Michael Gaynor
Truthful Romney robo-call embarrasses Santorum, riles Ingraham
By Michael Gaynor
Ingraham called Romney "Tricky Mitt" for using the robo call, but the call is truthful, not tricky, and suggesting that South Carolinians won't understand it is insulting to them.
The Team Romney robo call not only is truthful, but gives Laura Ingraham the public attention that Major Garrett denied her when he asked a question in a presidential debate this year without giving her due credit.
Alas, Ingraham was not pleased with this free publicity...and apparently took a while to realize that the robo call announced at the beginning that it was presenting a Santorum announcement on Ingraham's radio show made in 2008.
The text of the Team Romney robo call is as follows:
AUDIO TEXT: "This is an urgent message from the Romney campaign. In 2008, Rick Santorum made the following announcement on Laura Ingraham's radio program."
LAURA INGRAHAM: "Joining us now with an important announcement, you're not gonna wanna miss this, former Senator from the great state of Pennsylvania, Rick Santorum."
RICK SANTORUM: "If you're a conservative, there really is only one place to go right now. I would even argue farther than that. If you're a Republican, if you're a Republican in the broadest sense, there is only one place to go right now, and that's Mitt Romney."
LAURA INGRAHAM: "Senator Rick Santorum endorsing Mitt Romney unequivocally, without hesitation, that should mean something to all of you. Senator Santorum, thank you so much."
AUDIO TEXT: "This call was paid for by Romney For President, Inc. (803) 575-0698"
Now that Santorum is running for President himself, he's not happy to have the voters in South Carolina informed or reminded that he enthusiastically embraced Romney as a conservative in 2008.
On February 1, 2008, Santorum publicly declared:
"In a few short days, Republicans from across this country will decide more than their party's nominee. They will decide the very future of our party and the conservative coalition that Ronald Reagan built. Conservatives can no longer afford to stand on the sidelines in this election, and Governor Romney is the candidate who will stand up for the conservative principles that we hold dear.
"Governor Romney has a deep understanding of the important issues confronting our country today, and he is the clear conservative candidate that can go into the general election with a united Republican party."
In 2008 Ingraham enthusiastically endorsed Romney as a true conservative who had learned over time. Ingraham described Romney as the "the conservative's conservative" and "a class act" when she introduced him at CPAC 2008. Her praise of Romney was unstinting. She not only assured that Romney was proud to be a conservative, but that he "embodies conservative ideals." She lauded Romney as a national security conservative, a social conservative and a fiscal conservative and for "selflessness" and "exhibit[ing] on a daily basis sacrificial concerns."
The truth is that Romney is no less conservative now than he was in 2008. His conversion to conservatism was real.
But Newt Gingrich, Santorum and Ingraham are portraying Romney as a moderate NOW.
That's untrue.
Ingraham called Romney "Tricky Mitt" for using the robo call, but the call is truthful, not tricky, and suggesting that South Carolinians won't understand it is insulting to them.
© Michael Gaynor
Ingraham called Romney "Tricky Mitt" for using the robo call, but the call is truthful, not tricky, and suggesting that South Carolinians won't understand it is insulting to them.
The Team Romney robo call not only is truthful, but gives Laura Ingraham the public attention that Major Garrett denied her when he asked a question in a presidential debate this year without giving her due credit.
Alas, Ingraham was not pleased with this free publicity...and apparently took a while to realize that the robo call announced at the beginning that it was presenting a Santorum announcement on Ingraham's radio show made in 2008.
The text of the Team Romney robo call is as follows:
AUDIO TEXT: "This is an urgent message from the Romney campaign. In 2008, Rick Santorum made the following announcement on Laura Ingraham's radio program."
LAURA INGRAHAM: "Joining us now with an important announcement, you're not gonna wanna miss this, former Senator from the great state of Pennsylvania, Rick Santorum."
RICK SANTORUM: "If you're a conservative, there really is only one place to go right now. I would even argue farther than that. If you're a Republican, if you're a Republican in the broadest sense, there is only one place to go right now, and that's Mitt Romney."
LAURA INGRAHAM: "Senator Rick Santorum endorsing Mitt Romney unequivocally, without hesitation, that should mean something to all of you. Senator Santorum, thank you so much."
AUDIO TEXT: "This call was paid for by Romney For President, Inc. (803) 575-0698"
Now that Santorum is running for President himself, he's not happy to have the voters in South Carolina informed or reminded that he enthusiastically embraced Romney as a conservative in 2008.
On February 1, 2008, Santorum publicly declared:
"In a few short days, Republicans from across this country will decide more than their party's nominee. They will decide the very future of our party and the conservative coalition that Ronald Reagan built. Conservatives can no longer afford to stand on the sidelines in this election, and Governor Romney is the candidate who will stand up for the conservative principles that we hold dear.
"Governor Romney has a deep understanding of the important issues confronting our country today, and he is the clear conservative candidate that can go into the general election with a united Republican party."
In 2008 Ingraham enthusiastically endorsed Romney as a true conservative who had learned over time. Ingraham described Romney as the "the conservative's conservative" and "a class act" when she introduced him at CPAC 2008. Her praise of Romney was unstinting. She not only assured that Romney was proud to be a conservative, but that he "embodies conservative ideals." She lauded Romney as a national security conservative, a social conservative and a fiscal conservative and for "selflessness" and "exhibit[ing] on a daily basis sacrificial concerns."
The truth is that Romney is no less conservative now than he was in 2008. His conversion to conservatism was real.
But Newt Gingrich, Santorum and Ingraham are portraying Romney as a moderate NOW.
That's untrue.
Ingraham called Romney "Tricky Mitt" for using the robo call, but the call is truthful, not tricky, and suggesting that South Carolinians won't understand it is insulting to them.
© Michael Gaynor
The views expressed by RenewAmerica columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of RenewAmerica or its affiliates.
(See RenewAmerica's publishing standards.)
