Monday was another historic day in presidential politics. Nearly a thousand Romney supporters gathered on the floor of the Boston Garden to raise money for his campaign.
We had done it before in January (at the Boston Convention Center that time) and raised over $6,000,000 on that day. Although the numbers are not all in, we probably pulled in at least a few million yesterday. This is not your usual name-tag-at-the-door, chicken-veggies-and-a-speech fund raiser.
The Romney Team does everything better, faster, bigger.
Sunday evening over 1,000 Romney supporters had a barbecue at Fenway Park where the Boston Red Sox Play. Governor Romney rallied the troops, his wife Ann did too. His son’s four of five of whom are working full-time campaigning for their dad told some funny stories about the campaign trail.
But the best part about Sunday evening was getting to go down on the field at Fenway and walk where so many legends of Baseball have played.
This photo shows us at the ball park. From right to left (not including the governor): Scott Baugh OC GOP chairman and CA Romney Co-Chair; John Clarey, has raised hundreds of thousands for Romney; Jim Righeimer, raised over $8,000 yesterday for the campaign; Me, an Orange County co-chairman for the campaign.
By Monday morning on the floor of the Garden we were a motivated group. We sat around tables, cel phones and lap-tops, called family and friends and clients, etc. and raised millions.
I know that the other candidates could not pull something like this off. Among the nearly one thousand callers were CEOs, U. S. Senators and lots of typical supporters like our crew who just dialed for dollars–the mere mortals.
Pictured to the left is John Clarey one of Romney’s top fund raisers from California standing under the Jumbotron when he hit his first $5000 raised–within about 25 minutes of getting started making calls.
You can see the crowd of other callers who filled the floor of the Garden behind him.
Taking off my Romney hat and just looking at the way the Romney finance operation has evolved, it is without a doubt the most impressive I have ever seen.
The Romney campaign does all the other usual events that make up the fund raising effort of any successful campaign. But these call days that bring people together, create enthusiasm and drive big dollars in the door on a single day will forever more be the standard to live up to. Although I doubt anyone else will.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Yeah, and he won’t get a single NRA vote.
I’ll help make sure of it and start a phone bank. (Not that that takes much effort to get NRA/gunnies not to support Romney, his MA antigun stench has wafted over the whole country already).
Bill Wiese
San Jose CA
June 27th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Mitt Romney is a supporter of the 2nd Amendment and a friend of the NRA!
U.S. Senator Larry Craig (R):
“How do I know Romney understands these things? Because I’ve studied his record — and it’s impressive. As governor, he took real, meaningful steps to affirm our right to bear arms.
Romney has shown that he is willing to confront the jumble of state gun laws in Boston — and if he can do that with an 85 percent Democratic legislature in one of the most liberal states in the country, think what he could do in Washington with a more supportive base in Congress.
In 2004, Romney signed a sweeping reform of Massachusetts’ gun laws that made the state’s gun laws far less onerous for sportsmen. He established a firearm license review board to review cases of those applying to have their licenses restore, so that a single bureaucrat no longer could determine whether someone was fit to carry a firearm. He extended the term of firearm licenses from four to six years. He reinstated a 90-day grace period for citizens renewing their gun licenses, and later signed a law providing free replacement licenses.
And then in 2005, Romney supported and signed into law legislation that clarified the definition of a loaded muzzleloader, so that hunters would understand exactly the safety precautions expected of them.
Previously, if a hunter encountered a public right of way, he or she had to clean their barrel, rather than simply remove the priming device. Now, ambiguous regulations won’t trip up law-abiding gun owners.
Of course, most people who have never held a firearm in their hands have no idea why these steps are important, but everyone understands that gun laws should promote safety and security — not confusion.
Romney, himself a member of the National Rife Association and someone comfortable using a gun, certainly appreciates what America’s hunters and sportsmen are up against in our state and federal gun laws.
As someone who spends considerable time in Utah, he knows sportsmen and hunters, and he understands our concerns. He knows that the gun laws drafted in many state capitals and in Washington, D.C. do nothing to keep guns out of the hands of criminals, and only serve to make life harder for honest, law-abiding citizens.
And as governor, he has made his sentiments clear for all to see.
In 2005, Romney declared the 31st anniversary of the Gun Owners’ Action League “Right to Bear Arms” Day in the Commonwealth — a pleasant change of pace from most liberal states, where hunters and sportsmen are made to feel like outcasts, even though they support through fees and their participation a significant amount of rural land preservation.
Fact is, if Romney just talked about his support for the Second Amendment and the rights of gun owners, that would be welcome. But Romney has been doing more than talking — he has been taking action for several years, and his approach would be a welcome addition to the gun debates in Washington, D.C.”
From: Romney’s right on Second Amendment
By U.S. Sen. Larry Craig
http://www.pocatelloshops.com/blogs/Journal_Politics.php?id=2390