Better late than never.

The Dallas Morning News’ Wayne Slater wins today’s award for the most Mitt Mormon Buzzwords in a single column.  Slater highlights Evangelicals’ “concerns”, emerging “skepticisms”, and faith as an “obstacle” to their support for Mitt.  Memo to Wayne:  This one note samba you’re singing is getting old.  I know its not going to go away, but you’re late to the party.

Bill Press takes his turn at the One Note Samba Solo.  He fares better than Slater, but not by much.  In classic Press fashion he starts with:

For Republicans, Mitt Romney’s an attractive candidate. He has a good track record as head of the Salt Lake City Olympics and governor of Massachusetts.  There’s only one problem: He’s a practicing Mormon. (Emphasis Added)
 

Though it takes Bill Press some 13 paragraphs to reach this conclusion - at least he got there eventually - however not without a cheap parting shot:

In the end, Mitt Romney should be treated like any other candidate for president. His fitness for office should be judged on where he stands on the war in Iraq, health care, the environment, education and other major issues facing the nation - and not on what nonsense he happens to believe in the name of God. (Emphasis Added)

Memo to Bill Press:  This is why you’ve been relegated to a second tier slot.  Get some class.

 

One man does not a campaign make.  Good luck with that, Senator McCain.  Cheap shots are unbecoming.

Here’s a surprise.  Ted Kennedy warns Dems

I wouldn’t underestimate Mitt.

Don’t get too excited about Ted’s new found political prowess - he’s also upbeat about John Kerry.

And just how concerned is the DNC about Mitt?  Yet another press release again referring to “Smooth-Talking Mitt”.  I feel required to again mention this title comes from the same party that gave us Slick Willy.  Here the DNC hitches their wagon to the rapidly falling star of Brian Camenker.  Evidently Camenker is “coming out” (yes I am taking a deliberate shot at Camenker) with another “report” on Mitt’s “pro-gay” policies.  Tick, tick, tick, Brian.  Your 15 minutes are almost up.  Add to this the shocking announcement of the resignation of Arthur Larrivee from the Massachusetts state GOP and the Dartmouth GOP committee and the DNC would have you believe Mitt’s in real trouble.

I don’t know about you, but the resignation of a local GOP committee member in a heavliy blue state doesn’t really concern me very much.  Better luck next time Howard.

Blogfather Hugh summarizes a recent WSJ column highlighting Mitt’s recent website upgrade.  Thanks, Hugh, for saving me the price of a subscription.  Yes, I’m cheap.  And, ahem, you forgot to mention Blogs for Mitt in your listing of independant blog work.  That’s ok.  I’ll take and etc label - for now.

Mitt is in Israel attending a security conference put on by people who have to deal with the kind of terrorism UBL wants to see in the US everday.  Personally I can’t think of a better place to get counter-terrorism information.

The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza and Dan Balz chronicle Mitt’s quick take down of the YouTube video.  Rapid response will be the hallmark of this election cycle.

Human Events published an Op-Ed piece by Erich Pratt - Director of Communications for Gun Owners of America.  He asks for the “real Romney” to stand up.  I have but one question for your, Mr Pratt:  Mitt has express support for gun owners and the Second Ammendment.  What more, pray tell, do you want?  Get over yourself, sir.

Today’s award for Best Editorial goes to the Christian Science Monitor.  Well said, people.

And no, I’m not unaware of the most unshocking announcement of the weekend.  As Iago - the annoying parrot from Disney’s Alladin - so eloquently put it:

Oh, now there’s a surprise!  I think I’m gonna have a heart attack and die from not suprise!

And the doubters surface.  With Obama challenging Hillary for campaign oxygen, we’ll soon see if she has the campaign chops the media thinks she does.

Mitt merited not one but two posts from CBN’s David Brody.  In declaring Mitt to be the “‘Buzz Inside the Beltway”, Brody opines:

They point out how he’s at ease when he talks, gentle on the eyes, has a great staff working for him and is already seems very presidential in the way he acts and talks. And this talk is coming from rival campaigns!

