Category Archives: Leadership

Romney Has the Right Stuff – Newsmax 2008 Article Still Rings True Today

Posted on by joemich4mitt

An excellent comprehensive look at Mitt Romney as a Presidential candidate back in 2008 still rings true today.  Ronald Keesler posted an exhaustive article making a strong case for Mitt Romney back in 2008 and it is worth a review by Michigan voters before we all head to the polls tomorrow.  The bottom line is the article makes the same case that Michigan for Mitt blog has been making — Mitt Romney is a full-spectrum conservative leader uniquely experienced and prepared to restore American greatness while earning broad support from republicans, independents and some democrats in Reaganesque fashion.

First he addressed Mitt Romney’s character and core by telling us about the rescue efforts the Michigan for Mitt blog reviewed yesterday.

Then he moved on to talk about Romney’s Reaganesque demeanor:

“The fact that Massachusetts, where only 13 percent of registered voters are Republicans, could elect Romney governor by a five-point margin (50 percent versus 45 percent for his Democratic opponent) underscores his popularity among Republicans and Democrats alike.

“In an hour-long Newsmax interview at Romney’s Boston headquarters, the candidate is Reaganesque: a man with a sunny, positive disposition. On his desk he has a desk plate that states “America Is Never Stuck.”

“Romney speaks with the effortless delivery of the best news anchors…”

Next he addressed the misconceptions about Mitt’s familial fortunes:

“If the family was financially set, it had little impact on Mitt’s upbringing. Like most other kids, he had summer jobs. His sister Jane, an actress in Beverly Hills, remembers that she was allowed to buy only one new dress a year.

“I always hated the word ‘privileged’ and I never thought we were,” she says. “My dad grew up with nothing. His father went bankrupt twice when my father was a kid.”

Then he touched on values & religion:

“George Romney [Mitt's father] died on July 26, 1995, at the age of 88. He imparted deep values to his family, values that the Mormon Church emphasizes – strong families, honesty, giving to charity, respect for human life, hard work, and clean living.

…

“…In 1994, gay marriage had not yet become a serious issue. But in 2003, when the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, in a 4-3 decision, ruled that marriage in the commonwealth would no longer be limited to unions between men and women, Romney pushed for an amendment to the state constitution that would outlaw gay marriage.

“In a recent interview in his corner office at his campaign headquarters, Romney sticks by his position condemning discrimination against gays and lesbians.

“I can tell you this, which is I believe gay individuals should enjoy tolerance and respect,” Romney says. “They should have equal opportunities in housing and employment. We shouldn’t discriminate against people based upon their sexual preference or orientation.

“At the same time, I believe that marriage should be reserved for a relationship between one man and one woman. For me, that’s not a matter of discrimination,” Romney adds.

…

“He feels passionately that the value of human life begins at conception,” says South Carolina state Sen. Jim DeMint, a Republican who supports Romney. “The idea that he might have changed his mind [on Roe v. Wade] is very appealing to me, because we’re not going to win that debate unless people change their minds and think it through.”

“Romney has vetoed bills that authorized embryo farming, therapeutic cloning, and access to emergency contraception without parental consent. He is a critic of liberal judges who legislate from the bench, and he says he would like to see the court return the abortion issue to the people to decide.

Next was Romney’s success in saving the 2002 Olympics, an issue which I personally reflected on last week:

“In 1998, Utah state leaders approached Romney about taking over the scandal-ridden 2002 Winter Olympics. More than $1 million in bribes had been paid to members of the International Olympic Committee organizers. Before the scandal erupted, the Salt Lake Olympics Organizing Committee (SLOC) had a projected shortfall of $397 million.

“Romney accepted the position and asked Fraser Bullock, one of the seven original partners of Bain Capital, to become his chief operating officer.

“Romney traveled all over the world to gather support, as he cut back on SLOC expenses…

“With Romney at the helm, the games ended with a surplus of $56 million. The surplus money went to fund future Olympics.”

