Mitt Romney

We have lost faith in government, not in just one party, not in just one house, but in government. It is time for innovation and transformation in Washington.

Willard Mitt Romney (born 1947-03-12) is an American businessman and the 70th Governor of Massachusetts. Romney was CEO of Bain & Company, a management consulting firm, and co-founder of Bain Capital, a private equity investment firm. Romney successfully organized and steered the 2002 Winter Olympics as President and CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee.[1] Romney was a candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2008 United States presidential election.

1994 United States Senate campaign

• I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. I have since the time that my Mom took that position when she ran in 1970 as a U.S. Senate candidate. I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years we should sustain and support it.
  • United States Senatorial debate, October 1994.[2]

• Look, I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I’m not trying to take us back to Reagan-Bush.
  • United States Senatorial debate, October 1994, quoted in Geraghty, Jim (8 October 2007), "So What Did Romney Mean When He Said, 'I Was an Independent During Reagan-Bush'?", National Review Online, retrieved on 2011-12-29 

• As a result of [my campaign's] discussions and other interactions with gay and lesbian voters across the state, I am more convinced than ever that as we seek to establish full equality for America’s gay and lesbian citizens, I will provide more effective leadership than [Ted Kennedy].
  • Letter to Log Cabin Republicans Club, 1994 [3]

2002 gubernatorial campaign

• I think people recognize that I'm not a partisan Republican—that I'm someone who is moderate, and that my views are progressive.
  • Campaign appearance in Worcester, Massachusetts, quoted in Corn, David (13 December 2011), "Romney in 2002: I'm 'Moderate,' 'Progressive,' and 'Not a Partisan Republican' [Video]", Mother Jones, retrieved on 2011-12-18 

2003-2007 Governor of Massachusetts

• It would be impossible to reach unanimity on every aspect of our budget, but it’s clear there is widespread support for the concept of change. We face a choice between either cutting waste out of government, or facing a new job killing tax increase every year from here on out.
  • Press release, 2003-02-27 [4]

• The definition of marriage is so fundamental to society that it should not be decided by one court in [Massachusetts] or by one mayor in San Francisco. In [America], the people should decide. In America, the people are fair and tolerant. Let the people decide.
  • Press Release, 2004-02-24 [5]

• Senator Kerry now tells us he has a clear position on the [war on terror]. He voted no on [Desert Storm] in 1991 and yes on [Desert Shield] today. Then he voted no on [troop funding], just after he'd voted yes. He's campaigned against the [war] all year, but says he'd vote yes today. This nation can't afford [presidential leadership] that comes in 57 varieties.
  • Republican Convention Speech, 2004.

• I am in favor of stem cell research. I am not in favor of creating new human embryos through cloning.
  • Press conference, May 2005[6]

• For all the conflicting views on this issue, it speaks well of our country that we recognize [abortion] as a problem. The [law] may call it a right, but no one ever called it a good, and, in the quiet of conscience people of both political parties know that more than a million abortions a year cannot be squared with the good heart of America.
  • "Why I vetoed the contraception bill". Boston Globe. 2005-07-26. 

• We cannot continue to have an excellence gap with the rest of the world and intend to remain the [economic superpower] and [military superpower] of the planet. That's just not going to happen. We're in a position where unless we take action, we'll end up being the [France] of the 21st century: a lot of talk, but not a lot of strength behind it in terms of economic capability.
  • Boston Globe. 2005-11-16. 

• I'm not happy exporting jobs but we must move ahead in technology and patents. I don't like losing any jobs but we'll see new opportunities created selling products there. We'll have a net net increase in economic activity, just as we did with free trade. It's tempting to want to protect our markets and stay closed. But at some point it all comes crashing down and you're hopelessly left behind. Then you are Russia.
  • "Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's Message: Globalize or Die", CRN.com, 2005-12-16[7]

• The [president] is right to point to an international [jihadist] movement aimed at the collapse of the United States. He has gone after that threat in the right way and with great energy and vigor, and I applaud the fact that he has taken it on very seriously and has not considered it just a criminal action but instead a war action, which requires a military ... response.
  • Interview with James Taranto, December 2005.

• I think we ought to have more oil. We ought to develop more sources of oil so that we can increase our supply. But the last thing I want to do is suck it all dry as quickly as we can. I want to use less of it.
  • Interview on Hardball with Chris Matthews, December 2005.

• I wouldn't presume to present a plan different from that of the President. But I believe he was right to take on the war on terror on an aggressive front rather than a defensive front. We toppled the government ... walking away would mean a humanitarian disaster. We're there and we have a responsibility to finish the job.
  • Interview with Bill O'Reilly, 2006-09-27

2007 campaign for Republican nomination for United States President

• I frankly can't wait, because the idea of Bill Clinton back in the White House with nothing to do is something I just can't imagine, I can't imagine the American people can imagine....
  • In response to the question, "How would you run against Hillary and Bill Clinton in November?", MSNBC, Republican Presidential Candidate Debate, FL, 2007-01-25

• We have lost faith in government, not in just one party, not in just one house, but in government. It is time for innovation and transformation in Washington. It is what our country needs. It is what our people deserve...I do not believe Washington can be transformed from within by a lifelong politician. There have been too many deals, too many favors, too many entanglements -- and too little real world experience managing, guiding, leading.
  • "Romney formally kicks off presidential bid". MSNBC. 2007-02-13. 

