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 News Round Up

Several articles on Mitt Romney worth noting as well as some endorsements and a few other interesting tidbits:

New Articles

• This week's issue of Newsweek reviews the concerns on Romney's policy shifts and faith (). Although it's hashing through some very already hashed through ground, it has some a few new stories and quotes that make it worth the read. Overall I think it's pretty fair:
  "Romney may ultimately win over doubters on the right. 'There is a subtle prejudice in that flip-flop charge,' says Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention. "People who are liberal can't understand why someone might move from a more-liberal position to a more-conservative position. Conservatives don't see it that way. They see it as someone who has seen the light.' Christian media strategist DeMoss notes that evangelism is all about conversion, so, he says, 'we accept an evangelical's conversion if he told us it happened this morning.' Romney's reputation as a family man with a wife of 37 years and five proud sons will also help with conservatives. Among top-tier candidates, Romney is more appealing to the Christian right than John McCain or Rudy Giuliani. Romney is beginning to get some important backers, too: he has the political machine of former Florida governor Jeb Bush behind him, an immensely important asset if, as predicted, Florida moves up its primary. (Bush's parents, George H.W. and Barbara, are said to be fond of Romney.)"

• The New Republic yesterday mused over whether Romney could win the a Republican Primary. In a pretty odd article, it brands Romney "a ghost of Republicanism past: a moderate," and wonders whether Romney's announcement at Henry Ford's museum in Dearborn last week was some sort of strategic move to invite condemnations of Ford's anti-semitic views and get lambasted by the "liberal" press. "Get branded such a villain by our liberal elites, and you also might win a Republican primary. Mitt Romney may wish to bestow on us an America of hybrid cars, and, as he said in his speech, one 'defined not only in terms of our might, but also by our willingness to lead, to serve, and to share.' But, to get there he'll have to first prove he's part of the conservative tribe--whatever it takes."

• On the stump in Iowa on Monday, Romney reiterated his view that we should continue to push diplomatic isolation with Iran. "I do not believe that formal engagement and negotiation at this time with Iran would do anything other than give (Iranian President Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad an enormous win. And it's the last thing we should be considering."

Endorsements

• Romney held a fundraiser in Utah on Tuesday and was warmly received as Utah's "adopted son." "People [in Utah] don't heckle the Massachusetts Mormon about 'knowing the Lord.' They don't consider the presidential candidate a pretender. They don't even mind that his primary goal is to charm the checkbooks off of them." Romney has the overwhelming support of most of Utah's Republican politicians. In conjunction with his fundraiser, Romney also issued a press release announcing the endorsement of a lopsided majority of Utah's legislature (40 Representatives and 16 Senators) as well as that of Lt. Governor Herbert.
  

• Romney also announced his Georgia leadership team on Tuesday, it includes several congressmen and other prominent state officials .

Other Tidbits

• When asked about Mitt Romney and his faith on CNN's Late Edition on Sunday, fellow Latter-day Saint and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said: "I've never met Mitt Romney. But I say, religion should not have anything to do with who's going to be president or not be president."
  

• At the Utah fundraiser on Tuesday, Senator Orrin Hatch said of Romney: "He's the one the Democrats fear the most. He's articulate, he's smart, he's attractive." Hatch also said that said if Romney could win the presidency if he could get past those who are prejudiced against Mormons.
  

• This is a little old, but last week Pat Robertson announced that Romney will be the commencement speaker at Robertson's Regent University's this May.
  

Romney Responds to Rich Lowry

The National Review has a transcript of an interview with Mitt Romney yesterday in which, among other things, he responds to Rich Lowry's criticisms earlier this past week:

Jim [NRO]: ... I presume you saw the comments on the Corner by Rich Lowry, that you should have addressed Iraq more. Any reaction?

Gov. Romney: Well, he’s correct that I didn't talk a great deal about Iraq; I wanted to concentrate on Iran. You have different speeches for different audiences. I had spoken about Iraq before, and in fact I spoke about Iraq a great deal yesterday.

Jim [NRO]: Was it a fair criticism?

Gov. Romney: All criticism is fair; it represents the viewpoint of the author it is true that in my address I didn’t speak much about Iraq. But I have in other speeches. Next week, I’ll be speaking at the Detroit Economic Club, where I won’t be speaking about Iraq or Iran there, I’ll be speaking about the economy. I spoke a great deal about Iran at the Herzliya Conference in Israel. In any given speech, you can’t speak on all important topics. I can understand that Rich felt I should have spoken more about Iraq.

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."

Conservative Members Retreat

Today, Romney will address the Heritage Foundation Conservative Members Retreat. He has released portions of his remarks online and says he will be discussing "his record of strong conservative leadership and the right strategy to deal with the threat posed by Iran." Question is whether he will take National Review Editor Rich Lowry's criticism to heart and bring up Iraq. Should he?

National Review Summit

Mitt Romney addressed the National Review Conservative Summit tonight in a "wide-ranging speech" that he used to introduce himself to conservatives and explain his changed views on social issues. Romney spoke of his opposition to gay marriage and civil unions and referred to himself as "a Ronald Reagan conservative" on abortion who "learned with experience." He also highlighted his business experience and his recently unveiled "Five Step Plan Of Action To Prevent A Nuclear Iran."

Romney's Iran policy

A while back I commented on Romney’s lack of foreign policy plans. Today, Romney lays out a clear plan towards preventing Iran from continuing its nuclear ambitions. Some are fairly obvious, but some more innovative and intriguing. Notably, Romney sees more than just economic sanctions, but also “the potential of U.S. pension funds to further isolate the Iranian economy” through disinvestment.