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Subscribe to RSSEarlier today, NBC's Andrea Mitchell interviewed GOP front-runner Mitt Romney from Iowa on a host of different topics. Below are some of the exchanges and answers:
On his prospects in Iowa:
Well, I want to do well here. I don't think you can predict who's going to do well in Iowa; it’s a state where you don’t know who's going to come to the caucus or how they're going to make up their minds. But you do hope to get to some of the delegates from Iowa. I need some delegates from New Hampshire and then we go on to South Carolina and Florida. It’s going to probably be a very long road.
On the pro-Romney Super PAC TV ad attacks on Newt Gingrich:
If you can't stand the heat in this little kitchen wait until you get Obama's Hell's Kitchen! It’s going to be a battle of ideas. But, of course, recognize that campaigns are going to point out distinctions between the candidates.
On Romney's charge that President Obama has "apologized" for America:
Mitchell: You say that you wouldn't apologize for America, fact check has never found any incidents where Obama has apologized for America...
Romney: Well when he went to the Arab world in his first weeks in office, and said that American had dictated to other nations, that America had been divisive, these kinds of words are certainly apologetic in tone and nature.
It was deemed the apology tour by many. The London Times reported that this president had been more critical of his own country on foreign soil than nay American president in history. And so many of us -- appropriately I believe -- saw this as a apology by the president for the United States of America of which I disagree.
On whether he'll release his tax returns, especially if he becomes president:
Romney: That's not something that I’m thinking about today but never say never.
Mitchell: But if you were elected would you release? Every president does.
Romney: You know ,if I become president, then I'll think about that. [Laughs.] It’s a little premature for me to be talking about that.
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Oh, my God, Romney is pathetic!
Appearing in New Hampshire as a surrogate for his father Matt Romney was asked about his father releasing his tax records and said as soon as President Obama releases his grades and birth certificate and sort of a long list of things then maybe he’d do it.
So lets discuss this...
Translation:
"I know how the vote is going, my own polling shows me getting my butt kicked! so I have to blame it on someone, Please tell me who I should blame it on"
Translation:
"But, all is not lost, I'll get a few, I know I'm loosing in New Hampshire too, but I'll take what I can get there and hope to do better in SC and Florida, but, I've gots to do somthin about Ron Paul if I'm gonna win this thing"
I think Mitts is afraid it's going to be just like 2008 all over again, But this time he's having his AZZ handed to him by an OUTSIDER? This is definitely sticking in his craw.
PS: everyone does realize that Mitts has publicly stated that he WILL support Dr Paul if the Dr. wins the nomination? Sounds to me that he isn't giving up but is recognizing the possibility of loosing.
I saw the Andrea Mitchell interview & all I can say is it was pathetic!
Instead of asking some tough questions she sat there bobbing & grinning while Willard dropping one liners from Laurel & Hardy and Forrest Gump!
I don't give a rats ass about Willards tax returns, we all know he earned his wealth the 'old fashioned' way by inheriting the majority of it!
Feisty,
Look who she's married to - Alan Greenspan. Of course she is going to suck up to Willard, they go to the same frickin parties! But, to be fair, he did squirm about the tax returns.
Feisty, forget about her.
All these long time so-called journalists are rich inside the beltway kiss ups to the GOP. It's how we got the Iraq War. And a decline of the middle and working class.
Journalists in DC never paid attention to the average struggling American. Except when they felt like going after President Obama. As if he caused it all. They never paid attention to what GWB and Reagan did. Or Clinton for that matter. And somewhere at some point, someone had to pay a price.
And then just easily blame it all on our current President. Romney could never get away with this if the media did their homework. But hey, it's the holiday season. There are cocktail parties to attend to. Where they whine about how President Obama won't hang out with them.
Good for him. He's far far away from them, with his family & REAL friends.
I watched that interview. He was a squirmin' in his chair!!!! What's Willard hiding, hmmmm?
Hemroids, perhaps?
