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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

Mitt Romney Got Arrested

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  January 7th, 2012 at 11:09 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

It is such a silly thing, but it plays right into the left-wing attack on Mitt as an out of touch elitist.

All the way back to 1981, Mitt Romney got arrested.

It was no big deal.

Romney‘s arrest came in June 1981 when he proceeded to launch his motorboat at Wayland’s Lake Cochituate only moments after a park police officer had told him not to launch the craft or face a $50 fine.

The charges against Romney were dropped several days later and officially dismissed in February 1982 at Natick District Court. At Romney’s request, the judge also agreed to seal the records, making them unavailable for public inspection.

Romney said yesterday that the park ranger had overstepped his authority in arresting him and said the reason the case was dropped was that he had threatened to charge the officer and his agency, then called the Department of Environmental Affairs, with false arrest.

“He did not have the right to arrest me because I was not a disorderly person. This was an obvious case of false arrest,” Romney said. “The officer obviously agreed because he agreed to dropping the case.”

Still, the Obama campaign is rapidly building a John Kerry narrative against Mitt Romney. You and I may think the whole 99% vs the 1% crap is in fact crap, but the average joe doesn’t like elitists.

And this isn’t the only time Romney has had encounters with law enforcement that got nasty when things didn’t go his way. In 2002 during the Winter Olympics in Utah, Weber County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Terry Shaw claimed that Mitt Romney twice used the . . . wait for it . . . seriously . . . wait for it . . . the F-word while berating Deputy Kodi Taggart of the Weber County Sheriff’s Department. Likewise a traffic volunteer, Shaun Knopp, claimed “asked me who the f___ I was and what the f___ I was doing. We got the Olympics going on we don’t need this s___ down here.” Yeah, that was 2002.

The best thing Romney has going for him in this regard is Barack Obama also being an elitist. Because don’t all elitists yell at the little people like law enforcement officers?

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  • johnt1977

    I don’t see how this makes Romney an elitist. A $50 fine is not much even to a 99%er. People risk much more than that speeding to work everyday.

  • NeoKong

    Once again an obscure arrest report from thirty years ago surfaces but still we don’t know who paid for Obama’s college or anything he wrote at Harvard.

  • jakeofalltrades

    Nice!

  • jakeofalltrades

    nt

  • johnt1977

    Who *wouldn’t* tell a jackwagon park ranger to go frak himself for a $50 fine?

  • joshdunn

    The constant complaint I hear from fellow Republicans is more of a personal dislike of Romney than a problem with where he stands on policy issues.

    They say things like: “Oh, he seems so stiff.” or “He doesn’t seem to act like me or people I know.”

    Here, we have Romney, with his family, enjoying a day on the lake. The charges against him were dropped which means that the Department of Parks and Rec must have decided that they were, as Mr. Romney indicate, baseless.

    Regular folks like you and me need people to stand up to these park rangers on their high horse or we will forever be beholden to their whimsical application of code infractions.

  • joshdunn

    Is this some kind of hoax?

  • baracksolyndraobama

    …against Obama’s past cocaine use…uh, ok. And sealed records? Yeah, Obama has a few of those, too. Including the Chief Genious’ university transcripts.

    Romney equals Kerry? More swiss cheese. While Kerry was marrying the ketchup heiress, Mitt was building businesses. It’s not the Achilles’ heel you fear it is.

  • stumpy

    how eerie the race is shaping up to be so similar to 2008. The candidates and their support are very similar in South Carolina. Romney is McCain, Santorum is Huckabee, Gingrich is 2008 Romney, Perry is Thompson, Huntsman is Guliani and Paul is Paul. Not only the polling numbers, but the type of voters supporting each. From the list above: establishment/moderate/ill-informed, social conservatives/populist, mostly conservative/performance driven, solid conservative/political junkies, moderates/independents, libertarians/anti-war conservatives/conspiracy theorist/non-Republicans. Obviously everyone doesn’t fit into their candidates’ category, but generally there is a good fit. Perry is performing much lower than Thompson in SC and Paul has tripled his support, but the others are fairly close.

    My fear is that the result is the same. Gingrich contines to fade, Perry never recovers from his performance issues, Santorum rockets up from his Iowa win but can’t break through due to recent rise, lack of money and organization. This leaves Romney as the winner due to conservative split. My hope is Perry catches fire and someone, anyone can beat Romney in SC. I haven’t figured out where the neocons/military focus voters go that McCain took in 2008.

