EVEN THE RUDY BACKERS LOVE MITT. . .

ON O'REILLY/MILLER ROMNEY ASSESSMENT: It'll probably be a shocker to most out there in blogger-land, but the Mittiot likes Bill O'Reilly. Or should I say it's easier to watch without retching - which is what Keithy O of MSNBC makes one do. I swear you can tell when someone has bulimia - they're in the bathroom and the TV is tuned in to the "Count Down" around dinner. BLATTTT. I digress (as I digest). So , I'm watching Bill and a guy I've liked since his days on SNL, Dennis Miller, comes on and the discussion turns to Mitt. Last time this happened, Miller took a swipe at our man Mitt I didn't much appreciate and I was waiting for more of the same (Given Dennis is a declared Rudy guy). In what can only be described as a true back and forth free of political calculation (again, given Dennis is a Rudy guy and O'Reilly is an everybody but Rosie guy). Here are the transcripts: ______________________________________________________________ O'REILLY: Now, Mitt Romney according to a Rasmussen poll is up to 16 percent. Your guy, Rudy, is at 25. It looks like Romney's getting some traction. What do you think about that? MILLER: Well, I'm wondering at the TIME photo you're showing. I don't remember, but that must be them sort of aping the notes on an old TIME cover with his dad, George. Listen, I am a Rudy guy. I've often said that. I'm going to introduce the mayor at an L.A. fundraiser later tonight. I think that Rudy, as far as terrorism goes, is just entering his peak killing years. And that's why I'm for him. But I must say that Romney is a pretty smooth customer. I think he's done great in the debates so far. And I think his plan, and it's a pretty smart one, is to lever the whole heist with Iowa and New Hampshire. Old school stuff. Spend some money there. Do some local ads. Put your bass widgeons on the ground. Shake some hands. Then later in the summer you go out to Ames for that straw poll. Bus people in, or hay cart them in, or whatever they have to do. Show some muscle and then beat these guys in the second quarter earnings. O'REILLY: But you've got a very — how important in this world is Romney's appearance? Which, I mean, you can't get more presidential looking than Mitt Romney. I mean, look, if you were to make up a guy, this would be the guy, you know, that looks presidential. He's got the jaw going on, the little gray thing in there. And I think that means a lot in America. MILLER: Well, I do, too. But when you back it up with the fact that he's competent, too. He ran a pretty tight Olympics. And you know, this is the guy who invented Staples. And I think he understands a step-by-step business plan. And I think the Staples thing is going to come out as adversaries best keep their head up, because it will be death by a thousand cuts with Romney. It will be a very... O'REILLY: Staples, the Staples department store? Is that what you're saying? MILLER: Staples office stores. O'REILLY: Yes, the office stores. MILLER: Romney was there at the beginning of that. O'REILLY: OK. MILLER: So he's as pretty savvy guy. Not only does he look good, he's good at what he does. _________________________________________________________ It seems even the "Rudy guys" got to give Mitt his props. ON LEFTIES GRASPING AT RETRIBUTION - HOW TRITE: Best be careful how often one repeats the "fact" that Mitt's a flip-flopper, you might be called to the mat. NOTE TO: CANDY CROWLEY - As a journalist you might want to refrain from making statements free of citing regarding Mitt's past positions. AND, you also might want to do some journalistic investigation prior to such comments (REF. BELOW:) Seems David Brody of CBN has. . . __________________________________________________________ From the Brody File (http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/166511.aspx) via CBN. 1994 Flyer Reveals Romney's Conservative Positions May 29, 2007

A lot has been made of Mitt Romney's 1994 positions on gay rights and abortion. We've heard the flip flop charge before. But what hasn't been well publicized is the following campaign flyer from 1994. Take a look below. You can read the details of the flyer here: http://www.politico.com/pdf/wmr_1994_senate_flier_side_1.pdf The mainstream media likes to run with the flip flop angle. here's validity to it but let's also be real here. It's a sexier story than one that shows how Romney's been a pretty consistent conservative for awhile. This 1994 campaign flyer is being discussed on blog sites like Iowans for Romney. Romney has taken a lot of heat or changing his position on abortion. But you have to wonder: maybe Romney's been a conservative all along. It's just that in liberal Massachusetts, to get elected, sometimes you have to bend a little more than you want to.

