Club for Growth hits Romney

The anti-tax Club for Growth is out with a new white paper hitting Mitt Romney's record on economic issues, arguing that even in the years following his time as Bay State governor, he's embraced anti-growth initiatives:

Perhaps to his consternation, he has developed an unshakeable reputation as a flip-flopper. He has changed his position on several economic issues, including taxes, education, political free speech, and climate change. And yet the one issue that he doesn’t flip on – RomneyCare – is the one that is causing him the most problems with conservative voters. Nevertheless, he labels himself as a pro-growth fiscal conservative, and we have no doubt that Romney would move the country in a pro-growth direction. He would promote the unwinding of Obama’s bad economic policies, but we also think that Romney is somewhat of a technocrat. After a career in business, quickly finding a “solution” seems to be his goal, even if it means more government intrusion as a means to an end. To this day, Romney supports big government solutions to health care and opposes pro-growth tax code reform – positions that are simply opposite to those supported by true economic conservatives. How much Romney’s philosophy of governance will affect his policy goals if elected, we leave for the voters to decide.





The group's president, Chris Chocola, had made clear that the Club planned to "freshen up" its existing white paper on Romney from his past presidential run.


But the timing of the new version, landing on the day of a big Tim Pawlenty economic speech, will only add fuel to the whispers in political circles about the overlap between Club-land and the Minnesota governor's campaign.

Among other points, both use pollster Jon Lerner.

UPDATE: Club communications director Barney Keller disputes my observation, and says, "Our White Papers on Governor Pawlenty and Governor Romney speak for themselves.”

This article tagged under: Mitt Romney