2012 Presidential Campaign Blog

MNGOP Deputy Chair Michael Brodkorb Resigns to Take Volunteer Role with Sen. Mike Parry’s Congressional Campaign

MNGOP Deputy Chair Michael Brodkorb Resigns to Take Volunteer Role with Sen. Mike Parry’s Congressional Campaign
 
St. Paul – Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Tony Sutton today announced he accepted the resignation of State Party Deputy Chair Michael Brodkorb who announced he will serve as a volunteer advisor to State Senator Mike Parry (R-Waseca). This past Friday, State Senator Parry filed paperwork necessary to run for Congress in the 1st Congressional District against Congressman Tim Walz.

“The Bylaws of the Republican Party of Minnesota prohibit a party officer from supporting a candidate prior to endorsement,” said Brodkorb. “Therefore, I am resigning as the Deputy Chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota effective immediately as to abide by the Bylaws and get working on helping Senator Parry become the next Congressman from Southern Minnesota.”

“Within the confines of a sound bite, I can’t really do justice to the contribution Micheal has made to the Republican Party,” said Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Tony Sutton. “Micheal has spent incalculable hours doing everything from door-knocking for Republican candidates to developing political and communications strategies that enabled Republicans to capture majorities in the state House and Senate. In the public eye, Micheal has been an aggressive voice for the Republican Party whatever the personal costs to himself. Inside the Party, Micheal is the person people look to for his keen political and communications insight. As State Party Chair, I couldn’t have had a better partner; as a person, I don’t have a better friend.”

Under the bylaws of the Republican Party, Chairman Sutton may appoint an interim Deputy Chair who serves until the next regularly scheduled State Central Committee Meeting, which is this coming December, when a new Deputy Chair will be elected. Chairman Sutton said he will announce his appointment of an interim Deputy Chair later in the week.

“I believe Senator Parry can put the 1st Congressional District where it belongs – in the Republican win column,” said Brodkorb. “I have worked closely with Senator Parry since he was elected in a special election to the Minnesota Senate in January of ’10 and genuinely believe he is the right person to do this.”

Brodkorb expressed special appreciation MNGOP Executive Director Ryan Griffin and Chairman Sutton for their efforts on behalf of the party and to the members of the party in general for their “sacrifice, labor and generosity to the Republican Party of Minnesota.”

“I am a very private person,” Brodkorb added, “so many of you may not know I have a wonderful family. I want to thank my entire family directly for enduring the tough nature and long hours of my volunteer service as Deputy Chair of the Republican Party.”

Mitt Romney Announces Support Of NH State Senator Gary Lambert

MITT ROMNEY ANNOUNCES SUPPORT OF NH STATE SENATOR GARY LAMBERT

Boston, MA – Mitt Romney today announced the support of New Hampshire State Senator Gary Lambert (R-Nashua). Senator Lambert, a decorated military veteran, will help lead veteran outreach efforts in the Granite State. He joins State Senators Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro), Jack Barnes (R-Raymond), Chuck Morse (R-Salem) and Jim Rausch (R-Derry) in endorsing Governor Romney’s candidacy.

“Gary Lambert has served his country and his state with honor. As a member of the U.S. Marine Corps, he fought to preserve our freedoms. In the State Senate he has been an advocate for New Hampshire’s low tax environment,” said Mitt Romney. “I am proud to have earned his support and look forward to campaigning with him across the Granite State.”

“As a successful businessman and a fiscally responsible governor, Mitt Romney has the experience needed to fix our broken government and turn around our struggling economy. He has laid out bold plans to create jobs, maintain a strong and robust military and to invest in the resources we need to care for our veterans,” said Senator Lambert. “In 2012, Republicans need a strong and experienced leader to defeat President Obama and restore America’s prosperity. That leader is Mitt Romney.”

Background On State Senator Gary Lambert:

Gary Lambert was elected to the New Hampshire State Senate in 2010. He is the first Republican to represent State Senate District 13 in 94 years.

Senator Lambert retired as a Colonel in October 2009 after 30 years in the United States Marine Corps. During Operation Iraqi Freedom he served as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate for the Multi-national Force at Camp Victory in Baghdad and as the President of the Iraqi Ministries of Justice, Interior and Human Rights’ Detainee Review Board. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Iraqi Campaign Medal in 2005 for his service.

Senator Lambert has also been an active member in his community, serving on the board of the Greater Nashua Mental Health Center and volunteering his time with the Nashua Chamber of Commerce, the Nashua Rotary and the First Church of Nashua. He is a 1981 graduate of Valparaiso University and a 1984 graduate of Drake University Law School.

