The E-War: Rs: Dole, Limbaugh, and the Governor of Guam!

Romney and McCain’s virtual letter bombs, including:

McCain:

“Governor Romney’s attack on Bob Dole is disgraceful, and Governor Romney should apologize. Bob Dole is a war hero who has spent his life in service to this nation and nobody has worked harder to build the Republican Party. Bob Dole deserves the respect of every American and certainly every Republican.”

And Romney sending out Rush:

“If McCain adopts economic policies that sound very much like what you’d get from Hillary-Obama, and if I think those policies are going to take the country down the tubes I’d just as soon the Democrats take the hit for it, not us. Plain and simple.”

Full text — including surprise governor of Guam endorsement! — after the jump.

McCain:

from: John McCain 2008 – Press Office date: Feb 4, 2008 6:27 PM
subject: Governor of Guam and RNC Members Endorse John McCain

GOVERNOR OF GUAM AND RNC MEMBERS ENDORSE JOHN MCCAIN

For Immediate Release

Contact: Press Office

Monday, February 4, 2008

ARLINGTON, VA — U.S. Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign today announced the endorsement of the Governor of Guam, Felix Camacho. Joining him in endorsing John McCain are Guam Republican Party Chairman Phil Flores, National Committeeman Eddie B. Calvo, and National Committeewoman Mary C. Torres.

“John McCain is an American hero who will keep our country safe,” said Governor Camacho. “There is no other candidate who understands the national security issues for Guam and the importance of the Territory in the current realignment of U.S. military forces in the Pacific than Senator McCain. In addition, he has an exemplary record of conservative leadership that the patriotic American citizens on Guam are so very proud of,” said Governor Camacho.

John McCain thanked Governor Camacho and the RNC members for their support, saying, “I am pleased to have the support of these fine leaders from Guam, and I look forward to working with them on important issues in the future.”

Subject: FW: Statement By John McCain On Mitt Romney’s Disparaging Comments On Bob Dole
Date: Tuesday, February 5, 2008 10:09 AM

Fyi all, see statement by Senator McCain on Mitt Romney’s disparaging comments on Bob Dole this morning… Includes video of Romney’s comments: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkJ17eMDcCM

STATEMENT BY JOHN MCCAIN ON MITT ROMNEY’S DISPARAGING COMMENTS ON BOB DOLE

For Immediate Release Contact: Press Office
Tuesday, February 5, 2008 703-650-5550

ARLINGTON, VA — U.S. Senator John McCain today issued the following statement on Governor Mitt Romney’s disparaging comments on Bob Dole this morning:
“Governor Romney’s attack on Bob Dole is disgraceful, and Governor Romney should apologize. Bob Dole is a war hero who has spent his life in service to this nation and nobody has worked harder to build the Republican Party. Bob Dole deserves the respect of every American and certainly every Republican.

“Governor Romney denounced Ronald Reagan in the mid ’90s while Bob Dole was working tirelessly to elect Republicans across the country. Governor Romney was missing from those fights when I was standing with President Reagan and Senator Dole to build the Republican Party.
“Governor Romney is trying to divide the Republican Party and his disparagement of one of our Party’s greatest leaders is a sad commentary on Governor Romney’s increasingly bitter campaign.”

FACT CHECK: This Morning, Mitt Romney Called Bob Dole “Probably The Last Person” He Would Want Writing A Letter On His Behalf

Fox News’ Steve Doocy: “Governor, what do you make of the letter that Bob Dole wrote to Rush Limbaugh that says, lay off of John McCain, he is conservative enough? Do you buy that from Bob?”
Mitt Romney: “Well, it’s probably the last person I would have wanted to have write a letter for me.” (Fox News’ “Fox And Friends,” 2/5/08)

Watch Romney Disparage Bob Dole This Morning On Fox News

Romney:

Subject: from talk radio: “One Candidate Now Stands for Conservatism”
Date: Monday, February 4, 2008 6:29 PM

