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Subscribe to RSSSAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Just minutes before President Obama was to address the American Legion convention in Minnesota, and one day after Texas Gov. Rick Perry addressed the same room here at the national VFW convention, Mitt Romney took the podium this morning to assail the president on foreign policy.
"Have we ever had a president who was so eager to address the world with an apology on his lips and doubt in his heart?" Romney asked the crowd rhetorically. "He seems truly confused not only about America’s past but our future."
The speech was darker in tone than when he talks of foreign policy at his smaller campaign stops. The former governor spared no ammunition in criticizing the president Obama for his foreign-policy approach.
On two of America's three ongoing military engagements, Romney was even more direct.
"First, President Obama acted as if it were a great surprise that a rebellion erupted, even though The Arab Spring was already in full swing in Tunisia and Egypt," Romney said of the president's leadership on Libya. "Our involvement in Libya was marked by inadequate clarity of purpose before we began the mission, mission muddle during the operation, and ongoing confusion as to our role in the future."
On President Obama’s withdrawal plans from Afghanistan, Romney said, “[T]he President has chosen to disregard the counsel of the generals on the ground. I don’t know of a single military advisor to President Obama who recommended the withdrawal plan the president chose, and that puts the success of our soldiers and our mission at greater risk."
Further, Romney called the U.S. response to the Iranian elections of 2009 and the subsequent protests that were crushed by the Iranian government "a disgrace."
Though, he didn’t say exactly what his response would have been.
This came within the context of a larger critique of the administration's views on foreign policy, and efforts to cut defense spending, which Romney said must be founded upon either one of two mistaken beliefs: that the world was becoming a safer place or that America was becoming a lesser power.
The former governor said that any belief in America as a lesser power "flows from the conviction that if we are weak, tyrants will choose to be weak as well; that if we could just talk more, engage more, pass more U.N. resolutions, that peace will break out." He continued, "That may be what they think in that Harvard faculty lounge, but it’s not what they know on the battlefield!"
Romney graduated from Harvard in 1975 with a combined J.D./M.B.A.
Romney also looked to present himself not as yet another government official, but as a private-sector outsider.
"I am a conservative businessman," Romney told several hundred veterans assembled in a cavernous ballroom. "I have spent most of my life outside of politics, dealing with real problems in the real economy. Career politicians got us into this mess and they simply don't know how to get us out!"
Highlighting his private-sector experience has long been a hallmark of Romney's stump speech, but some observers see a renewed focus on the former CEO's time in the private sector as an effort to draw contrast with the surging Perry, who has served continuously in public office since 1985.
But Romney has run for public office four times, including this year, since 1994. And while he has highlighted his private-sector experience to differentiate himself from Perry, he has also highlighted his government experience to separate himself from Herman Cain, for example, the only other candidate to have served as a CEO.
“I respect Herman Cain,” Romney said two weeks ago, “but I also think it’s helpful to have had that government experience that I’ve had.”
Romney also referenced his managerial experience in the private sector when it came to defense policy, telling the crowd he could not wait for a chance to turn wasted defense dollars into newer ships and planes.
"Let me tell you, as a conservative businessman who has spent most of his life in the private sector,” he said, “I look at that kind of inefficiency and bloat and say, ‘Let me at it.’”
Romney mentioned his background in business explicitly twice, and made mention of his governorship three times.
Video edited by NBC's Natalie Cucchiara.
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It's not Obama's fault. Republicans having been stalling everything while eating our children. Even when the Dems had control of the house and Senate the Repubs were stalling everything and eating our kids. The Dems can do no wrong. If it wasn't for them I wouldn't be able to live off the hard work of all you suckers while I pursue my dream of making stick figure art.
spoken like a person who has nothing to contribute to society also known as a republican
http://www.flickr.com/photos/davecjohnson/6088811201/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/davecjohnson/6089355018/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/davecjohnson/6088811219/
Republicans fail to see/understand the facts. They find it easier to ridicule our President for any good he has done. Regarding foreign policy they fail to understand that under President Obama we no longer have to fear Osama bin Laden, many more important leaders under him have been killed, more and more Middle Eastern countries are struggling for a better government and way of life. Relations with most countries is better than the past administration. Foreign policy is a touchy matter, no matter who is in office. Republicans have no better view of our national past or needs. They want less government while they want to take over and change our government to their own specifications - in other words, our way or no way. They would then be taking over "government". You can't have it both ways. If they are in office, they are part of our government and also part of either the solution or part of the problem.
