Mitt Romney

His Excellency Mitt Romney
File:Mitt romney.JPG
70th Governor of Massachusetts
In office January, 2003 – present
Lieutenant	Kerry Healey
Preceded by	Jane M. Swift (acting)
Personal details
Born	March 12, 1947 Detroit, Michigan
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Ann Romney
Profession	Founder, Bain Capital

Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is the 70th Governor of Massachusetts. He is currently in his first term as Governor, serving until 2007. He has stated he will not seek re-election in 2006.[5] Romney also serves as the chairman the Republican Governors Association and honorary chairman of The Commonwealth Political Action Committee.

Before becoming Governor, Romney rose to prominence in an unsuccessful 1994 campaign against Senator Ted Kennedy and as CEO and organizer of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He is frequently considered a possible candidate for the 2008 presidential election.

Biography

Mitt Romney was born March 12, 1947 in Detroit, Michigan and is the son of former Governor of Michigan and Presidential candidate George W. Romney. He and Ann have been married 36 years and have five sons (Tagg, Matt, Josh, Ben and Craig) and nine grandchildren. Ann was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998.

Education

Romney graduated from the Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills (which was then an all-male school allied with the Kingswood School, but they have now merged to become the Cranbrook Kingswood School). He met his future wife, Ann Davies (born in 1949), when she was at the Kingswood School.

After attending Stanford University for two quarters, Romney served for two and one-half years as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in France . Upon returning from his mission, he transferred universities and subsequently received his B.A. with Highest Honors and as valedictorian from Brigham Young University in 1971. In 1975, Romney was awarded an MBA from Harvard Business School and was named a Baker scholar. In 1975 he also received his JD, cum laude, from Harvard Law School.

Business

Prior to being elected governor, Romney was a cofounder and managing partner of Bain Capital, a Boston private equity firm.

From 1978 to 1984, Romney was a Vice President of Bain & Company, Inc., a Boston-based management consulting firm. Later, as the company's CEO, he led it through a highly successful turnaround. Today, Bain & Company has 31 offices in 19 countries and over 2800 employees.

In 1984, Romney co-founded Bain Capital, one of the nation's most successful venture capital investment companies. Among the first companies it invested in was Staples, an office-supply store. In 1986 Staples, Inc., had one store. Today it has nearly 1,700. Bain Capital founded, acquired or invested in hundreds of companies including Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Brookstone, Domino's, Sealy and The Sports Authority.

CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee

Romney first obtained national attention with the 2002 Winter Olympics being held in Salt Lake City. In 1999 the event was $379 million short of its revenue goals, and there were damaging allegations of bribery involving top officials. In an effort to avoid a major embarrassment, Romney was asked to lead the organization of the games. A massive restructuring of the games leadership and policies was undertaken. Under his leadership, the 2002 Winter Olympics turned into a spectacular success, clearing a profit of $100 million. Romney himself contributed $1 million, and donated his three years of pay ($275,000 per annum) to charity. He wrote a book about his experience called Turn Around

Political Campaigns

1994 Campaign for US Senate

In 1994, Romney was the Massachusetts Republican Party's nominee for U.S. Senate after he defeated businessman John Lakian in the primary. In the general election, Romney captured 41% of the vote versus Senator Ted Kennedy's 58% in the closest election of Kennedy's long Senate career. Pre-election polling had the two much closer than this and so the "scare" that Romney put to Kennedy endeared him to many of Massachusetts Republican voters.

2002 Campaign for Governor

In 2002, Lieutenant Governor Jane Swift, who had served as acting governor since the resignation of Governor Paul Cellucci was expected to run for the corner office. Swift was viewed as an unpopular executive, and her administration was plagued by political missteps and personal scandals. As a result, many Republicans viewed her as a liability who would be unable to win a general election against a Democrat. The state GOP needed a strong candidiate to help them retain the corner office, and prominent party activists launched a campaign to draft Mitt Romney to run for governor[6]. One poll taken at this time showed that Republicans favored Romney over Swift by a margin of more than 50 percentage points. With growing speculation that Romney would challenge Swift in what would be a bruising primary battle, Swift decided not to seek her party's nomination.

