A Romney mistake continues to plague him

It's been almost a month since Republican Mitt Romney put his foot in his mouth when responding to a questioner in Iowa who noted that none of Romney's five sons, who range in age from the mid-20s to the late 30s, had served in the military.  And it's become the gaffe that won't go away, comparable to Democrat John Edwards' infamous $400 haircut.

In parrying the query about his boys that was posed by an opponent of the Iraq war, Romney memorably said, "It’s remarkable how we can show our support for our nation, and one of the ways my sons are showing support for our nation is helping to get me elected, because they think I’d be a great president."

The comment, part of a longer answer and presumably said partly in jest, gained a fair amount of attention at the time and has periodically resurfaced.  But it was spotlighted during Wednesday night's debate among the Republican presidential candidates when a man at a New Hampshire restaurant where Fox News was soliciting questions told Romney: "I don't think you fully understand how offended my wife and I were, and probably the rest of the people who have sons, daughters, husbands and wives serving in the war on terror, to compare your son's attempts to get you elected to my son's service in Iraq."

Even worse for Romney, his response earned him poor reviews in the debate's aftermath.

The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza ranked him as one of the forum's "losers" (the other was Sam Brownback), writing: "We've wondered for a while whether Romney can empathize with an audience, and last night didn't do much to answer that question.  Rather than use the man's comments (and his son's service in Iraq) as a moment to offer a heartfelt apology, Romney reverted to rattling off his stump speech -- 'There is no comparison, of course. We owe them our respect, and the sacrifice they make is something we will never forget.' "

More ominously for Romney, he earned scorn from Human Events, an influential conservative magazine.  Jennifer Rubin writes today that Romney's answer showed "he lacks a personal touch."  She goes on: "We like smart presidents, but we also like empathetic ones who relate to people as people, and Romney needs to show he has a heart and not just a brain."

Those who kept their televisions tuned to Fox for candidate interviews following the debate heard Romney use the word "apologize" when asked, again, about the flap by Sean Hannity.  And the restaurant patron, in his comment to Romney, noted that the candidate previously had expressed apologies.  Still, it appears he fumbled an opportunity to perhaps put the matter behind him.

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[Claire]

That's silly. .... It was more like 3 or 4 months ago and who cares? Nobody is even talking about it, except you. Everyone finds their own way to "serve the country." He's explained a million times that his boys' service in no way matches the sacrifice of the troops, but it is still doing something worthwhile. They are working for something that they believe will make this country better. None of the top-tier (except McCain) has military experience or a relaitve in the military either. They are all in the same boat.

[S. Kittel]

This is just another attempt by the liberal LA Times to re-expose what they consider "dirt" on Romney.
If anyone thinks he was comaring his son's campaign efforts to people's duties in Iraq, they need to relax. Why? Becasue that's just not what he meant. Whether the Romney boys are particiapting in an election or giving the ultimate civic duty, they are still patriotic.
Articles like this keep coming up and all it is is some liberal editor who hasn't found any other skeletons in Gov. Romney's closet. YOU WON"T FIND ANY...so stop trying to create them.
Whaddya want, Obama? Do you trust this county with someone that inexperienced? Clinton? Corporate puppet; cementing dynasties in this country? Huck? Good grief. Want to go back to the stone ages?
Why can't people just stop looking for lame excuses (like in this article) to not vote for him and realize he is the leader we need.
Don't vote with your heart, vote with your head.

[TK]

Why is this up in the post. This is very old news. The most recent debate in Iowa Romney won hand downs based on Luntz's focus group.

[Jason]

Big deal. Having sons who serve in the millitary is NOT a requirement or even an asset in a presidential candidate. Being active in politics and running for president IS service to his country. Add to that the fact that Romney knows he can turn around this country the same way he has other public and private institutions. It's confidence and a love for his country. What more can you ask for? We have a volunteer army. Let's face it, people with the talents of the Romney's serve this country much better through business success that enables civic volunteerism. He spoke the truth, though it's not politically correct to say it. He's honest once again.

[dultso]

You know a person by their accomplishments. Look at Romney's family life and business accomplishments. Don't you think if he was as cold and inhuman as you are trying to paint him, that it would be revealed in those closest to him? Maybe his emotions are more guarded on television than some other smooth politicians. How would you act in front of a camera knowing that any unintentional mis-spoken word will forever be dissected? We all react in front of a camera differently, that's why it's important to look at the details of personal accomplishments and relationships.

[Scott Porter]

With all that is going on in this country let's focus on the real issues. We need someone that has a track record of bringing real "change" to things. Look at Romney's experience in turning things around....ie Olympics, Bain Capital. He is a master at approaching problems and finding solutions. He is the most qualified by far to be taking charge of the country.

[jbec]

la times...what are you talking about? this happened months ago. your editorial licence with the word "plague" is an indictment on your motivations.

