Opposition Research File On Romney, Supposedly From McCain 08 Campaign. Lifted from Web. Once again I cannot vouch if genuine or not. I didn’t write this, not pretending I did. Decided to copy and paste whole text rather than just have a link because I was afraid it might disappear. Rock.
BIOGRAPHY AND TIMELINE
BRIEF OVERVIEW
Full Name:
Willard Mitt Romney
Born:
March 12, 1947, Detroit, Michigan
Family:
Wife Ann (married 37 years); five sons, ten grandchildren
Residences:
171 Marsh StreetBelmont, MA 024782005 assessed value: $3.162 million87 Claflin RoadWolfeboro, NH 038942006 estimated value: $5 million
The Boston Herald
noted Romney’s “$5 million Lake Winnipesaukee estate … features athree-story, six-bedroom, 3-bathroom house, a sprawling $200,000 stone boathouse anda recently renovated $500,000 carriage house with guest quarters.”
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Vacation homeDeer Valley, UT2006 estimated value: $5.2 million
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Education:
The Cranbrook School, Bloomfield Hills, MI (1965)Stanford University (1965-66, departed for 30-month mission after freshman year)B.A., Brigham Young University (1971)M.B.A., Harvard Business School; J.D., Harvard Law School (1975)
Employment:
Consultant, Boston Consulting Group (1975-77)Consultant, Bain & Company, Inc. (1977)Vice President, Bain & Company, Inc. (1978-84)Co-founder and managing general partner, Bain Capital, Inc. (1984-99)Interim CEO, Bain & Company, Inc. (1991-93)President and CEO, Salt Lake Organizing Committee (1999-2002)
Political Career:
Republican nominee for U.S. Senate from Massachusetts (1994)Governor of Massachusetts (2003-07)Chairman, Republican Governors Association (2005-06)
BIOGRAPHICAL TIMELINE
March 12, 1947
Romney is born in Detroit, MI, youngest of four children of future Michigan Gov. GeorgeRomney and his wife Lenore.
Spring 1965
Graduates from the Cranbrook School, an exclusive, all-male prep school in BloomfieldHills, MI.
August 1965
Enrolls at Stanford University, where he spends only one year.
June 1966
Departs for France on a Mormon mission that will last 2½ years.
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The Boston Herald
, 7/29/05
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Deseret Morning News
, 12/24/06
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June 1968
While in France, Romney is injured in a serious car accident (caused by a drunk driver)that kills the wife of his mission’s leader; for a time, Romney’s family is under theimpression he has been killed.
December 1968
Returns to the United States from his mission in France.
March 21, 1969
Marries Ann Davies, his girlfriend of four years.
1969
Transfers to Brigham Young University in Provo, UT, enrolling as a sophomore.
1970
After four years of deferments through student and missionary status, Romney drawshigh draft number and avoids conscription and service in Vietnam.
Spring 1971
Graduates as valedictorian with highest honors from Brigham Young University.
Fall 1971
Enrolls at Harvard Law School.
1972
Enters joint program at Harvard that combines law and business degrees in one program.
Spring 1975
Graduates with joint M.B.A./J.D. from Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School;was Baker Scholar at business school and earned
cum laude
honors from law school.
Summer 1975
Joins Boston Consulting Group as a consultant after graduating from Harvard.
1977
Joins Bain & Company, Inc. as a consultant.
1978
Promoted to vice president at Bain & Co.
1984
Bain & Co. founder Bill Bain asks Romney to head a new private equity spin-off unitcalled Bain Capital, Inc.; serves as managing general partner at Bain Capital until 1999.
October 29, 1990
Bain & Co. announces Romney will take over as “worldwide managing director” in thenear future; Bill Bain asks Romney to return on an interim basis to engineer turnaround ofthe flagging company.
January 1991
Takes over as interim CEO at Bain & Co., serving a two-year stretch and rescuing thecompany from a dire financial situation; continues to serve as managing general partnerat Bain Capital.
October 1993
Switches party affiliation from Independent to Republican in anticipation of running forpolitical office in 1994.
November 1993
Informs GOP activists he is likely to run for the U.S. Senate.
February 2, 1994
Formally declares his candidacy for the U.S. Senate.
September 20, 1994
Wins Republican U.S. Senate primary over businessman John Lakian by an 82-18%margin.
November 8, 1994
Loses U.S. Senate race to Sen. Ted Kennedy (D) by a 58-41% margin.
1995
Flirts with idea of running against Sen. John Kerry in the 1996 Senate race, but ultimatelyforegoes another run and backs then-Gov. Bill Weld (R).
Spring 1995
Co-chairs “The Task Force on Emerging Companies,” a 13-member business panelformed by the Weld Administration and charged with recommending ways to fostergrowth of new companies.
July 26, 1995
George Romney, Mitt’s father, dies in Michigan at age 88.
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September 12, 1995
Attends White House event and is praised by President Clinton for supporting thebeleaguered AmeriCorps program, which was under assault from congressionalRepublicans.
1996
Bain Capital acquires 11 firms in various transactions throughout the year; Romney earnsan estimated $22 million, according to
FinancialWorld
magazine.
