Graves Address Taxpayer March on Washington

State Rep. Tom Graves (R-Ranger), Republican candidate for Georgia’s 9th District, spoke to an estimated 1.5 million individuals and a nation-wide television audience at today’s Taxpayer March on Washington. Graves was one of a handful of elected officials to address the Tea Party on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.

“We must take back America, the Republic. And we must push back this over reaching, over taxing, over burdensome, money hungry government that seeks to preserve itself at our liberty,” said Graves.

“We will demand from Washington…we will demand less spending, not deficit spending…we will demand a balanced-budget, not a pork-filled budget…we will demand personal responsibility, not the bureaucratic nanny…and yes, yes we will demand empower the patriots and not the politicians anymore,” said Graves.

“Here at this capitol on this high ground, we are bound together. Here together united and we will be steadfast and resolved in preserving America and her liberty. And, may today be forever known as the day that we stood together and said in one voice, ‘Don’t Tread on Me!’” added Graves.

Prior to the Tea Party, Graves led hundreds of Georgians in the March from Freedom Plaza in downtown Washington, D.C., down Pennsylvania Avenue to the U.S. Capitol building.

Graves joined other notable conservatives at the U.S. Capitol, including Georgia Congressman and Chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee Tom Price, Chairman of the House Republican Conference Mike Pence, Tennessee Congressman Marsha Blackburn and South Carolina U.S. Senator Jim DeMint.

Graves was invited to speak because of his conservative leadership in the Georgia House of Representatives and for authoring the Jobs, Opportunity and Business Success Act, HB 481 and 482, last session. The JOBS Act received national attention and was focused on helping small businesses and creating, expanding and attracting jobs through a series of tax credits, cuts, and incentives for businesses to hire Georgians.

Organizers of the Taxpayer March on Washington and Tea Party Rally said the purpose of the March was to send a “clear message that governments at all levels have been spending way too much money. The federal government is especially guilty of this, as they pile up the debt, deficits and unfunded liabilities. They are taxing, borrowing or printing money with no end in sight. This madness has to stop, and that is why we are demanding that they stop the wasteful spending and stop burdening taxpayers with more debt. This protest is about defending our liberty, and about restoring our Constitution by reducing the size and scope of the federal government,” according the group’s website.

Graves was also a speaker at the Atlanta Tea Party at the Georgia State Capitol last April.
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GOV. HUCKABEE CAN'T KEEP UP WITH BOTH FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND BRITNEY SPEARS

Defends Ignorance Of NIE Report By Mocking President Bush
No Laughing Matter: A serious look at Gov. Mike Huckabee's record and policy beyond the one-liners.

Gov. Mike Huckabee: "And the ultimate thing is, I may not be the expert that some people are on foreign policy, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night." (WABC Radio's "Imus In The Morning," 12/4/07)

National Review: "The Holiday Inn Express Candidate." "In sum, conservatives should have worries about the depth and soundness of Mike Huckabee’s foreign-policy views. And staying at a Holiday Inn Express is not going to be enough to allay them." (Editorial, "The Holiday Inn Express Candidate," National Review, 12/10/07)

Gov. Huckabee Attacked Bush To Defend His Not Knowing About The NIE Report:
Gov. Huckabee Defended His Not Reading The NIE Report On Iran By Joking That President Bush Hadn't Read The Report In Four Years. "Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee defended his failure to read the National Intelligence Estimate on Iran in early December, joking in an interview Monday that President Bush didn't read intelligence reports for four years. … 'Maybe I should've said, "Have you read the report?" President Bush didn't read it for four years; I don't know why I should read it in four hours.' His comment about President Bush appears to be a reference to allegations made by Bush's critics that Bush didn't pay close enough attention to intelligence reports, particularly in the early years of his presidency." (Dan Gearino, "Huckabee Pokes Fun At Bush Over Reading Intelligence Reports," Quad City Times, 12/31/07)

Gov. Huckabee Echoed Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), Who Accused President Bush Of Knowing Four Years Ago That Iran Had Stopped Its Nuclear Weapons Program. "President Bush's heated rhetoric on Iran - including comments about a potential World War III - is even more outrageous now that we know the intelligence community had informed him that it believes Iran had stopped its nuclear weapons program four years ago. This is the latest in a long line of inaccurate and misleading comments that got us into the Iraq war to begin with. They further diminish the credibility of a President with a dangerous record of overstating threats." (Sen. Reid Press Release, US Fed News, 12/4/07)

