Warmth, confidence, and a radiant sense of peace are the qualities Ann Romney gracefully exudes as I sit down next to her on the returning flight from
The Ann Romney we see staring in admiration at her husband during their public appearances is authentic, bold, and completely confident that the man she fell in love with during her teens is indeed doing the right thing for the country. When asked how she feels about taking on such an enormous endeavor as a presidential campaign, she calmly says, “I have no fear, none at all. I know we are doing what we are supposed to, and no matter how things turn out, I know we will be okay. Everything will be fine.”
Ann says she first knew Mitt was destined for a future as big as a Pennsylvania Avenue address when she met him in high school. However, she wasn’t exactly sure how they’d get there. But now, she is “truly overwhelmed by all the support we have received. It’s obvious that this is greater than us all.”
While Ann says she thoroughly enjoys the excitement every day brings on the campaign trail meeting “the blanket of people” across the nation who support the Romneys, she is positively giddy about reuniting with her horses. She generously spent our flight’s take off with me answering questions, discussing her health and family, and even looking at pictures of my kids with a genuine smile and interest. Here’s what she had to say about her husband’s campaign, her family, and the future of our country.
AM: What kind of future would you like to see for your grandchildren?
AR: Good question. First, I’d like them to live in a safe and secure
AM: How you do you keep your family ties strong through the chaos and stress of a presidential campaign?
AR: We all talk and email a lot. And the whole family looks forward to our annual vacations. We know that we are each other’s support system.
AM: How do you keep the negative comments said about your husband from affecting you?
AR: We really just try to follow Mitt’s example. He knows that criticism comes with the territory when you’re running for President, but he prefers to focus on all the great people we meet across the country and the great things he wants to accomplish as President. I think we’ve been very fortunate for all the support and encouragement we’ve received during this campaign.
AM: What initiatives would you support as First Lady?
AR: I’d like to bring a greater awareness to MS. Also, I’d like to focus on helping at-risk youth, and inspire kids to make good decisions. And I’d like to emphasize the importance of waiting to have children, and the necessary role fathers have in families.
AM: Many women are excited about the prospect of a female presidential candidate, and will perhaps choose their candidate in this election based on gender alone. What about Mitt (besides his good looks and charm) will attract female voters to the Romney campaign?
AR: Mitt’s policies on issues such as health care and education will appeal to women voters. They are issues where he has a strong track record in Massachusetts. He has made insurance affordable and portable, and is able to address the educational needs of our children better than other candidates.
AM: How has your history with Multiple Sclerosis affected the way your husband looks at healthcare issues?
AR: It has certainly changed both of us, as we are more sensitive to those who deal with health issues. Mitt hopes to bring a more accessible and affordable health care plan to everyone. My MS has influenced us in a broader sense, too. We are more sympathetic to anyone going through any type of hardship. We meet lots of people going through tough times, and we sympathize.
AM: What is it about Mitt that keeps him, someone who has proven very successful in many areas, so modest and approachable?
AR: At Mitt’s very core, he recognizes that we’re all children of the same God. Everyone has struggles, and those who have been given a lot have to be more willing to give to others. He is a person who feels strongly that it is his duty to serve others.
It was a pleasure getting to know Ann Romney better. She radiates the best qualities of a wife, mother, grandmother, the kind of woman you’d want as a friend, and conceivably our future First Lady. It is obvious that the beautiful woman standing next to the man has significantly influenced the man himself. And these two make a great team. We look forward to watching the Romneys on their road to the White House!
(America’s Calling Photos Courtesy of Romney for President Photos/Abby Brack)
A special 7 part, in-depth series, from the Boston Globe.
