Links Between Romney, Weld and Unity08 Laid Bare

Mitt Romney is a Republican candidate for the presidency in 2008.  He's a big political hotshot.

William Weld is a former Republican governor.  He wishes he still were a big political hotshot.

Unity08 calls itself a "grassroots" "people's movement," but is staffed by public relations professionals, lobbyists and DC insiders, and funded by The Carlyle Group and other large investment capital firms.  And Unity08 wants to elect its own presidential candidate, by the by.

What are the connections between these three nodes of high political ambition?

They're tighter than you might initially think.  Read on...

William Weld has been a big, bundling fundraiser for the Mitt Romney for President campaign in the lead-up to the 2008 elections.

CONNECTIONS

William Weld has endorsed Mitt Romney for President in 2008.

William Weld is co-chair of Mitt Romney's campaign for President in the state of New York.

Unity08 leadership has taken a stand against bundling fundraisers like William Weld.

William Weld donated the maximum possible amount to Unity08 in 2006.

William Weld has just been named to the Unity08 Advisory Committee.

Unity08 just moved up a favorable report on Mitt Romney's campaign to the top of its "On Our Radar" list of stories on its front page.

Just as snug as a bug in a rug.

•  This Story Could Write Itself...

  Here are all the elements of a great news story, with questions to be answered.  And what is the mainstream media covering?  Britney and K-Fed finalizing their divorce.  It's a topsy-turvy world, isn't it?

  by theolock on Thu Mar 29, 2007 at 07:18:48 PM PDT

  •  Yeah, it would sound something like this

    Former Massachussetts Governor William Weld, a moderate Republican, has endorsed a fellow Republican, Massachussetts Governor Mitt Romney, for president.  Weld, who moved to New York after he left office and flirted with a gubenatorial run in that state but was driven off by Conservatives, is now the co-chair of Gov. Romney's presidential committee in New York.  In his role as state chair, Gov. Weld has raised substantial funds for Gov. Romney.  Due to Gov. Weld's well known stature as a liberal Republican on social issues, he has also been active in Unity08, a group of Washington insiders who are trying to run their own centrist presidential candidate.  It is rumored that Gov. Romney, who handily won the race for the state house in liberal Massachussetts and helped usher in a universal health insurance mandate, could be Unity08's favored nominee.

    by slothlax on Thu Mar 29, 2007 at 07:36:29 PM PDT

•  I'm pretty confused about Unity08. I heard

  Sam Waterston interviewed about it on Hardball some weeks back, and it didn't make much sense (and Sam looked a lot older than he does on Law and Order.)  He said it would disband after this election, that they did not intend for it to become a third party.  

  Is it gaining any traction?  Doesn't seem to be.

  by extradish on Thu Mar 29, 2007 at 08:51:57 PM PDT

  •  other than a joking suggestion...

    ...That Fred Thompson should run at the top of the ticket and Sam Waterston as the VP as a 'Law & Order' candidacy, not really.

    by ScrewySquirrel on Thu Mar 29, 2007 at 09:00:35 PM PDT