Gov. Huckabee Claimed The Report Came Out Much Later Than It Actually Did:
Gov. Huckabee Claimed The NIE Report Came Out Just Hours Before He Was Asked About It. "'The whole perception was based on an ambush question on the NIE report,' Huckabee said in an interview Monday with the Quad-City Times. 'From there, it was like, 'Wow.' That was released at 10 o'clock in the morning. At 5:30 in the afternoon, somebody says, 'Have you read the report?'" (Dan Gearino, "Huckabee Pokes Fun At Bush Over Reading Intelligence Reports," Quad City Times, 12/31/07)

But The NIE Report Actually Came Out At Least 36 Hours Before Gov. Huckabee Was Asked About It. "That particular day [when the NIE came out], which I thought it was a little bit ridiculous to talk about, the report came out at 10 in the morning and it was like five in afternoon. [Editor's note: The National Intelligence Estimate report stating that Iran was not pursuing nuclear weapons came out Monday Dec. 3. Huckabee was first asked about it in the evening of Dec. 4]" (Michael Scherer, "Mike Huckabee-The Front Runner Q&A," Time, http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1699051,00.html, Posted 12/31/07)

Gov. Huckabee Compared Knowing About Foreign Policy To Keeping Up With Celebrity Gossip:
Gov. Huckabee Said That Keeping Up With Foreign Affairs Was As Tough As Keeping Up With Britney Spears Gossip. "When asked to clarify, Huckabee said this: 'The point I'm trying to make is that, on the campaign trail, nobody's going to be able, if they've been campaigning as hard as we have been, to keep up with every single thing, from what happened to Britney last night to who won "Dancing with the Stars."' He said the campaign learned from the criticism related to the Iran report and now he gets regular briefings about developments in foreign policy." (Dan Gearino, "Huckabee Pokes Fun At Bush Over Reading Intelligence Reports," Quad City Times, 12/31/07)

Gov. Huckabee Was Well Versed On The Jamie Lynn Spears' Pregnancy But Had Been "Caught Off-Guard By Breaking News Events." "Baptist minister and anti-abortion supporter Mike Huckabee was asked today about 16-year old celebrity Jamie Lynn Spears' decision to continue her unplanned pregnancy. While the candidate has been notably caught off-guard by breaking news events recently, today he passed a test of pop culture with flying colors." (Mary Hood, "Huckabee's Happy Spears Is Keeping Her Baby," CBS' From The Road Blog, www.cbsnews.com/, Posted 12/20/07)

Giuliani: Strategy Memo: Looking Good

As voting nears in the Republican nomination process, our campaign remains convinced that our strategy we have long had in place is right – bold, innovative and designed to deal with the radically different election calendar. While many of the beltway insiders seem to remain committed to the old "Carter/Clinton" approach and have questioned the adjustments we have made to our strategic thinking based on the new calendar, we clearly have a winning plan to secure the nomination in an election cycle unlike any other. History will prove us right.

As we enter the final stages of the campaign we have seen a tightening in the national polling and the emergence of a real 5-way race for the Republican nomination. Mayor Giuliani has led virtually every national major media poll conducted in 2007. We are now at a point in the campaign where we are seeing increasing polling volatility as public attention turns to the horse races in individual states.

Important to our long term strategy, Mayor Giuliani has enjoyed a commanding lead in nearly every public poll conducted in the delegate rich states of Florida, California, Illinois, New York and New Jersey.

2007 November – December Public Polling Averages Mayor Giuliani and Closest Opponent in state polling
State Mayor Giuliani Average Closest Opponent Average
Florida 30% 17%
California 29% 15%
New Jersey 38% 12%
New York 40% 12%

The Primary Calendar2008 will be unlike any recent Republican nomination process. What typically has been a primary process that stretched into March or April has been accelerated and compacted into a 33 day sprint.

Our rivals seemingly have built campaigns based on the old calendars’ strategies — a couple of very early state wins to propel them deeper in to the nomination process. To the contrary, our plan allocates time and resources to the many states which vote a bit later — on January 29 (Florida) and February 5.

For the record, only 78 delegates will be picked prior to Florida whereas 1,039 delegates will be picked on January 29 and February 5. Additionally, it is important to note that voting HAS ALREADY STARTED in Florida, Missouri, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey and New York – tens of thousands of people will have already cast their ballot by the time you are reading this note. And more February 5th states, including California will begin early and absentee voting soon. All of this points to the folly of over-estimating the impact of the results of Iowa and New Hampshire and the wisdom of our strategy.

Putting a high priority on spending our time and money in a proportional basis in Florida and the large delegate states voting on February 5th is clearly the right thing to do.

