Mitt Romney made his first major foreign policy address at the Citadel Military Academy last Friday, which tackled the threats to the country’s security and how he is planning to solve them. His foreign policy plan includes taking eight steps in his first 100 days in office as well as believing in the “American Century.”

Mitt Romney didn’t hold back as he discussed the threats facing America including President Obama’s shortcomings in his foreign policy. Critizing President Obama for ‘massive defense cuts,’ Romney stated, “I will not surrender America’s role in the world, this is very simple if you do not want America to be the strongest nation on earth, I’m not your president.

You have that president today.” On day one in office, Romney proposed to focus on rebuilding the economy, reverse massive defense cuts, and not weaken America’s military. Romney concentrated on the threats that the United States currently faces and potentially faces in the future.

The international threats included discussing a powerful nuclear Iran against the United States and the Taliban gaining power in Afghanistan again. He also included a vital issue directly facing America which is the Mexican border and the drug cartels in the region in combination with the failure to secure the border.

With these problems come solutions, and according to Romney the solution to a safer world is to make America the strongest nation in the world. He states, “God did not create this country to be a nation of followers. America is not destined to be one of several equally balanced global powers.

America must lead the world, or someone else will.” His plan to make America the strongest country in the world includes the eight steps he will take his first 100 days in office. The steps include the construction of a bigger Navy, which involves increasing ship building from 9 to 15 ships a year.

He aims to strengthen relationships with allies including Mexico and Israel. He also states he will enhance deterrents against Iran, commit to a robust national missile defense system, and use soft power resources in the Middle East. He plans on launching a campaign for economic opportunity in Latin America and conducting a full review of transition in Afghanistan.

Lastly he hopes to order interagency initiative on cyber security. Some people have commented that Mitt Romney’s foreign policy stance resembles that of former George W. Bush’s. Romney did an effective job at addressing the threats that face the country, where the Obama administration has lacked effective solutions, and the steps he plans on taking once in office.

With an attempted terrorist plot against the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Washington by two Iranian men, just days after Romney’s speech, there seems to be justification for Romney’s forceful policies on terror prevention and America’s security.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/

The article Mitt Romney Combats Foreign Policy appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The rift between Republican candidates Mitt Romney and Rick Perry seems to widen. The Romney campaign stated on Wednesday that they have considered Perry’s idea about allowing states to run social security. “We reject turning the program over to the states,” Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom told The Huffington Post in an email.

The Romney campaign issued six detailed questions for the Perry campaign about how a state level social security program would run. Gail Gitcho, communications director for Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, said Perry wants to “dismantle” Social Security.

“He has refused to answer questions on what the Social Security program would look like at the state level,” Gitcho said in the campaign’s release. “Governor Perry has the opportunity to clarify his proposal while he is in Florida — a state with an extraordinarily high number of retirees and near retirees.” The six questions take Perry’s idea seriously, raising logistical issues about the change.

Some of the questions include,  ”Would individuals retain national Social Security numbers or would each state administer its own system?”  or “What would happen to the Trust Fund that accrued while the [federal] system was in surplus? … How would those funds be equitably allocated to the states?”

A Perry campaign spokesman has not yet responded to a request for comment Wednesday. Although Romney also does not have any specific plan for social security, he has offered more details than Perry. In his 2010 book, “No Apology: The Case for American Greatness,” Romney said he would consider raising the retirement age at which Americans become eligible for Social Security, with exceptions for those physically unable to work.

He also said he would be willing to reduce benefits for “high-income individuals” by using the consumer price index rather than the wage index to determine payouts, and to give younger workers the option to “direct a portion of their Social Security tax to a private account.”

Perry has called social security a “Ponzi scheme” and a “monstrous lie.” These bold statements have won him some fans with members of the conservative grassroots. But, these statements have also opened him up for criticism nationally.

Romney’s campaign has tried to go after the substance of Perry’s past comments about moving the program to the state level and the questions about Social Security’s constitutionality that Perry raised in his 2010 book, “Fed Up.” The two will meet again in a scheduled GOP debate on Thursday in Florida.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/

The article Romney Asks Perry Tough Questions on Social Security appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The debate that took place at the infamous Ronald Reagan Library gave those who tuned in the opportunity to formally see where the eight GOP presidential candidates stand on some of the most burning issues facing the country. It was clear that two candidates carried the spotlight throughout the night. Romney and Perry didn’t waste any time and began their heated battle right from the start.

Each dealt with tough questions, and both were confronted on issues of job creation in their state and their plan for the economy. Romney, who was bumped down by Perry in recent polls to a second place, showed an adequate performance at last week’s debate. Romney was able to stay composed and focused even when faced with questions regarding some of his weak spots, such as healthcare.

