2008 Presidential Campaign Blog

Governor Mitt Romney Forms Presidential Exploratory Committee And Launches New Website

Mitt Romney's campaign issued this press release to answer questions about the forming of his presidential exploratory committee.

Governor Mitt Romney Forms Presidential Exploratory Committee
Wednesday, Jan 03, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, D.C. - Today at 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, National Counsel Ben Ginsberg filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) announcing the formation of Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's presidential campaign exploratory committee.

"After talking to my family, I have decided to take this initial step of forming an exploratory committee in order to raise the resources and build the campaign organization required to pursue the highest office in our country," Governor Romney said. "I look forward to continuing to talk with the American people to determine how best we can meet a new generation of challenges."

Immediately after the filing, the Romney for President Exploratory Committee launched its official website: www.MittRomney.com.

Questions And Answers About Governor Romney's Presidential Campaign Exploratory Process

Q:  What is the name of the exploratory committee?

A:  Romney for President Exploratory Committee, Inc.

Q:  When will Governor Romney formally declare his candidacy?

A:  Governor Romney has not made a decision on when he will officially and formally declare his candidacy.

Q:  What is the difference between this exploratory committee and formally announcing Governor Romney's candidacy?

A:  This committee has been registered with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) allowing it to begin soliciting resources and organizing a federal campaign committee structure in anticipation of a formal announcement in the near future.  Once an announcement is made, the word "exploratory" will be removed from the name. The committee formed today will use the money raised before and after a formal announcement.

Q:  Can money raised by the exploratory committee be used by an eventual Romney for President Campaign Committee?

A:  Yes. In fact, it's the same account.

Mitt Romney To File 2008 Exploratory Committee Paperwork Wednesday

Romney to file paperwork for 2008 bid
By GLEN JOHNSON, AP Political Writer

BOSTON - Gov. Mitt Romney will file paperwork forming a presidential exploratory committee on Wednesday, a delay of 24 hours out of respect for the funeral services scheduled Tuesday for former President Gerald R. Ford.

Yahoo News AP Story

Romney Tapping Web For Support

Romney connecting quickly with bloggers
Taps into the Web for early support

By Scott Helman, Globe Staff
December 31, 2006

"The importance Romney is placing on developing a rapport with bloggers reflects not only the pivotal role the Internet now plays in American politics, observers say, but also a recognition by Republicans that they have not been as aggressive as Democrats in using the web to gather support and money."

Boston Globe Article

John Edwards "Tomorrow Begins Today" Iowa Announcement Video

John Edwards "Tomorrow Begins Today" Iowa Announcement Photos

Vilsack Campaign Welcomes John Edwards Into The Race

STATEMENT ON EDWARDS ANNOUNCEMENT

DES MOINES, IA – Below is a statement by Vilsack for President campaign manager Craig Varoga regarding Senator John Edward’s candidacy for President:

“We welcome John Edwards and all the other candidates into the race.  Voters across our country are going to hear a real debate about how to put the Bush years behind us and get America back on track.”

South Carolina House Speaker Pro Tempore Joins Supporters Of McCain In 2008

SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE JOINS SUPPORTERS OF MCCAIN IN 2008

ALEXANDRIA, VA – South Carolina House Speaker Pro Tempore Doug Smith of Spartanburg has joined a growing group of prominent South Carolinians who are encouraging Senator John McCain to run for president in 2008.  Smith was an active supporter of President George W. Bush in 2000.

The South Carolina House of Representatives’ second-ranking officer, Smith said he will actively support McCain if he decides to enter the race.  In the meantime, Smith will work with the exploratory committee to help build support for McCain in the Palmetto State, where a key presidential primary will be held in early 2008.

Smith said he believes McCain’s message has the best chance of winning the presidency in 2008.  “Just like John McCain, I was inspired by the conservative leadership of President Ronald Reagan to become involved in public service,” said Smith.  “John McCain is a true American hero, and his common sense conservatism gives our party the best chance at keeping the White House.”