The Early States
The pre-February 5th states are Iowa, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Michigan, Nevada, South Carolina, Florida and Maine. Delegates are at stake in just five states before February 5. Wyoming will select a portion of its delegates at their caucus in January, but will not allocate all of their delegates until later in the year. Iowa, Nevada and Maine award NO delegates at this time. Florida is the big prize on January 29, with 57 winner-take-all delegates – the only winner-take-all state before February 5th.

Pre February 5th Contests
Date State Estimated Delegates after RNC Penalty
1/3 Iowa 0*
1/5 Wyoming 12
1/8 New Hampshire 12
1/15 Michigan 30
1/19 Nevada 0*
1/19 South Carolina 24
1/29 Florida 57
2/1 Maine 0*

Because states selecting delegates before February 5th are in violation of Republican National Committee rules, those states have been penalized half of their normal delegates; Iowa, Nevada, and Maine do not select any delegates at their caucuses, but rather at state party conventions in late spring. The states before February 5th will allocate delegates to multiple candidates under varying state election laws and state party rules. Thus, it is highly unlikely that any single candidate will win all of any one state’s delegates except Florida’s, which will be winner-take-all.
Florida accounts for more than 40% of all delegates allocated before February 5th and has almost twice as many delegates as the next largest state. It is therefore easy and correct to conclude that in a multiple candidate race, whichever candidate wins Florida, with their winner-take-all delegates, will very likely have a delegate lead going into February 5th.

February 5th
On February 5th, 982 delegates will be in play. Most importantly, a bloc of 201 winner-take-all delegates will be at stake in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Delaware, all states in which Mayor Giuliani has double digit leads. Aside from the huge northeast delegate prize, Missouri will award 58 winner-take-all delegates, and Senator Kit Bond’s endorsement gives our organization a great statewide network there. Also on February 5th, large states such as California, Georgia and Illinois will award most of their delegates by Congressional District vote. It is for this reason that Mayor Giuliani has spent a great deal of time in each of those states and has always polled well in them.

Path to VictoryIf Mayor Giuliani wins even a minority share of the 78 delegates from pre Florida states, wins Florida’s 57 delegates, wins the 201 available in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Delaware, and wins only a plurality of delegates from large February 5th states like California, Georgia and Illinois, he will have a commanding lead in delegates for the nomination with more than half of the delegates selected.

State Polling and OutlooksAs noted above, polling has been and will continue to be dynamic and incredibly volatile. In Iowa for instance -just in December- we have seen polls placing the Mayor’s support from as high as 3rd to as low as 6th place. Senator McCain caucus support has ranged from a high of 20% to a low of 5%. And polling over the Christmas and New Year holidays will not be any less fickle.

In Iowa, one could anticipate that Mayor Giuliani might finish outside of the top 3. Governors Huckabee and Romney are battling it out for first, Senator Thompson is spending a lot of time in the state over the closing days of the campaign and Senator McCain received a recent boost from the endorsement of the Des Moines Register. While placement in Iowa will be a focus of the media, it should be remembered that Senator McCain came in 5th place in Iowa (behind Bauer and Keyes) before winning New Hampshire.

The most covered story out of Iowa will likely be the Democratic race, but on the Republican side, the Huckabee/Romney race will be very interesting. The Romney campaign has invested millions of dollars and assembled a massive paid staff; some now question whether Mitt Romney’s Iowa investment and organization will prevail over Mike Huckabee. While Governor Huckabee was climbing rapidly in polls before Christmas, he now seems to have plateaued. Governor Romney’s strategy has long been based on winning the first few races to build momentum. Many believe the Romney organization (and a few million more dollars of get-out-the-vote money) will pull this one out for their campaign.

New Hampshire is only a few days after Iowa and voters there are notoriously late deciders on their presidential primary vote. New Hampshire will be very much in flux after Iowa. Governor Romney was governor of neighboring Massachusetts and Senator McCain won New Hampshire in 2000. In addition to Senator McCain’s base of support, he has recently put together a series of high profile endorsements in the area to further reinvigorate his campaign. The unprecedented personal spending by Governor Romney should not be underestimated. It is apparent that he has put more than $40 million of his own money into this race.

Accurate polling in New Hampshire will be nearly impossible, with the holidays complicating it logistically and the Iowa news cycle dominating press and potentially disrupting the order of the race.

