Giuliani Campaign Press Release - Debate Night's Mitt Negativity Meter, Part Two

Romney Attacking John McCain

ROMNEY HIMSELF (15):

Romney: "And My Fear Is That McCain-Kennedy Would Do To Immigration What McCain-Feingold Has Done To Campaign Finance And Money In Politics, And That's Bad." (Gov. Mitt Romney, 2008 Republican Presidential Debate, Columbia, SC, 5/15/07)

Romney Criticized McCain Backed Immigration Plan Arguing It Let Illegal Immigrants Stay In Country. Romney: "Well, he's my friend. He campaigned for me two times. I consider him a friend. I'm not going to make this a matter of personal politics. It's an issue that's way too important for that. My view is that we should enforce our immigration laws. And this bill, unfortunately, has at least one provision that's a real problem. It's the Z visa. And what it allows is people who have come here illegally to stay here for the rest of their lives — not necessarily as citizens; they have to wait 13 years to become citizens. That's not the point." (Gov. Mitt Romney, 2008 Republican Presidential Debate, Manchester, NH, 6/3/07)

Romney Said His Problem With Kennedy-McCain Immigration Bill Was Special Pathway To Citizenship. "I'll tell you as well, I very firmly believe that we have to make sure that we enforce our borders, that we have an employment verification system, and that those people who've come here illegally do not get an advantage to become permanent residents. They do not get a special pathway. That's a mistake. That's the problem I have with the bill — the Kennedy-McCain bill. That's a mistake in my view." (Gov. Mitt Romney, 2008 Republican Presidential Debate, Manchester, NH, 6/3/07)

Romney Wrote Op-Ed On Townhall.com Titled "The Fundamental Flaws Of McCain-Feingold." "As I have traveled the country in connection with my campaign for President, I have been inspired by the commitment of countless Americans to shaping the future of America's political system. Their commitment takes many different forms, from distributing literature, to attending a campaign rally, to contributing money to an individual candidate. I applaud this involvement, even if it is not supportive of my candidacy. An informed and active citizenry is vital to the long-term health of our political system." (Mitt Romney, "The Fundamental Flaws Of McCain-Feingold," Townhall.com, 4/25/07)

"Without Prompting," Romney Blamed McCain-Feingold Legislation For Difficulty In Tracing Source Of Anti-Mormon Push Polls. "Mitt Romney said this morning that the phone calls attacking his Mormon faith were 'un-American' and faulted the legislation championed by his rival John McCain for making them difficult to trace. 'I think the attempts to attack me on the basis of my faith are un-American,' Romney said at a press conference in Nevada, as seen in a video sent by his campaign. … Without prompting, Romney then predicted that there 'will be those that ask, "how in the world could this happen? How is it that we don't know who's doing it?" In that regard, you know, you have to look back at the legislation that is known as McCain-Feingold,' Romney said."(Jonathan Martin, Politico Blog, "Romney Labels Calls 'Un-American,' Pins Blame On McCain-Feingold," www.politico.com, 11/16/07, Accessed: 11/16/07)

Romney: "[S]enator McCain Proposed And Backed A Bill, The Last Senate Version, Which Gave A Form Of Amnesty To Every Illegal Alien Already In The Country." (MSNBC, "Morning Joe," 11/13/07)

Romney Attacked McCain Over Third Party Ads Being Aired In South Carolina, And Called Campaign Finance Reform "A Failure." "Romney piled on McCain for third-party ads touting him in South Carolina, saying 'It is an entire end-run on any effort to control campaign spending and offer transparency,' and adding 'that the legislation championed by McCain in 2002 to overhaul campaign finance had turned out to be a failure.'" (Ana Marie Cox, Time's Swampland Blog, "McCain's Alter Ego Engages In Romney Altercation," www.time-blog.com/swampland, 11/13/07, Accessed: 11/13/07)

Romney Said "Irony Is Literally Dripping" That Group Would Form To Support McCain. "Romney took a jab at GOP rival John McCain, the senator from Arizona, when asked a question about the influence of special interest political contributions. Romney complained that supporters of McCain are planning to organize a group that can accept unlimited donations to advertise on the senator's behalf. McCain is the coauthor of the 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, aimed at controlling special interest donations. 'The irony is literally dripping as you look at the formation of this (group) to support Senator McCain,' Romney said." (Glen Johnson, "Romney Says Give More Education Aide To Military Families, Speed Innovations To Battlefield," The Associated Press, 11/12/07)

Romney Highlighted That He Is Only One Of Four Leading Republican Candidates Who Favors Federal Marriage Amendment. "Romney began to explain that 'only one of the four leading' Republican candidates (in his view defined as Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, John McCain and himself)) favor a federal amendment to define marriage as being between a man and woman." (Matt Stuart, ABC News' Political Radar Blog, "Romney Defends Marriage Stance Amid Cheers, Boos," http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/11/romney-defends-.html, 11/1/07, Accessed: 11/1/07)