During the general election Romney ran on a reform platform, as a major issue in the election was a serious state budget crisis. Supporters of Romney hailed his business record, especially his success with the 2002 Olympics, as that of one who would be able to bring in a new era of efficiency into Massachusetts politics. His opponents, on the other hand, cited his lack of government experience and claimed that he was ineligible to run for governor, citing issues regarding residency. The state Constitution requires seven consecutive years of residency before a run, and Romney had claimed residency in Utah as recently as 2000. State democrats filed a complaint with the Massachusetts State Ballot Law Commission, and the panel eventually ruled that Romney was eligible to run for office.

Romney was elected Governor in November 2002 over Democrat Shannon O'Brien, Green-Rainbow Party candidate Jill Stein, and Libertarian Carla Howell (50%, 45%, 4%, 1% respectively).

Governorship

Mitt Romney was sworn in as the 70th governor of Massachusetts on January 2, 2003. His Lieutenant Governor is Kerry Healey. Romney was selected in 2005 to head the Republican Governors Association.[7]

Romney announced in 2005 that he will not seek re-election for a second term as Governor of the Commonwealth, fueling speculation that he is preparing a run at the White House in 2008. Current Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey has accepted the Republican nomination for the 2006 Massachusetts gubernatorial race [8].

Health Care

On April 12, 2006, Governor Romney signed legislation to provide health insurance to virtually all citizens of Massachusetts without raising taxes.[9] Working with conservative groups such as the Heritage Foundation and Democrats in the state legislature, Romney developed a plan that stresses personal responsibility in paying for coverage and provides funding for low-income residents. Starting in July 2007, health insurance will be mandatory for all state residents, provided a plan is available to the individual that is deemed affordable according to state standards. Lower income individuals will be eligible for subsidies to purchase health insurance.

As of March, 2006 there were approximately 500,000 uninsured citizens in Massachusetts. Those who are uninsured commonly use emergency rooms as a source of primary care because of their lack of health insurance coverage.[10] Massachusetts hospitals are required to provide care even if a patient cannot pay for it. As a result, hospitals have been left with unpaid bills and mounting expenses to care for the uninsured. "People who don't have insurance nonetheless receive health care," said Romney. "And it's expensive."[11]

In Massachusetts, a roughly $800 million fund known as the "uncompensated care pool" is used to partially reimburse hospitals for these expenses. The fund's revenue comes from an annual assessment on employers, insurance providers and hospitals, plus contributions of state and federal tax dollars. Governor Romney's plan redirects money from this fund to subsidize health care costs for low-income residents of Massachusetts. The Romney Administration consulted with MIT professor Jonathan Gruber to study the state's population and health care needs. They determined that there was enough money in the "free care pool" to implement the Governor's plans without additional funding or taxes.[12] A separate study by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Massachusetts found that universal coverage would require substantial additional state spending. [13]

The legislature amended Romney's plan somewhat, adding a Medicaid expansion for children and imposing an assessment on firms with 11 or more workers who do not offer health coverage. The assessment is intended to equalize the contributions to the free care pool from employers that offer and do not offer coverage. The legislature also rejected Romney's provision allowing high-deductible health plans.

The new Massachusetts health care legislation establishes a system to provide citizens with private, affordable, market based insurance. The state will work to enroll all residents eligible for Medicaid and subsidize private insurance policies for low income individuals[14]. A sliding scale based on income is used to determine the amount of money a person contributes to their policy. The higher the income, the higher the premium. Individuals who can afford health coverage but chose not to purchase a policy will now be required by law to acquire insurance. Failure to purchase health insurance if an affordable policy is available would result in tax penalties.[15]

The legislation also establishes a device developed by the Heritage Foundation known as the "Connector." The Connector allows Massachusetts citizens to "purchase health insurance with pretax dollars, even if their employer makes no contribution. The connector enables pretax payments, simplifies payroll deduction, permits prorated employer contributions for part-time employees, reduces insurer marketing costs, and makes it efficient for policies to be entirely portable. Because small businesses may use the connector, it gives them even greater bargaining power than large companies."[16]

Romney vetoed 8 sections of the health care legislation, including a $295 dollar per person fee on businesses with 11 employees or more that do not provide health insurance.[17][18] Romney also vetoed provisions providing dental benefits to poor residents on the Medicaid program, and providing health coverage to senior and disabled legal immigrants not eligible for federal Medicaid.[19][20] The legislature overrode all of the vetoes.