  • baracksolyndraobama

    Your fear of the mythical 99% really is all-consuming. Reaching jump-the-shark stage. Really.

  • geotan

    Wow talk about a desperate attempt to attack Romney under the the guise that Obama will use this against him! Bring it on! I hope someone will be stupid enough to bring up such a petty thing and make Romney look tough against the little lake dictator cop. If this doesn’t prove that Erick and others like him are irrational and biased in their criticism, I don’t know what else will.

  • znjs

    Obviously he was hoping that he could write up a post about how badly Romney looked during the debate. When that didn’t happen this is what he was left with.

  • septembergurl

    monocle and spats, and have $100 bills stuffed in his pockets like the little millionaire guy in the Monopoly game.

    Meanwhile, the economy is easing just when we are going to nominate the manager/money guy, when the real problems up ahead are all foreign policy chickens coming home to roost. Kind of like 2008 in reverse.

  • The_Rebel

    All this will do is bring out a sympathy vote for Romney, and show how desperate the left is if this is all they’ve got to discredit Romney on a personal basis.

  • The_Rebel

    will be next.

  • aesthete

    I didn’t know he had that in him to do something like that. Makes him more relatable, IMO.

  • gekster

    Bush 43 got arrested for DWI when a frat boy and the Dems pulled it out just before the election.
    .
    If it’s out now, it can’t be a suprise then, can it.

  • haners

    When I was in grad school, we had street cleaning on a random day of the month. The fine was $50 if you didn’t move your car. But buying a parking space in a lot was $150 a month. Guess what? We made a conscious decision to eat the parking fine every couple of months than pay $150 a month for parking.

    And the cursing bit? That just makes Romney human. He’s less of a bot than I imagined.

  • joshdunn

    Since about August, he’s been acting like either Human Events or the Perry campaign is slipping him money every time he does what’s best for the Perry campaign.

    I haven’t seen him post one negative thing about Perry ever. And whichever candidate seems to be Perry’s biggest threat (first Romney, then Cain, then Gingrich, then Santorum, now Romney again) gets hammered with minutia, hearsay, and innuendo.

    I just try to bite my tongue and wait for this primary season to be over with so we can go back to the days before EE was anti-Romney.

    Or will he still be anti-Romney after Romney becomes the nominee? I’m not sure.

  • joshdunn

    BHO not only did cocaine, he admitted that he wanted to try heroin in his book. Why he would admit to that, I’m not sure. Maybe he actually tried it and he’s trying to soften the blow if some witnesses ever go to the press with testimony that they saw him shoot up.

    Romney is def not Kerry. Kerry is pro-SSM, Romney has fought against it and will continue to fight against it. Kerry is pro-choice. Romney is pro-life. Kerry believes that your money belongs to the government. Romney wants you to keep your money in your pocket.

  • joshdunn

    They all come from the upper class (even though Santorum does not believe in classes).

    I think that the economy will still be at issue in 2012. We have no idea what will happen to the price of oil, wheat, or corn in the next 10 months or what will happen to unemployment numbers or wages.

    I think that having Romney as the nominee gives voters a clear choice between a candidate who understands business (Romney) and a guy who thinks that money comes from the government (BHO).

  • lineholder

    High enough to be a bit delusional, perhaps? Erick HAS criticized Perry and his campaign, and drew fire from the many Perry supporters at RS for doing it, too.

    But to even insinuate or imply that Erick would be anti-Romney if Romney wins the nomination is beyond the pale! You might want to rethink your position before making any more comments of the same kind.

  • joshdunn

    I’m glad that Romney tears off the Mr. Rogers mask every now and then and lets someone have it.

  • crosley

    That’s the far more important question.

    I agree with many others, good for Romney to give this little bureaucrat and his $50 ticket a middle finger while his family was trying to enjoy a vacation on the lake.

    Romney should make this little episode a campaign ad.

  • jakeofalltrades

    n/tards

  • joshdunn

    He has only criticized his campaign strategy and personnel.

    There is a big diff.

    Look at the way the media (including comedy hacks like SNL) treat Obama. They never make fun of BHO’s stupidity (which is real) or his arrogance. They only make fun of the people around him (Biden, Geithner). Or they make fun of him for not being more liberal.

