Romney Leads Anti-EFCA Charge, Spurs Presidential Discussion

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney hosted a conference call with the Workforce Fairness Institute on Monday in an attempt to drum up opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act. Ideologically, it was an obvious position for the 2008 Republican presidential candidate to take. Politically, lending his voice to a cause dear to the conservative movement's heart will undoubtedly spur additional speculation that Romney is gearing up for another run at the Oval Office in 2012.

The former governor has been building the institutional base within the Republican Party that he lacked during the '08 primary. While not in elected office, he has lent his voice to various other candidates and committees, either through speeches or fundraising. His appearance at the CPAC convention was one of the most widely attended and crested with him winning the conservative group's informal presidential straw poll for the third year in a row. One highly respected Republican strategist said he was incredibly impressed with the path Romney was taking. "He's building relationships and staying relevant," said the strategist, who added that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin would be well suited to follow such an example.

The EFCA call was another step in that process. A rallying cry for conservatives, the legislation doesn't lend itself well to the Massachusetts Republican. Romney's former firm, Bain Capital, was responsible for the loss of jobs for hundreds of workers and was accused of using off shore tax havens to store its profits. As Eddie Vale of the AFL-CIO noted in an email to reporters: "As you will see below Romney's business career is the PERFECT EXAMPLE of why workers need the Employee Free Choice Act."

And yet, the GOP and business community is more than willing to use the multi-millionaire former CEO as a pitchman for its anti-EFCA efforts. In part because Romney dutifully plays the part.

"This is not just a matter of 'oh, let's help the working folks,'" he declared during Monday's conference call. "That's not what this is. This is a matter of: 'let's get the money for the unions.' This is really targeted at small business as well as big business. Take something like Wal-Mart, 1.4 million U.S employees at Wal-Mart. If unions were able to get, you know, $400 in union dues annually from each one of those folks, you are talking a half a billion dollars in revenues to unions. And a hundred million dollars would go into elections in this country, their favorite politicians. This is about money and about politics and it is sacrificing the rights and freedoms of the American worker to be able to get big bucks for the unions bosses."

Comments

[Raleigh Dave]

When Romney was running for POTUS, he was asked why his sons were not serving in the military since they supported the war, he replied "they are serving their country by helping me get elected".

Now that we know he didn't win the primary, why didn't his son's enlist to support the war on terrorism, or like most Idle-Sons-­Of-The-Ric­h, they let others do the fighting for them.

[MikeRdg]

Mitt go away! Sell all of your homes, and move out of country.
Best quote of the day on the Sunday shows : The Republican Party "cannot be scaring dogs and kids", That leave Romney out!

[greatlardini]

This should give you an idea about how exciting a candidate Willlllard is--this story has been up for nearly sixteen hours and has received less than eighty comments.

[tomasedison]

Romney you are a cult member and will never get the GOP nomination
just ask any fundee

[spinns17]

surprise ha ,a repug against unions lol.

[Larkinvos]

I'm still hoping for Palin/Bachmann in 2012,
but Palin/Romney wouldn't be bad, either.

[Jeffersonian1]

". . . will undoubtedly spur additional speculation that Romney is gearing up for another run at the Oval Office in 2012."

Will spur additional speculation?

Please, Willard and his magic underpants have been running for President in 2012 from the day he withdrew from the '08 race at that year's annual reunion of the Jabba the Hut scene from one of those Star Wars movies (also known as the C-PAC convention).

It's somewhat tragic with a streak of dark comedy that Willard's father was a really principled and able individual, a moderate Republican in a time before such species became virtually extinct, agreed with labor on some issues and management on others but never really villified either group, marched with Martin Luther King, opposed the Vietnam War though later than some earlier than most in his party, and apparently decided he would rather live with his convictions than sacrifice them to be president.

The apple sure fell far from that tree.

[blues101]

A competitition between Mittens, Jingles and and Wailin' would amuse me no end. Can you imagine the fight for the mirrors, hairspray, lipstick and cameras between Mittens and Palin, i can't wait for any of these scenarios.

[spinns17]

lol

[ElTommo]

Who is Jingles? Is that Jindal? Lawl

[crease]

A HOOT ain`t It!!!!!

[crease]

At least he has told the truth about his ambitions and why.It is refreshing to hear the truth coming from a Reich winger for a change.I being a pro union progressive and a champion of the EFCA. MITTENS and his minions on the REICH can kiss my back side.The Reich wing lies about the EFCA have all been debunked and now we all know the real reason they don`t want the EFCA or unions.I have always understood their reasoning and now it`s been confirmed.The Reich Wing American Taliban wants an uneducated underemployed constituency and they have finally gotten their DREAM to come true,except the dems outnumber them 3 to 1or so .We showed these clowns in 06 and 08 and again we will show them in 2010. GO FRANKEN!

[MJJM]

Remember Bob Dole ran against Bill Clinton and we see how that turned out!!

Romney is Obama's Bob Dole.

[Montgriz]

But, he has unlimited money coming from the mormons.....

[winnie47]

Max Headroom is running for president again? Didn't Mr. Flip-flop learn from the last go-round that he can't actually BUY the presidency? And which position will he run on THIS time- missionary? It's the only one he hasn't changed!

[BuzzingAlong]

Of course, ole Mitt would be against anything that benefits workers.


Anyone familiar with his history knows that Romney used shell companies in the Cayman Islands and Bermuda to help investors avoid paying U.S. taxes.

Romney's Bain Capital, a private equity group, in addition profits from offshore tax havens, earned big time profits from debt hedge funds (think current financial meltdown), leveraged buyouts of American companies, then closing those companies and laying layoff the workers, and then taking huge fees just before companies collapsed.

Of course he would be against the Employee Free Choice Act.

Plus he is a Chickenhawk.

[blues101]

yes, he does look rather constipated in that photo. Poor Mittens..........

[Bitsko]

Tell it like it is Newt, I mean Mitt!

[Phxflyer]

Grrrreat! He can run with Palin, or that Bobby whoever, or maybe the governors of South Carolina or Texas.

Doesn't matter to me, because it just means Obama gets re-elected in another landslide!