BREAKING NEWS: Romney promises to release his tax returns...when hell freezes over!
The only way we're going to see how much he makes and how little he pays in taxes is when it shows up on Wikileaks.
[BREAKING NEWS: Romney promises to release his tax returns...when hell freezes over!]
Isn't Mittens a climate change denier? He better watch what he says. He just might have to produce those tax returns...and while he's at it, his birth certificate...and none of this "short form" BS...WE WANT THE LONG FORM!
I hope the DNC got Romney on tape, telling the retired firefighter, if he was looking for a handout, to go vote for the other guy. Talk about saving money, these attack ads write themselves! I also like how he explained to the woman who has to commute to another state after her job moved, how businesses save money by relocating - heartwarming!
Amy, I haven't seen that. Did he really tell a retired firefighter to vote for the other guy if he was looking for a hand out?
This is absurd. It's the wealthy who want the hand outs.
On Romney's charge that President Obama has "apologized" for America:
Let me see if I've got this straight, despite the fact that he did not apologize, because you, and others who hate President Obama say he apologized, then he apologized. Did I get that right?
Truly a case of making up your own 'facts'. Pathetic.
That's how the right works - tell a lie often enough and long enough, in their wee little minds it makes it true!
Hey, Matthew - long time no see! We missed you! (I'd comment on your comment, but I've sworn off politics for the holiday weekend.)
As I recall, Obama made the factual observation that American policies had sometimes been wrong. Obama didn't get into specifics, but the Vietnam war, the Iraq war, and overthrowing the democratic Iranian government in the 50s come to mind as examples of wrong policies. But that's NOT the same as apologizing. Acknowledging mistakes can gain other people's respect. Refusing to acknowledge blatant errors just makes you look like a jerk.
Past presidents HAVE made explicit apologies. Clinton has apologized for not taking action to avert the genocide in Rwanda. The US has also made formal apologies such as the one for the internment of Japanese Americans in World War II. I guess Mittens doesn't think they deserved one.
Refusal to admit obvious failings is something that the dictators in Iran and North Korea do all the time. Mitt Romney apparently thinks that the US should follow their lead. The title Mitt gave his book: "No Apologies" could be the title of Kim Yung Il's autobiography.
This 'apology tour' was actually letting people know we no longer had a President that told them "You're either with us or against us". Bush was a pompus fool.
Hi JoAnne, thanks. I've been around, have made a comment here, and there, but have been a bit burned out on the bickering. I saw your pledge, but noticed you strayed a bit on another thread . . . ;-))) It's okay, we forgive you, none of us are without sin.
Houston!, don't forget Chile, Argentina, Uraguay, and Bolivia (as well as others) as notable meddlings in other countries.
There's a photo making the web rounds right now of Mitt standing on a chair at a campaign event, and some guy is ducked down, get this -
holding Mitt's chair for him so he doesn't fall off.
Listen to Romney. He has nothing of significance to say.
People in other countries this past year held up signs - Thank you America.
You'll never see that again if Romney wins. He has zero independent thoughts and will do whatever the neocons want him to do.
Very very dangerous.
Pat,
Sorry to post off-subject here, but in your reply to my earlier post you mentioned you were planning a Russian trip. Good luck (I mean that in a positive vein), Russia is utterly fantastic. The ability to visit places that were off-limits and utterly mysterious as we grew up holds a fascination that does not disappoint. Russia is not Asia or Europe, it is Russia. Truly unique. I have been to Moscow and Vladivostok and will likely be spending a lot more time in both places in the near future.
If you can, learn the Cyrillic alphabet. It is really not all that difficult and will increase your enjoyment/ appreciation of your visit.
Thank you Mark. It's why I've traveled so much to that much part of the world (Budapest, Warsaw, E. Berlin, Prague, etc) - all places I was so curious about for so many years-
Moscow I will be visiting and opted for another city east in the Urals instead of going north to St. Pete. I am trying to get into Siberia but the train rides are so long. I'm in the debating stage right now on whether or not I want to do it. But the trip looks to be about 8/9 days total.