Although we should expect to see more polling from South Carolina, Michigan and the other early states, one should remember that because of the furious pace of the election calendar and the never ending news cycle, polling will be very difficult to conduct, have a very short shelf life and become even more unstable and unreliable. The polling picture will be further blurred with the range of new polling methodologies that are being tested, ranging from robotic calling to internet polling.

Thus, we should all be ready for a barrage of state and national polls in January with seemingly contradictory results — some of it good news, much of it related to early January states as bad news. We should all have confidence in the strong organizations and also in the strong bases of support in Florida and other February 5th states which will endure the ups and downs of January.

Also, by the time we get to Florida, the field of candidates and the race will look remarkably different than it does right now. Florida will be the important battleground not only for our campaign but for the race itself.

Polling in Florida has been stable all year. For most of the second half of 2007, the support for Mayor Giuliani has averaged 33 or 34%. Virtually every other candidate in the race has polled in second place to us at one point or another over the year. We have remained on top in Florida. As in all races, expect to see signs of tightening in Florida as Election Day approaches, but also expect us to consolidate more support as candidates drop out of the race. We are very proud of our Florida organization, which, like all of our state organizations, is prepared for the long, hard fight to win.

One should conclude, as voting nears, that our campaign is focused on the right prize – winning enough delegates to secure the Republican nomination. Our national campaign is the right strategy for getting it done.

Statement from Senator Fred Thompson on the Appointment of Roger Wicker to the United States Senate

McLean, VA - Today, Senator Fred Thompson released the following statement:

"I want to congratulate Senator Wicker on his appointment to the U.S. Senate. Roger is an old friend and I know he'll serve the people of Mississippi well. With Mississippi's two U.S Senators as my campaign co-chairs, I look forward to being successful in Mississippi's primary and sharing the ballot with Senator Wicker in November of 2008."

Romney: FACT CHECK: GOV. HUCKABEE DID PUSH FOR IN-STATE TUITION BREAKS FOR ILLEGALS

Despite His Claims, Gov. Huckabee Supported Special Tuition Breaks For Illegals
"Governor, let me stop you right there because a lot of people have looked at this and I've got the bill right in front of me, and I know that what you're talking about may have been in your original legislation, but you continued to push for a bill after the scholarship provisions were dropped that would simply provide in-state tuition benefits to illegal immigrants. I've read through it." – ABC News' George Stephanopoulos (ABC's "This Week," 12/2/07)

Gov. Huckabee Has Repeatedly Claimed He Didn't Support Tuition Breaks For Illegals:
On NBC's "Meet The Press" Yesterday, Gov. Huckabee Claimed He Did Not Support Special Tuition Breaks For Illegals. GOV. HUCKABEE: "He said that I supported special breaks for illegal aliens. That's not true, Tim. We supported simply giving children, who had earned a scholarship the same, it never happened, didn't make the legislature." (NBC's "Meet The Press," 12/30/07)

At The CNN, YouTube Debate, Gov. Huckabee Said He Did Not Support Giving Illegals Tuition Breaks. GOV. HUCKABEE: "Ashley, first of all let me just express that you're a little misinformed. We never passed a bill that gave special privileges to the children of illegals to go to college." (CNN/YouTube, Republican Presidential Candidate Debate, St. Petersburg, FL, 11/28/07)

On ABC's This Week, Gov. Huckabee Again Tried To Claim He Didn't Support In-State Tuition Breaks For Illegals. ABC's GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: "Excuse me. Let me just stop you right there because that's why you pushed a bill that would allow the children of illegal immigrants, if they went through an Arkansas high school, to get in-state tuition." GOV. HUCKABEE: "Actually it was to qualify for an Academic Challenge Scholarship which was a meritorious scholarship based on their grade point average, their being drug and alcohol free, and their also being in the process of applying for citizenship." (ABC's "This Week," 12/2/07; www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tKnV3_pbVI)

Gov. Huckabee Has Also Repeatedly Claimed That He Only Supported Merit-Based Scholarships:

Gov. Huckabee Claimed, "It Wasn't About Out-Of-State Tuition, It Was An Academic Meritorious Scholarship." GOV. HUCKABEE: "I supported the bill that would have allowed those children who had been in our schools their entire school life, the opportunity to have the same scholarship that their peers had, who had also gone to high school with them and sat in the same classrooms. They couldn't just move in in their senior year and go to college. It wasn't about out-of-state tuition, it was an academic meritorious scholarship, called the Academic Challenge Scholarship." (CNN/YouTube, Republican Presidential Candidate Debate, St. Petersburg, FL, 11/28/07)