    I think that EE has painted himself into a corner on Romney. If Romney gets the nomination (which is inevitable barring a medical emergency like a gunshot wound), EE will have to either (1) renounce everything he’s ever said about Romney or (2) continue along his pattern of attacking Romney’s credentials, personality, statements, and record.

    There used to be a rule that Republicans not open up a can of ammo on other Republicans during the primary. EE has broken that rule. He will have very little credibility if he tries to say or imply that he likes Romney. If he gives Romney a half-hearted “I guess I like Romney” endorsement”, that will help Obama make the argument that conservatives have no one to vote for this year and should just stay home.

    EE’s constant badgering of Romney actually got me to switch my support to Romney. There was something about it that seemed forced and unfair. Which is why I continue to suspect that either Human Events or the Perry campaign has marching orders for him.

    George Will finally admitted that his wife is on Perry’s payroll. This info would have been helpful to me if I had known it when I read George Will’s first anti-Romney column.

  • joshdunn

    Good point. I guess everyone’s motives can seem suspect during an election year.

    Full disclosure: I wanted Huntsman to be the nominee until I realized that it wasn’t going to happen.

    I still have issues with Romneycare. My only comfort is that I know that Romney will not try to pass any type of legislation that increases entitlement spending by the federal government. I, too, realize that some of Romney’s statements on why what’s good for a commonwealth might not be good for a country seem a little strained. However, I’m going to give Romney the benefit of the doubt because I can’t live with either Santorum, Perry, or Gingrich as the nominee. Perry maybe. If he promised to let his press secretary do ALL of his talking.

  • lineholder

    If you’d been around RS very long, you’d know that it is said over and over and over again, “vote Conservative in the primary; Republican in the general”.

    Romney is a self-proclaimed moderate, not a Conservative. That being the case, there’s no need for Erick or any other Conservative to have qualms about supporting any other candidate that they believe to be more Conservative than Romney in the primary. None at all.

  • bonnman

    Some of us actually have respect for law enforcement officers.

  • gekster

    Do a search on Rick Perry in the search box on the top right.
    Read before you embaras yourself more.

    Just ciurous here, what ya got on Perrys wife working for G Will.

  • jakeofalltrades

    Good to know ;)

  • jakeofalltrades

  • lineholder

    and I think what he’s saying is that George Will deliberately and intentionally concealed that his wife worked on Perry’s payroll and that this association generated undue bias against Romney in the anti-Romney article Will wrote.

  • gekster

    They think they know it all about this site.

    He ain’t the first, and unfortunately, he won’t be the last.

  • joshdunn

    I have to admit that I found you a little bit off-putting at first. But, as I’ve come to know you, I’ve found many reasons to like you.

    I think I even defended you from someone who tried to call you a troll.

    As an aside to you, brother, I think that a continued commitment to morality may be the only thing that keeps this country from sliding into a moral and eventually financial abyss.

    Many people think that morals are nothing more than sex directives and anti-drug messages. I see morals as being the force that pulls us away from greed, pride, dishonesty, lust, vengeance, anger, and all of the other selfish emotions.

    This is one of the reasons why I vote Republican reflexively in every election. There is nothing that a democrat could promise me that would get me to vote for him.

    But I also have very little patience for Republicans like Newt who believe in morality for everyone but himself. And I’m not just referring to his love for the ladies.

  • axistogrind

    he falls strongly within the mainstream of conservative governance and thinking. He has a consistent record. His campaign and performance can be citicized. His campaign has so far failed him frightfully, and should be called on it. They have allowed what should be a rock solid candidate to become an also ran in this election. Romney is not a great favorite because he is lukewarm to conservatives due to a long history of rather questionable views. I don’t dislike Romney, and can happily vote for him in the general, but he is my third choice behind the other two governors.

  • joshdunn

    I don’t think that you were around back then, newbie.

  • jakeofalltrades

    Because I respected it.

  • joshdunn

    It has a disclosure at the bottom that his wife is working for Perry. Which explains why George suddenly turned on Romney this cycle after writing favorable things about him in the past.

  • gekster

    It’s Wills wife on Perrys payroll.
    Reading comprehension.
    I really should use it more often.
    (that or just do one thing at a time)

  • flagg

    If this is what’s left in Erick’s copy of the Perry campaign’s opposition-research on Romney, then we can conclude that Mitt is now fully and completely vetted.

  • joshdunn

    I have admired many things that George Will has written, including his book about baseball.

