Romney Campaign Press Release - What They're Really Saying About Governor Mitt Romney At The Second Reagan Library Debate - Vol. II

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Kevin Madden (857) 288-6390

Fox News' Frank Luntz: FOX NEWS' FRANK LUNTZ: "First off, who won the debate tonight? I always begin that way." VOTER: "Romney." LUNTZ: "Who says John McCain won the debate tonight raise your hands, 3, only 4 of you. Who says Mitt Romney, about half of you." (Fox News' "Hannity & Colmes," 1/30/08)

Watch The Luntz Post-Debate Focus Group: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZOSDnNoQyg

National Review's Kathryn Jean Lopez: "He hit back and defending his honor and truth on Iraq. I don't think most Americans get "timetables was a buzzword." I think they get that neither of these guys are Harry Reid. The sum of it is oddly, unnecessarily, McCain came off badly during an Iraq round." (Kathryn Jean Lopez, "Is Romney Reading the Corner?" National Review's The Corner Blog, http://corner.nationalreview.com, Posted 1/30/08)

- Lopez: "I think Romney came off effective and competent." (Kathryn Jean Lopez, "Weird, Irritating Debate," National Review's The Corner Blog, http://corner.nationalreview.com/=, Posted 1/30/08)

Townhall's Mary Katharine Ham: "Mitt Romney is exactly right on letting states take the lead on global warming and emissions standards if they want to tighten them, but he does the work McCain wouldn't do by pointing out that those actions have consequences in higher costs and lost jobs. When he talks these issues, he is smart and right." (Mary Katharine Ham, "Global Warming Mania!" Townhall Blog, www.townhall.com, Posted 1/30/08)

Captain's Quarters' Ed Morrissey: "Mitt Romney won this debate. He looked crisp, sharp, had facts at his command, and exuded confidence." (Ed Morrissey, "Live Blog And Wrap Up," Captain's Quarters' Blog, http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/, Posted 1/30/08)

CNN's Bill Schneider: "A couple of Romney's answers were quite good, particularly on the Iraq timetables issue." (Bill Schneider, "The Night's Big Winner: Huckabee," CNN's Political Ticker Blog, http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com, Posted 1/30/08)

- Schneider: "Romney's giving a pretty interesting conservative explanation of a health care plan that otherwise makes conservatives nervous. As he explains, it forces people to pay their own way - which they get." (Bill Schneider, "Romney Makes A Sale On Health Care," CNN's Political Ticker, http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com, Posted 1/30/08)

- Schneider: "Romney's giving a full-throated rebuttal to McCain's charge that he proposed a timetable on Iraq withdrawal – and he's right. That was a strong answer." (Bill Schneider, "Romney Calls McCain Out," CNN's Political Ticker, http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com, Posted 1/30/08)

National Review's Mark Hemingway: "I think I can say that Romney was the clear winner in the debate." (Mark Hemingway, "For the First Time," National Review's The Corner Blog, http://corner.nationalreview.com, Posted 1/30/08)

- Hemingway: "[Gov. Romney] showed an admirable fighting spirit." (Mark Hemingway, "For the First Time," National Review's The Corner Blog, http://corner.nationalreview.com, Posted 1/30/08)

- Hemingway: "Romney kept his head about him and remained gracious even as a number of his charges against McCain stuck." (Mark Hemingway, "For the First Time," National Review's The Corner Blog, http://corner.nationalreview.com, Posted 1/30/08)

The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder: "Applause from audience when Romney says Reagan would have found the dirty tricks reprehensible." (Marc Ambinder, "Debate Wire," Atlantic Online, http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/, Posted 1/30/08)

- Ambinder: "Romney gives a strong answer that weaves together his experience with his resume...notes that Abe Lincoln wasn't a military leader..." (Marc Ambinder, "Debate Wire," Atlantic Online, http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/, Posted 1/30/08)

Instapundit's Glenn Reynolds: "GOOD POINT BY ROMNEY about how McCain shouldn't 'demean' people who start businesses. McCain has been doing that a lot, acting as if meeting a payroll is somehow less honorable than working for the government." (Glenn Reynolds, "Good Point By Romney," Blog, http://instapundit.com/, Posted 1/30/08)