that
Ronald Reagan would have said sign it and vote for it. And Senator
McCain was one of two that did not." [Transcript, GOP Presidential
Debate, 1/31/08]

Romney: "Ronald Reagan would have said absolutely no way to McCain-
Feingold." On January 31, 2008, in a debate at the Ronald Reagan
Presidential Library in Simi Valley, CA, Romney said, "Ronald Reagan
would have said absolutely no way to McCain- Feingold." [Transcript, GOP
Presidential Debate, 1/31/08]

"Republicans prefer straight talk to politically correct talk!"

Romney: McCain Practices "The Washington-Style Old Politics." On January
31, 2008, in a debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi
Valley, CA, Romney responded to McCain's charge that he supported a
time-table to withdraw from Iraq by stating, "and what's interesting
here is it's an attempt [by McCain] to do the Washington-style old
politics, which is lay a charge out there, regardless of whether it's
true or not, don't check it, don't talk to the other candidate, just
throw it out there, get it in the media and the stream... The Washington
Post gave you three Pinocchios for it. It's simply -- it's simply wrong,
and the senator knows it." [Transcript, GOP Presidential Debate,
1/31/08]

"Liberals would replace opportunity with dependency on government
largesse. They would grow government and raise taxes to put more people
on Medicaid, to work requirements out of welfare, and to grow the ranks
of those who pay no taxes at all.

Spending

Romney's Budgets Increased State Spending by 18.83% ($4.26 Billion)
While in Office. In FY 07, the Romney administration budgeted $26,882.40
billion in Total Spending.  This was $4.26 billion greater than the
final FY 03 spending level ($22,622.0 billion), the last budget passed
before Romney came to office. Thus, Romney increased 18.83 percent while
in office. [Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, 6/26/03 & 6/22/06]

Taxes

State & Local Tax Burden Increased 5.1 Percent During The Romney
Administration. According to The Tax Foundation, a conservative tax
research organization, in 2002 (the year before Romney and Healey came
to power), Massachusetts state and local tax burden was 9.8 percent: the
34th highest in the nation.  The Tax Foundation reported that in 2006,
Massachusetts state and local tax burden had increased to 10.3 percent:
the 28th highest in the nation.  Thus, during the Romney administration,
Bay Staters saw their taxes burden increase by 5.1 percent in real
terms.  [Massachusetts State-Local Tax Burden Compared to National
Average (1970-20060, The Tax Foundation]

Globe: Massachusetts "Increased Hundreds of Fees" During Romney's First
Year in Office. On October 24, 2005 the Boston Globe reported, "In
Romney's first year in office, the state increased hundreds of fees,
making it more expensive to get a driver's license, marry, or buy a
house. Those changes, which [the administration] defends as limited in
scope and long overdue, brought in an additional $260 million." [Boston
Globe, 10/24/05]

NCSL: "Massachusetts Imposed More Fee Hikes Than any Other State in the
Nation." On August 28, 2003, Congress Daily reported, "A survey of
states grappling with spending crises has found that Massachusetts
imposed more fee hikes than any other state in the nation this year --
at least $500 million, the Boston Globe reported. GOP Gov. Mitt Romney
and the Legislature, faced with a multibillion dollar shortfall, made it
more expensive to get a marriage license or a divorce, file a court
case, buy a house, renew a driver's license, or tap into a host of other
state services. The study by the National Conference of State
Legislatures found that Massachusetts was one of 30 states that enacted
fee increases this year." [Congress Daily, 8/28/03]

Medicaid

Globe: "Medicaid Rolls Surge With Romney Aid." On July 17, 2005, the
Boston Globe reported on the surge in Medicaid enrollment by
Massachusetts citizens during Romney's administration.  The Globe wrote,
"Governor Mitt Romney has promised to provide health insurance to
everyone in Massachusetts, and his administration has concluded that
signing more people up for Medicaid is one way to accomplish that goal."
["Medicaid Rolls Surge With Romney Aid." Boston Globe, 7/17/05]

Romney's Budgets Increased Spending for Medicaid & Other Health Programs
by $1,882 Million While in Office. In FY 07, the Romney administration
budgeted $7,730.8 million in spending for Medicaid and Other Health
Programs. This was $1,882.9 million more than the FY 2003 spending level
of $5,847.9 million. [Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, 6/26/03 &
6/22/06]

Romney Wanted All Welfare Recipients To Be Tested for Drugs. On October
25, 1994 the New York Times reported that Romney "would require welfare
recipients to work and to be regularly tested for drugs." [New York
Times, 10/25/94]

"And at Saddleback, after Barack Obama dodged and ducked every direct
question, John McCain hit the nail on the head: radical Islam is evil,
and he will defeat it! Republicans prefer straight talk to politically
correct talk!"

Romney: "I supported the president on [prisoner treatment] and did not
back the senator [McCain's] perspective on that." [East Valley Sun,
11/14/06]

Romney Suggested Wire-Tapping Mosques at 2005 Heritage Foundation Event.
On September 15, 2005, the Boston Globe reported that, "Romney raised
the prospect of wiretapping mosques and conducting surveillance of
foreign students in Massachusetts, as he issued a broad call yesterday
for the federal government to devote far more money and attention to
domestic intelligence gathering."  The Globe quoted Romney, speaking at
a forum hosted by the Heritage Foundation on September 14, stating, "How
many individuals are coming to our state and going to those institutions
[foreign students in higher education] who have come from
terrorist-sponsored states? Do we know where they are? Are we tracking
them? How about people who are in settings -- mosques, for instance --
that may be teaching doctrines of hate and terror... Are we monitoring
that? Are we wiretapping? Are we following what's going on?" Romney
continued, "It is virtually impossible to have a homeland security
system based upon the principles only of protecting key assets and
response. The key to a multilayered strategy begins with effective
prevention, and, for me, prevention begins with intelligence and counter
terror activity." [Boston Globe, 9/15/06]

To this we are all dedicated and I firmly believe by the providence of
the Almighty, that we will succeed. President McCain and Vice President
Palin will keep America as it has always been - the hope of the world."

Romney: "Where Has [McCain] Led Us?". On Sunday, January 27, 2008, the
Politico reported that earlier in the day, Romney told CNN's Wolf
Blitzer, "If [Sen. McCain] been a leader, where has it led us? Look at
his legislation. McCain-Feingold, that hurt our First Amendment rights.
McCain-Kennedy, that was granting amnesty to 10 million illegal aliens.
And now McCain-Lieberman, that wants to put a huge tax effectively on
American gasoline buyers and rate payers." [Politico, 1/27/08]

 

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