    But I think that his wife’s role in the Perry campaign has clouded his judgment. He was not candid about this relationship when he first went negative on Romney. I remember reading that column in a state of disbelief.

    I kept waiting for the part where George said something like “Of course this is all hyperbole.” But it never got there.

    Then, when I realized that his wife was getting paid by the Perry campaign, all of the dots were connected.

  • joshdunn

    Somehow, because Perry signed that order and not Romney, that makes it ok.

    Somehow, it is a bigger deal that Romney was arrested for launching his boat in 1981 and dropping a few f-bombs in 2002 than that Perry signed the Gardasil order as governor.

    I see Perry getting kid gloves here while every other candidate gets brass knuckles. Even I can tell when something smells funny.

  • gekster

    All my time here has been dumped, the two fileing cabinets with the complaints are gone, and I get to start fresh.
    I feel so much better now.

    By the way, great comeback.

  • jakeofalltrades

    like Willard “My First Name is Mitt” Romney.

  • joshdunn

    Romney is still Romney. There is no McCain this time. And there is no Giuliani or Huckabee, either.

    Santorum now has the blessing of evangelical individuals/groups like Gary Bauer and Family Leader. But he is not an evangelical Christian. He is a Catholic.

    There really is not Giuliani this time around. The party has moved to the right since 2008. Romney has definitely not moved to the left. There is no McCain this time around. McCain was a one-of-a-kind.

  • joshdunn

    That’s what I want to know. The same media that can dig up trivialities on Romney can fly a reporter down to the Caribbean for an investigation.

  • jakeofalltrades

    And the put the candidates exactly where you do.

  • joshdunn

    Back then, Republicans were thrilled with the prospect that Ted Kennedy could be beaten.

    Romney has completed a long journey from progressive (by his own description) to conservative. I’d call him a conservative today. If I had to rate him in 1994, I would have called him a liberal-leaning Republican.

    I was pretty liberal in 1996. I was conservative on social issues but liberal on fiscal issues. Since then, I have become conservative on nearly all issues. I’m still somewhat moderate on immigration having worked with many immigrants in the past.

  • gekster

    when was this site redstate.org.

  • joshdunn

    I mean, if this were 1948, which candidate would be Thomas Dewey?

    Do we really want to go there?

    Or can we just recognize that analogies are clumsy tools and every election is unique?

  • lineholder

    that Romney is a moderate, Perry is a Conservative, and George Will might actually prefer a Conservative candidate over a moderate candidate?

  • joshdunn

    Maybe 2004-2006. You weren’t here.

  • joshdunn

    Shhh. Obama is saving this one for the weekend before the election.

  • joshdunn

    He supported Joe Lieberman against Ned Lamont in 2006, even though there was a republican in the race.

    He seemed to support Romney (who had recently converted to conservatism) in 2008 when his other options were Giuliani, McCain, and Huckabee. He was especially harsh on Huckabee then.

    Suddenly, George turned on Romney. Then, in his next column, there was a disclosure that his wife works for the Perry campaign as an advisor. That’s when things started to click for me on why George may have turned.

  • jakeofalltrades

    heh

  • joshdunn

    People get banned here for criticizing the powers-that-be and/or the golden-boy of the week.

  • lineholder

    as being the more Conservative candidate vs. McCain in 2008, and who supported him then who support other more Conservative candidates now.

    In this election season, it is Romney who is the moderate, joshdunn.

  • basokla

    Obama never did cocaine.

    Signed,
    Marion Barry

  • clowngirl

    Knowing that – and being able to assess whether there was a compelling reason or purely arbitrary – might influence my personal impression a little.

    This doesn’t make me like Romney more. I’m more inclined to think he sounds even more like an arrogant jerk.

    The part that bothers me is that he launched his MOTORboat “just moments” after the police officer told him to refrain – when (presumably) it would be obvious he was still within earshot.

    That’s a very disrespectful thing to do.

    If he’d waited an hour and seemed to be trying to get away with it, I’d might be reasonably sympathetic — but it sounds more like he was just daring the guy to try and stop him.

    But the problem isn’t that this story makes Romney sound elitist — the problem is he already comes across as extremely smug and elitist, possibly has a history of being extremely ruthless in business and then has this “the rules don’t apply to me” type story that just reinforces everything else.

    Mainly it paints the picture of Mitt Romney not being a nice guy.

  • Adjoran

    Otherwise, it’s nothing.