Good evening, folks-

From the Rush Limbaugh radio show today:

“I think right now Romney probably — as the campaign has coalesced and as the campaign has progressing on down the highway — I think the one candidate of the three still out there on our side … in saying who more closely embodies all three legs of this conservative stool, you’d have to say that it’s Mitt Romney. There’s actually no choice in the matter. It certainly isn’t Senator McCain. “

One Candidate Now Stands For All Three Legs of Conservatism

RUSH LIMBAUGH SHOW
February 4, 2008

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_020408/content/01125109.guest.html.guest.html

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: I want to clarify something that I said in the last hour. I had a caller who was talking about the three legs of the conservative stool, and I said that one of the reasons why voters on our side are going to three or four different candidates is because not one candidate embodies all three legs of the stool. The more accurate way to have stated that was that at the outset of our campaign, there wasn’t one who had all three legs. Well, there was one. Fred Thompson did, but he was never really a factor, for reasons we can only guess about. But after that, Romney, McCain, Huckabee, Ron Paul; each one of these guys had a strength on one of those legs of the stool, and so our guys, our side went off on their single issue preferences.

Now, I think now, based on the way the campaign has shaken out, that there probably is a candidate on our side who does embody all three legs of the conservative stool, and that’s Romney. The three stools or the three legs of the stool are national security/foreign policy, the social conservatives, and the fiscal conservatives. The social conservatives are the cultural people. The fiscal conservatives are the economic crowd: low taxes, smaller government, get out of the way.

Of course the foreign policy crowd is obviously what it is. I don’t think there’s anybody on our side who doesn’t care about national security, which is why I found it amazing that McCain gets the bulk of those, because the idea that Romney or Huckabee are going to punt national security? In Huckabee’s case, you might just say the things he’s saying about it represent an ignorance born of inexperience in the subject. I don’t think Huckabee has any deleterious intentions about the country. When it comes to the fiscal side, you cannot say — you just cannot say — that John McCain is interested. He’s even admitted he’s not interested in the social side. He’s not interested in the economic side. He said this, and when he has spoken up about it, he sides more often with liberal Democrats on fiscal issues than he does with his own side. That’s problematic. This is why I think — and why I have said — that the Republican Party, not conservatism, but the Republican Party is in big trouble if it is empowered and gets elected by attracting people who also hold liberal Democrat views simply because they like McCain because of his character, his honor, his prisoner of war story, and they don’t like Hillary or Obama.

Now, I’m going to just tell you, folks. If the Republican Party grows and spans by attracting liberals, as liberals — and if we grow and expand because we have a candidate who’s going out trying to attract liberals by being like them — then the party’s going to be around, but you won’t recognize it. It’s going to be over as it exists now, if that becomes the reality. “Look at how McCain won. Why, he got liberals and liberal independents!” Yeah, look at how he won! He ran as a liberal and won as a liberal. That’s really great for the Republican Party, right? So my take is, speaking for myself. I’m being honest here. All I do is tell you what I think. What you do with it is up to you. You are not mind-numbed robots as you know. I’m not a Svengali, I’m not a pied piper, and you’re not lemmings running off the cliff. If I look at this roster of three candidates — if I look at Hillary-Obama, about whom there’s not a dime’s worth of difference, because they’re so far left it doesn’t matter which one of them wins. If McCain adopts economic policies that sound very much like what you’d get from Hillary-Obama, and if I think those policies are going to take the country down the tubes I’d just as soon the Democrats take the hit for it, not us. Plain and simple.

I think that’s pretty wise. I think right now Romney probably — as the campaign has coalesced and as the campaign has progressing on down the highway — I think the one candidate of the three still out there on our side matter (and actually it’s just two, because Huckabee doesn’t, in terms of a chance to win) in saying who more closely embodies all three legs of this conservative stool, you’d have to say that it’s Mitt Romney. There’s actually no choice in the matter. It certainly isn’t Senator McCain.
END TRANSCRIPT

Subject: new ad: “Very Close” – video link/script
Date: Monday, February 4, 2008 6:50 PM

Good evening-

Today, Romney for President launched its newest web ad, “Very Close.”