Further information: [[:Healthcare in Massachusetts]]

Education

In 2004, Governor Romney established the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship Program to reward the top 25 percent of Massachusetts high school students with a four-year, tuition-free scholarship to Massachusetts’ state university or colleges. He has also drafted other education reforms, including the recruitment of 1,000 skilled math and science instructors, bonuses of as much as $15,000 a year for top-performing teachers, and new intervention programs for failing schools.

Additionally, Romney began advocating for a nationwide focus on education through the recruitment of and better pay for math and science teachers, and allowing state governments to take control of underperforming schools after three instead of the six-year period that is now in place.

Speaking of the education provided to minority students, Romney said, "I really believe that the failure of our urban schools and, in some cases our suburban schools, to help minority students achieve the levels that are necessary for success in the workplace is the civil rights issue of our time."

In 1994 Governor Romney pledged to vote to establish a means-tested school voucher program to allow students to attend the public or private school of their choice. He also supported abolishing the federal Department of Education and favored keeping control of educational reform at the lowest level, closest to parents, teachers, and the community (Boston Globe review of 1994 campaign issues Mar 21, 2002)

In April of 2006, Romney outlined his 6-point plan for improving the country's education in an Op/Ed in the Washington Times.[21]

Budget Balancing

Upon entering office, Romney faced a $3 billion deficit. Facing an immediate fiscal crisis, the Governor asked the state legislature for emergency powers to make "9C" cuts to the fiscal year 2003 budget. Refusing to raise taxes, Romney cut spending and restructured state government.[22]. An unexpected windfall in capital gains taxes reduced the deficit by $1.3 billion, and Romney raised an extra $500 million in revenue by increasing hundreds of fees (such as driver's license and marriage license fees) and by closing tax "loopholes." The state also cut spending by $1.6 billion, including $700 million in reductions in state aid to cities and towns.[23] In response, cities and towns became more reliant on local revenue to pay for municipal services and schools.

Massachusetts finished 2004 with a $700 million surplus and 2005 with a $500 million surplus.[24] [25].

With the help of a reviving economy, Romney was able to balance the state budget and replenish the states' "rainy day fund" through government consolidation and reform. As a result of the fiscal turnaround, Romney has repeatedly pushed the state legislature to roll back the state income tax from 5.3% to 5.0% (Massachusetts has a flat income tax).

Same-Sex Marriage

Romney has strongly opposed same-sex marriage and civil unions. He has continually stressed the need to protect the institution of marriage while denouncing discrimination against gays and lesbians. "Like me, the great majority of Americans wish both to preserve the traditional definition of marriage and to oppose bias and intolerance directed towards gays and lesbians," said Romney in a 2004 interview.[26]

On June 2nd, 2006 Governor Romney sent a letter to each member of the U.S. Senate urging them to vote in favor of the Marriage Protection Amendment (entire letter can be viewed at this link [27]). In the letter, Romney stated that the debate over same-sex unions is not a discussion about "tolerence," but rather a "debate about the purpose of the instituion of marriage." Romney wrote that "Attaching the word marriage to the association of same-sex individuals mistakenly presumes that marriage is principally a matter of adult benefits and adult rights. In fact, marriage is principally about the nurturing and development of children. And the successful development of children is critical to the preservation and success of our nation."

Romney's letter was his second attempt to persuade the U.S. Senate to pass the Marriage Protection Amendment. On June 22, 2004 he testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, urging its members to protect the traditional definition of marriage. "Marriage is not an evolving paradigm," said Romney, "but is a fundamental and universal social institution that bears a real and substantial relation to the public health, safety, morals, and general welfare of all of the people of Massachusetts."[28]

Romney was heavily involved in attempts to block implementation of the decision of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court that legalized same-sex marriage in 2003. Romney criticized the decision as harming the rights of children:

"They viewed marriage as an institution principally designed for adults. Adults are who they saw. Adults stood before them in the courtroom. And so they thought of adult rights, equal rights for adults ... Marriage is also for children. In fact, marriage is principally for the nurturing and development of children. The children of America have the right to have a father and a mother."[29]

In 2004 the Massachusetts Legislature attempted to address the issue of gay marriage before the implementation of the Goodridge decision. During a constitutional convention, the heavily democratic legislature approved an amendment that would have banned gay marriage, but established civil unions. An initial amendment offered by House Speaker Thomas Finnernan that would have simply banned gay marraige without a provision for civil unions was narrowly defeated [30].The compromise amendment needed to be approved in a second constitutional convention to be held a year later before it would have appeared on a state election ballot. The amendment was voted down in the subsequent convention and never made it before the voters of Massachusetts.