    The 2002 incident must be viewed in context of Romney being in charge of salvaging a doomed Olympics – behind schedule and over budget on almost anything, with serious doubt the Games could be put on at all when he came on board. No one seriously thought he could do it, that bringing him in was a last-ditch effort to prevent a change of venue.

    Did he step on some toes? Here’s a tissue, Frances.

  • renl57

    After the South Carolina primary, most likely Perry will quit–this time for sure.

    Then with RedState’s hero Perry gone, there can be some balance to the diaries on RedState for a change.

  • Ann_W

    Really, Erik? Is this what it’s come to?

  • http://pocketchangeproductions.net/ anotherindyfilmguy

    While failing to ask anything of the O.

    It is kind of hard to defend against etc but then how can you defend against being arrogant enough to do something when a law enforcement official of some sort tells you “Don’t do it” or else?

    It’ll fit the meme of arrogant spoiled rich guy who doesn’t care a whit about the little guy who’s just doing his job etc… meanwhile we still have no clue about the O’s past and won’t have any blanks filled in about him even during his second run for POTUS.

    There’s a long ways to go yet in the selection process, hOpefully South Carolina will be the starting point of shedding the RINOs from the nomination race.

  • Marcus_Traianus

    you made sure to mention it under the pretext of Democrats narrative on Romney, which apparently you agree with or seek to validate.

    Then one post later you ensure readers know (again) you won’t support Romney or Santorum unless they get the nomination. Seems a bit superfluous to me.

    Your blog sir, which I still enjoy reading after all these years. But I am really missing the point in some of this.

  • bogeyman

    Kennedy. after he drove off of Dykes bridge and then walked a couple of miles down a road, jumped in the Edgartown harbor, swam back to his hotel room and stayed up all night making phone calls while Mary Jo over a period of three hours suffocated to death as the air in the car gradually ran out.

  • johnt

    the sort of mindless trivia that the Dems and their lifegivers in the media do and enjoy. The Dems have a full time operation that does nothing but find whatever negative info they can on people who are their moral betters, no matter how minor the info. It is an alternative to normal thought and important issues, both alien to the twisted minds of the Party and the media.
    These are the same people untroubled with Obama’s past[ eg.20 yrs in a racist church] or Bill Clinton’s assault of Juanita Broderick.
    The problem is it works with the legions of Americas morons. That doesn’t mean Normal People have to spend time on it.

  • stumpy

    simplified. Historical analogies are always simplified. The general idea is that each candidate is attracting a certain segment of the electorate, acknowledging that the Republican electorate has shifted right on economic policy and size and scope of government and to a lesser extent on less interventionist foreign policy. This is illustrated by Romney’s support moving to the left while he has attempted to become more right.

  • http://boldcolor.blogspot.com/ Paula

    In one fell swoop he enraged the unions and law enforcement (one in the same, I suppose).

    From liberal Ohio blogger, Plunderbund:

    “If you are surprised by Kasich?s latest gaff ? calling a police office an idiot multiple times at his EPA meeting last month ? then obviously missed all of the warnings we gave you during the campaign. John Kasich has acted again and again like a selfish, arrogant jerk who thinks he deserves special treatment from everyone.”

    But the most honest and moving response came from Sara Haughn Winfield, the wife a deputy sheriff in Marion County who was killed in the line of duty.

    Sarah recounts personal stories of her own families run ins with people like John Kasich who have no respect for law enforcement officers.

    She also makes a great point: Kasich called the police office a jerk for enforcing a law that was put in place to protect police officers:

    ‘Thus I must conclude that you are calling this officer an idiot for nothing other than doing his job of enforcing the law. In this situation, a law I might point out was created to ensure the safety of the very officer you are calling an idiot. A law that dear friends of mine testified to have passed after their son was killed directing traffic at an accident scene because a car failed to yield to emergency vehicles and struck and killed their son and a firefighter.

    I have much more sympathy for their loss than I do for your inconveince of ticket and perceived attitude from a law enforcement officer. I don?t expect you to understand how passionate police officers are about the laws that are made to protect them because you have never had to stand at your partner?s door at 3AM and tell his wife that he is never coming home again and watch her sink in despair.’

    She ends with this, and so will I:

    ‘I am thankful I don?t allow my children to watch the news, so they won?t know what our Governer thinks of the profession their father gave his life for.”

    Insert Mitt’s face and a boat and you’ve got a killer ad, don’t you?

