Today's Situation Room:
Wolf Blitzer delivers the most important breaking news and political, international, and national security stories of the day. Tune to The Situation Room weekdays 5-7pm ET on CNN.
BLITZER'S BLOG: Romney – the new leader of the GOP
By CNN's Wolf Blitzer
(CNN) – For all practical purposes, Mitt Romney is now the leader of the Republican Party.
Move over Reince Priebus, Mitch McConnell, John Boehner and the others. You have a new boss.
The first real evidence came this week when Romney said he supported keeping student loan interest rates very low. Unless Congress takes action, those rates are set to double. Romney is on the same page as President Barack Obama.
Once Romney spoke, it didn’t take very long for Boehner to follow suit, even though plenty of House Republicans earlier thought it was too expensive.
Congress will now find a way to keep those interest rates low.
Four years ago, when then-Senator Obama finally defeated Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination, he, too, immediately emerged as the de facto leader of the Democratic Party. His top advisers quickly emerged as powerful political players – whether on economic, social or national security issues.
The same thing is now happening in the GOP.
Romney’s top advisers – many of whom are not yet well known to the general public – are about to quickly emerge as real power players. It comes with the territory.
The Romney election campaign is also about to dramatically expand. Dozens of new jobs are about to be created. Each one of them will add to Romney’s influence.
Follow Wolf on Twitter: @WolfBlitzerCNN
Follow The Situation Room on Facebook: Facebook.com/CNNSituationRoom
RELATED: Texas governor switches endorsement from Gingrich to Romney
 |
Post by: Filed under: 2012 election • Mitt Romney • Politics • Republicans • Wolf Blitzer |
About this Show
The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer is the command center for breaking news, politics and extraordinary reports from around the world. Tune in weeknights from 5-7pm ET on CNN.
On Twitter
Gloria Borger was interviewing someone from the Romney campaign. I only caught the last part of the interview and the surrogate for Romney was asked about Romneys record in Massachusetts. He said that Romney created over thirty thousand jobs and that was more than President Obama did in his three plus years in office. Then he said that we are still losing jobs and it is worse than when Obama came into office. Both are lies. The bad part is that Gloria didn't call him on it.
Romney lies about Obama all the time. He says that he is always apologizing for America. That is a lie! He stands on the stump and states that the employment was bad when Obama took office and Obama made it worse. That is a lie. He even has the nerve to say that he takes credit for the auto industry getting back on track. another lie!
When he is asked about anything, he doesn't answer the question. Instead he starts telling lies about how Obama did it wrong. He never answered anything all through the debates. He is like a cheating spouse that in fear of getting caught will start accusing the mate of something to throw up a smoke screen to throw them off of the situation at hand.
While writing this John king was interviewing Rick Perry. He told a lie and wasn't called on it. It is at the least poor journalism to let the Republicans lie about things and not being called out about them. Romney does it every time he gets in front of a microphone. He tell the same lies so many times that I think people will believe him.
I would say to anyone that hears Mitt Romney talk to an audience or be in an interview to google what he said. You will find that most of the time it is not the truth.
John D. Taylor
Since Romney is now the GOP leader, I think we can expect him to settle down on some issues and give us his stance on them. He is very bent on repealing "Obamacare" but I can't really comment if that is a good or bad thing since I don't know fully what the new mandated healthcare plan includes.
Did Romney get this message?: Isaiah 51:7 Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law: fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. If he stop reading Mormon Doctrines and read the Torah, especially in Hebrew ( the originally language), he would know YHWH's laws, which is the Light. Again, will someone give the message to Mitt Romney!! Righteousness is the key!!
"Jnr's mentality? I'de rather call it murder!!! With blows to the head you lose your eyesight first and not the crap they talking.. I should know as I also lost sight in my right eye the same way. No!! It was not suicide with Jnr, but it was Murder!!!"
What will America win if either Romney or Obama win.A look at past presidents and what made them the best candidate to win the election is important. What did thy bring to the office of the presidency. Teddy Rosevelt did his bring his vision to the presidency. Lincoln did his bring moralty and decency to his presidency The answere is yes for both of these men .What about other presidnts Nixon his knowledge of foreign affairs Regean his knowledge of domestic affairs remember his speech about neighbourhood by neighbourhood.