Romney Accused McCain Of Having Shifted Positions On Immigration, Abortion And Bush Tax Cuts. "'I'd note that as I look at the other candidates who are running for president, over time they look at specific areas and say, "Gosh, I was wrong on this. That needs to be adjusted,"' Mr. Romney said in an appearance on CBS's 'Face the Nation.' He singled out Senator McCain of Arizona, who he said had shifted course on immigration, abortion, and his opposition to the Bush tax cuts." (Russell Berman, "Romney, McCain Lock Horns Over Shifts in Position," New York Sun, 10/22/07)

Rather Than Appreciate Support From McCain In Calling For Investigation Into Push Poll, Romney Called It "Ironic" That "Father Of McCain-Feingold" Would. "When asked about McCain launching an investigation into the push polling, Romney said 'it's kind of ironic that Senator McCain is filing that request for an investigation.' He added: 'Senator McCain is the father of McCain-Feingold and it's McCain-Feingold that opens the pathway for this very kind of political technique. McCain-Feingold is the monster that we're having to deal with here.'" (Philip Klein, The American Spectator's AmSpec Blog "Romney on McCain And The Anti-Mormon Calls," http://www.spectator.org/blogger.asp?BlogID=9300, 11/19/07, Accessed: 11/19/07)

Romney, Responding To Criticism From McCain: "I Guess Politics Can Get A Little Testy If You're Having A Difficult Time Yourself." (NBC's "Meet The Press," 6/17/07)

Romney Criticized Immigration Reform Compromise Saying "If That Is Not A Form Of Amnesty, I Don't Know What Is." "'One simple rule: no amnesty,' he said to applause at the South Carolina Republican convention last month. He said the current compromise, despite making illegal immigrants pay hefty fines and wait years for citizenship, was not good enough because workers could apply for visas that would allow them to stay indefinitely. 'If that is not a form of amnesty, I don't know what is,' he said." (Marc Santora And Michael Cooper, "Romney Is Central Target Of McCain Counterattack," The New York Times, 6/4/07)

Romney Said McCain's Immigration Plan Is "A Form Of Amnesty." "Romney, who has sought to position himself to the right of McCain on this and other issues, says he opposes the measure because it would allow virtually every illegal immigrant to remain indefinitely, and, thus, 'is a form of amnesty.'" (Liz Sidoti, "McCain Assails Romney On Immigration," The Associated Press, 5/22/07)

Romney Criticized McCain-Feingold, Said It Hasn't Worked, Hurt Party, First Amendment Rights. "Earlier this year, Romney focused on McCain's authorship of the 2002 fundraising law. 'I favor transparency,' Romney said in April while campaigning in New Hampshire. 'Let people make contributions and report it on the Web site, so you know who's contributed to whom, but McCain-Feingold has not worked. It's hurt my party, it hurts First Amendment rights. I think it was a bad bill.'" (Glen Johnson, "Romney, Thompson Camps Spar Over Campaign Finance Reform," The Associated Press, 9/21/07)

CAMPAIGN / ADVISORS / SURROGATES (21):

Fehrnstrom Responded To Criticism By Blaming McCain For Sponsoring The Senate's "Flawed" Immigration Plan, And Said McCain Resorted To "Name Calling." "Romney won praise last weekend for his criticism of McCain's immigration bill, which would create a special Z-visa, granting legal status to 12 million immigrants living in the United States illegally. 'It seems that certain candidates who bear responsibility for the Senate's flawed plan are having trouble finding a constructive way to deal with the negative fallout, and so they resort to name-calling,' said Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom. McCain helped craft the proposal during months of negotiations with President Bush, Bay State Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and several other lawmakers." (Casey Ross, "McCain Fires Back At Mitt," Boston Herald, 5/22/07)

Kevin Madden Called Charge By McCain, Giuliani That Romney Was Phony "Childish." "As John Kerry learned painfully in 2004, calling someone a phony works, no matter the topic under discussion. … In the last week, McCain has issued the same charge again and again. In a GOP debate last week, Rudy Giuliani ended an exchange with Romney over the line-item veto by saying, "You have to be honest with people, and you can't fool all the people all the time. Romney's spokesman, Kevin Madden, calls the attacks 'childish' and compares McCain and Giuliani to toddlers who 'cross their arms, hold their breath, and stamp their feet.'" (John Dickerson, "Romney's Achilles' Heel," Slate Magazine, 10/18/07)