Romney reluctantly backed the compromise amendment, viewing it as the only feasible way to ban gay marriage in Massachusetts. "If the question is, 'Do you support gay marriage or civil unions?' I'd say neither," Romney said of the amendment. "If they said you have to have one or the other, that Massachusetts is going to have one or the other, then I'd rather have civil unions than gay marriage. But I'd rather have neither."[31]

In September 2005, Romney abandoned his support for the compromise amendment, claiming that the amendment confused voters who oppose both gay marriage and civil unions. The amendment was defeated in the legislature in 2005 when both supporters of same-sex marriage and opponents of civil unions voted against it. In June 2005, Romney endorsed a petition effort by the Coalition for Marriage and Family that would ban gay marriage and make no provisions for civil unions. [32]

The Romney Administration resurrected the "1913 law," which prohibits non-residents from marrying in Massachusetts if the marriage would be void in their home state; the law had not been enforced for several decades. Some legal experts have argued that the original purpose of the legislation was to block interracial marriages and have noted that the law was enacted at the height of public scandal over black heavyweight boxer Jack Johnson's interracial marriages[33][34] , while Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas Reilly has stated that the law had nothing to do with race.[35] In March of 2006 the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court declared the statute legal under the state's constitution.[36] Romney applauded the decision, saying that the "ruling is an important victory for traditional marriage." He also stated that "It would have been wrong for the Supreme Judicial Court to impose its mistaken view of marriage on the rest of the country. The continuing threat of the judicial redefinition of marriage, here and in several other states, is why I believe that the best and most reliable way to preserve the institution of marriage is to pass an amendment to the U.S. Constitution." [37]

When he ran for governor in 2002, Romney declared his opposition to both same-sex marriage and civil unions.[38] He also voiced support for basic domestic partnership benefits for gay couples. Romney told the Log Cabin Club of Massachusetts (a Republican gay-rights group) that he did not support same-sex marriage, but would fight discrimination against gays and lesbians. He also opposed an amendment, then before the Legislature, that would have banned same-sex marriage and outlawed all domestic partnership benefits for gay couples. As a result, the Log Cabin Club endorsed Romney in the gubernatorial election. [39]. When campaigning in 2002, Romney's stated position was that "all citizens deserve equal rights, regardless of sexual orientation" and that "homosexuals should have the right to a domestic partnership status that affords them the potential for health benefits and rights of survivorship." [40]

During his 1994 campaign against Senator Edward Kennedy, Romney said that same-sex marriage "is not appropriate at this time" but supported Federal legislation that would prohibit discrimination in the workplace against homosexuals.

Further information: [[:Same-sex marriage in Massachusetts]]

Death Penalty

In December 2004, Romney announced plans to file a death penalty bill in early 2005. [41] The bill, filed April 28, 2005, sought to reinstate the death penalty in cases that include terrorism, the assassination of law enforcement officials and multiple killings. The legislation would have required corroborating scientific evidence, multiple layers of review and a new "no doubt" standard of proof.

Romney's critics made arguments against the death penalty and claimed that Romney's complex scheme for trying capital cases is unworkable and a waste of prosecutorial resources. It is estimated that under Romney's plan, trying a capital case could cost upwards of US$3,000,000, while the cost of incarcerating a convicted felon in a maximum security facility in Massachusetts is $48,000 per year.[42]

Ultimately, the Massachusetts House of Representatives, which is controlled by a Democratic party supermajority, defeated the bill 99-53.