Then it was on to review another one of Mitt’s successes, saving the state of Massachusetts from its financial peril:

“With the Olympics success under his belt, Romney ran for governor of Massachusetts in 2002 on a platform of fiscal conservatism, promising to erase the state’s $3 billion deficit.

“As the new governor, Romney consolidated state agencies, cut employees, and closed what he called loopholes in the corporate tax code. He also tackled the most difficult public policy issue of all, health insurance.

“With input from the Heritage Foundation, Romney came up with a way to provide universal health insurance…

“Romney’s bottom line in Massachusetts: He erased the budget deficit he inherited when he took over, just as he’d done with the Olympics.

“When Romney left office on Jan. 4, 2006, the Bay State had a balanced budget plus a “rainy day fund” – all without ever raising taxes.”

He concluded with these points:

“Romney emphasizes four priorities if elected president: defeating the jihadists, competing with Asia, stopping runaway spending, and affirming America’s culture and values.

…

“Romney said he is “very concerned about the America that my grandkids will enjoy, and your grandkids will enjoy. It can be a stronger, more vibrant nation, or it can become the France of the 21st century – starting off as the economic superpower, military superpower, ending still a great nation, but not the world’s superpower. The choices we make today will determine whether America is a more prosperous and secure place for our grandchildren. I can help do that.”

Among former presidents, Romney admires Dwight D. Eisenhower. Besides taking on communism, “He was a person whose leadership during World War II made him someone the entire nation revered and respected,” Romney says. “And there’s nothing wrong with having heroes in positions of prominence.”

Having rescued the commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Winter Olympics, Bain & Co., and his partner’s daughter, Romney could well be talking about himself.”

I invite all Michiganders to reflect on this broad spectrum of attributes that would come with a Romney presidency in contrast to the other candidates and our current President.  As Jack Welch so emphatically stated weeks ago, we are the luckiest people to have this guy running at this time.  It couldn’t seem more clear to me that our country is in dire need of a turnaround and Mitt Romney is uniquely and expertly prepared to lead such an effort.  Michigan’s native is hands-down our best chance at restoring American prosperity and greatness, so let’s get out there and vote for Mitt in the polls tomorrow and take a car full of Mitt voters with us!  

Mitt Romney Saved Boaters and Teenage Girl

Posted on by joemich4mitt

A lesser-known pool of information about Gov. Romney is that he has been credited with having rescued a family (and their dogs) from a sinking boat and also saved a teenage girl.  Here is an excerpt from a story in 2003 that the New York Time published about the rescue:

“Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and two of his sons helped rescue a New Jersey family from a sinking boat over the weekend, a New Hampshire official said today.

“The 19-foot vintage wooden boat with six people and a dog on board started taking on water Saturday evening about 300 yards from the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee, in central New Hampshire, Sgt. Eric Robertson of the New Hampshire State Marine Patrol said.

…

”The Romneys took two of the passengers and brought them back to shore,” Sergeant Robertson said. ”There were other people, Good Samaritans, out there, about three vessels including the Romneys’, helping out.”

“The governor’s spokesman, Eric Fehrnstrom, said today that Governor Romney was vacationing at the lake for a week with his family.

”He’s not looking for any special attention,” Mr. Fehrnstrom said. ”I think he’s just grateful he was in the right place at the right time to be able to offer some assistance.”

“Josh Romney, one of the governor’s sons, told The Boston Herald that he and his brother were cleaning the beach when they heard ”a whole bunch of screaming” from the lake.

…

“Mr. Robertson said the passengers were uninjured and were fine after the rescue, because of the ”good response of the people nearby.”