Now starts the parade of so called possible VP's, The people in charge of the Republican party sure do manipulate their members over things that are not true to begin with. This is the stuff that makes politics a joke. Both parties are guilty of this over the years this year is just the worst.
I don't understand the big picture here. Romney is saying he is the nominee, the Republican Party is hailing him as the nominee, ..... they why waste all the millions on elections that don't matter? And the second question, isn't it sad that the people have been manipulated by back door meetings. There never really was a choice, why spend all the money on this instead of helping the American people. Just makes no sense.
Since when it became such a common practice for journalists to congratulate themselves on "excellent reporting" and call themselves the "best reporting team" in the world? I wish you would stop this and let the viewers be the judge and let your reporting (less commentaries the better) speaks for itself.Call me old-fashioned and I did go to a journalism school, but enough of this shameless self-promotion and constant bragging. You are making even professional PR flacks blush from all the lack of modesty and humility!
Mitt Romey is being investigated by the WI District Attorney for Voter Fraud, That's a Felony)
now he can pick Michele Bachmann as VP
Wolf,
I have watched your show off and on throughout the week and your bias for Obama is off the charts!!! You are supposed to be professional and nonbiased on topics regarding Obama and Romney. The questions you ask the strategists and the way you present information on these candidates are extremely positive and agreeable towards Obama and very skeptical and negative towards Romney.I know you probably don’t think or see yourself as acting this way, but it is very obvious to many of your viewers and you are being condemned and ridiculed for it. Please, don’t become like the other “In bed with Obama” media idiots!! People will tune you out just like they do with them!!!!
Wolfe, I hear Romney talking about the economy and about jobs lost under President Obama. What Romney has forgotten is that, the majority of Americans blame his party and the GOP leadership for the bad economy. I'm an Independent and will never forget how the GOP has ran this government into the groumd. Name calling and negative comments will not change our minds.
REALLY? Leader????????????????? I'm confused, "leader of what"?
.............SO the American people have NO say in this matter right? WHATEVER, he (Romney) couldn't lead his way out of the WET end of a paper bag! But ok repuks "he's the leader" for ya'll ONLY not America.
Stop lying to the people you hideous old puppet.
Ron Paul can win if the system isn't toatlly corrupt. The other Reps are all the same, so they will splinter the neo-con votes. Also, Ron Paul voters are not apathetic. They will show up and vote.Dean was sidelined by MSM because of the "dean scream." They have tried to do this with Dr. Paul, but it's different with the growth of blogs and youtube. Citizen media is informing more about these tricks. For instance, I wouldn't have known about CNBC taking down Dr. Paul's successful post-debate results if it weren't for a comment here on HP. they want us to think he doesn't have a chance. that the internet is this strange world of fringe voters, when everyone I know uses the internet.not sure if this is true, but I've heard that the people being called for the votes bias against RP because 1) they only call land lines, and 2) they call people who voted in the last primary which are the die hard Bush neo-cons.lastly, the anti-abortion issue bothered me too, but he is right to let the states decide on it. it is a complex personal issue. I understand where he's coming from given that he delivered babies and it's kind of arbitrary to say it's okay to destroy what he's about to deliver until such and such point. so basically if he wins, many states will retain legal abortions because he believes it's a state issue and he does not push his personal feelings about this on the states. I think this might be the most fair way to deal with such a tough issue when I put my personal feelings aside and try to look at it objectively.
Given that the majority of Romney's advisers are former Bush officials, I doubt voters will be impressed
Can we at least wait until the RNC before the media tries to tell us who OUR party leader is? If Mittens wins the Republican nod we are all but guaranteed another 4 years under Obama. Simply because a Romney presidential win would guarantee at least 8 years until we could get a liberty minded true conservative Republican back on the ballot since it's nearly impossible to remove an incumbent from the party ticket. An Obama win would reduce that to 4 years. If Mitt is on the ballot in November many will not vote along party lines.
Oh look, Romney is supporting president Obama's ideas now. And, lo and behold, the Repubs in the House fell in line. That proves that it's their irrational hatred of Obama that makes them keep blocking progress, not any actual disagreement on policy.
Now we are seeing what real leadership is. Goodbye obama.
I started keeping notes of, on what, how ,where, and when, Romney flip flopped. I also correlated the original flip and the flop and then sometimes even 2 or more flips and flops on the same thing.
because I was citing fully all references and documents and very carefully using quotes and ensuring context did not mean it was a separate position, since August 2011 to yesterday I filled a foolscap page size notepad of over 40 pages.