“Very Close”

In 2008, the Republican Party needs a nominee who can debate Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) on the important issues confronting our nation today. “Very Close” highlights how Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Sen. Clinton actually agree on more issues than not. We need “a full-spectrum conservative” like Governor Mitt Romney who can provide a clear conservative contrast with Sen. Clinton.

Script For “Very Close” (WEB:30):

ANNOUNCER: “Is John McCain really the heart and soul of the Republican Party?

“Imagine a debate between McCain and Hillary Clinton.

“On amnesty for illegal immigrants, they agree.

“On voting against President Bush’s tax cuts, they agree.

“On imposing an additional 50 cents a gallon cost on gasoline, they agree.

“On blocking conservative judges, they agree.

“Even Bill Clinton says…”

FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON: “‘She and John McCain are very close.’”

ANNOUNCER: “Don’t we need a leader who agrees with conservatives?”

GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: “I’m Mitt Romney and I approved this message.”

To watch “Very Close,” please see: http://tv.mittromney.com/?showid=730826

AD FACTS For “Very Close” (WEB:30):

ANNOUNCER: “Is John McCain really the heart and soul of the Republican Party? Imagine a debate between McCain and Hillary Clinton. On amnesty for illegal immigrants, they agree.”
Sen. McCain And Sen. Clinton Both Voted For The 2006 Senate Amnesty Bill. “Passage of the bill that would overhaul U.S. immigration policies and offer a path to citizenship for most illegal immigrants in the country. It would subdivide illegal immigrants into three groups based on how long they had been in the United States. Illegal immigrants in the country more than five years would be able to stay and earn citizenship; those here between two and five years would have three years to file paperwork for a temporary work visa, after which they would be eligible for permanent legal residency; and those here less than two years would have to return to their native country and go through normal channels if they want to return. It would create a guest worker program that could accommodate an additional 200,000 immigrants a year. It also would authorize increased border security and enforcement provisions, including a requirement for businesses to verify documents of all prospective employees through an electronic system managed by the Department of Homeland Security.” (S. 2611, CQ Vote #157: Passed 62-36: R 23-32; D 38-4; I 1-0, 5/25/06, McCain And Clinton Voted Yea)

Sen. Clinton: Immigration Legislation Must Have A “Path To Legalization” For The 12 Million Illegal Immigrants Here. “Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York said she was disappointed that the Senate did not move forward with its immigration bill and that the cornerstone of any future measure must be a ‘path to legalization’ for the 12 million undocumented immigrants already here.” (Eunice Moscoso, “Democrats Promise Immigration Reform,” Cox News Service, 6/30/07)

Sen. McCain Still Supports His Immigration Plan For A “Path To Citizenship.” QUESTION: “But fundamentally, I’m wondering, don’t you still have the same plan for a path to citizenship that you fundamentally held months ago?” MCCAIN: “Sure.” (ABC/WMUR, Republican Presidential Candidate Debate, Manchester, NH, 1/5/08; www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LbTSe6uLqI )

ANNOUNCER: “On voting against President Bush’s tax cuts, they agree.”
In 2001, Sen. McCain And Sen. Clinton Both Voted Against The $1.35 Trillion Tax Cut. The bill lowered marginal rates, eliminated the marriage penalty, and doubled the child tax credit. (H.R. 1836, CQ Vote #170: Adopted 58-33: R 46-2; D 12-31; I 0-0, 5/26/01, McCain And Clinton Voted Nay)
In 2003, Sen. McCain And Sen. Clinton Each Cast Two Votes Against The $350 Billion Tax Cut. The comprehensive bill lowered taxes by $350 billion over 11 years – including increasing the child tax credit and eliminated the marriage penalty. (H.R. 2, CQ Vote #179: Passed 51-49: R 48-3; D 3-45; I 0-1, 5/15/03, McCain And Clinton Voted Nay; H.R. 2, CQ Vote #196: Adopted 50-50: R 48-3; D 2-46; I 0-1, 5/23/03, McCain And Clinton Voted Nay)

