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JUST AS MITT Romney declared today that he’s campaigning for the Republican Party nomination for next year’s US presidential election, it looks like he’ll have more company in the push for nomination.
While Romney made his candidacy official in New Hampshire, political heavyweights Sarah Palin and Rudy Giuliani caused a stir of their own with visits to the first-in-the-nation primary state. And rumblings from Texas Gov. Rick Perry, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota further undercut Romney’s standing as the closest thing the GOP has to a front-runner.
“I’m Mitt Romney and I believe in America. And I’m running for president of the United States,” Romney said to cheers on a sunny farm here in Southern New Hampshire.
The former business executive previewed a campaign message focused on the economic woes that top voters’ concerns: rising gas prices, stubbornly high unemployment and persistent foreclosures.
“It breaks my heart to see what is happening to this great country,” Romney said. “No, Mr. President, you had your chance.”
It’s a pitch tailored to the conservatives who hold great sway in picking the GOP’s presidential nominee in Iowa and South Carolina — and the independents who are the largest political bloc in New Hampshire. And it is as much a statement on his viability as it is an indictment of Obama’s leadership.
“Barack Obama has failed America,” Romney said as he began his second White House bid. “When Barack Obama took office, the economy was in recession, and he made it worse.”
No GOP front-runner
Romney comes to a presidential contest that lacks a true front-runner.
In the last week, the still-forming field became less certain with Giuliani visiting an Italian restaurant here and meeting privately with state activists. In North Conway, Giuliani said he hasn’t decided yet if he will run again and that he expects to make up his mind by the end of the summer. But he certainly sounded like a candidate, telling reporters that the nation is being led in the wrong direction by Obama.
“He’s been in office a very long time now and his results on the economy have been abysmal,” Giuliani said. “His only answer to it has been, ‘Oh, I inherited this.’ Well, my goodness, he’s been in office long enough now, so that whatever he inherited, he should’ve straightened out by now.”
Palin, her party’s 2008 vice presidential nominee, was set to arrive in New Hampshire later today for appearances that highlighted her potential to upend the race should she run. Aides weren’t releasing her schedule, but her family’s bus tour that rumbled out of Washington last weekend was likely to overshadow the declared candidates.
Perry, too, gave hints he was considering a bid, though his aides sought to tamp down expectations he would join. Tea party darling Bachmann is inching toward a run, perhaps giving the anti-tax, libertarian-leaning grassroots movement a candidate to rally around.
“Who is it that rules this great nation?” Romney said in a nod to tea partyers. “You do.”
Romney’s strengths are substantial: He’s well known and he’s an experienced campaigner. He has a personal fortune and an existing network of donors. He has a successful businessman’s record.
But his challenges are big, too. They include a record of changing positions on social issues including abortion and gay rights, shifts that have left conservatives questioning his sincerity. He also has struggled to allay some skeptics of his Mormon faith.
Romney oversaw a health care law enacted in Massachusetts that’s similar to Obama’s national health overhaul, which conservatives despise.
Asked about how big a problem Romney faces regarding the Massachusetts health care law, Giuliani was critical.
“The reality is that Obamacare and Romneycare are almost exactly the same,” Giuliani said. “It’s not very helpful trying to distinguish them. I would think the best way to handle it is to say, it was a terrible mistake and if I could do it over again, I wouldn’t do it.”
- AP
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There is something truly unnerving about these gatherings of elites.
Noonan needs to be put out to grass, old fart with no fresh ideas
@Gus Sheridan: The most dangerous in Ireland. Despises ordinary people and has to the power to make them pay for it.
Has anyone ever wondered why they showcase Davos and not the bilderberg meetings?
They’ll be patting themselves on the back for this remarkable advance of the capitalist class at the expense of the majority working class.
“Eight men hold as much wealth as half the planet combined”
http://www.thejournal.ie/wealth-oxfam-3188533-Jan2017/
Kenny looks like he was telling a story at the World Angling Championship.
I wouldn’t be surprised.
@Ó Connmhaigh: Telling what he got while dressed as a dame.
Just back after nearly a month off and they’re away to Davos to act like the big important players on the world stage they can only begin to wish they were…Davos can have and keep Kenny
@Thevigilantone: Why would they if the same Goldman Sach ones goes to both of them?
The arrogance of these lads and lassies. Rich people gathering to discuss the worlds problems and issues as if they were elected to power to make decisions on our behalf.
@Jay Finn: Thats just it. EU suits are NOT elected.
@Jay Finn: It be an orgy there tonight…
About time they moved to Dublin, the wild west of financial shaenanigans
Davos/WEF is a massively expensive waste of time. I’ve never seen or read any effective, successful initiative they’ve funded, pioneered or implemented. Irish govt has to pay ten of thousands to be a member.
@Smidgen Dublin:
You will never see or read any initiative of Davos/WEF unless you are a member. Its all under the counter stuff. The little people suffer the consequences.
It’s the elites world, we’re all just worker ants
@classic: When will the US join the EU then???
Sure why wouldn’t Kenny and Noonan be there, presiding over a near bankrupt country and still refusing to claim tax due from one of the richest corporations in the world. Just goes to show who’s side these boys are on.
The One Percenter’s will be giving Noonan an update of NAMA policy and what bits they want.
World business leaders running their latest money making ideas by the school teacher from mayo for his assessment. That or they are telling him what they want him to do.
@Declan Tooher: Exactly. Went to train as a school teacher and ends up leading a country. Wasn’t it a great B. ed course he did. Only in sad Ireland.
Shouldn’t these donkeys kenny and noonan be back in their own country working hard in planning the Irish strategy for the hard brexit.
Yes they should be back here sorting out our problems but they needed someone out there to poke fun at so these pair of clowns went
In fairness, they’d be of little use back here.
They already sold all the property they could to the vulture funds and they can’t do much more with the corporation tax to compete with Britain for business, options are limited there, so what else can they do?
Bit embarassing that Britain could take business off of a tax haven though.
Rob’s a neighbour of mine, very nice guy, extremely hard working. I wish him well at the Forum.
These people have two problems
1. We don’t have enough
2. We want more.
Never forget 1% own 50% of the global wealth. Most of them will be gathered in Davos. Talking about “‘Responsive and Responsible Leadership’” They mostly will be un-elected people discussing that. I see Noonan will be attending will he be standing at the airport to greet the great and the good?
gender balance and climate change – two non-issues if ever there were.
Some amount of bull $#it been spoken in a confined space. You be a fair man to endure 5 minutes of it. This is an ostintation of wealth.
Can you get me a large Courvoisier XO brandy served in a Waterford Crystal Glass on a Silver Tray.
So a place where the bigger the brown envelope you are willing to hand over then the further up the tree you can go to meet the one you want to bribe?
Like in a lap dancing club that is really a brothel???
How pathetic must your life be if your jealous and bitter that people are at a work conference… and how paranoid and unstable to think they’re controlling your lives or plotting world domination.
It’s the same as any other conference, wearing name tags, making small talk, listening to self congratulating or promoting speeches, pretending to remember people you met there last year.
@Drew TheChinaman :): The 1% didn’t get to be the 1% without a nod and a wink from their political servants.
@Drew TheChinaman :): Yes it is all funs and laughs?
https://www.rt.com/op-edge/373943-davos-elite-play-acting-refugees/
Cultural levelling and its sinister twin cultural ecletism at work again.World citizen? Its official they have finally lost the plot.Not surprising to see the underbelly of the Irish politico in attendance.
Kenny and Noonan a bunch of asses, they havent a clue, once there pockets are lined. Were going back to way we were into a bubble and that ass Kenny cant see it
have your say