The following video is a stream from the previous presidential campaign that includes Mitt’s former co-worker crediting Mitt with saving his daughter’s life:

Here is a brief review of what Mitt and his team did to save this girl, taken from the America is Conservative blog and Newsmax posts on the issue:

“Mitt Romney was faced with a crisis in July 1996. The 14-year-old daughter of Robert Gay, a partner in Romney’s new venture capital firm, Bain Capital, had disappeared. As it turned out, she had attended a rave party in New York City and had become high on ecstasy. Three days later, her distraught father had no idea where she was.
“Romney took immediate action. He closed down the entire firm and asked all 30 partners and employees to fly to New York to try to find Gay’s daughter.
“Romney set up a command center in a conference room at the LaGuardia Marriott just outside Manhattan. He hired a private detective firm to assist with the search and established a toll-free number for tips, coordinating the effort with the New York City Police Department, but he still wasn’t satisfied. He raced through his Rolodex and called everyone Bain did business with in New York. He asked them to help his company find their friend’s missing daughter.
“The company’s accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and its law firm, put up posters on street poles with a photo of the missing teenager. Cashiers at Duane Reade Pharmacies, which was owned by Bain Capital, put fliers in the bag of each shopper.
“Romney and others from the Bain Capital posse trudged through every part of New York, even scouring Central Park, and talked with everyone they could – prostitutes, drug addicts – anyone who may have seen her. They also made rounds at the local nightclubs at 3 a.m., hoping someone somewhere could identify her.
“The same day the Romney team came to New York, the hunt made the evening news. Television cameras showed photos of the girl and video of investment banker types prowling through Central Park.
“The next day, a teenage boy she was with phoned in. He asked if there was a reward. But the boy got nervous and quickly hung up. Luckily, the police traced the call to a home in Montville Township, N.J.
“Gay’s daughter, when they found her in the basement of that home, was shivering through detox after a massive dose of ecstasy. Doctors later told Gay that he was indeed fortunate – his daughter probably would not have lasted another day.
“It was the most amazing thing, and I’ll never forget this to the day I die,” Gay says, adding of Romney’s intervention, “I’m not sure we would have gotten her back without him.”

“It is often during a crisis that we gain insight into a person’s real character. Romney’s action demonstrated leadership, loyalty, and selflessness – attributes that Americans just might like to see in a president of the United States.”

Gov. Romney seems to be one not inclined to boast about such matters, so I will do it for him because I believe it is important that our nation’s President represents the values that make America great.  This is just one example among many that speaks to Gov. Romney’s impeccable, selfless, and solid character.  To those who suggest he lacks a core or is somehow out-of-touch with ordinary people I suggest you cast the mote out of your own eye before passing harsh judgment on such a decent man.  The only thing I see in Gov. Romney that my not be “ordinary” like us is his extraordinary resolve to aid those in need, whether they be our country, a state government, a company, or even a single individual in distress such as was the case with this girl.  It is this kind of civic-mindedness that we could use more of in Washington DC.  Michigan is proud to claim Mitt as one of our own.

A Michigander’s Memoir of Mitt Romney’s Olympic Leadership

Posted on by joemich4mitt

Joe at the 2002 Olympics

Ten years ago I had the tremendous once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City and witness the results of Mitt Romney’s leadership.  I want to step back from today’s political rhetoric and talk about my personal reflections of this historic period of American history and what it means for the country if Mitt Romney is elected as our President.

Plagued by scandal, financial distress, and eventually grave security concerns in the aftermath of 9/11, the 2002 Winter Olympics was on the verge of total disaster.  Failure to follow through with our commitment to host a successful games as a result of scandals and financial mismanagement would have been a shameful embarrassment for Salt Lake City and the United States of America, but more importantly it would have dealt a tragic blow to thousands of the world’s athletes who had dedicated years of training and heroically overcome countless challenges and obstacles just to have an opportunity to compete for their country in the Olympic Games.  The troubles of the Olympics weighed heavily on locals while I was attending Utah State University.  Many were convinced the games would be cancelled at worst, or haphazardly and embarrassingly thrown together at best.  Sponsors had little faith in the Olympics becoming a success and the Games were running a deficit to the tune of $379 million.  For some time it seemed we were heading for an Olympic failure.  Action needed to be taken.