November 13, 1996
After poor Republican showings in the 1996 election, the
Boston Herald
calls on Romneyto step forward and become state GOP chairman.
November 14, 1996
Bain Capital and a partner firm complete sale of Experian to a British company, turning a$200 million profit for Bain in less than three months.
1997
Bain Capital acquires at least 17 firms throughout the year, according to
Boston Globe
reporting.
April 16, 1997
Bain Capital pledges $1 million through various charities to help Boston’s youth.
April 27, 1997
Attends the “Presidents’ Summit for America’s Future,” a Clinton Administration initiativeto promote volunteerism initially spearheaded by George Romney just before his death.
July 7, 1998
Lenore Romney, Mitt’s mother, dies at age 89.
December 1998
Ann Romney diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
February 11, 1999
Hired as president and CEO of Salt Lake Organizing Committee, tasked with running thebusiness side of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games; ultimately erases organization’s $379million deficit and turns a profit.
April 9, 2000
Confirms he is considering a run for governor in Massachusetts following the 2002 WinterOlympics.
Summer 2000
Ann Romney’s multiple sclerosis goes into remission.
August 21, 2001
While professing interest in another run for office, Romney declares he will not challengeany GOP incumbent in Massachusetts in 2002, saying he would back acting Gov. JaneSwift (R) if she decided to run.
February 24, 2002
Winter Olympics concludes.
March 19, 2002
Hours after Gov. Swift announces she will not seek a full term in 2002, Romney declareshis intention to run for governor of Massachusetts.
April 24, 2002
Steps down as head of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee.
September 17, 2002
Wins Republican nomination for governor.
November 5, 2002
Elected governor of Massachusetts by a 50-45% margin over state Treasurer ShannonO’Brien (D).
January 2, 2003
Sworn in as 70th governor of Massachusetts.
November 18, 2003
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court rules same-sex marriage is protected in theMassachusetts Constitution.
May 17, 2004
Same-sex marriages begin in Massachusetts.
August 2004
Publishes “Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership and the Olympic Games,” a book recountinghis time at the Salt Lake Organizing Committee.
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June 21, 2005
Acknowledges publicly he is considering a run for president in 2008; insists he still planson seeking reelection as governor but promises decision in the fall.
December 1, 2005
Elected chairman of the Republican Governors Association.
December 14, 2005
Announces he will not seek re-election as governor in 2006.
April 12, 2006
Signs into law a comprehensive health care reform package designed to provideinsurance for all Massachusetts residents by mid-2007.
July 10, 2006
A ceiling collapse in Boston’s I-90 connector tunnel kills one woman and sparks a seriesof events affecting the entire “Big Dig” project; Romney takes large investigative role andearns much media attention throughout.
December 1, 2006
Boston Globe
reports Romney has used illegal immigrants to perform maintenance workat his home.
January 3, 2007
Announces he will form a presidential exploratory committee, files papers with the FEC.
January 4, 2007
Leaves office as his gubernatorial term ends.
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TOP HITS
SOCIAL ISSUES
Abortion
Romney says he changed his mind on abortion meeting with Harvard stem cell researcher – Romney claimsthe doctor said scientists “kill” embryos after 14 days, but doctor later said Romney “mischaracterized myposition.”
Months after his “conversion,” Romney stated his commitment to upholding Massachusetts’ abortion laws andappointed pro-choice judge to state district court.
In October 2005, Romney signed bill expanding family planning services, including abortion counseling andmorning-after pill.
In December 2005, Romney “abruptly ordered his administration to reverse course … and require Catholichospitals to provide emergency contraception medication to rape victims.”
Romney health insurance plan expanded access to abortion, required Planned Parenthood representative onstate panel.
Romney endorsed legalization of abortion pill RU-486 access during his 1994 Senate race and backedfederal funding of abortion, saying “I think it’s important that people see me not as a pro-life candidate.”
In 1994 and 2002, Romney confirmed his support for Roe v. Wade decision and forcefully positioned himselfas pro-choice in 1994 Senate race, saying “you will not see me wavering on that.”
Romney has refused to comment on bill pending in South Carolina legislature requiring that abortion doctorsoffer pregnant women option of viewing ultrasound.
Gay Rights
Romney endorsed Rep. Barney Frank’s Employment Nondiscrimination Act in 1994.
In 1994, Romney called “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy first step toward having gays and lesbians “able to serveopenly and honestly in our nation’s military” and said he would provide “more effective leadership” on gayrights issues than Ted Kennedy.
In 2003,
The Washington Times
reported Romney “would support a Vermont-style civil union law inMassachusetts.”
As governor, Romney said health coverage benefits and hospital visitation rights should be provided to gaycouples.
Romney promised to make gay partnership benefits a “hallmark of my leadership as governor” and has saidhe would attend gay weddings if invited.
Romney publicly opposed Boy Scouts’ ban on homosexuals in 1994 and 2002 campaigns.
In 2002, Romney backed hate crimes legislation that included sexual orientation provisions.
In 2007, Romney praised gay parent who confronted him over gay marriage issue, but in 2005 remarked toSouth Carolina audience that some gay couples “are actually having children” and called it “wrong.”
Gun Control
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