Romney Endorser Paul Weyrich: "As For McCain, I Can't Support Him — McCain-Feingold Is A Dealbreaker, As Far As I'm Concerned." (Jim Geraghty, National Review Online's Campaign Spot Blog, "Paul Weyrich Talks About Why He Endorsed Romney – And Not the Others," campaignspot.nationalreview.com, 11/6/07, Accessed: 11/6/07)

Romney Spokesman Craig Stevens Responded By Saying Senator McCain "Misses The Mark On Key Republican Issues." "A Romney spokesman responded that McCain is misleading and flailing. ''It's truly unfortunate that at an event designed to bring the Republican Party together, Senator McCain chose, instead, to break Ronald Reagan's 11th Commandment in an attempt to divide us,' Craig Stevens said. 'While no one can dispute the senator's service, he misses the mark on key Republican principles.' Stevens cited McCain's opposition to President Bush's tax cuts, support for failed immigration legislation and his work on campaign finance." (Philip Elliott, "McCain: Romney's Republican Credentials Questionable," The Associated Press, 10/13/07)

Romney's Campaign Chastised McCain Over His Positive Comments About Democratic New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch. "Mitt Romney's campaign is criticizing John McCain for his positive comments about New Hampshire Governor John Lynch, a Democrat, while he was campaigning in Lynch's hometown. 'Only John McCain would criticize a fellow Republican one day and then campaign with a Democrat the next,' said Romney's New Hampshire Director Jim Merrill. ("Romney Camp Slams McCain Over His Positive Comments Of Democratic Governor," Boston.com, http://www.boston.com/news/local/politics/primarysource/2007/10/romney_c..., 10/15/07, Accessed 10/18/07)

Kevin Madden Claimed McCain Had Only Run A Senate Office, And Mismanaged His Presidential Campaign. "Governor Romney has run a state and balanced budgets, while other campaigns have only run a Senate office on Capitol Hill or have mismanaged their campaigns to the point that they are mired in debt." (Mark Halperin, "McCain: Romney Too 'Inexperienced' For Presidency," Time's "The Page" Blog, http://thepage.time.com/, 10/17/07, Accessed 10/18/07)

Romney Adviser James Bopp Called Electioneering Communication Rule In McCain-Feingold Was "Unprecedented Restriction On The Political Activities Of Everyday Americans." "Romney attacks McCain-Feingold because the 'electioneering communication' prohibition imposes a 'free speech blackout period,' where corporations, including non-profit advocacy groups, and labor unions would commit a federal crime if they mentioned the name of a federal candidate in a broadcast ad within 30 days of a primary and 60 of a general election. … There can be no doubt that this 'free speech blackout period' is an 'unprecedented restriction on the political activities of everyday Americans.'" (James Bopp, Jr., Op-Ed, "There Is Nothing 'Wrongheaded' About Romney's Call For Repeal Of McCain-Feingold," Townhall.com, 6/7/07)

Romney Advisor James Bopp Said Talk Of "Corruption" Is "Smokescreen," McCain-Feingold "All About Limiting Citizens." "Bopp says this 'goes to the heart of citizens' involvement in our democracy. To talk about "corruption" is a smokescreen. There is nothing — not a word — in McCain-Feingold about corrupt politicians. It is all about limiting citizens. And it was directed at advocacy groups and political parties." He is particularly critical of the statute's issue ad ban black out period which he views as an effort by "incumbent politicians to immunize themselves from criticism.'" (Jennifer Rubin, "Interview: Romney Advisor James Bopp, Jr.," Human Events, 10/2/07)

Madden Called It "Ironic" That McCain Would Have Soft-Money Effort Supporting His Candidacy. "Mr. McCain's opponents have called his condemnation disingenuous. Referring to the 2002 campaign finance law that Mr. McCain sponsored with Senator Russ Feingold, Democrat of Wisconsin, a spokesman for Mitt Romney, Kevin Madden, said, 'Isn't it ironic that the author and champion of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill now has a soft-money effort created on his behalf?'" (Jim Rutenberg And David D. Kirkpatrick, "A New Channel for Soft Money Appears in Race," The New York Times, 11/12/07)

Kevin Madden Called McCain's Immigration Approach "Wrongheaded," Said His Campaign Finance Reform "Stifled Free Speech." "A spokesman for Mr. Romney, Kevin Madden, responded aggressively, issuing a statement that criticized Mr. McCain's 'wrongheaded' approach to immigration, his sponsorship of a campaign finance law that 'stifled free speech,' and his opposition to President Bush's tax cuts." (Russell Berman, "GOP Foreign Policy Statements Due Before Jewish Coalition," The New York Sun, 10/15/07)