Gov. Mike Huckabee Said He Only Supported A Program Where Illegals Were Granted "Scholarship[s]" For Doing "Academically Well." FOX NEWS' BILL HEMMER: "The suggestion in that is that you favor giving children of illegal immigrants tuition breaks." HUCKABEE: "Here's the deal -- he has hit me on that. Mitt Romney has tried to hit me on that. What I supported was the idea that if a student had been in our Arkansas high schools and had done academically well to be able to compete for an academic challenged scholarship which was meritorious then that student should be able to have the same opportunity as anyone else. It wasn't a special break. It was something that a person had earned." (Fox News' "Live," 11/14/07; www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHwTcWHhLaE)

But The Fact Is, Gov. Huckabee Supported A Bill Granting ONLY In-State Tuition Breaks To Illegals:

Gov. Huckabee Proposed Extending Taxpayer-Funded College Scholarships To Illegal Aliens. "Gov. Mike Huckabee is proposing extending eligibility for state-funded college scholarships to illegal aliens who graduate from Arkansas high schools - an idea that several legislators predicted will go nowhere." (Laura Kellams, "Huckabee Plan Would Aid Illegal Aliens," Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 1/12/05)

Gov. Huckabee Asked Arkansas Legislator Joyce Elliott To Add His Scholarship Proposal To Her Bill Extending In-State Tuition To Illegal Immigrants. "In 2005, Huckabee tried to make children of illegal immigrants eligible for scholarships and in-state college tuition. Joyce Elliott, the former state representative who sponsored the scholarship measure, said she originally had wanted to offer just in-state tuition, but Huckabee's office asked her to add the scholarship provision. 'The notion I got from him is that he believed it was the right thing to do,' said Elliott, a Democrat from Little Rock." (Andrew DeMillo, "Huckabee Adopts New Tone On Immigration," The Associated Press, 12/27/07)

Yet The Scholarship Portion Was Stripped From The Bill:

The Scholarship Portion Of The Bill Was Stripped From The Bill. "Hard-liners, led by state Sen. Jim Holt, R-Springdale, said 'illegal aliens,' as they prefer, have no rights because they're lawbreakers. It may not be fair to single Holt out because he had plenty of company. When House Bill 1525 stalled in a Senate committee, the scholarship portion of the bill was stripped out, sending the measure to the Senate floor, where it failed twice, the final time by only two votes." (Dennis Byrd, "Federal Judge: Illegal Immigrants Qualify For Tuition Breaks," Arkansas News, 7/10/05)

And The Bill That Was Actually Voted On Only Included In-State Tuition Breaks For Illegals. H.B. 1525, "Access To Postsecondary Education Act Of 2005":
www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftproot/bills/2005/public/HB1525.pdf

Gov. Huckabee Fought To Pass The Stripped Bill Which Granted ONLY In-State Tuition Breaks For Illegals. "[The] only bill in the governor's 21-bill legislative package that failed to win legislative approval was a proposal to make the children of illegal immigrants eligible for state-funded scholarships and in-state tuition to Arkansas colleges. After passing the House relatively early in the session, the bill faltered in the Senate where it was amended to remove the scholarship provision but fell just short of passage Tuesday and Wednesday. Huckabee said his office worked throughout the day Wednesday for the two Senate votes needed to pass the bill. 'I don't understand the opposition to it, I just honestly don't,' Huckabee said." (Melissa Nelson, "Governor Touts Successful End To Legislative Session," The Associated Press, 4/13/05)

Gov. Huckabee Has Been Misleading On The Issue:

The Washington Post Called Out Gov. Huckabee's Misleading Statements. " In fact, the initial bill he supported did have a scholarship provision. But that provision was later stripped out, and was not included in the legislation that Huckabee continued to push. The bill read: 'Any tuition rate that is granted to residents of Arkansas shall be granted on the same terms to all persons, regardless of immigration status, who have attended a secondary educational institution in Arkansas for at least three (3) years and who have either graduated from an Arkansas high school or received a general education diploma in the state.'" (Michael D. Shear, "Rising in Iowa Polls, Huckabee Now In Crosshairs," The Washington Post, http://blog.washingtonpost.com, Posted 11/15/07)

ABC News' George Stephanopoulos: "You Continued To Push For A Bill After The Scholarship Provisions Were Dropped." STEPHANOPOULOS: "… you pushed a bill that would allow the children of illegal immigrants, if they went through an Arkansas high school, to get in-state tuition." GOV. HUCKABEE: "Actually it was to qualify for an Academic Challenge Scholarship which was a meritorious scholarship based on their grade point average, their being drug and alcohol free, and their also being in the process of applying for citizenship."

MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: "Governor, let me stop you right there because a lot of people have looked at this and I've got the bill right in front of me, and I know that what you're talking about may have been in your original legislation, but you continued to push for a bill after the scholarship provisions were dropped that would simply provide in-state tuition benefits to illegal immigrants. I've read through it." (ABC's "This Week," 12/2/07; www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tKnV3_pbVI)

Romney: FACT CHECK: ARKANSAS VOTERS DID NOT APPROVE OF GOV. HUCKABEE'S GAS TAX HIKE

Despite His Claims, Arkansans Did Not Vote Themselves A Tax Hike
"Huckabee claimed a gasoline tax was only passed after 80 percent of voters approved it. Not true. The tax was enacted before a referendum vote on highway repairs." – Factcheck.org ("Huckabee's Fiscal Record," Factcheck.org, 11/21/07)

Gov. Huckabee Has Repeatedly Claimed That 80% Of Arkansas Voters Approved A Gas Tax:
On NBC's Meet The Press Yesterday, Gov. Huckabee Claimed That Arkansas Voters Supported A Tax For Highway Improvement. GOV. HUCKABEE: "He made claims about things like tax increases, but he failed to mention that some of those were either court-ordered or they were voted on by the people and approved by the people for things as roads." (NBC's "Meet The Press," 12/30/07)

On Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, Gov. Huckabee Said That 80% Of Arkansas Taxpayers Voted For A Gas Tax Hike. FOX NEWS' SEAN HANNITY: "You did support some tax increases, but some tax cuts. Can you explain that?" HUCKABEE: "Yes, I did. Certainly, there was an issue that involved road building and infrastructure on roads and bridges, and I did support that. … When we put that out there for the people to decide whether they wanted to affirm it, they did by an 80 percent vote, I would call that leadership." (Fox News' "Hannity & Colmes," 11/15/07)
On ABC's This Week, Gov. Huckabee Also Claimed That Voters Approved The Gas Tax Hike. ABC'S GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: "But you did raise those other taxes." HUCKABEE: "Well, here's what we did. On the gas tax, yeah, you know what we did? We put it on the ballot and 80 percent of the people of Arkansas voted for those fuel taxes because they wanted better roads." (ABC's "This Week," 2/11/07)

Gov. Huckabee's Campaign Chair Repeated The Claim This Morning On C-SPAN. ED ROLLINS: "And he – now he's being attacked for things like fixing the roads. The voters of Arkansas had the worst roads in the country according to 'Trucking' magazine. Truckers didn't want to go into the state. He went to the voters and he said, we have got these terrible roads. I'm going to give you an opportunity to vote a three-cent-a-gallon tax to fix the roads…" (C-SPAN's "Washington Journal," 12/31/07)

In Fact, Gov. Huckabee's Own Gubernatorial Website Contradicts The Story He's Telling Now:
In 2005, Gov. Huckabee's Website Said That The People Did Not Vote For The 1999 Fuel Tax. "The people did not vote on any of the taxes dedicated to repay these bonds. Federal gas and diesel taxes are passed and implemented by Congress, and the state funds to repay these bonds are coming from the diesel tax increase passed and implemented by the state legislature in 1999." (Gov. Mike Huckabee, "Setting The Record Straight," Press Release, 11/30/05, http://web.archive.org/web/20060926201257/www.arkansas.gov/governor/media/gems/11302005-1.html, Accessed 11/13/07)

Gov. Huckabee Has Been Misleading On The Issue:
Factcheck.org: "Not True." "Huckabee claimed a gasoline tax was only passed after 80 percent of voters approved it. Not true. The tax was enacted before a referendum vote on highway repairs." ("Huckabee's Fiscal Record," Factcheck.org, 11/21/07)

The Club For Growth Called Out Gov. Huckabee For His Misleading Statements On The Gas Tax. "While Huckabee repeatedly claims that 80% of Arkansas voters approved the gas and diesel fuel tax increases that he backed, the frequency of his repetition of this claim does not make it true. In fact, the claim is false. The Arkansas Legislature passed two bills in March of 1999 to pay for transportation projects, a gas and fuel tax hike, not subject to voter approval, and a bond issue that was contingent on voter approval. Huckabee signed the gas and diesel fuel tax increases into law on April 1, 1999; the tax hikes began taking effect that day." (Club For Growth, "Updated Huckabee White Paper," 11/13/07)

Gov. Huckabee Compromised With Democrats And De-Linked The Gas Tax From A Bond Issue:

