Rand Paul Explains Romney Endorsement:

Sen. Rand Paul clarified his endorsement of Mitt Romney, clarifying that he and Romney may not agree on how a president can constitutionally wage war.  On NRO today, Paul outlined why he endorsed Romney:

I endorsed Governor Romney for many reasons, not the least of which is that we simply cannot afford four more years of President Obama. Obamacare, Dodd-Frank, an out-of-control EPA and NLRB, and trillion-dollar deficits are combining to strangle our economy. I am afraid if that chokehold is not released quickly, our country may quickly follow Europe into destruction. Anyone who doesn’t believe there is a difference between the two candidates on economic issues is simply not looking or not being honest with their assessments.


Where the two differ, however, is foreign policy, as Paul explained:

I must oppose the most recent statements made by Mitt Romney in which he says he, as president, could take us to war unilaterally with Iran, without any approval from Congress. His exact words were:


I can assure you if I’m president, the Iranians will have no question but that I will be willing to take military action if necessary to prevent them from becoming a nuclear threat to the world. I don’t believe at this stage, therefore, if I’m president that we need to have a war powers approval or special authorization for military force. The president has that capacity now.


This is a misreading of the role of the president and Congress in declaring war.


The Constitution clearly states that it is Congress that has the power to declare war, not the president. The War Powers Act also clearly states that U.S. forces are to engage in hostilities only if the circumstances are “pursuant to (1) a declaration of war, (2) specific statutory authorization or (3) a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.”


Absent these criteria, the president has no authority to declare war.


Even if the president believes he has such authority, the War Powers Act goes on to require the president to seek congressional approval within 60 days of conflict.

No president is above the law or above the Constitution.


Our Founding Fathers were quite concerned about giving the power to declare war to the executive. They were quite concerned that the executive could rule like a king.

Before sending our young men and women into combat, we should have a mature and thoughtful debate over the ramifications, the authorization, and the motives of the war. James Madison wrote that the Constitution supposes what history demonstrates, that the executive is the branch most interested in war and most prone to it. The Constitution, therefore, with studied care vested that power in the legislature.

I will hold accountable and oppose any actions from any president, Republican or Democrat, if he declares war without congressional consent.

This seems to be a polite way for Paul to put Mitt Romney on notice that notwithstanding the endorsement, Paul will stand on principle even if it means opposing a Republican president.  That is, Paul has no problem being a burr in the side of politicians from either party who would disregard the limits of the constitution.

Tape Leaked From Romney's Fundraiser at John Schnatter's Home

A new videotape, apparently made by cell phone, shows Mitt Romney complimenting Papa John's founder John Schnatter on his lovely home.  Oh, the horror of it!  Schnatter  hosted the fund-raiser for Romney at his Anchorage, KY home on April 19, 2012, and Romney thanked and complimented his host! Some would call this good manners; Democrats call it corporate fat cats acting elitist.

These are the same comments we knew that Romney made at Schnatter's fundraiser last month. There is no secret here - it's not like Romney was caught talking about bitter people in the hinterland clinging to their guns and religion. The only difference is that now we have video

Romney pointed out at the fundraiser that Democrats, in their never-ending invocation of class-warfare, would say that Schnatter shouldn't have such a nice home.  (One percent!  Pay your fair share!)

Yes, it is true. John Schnatter has a great home, and he opens it up for numerous events -- politicians from both parties, myriad charities and his community.

As Romney has often noted, John Schnatter is a self-made man.  He started delivering pizza out of his dorm-room in college. Romney is right:  John Schnatter is an American success story; he is proof of what America gives us the freedom to accomplish when we apply hard work and perseverance to a good idea.

Here's what the slime ball who took the undercover video forgot to videotape:  the boy scouts next door who sat outside to waive to Romney; the 70-year old woman who mowed her lawn just before Romney drove by, so that it would look nice; the Schnatter's neighbors who made signs and sat in lawn chairs to  cheer for Romney  as he drove by; and most importantly, the mother in the old car with the 2008 Obama sticker who took her son by the Schnatter's home to catch a glimpse of the next president.

Rand Paul: No Cabal Between Ron Paul and Romney

Sen. Rand Paul clarified a remark he made this week that he would be "honored" to be Romney's VP nominee. Some have taken that to substantiate speculation that Ron Paul and Romney have cut some sort of a deal. Ron Paul's attacks on Santorum during the last debate added fuel to the rumor.

Sen. Paul said this on the Ron Paul website:

The media speculation about some supposed cooperation between
the Ron Paul campaign and Mitt Romney has gotten completely out of hand. Ron Paul is running for President of the United States. His son, Sen. Rand Paul, is supporting his father’s run for President of the United States. That’s all that’s going on here. There is no secret “conspiracy.” During a radio interview this morning in Chicago, Sen. Paul said:

“If there’s a secret deal they’re keeping it secret from me, I think that’s mostly internet chatter and fun for people to speculate on…”

Speculative fun is exactly right. Sen. Paul explained his own views on the supposed Romney/Paul connection this morning, including his comments about being “honored” if he were to be considered as the GOP vice presidential nominee:

I think the story kind of got misrepresented, because you know when I was asked, every time I’m asked these kind of questions, these are hypothetical questions, I always say you know what? I still have my first choice in the race and that’s Ron Paul. My first choice would be a Ron Paul presidency and my first choice for a position would be an unofficial adviser to a Ron Paul presidency…

But when they push and push and push, and say ‘What about Romney? Would you do it?’ I mentioned that it would be an honor, and what I meant by that is sort of like if you were nominated for an academy award, what’s your response? You’d say “It’s be an honor to be nominated’ and so I think it would be silly for me not to say that if anybody considered me that I’d be honored by it, but I think it was somewhat overblown, it sort of fits into this sort of cabal that people write about…

That there’s this big strategy between Ron Paul and Romney, really the Ron Paul strategy as far as I’m aware of it is to gather delegates and to try to win, and one of the unwritten stories really is that Ron Paul may have already won a couple of states but people haven’t realized it because the delegates haven’t been allotted in Iowa yet, and we still think there’s an reasonable chance we can win Iowa we they count the delegates, we think there’s a reasonable chance we can win Maine when they count the delegates, and this is sort of an unwritten story that’s out there, and also why I don’t like the story out there that somebody’s trying to angle for some other position other than I’m just trying to help my dad at this point…

 
 

Warming Up to Mitt

Could it be cognitive dissonance?  I am starting to actually embrace the candidacy of Mitt Romney as the Republican presidential nominee. For me, the turning point has been his unapolgetic defense of capitalism. We need  this at a time of class warfare; it is the perfect foil to Obama's Politics of Envy.

And I am starting to appreciate Romney's demeanor, particularly when contrasted with Obama or Rick Santorum -- both of whom grate on my nerves with their sniveling and whining. It is true, to a large extent, that who we vote for is influenced by who we want to listen to in our living rooms every night for the next four to eight years.  As much as I admire Rick Santorum's character, intellect and defense of the unborn, the shrillness of his personality and lack of self-deprecating humor are just too similar to Obama.