Kevin Madden Called McCain Attacks "Flailing," Trying To "Save His Campaign." Madden: "We will talk about these differences in a substantive way, rather than resort to the flailing attacks the senator is currently engaging in as a result of being without any new ideas to save his campaign." (Russell Berman, "GOP Foreign Policy Statements Due Before Jewish Coalition," The New York Sun, 10/15/07)

Madden: "Angry Attacks From Flailing Campaigns Won't Stop Gov. Romney From Moving Forward With His Optimistic Agenda." (Janet Hook, "Verbal Fisticuffs In The GOP," Los Angeles Times, 10/14/07)

Kevin Madden Called McCain-Feingold An "Abomination." "Mr. Romney's campaign spokesman, Kevin Madden, issued a statement taking Mr. McCain to task for his support of campaign finance reform, which he called an 'abomination,' and his work on compromise legislation on illegal immigration." (Marc Santora, "Candidates Spar Over Who Is A Real Republican," The New York Times, 10/14/07)

Responding To Criticism, Kevin Madden Called McCain's Campaign "Faltering," Attacks Full Of "Calculated Distortions." "Romney spokesman, Kevin Madden, called McCain's campaign 'faltering.' Sent out a list of excerpts detailing what he sees as Romney's commitment to opposing abortion saying the McCain documents are full of calculated distortions." (NBC's "Meet The Press," 6/17/07)

Kevin Madden Said McCain Criticism Of Romney's Experience Shows People Inside Beltway Always Think Ideas Only Come From Capitol Hill. "The McCain comments also drew a rebuke from the campaign of Mr. Romney, whose spokesman, Kevin Madden, said: 'One of the problems with Washington right now is that everyone inside the Beltway thinks the only ideas that exist are the ones on Capitol Hill or in the halls of the bureaucracy there. That's just not the case. Governor Romney's experience has been built over a lifetime of making decisions and achieving results instead of just assigning blame.'" (Michael Cooper, "McCain Attacks Foes On Security And Foreign Policy," The New York Times, 9/5/07)

Kevin Madden: "The McCain Campaign's Motives Are Obviously Borne Of Desperation. Their Actions Are Both Sad And Unfortunate." (Stephen Collinson, "Abortion Feud Has 2008 Republicans On Edge," Agence France Presse, 6/14/07)

Kevin Madden Accused McCain Of Using Confusing Reasoning By Attacking Critics Of Immigration Bill He Admitted He Wouldn't Have Written. "'One minute Senator McCain is chiding those who oppose the bill on principle, the next minute he's saying it's not the bill he would have written,' a spokesman for Mr. Romney, Kevin Madden, said yesterday in response to Mr. McCain's comments. 'If that reasoning sounds confusing, it's probably because it is.'" (Russell Berman, "McCain Blames Conservatives for Immigration Bill's Failure," The New York Sun, 6/11/07)

Kevin Madden Accused McCain Of "Lashing Out" Because He Couldn't Make Case For Substance Of Immigration Bill. "'Opponents who favor this flawed approach are going to offer all sorts of distortions based on the fact that they cannot make a case on the substance for the bill they are advocating,' Mr. Madden said. 'I think the McCain campaign is lashing out because they are feeling the political pressure and they don't know what to do.'" (Marc Santora And Michael Cooper, "Romney Is Central Target Of McCain Counterattack," The New York Times, 6/4/07)

Kevin Madden Said While Romney Raising Substantive Points About Immigration, McCain "Lashing Out" And "Taking Shots." "Kevin Madden, a spokesman for Mr. Romney, said that while Mr. Romney was raising 'substantive' questions about the immigration proposal, 'other campaigns have spent the last couple of days lashing out in anger and taking shots.'" (Michael Cooper, "Skirmishing Between McCain and Romney Leaves Giuliani Above The Fray," The New York Times, 5/23/07)

Kevin Madden Suggested McCain Having Difficult Time Dealing With Immigration Plan Fallout In "Substantive Manner." "Romney spokesman Kevin Madden said his boss' opposition to the immigration measure has been clear. Madden counter-punched McCain, saying: 'It seems that certain candidates who brokered this flawed plan are having a very difficult time grappling with or coming to terms with the political fallout that has ensued in a substantive manner.'" (Liz Sidoti, "McCain Assails Romney On Immigration," The Associated Press, 5/22/07)

Kevin Madden Said Candidates Who Don't Sign Tax Pledge "Will Have A Lot Of Explaining To Do To Republican Primary Voters." "In an e-mail statement to Salon, Romney spokesman Kevin Madden predicted that McCain's decision could harm him. 'Candidates who won't take a pledge against tax hikes, who also voted against the 2001 tax cuts, will have a lot of explaining to do to Republican primary voters,' said Madden." (Michael Scherer, "Reading John McCain's lips on taxes," Salon.com, 3/20/07)

PRESS RELEASES (3):

ROMNEY RELEASE: POLICY BRIEFING: REPEALING MCCAIN-FEINGOLD

"Governor Romney's Call To Restore The American People's Power To Participate Fully In Their Elections"

"The American People Have The Right To Engage In The Democratic Process Without Burdensome And Technical Federal Limitations"

"Governor Romney Believes We Should Enact Campaign Finance Reforms That Are Guided By Three Core Principles" (Romney For President, "Policy Briefing: Repealing McCain-Feingold," Press Release, 3/2/07)

ROMNEY RELEASE: MYTH VS. FACT: CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM

MYTH: "Governor Romney Has 'Flip-Flopped' On Campaign Finance Reform."