Enter Mitt Romney, a businessman with a reputation of having successfully turned around several companies on the brink of collapse.  Hired largely for that reputation, he quickly went to work on the task of leading the Salt Lake Organizing Committee (SLOC) towards hosting a successful and inspiring Winter Games.  In just a matter of a couple of years things started looking brighter.  Sponsor deals were struck, transportation infrastructure issues resolved, an impressive leadership team was assembled, a new brand and emotion within the organization was established, and the energy from volunteers and locals started to bring new life into the 2002 Olympic movement.

I was one of those volunteers.  By the time SLOC started taking applications for volunteers they were already on the rebound.  I decided to volunteer despite the uncertainty since I felt it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be directly involved in the Olympics.  I wanted to see the athletes, experience the excitement of the Olympics firsthand, witness history, and offer my talents to help however I could.  So I signed up as did tens of thousands more, and I was lucky enough to be selected as a volunteer.  After a few iterations of interviews I was assigned to Media Relations and was expected to offer some Chinese language support as needed when working with international journalists and broadcasters during the Games.  I became part of SLOC’s Team 2002 and lived an experience I will never forget.

I’ve worked in the military, academia and the private sector, but to this day I have never worked for an organization that was more motivational and effectively run than Mitt Romney’s SLOC.  Even down to the detail of providing us with superb uniforms at no cost, Mitt Romney treated all of us volunteers and employees with the highest respect and commendation.  From day one the focus in our training all the way from the top was to put the past behind us and to work with all our hearts to host a great Olympics for the athletes, the spectators, and the world.  It was our time to shine.  And shine we did.  But not without first being challenged by a tragedy that threatened to cancel the 2002 Games altogether.

When terrorists struck the innocent on Sept 11th, 2001, the world changed overnight and fresh doubts over the viability of holding the Olympics emerged.  The psyche of world peace was disrupted.  America along with the rest of the world doubted the feasibility of another peaceful gathering of athletes.  The world had changed.  It lived in fear.  National guardsmen manned airports wearing Kevlar armed with automatic rifles, large-crowd events cancelled, alerts and alarms kept the nation on edge, and there was no more sensational and tempting target for fanatic jihadists to set in their sights than the world’s largest peaceful gathering of athletes and spectators since the 9/11 attacks.  If Mitt was to lead a successful Olympics he would also have to successfully lead the Olympics through America’s largest homeland security operation since 9/11.  He did.

Instead of cowering to the threat of terrorism, Mitt Romney and the entire SLOC team doubled down and worked harder than ever to ensure we hosted a successful Olympics.  For some on our team, including me, our success became a symbol of our defying the terrorists.  Mitt reassured our team that the Olympics would still go forward, and that this was our chance to bring the country and the world together in peace.  Mitt’s motivating tenacity along with all of his staff helped us move forward with a “fire within” (2002 Olympics slogan) to defy the naysayers, the terrorists, and the challenges, and to go down in history as having held a great Games for the world.

And great it was. Admittedly it was much greater than I expected.  I expected terrible traffic problems and congestion, but there was virtually none of that.  I expected light audiences, but they were full, even for curling and biathlon!  Working at the media desk I expected to be spending a lot of time responding to requests for information about problems during the Games, but that was extremely rare.  Instead most of my time was spent providing information about athletes, venues, events and intriguing stories.  As a Civil Air Patrol squadron commander I had some insight into the vast scope of security operations required to ensure a secure Olympics.  Some breeches of security transpired, some threats existed, but the games were secured without major incident.  Our worst fears never transpired.  As a realist I always seem to maintain some degree of pessimism despite my hope and effort to see things through to a success.  My pessimism underestimated what Mitt Romney and our team could achieve.