Dinner With Herman Cain In Huntsville, Alabama On October 29, 2011

Dinner With Herman Cain

What: Dinner with Herman Cain

When: Saturday, October 29, 7:00 pm

Where: Huntsville Marriott, 5 Tranquility Base, Huntsville

Details: Dinner tickets only are $100. Private reception, picture with Herman Cain and dinner is $200. Private reception is 5:30 pm.

New Nashville-Based 'Artists Raising Cain' Organization Supporting Herman Cain

New Nashville-Based 'Artists Raising Cain' Organization Rallying Around Presidential Candidate Herman Cain

Group Will Appear for the First Time at Herman Cain's Book Signing Today - Monday, October 10th - 12:00 Noon at Barnes & Noble in Brentwood, Tennessee
PR Newswire

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 10, 2011

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The groundswell of support for Presidential hopeful turned front-runner and serious contender Herman Cain has spawned a new Nashville-based recording artists, entertainment community and actors support group, "Artists Raising Cain."

Cofounder and Spokesman Rick Monroe and members of the "Artists Raising Cain" organization will appear for the first time together with Mr. Cain at his Nashville book signing today, Monday, October 10th at Barnes & Noble in Brentwood, Tennessee (beginning at 12:00 noon).

Country Music recording artist and noted songwriter Rick Monroe (http://www.rickmonroe.net) said, "We need an executive in the executive branch of our government. Members of 'Artists Raising Cain' feel strongly that Herman Cain's amazing background, vast experience in the business world and common sense approach to problem solving (999) make him well suited to hold the office of President of the United States and leader of the free world. Through 'Artists Raising Cain' we plan to rally America's entertainment community around Mr. Cain and do everything possible to help him become our next President."

Cofounder Douglas Warren added, "I felt now was the perfect time to pull our friends in the music and entertainment community together. We're so passionate about this candidate, Herman Cain. We feel he is the right man to confront the serious problems our country is now facing and work to bring our country back together. We're certain Mr. Cain is a man capable of making the tough decisions necessary to bring security and strength back to our great nation, a nation that myself and so many others proudly served to protect."

Artists & Luminaries scheduled to attend the book signing in support of Mr. Cain include: Rick Monroe, Lee Greenwood, Michael W. Smith, Douglas Warren, Bryan White, Craig Wayne Boyd, Cutter Lee, Chad Rowland (Redstone), Charlotte Autry, Krista Branch, Adam Cunningham, Devon Rowe and Jim Labriola (Home Improvement, The Santa Claus).

Herman Cain Will Be The Guest Speaker At The Arkansas Washington County Lincoln Day Dinner on October 27, 2011

Washington County Lincoln Day Dinner
 
Guest Speaker Herman Cain, Presidential Candidate

What:  Washington County Lincoln Day Dinner
 
When:  October 27 at 6:00 p.m.
 
Where:  Springdale at the Holiday Inn Convention Center, 1500 South 48th Street
 
Keynote speaker is Presidential Candidate Herman Cain.

Mitt Romney Announces Support Of Judd And Kathy Gregg

MITT ROMNEY ANNOUNCES SUPPORT OF JUDD AND KATHY GREGG

Boston, MA – Mitt Romney today announced the support of former New Hampshire Governor and Senator Judd Gregg and his wife Kathy. 

“I am proud to have earned the support of Senator Judd Gregg and his wife Kathy as I spread my pro-growth message across the Granite State,” said Mitt Romney. “Senator Gregg has long been one of New Hampshire’s most highly respected leaders.  He has been a tireless advocate and leading voice in New Hampshire and in Washington for fiscal responsibility and limited government.  With their help, I look forward to turning around our economy, and getting Americans back to work.” 

Announcing their support, Judd Gregg said, “New Hampshire voters are looking for a candidate who will focus on the economy from day one. Mitt Romney is the only candidate with a record of results in both the private sector and as governor. Whether it was as Governor, during the Olympics, or as a successful businessman, Mitt Romney has shown that he can turn around struggling enterprises. Right now our economy needs a turnaround.”

Background On Judd Gregg:

Judd Gregg Is A Former New Hampshire Senator And Governor. Gregg served as Governor of New Hampshire from 1989 to 1993 and served as a U.S. Senator from 1993 to 2011. Prior to becoming Governor, Gregg was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1981 to 1989. Gregg has been a longtime advocate for the taxpayer and for lower spending, both in New Hampshire and in Washington.