McCain said he welcomed support from Smith, whom he called a “true conservative leader” in the General Assembly.  “Doug's commitment to public service and our conservative cause is well known,” said McCain said.  “I truly am honored to have a leader of his stature and reputation as an adviser to our exploratory committee.” 

John Edwards "Tomorrow Begins Today" Announcement e-mail

This e-mail was sent to John Edwards supporters on the eve of his campaign announcement.

"I'm writing to you from New Orleans, where tomorrow I will announce that I am a candidate for president of the United States.

I'm announcing here because no place better demonstrates the two Americas I've talked about for a long time. But even more important, no place better demonstrates the power people have when they -- not Washington -- take responsibility and take action to build the America we believe in.

Watch a preview on YouTube of what I'm going to talk about tomorrow.

I'm running to ask millions of Americans to take responsibility and take action to change our country and ensure America's greatness in the 21st century.

And I'm asking you to play a crucial role in this campaign.

Last week I asked if you were ready to take our effort to change America to the next level. Thousands of letters have come in, and the answer was an overwhelming yes -- we're in this together.

That's why I'm asking you to help spread the word in your area by holding your own local "Citizens' Launch" event tomorrow. It just takes a few minutes to set up, and anyone can do it.

We know what we need to do. Changing our country means:

Providing moral leadership in the world -- starting with Iraq, where we should begin drawing down troops, not escalating the war
Strengthening our middle class and ending the shame of poverty
Guaranteeing health care for every single American
Leading the fight against global warming
Getting America and the world to break our addiction to oil
That's not just my vision –- it's our vision. And we can't wait for the next president to take office to begin fundamentally changing our country.

And the truth is, we don't have to wait. Since I left Washington, I've seen firsthand the power that ordinary people have when we work together.

We worked with thousands of volunteers to raise the minimum wage in six states – and we got it done. We're making the first year of college free for young people in Greene County, North Carolina. And we've been working from the grassroots up to organize workers so they can stand up for their rights and earn a decent living.

And this week in New Orleans, I've been working with young people who gave up part of their Christmas vacation to work on rebuilding and helping those in need -- just like the hundreds of college students who came here to work with me during their Spring Break earlier this year.

This is the kind of commitment to solving our problems that I've seen time and time again over the last two years – and it reaffirms one of the great lessons of my whole life. The power of America doesn't lie in Washington; the true power of America is in the people of America.

That's why we're getting ready to launch a campaign that says to everyone who wants to take responsibility for our future: we can't wait until tomorrow. We must act now.

Tomorrow begins today."

Your friend,

John

P.S. Please forward this email or the YouTube video to your friends and family and ask them to join us.

P.P.S. And join me Thursday for an Online Town Hall live from Des Moines, Iowa. Visit JohnEdwards.com to participate. The event begins at 6PM ET / 3PM PT

New John Edwards '08 Website Goes Live

This message greeted vistors to the new John Edwards '08 website.

"This campaign is about each of us taking responsibility for our country's future -- and ensuring America’s greatness in the 21st century. It is a campaign not just about what we can do in the White House -- but what we can do on the way.

We all must take responsibility and take action now to:

Provide moral leadership in the world
Strengthen our middle class and end poverty
Guarantee universal health care for every American
Lead the fight against global warming
Get America and other countries off our addiction to oil
If we want to live in a moral and just America tomorrow, we cannot wait until the next President is elected to begin to take action.

Tomorrow begins today."

The Situation Room Blog Compiles Gerald R. Ford Links Online

4President.tv is featured among the links to the life of President Gerald R. Ford by the Situation Room Blog.

Wednesday, December 27, 2006
The Situation Online: President Gerald R. Ford

Life of President Ford Online
President Gerald Ford's Presidency is extensively chronicled online through photos, videos, and documents.

The Situation Room Blog Permalink