• America cannot continue to lead the family of nations around the world if we suffer the collapse of the family here at home.
  • Press Conference: Announcing Candidacy for Presidency, 2007-02-13[8]

• I believe the family is the foundation of America -- and that we must fight to protect and strengthen it. I believe in the sanctity of human life. I believe that people and their elected representatives should make our laws, not unelected judges.
  • Press Conference: Announcing Candidacy for Presidency, 2007-02-13[9]

• And I hear from time to time people say, hey, wait a second, we have civil liberties we have to worry about. But don't forget the most important civil liberty I expect from my government is my right to be kept alive, and that's what we're going to have to do.
  • Fox News, Republican Presidential Candidate Debate, Durham, NH, 2007-09-05

• Actually, just look at what Osam- Barack Obama said just yesterday. Barack Obama calling on radicals, jihadists of all different types, to come together in Iraq.
  • While campaigning in Greenwood, SC; 2007-10-24, quoted in Countdown with Keith Olbermann, MSNBC, 24 October 2007 

Faith in America speech

Delivered at the George Herbert Walker Bush Presidential Library, Texas (2007-12-06) - Full text at Wikisource

• Religious tolerance would be a shallow principle indeed if it were reserved only for faiths with which we agree.

• The fundamental principle of faith of Judeo Christian (belief) is there is a God, who is our heavenly Father and all the people on this earth and every speck of humanity on this earth is a creation of God ... And every creation of humanity is a child of God.

• Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone.

• My faith is the faith of my fathers - I will be true to them and to my beliefs. Some believe that such a confession of my faith will sink my candidacy. If they are right, so be it. But I think they underestimate the American people. Americans do not respect believers of convenience. Americans tire of those who would jettison their beliefs, even to gain the world.

• These American values, this great moral heritage, is shared and lived in my religion as it is in yours. I was taught in my home to honor God and love my neighbor. I saw my father march with Martin Luther King.
  • Romney later admitted he didn't actually "see" them march together, but believes that they did march together.[10]

• We separate church and state affairs in this country, and for good reason. No religion should dictate to the state nor should the state interfere with the free practice of religion. But in recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning. They seek to remove from the public domain any acknowledgment of God. Religion is seen as merely a private affair with no place in public life. It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America - the religion of secularism. They are wrong.

• We are a nation under God, and in God we do indeed trust. We should acknowledge the Creator, as did the founders, in ceremony and word. He should remain on our currency, in the Pledge, in the teaching of our history…

2008

• This election, this presidential election, I think has underscored underneath it several times. We want change. And it‘s not change in the White House so much, as change in Washington.
  • Countdown with Keith Olbermann, MSNBC, 4 January 2008 

• I am convinced that unless America changes course, we will become the France of the 21st Century - still a great nation, but no longer the leader of the world.
  • "Romney suspends White House bid". BBC News. 2008-02-08. 

2009

• Like other presidents before him, Barack Obama inherited a recession. But unlike them, he has made it worse, not better.
  • "Mr. President, here's how to lift our economy". USA Today. 2009-12-03. 

2010

No Apology: The Case for American Greatness

No Apology: The Case for American Greatness. New York: St. Martin's Press. LCC JK275.R66 2010. ISBN 9780312609801. OCLC 428026768. 

• [A way] one could repair Social Security . . . [would be to] gradually increase the retirement age. This does have a certain logic to it: the average American's life expectancy has risen by more than ten years since Social Security was created. Increasing the retirement age by even one or two years would help get the system closer to sustainability.
  • Chapter 6, pgs. 158 - 159

• Returning Medicare to solid footing represents our greatest entitlement challenge. . . . Like Social Security, Medicare is currently being rocked by the swelling numbers of baby-boomer retirees. . . . [However] the rising cost of health care adds just as much to the weight of the Medicare burden as does the age wave. . . . So it is healthcare itself that must be brought under control if we are to keep our Medicare bills from overwhelming the next generation.
  • Chapter 6, pgs. 162 - 163

• Choosing education is a very good decision, not only good for the student, but also for our country. The United States was the first nation in history to recognize that public education for every citizen, regardless of class or station, was vital to its future . . .
  • Chapter 8, pg. 196

2011

• Barack Obama is facing a financial emergency on a grander scale. Yet his approach has been to engage in one of the biggest peacetime spending binges in American history.
  • "Mitt Romney: Obama isn't serious about America's financial health". New Hampshire Union Leader. 2011-04-25. Retrieved on 2011-04-26. 
  • At his writing, the United States had troops fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya.

