He never gives up. He believes it’s his destiny to be president of the United States. He will adopt any position or embrace any person or group to make this happen.
This is the Mitt Romney I know, and I worked with him in Massachusetts state government when he was governor.
The ticket du jour is Sen. John McCain, who, while searching for a VP, is looked upon by Romney as just another facilitator in Mitt’s quest for the White House. Romney will pitch whatever is necessary and appealing to get on McCain’s ticket. McCain apparently is willing to overlook and forgive the taunts and insults the Romney crew heaped upon him when things were down for the Republican candidate last year.
The Romney glare lasered at McClain when coping with the senator’s solid positions – I’ve seen that glare when you tell Romney what won’t work when it interferes with his destiny.
Elected as governor of Massachusetts in 2002 to end “politics as usual,” he did just the opposite. He raised fees, fines and taxes by more than $800 million – even the state gas tax was increased by his executive order. Property taxes in Massachusetts are now at historic and oppressive levels causing an exodus of residents and jobs.
Romney’s promise to take control of the biggest boondoggle in the country’s history, The Big Dig, quickly became an apparition. One month into his term, Romney met with senior Bechtel Corporation officers and thereafter he never uttered a syllable about their criminal work on the $15 billion plus project.
All Romney had to do to take total control of the project was to terminate a two-party agreement between the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. Not Mitt – no sir, it was not politically aligned with his destiny if he owned the albatross and had to make tough decisions.
In fact, he danced and flip-flopped almost the entire four years while all proposed reforms and best practices were put asunder with his tacit approval.
Few bought this “Holier than Thou” act in July of 2006 when the I-90 connector tunnel on the project failed and killed an innocent woman. Mitt donned his hard hat and safety vest and strutted to the scene. Few remembered that he opened this segment of the Big Dig to great fanfare in January of 2003.
In fact, when state bonds were issued during Mitt’s administration, the Commonwealth stated that it had completed safety inspections on these very tunnels. Incredibly enough, after the tragedy, Romney’s people redacted the safety/inspection language and disclosures. That’s the Mitt I know, the Mitt that does no wrong!
Finally, he kissed off Massachusetts and launched his presidential run with an albatross that may rival the Big Dig some day. He wanted to show the country that he was the one man, as a sitting Republican governor in the bluest of states, who could take on the healthcare crisis and provide a solution. His plan, which he stated would cost $200 million annually, and he trumpeted incessantly throughout the primary process, will actually cost $1.2 billion just two years later! Just what the country needs – more budget busters and government mandates from Mitt, “Mr. Small Government” Romney.
Sen. McCain in the late 1980s was the second most ardent critic of the Big Dig in Washington next to President Ronald Reagan when the project was still at $2.3 billion. McCain must never let people like Mitt nor for that matter former Massachusetts acting-governor Jane Swift near his candidacy nor hopefully his administration. With friends like these, one needs no enemies.
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