My final comment at the end was in red stop wasting your time this man wants to be all things to eveyone all the time
I do not know what he stands for or his principles are and his more recent changes of heart on the Abuse of women legislation and Student loan interest legisaltion are very clear flip flops. Sorry sir you do not buy my vote, my wifes or my family 3 2boys 1 girl that easily.
If you do indeed become the presidential nominee at convention, then at least the presidency vote is lost for republicans
Regards,
Hodgson.
regards,
While you have your memo pad out keeping records, count how many times Obama tells a part story leading the uninformed to make the wrong conclusion. I actual call this behavior lying, but I will be kind and say is he just inflaming liberal's with red meat to create a following (albeit based on Fictional case).
It's nice to see Mitt Romney rising from the bloody primary battle as a leader whom other leaders in the GOP are willing to follow. The unification of the GOP is happening and by June it will be a full scale attack on Obama and the Democrats.
Is it time for some white collar ruthlessness to get America back on track?
In Romney's America, there are two types of people. Retail workers who make twenty thousand a year or less, with no benefits and part-time, and the "core" people of the business who make hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars. The middle is non-existent. How do I know this? Because it is how you run a business in today's globalistic world, and its exactly what he did at Bain Capital. So in fact city slickers, liberals, those with master's degrees and Ph.D's who can climb the corporate ladder will do extremely well in Romney's America. The middle, what most would call the middle class, would be outsourced or fired. Conservatives will in fact do very poorly in Romney's America, and liberals who sit in boardrooms with expensive credentials and high end business and finance knowledge will do extremely well.
Be careful what you wish for conservatives. There's a good reason why Romney had massive support in liberal states and liberal suburban neighborhoods compared to Santorum when the race was still hot.
The best candidate they had, dropped out early on...Huntsman was the only one that may have had my vote...but he was too worldly for the party as it exists now ....Obama will win if common sense prevails in the majority of the voters....think before you vote....we cannot afford to go backwards, and no one has the magic wand that will make things go away overnight...don't buy into that garbage...Romney won't have things in order any quicker than we are doing presently...believe it
So the Republicans are going to settle on an east coast, elite, millionaire from an aristocratic family? What is his experience that will make him a successful Conservative President?
1. He fires people, lays off employees, and outsources jobs while pocketing the pension funds of those same employees.
2. He is comfortable in an upper class setting. After all, America IS the upper class, isn't it? The little people, like you and I, are not really very important. People of Romney's class and background see us as livestock that can understand English.
3. He does not care if Americans suffer. He has made lots of them suffer so far in his life. He's made of tough stuff. No weepy compassion will ever cloud his judgment.
4. He knows how to destroy corporations and sell off their assets. He could use those skills to destroy the federal government, a stated goal of Conservatism
5. After the Romney Administration is over in 2016 or 2018, Conservatives will say, "Hey, you can't blame us for the disastrous Romney Administration. He wasn't a TRUE Conservative. What we need is a TRUE Conservative like Ron Paul or Newt Gingrich or Rick Santorum … or maybe Senator Palin."
Mitt Romney should get John Boehner to run with him, I am sure they would have great plans for the poor, and zero
taxes for rich.
mitt and people like him gave communist china jobs-–and the american middle class food stamps
Mitt is the leader of the Republican party and soon to be the leader of the free world. A world that will be safer and more prosperous because of the policies he will implement. November can't come quick enough.
Everybody is entitled to their own opinion but, how do you explain how the World is going to be better when, just to name a few Romney calls for going to War with Iran, says Russia is our #1 foe and believes in keeping our troops in Afghanistan. Quite frankly I think you are out of touch with Reality.
Timie to come back to earth, romney messed up Mass I know I was there, thank god he will loose in November
REally, based on what?? his shape shifting positons on everything? His destruction of american companies who jobs were shipped overseas? Or maybe his refusal to bail out the auto industry that is now florishing.
Really.
"Leader"? Are you kidding me? Do you honestly believe that the extremists in the republican congress are going to follow Romney anywhere? They can't even find their way to endorsing Romney – I doubt they see him as any kind of a "leader".
Woot Woot!! Go Mitt! LIft this country up by the boot straps like you did at Bain, as Gov, and like the Olympics!! You are the best man for the job. Finally someone who is qualified.