FACT: "Governor Romney Has Always Supported Transparency And Disclosure In The Campaign Finance System."

FACT: "Governor Romney Does Not Support McCain-Feingold Reform Which Has Proven To Be 'A Real Bust.'"

MYTH: "In 2002, Governor Romney Supported 'Dramatic Changes' To Massachusetts' Campaign Finance System When He Proposed Altering How Campaigns Were Funded."

FACT: "Governor Romney Supported Changing The Clean Election Law So Taxpayer Money Would Not Be Used To Fund Campaigns. When That Could Not Be Done, Governor Romney Supported The Law's Repeal." (Romney For President, "Myth Vs. Fact: Campaign Finance Reform," Press Release, 2/8/07)

ROMNEY RELEASE: GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY ON IMMIGRATION REFORM

"The immigration approach proposed by Senators McCain and Kennedy falls short of a workable solution to an important problem. I respect Senator McCain, but my opposition to his bill is a matter of principled disagreement about policies and priorities related to enforcement of our immigration laws." (Romney For President, "Governor Mitt Romney On Immigration Reform," Press Release, 6/4/07)

Romney Attacking Mike Huckabee

ROMNEY HIMSELF (3):

On November 6, "Romney Said That … Gov. Huckabee 'Argued For Giving Tuition Credits To Illegal Aliens In His State,' Adding That 'These Are Things I Don't Think Will Sit Well With Republican Voters. Actually, With All Voters.'" (Matt Stuart, ABC News' Political Radar, "Romney Unveils Adoption Plan, Dismisses Paul," http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/11/romney-unveils-.html, 11/6/07, Accessed: 11/6/07)

On November 13, In Iowa Romney Attacked Giuliani And Huckabee Over Tuition Breaks Afforded Illegal Immigrants. "Going after both, Romney contended that Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, fought for tuition breaks for children of illegal immigrants in his state, while Giuliani, the former New York mayor, provided tuition breaks at the City University for illegal immigrants. He said that Clinton, too, backs such breaks. 'Giving a better deal to the children of illegal aliens than we give to U.S. citizens from surrounding states is simply not fair and not right,' Romney told reporters during a one-day visit." (Liz Sidoti, "Romney Assails Rivals On Tuition Breaks For Illegal Immigrants," The Associated Press, 11/13/07)

Romney: "There's A Sanctuary State Of Mind That [New York Sen.] Hillary Clinton, And [Former New York City] Mayor Giuliani, And [Former Arkansas] Gov. Huckabee Have." (Chris Welch, CNN's Political Ticker, "Romney Hits Democrats And Republicans On Immigration Issues," Http://Politicalticker.Blogs.Cnn.Com/2007/11/13/Romney-Hits-Democrats-And-Republicans-On-Immigration-Issues/, 11/13/07, Accessed: 11/13/07)

Romney: "They Have Provided — Or Support The Idea Of Providing — Tuition Breaks To Illegal Aliens To Institutions Of Higher Learning, And That Sanctuary State Of Mind Flies In The Face Of The Rule Of Law." (Chris Welch, CNN's Political Ticker, "Romney Hits Democrats And Republicans On Immigration Issues," Http://Politicalticker.Blogs.Cnn.Com/2007/11/13/Romney-Hits-Democrats-And-Republicans-On-Immigration-Issues/, 11/13/07, Accessed: 11/13/07)

Romney: "There Are Those People In Both Parties Who Are In A Sanctuary State Of Mind, Who Believe In Sanctuary Cities, Who Believe In Policies Which Are Sanctuary In Nature." (Liz Sidoti, "In Iowa, Romney Assails Giuliani, Huckabee On Tuition Breaks For Illegal Immigrants," The Associated Press, 11/14/07)

Romney: "This 'Sanctuary State Of Mind' Which Exists From Hillary Clinton To Mayor Giuliani To Governor Huckabee Is Simply An Attitude We're Going To Have To Change." (Randy Renshaw, "Romney Ridicules Giuliani, Clinton For 'Sanctuary State Of Mind,'" Radio Iowa, 11/17/07) CAMPAIGN / ADVISORS / SURROGATES (3):