• Barack Obama has failed America. When he took office, the economy was in recession. He made it worse. And he made it last longer. Three years later, over 16 million Americans are out of work or have just quit looking. Millions more are underemployed. Three years later, unemployment is still above 8%, a figure he said his stimulus would keep from happening. Three years later, foreclosures are still at record levels. Three years later the prices of homes continue to fall. Three years later, our national debt has grown nearly as large as our entire economy. Families are buried under higher prices for food and higher prices for gasoline. It breaks my heart to see what’s happening in this country. These failing hopes make up President Obama’s own misery index. It’s never been higher.
  • Mitt Romney 2012 Presidential Campaign Announcement Speech

• Corporations are people, my friend ... course they are!
  • Speech in Iowa, August 2011, quoted in "‘Corporations Are People,’ Romney Tells Iowa Hecklers Angry Over His Tax Policy". New York Times. 2011-08-12. 

• Mitt Romney: Well, but will the people in Nevada not have to pay Nevada sales tax and in addition pay the 9% tax?
  Herman Cain: Governor Romney, you're doing the same thing that they're doing. You're mixing apples and oranges. You're going to pay —
  Mitt Romney: I'm —
  Herman Cain: No, no, no, no. You're going to pay the state sales tax, no matter what.
  Mitt Romney: Right.
  Herman Cain: Whether you throw out the existing code and you put in our plan, you're still going to pay that. That's apples and oranges.
  Mitt Romney: Fine. And I'm going to be getting a bushel basket that has apples and oranges in it because I've got to pay both taxes, and the people in Nevada don't want to pay both taxes.
  • CNN Republican presidential debate, Los Angeles, 2011-10-18, quoted in "Apples and Oranges: Mitt Rings Cain's Bell", Fox Nation, 18 October 2011, retrieved on 2011-10-23 
  • on Herman Cain's "9-9-9" tax plan

• [M]any Tea Party folks are going to find me, I believe, to be the ideal candidate.
  • Town hall event in Charleston, South Carolina, December 17, 2011, quoted in Haake, Garrett; Weinberg, Ali (2011-12-17). Romney says he could be Tea Party's 'Ideal Candidate'. msnbc.com. Retrieved on 2011-12-18.

2012

• I like being able to fire people who provide services to me. You know, if someone doesn't give me a good service that I need, I want to say I'm going to go get someone else to provide that service to me.
  • Speech to Chamber of Commerce in Nashua, New Hampshire, January 9, 2012, quoted in Jacobson, Louis (2012-1-11). In context: Does Mitt Romney like firing people?. politifact.com. Retrieved on 2012-1-15.

• Jorge Ramos: You just released your tax returns. In 2010 you only paid 13% of taxes while most Americans paid much more than that. Is that fair?
  Mitt Romney Well, actually, I released two years of taxes and I think the average is almost 15%. And then also, on top of that, I gave another more 15% to charity. When you add it together with all of the taxes and the charity, particularly in the last year, I think it reaches almost 40% that I gave back to the community. One of the reasons why we have a lower tax rate on capital gains is because capital gains are also being taxed at the corporate level. So as businesses earn profits, that’s taxed at 35%, then as they distribute those profits as dividends, that's taxed at 15% more. So, all total, the tax rate is really closer to 45 or 50%.
  Jorge Ramos: But is it fair what you pay, 13%, while most pay much more than that?
  Mitt Romney Well, again, I go back to the point that the, that the funds are being taxed twice at two different levels.
  • interview with Univision
  • Legum, Judd (25 January 2012), "Watch Mitt Spin: Romney Claims His Real Tax Rate Is ‘Closer To 45 Or 50 Percent’", Think Progress 

• I believe in an America where millions of Americans believe in an America that’s the America millions of Americans believe in. That’s the America I love.
  • 2012 stump speech, quoted in Steyn, Mark (2012-1-22). "The Man Who Gave Us Newt". National Review. Retrieved on 2012-02-02.

• I'm not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there. If it needs repair, I'll fix it.
  • CNN Interview, quoted in Park, Ashley (2012-2-1). "Romney’s ‘Poor’ Remark Resonates". New York Times. Retrieved on 2012-02-12.

• America needs a president who can fix the economy because he understands the economy, and I do and I will.
  • Nevada Caucus 2012 victory speech, watch on youtube (07:27)

About Mitt Romney

• That's one of the things that I like about him — because he’s been consistent since he changed his mind.
  • Christine O'Donnell, CNN, 2011-12-14, quoted in Lee, MJ (14 December 2011), "Christine O’Donnell: I like Mitt Romney's flip", Politico, retrieved on 2011-12-15 
• As my colleagues Greg Sargent and Paul Krugman have been insisting, Romney is saying things about the president that are flatly, grossly and shamefully untrue.
  • E. J. Dionne, Jr.,"Obama: The conservative in 2012", The Washington Post, 25 December 2011, retrieved on 2011-12-27