ANNOUNCER: “On imposing an additional 50 cents a gallon cost on gasoline, they agree.”
McCain-Lieberman Would Dramatically Raise Taxes On All Carbon-Based Fuels, Like Gas For Your Car And Home Heating Oil. “What is not widely understood is that [Sen. McCain] is currently sponsoring legislation that, in the name of fighting global warming, would dramatically raise the tax on all carbon-based fuels, including gasoline, home heating oil, coal, and to a lesser extent, natural gas.” (Roy Cordato, “McCain’s Costly Tax On Energy,” National Review, www.nationalreview.com , Posted 1/10/08)

American Council For Capital Formation Study: McCain-Lieberman Could Hike Gasoline Prices By 50 Cents Per Gallon. “A study by an economic research institute, the American Council for Capital Formation, underscored these findings, estimating that under S. 139: … By 2020, gasoline prices would increase 30 to 50 cents per gallon.” (H. Sterling Burnett, “Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions,” National Center For Policy Analysis, 11/18/04)

Sen. Hillary Clinton Has Co-Sponsored McCain-Lieberman. CLINTON: “And we were debating the McCain-Lieberman Bill, which I’m a proud co-sponsor, to try and do something with CO2.” (Sen. Hillary Clinton, Remarks At The 17th Annual Energy Efficiency Forum, Washington, DC, 6/14/06)

ANNOUNCER: “On blocking conservative judges, they agree.”
Sen. McCain Joined Democrats In The Gang Of 14 And Stopped Sen. Bill Frist From Banning Filibusters. “An effort that started as little more than hallway talk and phone conversations led to a last-minute deal May 23 that stopped Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist’s plans to engineer a ruling the next day to bar filibusters of judicial nominations. A group that became known as the ‘gang of 14′ – seven Republicans and seven Democrats promised to vote against any such change as long as Democrats swore off future judicial filibusters in all but extraordinary cases. That unified promise had the effect of denying Frist the votes he needed to ban the practice altogether.” (David Nather, “Senate Races Against The Nuclear Clock On Judges,” Congressional Quarterly Weekly, 5/28/05)

Sen. Clinton Was “Certainly Supportive” Of The Gang Of 14. CNN’S JUDY WOODRUFF: “Some people have noted that you chose not to be part of the group that announced the compromise, that worked on the compromise. The Gang of 14. Should somebody make anything of that?” CLINTON: “No. I think that this was a process that a couple of my colleagues started, you know, some weeks ago after Senator Reid could not reach any understanding with Senator Frist. And I thought they were pursuing a noble effort. I didn’t know whether they would be successful or not, but I was, you know, certainly supportive of their efforts to try.” (CNN’s “Inside Politics,” 5/26/05)

ANNOUNCER: “Even Bill Clinton says…” FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON: “‘She and John McCain are very close.’” ANNOUNCER: “Don’t we need a leader who agrees with conservatives?” GOVERNOR

MITT ROMNEY: “I’m Mitt Romney and I approved this message.”

Former President Clinton: Sens. Clinton And McCain “Are Very Close.” “‘She and John McCain are very close,’ [President Bill] Clinton said. ‘They always laugh that if they wound up being the nominees of their party, it would be the most civilized election in American history, and they’re afraid they’d put the voters to sleep because they like and respect each other.’” (Alexander Mooney, “Bill Clinton: John McCain And Hillary Are ‘Very Close’,” CNN’s Political Ticker, http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com , Posted 1/25/08)
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