Gov. Huckabee Agreed To A Diesel And Gasoline Tax Increase Even If His Bond Proposal Was Voted Down By The People. "But Huckabee on Thursday endorsed legislation that would impose a 3-cent tax increase on both diesel and gasoline - regardless of how the Governor's bond program fares." (David A. Lieb, "Dozen Republicans Split From Huckabee, Propose Alternative Highway Plan," The Associated Press, 2/26/99)

Gov. Huckabee's Compromise Plan Included "A Gasoline Tax Increase That Would Not Be Referred To Voters." "Gov. Mike Huckabee gave his blessing Thursday to an overhaul of his proposals for interstate repairs by including a gasoline tax increase that would not be referred to voters." (Noel E. Oman, "Huckabee Fits," Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 2/26/99)

In April 1999, Gov. Huckabee Signed Legislation Increasing Gas Taxes WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL:

"The Fuel Taxes Were Signed Into Law By Huckabee And Do Not Have To Go A Statewide Vote." "The bond issue is part of a highway package backed by Gov. Mike Huckabee that also includes a 4-cent diesel tax, to be phased in over two years, tax and 3-cent gas tax, to be phased in over three years. The fuel taxes were signed into law by Huckabee and do not have to go a statewide vote." ("Capitol Briefs," The Associated Press, 4/6/99)

The Vote On The Bond Proposal Was Not Tied To The Diesel And Fuel Taxes. "Although a tax increase is in the bond plan, voter approval of the bonds did not raise or lower any tax. Huckabee and the Legislature had already done that during the 1999 legislative session. They raised the diesel fuel tax 4 cents per gallon, earmarking part of that revenue to finance the bonds." (Ray Pierce And Elizabeth Caldwell, "Road Bond Issue Scores Big Win With Arkansans," Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 6/16/99)

Gov. Huckabee Signed Legislation Increasing Diesel And Fuel Taxes, While Separately Issuing $575 Million Worth Of Bonds Depending Upon Voters Approval. "Gov. Mike Huckabee signed into law Thursday legislation to raise fuel taxes by $60 million a year and issue bonds worth $575 million to pay for Arkansas' first major road program since 1991. Diesel taxes go up immediately and the gasoline tax increase takes effect July 1, two weeks after voters decide whether to approve the bond issue intended to speed up repairs on the poorest stretches of interstates across the state." (James Jefferson, "Governor Signs Bills Raising Taxes, Bonds For Highway Program," The Associated Press, 4/1/99)

The People Would Have The Chance To Vote On JUST The Bond Proposal In June Of 1999. "Huckabee also set a June 15 special election for voters to decide whether to approve the bond issue, which is intended to speed up repairs on the poorest stretches of interstates across the state." (James Jefferson, "Governor Signs Bills Raising Taxes, Bonds For Highway Program," The Associated Press, 4/2/99)

In June 1999, Arkansans Voted 80% For The Highway Bond Proposal, NOT A Gas Tax:
The Vote On The Bond Proposal Would Not Impact The Tax Increases. "Voting on the bond issue would not change state tax rates. The legislature raised fuel taxes this year - 4 cents a gallon on diesel over two years, 3 cents a gallon on gasoline over three years - to hasten repairs on secondary highways and local roads." (James Jefferson, "Voters Back Huckabee's Road Plan," The Commercial Appeal, 6/16/99)

The Bond Proposal (WITH NO GAS TAX) Was Passed 80% To 20%. "Gov. Mike Huckabee's $575 million bond program to reconstruct the worst stretches of Arkansas interstates over a five-year period appeared headed for an easy victory, 80 percent to 20 percent, becoming the first road bond issue approved since 1949." (James Jefferson, "Voters Back Huckabee's Road Plan," The Commercial Appeal, 6/16/99)

ROMNEY FOR PRESIDENT LAUNCHES NEW TELEVISION AD, "EVERYWHERE"

Today, Romney for President launched its newest television ad, "Everywhere." The ad features Governor Romney talking with the American people about the challenges confronting our country and the need to change Washington. With an exceptional record of turning around businesses and institutions, Governor Romney is the one candidate prepared to meet today's challenges. Together, he believes we can grow the economy, stop illegal immigration, defend life and preserve our traditional values. With his experience, vision and values, Governor Romney will make Washington work again and build a brighter future for America.

The ad will begin airing today as part of the campaign's rotation in Iowa. Script and viewing links are below.