  • tailfins1959

    I’m curious how some “law-and-order” types react to the following video. I like that Romney knows first hand what it’s like to be harassed by the cops.

  • gwashington2012

    Erick what is name is losing blog cred fast…he is not doing his blog or the Tea Party an favors…he is making the Tea Party (whom he claims to supports) look bigoted, anti-religious, mean and whiney. Grow up Erick or you’ll continue to lose readers if you continue to fight Romney.

    When Romney wins the nomination, you will look like a fool and have to eat your words…and if you have to write supporting blogs in support the party nominee Romney against Obama, you will become the biggest flip-flopping bigot in the blogosphere.

    So Erick still has time to change his tune or at least soften his tune toward Romney, because when SC put Romney #1,2 or even 3, Erick will look foolish.

    Save your blog career Erick (but what do I care?). Don’t let you big headed-ness getting on TV now explode your head. Come down to earth, son, before you really need to look for work at the Huff Post or get your only guest appearances on MSNBC or some local Access Channel for Moose Lick, New Hampshire.

  • http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

    Banning is so passe; clinical banning doesn’t have the same frisson. And being clinical about the clinical banning is starting to lose its savor. But at what point does the entire thing become a post-ironic parody of itself?

    Anyway. Bye.

  • gymrat3560

    Almost all the establishment is for Romney and they’re pushing him on the electorate without vetting his weaknesses. Whatever the motives, E E is doing a good thing. A one term governor of a small state whose significant achievement is a bill Obamacare was modeled after and whose state was 47 out of 50 in job creation with him at the helm is NOT a good candidate. The GOP establishment needs the feedback.

  • Risky

    Mass is 14th by population, 12th by GDP.

  • Risky

    Mass is 14th by population, 12th by GDP.

  • gettingsl

    I am no Romney supporter but this is one really lame attack. There is plenty in his political record to say he isn’t a conservative and isn’t our best candidate, but this piece is just silly.

  • jakeofalltrades

  • gekster

    This is providing information on Romney.
    And if you read the article, there is no opinion either way, other than how the left will use it.
    The very first sentance:
    “It is such a silly thing, but it plays right into the left-wing attack on Mitt as an out of touch elitist”.

    Only leftists call truthfull information an attack.

  • david1313

    fill in the blank. Fire away, he is the one the adminstration wants, why can’t we see that. They have developed their line of attack against a Romney nomination for some time now. What do you thing the OWS stuff is really about?

  • tercel

    because your choice is Romney? Please! Everyone has a dog in this hunt or they would be off doing something else.

    State your case. Name your evidence. That is what EE is doing and it is appreciated. We all will eventually get behind the nominee even if we have to hold our noses.

    And as far as opening up a can of ammo on another Republican…you don’t think that Obama’s billion dollar war chest isn’t going to buy every piece of ammo and artillery available?

  • david1313

    because you wanted to be President of the United States. Romney’s life since 1994 has been all about becoming President. That is why he did not run for re-election in Mass. He could not win a second term. Romney is the worse sort of Politician, and can not be trusted. You, on the other hand, may be sincere. Mr. Romney is full of pious baloney. Probably ‘chicken’ baloney, the worse kind.

  • wlennon

    Sorry joshdunn, to me it’s not personal, it is the lack of being a Republican Liberal, he reminds me of Obama in the style he speaks, there is no fire in him. When Obama himself claims the Health Care act was based on what Romney did in Massachusetts.

    As far as his arrest, I couldn’t care less, that is in the past and very, very minor, Obama has broken much larger laws WHILE in Office…I just do not think he can beat Obama. I am not sure there is anyone who can out-debate Gingrich, he will rip into Obama in a NY second!

    Just my opinion…I think this story is not anything to hurt anyone, even if it had just happened.

  • ihateliberals

    Ronney claims to be better than the average bear nd yet here he is a Church member and using the F word. That is not very becoming in my opinon and I have been Mormon most of my life. If he can’t stick to church teachings how am i to expect him to stick to anything that he says.

  • ihateliberals

    McCain was a loser and so is Romney. This is like the GOP is trying to get Obama re-elected. What the heck are they thinking?

  • ihateliberals

    Obama has no experience and Romney runs companies into the ground. That’s like do I want ot shoot myself in the Left foot or the Right foot?