Mitt’s financial success with the Olympics had a personal impact on my own well being.  After having managed to erase the Olympics’ $379 million dollar deficit, Mitt Romney had another turnaround success under his belt.  This improved bottom line no doubt enabled me the opportunity to be hired a couple of months prior to opening ceremonies by SLOC as a pre- and post-games employee.  Additional help in setting up and taking down part of the Main Media Center was needed and I was hired to help while still serving as a volunteer during the two weeks of the Games. The job came at an important time for me since I was a college student and was struggling to make ends meet while also trying to keep my grades up. The Olympics job was the most generous pay I had ever earned up to that point in my life.  I am convinced that were it not for Mitt Romney’s effective management of the Olympics turnaround, I wouldn’t have been offered a paid position.  Mitt Romney created my job.  To my astonishment I discovered years later that Mitt didn’t take a salary while serving as our CEO, and also donated $1 million of his own money for the cause.  He selflessly served. 

I had the chance to attend the dress rehearsal of Opening Ceremonies and still remember it like it was yesterday.  It was a frigidly cold night (maybe that’s why I remember it so vividly!), but as the Tabernacle Choir sang the national anthem and the World Trade Center (WTC) flag ceremony was rehearsed I could only feel warmth and a strong sense that these Olympics would help unite and heal the country in peace and in celebration of our athletes’ successes.  During the actual opening ceremonies the following night the rest of the world watched the WTC flag memorial and the crowd erupted in cheers as Afghan athletes marched across the stadium.  It was only the beginning of an exciting, successful, memorable, and historic two weeks, but perhaps most importantly it was a symbolic victory over fear and global jihadism.  It was also a symbol of the rebounds that SLOC, Salt Lake City, and the United States of America achieved.  It was one of America’s most important moments of my lifetime, and it was all made possible in large measure by Mitt Romney’s Olympic leadership.  On Closing Ceremonies day, on this exact day, February 24th ten years ago, the world celebrated the finale of what most agreed to be the best Olympics ever held (and I celebrated by proposing to my sweetheart!).

When people ask me why I support Mitt Romney’s presidential pursuit so fervently, these Olympic memories flood my thoughts.  The contrast I witnessed as a local before and during Mitt Romney’s taking-of-the-reins at SLOC are as night and day.  I never met him personally, but the results of his leadership were everywhere.  When I pull out my blue Salt Lake Olympics uniform on occasion I feel a great sense of pride in what we accomplished.  As a communications professional I find myself frequently dusting off the play books that Mitt Romney and his staff so expertly implemented in building such a motivated, energetic and organizationally effective team.  I remember what it was like to be on Mitt Romney’s team and to have him leading an epic turnaround.  I remember what it was like to have a leader so selflessly committed to excellence and achieving greatness.  I remember the successes that were in large measure a result of Mitt Romney’s tireless leadership.  The mark of a leader is the success he leaves behind him.  In Mitt’s case he left behind as much as a $100 million surplus, a memorable and historic Olympic games, a secure multi-national event on a world stage, a symbolic victory over fear and the threat of terrorism, and a country and world united in peaceful competition.  When Mitt Romney was in charge we prospered, we came together as a team, and we achieved greatness; all of which led to our success in running an event that empowered athletes to inspire the world. 

America today is in desperate need of an Olympic turnaround.  We are faced with financial disaster, a divided political environment, lack of effective leadership in Washington DC, a weakened image, and continued security challenges; all similar to the challenges Mitt faced on day one as the SLOC CEO.  Only one man running for President has an unquestionable resume of success in restoring prosperity and greatness during critical and perilous times.  That man is Mitt Romney and it is my sincere hope that America hires him to the task of leading another American turnaround.

To see the WTC flag ceremony at the 2002 Olympics Opening Ceremony, watch the video below:

To read more about Mitt Romney’s involvement in rescuing the 2002 Olympics, see the following resources:

Read Mitt Romney’s book “Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership and the Olympic Games” by purchasing here.

Read an article about Mitt Romney’s success in leading the Olympics here.

Author:  Joseph Burkhead is a Michigan native and resident.  He is Communications Director and Co-Founder of Uncharted, a graduate student in Chinese Studies at University of Michigan, a graduate student in Geography at Western Michigan University, and an Air Force veteran.  He served as a volunteer and employee in Media Relations for the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games (SLOC).  He has supported Mitt Romney since the 2008 campaign, authors the www.michiganformitt.net blog, the www.facebook.com/michiganformitt page, and actively volunteers for Mitt Romney’s 2012 campaign in Michigan.   

