Mitt Romney donated money to Democratic candidates.

[edbermac]

GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney — who has struggled recently to convince conservatives that he is a reliable ally and is deeply committed to their issues — gave three political donations in 1992 to Democrats, according to a review of records by Election Central.

According to FEC records, Romney gave $250 to both then-Congressman Richard Swett (D-NH) and to then-Congressman John LaFalce (D-NY). Romney also gave the legal limit of $1,000 to Doug Anderson, an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for an open Senate seat in Utah — a total of $1,500 for Democratic candidates. Only the contribution to Swett has thus far been publicly revealed.

The donations could be problematic for Romney because prominent social conservatives — who Romney needs to win the GOP primaries — have been heavily criticizing Romney of late for flip-flopping on social issues like abortion and gay rights. Conservative leaders have argued that his conversions have been based on politics, and that he can't really be trusted on their issues. The newly-revealed donations to Democrats are likely to be viewed by these conservatives as simply more evidence that Romney has a more liberal past than he's let on.

Romney's contributions to Dems came at a time when he was a registered Independent, and even voted for Paul Tsongas in the 1992 primaries. Indeed, his contributions at the time suggest that he was drifting away from the GOP. In addition to his giving to the Dems, his donations to Republicans had all but ceased. Romney had routinely made donations of $1,000 or more to the Massachusetts Republican State Committee throughout the 1980's, but did not make any donations to them in 1990, 1991 or 1992.

http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/jan/24/romney_gave_three_contributions_to_democrats

Nah-nah-nah-nah, nah-nah-nah-nah, hey-hey-hey, goodbye...

[saltpoint]

1. It's going to be kind of fun watching his GOP goon opponents

run tv ads with this info when the primaries start drawing near.

And even more fun watching Mitt try to explain his fluid loyalties.

[elfin]

2. Wingers will mark this off as savvy politics

when faced with Rudy and McPain. It's between him and Brownback - and Romney has the money and the connections via the Mormons (hugely wealthy) and a lot of the Repug establishment, and is "pretty" for those who care about such things.

Thompson MAY score a surprise in Iowa -- but many of his workers have already defected to Romney.