  • paco12348

    I understand Gingricch’s need to take Romney down because of the vicious ads in Iowa BUT Gingrich is destroying himself. If he could have countered in Iowa it would have been ok, but now the time has passed and it is only making Gingrich look petty and mean. I want to vote for Gingrich but I don’t like seeing this side of him.
    It’s too late, Newt. This is the NOW and it means sucking it up and concentrating on what you do best, talk to people and tell them what you want to change in the government and how you want to change it. That was what drew me into your circle, that is where your power lies. Use it to your advantage.

  • http://travismonitor.blogspot.com Freedoms Truth

    Dont know the real #, but pun intended.

    “He shoots, he scores.”

  • ihateliberals

    being an LDS person he is expected to have a higher ability with language than to resort to cursing. Faithful members don’t use that language and besides that it isn’t the fine or the launching particularly it is the arrogance of disobeying the law. we have a current President that feels he is above the law and breaks it at will. It might not mean anything to you not being LDS but to me it is a pretty big deal. If our Prophet or member of a bishopric or high council etc used that kind of language or was willfully being disrespectful to the police or breaking the lw they would not hold the position for very long. To me this says a bunch about his character. again those that use this language as a matter of course this means nothing.

  • ihateliberals

    Faithful members don?t use that language and besides that it isn?t the fine or the launching particularly it is the arrogance of disobeying the law. we have a current President that feels he is above the law and breaks it at will. It might not mean anything to you not being LDS but to me it is a pretty big deal. If our Prophet or member of a bishopric or high council etc used that kind of language or was willfully being disrespectful to the police or breaking the lw they would not hold the position for very long. To me this says a bunch about his character. again those that use this language as a matter of course this means nothing.

  • eldstenorge

    It shows he has no honor, that all he wants to do is destroy Romney and anyone who is prolife. Rick Santorum has stood up for morality in this nation. Erick talks of all these other issues, but if you are truly a Christian, you understand that moral issues are #1 on the list. John Adams: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” This is why we are where we are. We, as a people are no longer a “moral” people and things just do not work if we are not. And, with Rick Santorum, Erick makes a list of all the things he has done wrong. Well, some of them I question. The issue of social security is a misnomer, with Erick just looking for anything he can find to destroy anyone except Rick Perry, his favorite idiot. Social Security has to be changed, no matter what anyone says or how greedy they are. It is socialism and is has wrecked havoc on America and will continue to do so. I am 63 years old and have worked my whole life, since I was 13 years old. What they say I have earned in benefits is preposterous. How can a man and his wife begin to get by on $1,130.00 per month? It is an impossibility, especially after working for over 50 years. All they are trying to do is make the system solvent for those under 55, and that is something I have felt, my whole life, should be done, in fact, I think they should take it down to 45 to do so. Private accounts and investments, with some controls on them, which is also socialist, but we have to start somewhere, would be a great improvement. And, as much as I do not like Ron Paul, he was correct on earmarks yesterday in the debate. All spending is an earmark. What is objectionable is that he inserts them , saying they are unconstitutional and votes against them, and then tells us now that they are alright. You cannot have both sides of the coin. And, as far as Santorum endorsing Romney in 2008, I would have as well. Not only did Romney run more as a conservative then than he is this time, but compared to John McCain, at that time, he was much, much, much preferable. One of the biggest earmarks we have right now, which is really going to help us if Obama ever gets off his can and supports what Congress has done is the Keystone Pipeline. Experts have said it will be thousands of jobs, and that is what we need. Also, Rick Santorum says earmarks have gone way past what was ever intended and he supports eliminating them at this time. I believe in repentance, that is the Lord’s way. Remember, judge not lest ye be judged? Well, well, what can we say. Some know better than the Lord.

  • jakeofalltrades

    English Structure FTW.

  • Bill S

    Trying to decode unhinged babbling is not how I like spending my reading time…I’d rather read Calvin & Hobbes or something more substantive than eldstenorge’s, uh, “writing”

  • johnnyappleseed

    More principle than just a 50 dollar fine.

  • johnnyappleseed

    This is a case of Romney getting swifted for boat launching.
    Red State is starting to look like the MSM or an internet MSNBC, lets get back to supporting whoever is selected by the primary process, and focus on the retirement of the Big”O”.