Romney’s health care plan, often referred to as “Romney Care,” was one topic that Romney couldn’t avoid answering — the main reason being that all other candidates oppose Romney’s healthcare bill because it resembles that of President Obama. He will have to expand on the difference between his and the President’s in future debates.

Romney was also confronted with his ideas for job creation when questioned about his poor ranking as the 47^th state for job creation within his ten years as governor. Romney responded, “We were able to turn around the job losses and at the end of four years we had the unemployment rate down to 4.7%. That’s a record I think the president would like to see. As a matter of fact we created more jobs in Massachusetts than this president has created in this entire country.”

He also used his experience in the private sector to promote his foundation for forming jobs. Rick Perry, who is now in the lead in the GOP presidential election, is known to be inexperienced in live debates compared to the other candidates. However, this didn’t show and Perry was able to answer many questions, with only a few fumbles.

Perry was also faced with the topic of job creation and economy. He was asked about economic issues that surround Texas such as having the lowest minimum wage in the country and being one of eight states with the highest level of poverty.

Perry responded, “What Americans are looking for is someone who can get this country working again, and we put the model in place in the state of Texas. When you look at what we have done over the last decade we have created one million jobs in the state of Texas, the same time Americans lost 2 1/2 million.”

Although a good answer, Perry dodged many of the questions being asked and instead responded with his track record of creating jobs. The fact that Mitt Romney and Rick Perry were in the spotlight last at the first debate could indicate the direction of the race for the presidential nomination.

Mark McKinnon, a former adviser to President George W. Bush during his presidential campaign, responded to last week’s debate as, “great theater, good fireworks. Rick Perry is the front-runner and he did nothing last night to knock himself off that status. Mitt Romney was solid as he has been in the recent debates.”

With both candidates showing no signs of giving up, it will be exciting to see if the upcoming debates continue to play out like a boxing match between Romney and Perry, or if other candidates will want to step in for the fight.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/

The article Romney and Perry Battle for the Lead appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

It has already begun. The presidential election is over a year away, but former candidates are beginning to endorse their peers. Tim Pawlenty, who dropped out of the race last month, has placed his support behind Mitt Romney in an email to supporters on Monday.

“President Obama has failed to meet America’s economic challenges. … Fortunately, America may get a second chance: Mitt Romney is running for president, and I am proud to endorse him,” said Pawlenty in an email message sent out by the Romney campaign.

“[Romney] believes in the bedrock conservative ideals of limited government and free enterprise,” he continued. “He will stand up for America’s allies when they are threatened, with fortitude. And he will face down our adversaries. He is a formidable person, and he will certainly be a formidable president. Our allies can count on it, and our enemies should expect it.”

“He’s formulated an economic plan-a set of alternatives to the government-oriented programs that Barack Obama has put in place-that is unparalleled in the history of American electoral campaigns. By pressing for fundamental change in the way that Washington taxes and spends, issues regulations, uses energy, interacts with our major trading partners, and deals with our labor force, he fully envisions a way to place America back on the path toward rapid economic growth and full employment.”

Pawlenty also appeared on Fox News on Monday morning. He stated that Romney has significant experience in the private sector, which has influenced his decision to support the former Massachusetts governor. He also criticized Texas governor Rick Perry, specifically Perry’s reference to social security as a “ponzi scheme.”

“Governor Romney wants to fix Social Security — he doesn’t want to abolish it or end it,” Pawlenty said. “He doesn’t believe it should be thrown out — he thinks it should be reformed and fixed.” Responding to questions about his previous criticism of Romney’s health-care program, Pawlenty said he talked to Romney about his concerns and came away reassured.

“Mitt Romney is 100 percent dedicated and committed to repealing Obamacare,” Pawlenty said, citing Romney’s pledge to grant the states waivers from the federal law. Pawlenty will be a national co-chair of Romney’s campaign. He told Fox News that he had no vice presidential aspirations.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/

The article Pawlenty Endorses Mitt Romney appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Last Wednesday’s debate between Republican presidential hopefuls highlighted the sharp ideological divide between Texas governor Rick Perry and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney as the two clashed over Social Security.

During the debate at the Ronald Regan Presidential Library, Perry called Social Security an unsustainable “Ponzi  scheme” and claimed that it gave young workers a false sense of security.

This echoes the arguments in his 2010 book Fed Up! in which he claimed that Social Security was unconstitutional and should be replaced with “retirement safety net that is no longer set up like an illegal Ponzi scheme, but rather will allow individuals to own and control their own retirement.” In recent weeks, Perry has also advocated transferring responsibility for Social Security to the states.

Mitt Romney, on the other hand, came out in defense of Social Security, saying that its problems can be fixed. In particular, he advocates raising the retirement age and eliminating benefits for wealthy individuals. Perry’s decision to attack Social Security is a very risky move.

