Mitt's Brody Interview

Mitt Romney sat down with CBN's David Brody yesterday for an interview on the eve of CPAC. Brody hasn't posted the interview in whole as of yet, but instead is posting clips on various issues:

• Should Romney address his Mormonism?

• Romney's position on embryonic stem-cell research
  

• Romney on polygamy
  

• Romney on McCain's Federal Marriage Amendment vote
  

• Romney on Hillary

• Romney on Giuliani
  

• Romney on why he's "going to win"
  

Romney Relishes Obama-Clinton Spat

While visiting New Hampshire today, Mitt Romney said he was enjoying the Clinton v. Obama grudge-match. "It's great, isn't it? I love to see it when it happens on the other side."

Meanwhile, Romney obeyed Reagan's 11th Commandment with respect to his main Republican rivals, describing them as "friends" and saying "I respect them. I'm sure we'll disagree on issues from time to time, but I doubt you'll see the rancor that apparently may exist elsewhere."

I have serious doubts about whether the Republican primaries will stay very amicable, especially in the South, but we can hope.

Romney Zeroes In On Hillary

At a campaign event in South Carolina yesterday, Mitt Romney spoke at length on Iran, criticizing Clinton for "a lack of understanding" in advocating engagement with Iran. I'm wondering if the strategy is to provoke Clinton in some way on this issue. Instigating an Obama-Clinton-like public debate with Clinton on Iran would be a dream scenario for Romney in my mind. It would allow him to burnish his foreign policy credentials while opposing someone who is a pretty polarizing figure among his Republican base. It is to this end I think Romney is circulating a letter he wrote Clinton and several other New York politicians calling for them to "launch a policy of strategic disinvestment from companies linked to the Iranian regime."

I can't find the full text of his remarks yesterday, but the Globe quotes him as saying: "You don't want to reward bad behavior. . . . We want to squeeze the pressure on that country and get them on the right track. . . . We don't want to give a signal of support or accomplishment to someone like [Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad."

The Globe also noted what it saw as an implied shot at Giuliani and McCain: "Romney's wife, Ann, played a particularly prominent role last night, as Romney made a special effort to highlight the fact that he's been married to the same woman for almost 40 years. "She's been the person behind me all my life," Romney said. Left unsaid: His chief Republican rivals, Senator John McCain of Arizona and Rudy Giuliani, former New York mayor , have each divorced at least once."

Romney Says Clinton "Timid" On Iran

Mitt Romney accused Hillary Clinton yesterday of being "timid" about the security threat posed by Iran.

At the Republican Study Committee's Conservative Retreat, Romney said "At this point, we don't need a listening tour about Iran. Someone who wants to engage Iran displays a troubling timidity toward a terrible threat of a nuclear Iran."

Thursday, Clinton had called Iran both a danger to the U.S. and a grave threat to Israel. In dealing with Iran, she said "We need to use every tool at our disposal, including diplomatic and economic in addition to the threat and use of military force."

New Romney Polls

A new Princeton Suvery of 1003 adults conducted last week that pitted Romney against McCain and Giuliani in a Primary Match-Up and then several of the Democratic candidates in the General Election Match-Up:

WH '08 Primary Election Match-Ups
(RVs and GOP leaners)
R. Giuliani               48%                      
J. McCain               44                      
Other/undec            8        
             
J. McCain               69% 
M. Romney             19
Other/undec            12

R. Giuliani               72%                      
M. Romney             19                        
Other/undec            12

Generic WH '08 Ballot 
1/18                        All    Dem  GOP  Ind
Democrat                49%   90%  4%    42%
Republican              28      3       78      19

WH '08 General Election Match-Ups
Romney/DEM      All    Dem  GOP  Ind               
H. Clinton               56%   92%  16%  49%
M. Romney             37      6       76      40
Other/undec            7        2       8        11   

J. Edwards              60%   87%  19%  64%     
M. Romney             26      3       67      22
Other/undec            14      10     14      14

B. Obama               56%   83%  18%  56%       
M. Romney             30      7       68      26        
Other/undec            14      10     14      18   

McCain/DEM       All    Dem  GOP  Ind  1/18
H. Clinton               50%   86%  9%    43% 48%   
J. McCain               44      12     87      47    47    
Other/undec            6        2       4        10    5

B. Obama               48%   78%  9%    47%  46%   
J. McCain               42      4       86      40     44    
Other/undec            10      8       5        13     10    

J. Edwards              48%   82%  10%  44%  48%   
J. McCain               44      13     86      45     43    
Other/undec            8        5       4        11     9    

Giuliani/DEM       All    Dem GOP   Ind   1/18                   
H. Clinton               49      85     9        42     47
R. Giuliani               46      12     88      50     48
Other/undec            5        3       3        8       5

B. Obama               47%   78%  7%    45%  45%
R. Giuliani               44      15     87      43     47
Other/undec            9        7       6        12     8

R. Giuliani               47%   20%  86%  46%  45%   
J. Edwards              46      75     10      44    48    
Other/undec            7        5       4        10     7