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Other than Abortion - which is well documented as an evolution of position, based on the Embryonic Stem Cell debate - where else has Mitt waffled given his positions of 1994 and his positions today? ON TIME MAGAZINE'S HACK JOB: Along the lines of the "Flip-Flop" tango noted above - one might want to call into question the idea that Mitt is as prone to make "misstatements" as the loquacious Johnny "eat that ketchup" Kerry was in 2004. Case in point: follow the link to TIME mag's list of "Romney's 10 Top Gaffes." Cunningly, each so-called gaffe is on a separate page, so you might be inclined to simply give up and throw in the towel - DON'T. Read those "gaffes" and then you tell the Mittiot WHERE THE GAFFE IS? I'll give you, Ana Marie Cox (super hack extraordinaire), the "...Hunter all my life... " gaffe was more than a stretch (though I've been a Tiger's fan all my life and only been to a couple of games) - but that's it, the rest is just wishful thinking. And by the by, without asking, we appreciate your "giving us" the "Obama" Bin Laden (oops, reference Wolf Blitzer) "move heaven and earth" (#10) so-called gaffe as not really a gaffe. http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/romney_gaffes/article/0,28804,1621231_1621230,00.html?xid=site-cnn-partner?cnn=yes Mitt continues to be the Left's worse nightmare! ~ so sayeth the Mittiot (& Dennis Miller)

FRED THOMPSON TO RUN. . . WE'LL BELIEVE IT WHEN WE SEE IT!

ON FRED THOMPSON'S "ANNOUNCEMENT:" Floating it out there once more, Fred Thompson is looking for feedback from the news that he'll "formally announce sometime after Independence Day." It'll be interesting to see if the polls move. . . not that the polls matter. Yet, if you're going to commit yourself, I'm sure you'd want to know that you'd at least show up as blip on the radar screen. Fred's a blip - but as the Mittiot has said in posts past: Republicans who've been watching (and, let's face it - ALL the likely primary voters have been) are already including Fred in the equation. Look for Thompson to come in where he is right now. And, please, Lefties out there, spare us the "And he's not even running" rhetoric. . . we know a sniffer when we see one. Poll/Date.......Giuliani.......Romney.......McCain.......Thompson.......Spread Rasmussen........25.............16.............15.............12............Giuliani+9.0 05/21-23

It's the trends that matter - Romney continues to trend upward.

Mitt Romney continues to be the Left's worse nightmare. Interestingly, Romney is picking up steam in those softer Southern states - no doubt, a Thompson run will have impact - especially on McCain who's leading in SC. As for a Thompson run, however, we'll believe when we see it. ~ so sayeth the Mittiot. Source: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0507/4243.html

FREEDOM SHALL PREVAIL

ON MEMORIAL DAY: If there is a soldier out there reading this post - or a family member who can convey as much - please know that I and my family thank God for your service and commitment - everyday. We understand that you are fighting "over there" so my son does not EVER have to witness the horror and the tears of 9/11 while sitting in his classroom. You fight to ensure he'll never have to hear the sadness of those final cell calls to loved ones as hope runs out - so he does not have to come to understand with anguish what heroism has to do with the phrase "Let's Roll" - nor the cynicism of "got-cha" politics when our soldiers are in the middle of the fight for OUR lives. We understand - and for your service & sacrifice - we are so thankful.

The Iraqi girl comforts the grieving American soldier.

"The Truth" According to an article in ARNEWS, the Army News service, this eRumor is true. ARNEWS says the sculptor's name is Kalat. He was forced to fashion statues of Saddam Hussein including some that were later destroyed by U.S. military explosives. The bronze pieces of the statues were sent to Kalat and he made the memorial using a picture of a U.S. soldier, 1st Sgt. Glen Simpson, kneeling as a model. According to ARNEWS, Kalat worked with another artist on the Saddam Hussein statutes, but designed and fashioned the U.S. model on his own. It's on display in Iraq and is destined to eventually be on display at Fort Hood, where it will become part of a larger memorial project at the 4th Inf. Div. museum.

God, Let this truly be the war to end all wars.

~ so sayeth a "Grateful Nation"