Video: Mitt Romney’s Florida Primary Victory Speech

Posted on by joemich4mitt

Mitt Romney won the the Florida primary decisively tonight, earning almost half of all votes cast!  Here is his victory speech below. Here is a teaser quote from the speech:

“We will build an America where ‘hope’ is a new job with a paycheck, not a faded word on an old bumper sticker.”

Welch: Romney is “Most Qualified Leader I’ve Ever Seen Run for the Presidency”

Posted on by joemich4mitt

Jack Welch, a man who started at General Electric as a young engineer on very modest pay and worked his way up to becoming GE’s youngest CEO and among its most transformational and innovative leaders had some strong praise for Mitt Romney’s credentials to be President in the video below.  Welch said “Mitt Romney is the most qualified leader I’ve ever seen run for the Presidency of the United States”:

Here is the bulk of his comments:

“In my lifetime, Mitt Romney is the most qualified leader I’ve ever seen run for the Presidency of the United States…Let’s take him for a minute… Harvard Law School, Harvard MBA.  Starts up Bain Capital, builds it… Bain gets in trouble sometime in 1990s, Mitt comes back to fix it… Bain Capital then has its best years ever.  In ’99, leaves, goes to the Olympics, I was involved in that… we were in deep trouble.  They were losing money, they had a scandal… and then 9/11 comes and everyone wants to cancel it, we’ve got a big commitment.  He goes out there, fixes it totally.  Again, fixes that up, comes back, runs for governor, wins the governorship.  The government [is in debt].  He gets it out and gets a surplus.  Who!?  We haven’t had anybody do all these things!  Do you think Richard Nixon did that?  Do you think Bill Clinton had those credentials!?  Certainly Barack Obama didn’t have those credentials!.. I mean, come on!  We’ve got a guy here who’s a leader, that’s demonstrated beyond anyone we’ve ever had!  Great family.  This is the…!  We’re the luckiest people in the world to have this guy there at this point in time.”

Well said, Mr Welch.  At this point in time this is exactly the kind of leadership that America needs.  America is in trouble, Americans are losing money, Washington is plagued by scandals, America’s debt soars.  Mitt Romney has proven time and time again that he is a dynamic leader that will fix those very problems if hired to the task.  He has a vision and a plan for America that will fix the problems we face, but unlike all other candidates and our current President, he has the credentials, know-how, and successful experiences necessary to follow through with the task of leading America to a more prosperous future.  Indeed, as Welch related, we are lucky to have someone like this running for President.

But now is the time to follow up our luck with action.  We are lucky to have him running for President, but it requires both our vote and our invitation to others to vote to actually see America put Gov. Romney’s skills to task in restoring American greatness.  So share this video and tell people you know about how uniquely qualified Mitt Romney is to lead us to a better future.

And if you haven’t done so already, sign up for a MyMitt account to take action in ensuring the “most qualified leader” becomes our next President, and invite others to join with you.

Video – Restore America’s Greatness

Posted on by joemich4mitt

Mitt Romney’s campaign video on Restoring American Greatness.  One day until Iowa caucus!

“‎This election is about more than just replacing a president, it’s about saving a vision of America. We still believe in an America that brings out the best in all of us, that challenges each of us to be better and bigger than ourselves.” –Mitt Romney

Boston Herald: Nation Needs Romney

Posted on by joemich4mitt

Mitt Romney in New Hampshire. Photo credit: John Wilcox.

The Boston Herald has weighed in to the Republican Presidential primary race and has endorsed Mitt Romney, firmly stating that the nation needs his leadership now more than ever (emphasis is mine):

“…there is only one candidate in the Republican field with the integrity, the experience, the organizational strength and the intelligence to beat Barack Obama and that man is Mitt Romney.

