The Candidates
Mitt Romney has come out with one of the most detailed plans on the threat from Iran of any candidate. That plan includes encouraging governments and individuals to divest from companies that support Iran. This is from MittRomney.com:
As Governor, he denied state police security for former Iranian President Khatami’s visit to Harvard. He has personally and repeatedly led efforts and called on numerous private sector and state officials to strategically divest from Iran and cut off the resources Iran uses to fuel terror. No state could have a bigger impact on this effort than New York - the world’s financial center, site of the tragic attacks on 9/11, and home of some of America’s largest pension funds. After a new state comptroller responsible for New York pension funds was named in February 2007, Governor Romney wrote New York’s Comptroller, Senators Clinton and Schumer, and Governor Spitzer calling on them to join this effort and terminate investments that support the Iranian regime and its nuclear and terrorist activities.
And this is from his speech at the Herzliya Conference in Israel:
“In my meetings this week in Israel, I have become aware of the potential of U.S. pension funds to further isolate the Iranian economy. We should explore a selective disinvestment policy. After a series of briefings here, I have contacted the Treasurer of my own state of Massachusetts and Governors of other states to begin this process by meeting today with senior Israeli leaders in Boston.”
Now, news comes from CNN today that two other Presidential hopefuls - Barack Obama and Sam Brownback - are taking up the cause themselves and calling for the same thing from the Senate chambers:
Sens. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, and Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, are teaming up to sponsor legislation that seeks to encourage divestment from companies that support Iran.
Strange bedfellows, indeed; but, as they say: imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Mitt’s leading and he’s not even in the White House yet.
May 21st, 2007 at 4:23 pm
The basic idea has been out there for a while, it seems Romney is the first to jump on it from the declare candidates.
May 21st, 2007 at 4:35 pm
The devil’s in the detail but kudos to Obama and Brownback. Iran is a boil that needs lancing.
Its the sort of idea that I’d expect Romney to come up with. No one can say he doesn’t understand the power of finance.
May 21st, 2007 at 5:04 pm
It cuts both ways HeavyM:
“Romney made some comments last night that I noticed and Giuliani’s campaign did, too.
Said Mitt during the debate:
“”We need to have fundamental change in the way business in Washington is carried out. What that means is we are going to have to have leadership that can reorganize the government. We are going to have about 40 percent of the government employees turn over in the next couple of terms and if we can reduce the employment there ”
Now Romney talks about the need to make Washington more efficient all the time, but the line about the number of federal employees retiring soon sounded very familiar.
Now I know why.
Said Rudy last week in his speech to the Heritage Foundation in D.C.:
“42 percent of the federal civilian work force is due to retire during the next two presidential terms, 42 percent. That’s a massive number of people due to retire. Some politicians, I’m sure, assume that we’ll just replace all of them. Let’s just replace every single one of them. I bet there are some politicians in the other party I don’t know, maybe in ours that would like to increase them. Here’s what I think we should do and here’s what I would do. I would seek to replace only half of them.”
I await the Romney e-mail showing me where the ex-gov talked about pending bureaucratic retirements before last night.
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See Johnathan Martin’s blog here:
http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0507/Sincere_flattery.html
May 21st, 2007 at 6:15 pm
Brownback has been encouraging this since November of 2006. So maybe Romney is the one imitating Brownback…
Brownback to pull investments from Sudan
POSTED: 5:33 p.m. EST, November 29, 2006
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Sam Brownback and his family plan to withdraw hundreds of thousands of dollars from investments in companies that do business with Sudan. The Kansas Republican is encouraging others to do the same.
Brownback, who is considering running for the White House in 2008, has spoken out against genocide in the African nation. Last week, he and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, wrote 44 governors to urge them to divest their employee pension funds from businesses linked to Sudan.
“With so many lives at stake, we should do all we can to stop this genocide, both as individuals and as a community,” Brownback said Wednesday. “We can all make a difference in Darfur.”
Six states — California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, New Jersey and Oregon — have taken steps to divest public pension funds from companies doing business in Sudan.
The Darfur region of Sudan has been torn by violence since 2003, when rebels of ethnic African tribes rose up against the Arab-led government, complaining of discrimination and mistreatment. At least 200,000 people have died in the violence and an additional 2.5 million people have become refugees in the region since 2003.
Divestment was used successfully in the 1980s as a means to protest apartheid policies in South Africa.
Adam Sterling, executive director of the Washington-based Sudan Divestment Task Force, said divestiture by states and more than 30 colleges and universities has totaled several billion dollars. More than a dozen state legislatures will consider restrictions on their Sudan-linked investments next year, he said.
Brownback’s office declined to specify how much money Brownback’s family planned to divest. The Kansas City Star reported Wednesday that Brownback’s family has between $186,000 and $565,000 invested in 10 mutual funds with investments in companies that do business in Sudan, according to a review of Brownback’s financial disclosure report.
The family’s largest holding is a blind trust worth as little as $1 million and as much as $5 million. Brownback spokesman Brian Hart said the senator and his wife are seeking advice on whether any of the trust funds can be redirected away from companies linked to Sudan.
May 21st, 2007 at 6:17 pm
In Brownback’s case it was against Sudan. I’m glad to see he is helping now with Iran. Kudos to Romney and Obama as well.
May 21st, 2007 at 6:18 pm
They can imitate, but they could never execute like a successful business man known for shaking up organizations, making them LEAN, more efficient, and profitable. I’m glad that they are at least paying lip service to the thought.
Divesting from IRAN is a no-brainer. I can’t believe many state funds still have investments over there. Sad thing is, those investments are probably doing quite well..
May 21st, 2007 at 6:30 pm
Thompson has also spoken of this in the last few months on his radio spot. Good job by Romney for making it part of his campaign.
May 21st, 2007 at 6:53 pm
Romney is extremely shrewd. No, this was not his idea, but he was the first one to make it public. Romney’s been convincing me recently that he’s got a real shot, much to my horror.
May 21st, 2007 at 7:17 pm
I have often said that the first candidate who switches from a defensive posture to an offensive mode against future threats such as Iran, Syria, and China will likely win the nomination. Romney needs to make clear that we will use our military to preempt any threats, real or perceived.
May 21st, 2007 at 7:55 pm
“Romney’s been convincing me recently that he’s got a real shot, much to my horror.”
That’s what the Democrats say, which only endears him to me more.
May 21st, 2007 at 9:03 pm
Speaking of imitation, referring to a post I made on an earlier thread (More on Bloomie) - Bloomberg is imitating Giuliani. I find it quite curious…
May 21st, 2007 at 10:46 pm
Great story HM
Mitt is helping defend the country before he’s even elected!