It has been an established part of the American political landscape since Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal of the 1930s, and politicians have traditionally been wary of attacking it because of its bipartisan support.

Writing to his brother in 1954, Republican president Dwight Eisenhower even went so far as to say that “should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history.”

However, it is impossible to ignore the fact that Social Security is in danger. By 2023, forecasts predict that the income of the Social Security program will no longer be sufficient to meet its expenditures.

Predicted demographic shifts suggest that, by 2035, there will be less than three income earners supporting each retiree who receives Social Security benefits. Unless Congress acts, the Social Security Trust Fund could be drained by 2036.

Perry is almost certainly hoping that his strident criticism of Social Security will resonate with grassroots members who are eager to roll back the power of the federal government. He also seems to believe that the GOP needs to field a candidate who is diametrically opposed to President Obama.

“The point is we need to have a nominee that doesn’t blur the lines between themselves and the current resident of the White House,” Perry told an audience in Orange County, California on Thursday. If Perry continues down this road, he certainly won’t have to worry about being confused with Obama.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/maysbusinessschool/

The article Mitt Romney And Rick Perry Fight Over Social Security appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has launched his own jobs plan ahead of the president’s address to the nation on Thursday. On Tuesday, Romney detailed his 59 specific proposals to improve the nation’s economy and create jobs.

“At best, government can provide a framework in which economic growth can occur. All too often, however, government gets in the way,” Romney wrote in an opinion piece in USA Today that previewed his 160-page plan. “The past three years of unparalleled government expansion have retaught that lesson all too well.”

Romney’s plan, no surprise, includes lowering the tax rate for corporations to encourage more corporations to keep profits in the U.S. This comes just weeks after Romney stated that “corporations are people.” Romney also proposes to eliminate tax on interests, capital gains and dividends. Romney’s campaign stated that these proposals specifically target middle class Americans, however few middle class Americans pay those types of taxes.

Romney criticized Obama for expanding federal regulations. He announced a proposal to ensure that new regulations at government agencies do not cost money. If a new set of rules raises costs for businesses, Romney would require that a different set of regulations be eliminated.

“I have spent most of my career in the private sector starting new businesses and turning around ailing ones. Unlike career politicians who’ve never met a payroll, I know why jobs come and go,” Romney wrote in USA Today, again a jab at Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who has held public office since he was elected as a Texas state representative in 1985.

Democrats criticized Romney’s plan, even before he rolled it out. Brad Woodhouse, a spokesman for the Democratic Party, said: “Mitt Romney has promised an economic plan that is bold and sweeping. But if the past months have shown anything, what Americans are really likely to get is more of the same tired rhetoric and worn out ideas which have failed America in the past.”

Although there is nothing new or different in this plan (lower taxes, reduce regulations), at least Romney is proposing something. The Republican Party in general has not offered any real solutions to the economy. The Republicans are known as the “Party of No” for a reason.

They are quick to criticize the president, congress and everyone else without suggesting any alternatives. Of course, the hocus pocus magic of lowering taxes and reducing regulations does not help the economy (see: George W. Bush’s 8 years) but  Mittens is trying to set himself apart in the crowded GOP field.

Frontpage / Shutterstock.com

The article Mitt Romney Unveils Job Plan appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

As Rick Perry’s campaign gains momentum, a jittery Mitt Romney has attempted to target the issue most likely to be his opponent’s weakness: immigration.

Speaking to Republican Hispanics in Tampa, Romney said that “we must stop providing the incentives that promote illegal immigration.” He reminded his audience that, as governor, he vetoed legislation to provide in-state tuition to illegal immigrants and worked to make it easier for state troopers to enforce immigration laws.

Although Romney did not mention Perry by name, it was clear he had the Texas governor in his sights. In 2001, Perry signed a version of the “Dream Act” that allowed illegal aliens to obtain in-state tuition. And although he calls for a crackdown on illegal immigration, he shows little enthusiasm for Arizona-style legislation.

The issue of illegal immigration has become a hot button issue for the GOP in recent years, which presents the party with something of a problem as they attempt to woo Hispanic voters. In the run-up to the last election, Mitt Romney took a hard line on immigration and, as a result, he won just nine percent of Florida’s Cuban vote and twenty-one percent of the non-Cuban Hispanic vote in the Florida Republican primary.

In recent remarks to the Republican National Hispanic Assembly, Romney said that he was “a great proponent of legal immigration.” “Many of you are living proof of the unique strength of America that is constantly renewed by new Americans,” he added.

Romney’s attack comes as a recent poll by Magellan Strategies shows Perry with a five-point advantage among Republicans in Nevada, a state that backed Romney in the last election. Romney has also come under sustained attack from certain elements of the Tea Party.