Gov. George Romney and his son, Mitt, look out over the Chrysler exhibit at the New York World’s Fair grounds May 18,1964. Dick Milliman, who served as George Romney’s press secretary, was struck by how much the governor delighted in having his youngest son around. “They would hug upon meeting, and not just any hug,” he recalls. “He would give Mitt a big bear hug and a kiss.” (AP File Photo)
Follow the series throughout the week. PART 1 THE SON
Ann Romney blogs on The Five Brothers Blog, and offers up her family Meatloaf Cakes Recipe…
You can head on over there and see it, but for the sake of archiving purposes I’m going to copy and paste it here as well…(side note: they said they’re going to be adding more family recipes over time).
Meatloaf Cakes Recipe
Loaf Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs ground beef
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 egg
- 4 slices of white bread broken into pieces or bread crumbs
- ¼ cup onion, chopped
- 2 tsp seasoned salt
Sauce Ingredients
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- ¼ tsp cloves
- ¼ tsp All spice
Instructions
Mix together loaf ingredients, shape into 6 individual loaves. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Mix together sauce ingredients and spoon on top of loaves. Continue baking at 350 degrees for 30 additional minutes.
Hi there,
I’m the new Director of Marketing over at the new website UltiMitt.org, and I wanted to welcome you to check it out and register. It’s an awesome place to meet new people supporting Romney and you can discuss various Romney related issues.
Ann Marie Curling
Director of Marketing
http://ultimitt.org
Sure beats Andrew Giuliani Dishes on Problems With Dad, or Noticeably Absent From the Giuliani Campaign: His Children.
Blog by Presidential Candidate’s Five Sons Reveals G-Rated Details of Former Governor’s Family Life
Wholesome does not really begin to describe the five adult children of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who for the past few weeks have been sharing such details on Five Brothers, their blog and the most popular feature on the former Massachusetts governor’s campaign Web site. The blog is yet another medium to convey the image of dedicated family man that is an essential part of Romney’s identity as a candidate. Earlier this week, while most of his opponents introduced themselves during the Republican presidential debate by highlighting their résumés, Romney started with, “I’m a husband, a father, a grandfather . . . .”
(cross-posted from: Mitt Romney ~ Road to the White House)
Craig Romney at “Five Brothers” Blog:
“Last Christmas, when my family discussed the possibility of my dad running for president, one of the things that came up was a saying that my grandmother, Lenore Romney, always told us, “If not you, who? If not now, when?”
During that discussion, my family talked about the same issues that the candidates discussed last night and we determined that there was no one else who was better prepared than my dad to take on these challenges and lead our country. The thing that stood out to me, which once seemed like an indescribable characteristic is actually quite simple to describe.
It is that my dad is presidential. Not presidential in the fact that he looks or dresses like a president, which the press loves to discuss. By presidential, I mean that he shares characteristics with the great leaders of our country like Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, and Ronald Reagan.
By presidential I mean that he is the type of leader in whom I would trust our country’s future.”
A very brief review of the debate last night:
The format was choppy, and the questions throughout the evening were posed in a way that made it all too easy for the candidates to respond in the negative, blaming our country, belittling our president and faulting their party. Most of the candidates fell into that trap, some worse than others, and the negative tones created a not so pretty picture overall.
Thankfully, Governor Romney rose above that with a clear mission; to acknowledge the problems, but to project the positives. His theme, woven into extremely informative answers was one of optimism, solutions and visions for the future of this great country. He came off as a man with a plan, a man with strength of faith, and a man that is not willing to delve into the bitterness of personal politics.
This video wraps it all up nicely. Enjoy!
You can read what the pundits are saying about the Governor here and here
Don’t forget to watch the 3rd Republican Debate! Mitt Romney is sure to shine, as he did in the first two debates. This debate will be held in New Hampshire where Governor Romney is doing very well in the polls. The debate will be broadcast on CNN from 7-9pm ET.