Thanks for your comments and hope you get back to Russia soon. It does look utterly fascinating I must say.
At the risk of arousing retribution from the powers that be at FR for advertising, here is a link to the Russia page on my website.
Guess I can't post links...............
Mark, your links won't post because you are considered a 'new user'. If you've been posting for awhile, you can request to be taken off the new user list. It is supposed to happen automatically, but it does not always work that way.
Pat, Russia? Very cool. I've been ther 3 times, and all three to Siberia. I've contacted you through Newsvine. There are others who post here who have also been there, and several who speak Russian.
I don't care about his tax returns---I've already figured out that he is rich. I'd like to see his ideas for making the tax system in this country more equitable.
You mean you haven’t read his 57 point plan???
I'll bite, Dennis . . .
As in Heinz 57? Wouldn't Mrs. Kerry get a bit upset about that?
If I read correctly, in his plan, Gov Romney talks about lowering individual taxes in the long run, lowering taxes on savings accts. etc. Problem is, not too many people I know have significant savings accounts and most would like to see some income tax relief in the short term.
Many people just want a job so they can have an income, and then pay their taxes whatever they may be. If you have no income, taxes are the first thing on your list of last things to worry about. Republicans don't seem to understand that.
The "Romulian" actually pays taxes?? I thought he was exempt from all taxes on Earth, because he pays too many taxes on his planet of Romulus. The idea that "Romulian Romney" pays his fair share of taxes is truely "Fictional." The "Romulian" is smart enough to hide what he makes very cleverly, and is not going to reveal a thing. The Bush Tax Cuts were a great gift for "Romulian Romney." How much has the "Romulian" hidden in Off Shore Accounts?? How much income has the "Romulian" passed secretly through large Corporate Tax Loop Holes?? How much money has his accountants hidden in "Dummy Corporations??" "Romulian Romney's wealth is estimated at $250 Million. As for his many mansions? He is expanding them because they are too small for him. "Romulian Romney" has no idea of what or who are part of the Middle Class. The "Romulian" has not worked for an honest days wage his whole life. He has fed his economic greed on the suffering of the Working Poor, the Middle Class, the disabled, and the elderly. The "Romulian" will want to endorse the "Richie Rich Ryan Plan." The cut in the Stamp Program will be $127 Billion. The "Romulian" also wanted to let Detroit go bankrupt, and this would have destroyed thousands of jobs. He also thinks that being unemployed is funny! Ameirca! Do you think the "Romulian" is funny??? I do not! Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! The Party Of NO has got to go!
We will support whichever candidate wins the Republican nomination. Anyone of them can beat Obama. The people are pissed. Obama has failed them horribly. This recession can no longer be called a recession. It's a full blown Depression. The Great Obama Depression.
Only blessed Republican leadership can pull us back from the brink. Fiscal responsibility, fresh bold policies.
Whats Obama do?? Goes on another exotic vacation, and wants to raise our debt ceiling ........AGAIN.
Time to show this fool the door.
Obama shelved in 2012.
It was deemed the apology tour by many.
I wonder if OBL thought our president was there to apologise with the wake up call the president gave him on May one of 2011...
We'll probably never find out how much money Romney ripped off from the people of Mass. because he'll never become president... Amazing that Romney is still making millions of dollars a year from the shut down of businesses in his state and people really don't know the true story about it... He should be in jail, not running for office... He's a crook with a licence to steal...
President Romney has such a nice ring to it, don't you think??
President Romney for the next eight years. That would put us in....let's see....2020. That would be the perfect time for a young intelligent Republican like Ryan or Norquist to take the helm of our ship of state.
Never again in our lifetimes will Americans be soooo stupid as to elect an inept "community organizer" to such a high office. What were we thinking??
Oh well, mistakes happen. Obama is one mistake we can correct.
Obama shelved in 2012.