Thread: Romney Scolds GOP in Ad, Open Letter

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is scolding his party in a nationally broadcast ad Sunday and in an open letter to party leaders that asserts that the blame for Washington's dysfunction does not rest just with Democrats.

The 30-second ad, the same one he began running this week in New Hampshire, will air during NBC's "Meet the Press," between appearances by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton and former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, whose new book, "The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World," blames the Bush administration for runaway spending.

The media push casts Romney as an agent of change, a recognition that even Republicans have grown weary of their government.

In the ad and in the letter, Romney wags his finger at the party, portraying Washington Republicans as riddled by scandal and profligate spending. Without naming them, he also distinguishes himself from President Bush and two of his main rivals on the subject of immigration.

"Washington is busy pointing fingers, assigning blame, and spending too much money. There is too much talk and too little action," he writes in his letter, which will appear in full page ads Monday in New Hampshire's Manchester Union-Leader and the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call.

"The blame, we must admit, does not belong to just one party. If we're going to change Washington, Republicans have to put our own house in order."

The ad was also scheduled to become part of Romney's regular ad rotation in Iowa on Saturday.

"We can't be like Democrats - a party of big spending," he says in the ad and in his letter. "We can't pretend our borders are secure from illegal immigration. We can't have ethical standards that are a punch line for Jay Leno."

On Friday at a Chicago news conference, Romney drove home the theme of the ad and the open letter. He said party faithful have been disappointed in some leaders' ethical lapses, adding that "my message of bringing change to our party and change to Washington is connecting with voters."

Richard Viguerie Commends Romney Ad

(Manassas, Virginia) Richard A. Viguerie, author of Conservatives Betrayed: How George W. Bush and Other Big-Government Republicans Hijacked the Conservative Cause (Bonus Books, 2006), issued the following statement regarding former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney’s latest campaign ad:

“At last, a top-tier presidential candidate is paying attention to the discouraged, disheartened, and disillusioned base of the Republican Party.

“I commend Mitt Romney for urging the GOP leadership to return to its conservative values.

“By releasing an ad chastising the Republican leadership for its excessive spending, immigration amnesty, and ethical slackness, Governor Romney has taken a small but significant step toward reclaiming the GOP for the grassroots conservatives who are its backbone.

“The 2008 election is about change. If the Republicans are willing to repent of their Democrat-like ways, they have a chance to win. If not, they will deservedly lose many more Congressional seats and the White House in 2008.

“Governor Romney’s ad shows that he understands that the Republican Party can’t reach the political promised land without new leaders who cherish and practice proven conservative ideals and principles.

“Grassroots conservatives can be heartened by Gov. Romney’s nod to our values, and we should encourage the other top-tier candidates to follow and expand on his lead.â€

This guy reminds me of a used car salesman, he'll tell ya what he thinks you want to hear. He sees a niche that some of the other front runners aren't strong on and now he's going to try and use it to his advantage.