Washington Post: Romney’s Work On Olympics, Mass. Projects Reveals Complex History With Earmarks
On February 16, 2012, the Washington Post reported:
Mitt Romney is escalating his attacks on GOP presidential rival Rick Santorum as a Washington insider who sought more than $1 billion for wasteful projects during his time in the Senate. But Romney has a complicated relationship with federal funding. As the head of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, he led an aggressive effort to win hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid for the struggling Winter Games. As governor of Massachusetts, Romney requested millions in federal earmarks for state transportation projects. He once boasted about his prowess at winning taxpayer money.
AP: Santorum Views On Birth Control At Odds With Most Of U.S.
On February 17, 2012, the Associated Press reported:
Most Americans don't share Rick Santorum's absolutist take on abortion. He's out of step on women in combat. He questions the values of the two-thirds of mothers who work. He's even troubled by something as commonplace as birth control - for married couples. Even among a Republican presidential field eager to please religious conservatives, Santorum's ideas stand out.
Washington Post: Scott Brown Struggles To Refight Old Culture War With Elizabeth Warren
On February 16, 2012, the Washington Post wrote:
Late yesterday, Scott Brown — who is under fire from Elizabeth Warren over the issue — went on a New England TV station and faced an absolutely brutal grilling from his questioner, forcing him to repeatedly dissemble about the legislation. You can watch video of the interview here. The reporter repeatedly pointed out that the measure goes much further than just exempting religious organizations from covering contraception; it also allows employers and insurers to refuse to cover any health service they findmorally objectionable. Brown repeatedly insisted that the bill doesn’t do this. [...] Republicans like Brown are desperate for this battle not to be about women’s health or the health care economics of familes, as Warren is framing it, and want to fight it exclusively on old culture war turf by alleging a war on religion. After all, polls suggest that large majorities, including of independents and moderates, see it as the former.Read the full column here.
Boston Globe: Blunt Words For Brown
On February 16, 2012, the Boston Globe wrote:
What is Senator Scott Brown thinking? This is not a rhetorical question. I really want to know: Why would a Republican hoping to be reelected in Massachusetts leap headlong onto Missouri Senator Roy Blunt’s slippery-slope? In case you missed it, Brown cosponsored Blunt’s legislation allowing employers to limit insurance coverage for treatments they find objectionable on moral or religious grounds. [...] And just like that, Blunt has brought us to Crazyland, a place far beyond the issue of contraception, not to mention common sense. What’s mystifying is that Brown has followed him there.Read the full column here.
Boston Herald: Contraception Bill Bad Choice For Scott Brown
On February 16, 2012, the Boston Herald wrote:
U.S. Sen. Scott Brown has co-sponsored a bill that would allow health plans to deny coverage both for contraception and any service that violates the planners’ beliefs. It was a huge mistake.
Washington Post: George Allen Hires Minister Joseph Ellison For Senate Campaign
On February 16, 2012, the Washington Post reported:
The information on Ellison was provided by American Bridge 21st Century, a liberal-leaning group that formed last year to combat conservative outside organizations in elections. “Twenty five thousand dollars is a huge chunk of campaign cash, and George Allen needs to explain exactly what that money paid for,’’ said Matt Thornton, spokesman for American Bridge 21st Century. “But with his long history of not answering even the most basic questions like who his consulting clients are, Virginians shouldn’t hold their breath waiting.”
NY Times: Members Of The House Face Uphill Battles For Senate
On February 15, 2012, the New York Times reported:
Republicans, who need a net gain of only four seats to guarantee control of the Senate, have long been optimistic that they could capture the majority because they are defending just 10 of the 33 seats up for grabs. But their task is complicated by the fact that many of their candidates are sitting or recent members of the House, which polls show to be deeply unpopular.
Huffington Post: Mitt Romney, 'Son Of Detroit,' Tools Around Michigan In Car Manufactured In Canada
On February 15, the Huffington Post reported:
Having seen Mitt Romney tool around the Greater Detroit area in two campaign ads in which he nostalgically recalls his childhood and his love of cars, you might be wondering, "What sort of car is he driving?" As it turns out, he's behind the wheel of a cherry Chrysler 300, the pride of Detroit. Oh, wait! Did I say "Detroit?" Sorry, ha ha, I meant "Canada." Yes, as the sleuths at Blue Mass Group report, Romney's whip is a foreign-born Chrysler, manufactured in Brampton, Ontario and imported to Detroit so that it can be imported "from" Detroit.
TPM: D’oh! Romney Backer Attacks Santorum For Same Votes He Cast Himself
On February 14, 2012, Talking Points Memo reported:
From Political Surrogate Usage 101: Don’t send your surrogate out to attack someone for exactly the same thing he once did. The Romney campaign did just that when they dispatched former Sen. Jim Talent (R-MO) to attack Rick Santorum’s budget-busting vote to add a Medicare prescription drug program in the Senate. The problem they quickly ran into was that Talent voted the same way.
Boston Globe: Mitt Romney And Rick Santorum Fight Over Each’s Record Getting Earmarks From Washington
On February 13, 2012, the Boston Globe reported:
But Romney’s opponents are using Romney’s record against him. “Mitt Romney criticizing Rick Santorum over requesting earmarks is so blatantly hypocritical it is outright laughable,” said Ty Matsdorf, spokesman for the Democratic group American Bridge 21st Century. “As both governor and head of the Olympics, Romney actively and aggressively pursued federal funding, which makes this line of attack nothing more than a cheap political shot.”