Marathon Pundit: Video and pics: Romney in Rosemont, Illinois

Friday, March 16, 2012

Video and pics: Romney in Rosemont, Illinois

I awakened early today for Mitt Romney's only scheduled Chicago area appearance, at Pancakes Eggcetera in Rosemont--just east of O'Hare Airport.

I'm sure the restaurant has terrific food--it smelled tasty--but I didn't care for this venue as it was quite crowded. That's the way politicians like it--better a jammed small place than a bigger crowd taking up half of a larger room. That way, the media can't declare that turnout was low.

While I was there, Romney only spoke directly to the crowd once. As you will see in my video, he gives shout-outs to Mayor Bradley Stephens of Rosemont, US Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL), and state Treasurer Dan Rutherford--that's the back of his head popping up in my video.

Romney is the Illinois chairman for the Romney campaign.

The former Massachusetts governor was in Rosemont to increase his Chicago area profile ahead of Tuesday's Illinois Primary. According to Rasmussen Reports, Romney leads Rick Santorum, 41 percent to 32 percent in the Land of Lincoln.

Now some photographs...

That's Rutherford and I shortly before Romney's arrival. When I told the state treasurer that he was following me on Twitter--or one of his staffers was--he quickly responded, "No John, that's me on Twitter." Good for him.

There are two types of politicians. Those who look as great as they do in their press kit photos--and the others. Romney is in the first group. He looks people in the eye and genuinely seems to be interested in the people who greet him. And Romney has a very firm handshake. Which says a lot since he'll probably shake hundreds of more hands when he campaigns in Puerto Rico later today. Now the dirt...the former Massachusetts governor was not attired in dress slacks--he was wearing blue jeans.

I've never head of this group, Americans United for Change, but it's a big lib activist organization, apparently. With them was the member of Congress for the area, the very-liberal Jan Schakowsky, whose district covers where I live and Rosemont. While Romney favors cutting federal funding for Planned Parenthood because it provides abortion services, he hasn't discussed birth control much. And despite the message on the sign, "Keep Your Mitts Off Birth Control," women will still be able to use contraception if Romney replaces Obama in the White House. The same goes with Santorum and Gingrich. No matter who wins the Republican nomination, look for more scenes like the one pictured above. The Democrats can't run on their economic record...so they have to exaggerate if not completely invent issues. Romney never saw the protesters although Schakowsky did appear on Fox News--where she criticized the governor on birth control.