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Romney to Downsize Post-Super Tuesday?
February 03, 2008 12:26 AM
ABC News' Matt Stuart Reports: Mitt Romney suggested Saturday that he might reduce his staff after Super Tuesday, saying he has "a much larger staff" than may be required "as you go on to these subsequent primaries."
The former Massachusetts governor soon backtracked, insisting, "We don't have any plans to change our staff size."
The conflicting statements came as Romney was traveling with the press corps from Salt Lake City, Utah, where he attended the funeral of Gordon Hinckley, the president of the Mormon Church.
En-route to Minneapolis, Minnesota, Romney approached the back of the plane for an impromptu talk with reporters.
When asked about his post-Tuesday plans, Romney first joked, "I hope to celebrate," before noting a speech he had on Thursday before the Conservative Political Action Committee and a budget meeting with campaign manager Beth Myers on Wednesday.
WATCH ABC NEWS LIVE COVERAGE OF SUPER TUESDAY BEGINNING AT 8 PM EASTERN ON YOUR ABC STATION
Speaking about the meeting, Romney said, "Back in Boston and we have a big staff. . . that's a much larger staff than you have as you go on to these subsequent primaries."
He then added, "So who are the people needed, where are we needed? What's the campaign budget gonna look like? All those things."
Romney was later asked about his comments while speaking with reporters again upon landing in Minneapolis, at which point he claimed that he and his campaign "just haven't discussed" staff size after Tuesday's delegate rich Super Tuesday contests.
The latest ABC News/Washington Post poll released Sunday shows Romney trailing a surging Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., 2-1 nationally.
February 3, 2008 in Palin, Sarah | Permalink | User Comments (44)
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AMERICA NEEDS ROMNEY!
Posted by: Derek | Feb 3, 2008 2:19:11 PM
Just because America proved strong enough to survive Bush, doesn`t mean it is foolish enough to elect Romney, a Bush clone running on Bush`s record. Recall, that Bush pretended to be a unifier and a compassionate conservative, unlike Willard. Is Romney unaware that Bush helped initiate the `06 immigration bill and Reagan signed the Kennedy Amnesty law, or is this just another flip flop on the facts?
Posted by: luke | Feb 3, 2008 2:38:20 PM
Don't criticize Romney, his supporters can't take the cruelty. Of course after he downsizes their employers and shifts their jobs overseas, they won't be in a high enough tax bracket to support him anyway.
Posted by: cba | Feb 3, 2008 2:53:59 PM
ONE VERY IMPORTANT CARDINEL RULE:
NEVER, EVER, SIMPLY NEVER TALK
TO A REPORTER(S) WHILE YOU ARE
TIRED OR DISTRACTED. AT THIS
POINT OF THE GAME, THEY ARE
NOT YOUR FRIEND(S). THEY HAVE
TO JUSTIFY THEIR EXPENSE ACCOUNTS
AND EXISTANCE.
Posted by: Beto | Feb 3, 2008 3:05:06 PM
Mitt Romney is the most pristine Candidate; the most intelligent and honest Candidate; it's what the Country needs in this day and age. Why do people resent such an intelligent, well-mannered Candidate?
Posted by: Mary | Feb 3, 2008 3:16:38 PM
Romney could never win the general election. He has made too many mistakes and has lied too many times. He is only in the race because of the massive amounts of money he has spent. Did he see his dad march with MLK? NO. Is he a life long hunter? NO. Did he raise taxes in Massachusetts? Yes. Is he the most liberal republican in the race? Yes. I LIKE MIKE!
Posted by: Thumb | Feb 3, 2008 3:44:05 PM
Clinton & McCain will prevail in their primaries, which is a thrilling prospect. However the general election turns out, Israel is the winner! There has never been a more auspicious time for our best ally in the Middle East. It doesn't make sense to provide them with the largest amount of foreign aid of all nations, but not support them more openly against our shared Muslim enemy. Either Clinton or McCain will solve that problem. I'm glad to see our various pro-Israel lobbies have finally gotten the funding formula figured out for BOTH parties!
Posted by: Isaac | Feb 3, 2008 3:52:54 PM
Considering an idea and then changing one's mind is not a flip-flop; making campaign promises to obtain votes, and changing one's posture after getting the votes -- that's a flip-flop. I am not a supporter of any Republican candidate, but give Mr Romney a break. This news "story" does not reveal a flip flop. All he said was he is reviewing whether he has the right staff size in Massachusetts for post-Tuesday. He then said he has not discussed this with his staff (yet). His first comment was a mistake; staff reductions should be discussed with the afflicted employees first before blurting it out to the national news media. His second comment was not a flip flop, but perhaps an effort to avoid further hurtful stress against his staff; he simply said that the analysis and conversation had not taken place Yet. To me, the implication to any experienced manager is that Mr Romney will discuss it with his staff, and inform them of any downsizing before discussing this issue with the press again.
Posted by: Jon | Feb 3, 2008 4:04:31 PM
Watching Mitt go down in flames will be an absolute pleasure. Bye-bye Mitt!
Posted by: geddesman | Feb 3, 2008 4:40:36 PM
Ronald Reagan's goal was to get the best done for our great country,and for the most part, he got what needed to be done completed with a minimum of pain. Romney will do nothing but destroy our country.
Posted by: kz | Feb 3, 2008 5:00:31 PM
Romney is winning in Georgia, Massachusetts, California, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Alaska, Montana, and polling well in almost every other state (e.g., over 20%).
He could take Tenn., Ill., Ok., and W.Va. with a little more surge.
The true conservatives will be heard.
To Huckabee: Join up or get run over! You'd make a great VP today and President tomorrow, but not President today. Stay in and you and Romney are both out and conservatives will not forget!
Posted by: rgraham | Feb 3, 2008 5:20:32 PM
My country needs a good decision from me. I have an obligation to my God to listen to his advice. I need to fast and pray and then listen to a still small voice in my heart. I need to study voting records and criminal associations of all candidates, as well as any of their good works. I am responsible for America's future. I hope you are too!
Posted by: rw | Feb 3, 2008 5:27:14 PM
Okay, so McCain isnt perfect, but he has done one thing everybodys is screaming for, and nobody noticed. Everyone complains that the senate and house are too partisian, that they vote only with their repective parties. I have heard every major presidental candidate saying they would bring work with the other side to for the sake of biparitanship. John McCain is the only one to do it, and as far as imigration goes a bad bill is better than no bill at all, I don't see any other senators putting an alternative in...
Posted by: lets have some common sense | Feb 3, 2008 6:39:12 PM
and would someone please tell Mr. Romney that Hanoi is not inside the DC beltway. He suggests that John McCain has spent his entire life in DC, and fails to mention that 6 years of McCain's life were spent in a Hanoi POW camp
Posted by: lets have some common sense | Feb 3, 2008 6:42:56 PM
To Common Sense:
McCain has been in DC long enough to forget to forget who pays his salary. Why does he bash business and Wall Street? Are they not the ones paying taxes that support all the pork projects of his? Oh yes, look up what percentage of taxes the public pays! The congress is who passes the laws that allow businesses to take jobs out of the country and they set the minimum wages and the unemployment, the taxes and ad nauseum. Now he wants us to stay in Iraq for 100 years? Give me a break. Trust me, you don't want Huckabee either. Read the records of all candidates. Romney is not an insider, and therefore is not favored by either Washington or the Media. My gut feeling is that he will make a great leader.
Posted by: Pat | Feb 3, 2008 8:20:47 PM
This nation cannot waste time to educate Huckabee on national and international affairs. His supporters need to get some fact checks on his ideas and policies from respectable economist and diplomats that know the reality of the world we live in. To think one can lead this country by the faith in the seat of your pants is absurd. This would mean Huckabee would have to claim revelation from God and abdicate the presidential decisions to the fait of God's will. If that were the case then anarchy would be his strategy for leading since it would be God’s will anyway. Either way we need someone that knows something for “Devine” influence can work with. So having someone that knows something with or without that “Devine” influence is essential to the future of this nation.
Posted by: lorax_mbell | Feb 3, 2008 8:23:07 PM
McCain has stooped to distort other candidate's positions by trivializing and taking out of context words from statements made in press interviews. We have had too many presidents resort to distortions to justify their flawed agendas. What ever happened with his lip service of being honest and straight shooting with the American people? Apparently it is just one of his campaign slogans to give voters an association to him of something they long for but in substance is amiss.
Posted by: lorax_mbell | Feb 3, 2008 8:24:35 PM
Being in a POW camp is not a qualifier for the Presidency. McCain has a plan for a sustained war in the Mid-East and no fiscal plan for the nation. McCain has has-beens for supporters that try to tout their past fantasy lives. McCain rides on his past military service that no longer fits the challenges of this era. He knows how to get things done the old way but hasn’t a clue or cognitive ability to manage a world economy or the diplomacy for brokering peace. He supports the surge in Iraq that delays or holds off its collapse because of his failed foreign policy ideology that led to the war in the first place. We are there fighting because we didn’t have a good foreign policy to have strong allies to clean their own house. But he has not changed his ideology. We need a nominee that listens and can adjust the game plan to achieve long term goals for this nation. Call that flip flopping if you must. But having blinders on and having a determination to stick with bad foreign policy and bad economics will bring great harm to our nation.
Posted by: lorax_mbell | Feb 3, 2008 8:29:35 PM
Everyone is trying to decide which candidate they hate the least to vote for. Forget evaluating intelligence, integrity, and genuine desire to govern for the people--we are being forced to vote for the least corrupt criminal. What happened to our nation? This assumes the media get there way in excluding Romney.
Posted by: Bastanow | Feb 3, 2008 8:29:41 PM
Huckabee has no chance of winning but is willing to take away votes from Romney in order to become VP. McCain can't lie as well as Hilary they both are dispicable. The only viable candidate who is successful in business and understands the economy and has had a real job before is the best candidate for the Presidency of the United States. Both McCain and Huckabee have never had real jobs before and McCain should thank his father for his position in the military as well as his medals.
How can you have a candidate for the US Presidency look into the camera and lie. McCain is desperate and just another RINO.
DNG
Posted by: DNG | Feb 3, 2008 10:39:57 PM
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