ROMNEY MAKING IT OFFICIAL ; Adviser: Plans to File Paperwork Tomorrow
By DAVE WEDGE
Ending months of speculation about his political future, Gov. Mitt Romney will officially file paperwork tomorrow to form a presidential exploratory committee, a top adviser said.
Romney operatives in Washington, D.C., will file the required paperwork with the Federal Election Commission while the lame duck governor finishes his final day on the job here in Massachusetts, the adviser said.
Long rumored to be one of a handful of contenders for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, Romney joins a field that already includes Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The adviser said Romney intended to file today but wanted to wait until after memorial services for President Gerald R. Ford.
The move to form the committee – which allows Romney to officially begin fund raising – comes as Romney continues to up his national profile with a dizzying string of stops in key battleground states. He has also been distancing himself from the more liberal leanings of Giuliani and McCain by reaching out to right-wing media outlets in recent weeks.
Just last week, he clarified his stance on abortion and gay marriage, spoke out on the Iraq war and gave his take on the impact of former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford in exclusive interviews with conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt and the influential right-wing publication Human Events Weekly.
“I think he’s got a tough road ahead of him,” said GOP pundit Holly Robichaud. “There’s two great front-runners in front of him. They’re going to be hard to beat.”
She added that Romney has proven he’s a “viable” candidate with fund-raising clout, as evidenced by the $8 million he’s raised through his Commonwealth PAC.
“He’s been out there on the campaign trail working hard,” she said.
Romney, whose father, former Michigan Gov. George W. Romney, lost to President Richard Nixon in the 1968 GOP primary, would be the first Mormon elected president. Former congressman and pro basketball player Morris Udall was another strong Mormon presidential candidate, narrowly losing to President Jimmy Carter in the 1976 Democratic primary.
Polls have shown Romney running in the middle of the pack of potential GOP candidates. He is expected to base his presidential campaign out of Boston, with an eye toward winning the crucial New Hampshire primary.
(c) 2007 Boston Herald. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.