  • annieq

    If you don’t like Mitt Romney – that is fine. But don’t try to seize any petty, non-issue to make the point as to why you don’t like Mitt Romney. I don’t know the details of the situation with the park ranger – and neither do you – but in most states if you refuse to sign a traffic ticket after you are stopped you will be arrested. Would that make anyone who refused to sign a ticket a horrible person deserving of non-stop media persecution? Obama’s people really must be desperate if this is the best they can do. I agree, as do millions of others in this country with the poster who said, “I will vote for anyone who isn’t Obama in 2012″, as do millions of others in this country.

  • JSobieski

    Obviously support or non-support for a candidate can depend on what they are running for and who they are running against.

  • johnnyappleseed

    ihateliberals, pull your head out, comparing Romney to McCain indeed, hater indeed!
    McCain run the dumbest campaign since I was old enough to vote, which is a helluva long time ago, dumber even than Doles.
    Romney is too well organiized, and that is why he is doing so well, so whether you like him or not, he is the most likely to be the next Republican canidate for president.

  • http://stevemaley.com Steve Maley

    Pray tell, how is the Keystone Pipeline an earmark?

    “Earmark” implies a federally funded pork project.

    Keystone XL, AFAIK, is a project funded by TransCanada, a private corporation.

    The pipeline does need Federal approval to proceed.

  • jakeofalltrades

  • tjms

    Erik wants to destroy anybody that is prolife and that Perry is an idiot. I guess they don’t realize that Perry is also prolife and therefore makes the poster look to be more of the idiot.

  • cbartlett

    Palin on FNC Judge Jeanine show this weekend:
    “I believe the mainstream media and Obama want to face Mitt Romney in the general election.”
    Pirro attempted to argue that Romney is allegedly the most “electable”.
    Palin’s reply:
    “Well my opinion is that I can see what’s coming, and that’s that the media will try to bolster Romney so they can tear him down.”

    The major media destruction won’t occur until AFTER the nomination is sewed up and Romney’s only opponent is Obama. Funny – isn’t that what happened to McCain & Palin 4 years ago?

  • johnt

    2nd, I don’t condone what Romney did, I only point out that the Democrats do this “full time” , reprehensible due to the fact they cannot address the issues head on and must resort to cheap character attacks, as in, did you notice, my Bush Headline.
    By all means, let it be a big deal for you, but why you should tell me this is beyond me, thanks, keep it to yourself, please.

  • carolynr

    nt

  • carolynr

    Look…I don’t care if it were about spitting on the street. It shows something about the person. Officer, who is in charge says no…and Romney goes right ahead and does it anyway. Then to further MAGNIFY his character…he threatens to sue the officer.

    Just think…I am speeding…the policeman tries to give me a ticket and I drive away. He catches me…and I tell him…I will sue you because I want to do what I want to do when I want to do it. GUESS WHERE I WIND UP THAT NIGHT? JAIL. But then…I’m not rich…I don’t have influence…and I can’t buy the judge.

  • olds88er

    I am a University trained Political Scientist. I also know the LDS religion well as a lot of my family are members and have been missionaries as young men and women.It is a worthy religion that does not accept taxpayer money. They even have their own welfare plan in place.Erick has wrongfully chosen to blast Romney as not conservative enough.We are not going to defeat Obama with a very conservative candidate as we need to pull in Independents and blue dog Democrats.Erick is having a Hissie because Romney is not acceptable to him. I have been a hard core Conservative since Gold water.Erick was in diapers (or less) at that time. I was a California delegate in Kansas City in 1976 when we tried to take the nomination from Ford for Reagan. Close, but no cigar. The name of this political game is to win in November and send Obama into a well earned retirement. So Erick, quit beating on Romney as you are going to look pretty stupid if he wins the nomination.

  • olds88er

    I am a University trained Political Scientist. I also know the LDS religion well as a lot of my family are members and have been missionaries as young men and women.It is a worthy religion that does not accept taxpayer money. They even have their own welfare plan in place.Erick has wrongfully chosen to blast Romney as not conservative enough.We are not going to defeat Obama with a very conservative candidate as we need to pull in Independents and blue dog Democrats.Erick is having a Hissie fit because Romney is not acceptable to him. I have been a hard core Conservative since Gold water.Erick was in diapers (or less) at that time. I was a California delegate in Kansas City in 1976 when we tried to take the nomination from Ford for Reagan. Close, but no cigar. The name of this political game is to win in November and send Obama into a well earned retirement. So Erick, quit beating on Romney as you are going to look pretty stupid if he wins the nomination.