[Minda]

Mitt Romney Makes a Better Christian Than Mike Huckabee
Written by Al Barger
Published December 17, 2007
See also:
» Boston Globe Breaks for Barack, Des Moines Register for Hillary
» This Ain't Your Grandfather's 1945!
» To All the Republicans Out There: Chill Out About Giuliani!
Rev. Mike Huckabee is supposed to be the most adamant, pure Christian candidate in the race for President. But I think Huckabee seems to be the least truly Christian in the Republican field. I might cite several grounds for that, but mostly I'm saying this because of the sleazy and underhanded way he's demagogically using his religion specifically against Mitt Romney.

For starters, though, it's absolutely asinine the way that Huckabee goes putting God on his side in the Republican primary election. He's repeatedly compared himself and his campaign to that guy that fed multitudes with just a couple of loaves and fishes. That shows a real lack of Christian humility, to put it mildly. Indeed, that he's so willing to vainly invoke his Lord and Savior in his own crass little political campaign is grounds for me to begin doubting the sincerity of his beliefs right there.

Many people have likened Huckabee to the other guy from Hope, describing Huckabee as being like Clinton-but without the wandering eye. Well, Bill Clinton getting laid was not mostly what I would object to about him. It's that demagogue Elmer Gantry or perhaps Lonesome Rhodes populist manipulation and lack of character or principles that characterize both Clinton and Huckabee. Add in his infamous lack of belief in evolution, and Huckabee looks about as self-serving as that textbook religious populist American demagogue William Jennings Bryan.

But most of all, I positively dislike Huckabee for his absolutely knowing and purposeful manipulation of his Christian faith to use as a weapon against even a fellow Christian, purely for his own political gain. In short, Mike Huckabee has repeatedly and carefully, with unmistakably malice aforethought, borne false witness against Mormons and purposefully stoked anti-Mormon bigotry in order to convince the knuckle-dragging type of Christians to support him over Mitt Romney.

Slick Huck is a nasty hick with a distinctly Bill Clinton shade of underhanded politics of personal destruction. He bills himself in early tv ads as a "Christian leader," in implicit contrast to the front runner who is not. Oh no, I didn't mean it THAT way, responds the clever cleric. It's just a reference to his own background as a minister.

Nor will he directly deny that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are Christians, as it's just not his proper role as a candidate to take a position on such an issue. In other words, the PC folk won't let me say it, but you know - wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more True Brother Christians.

But Huckabee really proved himself exponentially too clever and sleazy with the instantly infamous New York Times comment about Mormons. "Don’t Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?" This guy is one of the slickest tongued people in politics. Then he just accidentally and innocently drops this bit of poisonous speculation casually into a conversation with a reporter from the New York Times.

Running a presidential slate for Ball State student government a quarter century ago, our campaign had our manager stand up in debate to ask a question based on a forgotten little scandal from the year before. "Do you promise not to steal any more campaign buttons?" This of course necessitated the paper explaining the story, and it made us the goats. The bad manager wrote the most self-consciously righteous statement for our candidate to make in denouncing him that he could conjure-and of course had to churn the story one more time through his own theatrical and profusely humiliated apology at the next candidate forum.

Likewise of course for Mike Huckabee with the Jesus and Satan are Mormon brothers - and also of course for Hillary with Shaheen and the Obama drugs nonsense. Huckabee apologized. "It was never my intention to denigrate his faith. I raised it not to create a story. I thought we were having a simple, casual conversation." Yeah, he was just having a casual conversation with a reporter from the New York Times. Never crossed his mind that he might be planting a little anti-Mormon bomb. Really? Invoking my own preferred prophet, I'd suggest that if you're testing God, and lying to his face, you're going to catch hell.

Unmistakably, Mike Huckabee has consciously said things to appeal to the most base angels of his constituents' nature to turn them in hatred even against a brother who also proclaims Jesus Christ as his savior - all in pursuit of votes for himself. What do you think Jesus might think of that? Not to put too fine a point on it, but Rev Huckabee's actions strongly suggest that he values his own self-interest even at the direct expense of abandoning the most basic core Christian teaching of loving thy neighbor.

Meanwhile, Mitt Romney seems exceptionally clean for a major presidential candidate. Some might accuse him of flip-flopping on some issues-though seemingly really far less so than Gov. Huckabee, particularly on taxes and immigration. But beyond that, you'd be hard pressed to find the least hint of impropriety in anything Mitt Romney has ever done in life. He might fail some people's anti-religious litmus tests, but he surely looks like he's tried very hard to stick to the straight and narrow at all times.

Most particularly, I've never seen him being hateful or malicious or discriminatory. I would find it highly unlikely that he would foment hatred against another man for personal gain, much less fomenting hatred against whole groups as Huckabee does.

You could argue over which candidate's theological views are closest to your own. As a non-believer, I don't particularly have a dog in that fight. Hopefully that might make me something of an honest broker here. In any case, looking past theology, Mitt Romney sure looks like he's doing a lot better job in life of following the example of Jesus Christ of Nazareth than what I'm seeing from Rev. Huckabee.

If I were picking a candidate based on which one was the better Christian, it'd definitely be Mitt Romney hands down over that malicious and underhanded Mike Huckabee.

[Chris]

Romney was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and he's trying to build a political dynasty like the Bush family.

I think he owes the people of Massachusetts an apology for lying to them about his commitment to protect and fight for abortion rights. That is, if he really did consistently come down on the side of life, as he says.