But perhaps more to the point, there is only one candidate who can put this nation back on the path to fiscal sanity and restore it to its central role on the world stage. That candidate is Mitt Romney.

Now we are more aware than most of our former governor’s reputation for being, well, a bit stiff. But this is a contest for what we used to call Leader of the Free World (before Barack Obama downgraded the job), not Mr. Congeniality or the guy you’d most like to have a beer with.

We don’t need a buddy in the White House; we need a leader — one who can work with a deeply divided Congress and a deeply divided nation.

Romney as governor of a thoroughly Democratic state actually managed to get things done during his tenure. That may be a blot on his record to those in the Republican Party who put ideological purity above all else, but in our book that’s actually a plus…

Romney’s appeal at the national level is what it has always been here — he’s a tough, no nonsense CEO who wants to bring a sense of trust back to government. And he can attract to his candidacy that growing number of independent voters who will ultimately decide the presidency in November just as he did when he successfully ran for governor in this bluest of blue states.

Mitt Romney can get the job done — the job of running for president and the job of governing. And the Herald is pleased to endorse his candidacy.”

Continue reading the full endorsement article here.

Fmr President George H. W. Bush Says Romney is our Best Choice

Posted on by joemich4mitt

President George H.W. Bush, Governor Mitt Romney, and First Lady Barbara Bush. Photo credit - AP Photo

Here is what America’s 41st President of the United States, George H.W. Bush, had to say about our choices in the Republican presidential primary, full article available from the Houston Chronicle blog here:

“Less than two weeks before Iowa Republicans make their crucial caucus choices on the night of Jan. 3, George H.W. Bush offered words of support, if not an official endorsement, to an old friend, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

“I think Romney is the best choice for us,” former President Bush told the Houston Chronicle this week. “I like Perry, but he doesn’t seem to be going anywhere; he’s not surging forward.”

Bush said he had known Romney for many years and also knew his father, George Romney, a former Republican governor of Michigan who ran for president in 1968.

Bush said he supported Romney because of his “stability, experience, principles. He’s a fine person,” he said. “I just think he’s mature and reasonable – not a bomb-thrower”…

Bush’s words of encouragement for the former Massachusetts governor also come at a time when the party establishment – of which Bush is the elder statesman – seems to be increasingly alarmed about the possibility that former Speaker Newt Gingrich might get the nomination.

Bush, as Householder noted, “still has significant influence among that sector of the party.”

Choosing his words carefully, the former president said he knew Gingrich relatively well. “I’m not his biggest advocate,” he said.

“I had a conflict with him at one point,” Bush recalled, alluding to the crucial moment in 1990 when a recession drove him to renege on his “no new taxes” pledge. He needed a bipartisan group of party leaders, including then-House Whip Gingrich, to stand with him.

“He was there, right outside the Oval Office. I met with all the Republican leaders, all the Democratic leaders,” Bush recalled. “The plan was, we were all going to walk out into the Rose Garden and announce this deal. Newt was right there. Got ready to go out in the Rose Garden, and I said, ‘Where’s Gingrich?’ Went up to Capitol Hill. He was here a minute ago. Went up there and started lobbying against the thing.

“He told me one time later on, he said, ‘This is the most difficult thing I ever had to do.’ I said, ‘I didn’t like it much myself, Newt.’”

Video – Gingrich’s 2010 Praise of Romney’s Business Background

Posted on by joemich4mitt

Let’s take Speaker Gingrich’s cue and vote Romney, 2012!  What else can I add to the video below??  I had to laugh at the end when the obligatory “I’m Mitt Romney, and I approve this message” came across.  Haha, yes, I’m sure Mitt Romney does approve this message, and so do we! =)

Newt Gingrich’s False Attack on Romney’s Jobs Background

Posted on by joemich4mitt

In yet another sign that Newt Gingrich is more interested in his own self-service than he is in seeing his party successful in turning America around, Newt used an old and dishonest attack often rehearsed by some partisan democrats today which suggested that Mitt Romney bankrupted companies and laid employees off in his private sector years.  Normally the Michigan for Mitt blog steers clear of the day-to-day dramatics of negative politicking, but in this case Michiganders will make a stand for our candidate.  Newt Gingrich’s accusation is complete falsehood.