Bush, war monger, Obama war monger, Perry war monger, Romney war monger,
New boss, same as the old boss.
Elect Ron Paul, the only, non corporate sponsered, anti-war, candidate.
i agree most of the "name brand" politicians are so similar it hurts.
Not sure that paul is the answer.
I think it would be very difficult for him to be the Republican nominee, even with majority support from the voter's. That's what concerns me the most.
I've done enough research to fully support him, and would love to see a debate between him and Obama. Ron might not have as much style, but he does have substance.
apparently you haven't done ENOUGH research consider how he flip flops on lots of issues, has no foreign policy experience(hasn't travelled or spoken abroad I don't blame), ran from vietnam, made money stripping companies and shipping jobs overseas but yet he has experience creating them....give me a break! (though I would much prefer him to the other gop candidates
You made a lot of accusations, but they sound like they would fit the mainstream Republicans rather than Ron Paul specifically. Would you please provide some links to voting records or something to back up your assertions?
Thankyou
Also, he is a member of the House Foreign Services Committee and another couple also.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVVPfn8U-tA&feature=uploademail
Usually a corporation pays for those little fact-finding trips to other country's.
Ron Paul doesn't take corporate money or congressional pension benefit's. Where do you get your information?
Romney, a piece of advice. STOP worrying about Obama ( whom you can't beat anyway) and START worrying about RICK PERRY
I find it almost funny that this man will tell you that Obama is putting our nations troops in danger yet not a peep from his face when Bush's wars have gotten thousands of american soldiers killed.....Dem administration ????Osama bin ladin, gone !!!! not one american killed, Ghadaffi, gone !!!! not one american killed, GOP administration ???? Saddam gone !!!! thousands of americans killed..........speaks volumes except to mabey some teagaggin retard ................
it will be interesting to pin down romney on afghanistan...ten MORE years if that is what the generals say we need? I don't think that will play well.
The founding fathers were pretty specific about civilian authority over the military. Ask Gen. McAuthor about that. Willard needs to go back to civics 101.
Here's a novel thought: Elect the candidate most capable of actually doing the incredibly complex job of POTUS. Perry doesn't have the appreciation of science and technology to do it. Obama tried it and failed. As a CEO, Romney has been amazingly successful.
Feigning the "moderate" blogger, are we?
Obama has not failed at anything, and get real used to the idea that he will be re-elected... yesserie, a black man, two terms, and this next time around the t-bagger, racist-infested GOP will be shunned, wholesale.
T-GOP obstructionism has been and remains the problem, and to solve it, we simply should guillotine the CRIMINAL obstructionists, with a dull blade... Just sayin'
BuddyThis~
Great plan, Richie Rich Romney can dismantle America, ship the jobs to China and pocket the selling of America. The same kind of success he has always had and the only experience he has.
At Bain Capital, Romney helped start new companies and turned around failing ones. He was behind the start up of Staples. Starting with one store in 1986, Staples now is the world's largest office products company with $24 billion in sales in 2009. (4),(6) He also helped companies such as Sealy, Brookstone, The Sports Authority, and Domino's. (4)
These companies employ hundreds of thousands of US workers.
What is even more noteworthy is the fact that he never blamed the previous management for his own difficulties.
Oh, and MRE, posting everything in BOLD does nothing to enhance the validity or importance of your post. (Are you, by any chance, and extremely short person?)
"Great plan, Richie Rich Romney can dismantle America, ship the jobs to China and pocket the selling of America. The same kind of success he has always had and the only experience he has."
Too late. George ("Outsourcing is good for America") Bush already did that.
This twit is trying to get traction out of lame canards from the 70's, when the yahoos wanted us to attack Iran over the hostages and get into a shooting war with the Russians. Then during the campaign to unseat him, Reagan made a deal with the Iranians in which he'd sell them lots of weapons and goodies and never, ever go after the people responsible - thereby ending the "crisis."
For once I'd like to see the Republicans make a case that wasn't directed at the dumbest, most ignorant, most uneducated people in the country. But that'll never happen, because only a moron would vote for these people and they know it.
Foreign policy to romney is all things alien to a flip-flopper elitist Mormon, who just spent $12-million on his West coast home improvement.
None of these t-GOPer wannabe Jack-a's has a clue...
Meanwhile we have man-boy, israelite, t-GOPer groupie, eric cantor, threatening AGAIN to hold our Nations citizens hostage to the t-bagger agenda, or else "he" will not allow for allocating emergency funds for he folks who got nailed by Hurricane Irene!