Excerpts As Prepared for Delivery from Jon Huntsman’s Foreign Policy Speech

Excerpts As Prepared from Jon Huntsman’s Foreign Policy Speech

Manchester, NH – Jon Huntsman for President today released the following excerpts from the major foreign policy speech that Huntsman will be delivering today at 11 AM EST from Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, New Hampshire:

Excerpts:

The world needs American leadership now more than ever. Yet we are struggling to provide it. President Obama’s policies have weakened America, and thus diminished America’s presence on the global stage. We must correct our course.
...

I believe the United States has a generational opportunity to redefine its place in the world, and reclaim the mantle of global leadership.

We will establish a foreign policy doctrine that reflects our modern world. Simply advocating more ships, more troops, and more weapons is not a viable path forward. We need more agility, more intelligence, and more economic engagement with the world.

How will we do this?

In short, erase the old map. End nation-building, engage our allies, and fix our core. This is how we will fight the enemy we have and renew American exceptionalism.

First and foremost, we must rebuild America’s core.

Returning people to work, reducing our debt, restoring confidence in our future...fixing America first…that will be my most urgent priority.

It will require more than half-measures. It will require serious, bold reforms to our tax and regulatory systems – reforms that I have offered as part of a plan that one economist calls the most pro-growth proposal ever offered by a presidential candidate.

We need a foreign policy of expansion, not containment.

Today, we need a foreign policy based on expansion—the expansion of America’s competitiveness and engagement in the world through partnerships and trade agreements. It starts with passing the three pending trade deals with South Korea, Colombia and Panama, which President Obama has resisted for three years, and which could boost American exports by more than $10 billion and create tens of thousands of American jobs. We should aggressively push for the conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which will open markets in Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. We should pursue trade agreements with Japan and Taiwan. This is an opportunity for the unstoppable tide of economic advancement to lift all ships, and it falls to America to lead this effort.

We must right-size our current foreign entanglements.

Simply put, we are risking American blood and treasure in parts of the world where our strategy needs to be rethought.

Afghanistan was once the center of the terrorist threat to America.  That is no longer the case. After 6,000 lives lost and more than $1 trillion spent, it is time to bring our brave troops home. We could go from 100,000 boots o n the ground to a much smaller footprint in a year, while leaving behind an adequate number of counterterrorist and intelligence functions and a facile special forces presence.  And I believe we should.

There is another advantage to a more judicious approach toward foreign entanglements.  It helps prevent our military from being stretched too thin, and unable to effectively respond to a direct security threat – either to America, or one of our allies. This includes standing shoulder to shoulder with Israel as they manage a host of new challenges brought on by the Arab Spring, along with more familiar challenges, such as a hostile Iran, which will continue to be a transcendent challenge of the next decade. I cannot live with a nuclear-armed Iran. If you want an example of when I would use American force, it would be that.
...

A reexamination of America’s role in the world also requires a reexamination of our military and defense infrastructure. It may surprise some people to learn that we spend more on defense today than at the height of the Cold War. Indeed, we spend more on defense than the rest of the world combined. We still have remnants of a top-heavy, post-Cold War infrastructure. It needs to be transformed to reflect the 21st Century world, and the growing asymmetric threats we face. For example, counterterrorism needs to be a much larger part of our foreign policy. We must be prepared to respond to threats – from Al Qaeda and other terrorist cells – that emanate from a much more diverse geography, including Yemen, the Horn of Africa, Pakistan and the Asia-Pacific.
...

I’d like to close by sharing a thought from my time in China…What was always clear to me was that those seeking reform and change drew strength from our nation’s values—the openness, the freedoms of speech, assembly, religion and press.  Half a world away they could see this country’s light.  Dissidents around the world can see it.  All the troops in the world cannot give you that light.  You either have it or you don't.  That is America's value in the world today. When we shine our light abroad magnified by a strong core at home, we are invincible.

Mitt Romney Announces Support Of Senator Mel Martinez

MITT ROMNEY ANNOUNCES SUPPORT OF SENATOR MEL MARTINEZ

Boston, MA – Mitt Romney today announced the support of former Florida Senator Mel Martinez. Senator Martinez will serve as Chairman of the campaign's National Advisory Council.

“I am honored to count former Senator Martinez as an ally,” said Mitt Romney. “The support of Florida voters will be critical and I look forward to working with him to turn this economy around.”

Announcing his support, Senator Martinez said, “I have great confidence that Mitt Romney is the candidate to get our country back on track. Unemployment remains a pressing issue both in Florida and across the nation. Now more than ever, we need a leader who will get our country’s fiscal house in order. From his experience in the private sector, Mitt Romney understands how the real economy works and how jobs are created. As Governor of Massachusetts, he balanced the budget without raising taxes. I am proud to support him."