Many Tea Partiers view him as ideologically suspect because he signed Massachusetts’ 2006 health care reform, a law that provided inspiration for President Obama’s own health care reforms. Consequently, some of their activists have taken to protesting Romney’s attendance at conservative functions and are actively working to undermine his campaign in battleground states.

However, this opposition has set off something of an internal struggle within the Tea Party movement, as many local groups object to the idea of outsiders coming in and telling them who to support.

In a belated bid to court Tea Party votes, Romney will address some of its members in New Hampshire on Sunday, September 4. The next day, he will take part in gathering hosted by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), a prominent supporter of the Tea Party.

Evan Meyer / Shutterstock.com

The article Mitt Romney Attacks Rick Perry Over Immigration appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has burnished his climate skeptic credentials by casting doubt on the idea of anthropogenic global warming.

Speaking at a town hall meeting in New Hampshire, Romney said that, although he agrees that the world is getting warmer, he is not sure whether or not the increased temperatures are caused by human activity.

“Do I think the world’s getting hotter? Yeah, I don’t know that but I think that it is,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s mostly caused by humans.” “What I’m not willing to do is spend trillions of dollars on something I don’t know the answer to,” he continued.

Shortly after announcing his candidacy in June, Romney caused a stir in conservative circles by calling for action to limit pollutants in order to combat climate change.

“I think it’s important for us to reduce our emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases that may well be significant contributors to the climate change and global warming that you’re seeing,” he said.

Surveys have shown that many Republicans are skeptical of the idea of anthropogenic global warming, and Romney may well have feared that his previous statement was undermining his support. Although he was once the Republican front-runner, recent polls show him trailing Texas governor Rick Perry.

Perry has already established himself as a leading climate skeptic. He has been a vociferous critic of the Obama administration’s climate change policies, and has criticized the Environmental Protection Agency on a number of occasions. Perry has even gone so far as to accuse climate scientists of manipulating data in order to obtain grant money.

Such stalwart opposition to the Obama administration’s environmental policies has already earned Perry the endorsement of Oklahoma senator Jim Inhofe. When announcing his decision, Inhofe accused Romney of being “a little mushy” on environmental issues. Last month, Romney’s camp attempted to draw a distinction between ‘greenhouse gases’ and ‘pollutants.’

“Gov. Romney does not think greenhouse gases are pollutants within the meaning of the Clean Air Act, and he does not believe that the EPA should be regulating them,” said Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul. “CO2 is a naturally occurring gas. Humans emit it every time they exhale.”

Although many in the GOP may question global warming, a 2010 study by the National Academy of Sciences found that “climate change is occurring, is caused largely by human activities and poses significant risks,” and most climate scientists across the globe endorse this thesis.
Christopher Halloran / Shutterstock.com

The article Mitt Romney Emerges As Climate Skeptic appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney spoke at the Iowa State Fair on Thursday, making a classic Freudian slip that was immediately pounced on by his opposition. Speaking to a rowdy crowd on the afternoon of the Republican debate, Romney declared that “corporations are people.”

An audience member asked Romney why he was focusing on entitlement reforms to reduce the deficit instead of asking corporations to share part of the burden. Romney shot back, “Corporations are people, my friend… of course they are. Everything corporations earn ultimately goes to the people. Where do you think it goes? Whose pockets? Whose pockets? People’s pockets. Human beings my friend.”

The Democrats wasted no time slamming Romney over the comments. “This is what Mitt Romney is going to run on? Corporations are people? Really?” said Democratic National Committee Communications Director Brad Woodhouse. “There’s a great message for people struggling to get by and trying to make ends meet. Don’t complain — corporations are people too!”

Speaking at the Des Moines Register soapbox, Romney was also interrupted by a heckler who asked if he supported “scrapping the Social Security payroll cap so that rich people pay their fair share into the trust fund?”

Romney responded, “There was a time in this country where we didn’t celebrate attacking people based on their success. We didn’t go after people because they were successful. I’ve watched this president go across the country attacking people, and I… and I am… if you want to speak, you can speak. But right now it’s my turn, so let me continue.”

Romney, clearly flustered, continued. “If you don’t like my answer, you can vote for someone else,” he said.

Romney’s attack comes just two days before the Ames straw poll in the state, an important indicator for the primary next year. Although Romney will appear on the ballot in Iowa, he has not been actively campaigning in the conservative state.

“As you know I participated in a major way in a straw poll four years ago,” Romney said in addressing his decision to forego the straw poll during an appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity” on Wednesday night.

“Some of the benefit I already was able to accrue based upon what happened last time around… I want to use my financial resources and my time this time to actually get delegates, not the straw polls — they are nice but don’t get you delegates — I’m not going to participate in the straw polls anywhere in the country.”

Image of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/wacphiladelphia/

The article Mitt Romney “Corporations are People” appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.