Drunk Driving: Melanie's Bill

In May of 2005 Governor Romney presented a proposal to the Massachusetts Legislature to crack down on repeat drunk drivers. Massachusetts had some of the weakest drunk driving laws of any state in the country.[43] The state was losing 9 million dollars annually from its highway budget because existing laws were not in compliance with federal standards.[44] Romney dubbed the legislation “Melanie’s Bill” in honor of 13-year-old Melanie Powell. Melanie was killed in 2003 by a repeat drunk driver while walking to the beach with friends. The bill included provisions that gave prosecutors greater power to go after repeat offenders with stiffer penalties. It also increased license suspensions, raised sentencing guidelines and required repeat drunk drivers to install ignition-interlock devices in their vehicles. Governor Romney urged Massachusetts residents to contact their representatives and ask them to adopt the tough new laws. Prominent members of the legislature were themselves trial lawyers and made their living defending repeat drunk drivers.[45] House Judiciary Committee stripped many of the tough new provisions of Melanie’s Law and sent a watered-down version to an eventual conference committee.[46] The scaled back version of the legislation that reached the Governor’s desk bore little resemblance to Romney’s original plan. In response, the Governor filed amendments to restore some of the key provisions that had been omitted by the legislature. Appearing with families of drunk driving victims at State House press conferences, Romney rallied public support for Melanie’s Bill.[47] A massive outcry in favor of the Governor’s plan forced the state legislature to consider Romney’s amendments. Pressured by angry constituents and negative media coverage, the House and the Senate restored many of the tough provisions included in the original legislation. In October of 2005 Romney signed Melanie’s Bill into law, creating the toughest drunk driving regulations in Massachusetts history.[48]

Abortion

Romney has identified himself as a pro-life politician. He does not support abortion except in cases of rape, incest, and when the life of a mother is threatened.[49] Romney has been a vocal opponent of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, criticizing the “one size fits all” statute created by the ruling.[50] The Governor believes each state should have the right to determine its own abortion laws, voicing support for efforts in states such as South Dakota to regulate abortion within its borders.[51]

Prior to his run for governor Romney told a newspaper in Salt Lake City Utah that he did not want to be classified as a "pro-choice" politician.[52]

During the 2002 governor's race, Romney voiced his personal opposition to abortion, but promised to maintain the Massachusetts abortion laws if elected. Romney's platform stated, "As Governor, Mitt Romney would protect the current pro-choice status quo in Massachusetts. No law would change. The choice to have an abortion is a deeply personal one. Women should be free to choose based on their own beliefs, not the government’s."[53] Although he told voters that he was personally opposed to abortion, Romney said that he would respect the will of the pro-choice majority in Massachusetts. Referenceing the established abortion laws in Massachusetts, Romney said that he would "preserve and protect a woman’s right to choose...I will not change any provisions in Massachusetts’ pro-choice laws."[54]

Romney has said that his views on abortion have "evolved" and "changed" since 2002 such that he now considers himself a "pro-life governor" who wishes "the laws of our nation could reflect that view." [55][56]

In 1994, Romney also said that he was personally opposed to abortion. He also said that he became committed to legalized abortion after the death of a family friend in an illegal abortion made him see "that regardless of one's beliefs about choice, you would hope it would be safe and legal."

"Many years ago, I had a dear, close family relative that was very close to me who passed away from an illegal abortion," Romney said in a televised debate opposite Senator Edward Kennedy. "It is since that time my mother and my family have been committed to the belief that we can believe as we want, but we will not force our beliefs on others on that matter. And you will not see me wavering on that." The person Romney was referring to was a teenage girl engaged to marry a member of Romney's extended family. Romney's sister Jane has said that the girl's death changed the family's perspective on the legality of abortion. "With my mom, that was a personal thing because we had a tragedy close to us -- not in our immediate family, but a young girl who actually was engaged and had an illegal abortion and died." "She was a beautiful, talented young gal we all loved. And it pretty much ruined the parents -- their only daughter. You would do anything not to repeat that." [57]

Romney has said he has kept his campaign promises. Romney vetoed an emergency contraception bill in July 2005, claiming that allowing it to pass into law would violate his "moratorium" on changes to the abortion laws.[58] Romney's critics accuse him of grandstanding for the purpose of polishing up his pro-life credentials, for a possible run for the presidency in 2008.

Stem Cell Research

Although Romney has stated that he supports the use of surplus embryos from fertility clinics for stem-cell research, he vetoed a Massachusetts bill to fund stem-cell research because the legislation allowed the cloning of human embryos. "I am not in favor of creating new human embryos through cloning," said Romney, calling the practice a "a matter of profound moral and ethical consequence." Romney also opposed the legislation because of its assertion that life does not begin until an embryo is implanted in a uterus. "It is very conceivable that scientific advances will allow an embryo to be grown for a substantial period of time outside the uterus," Romney said in an interview with the Boston Globe. "To say that it is not life at one month or two months or four months or full term, just because it had never been in a uterus, would be absurd." [59][60] The state legislature overrode Romney's veto, with many legislators feeling that stem-cell research will be important in the future to the state's biotech industry.[61].

