WASHINGTON (AP) — Seven hundred Republican donors paid a total of $5 million to attend a Republican Party dinner and hear from several of the major presidential candidates. But just one, Mitt Romney, bothered to address them all. And he had a plane to catch.
Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor, and Fred Thompson, a former Tennessee senator, spoke to a small crowd at a private, predinner reception attended by a couple hundred people willing to shell out $15,000 or more — but they ducked out immediately after.
John McCain of Arizona was tied up in the Senate — even the RNC's general chairman Mel Martinez, a Florida senator, arrived late because of voting — so the candidate dispatched his wife, Cindy, to stand in for him at the reception.
Romney was the only leading candidate who addressed all the donors, the high-rollers and others who paid at least $1,000 to dine in the towering main room of the National Building Museum.
The former Massachusetts governor had the stage virtually to himself — and he took advantage of it with a pep rally like speech. "If I'm elected president, get ready, get used to it, change is coming," Romney said. Then he criticized Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton, saying: "I think she would change America, just not the way we want to go."
He was flying to Iowa immediately afterward for an early morning event Wednesday.
Long-shot, anti-war candidate Ron Paul also spoke to the larger audience.
A Republican National Committee media advisory sent out Monday indicated that Romney, McCain, Thompson and Paul were scheduled to give public remarks at the annual dinner.
Giuliani had been listed in an earlier advisory but his name was stripped from the final version when aides notified the RNC of a scheduling conflict. Still, Giuliani was to be in Washington on Wednesday morning to speak to the anti-tax Club for Growth.
Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor, and Fred Thompson, a former Tennessee senator, spoke to a small crowd at a private, predinner reception attended by a couple hundred people willing to shell out $15,000 or more — but they ducked out immediately after.
John McCain of Arizona was tied up in the Senate — even the RNC's general chairman Mel Martinez, a Florida senator, arrived late because of voting — so the candidate dispatched his wife, Cindy, to stand in for him at the reception.
Romney was the only leading candidate who addressed all the donors, the high-rollers and others who paid at least $1,000 to dine in the towering main room of the National Building Museum.
The former Massachusetts governor had the stage virtually to himself — and he took advantage of it with a pep rally like speech. "If I'm elected president, get ready, get used to it, change is coming," Romney said. Then he criticized Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton, saying: "I think she would change America, just not the way we want to go."
He was flying to Iowa immediately afterward for an early morning event Wednesday.
Long-shot, anti-war candidate Ron Paul also spoke to the larger audience.
A Republican National Committee media advisory sent out Monday indicated that Romney, McCain, Thompson and Paul were scheduled to give public remarks at the annual dinner.
Giuliani had been listed in an earlier advisory but his name was stripped from the final version when aides notified the RNC of a scheduling conflict. Still, Giuliani was to be in Washington on Wednesday morning to speak to the anti-tax Club for Growth.
3 comments:
Now just looking at the picture makes me think Mitt's up to no good as he looks like he's about to examine a woman and not his wife. Please don't give Mitt any ideas he might think he really can go around examining women.
Yes Jackie, it's a scarry site when you see anyone in the GOP putting on gloves.
He just reminds me of Dr. Frist. And look how scary Frist was in the Terri Schiavo saga.
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