First on CNN: Conservative group to target Romney
Washington (CNN) - An independent conservative group says it's going up with a series of new television commercials and radio ads in Iowa later this month as part of its campaign to "Stop Mitt Romney" from winning the Republican presidential nomination, CNN has learned.
The group, The Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama, released a web video Wednesday as part of a fundraising effort to pay for what it says will be future ad buys for the TV spot in New Hampshire and South Carolina. The three states, along with Nevada, kick off the primary and caucus season.
While Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who's making his second bid for the White House, is the front-runner in the most recent national polls in the battle for the nomination, he is not well loved by some in the tea party movement, who don't trust the candidate's conservative credentials.
"Mitt Romney's so liberal he's fought conservatives on abortion, RomneyCare, bailouts, illegal immigration, and much more," says the narrator in one of the TV ads, which also uses a clip of Romney from his 2002 run for governor in Massachusetts.
"If you support the principles of the Republican Party platform, as I do, then it's important that we make sure the GOP nominates someone who has supported and fought for those principles. On almost every single important issue facing America today, Mitt Romney has fought against conservatives and Republicans. He's been a liberal on fiscal issues, a liberal on social issues, and a liberal on national security issues," says Lloyd Marcus, Chairman of Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama, in a statement to CNN.
The Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama is, as the name implies, dedicated to trying to defeat the president in the 2012 election. The group was launched by the Our Country Deserves Better Committee, a conservative political action committee that's also the parent organization of the Tea Party Express, one of the leading national tea party groups. The Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama is now a separate entity.
The Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama went up earlier this year in some of the general election battleground states with an ad titled "Barack Obama's Legacy of Failure."
The group also spent money to run TV commercials that urged against raising the nation's debt ceiling, and put up ads in Wisconsin in support of that state's conservative governor, Scott Walker, as he battled state Democratic lawmakers and unions over budget cuts and the collective bargaining rights of public section union workers. The showdown in Wisconsin earlier this year made national headlines.
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Actually this group's activities will make me more likely to support Romney ... and I live in an early primary state.
So now I'm all confused: given the commercial shouldn't this group be called "The Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama and Mitt Romney"? With new names added, as appropriate, of course. It could become quite a list but it seems to me a little reductive as a political movement. Who will be left?
They don’t like their current front runner wow
There are always ideologues who would rather make a point than make a difference. The fevered folks at the Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama are this year's example.
Campaigns should be fought between CANDIDATES, not between a candidate and an abstract vision of the perfect opponent who does not exist.
I give these people the benefit of the doubt. I don't think they are a fifth column for Obama, or a secret front group for Ron Paul. But, their misguided fervor does as much damage as if they were.
Will tea baggers turn their backs on the Kochs and other billionaires and vote for Mitt? No way, so that means Herb Cain and Ponzi Perry will have to duke it out the old republican way, by lying like a penny in the parking lot.
I got my popcorn ready for the rumble
Mitt Romney is stalled in the polls for the GOP nomination because he can't grow his base. There are only so many Republicans who like the idea of "let's defeat Obama with anybody, who cares who that person is." Most of us Republicans would actually like to have a principled conservative be the standard-bearer for the GOP.
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He is as American as anyone can be and he is running for president becuase he loves his country, the USA. He is against abortion, he is against Obama Care. Hope this helps.
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HAven't been paying attention have we – Mittens was pro-choice while he created Obaney-care so you m'lady are an idiot.
@ Wire Palladin, S. F.
Say what you want, Rick McDaniel knows his republican party.
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He does, you are right. Ready to picnic on each other for the sake of purity. As a Democrat, I've seen us do it too often: kind of a nice role reversal.
@Wire Palladin.. They already have turned on Perry because of his immigration stance..
President Obama's campaign should be solely focused on turning the GOP against itself and hopefully causing it to split.. They should be supporting Dems voting in the GOP primaries against certain people.. or just all voting for Huntsman (the last place guy)
Damm Fools. He is the only candidate that can win next November. Josh Brolin, oops I mean Rick Perry is a dimwit. He makes W look like a Rhodes Scholar. Bobblehead Bachman, too extreme and not too bright. Mr.Godfather Pizza, Herm Cain, he is a tool. The Repubs are only using him to get the minority vote, which won't work, just like they thought they would get the women vote with Caribou Barbie and speaking of her, I thought she was supposed to decided since Labor Day? She full of hot air and nothing but a sick, twisted joke.
I find it humorous that "The Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama" is so much against Romney, when Romney is the best chance the GOP has at winning the election in 2012.
Some people aren't very smart.
Romney is favored by the old school neocons in the GOBP/corporatist death cult. They are counting on him to attack Iran and really get those Military Industrial complex dollars flowing their way.
The Real Tom Paine
If this does not put to rest the lie that the Tea Party is only concerned about fiscal issues, nothing will. Thanks for flushing your true agenda out into the open to remove any doubt.
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Couldn't have said it better. The "grassroots" organization is nothing but a front group for the uber Conservative zealots. Can anyone here point to ONE Democratic candidate that these loons will support??
OMG this is too funny – the b1gots are eating their own!!!
If the GOP's rightmost members succeed in shoving one of their unelectable zealots through the nomination process to the candidacy, they deserve the pounding they'll get in 2012. Not that Romney has a chance in hell, either, being possibly the least believably sincere pol I've ever seen, but he has a better shot than any of the crazies...
NIIIIICE!! Attack the one person who could beat Obama. Love it.
vote for Mitt Romney 2012!!!!
At least Romney does not want to decimate or eliminate the environmental protection agency and adulterate science classes with religion, thereby discrediting both science and religion. Regardless of what one thinks of Obama the republican slate of candidates is the scariest in my 82 years.
As Governor he was pro choice, and rectified a mandate for hc insurance......lol....yes in MA, he was liberal.....Now he's changed his mind.....He's a flip flopper on key conservative issues.........
Everything said in the article about Romney is true. You just refuse to see it. Look at his record, not what he says! Romney is NOT a moderate! I am a moderate and I know he is not. And neither are all of you. You reap what you sow? I suppose you think that doesn't apply to democrats as well. Obama is destroying this country. Just look at his approval ratings which have been going steadily down. I dare you to google all of the impeachable offenses that Obama has committed.