Mitt Romney got slammed yesterday for flip-flopping on campaign finance reform. First The Hill wrote about it and then Caucus Cooler, a great Iowa blog, got his hands of Romney on C-SPAN video sounding like a wild-eyed campaign finance reform radical (below too).

Then the Romney campaign sent out talking points rebutting the allegation that he flip-flopped on this too. But these talking points simply aren’t honest (not a surprise from the Mittster).

Purely on a process note, this is poor rapid response. Off topic rebuttal. Weak on the facts. And not in the same medium as the attack. Sorry Mitt, Carl, and Kevin. Try again next time.

Myth vs. Fact: Campaign Finance Reform

Thursday, Feb 08, 2007

MYTH: Governor Romney Has "Flip-Flopped" On Campaign Finance Reform.

Does this mean that Mitt Romney stands by his old positions or not? Taxing political contributions, spending limits, and abolishing PACs?

FACT: Governor Romney Has Always Supported Transparency And Disclosure In The Campaign Finance System.

Note how this doesn’t rebut the actual claims made about Romney. Instead, he tries to change the subject. We are saying that he either has radical ideas on campaign finance reform or has flip-flopped. Which is it Mitt? (Or Kevin or Carl?)

MYTH: In 2002, Governor Romney Supported "Dramatic Changes" To Massachusetts’ Campaign Finance System When He Proposed Altering How Campaigns Were Funded.

I would call funding publicly-financed elections through a tax on contributions a "Dramatic Change" wouldn’t you?

FACT: Governor Romney Supported Changing The Clean Election Law So Taxpayer Money Would Not Be Used To Fund Campaigns. When That Could Not Be Done, Governor Romney Supported The Law’s Repeal.

Trying to change the subject. Romney supported taxing political contributions. Imagine if 10% of Romney’s political contributions were redirected to Mike Huckabee. How would he feel about that? Does he disagree with that position or has he flip-flopped?

Mitt Romney wants you to believe that he is a 1st amendment protecting, 2nd amendment protecting, red blooded conservative. Instead he wants to tax political contributions. That’s quite a makeover from  this, which neither he nor Kevin Madden have ever disavowed: