Mitt 1.0
I'm an admirer of Mitt Romney, but it seems that his rivals are getting traction with their attacks on the not-very-conservative aspects of his record. This morning, John McCain went after Romney effectively on Face the Nation. Fred Thompson weighed in with a crack about Romney running for the Senate to the left of Ted Kennedy, which was hyperbolic but not ridiculously so.
I have to admit that I was taken aback by this YouTube video of Romney in a 1994 debate with Kennedy, which is making the rounds. Maybe everyone else has already seen it, but what struck me was that it wasn't just the social issues, abortion and gay marriage, on which Romney took a moderate to liberal line. More disconcerting was his effort to distance himself from the Reagan administration, during which he pointedly said that he had been an independent:
For a lot of Republican primary voters, that could put Romney in St. Peter territory. This video was obviously assembled to highlight Mitt's liberal moments, but if there is a conservative montage from the same campaign, I'd advise the Romney people to put it out, pronto.
UPDATE: The Romney campaign writes:
As you recognize, the video you posted was selectively recut by Governor Romney’s opponents. Governor Romney addressed the video back on January 10 on Instapundit.com’s “The Glenn and Helen Show.” Here’s the link to that video:http://youtube.com/watch?v=eYXV9SbyKLo
And, if you’re interested in “a conservative montage from the same campaign,” please see the following piece of campaign literature from his 1994 Senate campaign. The flyer includes his support for the death penalty, for welfare reform, for the balanced budget amendment, for “Tougher Measures to Stop Illegal Immigration,” for “School Choice through Vouchers,” for terms limits, and against “Clinton Tax Increases” and a “Government Takeover of Health Care.”
http://www.politico.com/pdf/wmr_1994_senate_flier_side_1.pdf
http://www.politico.com/pdf/wmr_1994_senate_flier_side_2.pdf
Finally, regarding Senator McCain’s attack on “Face The Nation,” please see this video of a very different McCain offering praise to Governor Romney in 2002:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA7JTDjG-Po
MCCAIN: "We've got a great team here but it's led by a man of honesty and integrity. It's led by a man who is prepared to serve and a man who I have grown to know for his honesty, his decency and his commitment to America. I am proud to be in his company. Aren't you?" (John McCain, Romney For Governor Fundraiser, 10/30/02)
MCCAIN: "And we have a man, who of unimpeachable integrity and decency and honor, who could do a lot of other things, my dear friends, we all know that. The Romneys, they could move to Arizona. They could do, they could do a lot of things, they could do a lot of things, yet this man is willingly step forward to serve the state of Massachusetts and our party and young Americans and again give them a public office holder that they could look up to, admire and emulate. That’s why I'm committed to this race." (John McCain, Romney For Governor Fundraiser, 10/30/02)
MCCAIN: "In the state of Massachusetts, as the state of Arizona, tough decisions are going to have to be made. There is only one kind of person that can make those decisions and that's a man of intellectual integrity and honesty and experience." (John McCain, Romney For Governor Fundraiser, 10/30/02)
MCCAIN: "But I also have great and tremendous regard for Mitt Romney because I think he brings honesty, integrity and can act as a role model to the young people of Massachusetts and all over this country." (John McCain, Romney For Governor Fundraiser, 10/30/02)
MCCAIN: "I think we have an opportunity to send a signal not only across Massachusetts but America. The negative campaign doesn’t work. The people of integrity are still willing to serve this country." (John McCain, Romney For Governor Fundraiser, 10/30/02)
MCCAIN: "May I please ask you to give your warmest possible welcome to the next governor of the state of Massachusetts." (John McCain, Romney For Governor Fundraiser, 10/30/02)