LOOKS LIKE Michele Bachmann is still licking her wounds, she refused to endorse Mitt Momney on the situation room guest she wants to be vp; sorry, pres. Obama is not going to be a one term president.
Wolf, you asked Michelle Bachmann when she will endorse Mitt Romney. She replied, "In the words of the lion on Wizard of Oz - all in good time, my pretty."
But, er, that wasn't the Cowardly Lion. That was the Wicked Witch of the West.
Great and I am voting for him!!!!!!!!
Mitt will not get the youth vote, the black vote, the retired vote, the two-to-four-job households vote.
He will get the hate-Obama vote, and they are a minority.
I dearly hope that Priebus is on his way out in a way that is similar to how Howard Dean faded into obscurity after President Obama won the primary in 2008. Priebus is just so utterly annoying, even moreso than Dean...
Conservatives just lost no matter who they vote for in November. It's like a carnival "Step right up! Pick a liberal, any liberal! Every vote's a liberal"
Now Republicans can vote for liberal Romney or liberal Obama. And if people think that liberal Romney means conservatives have won, the decision on student loan interests rates should be a quick indicator of where conservatives fit in a Romney presidency... Romney has said he'd bail out Detroit while on the campaign trail, he has supported Planned Parenthood with donations out of his own pocket, he increased gun controls as governor.. Romney sounds like he's a staffer for Obama.
Bottom line, conservatives just lost no matter who they vote for in November.
sorry GOP...at least the Boy Scouts have adult leadership...........
Oh, come on! Romney was nothing more than the last man standing in a sorry collection second and third rate hacks. He's not a leader, he's a sock puppet.
A sock indeed.
Rush Limbaugh is the de facto head of the Republican Party. Republicans are terrified of him; there's the proof.
'For all practical purposes, Mitt Romney is now the leader of the Republican Party.'
The latest punchline to the GOP joke.
Wolf just had Michele Bachmann on his show and he tried to get her to voice her support for Mitt and her reply was "as the Lion said in the Wizard of OZ 'All in good time my deary'". Typical. The wicked witch said that, not the lion.
Are you voting for Obama over a proven leader? You cant be serious.
Mitt, You will not win the general election. The clown GOP candidates pulled you sooooooooo far to the right you and the repubs lost the independent voters in the swing states, the womens vote, the hispanic vote and now the younger voters. (Never had the african american vote).
Don't forget the elderly and the gays. The GOP pretty much hates everyone except their rich friends. You know, the imaginary "job creators", they call theirselves. My question is, the rich imaginary job creators have had their big tax breaks for 10 years, yet there are hundres of thousands of people out of work. So where are the jobs? India?
Mitt Romney is a member of a church that one of their CORNERSTONE beliefs is that the creeds of all other Christians are an "Abomination" in the sight of God. In other words, if you are not a Mormon, Mitt Romney believes that your beliefs are an abomination in the sight of God. Look it up for yourself before you vote.
The ABSOLUTE truth is that YOU don't know what Romney believes....AND that is the truth. Please look that up.
...and it's not a joke.
But it IS sadly hilarious.
Why won't Romney make his tax return for this year public. He should not be eligible to run for any office
without releasing that information.
Also when his wife was home with her children, how much household help did she have. Who shopped, cleaned,cooked, did laundry???? How much household help does she have now?
WHERE is the rule OR law that requires Romney OR any politician to release their tax report BEFORE becoming eligible for any office. BUT, as a matter oif fact, Romney has already stated that he will release that info in the next couple of months.
As for his wife releasing the names of her maids and their boy friends...thats ridiculous.
A good friend of mine knew the Romney in college:
I am so sick of people acting like Mitt Romney and his family is a bunch of selfish elitists out of touch with "regular people." When I attended church with Matt and Tagg Romney back in college, for a long time I had no idea that they were wealthy. I knew them as people who took the time out of work and school to work with the numerous people in our area who lived below the poverty line.... I visited their apartment, and it didn't look so different from my student apartment – they obviously were expected to make their own way in the world and not live off of family wealth.
we need a debate between ron paul and mitt romney.
Wont accomplish much. One tells you what he believes and the other flip flops according to the wind. Paul should be in a political party that respects him.
Because why?
I love it. Romney being the face of the GOP is the best thing that could happen for Democrats campaigning for any political office in 2012.