Kevin Madden Said Huckabee Was Just "Providing Excuses" By Claiming Romney Bought Straw Poll Victory At CPAC. "Romney campaign spokesman Kevin Madden said Huckabee's assertion was 'not accurate' and 'passing off innuendo as fact.' He said Huckabee was dodging his own performance in the poll. Huckabee was supported by less than 5 percent of the 1,705 voters, while Romney received 21 percent, Giuliani captured 17 percent and Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas took in 15 percent. 'We won the straw poll because the governor's message resonated with the people that were there,' Madden said. 'I think anybody who tries to provide false statements about our efforts there is really tantamount to providing excuses.'" (Evan Lehmann, "Huckabee: Romney 'Bought' Straw Poll Victory," Lowell Sun, 3/8/07)

A Source Affiliated With The Romney Campaign Said Romney's Campaign Would Be Going After Mike Huckabee In The Coming Weeks. "From what I hear, Team Romney is taking Governor Huckabee's surge very seriously. Huckabee's support for tax increases will become known far and wide throughout Iowa over the next sixty days. While concern about social conservative issues (and I include immigration in this basket) tend to be more top of mind for Iowa Republicans than fiscal conservative issues (which are more important to voters of New Hampshire), it will be interesting to see if the Huck's Iowa surge continues after Iowans are 'fully educated' about his enthusiastic support for Clinton-like tax increases in Arkansas." (Jim Geraghty, National Review Online's CampaignSpot Blog, "Romney's Going To Go After Huckabee In Iowa," campaignspot.nationalreview.com, 11/16/07, Accessed: 11/16/07)

Romney Endorser Paul Weyrich Said Huckabee Has Compromised On Too Many Conservative Issues To Support Him. Weyrich: "Huckabee, I came close to supporting him, and if we were running for some sort of religious organization, I would support him, but we're not. He has compromised on so many conservative issues, I simply can't be for him. Every time you turn around, he's taking the wrong stand on a different issue." (Jim Geraghty, National Review Online's Campaign Spot Blog, "Paul Weyrich Talks About Why He Endorsed Romney – And Not the Others," campaignspot.nationalreview.com, 11/6/07, Accessed: 11/6/07)

Romney Attacking Fred Thompson

ROMNEY HIMSELF (7):

Responding To Thompson Comment On Buying South Carolina, Romney Said "You Have To Work South Carolina." "Thompson may think Romney is buying support in the Palmetto State, but Romney maintains that he's also working the crowds. 'What you have to do to get South Carolina is you have to work it,' he told a reporter who inquired about Thompson's comments before leaving the area. 'That's why I've made so many trips here — over 50 events in South Carolina. When he catches up to me in events, then he'll know he's got South Carolina, too. But you have to work South Carolina and that's what I've been doing for the past year.'" (Erin McPike, NBC's First Read Blog, "Romney: 'You Have To Work It' In SC," http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/11/07/454299.aspx, 11/7/07, Accessed: 11/7/07)

Romney Highlighted That He Is Only One Of Four Leading Republican Candidates Who Favors Federal Marriage Amendment. "Romney began to explain that 'only one of the four leading' Republican candidates (in his view defined as Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, John McCain and himself)) favor a federal amendment to define marriage as being between a man and woman." (Matt Stuart, ABC News' Political Radar Blog, "Romney Defends Marriage Stance Amid Cheers, Boos," http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/11/romney-defends-.html, 11/1/07, Accessed: 11/1/07)

Romney Said Thompson Had "Memory Problem" For Saying Romney Used To Support Comprehensive Immigration Reform. "Appearing on 'The Laura Ingraham Show,' Romney accused Thompson of doing nothing to secure the border and defended his own stance on the GOP's Topic A. 'I'm afraid Fred Thompson has a memory problem,' Romney said, denying he had ever backed the comprehensive immigration reform plan." (Jonathan Martin, "Thompson, Romney Scrap Over Immigration," Politico, 10/31/07)

"Romney Called Thompson A 'Freddy-Come-Lately' On The Immigration Issue After A Reporter Asked About The Plan Thompson Announced Last Week." (Amy Schatz, Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire Blog, "Thompson And Romney Spar On Immigration," http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2007/10/29/thompson-and-romney-spar-on-imm..., 10/29/07, Accessed: 10/29/07)

Romney Mocked Thompson's Late Entrance To Race By Comparing Debates To "Law & Order." "I've come to know these people now over these debates. Is this our sixth debate, I think — something like that? And this has a lot — this is a lot like 'Law & Order,' Senator. … It — no, it has a huge cast, the series seems to go on forever. … and Fred Thompson … shows up at the end." (Gov. Mitt Romney, 2008 Republican Presidential Debate, Dearborn, MI, 10/9/07)

