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Romney Praises LDS Leader, Bashes McCain

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January 28, 2008 7:55 AM

ABC News' John Berman, Matt Stuart and Ursula Fahy Report: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney held an early morning news conference at a West Palm Beach gas station for two very different purposes: one was to mourn the loss of Gordon Hinckley, the president of the Church of Jesus Chris of Latter Day Saints who died yesterday at the age of 97; the second was to bash G.O.P. rival John McCain.

On Hinckley who led the Church through 12 years of global expansion, Romney said "we will all miss him as a family.  We respect him as a man of great character."

Romney, a Mormon, praised Hinckley as a man of "humility and gentleness."

Romney said he didn't have a personal relationship with Hinckley, but did discuss meeting with him when he was thinking of running for President.

Hinckley apparently told him -- win or lose -- "it would be a great experience".

Romney said he hopes to attend his funeral.

Changing gears after the somber reminiscence about a man of faith,  Romney went after John McCain in a new rhetorical flourish  saying that McCain is known for just 3 pieces of legislation:  McCain-Feingold (which regulated campaign finance); McCain-Kennedy (which Romney calls an amnesty bill); and McCain-Lieberman (which seeks to set caps on carbon emissions).  Referencing McCain's record,  Romney said, "if you want a liberal Democratic course as president, you can vote for him."

Romney claimed that the McCain-Lieberman energy plan would cost Floridians an extra thousand dollars a year.

He said the plan illustrated a "fundamental lack of understanding of the economy," on the part of John McCain.

When asked if his barbs about McCain were getting nasty, Romney said it was appropriate to talk about issues but that, "personal attacks are out of bounds." Though he added with a bid of forboding, "I'm the primary at least."

January 28, 2008 in Palin, Sarah | Permalink | User Comments (11)

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forget copy editing, someone needs to pay attention to just HOW this guy 'turned companies around'. You know what he has done, over and over and over? He enters the company, fires all the low end workers to cut back on spending, and then leaves the worthless CEOs, corporate-jetting around each other, with the same hundred-million salaries they don't deserve. So cut him out of the equation if you are not a multi-multi-multi zillionaire, cause he has proved, in many states, in many companies, that he doesn't give a damn about regular people. They are expendable. They mean very little in his equation for growth and fiscal policy. This guy's a snake in pretty skin. He has no business attacking anyone. How such a pretty person can be so ugly is a shock.

Posted by: 2009 Where Are You? | Jan 28, 2008 9:43:10 AM

JEFF TOOBIN: Speaking of straight talk, no American politician has gotten more adoring press coverage than John McCain. But let’s be clear about what John McCain is doing about Mitt Romney. He’s lying. He’s lying about Mitt Romney’s position, no question about it. And you know I think that — this idea that Mitt Romney supports timetables, in fact most Americans support timetables to get out of Iraq, Mitt Romney doesn’t happen to be one of them. That’s really outrageous what McCain is doing bringing up this ancient interview and distorting it at the last minute so he doesn’t have to talk about the economy.

I'm angry at McCain for lying about Mitt's Iraq position. A man who was supposedly heed to Gen. MacArthur's military motto, "Honor, Duty and Country," now he’s just burning all of that good character credit with me. I'm changing camps and will be voting for Mitt Romney.

Posted by: Molly | Jan 28, 2008 9:47:36 AM

Romney is doing amazingly well considering how he is constantly getting blasted by the mainstream media while they are praising John McCain. The media can't stand Romney because he is: a die-hard capitalist, has strong moral convictions and is a conservative that is eloquent and likable. They love McCain because he is Hillary Clinton with actual experience and unlike John Kerry, has seen combat. McCain is a liberal who has been passing himself off as a conservative for too long.

Posted by: Lloyd Hansen | Jan 28, 2008 11:13:57 AM

I'm shocked by McCain's say anything do anything to get elected. To think he is using war to improve his chances of getting elected and then lying about Mitt Romney's comment is incorrigible.

McCain is a stubborn, mean, arrogent man. This explains why he has done NOTHING about illegal immigration while being a Senator for 20 years of a boarder state.

I will not under any circumstances vote for McCain.

Posted by: tk | Jan 28, 2008 11:19:10 AM

Don't be rolled over by the Straight Talk Express.

I'm a veteran and live in AZ. American's are now starting to see the real McCain. He will lie and do anything to get elected.

He has done nothing for our state. 30% of the crime in AZ is caused from illegal immigrants that come across the boarder. You would think he could have resolved this problem for us by now.

McCain only cares about McCain. The biggest mistake the republican party can do is nominate McCain. If he is the Nominee, for the first time in my life I'll vote for an independant or democrat.

Posted by: jim | Jan 28, 2008 11:25:31 AM

"2009 Where Are You" - I love how easy it is to paint anyone in the business sector as supporting highly paid CEO's. The uneducated, shoot-from-the-hip attacks launched against Romney's business record are ridiculous. The reason he turned the Bain Capital around was not by firing the "low-level" employees. The miracle he pulled off in SLC 2002 Olympics was caused by dishonesty and greed by those in charge (the equivalent of a CEO). Romney got rid of those weighing down the Games (the dishonest CEO-types) stopped losing money, and turned what was doomed to fail into one of the US most successful Olympic Games in history.

Romney is the best candidate for President our country has seen since Ronald Reagan ran in 1980. His campaigning has not always been top-notch, but campaigning for President is not necessarily the same skill-set as being a good president. I have no doubt he will turn our country around, starting with the economy.

Posted by: KLD | Jan 28, 2008 3:32:57 PM

Floridians, Don't let the untruthful, ancient, angry, Liberal Democrat in Republican clothing Senator from Arizona become our candidate or our leader. His three main achievements of late were exactly what the Democrats wanted..

It has been heard recently that McCain is also going to be FOR the EQUAL TIME BILLS WANTED BY DEMOCRATS to curtail the predominant market driven dominance of talk radio by conservative media members!

This would be consistent with the way his McCain Fiengold protects incumbents by making it ILLEGAL for opposing advertising to be aired more than a month prior to federal elections.

Not only does he invent liberal bills, he also wants you to stop talking about him and his chronies when they do poorly. Only Ceasar Chavez gets the press to shut-up more than McCain, in the name of the people.

Posted by: al kelly | Jan 28, 2008 6:38:10 PM

I cannot believe that McCain got such a softball interview on MTP Sun. I didn't see Romney's but if it was as soft as John's then we know who the liberal frontrunners are for the R ticket. If the only conservative left is not on the ticket, I''m stayin' home. Perhaps the so called "conservatives" really do see Hilliary as the real President. Disgusting. They are throwing this election. I swear it!!!

Posted by: wake up! | Jan 28, 2008 10:54:30 PM

I have lost all trust in McCain's words after this latest terrible display of dishonesty and then not to admit it after he was proven wrong.
I don't like
1. Financially he can't manage own campaign finances.
2. Dishonest
3. Not smart graduating bottom of his class at naval academy.
4. Thinks it is cute to have constantly been in trouble and almost kicked out of school.
5. Liberal views on almost all issues.
6. Did I mention Dishonest.

Posted by: afisher | Jan 29, 2008 10:28:53 AM

If McCain is the nominee, I refuse to vote for anyone at the top of the ballot. If we're going to be saddled with a liberal democrat as President, I'd rather it be someone who actually belongs to the Democrat party.

Posted by: jdawg | Jan 29, 2008 11:51:37 AM

McCain is the most dishonest politician since Clinton. Florida, please save our party from this horrible person.

Posted by: Ron | Jan 29, 2008 6:41:17 PM

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