Brody also announces Mitt’s upcoming trip to Israel.

Welcome to the party, David.

Sometimes governors are called upon to do strange things.  Like designating a “State Reptile”.  I’m sure the Garter Snake lobby is pleased.

And finally, from left field way up in the frozen tundra of Canada, comes the National Post’s Gerald Owen.  In his column entitled “The undoing of a Manchurian Mormon” Owen spends most of his column detailing Mitt’s ancestry and the political missteps of his father – former Michigan Governor and erstwhile presidential candidate George Romney.  Some how or other Owen attempts (notice I don’t use the term “succeeds”) in attempting to link Mitt’s Mormonism with the underlying plot of The Manchurian Candidate.  I believe he’s attempting to prove (in a very round about way) that Mormonism equates to some form of brainwashing and thus every candidate’s (especially those who happen to be Mormon) religious beliefs must be scrutinized on a level comparative to that of their political leanings.
 

Memo to Gerald Owen: I don’t know what passes for political coverage up in your neighborhood, but down here we dealt with the issue of religious qualifications for public office over 200 years ago.  It’s called Article VI of the US Constitution.  You might want to look that up.  As for your article, here’s a little bit of advice:  When using analogies to prove a point, it’s best to have a point.  That way it’s much more interesting for the reader.

Have a fun weekend. 

CBS News’ (yes, America, CBS does broadcast something other than the triple variations of CSI) Paul Bedard writes a brief column entitled Washington Whispers.  Yesterday he highlighted Mitt’s upstart campaign.  He couldn’t resist inserting a remark from a “White House aide” who claims to be an “administration official[s] close to those working for McCain” who wanted to remind everyone that McCain “remains the leader in the race and the one to beat.”

Memo to as yet unnamed White House aide hoping to land a job with McCain:  Frontrunners don’t have to remind anyone of their frontrunner status.  Those footsteps are getting closer.

Speaking of footsteps, a Rasmussen poll has Hillary and Al Gore defeating Mitt in a general election.  Hillary wins by a 49-41 margin.  The environmentally friendly Al Gore wins by a 50-39 margin.  Don’t look for Mitt to throw the towel in any time soon, though.  Considering the two year run up to the actual election, Hillary has no place to go but down and Mitt has no place to go but up.  If anything, polls like this should have Hillary worried.

The Santa Clarita Signal reports California Congressman Howard “Buck” McKeon has thrown his support behind Mitt.  The Signal also goes out of its way to mention that both McKeon and Mitt are (drum roll) Mormons.  Would the Signal have bothered to report this triviality had both parties been, say, Episcopalian?  Methinks not.  Memo to the Signal:  Mormons are everywhere.  Get used to it.

And finally, Mitt has set up a Representative Jim McCrery (R-La.) as his Congressional Liaison.  He also picked up endorsements from 16 Republican National Committee members.  Not a bad day’s work.

 

The Santa Clarita Valley Signal’s Gary Horton has a much anticipated Newsflash:  Mitt Romney is not a Flesh-Eating Space Alien.  At first glance this article seems to be complimentary – if you can get past the heavy overdose of sarcasm dripping from its paragraphs.  Like I’ve said before, you takes the kudos where you gets ‘em.

The American Spectator’s Washington Prowler attempts (notice I don’t say succeeds) to parse Mitt’s stem-cell position by quoting a “Romney Spokesman”:

Governor Romney supports using adult stem cells and other alternative methods that do not destroy the embryo. Governor Romney supports stem cell research but opposes scientifically creating life ‘cloning’ for medical research.

Note this is a direct quote from the campaign.  It can be independently verified.  The “Prowler” then goes to the bottomless journalistic pool of anonymous sources to quote a “Washington, D.C. based pro-life advocate” and an “American Conservative Union” board member as having problems with Mitt on the issue of stem cell research.

Memo to the “Prowler”:  If you can’t name them, don’t quote them.  You’ve obviously learned nothing from the MSM journalists who have been exposed as flatly fabricating quotes out of whole cloth.

Get to know Ann Romney – or at least 5 things you may not have known about her.  Class act she is.