In-State Tuition Bill

Romney vetoed a bill in 2004 that would have allowed illegal immigrants to obtain in-state tuition rates at state colleges if they graduated from a Massachusetts high school after attending it for at least three years and signed an affidavit affirming that they intended to seek citizenship. Romney vowed to veto the bill again if it ever made it to his desk, arguing that the bill would cost the state government $15 million and that the state should not reward illegal immigration. [62][63] In 2005, the bill was reintroduced to the House, backed by Representative Marie St. Fleur. The in-state immigrant tuition bill was brought to another vote on January 11, 2006 and was overwhelmingly defeated by a total of 96-57 [64]. Romney applauded the decision.

One Laptop Per Child Initiative

File:Nn romney.jpg

Governor Romney with Nicholas Negroponte unveiling the $100 laptop.

Duplicating a successful program in nearby Maine, in September 2005, Romney submitted a bill to the legislature to deliver $100 laptops to all children in Massachusetts. This project would cost $54 million.

Environment

Romney supports regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, primarily through voluntary measures[65] He issued a 72-point Climate Protection Plan. His staffers spent more than $500,000 negotiating the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI--pronounced "Reggie"), which Romney praised in November 2005, saying "I'm convinced it is good business." As plan details were being worked out, Romney pushed for a cap on fees charged to businesses who exceed emission limits citing concerns of increased consumer energy costs. He stated: "New England has the highest energy rates in the country, and RGGI would cost us more." This ongoing disagreement eventually led Romney, in December, 2005, to pull out of RGGI and Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri quickly followed suit.

In 2003, Romney appointed environmental advocate Douglas I. Foy (former president of the Conservation Law Foundation) to head the state development office.[66]. Foy resigned in February of 2006 after Romney announced he would not seek re-election.[67]

Romney and Senator Ted Kennedy oppose the controversial Cape Wind offshore wind farm proposal stating they like the idea, but disliked the visual detriment to the Nantucket area. Romney's position is that Nantucket "is a critical location for the state, and placing wind turbines there would be detrimental".[68]

Other Issues

• Gun Control: "Mitt Romney supports the strict enforcement of gun laws. He is a supporter of the federal assault weapons ban. Mitt also believes in the rights of those who hunt to responsibly own and use firearms."[69]
• Minimum Wage: In 2002, Romney proposed an increase in the Massachusetts minimum wage, arguing "I do not believe that indexing the minimum wage will cost us jobs. I believe it will help us retain jobs." However, he failed to convince the state legislature to pass his minimum wage increase. In his 1994 Senate campaign, Romney endorsed an increase in the federal minimum wage after TV ads from Ed Kennedy blasted Romney for opposing an increase in the minimum wage. Romney denies that he ever opposed a minimum wage increase and says that a 1994 letter opposing such an increase was written by a supporter not authorized by Romney's campaign.
• William Bulger: Romney successfully pressured William Bulger to resign as President of the University of Massachusetts (UMass) on September 1, 2003. William Bulger came under pressure from Romney and others to resign after he invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to testify when he was subpoenaed by a Congressional committee to testify about his brother, James J. Bulger, aka Whitey Bulger, one of the FBI's ten most wanted fugitives.
• May 2006 Flooding: In May 2006, heavy rains produced flooding in Massachusetts. Romney declared a state of emergency[70], mobilized the Massachusetts National Guard,[71], called for volunteers and charitable donations to help residents,[72] and asked President Bush to declare the flooded area a major disaster area.[73]. Romney was criticized by local politicians when he vetoed $5.7 million in state funding for flood control in Peabody six months after the town was flooded April 2004.[74][75] After Peabody again suffered flooding in May of 2006, Romney announced that he now supports spending $2 million of state money on flood control for the town.[76]

Cabinet

Office	Official
Governor	Mitt Romney
Secretary of Commonwealth Development	Andrew Gottlieb
Secretary of the Executive Office of Transportation*	John Cogliano
Director of the Department of Housing & Community Development*	Jane Wallis Gumble
Secretary of the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs*	Stephen R. Pritchard
Secretary of Economic Development	Ranch C. Kimball
Director of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation**	Janice S. Tatarka
Director of the Department of Business & Technology**	Deborah Shufrin
Director of the Department of Labor**	John S. Ziemba
Director of the Department of Workforce Development**	Jane C. Edmonds
Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services	Timothy R. Murphy
Secretary of the Executive Office of Elder Affairs	Jennifer Davis Carey
Secretary of the Executive Office of Public Safety & Homeland Security	Robert Haas
Secretary of the Executive Office for Administration & Finance	Thomas Trimarco
Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Services	Thomas G. Kelley