Romney Joked Thompson Should Take More Time Off Before Entering Race. Romney: "You know, the only question I have for Senator Thompson is, why the hurry? Why not take some more time off? Maybe January, February might be a better time to make a final decision about getting in this race." (Gov. Mitt Romney, 2008 Republican Presidential Debate, Durham, NH, 9/5/07)

Romney Responded To Thompson's Criticism On Health Care Plan That At Least He Has One. "At a campaign stop today in Burbank, California, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney went after the Democratic presidential candidates and sent sharp words to rival former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson after Thompson criticized his health care plan. Romney was asked in a post-event press conference about Thompson campaign's criticism of his health care plane. Romney responded, saying 'at least I have a [Healthcare] plan.'" (Matt Stuart, ABC News' Political Radar, "Romney to Thompson: 'At Least I have a [Healthcare] Plan,'" http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/11/romney-to-thomp.html, 11/15/07, Accessed: 11/15/07)

CAMPAIGN / ADVISORS / SURROGATES (10):

South Carolina Strategist Wesley Donehue, With Ties To Romney Campaign Created PhonyFred.org Website Which Mocked Thompson And "Questioned His Morals And Intelligence." "An unsigned Web site that ridiculed Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson and questioned his morals and intelligence has been linked to South Carolina strategists for Mitt Romney. The defamatory Thompson Web site has ties to Warren Tompkins and two business associates. Tompkins is a Columbia lobbyist, campaign consultant and Romney's chief South Carolina strategist. He disclaimed any knowledge of the anti-Thompson Web site. Kevin Madden, Romney's spokesman, said that once inquiries were received, the campaign 'discovered' that Tompkins associate Wesley Donehue created the site and 'parked the site temporarily' on the server at Tompkins' firm." (Dan Hoover, "Negative Thompson Internet Site Linked To Romney's State Strategists," The Greenville News, 9/12/07)

Kevin Madden Said Thompson Couldn't Earn Support By Phoning It In From A Couch Out In Burbank On The West Coast. "Kevin Madden, spokesman for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, took dead aim at Thompson's attempt to portray himself as a man of the people. 'You have to earn their support,' Madden said of New Hampshire voters. 'And they way to do that is not just by phoning it in from a couch out in Burbank on the West Coast. It has more to do with listening and answering questions in town halls across the state, rather than a make-up room out in Hollywood.'" (Bill Theobald "Thompson Enters Republican Fray In His Own Way," Gannett News Service, 9/11/07) Romney Campaign Issued Statement Saying Thompson Had No Passion For Either Hard Work Or New Ideas. "The Romney campaign fired back in a statement Tuesday, 'Support from voters is earned though hard work and new ideas. Unfortunately for Fred Thompson, he has never shown much passion for either.'" (ABC News' Political Radar Blog, "Thompson To Romney: 'You Can't Buy S.C.,'" http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/11/thompson-to-rom.html, 11/6/07, Accessed: 11/6/07)

Romney Endorser Paul Weyrich Said He Couldn't Support Thompson Because Of His Opposition To Federal Marriage Amendment, Lack Of "Fire In The Belly." "I'm on the permanent executive committee of the Arlington Group, which was formed to push for the Federal Marriage Amendment. We've got [Fred] Thompson who says he can't support that. I can't push this for the past several years and then say, 'oh, that's not so important.' … I've been working with candidates for close to fifty years I recognize candidates with fire in the belly. I've got to tell you, I do not think Thompson really wants to be elected that badly." (Jim Geraghty, National Review Online's Campaign Spot Blog, "Paul Weyrich Talks About Why He Endorsed Romney – And Not the Others," campaignspot.nationalreview.com, 11/6/07, Accessed: 11/6/07)

Madden: "Fred Thompson Is As Wrong As He Is Late To This Campaign And The Debate Over Tougher Immigration Enforcement." (Jim Geraghty, National Review Online's Campaign Spot Blog, "Romney Hits Back At Thompson's Immigration Jab," campaignspot.nationalreview.com, 10/31/07, Accessed: 10/31/07)

Romney South Carolina Director Terry Sullivan Said Internal Polls In State Show Romney Taking Support From Giuliani And Thompson. "The internal Romney poll of 400 likely Republican voters, taken Oct. 2-4, shows Romney gaining 7 percentage points over the campaign's poll taken in late August. Thompson, for example, dropped 8 percentage points from 32 percent in August, and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani dropped from 21 percent in August to 15 percent in October. Independent polls show Giuliani and Thompson fighting for first place in the state, with Romney gaining ground in second. 'We didn't pick up undecideds,' Romney state director Terry Sullivan said Monday. 'We picked up people who moved from Giuliani and Fred.'" (Aaron Gould Sheinin, "Romney Polls Show S.C. Surge," Columbia State, 10/23/07)

