The Boston Globe's retrospective (12-26-06) on Romney's four years as absentee Governor of Massachusetts is a mixed bag. They're correct to report (and editorialize) on how little he accomplished.
But the Globe is wrong to suggest his lack of accomplishments is partly due to time he spent on the social issues. In fact, he spent next to NO time standing up for social conservative values. That was his biggest failure, both as chief executive and head of the Republican Party. He was totally disengaged from building his own party, a must if we are to dismantle the one-party tyranny in this state. (Remember: He was an Independent before deciding to run against Kennedy in 1994.) He never spoke out for life issues. He never used the bully pulpit even to roll back taxes, as the voters have demanded!
This says a lot about Romney: It's all about him, not about political/moral principles, or the greater good of the state (or country) he's governing. How could we trust him as President?
Even honest Democrats recognize that absolute power of one party has corrupted this state. Romney had a golden opportunity to do something about that. What happened in 2004? His party's candidates were not properly supported, and what directives there were from the top instructed them to avoid discussing same-sex marriage! And in the 2006 election, he did nothing to support Republican legislative candidates, and only campaigned for Kerry Healey the day before the election! And where did he spend his Commonwealth PAC money? In states with important Presidential primaries (as the Globe reported on 12-24: "Romney left Mass. on 212 days in '06").
Romney did not devote his attention to the marriage issue. He basically let it ride, watched and waited for the least risky opportunities to speak out -- and then in only the mildest terms. In South Carolina he said that same-sex marriage must be halted, but back here he didn't lift a finger to see that the original protection of marriage referendum from 2002 was voted on (which we understand was still constitutionally alive when he took office). His brief, waffling statements from the Goodridge ruling on reveal a spineless politician without values or understanding of his Constitutional role.
To call a marriage amendment which bans civil unions "bigoted" -- as Romney did in 2002 --reveals his serious failings. Remember: GLAD is now openly using the legalization of civil unions in Connecticut as a legal argument for same-sex "marriage". (We warned you . . .) This demonstrates how little foresight Romney has on this issue. Or how dishonest he is being. Either way, do you want him as President?
Another example of failure to uphold conservative social values: He never lifted a finger to clean house at his Dept. of Education, or come to the support of David Parker and other parents around the state, whose schools routinely violate the parental notification law (on sex education). And what kind of "social conservative" would have a "Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth"?