Mitt Romney is widely known both in the private and public sector to be a man possessing unique skill and leadership ability in fixing ailing organizations.  This is why he was hired by Bain, why he was successful at Bain, why he was hired to turnaround the Olympics, and why he was elected as Massachusetts’ governor.  In each of these situations Mitt rescued an organization from its dreary situation, whether it was in the private sector, volunteer or in government.  Where has Newt been through all of this?  Washington D.C.  And what ailing companies, scandaled organizations, or near-bankrupt governments did Newt rescue?  (A cricket chirps)

One of the companies Mitt helped to set on the right course was Staples.  Staples founder Tom Stenberg weighed in on Newt’s accusation today as follows:

“Newt Gingrich comes from the world where politicians are paid millions after they retire to influence their friends in Washington. Mitt Romney comes from the private sector, where the economy is built by hard work and entrepreneurial drive. It’s clear that after 30 years as a Washington insider, Newt Gingrich has no clue how the real world economy works. After 25 years in business, Mitt Romney understands how jobs come and go, and what we need to do to get our economy back on track. If Newt Gingrich is our party’s nominee, the choice in next year’s election will be between two professional politicians, two Washington insiders, two people with no experience in the real world of job creation.” – Tom Stemberg, STAPLES Founder

Seems to be quite a different take than from what Newt theorized.  But what would Newt know anyway, not being involved in the process, let alone not being involved in the private sector, let alone being a Washington D.C. insider for over 30 years?

Ok, so that’s just one company… one company that grew over leaps and bounds employing thousands of Americans over the years, that is.  Still, its just one company right?  Wrong.  Ever heard of Brookstone, Dominos Pizza, Sealy, Sports Authority?  Now consider the immense successes each of them have had since Romney’s involvement, and the hundreds of thousands of Americans that have been able to earn income from being employed by those companies.  Hundreds of thousands of jobs.  Quite the success story.

You can read in more detail about how Mitt Romney’s influence created jobs in the real economy and set these companies off on a path to success in The Street’s article on Mitt’s Best Buys here.

Interesting also that now, all the sudden, with Newt Gingrich getting a second look from the electorate, he has chosen to employ such a false portrayal of Mitt’s accomplishments.  Don’t think its false… well, let’s just say that deep down Speaker Gingrich knows its false.  He said so himself in 2010 when attacking Mitt wasn’t as utilitarian for him as it is today:

Couldn’t agree more, Speaker Gingrich!  Why the flip?

Jennifer Rubin weighed in in her Right Turn opinion blog on Washington Post today:

“In starkest terms, Gingrich’s snippy response reveals that he really isn’t a free market capitalist (his crack sounds like something on an OWS sign) and that he really is same nasty character whom his party threw overboard as speaker. And for Romney, he gets to make the case once again that of the remaining candidates he actually created jobs (as opposed to presiding over others’ job-creation efforts).

One thing is certain. Gingrich is still his own worst enemy and the best witness to debunk the canard that he’s a Tea Party, pro-free market guy.”

There are plenty of reports available on other issues pertaining to Newt’s Washington D.C. ways including his connections with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and his turbulent and controversial history as a politician.  Those details will be spared here as we continue to focus on issues that matter most to Michigan, chief among them being jobs and the economy.

It is because of that very focus that Michiganders will stand up and not permit false rhetoric to be spread around the country  by a candidate.  Many Michiganders like and agree with much of what Speaker Gingrich has had to contribute during this campaign season, but we condemn Newt’s deliberately dishonest portrayal of our native candidate’s jobs record and we will not stand for it.  February 28th will testify so.

Our state and our nation have already paid too dear of a price from having bought into the empty and deceiving rhetoric of a career politician with no experience in the economy, and we are not ready to pay that price again.  

Michigan stands with Mitt.