Background On Senator Mel Martinez:

Former Senator Mel Martinez Represented Florida In The U.S. Senate From 2005 To 2009. He also served as Chairman of the Republican National Committee. Prior to his election to the Senate, Martinez was Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development in the administration of President George W. Bush. Previously, he practiced law in Florida.

Ron Paul to Celebrate Homecoming with an Event at the University of Iowa in Iowa City on October 21, 2011

Ron Paul to Celebrate Homecoming with an Event at the University of Iowa
‘Youth for Ron Paul’ to host its first ever event in the Midwest in key early state

LAKE JACKSON, Texas – 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul will address University of Iowa supporters and community members at a special youth-oriented event held on the university’s campus.
 
The event, which is free and open to supporters of all ages, will be held at the University of Iowa Memorial Union in the Main Lounge on Friday, October 21st.  Doors will open to the public at 7:15 p.m.  To enter 15 minutes early, RSVP for the University of Iowa event featuring Dr. Paul at http://www.ronpaul2012.com/university-of-iowa-ron-paul-event/.
 
“No other candidate running for the GOP nomination generates support from students like Ron Paul does, and it is the youth vote that will help determine the 2012 election.  That’s why Ron Paul enjoys bringing his message directly to students.  Young people who want authentic change gravitate to his reliable message of peace, prosperity and individual liberty,” said Edward King, National Youth Coordinator for the Ron Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign.
 
“Let me add that it is an honor to add to the festivities surrounding the University of Iowa’s homecoming celebration with Ron Paul’s campus visit,” said Mr. King.
 
Youth for Ron Paul (YFP), an initiative of the Ron Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign, launched on Wednesday, September 7th and since its inception more than 7,100 people signed up to join the campaign and get involved, forming more than 100 chapters.
 
The University of Iowa event is the third major YFP event, taking place two days after a planned visit to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.  Last month, Dr. Paul spoke to a crowd of more than 1,300 Louisiana State University students, supporters, and community members in Baton Rouge prior to the grand opening of his Louisiana campaign headquarters.
 
“Since the announcement of Youth for Ron Paul, we’ve seen tremendous interest and excitement from students across the nation.  It’s inspiring to be able to work with young people dedicated to their principles and Ron Paul's campaign,” said Ani DeGroot of Iowa. 
 
“President Obama successfully organized young people in 2008, but he has failed to deliver on his campaign promises.  Young people now understand Ron Paul is the only candidate running who will significantly change Washington’s failed policies at home and abroad,” said Ms. DeGroot, who is on a leave of absence from the University of Iowa so she can serve as the campaign’s Midwest Regional Director for Youth for Ron Paul.

Ron Paul Will Speak in Iowa City at the University of Iowa on October 21, 2011

Presidential candidate Ron Paul will speak at the University of Iowa on Friday, October 21, 2011. This event will take place at the University of Iowa Memorial Union, Main Lounge at 8:00 PM.

University of Iowa Memorial Union, Main Lounge
125 North Madison St
Iowa City, IA 52242

Friday, October 21, 2011 from 8:00 PM (CT)

Herman Cain Tops Republican Presidential Straw Poll at Midwest Leadership Conference #mlc11

Herman Cain Tops Republican Presidential Straw Poll at Midwest Leadership Conference
Michele Bachmann is second, Mitt Romney third
 
St. Paul–Herman Cain topped the Republican Presidential Straw Poll conducted at the Midwest Leadership Conference, which concluded today, October 8. Conference attendees from throughout the Midwest, MLC volunteers and event vendors participated in the balloting.

Herman Cain captured 52.6 percent of the vote followed by Michele Bachmann with 12.2 percent and Mitt Romney at 11.1 percent.

Earlier Saturday, Cain addressed the conference via Skype and took questions from delegates.

Rounding out the voting Ron Paul captured 10.7 percent, Rick Perry 4.0 percent, Newt Gingrich 3.3 percent, Rick Santorum 2.0 percent, Jon Huntsman 0.9 percent and Gary Johnson with 0.2 percent.

The Midwest Leadership Conference gathered Republican leaders and activists from Republican National Committee's Midwest Region - Ohio, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota - and around the nation. The conference includes activist training sessions and speeches by notable conservative leaders including Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, syndicated talk show host Jason Lewis, political commentator Michael Reagan, and Senior Advisor to President George W. Bush Karl Rove.