* reports to Commonwealth Development
** reports to Economic Development
Source: www.mass.gov

Presidential Ambitions

In what many viewed as efforts to kick start his 2008 campaign for President, Romney campaigned for George W. Bush in New Hampshire and Michigan and had a prime speaking slot at the 2004 Republican National Convention. Despite his efforts New Hampshire and Michigan both went to Senator John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential election.

On December 14, 2005, Romney announced that he would not seek re-election in 2006, fueling speculation that he will make a run for the presidency in 2008[77]. Polls had been mixed prior to Romney's announcement not to run for re-election, with one poll showing Romney slightly leading Democrat Attorney General Tom Reilly and other polls showing Reilly in the lead.Boston.com

In June 2005 a Times Argus article quoted Romney as saying it was a "fair characterization" to say that he's testing the presidential waters. Romney has said that he will not make a decision on whether or not to run for president until 2007 [78].

The Governor has also made a number of speeches in key presidential primary states. On February 21, 2005 he spoke before South Carolina Republicans. The winner of the South Carolina primary has gone on to be the Republican nominee in every election since 1980 [79].

In a speech to the conservative Heritage Foundation in September 2005 Romney stirred controversy when he suggested that Muslim Mosques suspected of "teaching doctrines of hate and terror" should be wiretapped to check for possible terrorist activity and that foreign students from "terrorist-sponsored states" might merit special scrutiny and surveillance. [80]

On March 11, 2006, Mitt Romney attended the Southern Republican Leadership conference at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, TN. He finished a surprising second in the The Hotline SRLC Straw Poll with 14% of the vote, well behind Tennessee native Bill Frist, but ahead of John McCain and George Allen. [81]

Electoral history

• 2002 Race for Governor, Massachusetts
  • Mitt Romney (R), 50%
  • Shannon O'Brien (D), 45%
• 1994 Race for U.S. Senate, Massachusetts
  • Edward Kennedy (D) (inc.), 58%
  • Mitt Romney (R), 41%

External links

Official

• Official Massachusetts Website
• The Common Wealth PAC

Speeches: audio and transcripts

• C-Span Archives--Speeches in S.C., N.H., & Mich (RealPlayer required)
• Interview with C-Span Q&A Program (click "watch" on upper right of page)
• MIT Keynote Address
• Healthcare Reform Speech at the Heritage Foundation (click "view event" at top)

Miscellaneous

• Official Massachusetts Press Releases
• Gov. Mitt Romney - 2008 Presidential Wire
• Gov. Mitt Romney's Commonwealth PAC website
• Politics1: P2008 - W. Mitt Romney
• About.com's Pros & Cons of Massachusetts' Mandatory Health Insurance Program

Financial Information

• Campaign contributions made by Mitt Romney at newsmeat.com

Pro Blogs

• Catholics for Romney
• Romney08.blogspot.com
• Blog for www.electromneyin2008.com
• "Mitt Romney '08," a pro-Romney blog
• Americans for Mitt! Mitt Romney for President
• RomneyforAmerica
• Iowans for Romney
• Yahoo Group For Elect Romney In 2008
• Yahoo Group Students for Mitt Romney in 2008

Anti Sites

• Queerty: Mitty Romney
• Mitt Romney - 2008 Republican Rankings
• "Romney is a Fraud," an anti-Romney blog

Articles about Mitt Romney

• The Holy Cow! Candidate The Atlantic Monthly September 2005
• Mighty Mitt Romney The American Spectator, March 2006

Articles about Romney & Mormonism

• in 2008, Will It Be Mormon in America? The Weekly Standard, 06/06/2005
• Onward, Mormon soldiers - How the Latter-day Saints could make Mitt Romney president The Boston Phoenix, March 18-24, 2005
• Mitt Romney's Evangelical Problem
• Take My Wives … Please! Mitt Romney's clumsy Mormon shtick. Slate.com, April 26, 2006

Romney-Related Links

• Bain Capital

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