“The differences between us and the Republicans are major. And I don’t want anybody in America to be confused about that.” – Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) (CNN, Democratic Presidential Debate, Manchester, NH, 6/3/07)
At Last Night’s Democrat Presidential Debate, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) Laid Out Her Vision For American Prosperity: Sen. Clinton Promised She Would Do The “Hard Work” Of Increasing Taxes On The American People. “I think it’s important to remember that six years ago, we had a balanced budget and a surplus. And we did that the old-fashioned way, by cutting spending and raising revenue. There is no free lunch. We’re going to have to do that hard work again.” (CNN, Democratic Presidential Debate, Manchester, NH, 6/3/07)
- Click Here To Watch Sen. Hillary Clinton At Last Night’s Debate.
The Clinton Vision: Higher Taxes And Slower Economic Growth
In 2004, Sen. Clinton Said Democrats Would Roll Back Tax Cuts: “We’re Going To Take Things Away From You On Behalf Of The Common Good.” “‘Many of you are well enough off that … the tax cuts may have helped you,’ Sen. [Hillary] Clinton said. ‘We’re saying that for America to get back on track, we’re probably going to cut that short and not give it to you. We’re going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good.’” (Beth Fouhy, “San Francisco Rolls Out Red Carpet For The Clintons,” The Associated Press, 6/28/04)
Sen. Clinton Will Take “A Hard Look At Corporate Tax Reform” To Require “Corporations To Pay Their Fair Share.” “And let’s take a hard look at corporate tax reform. It’s simply not fair that as corporate profits have skyrocketed, the percentage of taxes paid by corporations have fallen. It’s time we restored the balance and required corporations to pay their fair share. Under the law, after all, they are citizens of the United States, with many of the responsibilities, I would argue, that goes with citizenship.” (Senator Hillary Clinton, Remarks At The Manchester School Of Technology, Manchester, NH, 5/29/07)
Sen. Clinton Says “The Right Government Policies” Are Required To Ensure “Fairness” In America. “‘There is no greater force for economic growth than free markets. But markets work best with rules that promote our values, protect our workers and give all people a chance to succeed,’ she said. ‘Fairness doesn’t just happen. It requires the right government policies.’” (Holly Ramer, “Presidential Hopeful Clinton Says Idea Of Shared Prosperity Should Replace ‘On Your Own’ Society,” The Associated Press, 5/29/07)
******************************
The Romney Vision: Lowering Taxes On The American People And Pro-Growth Economic Policies
******************************
To Ensure America’s Continued Economic Growth, Governor Romney Will Fight To Cut Taxes For All Americans. Lower taxes are a key to ensuring continued economic growth and job creation.
- Governor Romney Was The First 2008 Presidential Candidate To Sign The “Taxpayer Protection Pledge” Promising To Oppose Any Effort To Increase Taxes. - Governor Romney Will Make The Bush Tax Cuts Permanent. Governor Romney believes that making the Bush Tax Cuts permanent is the first step to ensuring that Americans are able to keep more of their hard-earned money. - Governor Romney Proposes Lower Tax Rates For All Americans. This approach is fair, simple and extends the pro-growth benefits of tax rate cuts to all Americans.
- Governor Romney Will Fight To Abolish The Death Tax. It is unfair to tax the American people three times: once when they earn it; second when they invest and receive income from those investments; and third when they die. - Governor Romney Proposes A Savings Incentive Plan. Middle-class Americans will be able to save and earn interest, dividends and capital gains tax free. We need to end tax penalties on savings and investments for middle class families.
- Governor Romney Believes Our Corporate Tax Rate Must Be Competitive With The Rest Of The World. The United States has one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world. We simply cannot afford for future economic growth to have a tax rate that is out of alignment with the other major economies of the world.
- Governor Romney Has A Record Of Fighting For Lower Taxes. As Governor of Massachusetts, he closed a $3 billion budget gap without raising taxes or borrowing more money. He turned a $250 million retroactive capital gains tax increase into a $250 million refund, made the investment tax credit permanent, passed sales tax holidays, gave property tax breaks to seniors, and in each of his last three years in office, submitted a budget that cut the income tax.
found here
~Bethie