Romney Endorser Paul Weyrich Suggested Thompson Paid For National Right To Life Endorsement. "Paul M. Weyrich, president of the Free Congress Foundation and a Romney supporter, slammed the endorsement this week, arguing it "makes no sense," and speculated it was motivated by money. 'I think in all probability the Thompson people were engaged with the National Right to Life people in financial dealing' Weyrich told the Washington Times newspaper." (Christine Byun, ABC News' Political Radar, "Thompson To Romney Camp: 'Quit Whining,'" http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/11/thompson-to-r-1.html, 11/15/07, Accessed: 11/15/07)

Kevin Madden Said Thompson Didn't Have "Scintilla Of Evidence" He's Organized In Iowa Or New Hampshire. "And Thompson is jumping into a field of seasoned politicians who have been honing their message, meeting voters and building organizations for most of the last year, if not longer. 'He doesn't even have a scintilla of evidence that he's organized in New Hampshire or Iowa,' said Romney spokesman Kevin Madden." (Jill Zuckman, "GOP Fatigue Could Give Thompson Boost," Chicago Tribune, 9/7/07)

Romney Advisor James Bopp Called Thompson's Federalism Based Opposition To Marriage Amendment A "Cop Out." "Bopp says that it is 'extremely important,' emphasizing that Romney is the only top tier candidate who supports a constitutional amendment explicitly requiring that all marriage be between a man and a woman. He explains: 'If we don't settle the issue and don't protect marriage consistently as between a man and a woman, the opposite [legalized gay marriage] will be the result.' He is blunt about Fred Thompson's objection that such an amendment would contravene principles of federalism by supplanting the states' role in family and marriage. He says: 'It is a cop out to say we're not for a national definition. It is the states – ¾ must agree – which ratify a constitutional amendment so it is a decision by the states.' He continues: 'We have a choice on a very fundamental question. Free speech, freedom of religion – we don't leave to the states. Marriage is so fundamental that it is properly one [issue] to reside in the Constitution.'" (Jennifer Rubin, "Interview: Romney Advisor James Bopp, Jr.," Human Events, 10/2/07)

Romney Advisor James Bopp "Condemned The McCain-Feingold-Thompson Law," Said Thompson's Support Was "Enthusiastic And Repeated." "James Bopp Jr., a prominent free-speech advocate, lumped the former Tennessee senator with Sen. John McCain as he condemned the 'McCain-Feingold-Thompson' law aimed at restricting the influence of special interest groups on the election process. 'There was no more adamant supporter of campaign finance reform and the regulation of political speech and issue ads that Senator Thompson,' Bopp wrote in a column for Townhall.com, a conservative Web meeting place. 'His support was not reluctant; it was enthusiastic and repeated. He actively and enthusiastically supported regulation of and, ultimately, total prohibition of corporate and labor union issue ads, which he never viewed as a "mistake."'" (Glen Johnson, "Romney, Thompson Camps Spar Over Campaign Finance Reform," The Associated Press, 9/21/07)

Romney Attacking Ron Paul

ROMNEY HIMSELF (1):

Romney Belittled Paul's Fundraising As Being Two-Thirds Of What He Raised His First Day. "Romney took the opportunity to dismiss Congressman Ron Paul's recent fundraising success, in which he raised more than $4 million dollars online in one day. When asked about Paul's haul, Romney referred to his January 8 'National Call Day' in Boston and said, 'He's getting close to what I raised in our first day. So, I'm delighted that he's been able to raise what he needs to raise to go forward. It's only two thirds as much, a little less than that than we raised in our first day.'" (Matt Stuart, ABC News' Political Radar, "Romney Unveils Adoption Plan, Dismisses Paul," http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/11/romney-unveils-.html, 11/6/07, Accessed: 11/6/07)

Romney Attacking Sam Brownback

ROMNEY HIMSELF (2):

Romney Called Brownback Attack Ad "Desperate." ABC'S GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: "Governor Romney, everything in that ad true?" ROMNEY: "Virtually nothing in that ad is true." STEPHANOPOULOS: "What's wrong with it?" ROMNEY: "The single word I'd use would be 'desperate' or perhaps 'negative.'" (Gov. Mitt Romney, 2008 Republican Presidential Debate, Des Moines, IA, 8/5/07)

Romney: "[I] Get Tired Of People That Are Holier Than Thou Because They've Been Pro-Life Longer Than I Have." (Gov. Mitt Romney, 2008 Republican Presidential Debate, Des Moines, IA, 8/5/07)