Script For "Everywhere" (TV:30):
GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: "Everywhere my family and I go we hear that America's challenges are simply too big for Washington politicians.
"I've spent my life tackling big problems – helping turn around business, the Olympics, and state government.
"Together we can grow our economy, stop illegal immigration, defend life and preserve the values that make America the hope of the earth.
"It's time to turn around Washington.
"I'm Mitt Romney, and I approve this message."

To watch "Everywhere," please see: http://tv.mittromney.com/?showid=728429
AD FACTS: Script For "Everywhere" (TV:30):

GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: "Everywhere my family and I go we hear that America's challenges are simply too big for Washington politicians. I've spent my life tackling big problems – helping turn around business, the Olympics, and state government."

Bloomberg: "Romney's business record is unmatched by the current crop of leading candidates. At Bain & Co., a Boston management- consulting firm, he founded Bain Capital LLC in 1984, which has grown into one of the nation's five largest private-equity firms. Bain currently has $40 billion in assets under management, according to its Web site." (Heidi Pryzbyla, "Romney Finds Classmate Bush's Management Lapses Unlikely Hurdle," Bloomberg, 7/1/07)
Fortune: "He is, after all, the most serious major-party presidential candidate to come out of the business world since ... well, since his father, George Romney, onetime CEO of American Motors, who ran in 1968." (Marcia Vickers, "The Republicans' Mr. Fix-It," Fortune Magazine, 6/27/07)

The Boston Globe's Robert Gavin And Sacha Pfeiffer: "In time, Romney would lead the shaky start-up from a staff of seven people managing $37 million to 115 people managing $4 billion in assets. During Romney's 15-year tenure, Bain Capital would post an astonishing record, on average doubling its return on realized investments every year." (Robert Gavin and Sacha Pfeiffer, "Reaping Profit In Study, Sweat," The Boston Globe, 6/26/07)

The Associated Press: "Romney took over as head of Salt Lake's Olympic organizing committee in February 1999 after it was revealed Salt Lake organizers doled out more than $1 million in cash and gifts to members of the International Olympic Committee to win the 2002 bid. Under Romney's leadership, the Games were lauded as a critical success, a model of post-Sept. 11 security and turned a $100 million profit. Romney, a successful venture capitalist before the Games, wrote a book after titled 'Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership and the Olympic Games.'" (Debbie Hummel, "Utah's 'Adopted Son' Returns To State For Presidential Fundraiser," The Associated Press, 2/21/07)
Portfolio's Matthew Cooper: "When Romney took over the Salt Lake Organizing Committee in 1999, the games were a scandal-plagued fiscal wreck. He made them profitable." (Matthew Cooper, "Please, Not Another M.B.A. President," Portfolio, September 2007)

The Weekly Standard's Terry Eastland: "As governor, Romney has scored another turnaround, conservative in both ends and means. Told during the campaign that he would inherit a deficit of between $500 million and $1.5 billion, Romney discovered upon taking office a $650 million deficit in fiscal 2003 and an anticipated one of $3 billion in fiscal 2004. Romney balanced the 2003 budget, and he finished 2004 with a $700 million surplus. A reviving economy helped, but Romney didn't tax or borrow, and he reduced spending through government consolidation and reform." (Terry Eastland, "In 2008, Will It Be Mormon In America?" The Weekly Standard, 6/6/05)

In Massachusetts, Governor Romney Closed A Nearly $3 Billion Shortfall Without Raising Taxes. "When Mitt Romney became governor of Massachusetts in 2003, the state had a budget gap of almost $3 billion and was losing thousands of jobs a month. In Mr. Romney's four-year tenure, the deficit was eliminated without raising the sales tax or the income tax, and since the labor slump hit bottom in December 2003, the state has gained 81,000 jobs." (Pam Belluck, "Romney Candidacy Puts Massachusetts Economy In Spotlight," The New York Times, 3/16/07)

GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: "Together we can grow our economy, stop illegal immigration, defend life and preserve the values that make America the hope of the earth. It's time to turn around Washington. I'm Mitt Romney, and I approve this message."

To read Governor Romney's plan to strengthen our economy, please see: http://mittromney.com/News/Press-Releases/Romney_Agenda_10.9.07

To read Governor Romney's plan to enforce our immigration laws, please see: http://mittromney.com/News/Press-Releases/Romney_Agenda_12.14.07

To read Governor Romney's pro-family agenda, please see:
http://mittromney.com/News/Press-Releases/Romney_Agenda_Strengthening_Families

National Review: "But [Romney] would be able to offer a persuasive outsider's critique of Washington." (Editorial, "Romney For President," National Review, 12/11/07)

To watch "Everywhere," please see: http://tv.mittromney.com/?showid=728429