I'll check back in with ya in November.... see how your feelin when we have President Romney.
Romney can dream all he wants. He won't be president....
It's Ron Paul or Obama..
Pity more people can't see, the only one who gives a dam about them, is Ron Paul..
Romney would take America for every penny it's worth.. The only thing he cares about, is turning his kids 100 million dollar trust funds, into 100 bilion dollar trust funds.. It'd be Bush part 2.. Miserable..
Romney supporters are so lost it's scary. They have to make things up that would sound good "as if" Romney has done them..Romney has consistently proven how bad he is at making decisions. That's his only consistency.
He's proven how bad he is, at even knowing what he himself suports. The man changes his opinion on a monthly basis.. It's pathetic. It's the worst part of everything political and he embodies it perfectly, in the worst kind of way...
Seriously, Ron Paul is NOT going to be the POTUS... it is time for a reality check.
congrats Mitt now all you need is a VP please anyone ,but Sarah Palin
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it necessary to change your opinion of things sometimes. Even the 'annointed' one has changed his opinion of things in the last three years. I would worry more about a political candidate that is 'dead-set' in their ways, to hell with any other opinion.
So I guess what you are saying is that he will move them to center so he can have a better shot at wining voters over. Then he loses to Obama. So the senators and Congressmen revert to type and move to the extreme right and block everything.
Hmm these guys are really agile....
It is so sad to see this. Romney is probably the worst candidate they could possibly put forward. Not only is he unreliable on whatever he says – his entire being is a mystery. We have no idea what fanatical beliefs he has from his days as Bishop of Boston. He has changed his mind so many times on issues affecting women and gays. He is for extending Afghanistan and initiating an Iran war. He knows nothing about foreign policy. What would Romney do if he received a call at 3 am.? And, what will his relationship be with Wall St and the wealthy – a club he belongs to. Will he release his last 12 years tax returns like his father did? Will he release information on his offshore or foreign accounts?
The Republicans could and should have done better. Romney is not a "truth teller"–he manufactures what his audience wants to hear. It is virtually impossible to cast him in the role of President. Rachel Madow has had some very interesting revelations about his truth telling on her program.
Sue, so true.
You will see Romney emerge into this new round as the champion of the moderately coservatives in this nation. He is going to win by a landslide.
Surely you can't be serious.
Hi
brilliant logic Republican style have you forgotten that Romney said he was very severe conservative
Just quoting the obvious captain as rebuttal of your certainty.
Regards,
Hodgson.
I think there is an ever growing block of voters who see themselves as conservatives but are somewhere right of the Democrat party but not don't like anyone in the Republican Party. This was proven in 2010 when conservative candidates won in places like NJ and Mass. Right now there is a large part of this group who want to stick with Obama and are hoping things get better before next November. If the economy is still as bad as it is today, there may be a huge swing in voters who are fed up with the lack of production out of the Obama administration and vote for Romney more as a vote against Obama than for Romney.
Is Mitt an anchor baby?
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss
Romney now head of GOP. That says it all.
That will not change Romney. Every few weeks or so he'll say or do something stupid. All he has is a "blame Obama" for the sunlight syndrone. I am only wishing to hear what are his plans for change. The great white hope is hoplessly flawed. Sorry for
your losses.
I totally agree with you.
Nice to see Romney's influence in keeping the interest rates for students low. He is already having a positive impact.
Greg, Mitt is just copying President Obama. lol or did you already know that.
Uh.......Wouldn't that be like "follow the leader?" Changed his mind after Obama started pushing for it. Another Flip by the big Flopper
And Mitt Romney Is just has bad has they rest of you. Mitch McConnell should be gone and so should John Boehner. And Mitt Romney will never win.
I hope he enjoys his 15 minutes.
Wait, I thought the left already branded Rush Limbaugh as the de facto leader of the GOP. Makes me chuckle to see Axelrod still trying to spin that one. How Silly!
"I beg your pardon but I think you mean the new leader of your country! The muslims of the world don't require the services of obama any longer. He served his purpose and now it's time to get rid, before he spoils just how far they've gained this much control on your country; without and within!"
Your comments and the rest of those who agree with you are exactly why the Prresident will be re-elected. Go crawl back under the rock where you belong
Calling him leader is a rather loose definition.
Congratulations on your promotion Captain Romney. Welcome to the bridge of the Titanic.