Mitt has some of the Big Mo in the Plywood State.  Thanks, Jeb.

Conventional political wisdom dictates you take shots at the biggest threat.  You’ll notice the DNC isn’t gunning for McCain or Rudy.  They’ve focused their weak barrage at Mitt.  Note the “smooth talker” moniker – again from the party who gave us Slick Willy.

It was quite a busy few days for Mitt coverage.  Let’s get right to it.

First off, it seems that the Washington Post is very comfortable with Anti-Mormon bigotry.  Chris Cillizza writes a quasi-blog titled “The Fix”.  Yesterday he penned a post entitled Romney, McCain Tout New Backers.  The post isn’t the problem here – the problem lies in the comment section.
The Washington Post is at best a left leaning MSM newspaper.  They concern themselves with people’s feelings and claim to have no desire to offend anyone.  Their comment rules read as follows:

User reviews and comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site.

Well, yesterday at 1:18 pm EST, some bonehead posting as MikeB left the following:

As for Romney, he’s a Mormon! Now, I don’t know how many Mormon’s you know, but every one I have run into is a crook. Nad please don’t accuse me of over generalizing. I really mean, all of them are crooks and swindlers, con artists, nutjobs, and lunies. If Mormon’s are in the automtive industry you can count on the fact that they roll odometers back (and I have personal experience, having WITNESSED this). If they’re in construction, they will swindle anyone, even fellow poorer Mormons, out of their land and homes. These are the scum of the earth sorts. Couple that with the fact that Romney has surrounded himself with the very worst of the Bush and Swiftboat nutjobs and you cannot rationally give Romney a chance in h*ll of winning anything. (emphasis added)

This is a direct quote – I have made no effort to correct spelling or syntax.  As of this writing, this comment – which cannot be seen as anything other than a baseless attack on an entire people based on nothing other than the author’s virulent anti-mormonism – is still front an center on the Washington Post website.  So much for the Post’s dedication to civility in the public square.  HT (Blogfather Hugh)

Townhall’s Jeff Jacoby has labeled Mitt a “nimble” candidate.  You takes compliments where they are given.  Compliments from Bay Staters were hard to find when the Salt Lake Tribune’s Thomas Burr went looking.  He managed to find Bostonians who were miffed at Mitt’s travels as governor.  They think he used the governor’s chair as a stepping stone to the Oval Office.  Ummmm, while that may be the case, does anyone remember another Bay State governor attempting the same feat in 1984?  I know liberals would like to forget the Dukakis campaign.  Most of America would as well.

Brian Camenker thinks there’s a whole lot more time on his 15 minute clock than there actually is.  He managed to get the high influence group Americans For Truth to “demand an apology” from the Mitt campaign for posting “Meet the real Brian Camenker” on its Exploratory Campaign website.   Memo to Brian:  Don’t hold your breath waiting for that apology.  And if you’re offended by my reference yesterday to Dean Barnett’s exposé – which I truly hope you are – don’t hold your breath waiting for an apology from me either.  Tick, tick, tick, Brian.  Your time’s almost up.

Continuing the negative streak, EnterStageRight’s David T. Pyne shows his non-understanding of American politics by opining his heartfelt desire for New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to run as a third-party candidate.  Otherwise, he fears

Unless Bush pulls our troops out of Iraq or Bloomberg runs for President, most likely the next President will be named Clinton or Gore.

Memo to David:  That must’ve been some strong stuff you ingested before writing that post.  Hope you’re feeling better soon.  By the way, you need a better editor.  Romney is from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, (abbreviated MA), not the State of Mississippi (abbreviated MS).

On a final note, Blogfather Hugh has been expertly chronicling Mitt’s campaign.  Yesterday he had Mitt on his syndicated radio show – live in the first hour and repeated in the third.  He’s written a book – due out in March – entitled A Mormon in the White House?: 10 Things Every Conservative Should Know about Mitt Romney.  I’ve linked to the Amazon site to flog the book in an obvious attempt to get a pre-release copy so I can review it.  Might work.  Might  not.  I’ll let you know.