Is treason the word for his actions here? No soul, no conscience, no brain?
However, you will not see this little man-boy, big-mouthed israelite, TRAITOR, calling for any hostage taking measures when it comes to GIVING $$$billions$$ to his zionist israeli buddy, netanyaho.
Nope, just give them the cash... not a loan mind you, a no strings attached, beggar's handout.
I think decent folks should force-ably SHIP the little punk, man-boy israelite up to Vermont to have a couple of nice town hall chats with the folks there...
That gold worshiping weasel would be lucky to return with his buttocks still attached to his neck!!
But will romney raise income taxes to pay for the wars that he starts. Or is he going to like the bushman who spends a trillion a year on wars while lowering income taxes each year. Then paying for the wars using cash from the social security & medicare lock boxes. No. No.
It's all true. An angel told Mitt where to find some buried golden tablets and then Jesus personally translated them to English (or whatever that is they speak in Boston).
Congratulations Sam, for your demonstration of extreme religious bigotry, you have been awarded a free lifetime membership in the KKK.
Don't think so. I think all religions suck. The KKK were Christians. That's why they burned crosses.
I'm certain President Obama is aware of America's past. A past that was full of white hate and oppression, which Romney is using as a race card towards Obama to try and make President Obama feel like he did during the Civil Rights Movement, nothing more than a black kid with no rights. Romney will never be president because of his racial undertones.
President Obama has done more in the war against terror that Bush or Cheney could have ever done or ever did in their eight years of being in the Oval Office.
Romney is irrelevant.
For all those who say that Obama is not respected in foreign countries - what countries do you visit? I travel all over in Europe and Asia and have found that Obama is liked and respected far more than Bush, but then I actually talk to regular people - not corporate raiders/thieves like Romney.
He Killed Osama Bin Laden. What did you do Mr. Mormon
What Romney was really saying to VFW: "as long as I wasn't the one calling the shots - we should have another 10 years of war in Afghanistan; we should be at war with Iran; we should have put boots on the ground (aka invaded) Libya; and, finally, I don't want to mention that war in Iraq because it was my party that started that stinker." Go buy or sell a company and put more people out of work, Mitt.
Romney savaged and misrepresented john McCain, but lost. Now he is determined to lose again.
Romney would be a great loser in the white house, "He's Yella, ya hear! Yella!"
Romney: it's the Republican primary; you must defeat all the other Republicans before you get to run against President Obama. Perhaps you could articulate how you'd have handled our foreign policy challenges differently, rather than criticize the President's decisions as would a Monday-morning quarterback.
Hear-hear, Dan-3126637!! Great post!
Romney and the other for-sale Republican field keep pushing the crazy gas pedal to try to get their uneducated, bigoted base to vote for them. His statements today were some of the dumbest (and false, of course) to date, and that's saying something.
How can anyone in their right mind, who has even the slimmest handle on reality and knowledge of the situation, say that Obama is doing poorly in defense?!? If anything, he's showing all the previous 6 presidents how it's done!
Any body could do a better job than Obama has done but the next President will be Perry and Rubio.
Did bush or cheney kill Osama Bin Laden, No they fought two wars killing thousands of americans and no weapons of mass destruction as well as spending trillions of dollars SO JUST SHUT 'YOUR STUPID IGNORANT PIE HOLE
Mark I just love pissing off a liberal.
"Mark I just love pissing off a liberal."
A conservative with antisocial tendencies. I'm shocked.
I like pissing off two liberal better.
Your parents must be so proud of the mature, upstanding citizen they've raised.
Gee- I dont think Obama is doing that bad.
He killed Osama, the previous occupant and his sidekick were never able to do that, and never tried that hard.
He has help oust Kadafi, Even the great ronald Reagan who sent cake to bani Sader in Iran never accomplished that.
Whats Mitt going to do? I hope he doesn't get brainwashed.
O'bama is the smartest and best leader this country has seen for many years. This article is a very good outline of why, but in America it's easy to make that look bad, here you have to be like the people whom Americans commonly see in leadership positions: Screaming fools
Republicans are long on talking @!$%# but short on any action.Not one of these big mouth do nothings have come up with their plan their all blow and no go.And the sad part is their followers would rather live in poverty than stand for the working man Republicans are just another bunch of vermin with no substance
Your only foreign policy experience is paying off the Olympics Committee LOL!