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Subscribe to RSSThe Boston Globe: “Mitt Romney offered his unvarnished take of the challenges of holding the Olympics - and touched off criticism in the British press [yesterday] and an apparent jab from Prime Minister David Cameron.”
Romney told NBC’s Brian Williams: “It’s hard to know just how well it will turn out. There are a few things that were disconcerting: the stories about the private security firm not having enough people, supposed strike of the immigration and customs officials, that obviously is not something which is encouraging.”
The Globe: “In response, the Daily Mail Online carried a headline, ‘Who invited him? US presidential hopeful Mitt Romney questions British public’s appetite for the Games during visit to London.’”
And then the zinger from Cameron: “We are holding an Olympic Games in one of the busiest, most active, bustling cities anywhere in the world. Of course it’s easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere.” The Globe adds, “which was interpreted as a reference to Salt Lake City and Utah.”
The Daily Mail: “'Devoid of charm, offensive and a wazzock': Romney's disastrous day in London after saying he didn't know if Olympics would be a success.”
It writes: “[A]fter a series of gaffes, Mr Romney has been on the sharp end of a series of tongue-lashings from the press, government officials and even leading politicians. The Republican's most damaging blunder came when he questioned whether his hosts would be able to make a success of the Games, saying: 'It's hard to know just how well it will turn out.'”
The Telegraph: “The Daily Telegraph's Lucy Jones branded him a 'wazzock' (which the Urban Dictionary defines as 'an idiot or daft person') after the candidate questioned Britain's desire to host the Games. She said: 'Who does Mitt Romney think he is? I feel a glimmer of protectiveness and pride... there's one thing Romney could learn while he's in Britain this week: some manners.' Nicholas Watt, from the Guardian, tweeted of his U-turn: 'Mitt Romney rowing back like mad on Olympics: Now says outside No 10 games to be a great success.' Meanwhile, Paul Harris said: 'Good old Mitt. His charm offensive in the UK failed to be charming, but he really pulled off the offensive bit #gop #romney.'
And: “On Twitter, users have been attacking Mr Romney deploying hashtags such as #Romneyshambles and #Mitthitsthefan.”
Political Wire: “The Guardian: ‘From criticising the biggest sporting event Britain has held in over 40 years, to 'looking out of the backside of 10 Downing Street', Mitt Romney's first foreign trip of his presidential candidacy hasn't gone quite as well as he might have hoped. As the former Massachusetts governor continues to gaffe his way across London, here's a round-up of Romney's red-facers. So far.’”
And: “Mitt Romney has already been slapped by British Prime Minister David Cameron for suggesting that Britain may not be ready to host the Olympics, but Josh Rogin points out it's not the first time he's said unflattering things about the country,” Political Wire writes. Romney wrote, in his book, No Apology: “ ‘England is just a small island. Its roads and houses are small. With few exceptions, it doesn't make things that people in the rest of the world want to buy. And if it hadn't been separated from the continent by water, it almost certainly would have been lost to Hitler's ambitions.’”
The New York Daily News: “Mitt Romney walks back comments on Olympic troubles as he kicks off UK visit.” The News: “The comments got wide attention in England, with major newspapers, including the Daily Telegraph splashing his critique on their websites. On Thursday, Romney struck a more optimistic tone.”
But still this wasn’t all that positive: “My experience with regards to the Olympics is it is impossible for absolutely no mistakes to occur,” he said during a joint appearance at Parliament with Labor leader Ed Miliband, according to Politico.
"Of course there will be errors from time to time, but those are all overshadowed by the extraordinary demonstrations of courage, character and determination by the athletes," he continued. “And as soon as the sporting events begin, we all forget the organizers and focus on the athletes.”
The Telegraph: “The two men are said to have got on well during their talks, despite the barbed rebuke Mr Cameron delivered beforehand when to comment on Mr Romney’s concerns about the capital’s preparedness for the Games.”
In another Daily News piece: “At this rate, Mitt Romney may provoke an international incident with the United Kingdom by the weekend. Romney’s high-profile visit to Great Britain continued to be plagued with gaffes Thursday, as the Republican candidate’s error-prone appearances culminated in nearly 60,000 Londoners jeering the mention of his name. London mayor Boris Johnson, in a pre-Games rally in Hyde Park, revved up the masses by invoking the GOP candidate, who ran the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and questioned whether London was prepared. ‘There’s a guy called Mitt Romney who wants to know if London is ready,’ Johnson cried to the tens of thousands gathered in the famous park. ‘Are we ready?’”
And: “ ‘The opening ceremonies aren’t until Friday, but Romney is already in medal contention for the gaffe-cathlon,’ a Republican political strategist in amazement.”
There was also this: “An assortment of Olympic memorabilia – including a collector’s pin bearing Mitt Romney’s smiling face – was made in China for the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City run by the current Republican presidential candidate,” the New York Daily News writes.
Did you get that he approved of pins made with his likeness for the 2002 games? “Fraser Bullock, Romney's top deputy at the Olympics, told NPR a previous interview that the pins weren’t Romney’s idea. ‘Mitt could care less whether his face is on a pin or not,’ Bullock said. ‘It became a very popular pin and generated revenue for the organizing committee, and that's where he was coming from.’”
From Michael Kranish’s book (which BuzzFeed and Political Wire picked up on yesterday: Ken Bullock, a member of the organizing committee’s board “was among those bemused by Romney’s efforts to promote himself, which seemed to run against the grain of his buttoned-down business persona. Romney became the first Olympics executive to approve a series of commemorative pins bearing his likeness. One pin depicted his fact under a heart with the words: ‘HEY MITT … WE LOVE YOU!’”
“He tried very hard to build an image of himself as a savior, the great white hope,” Bullock said of Romney. “He was very good at characterizing and castigating people and putting himself on a pedestal.”
“Mitt Romney on Thursday continued to pound President Obama for a quote about entrepreneurs – ‘If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that’ -- as a new Gallup poll found Obama is out of favor with nearly six in 10 business owners,” the Boston Globe reports. “The Romney campaign on Thursday unveiled a new page on its website called ‘Built by Us’ which features video testimonies of business owners who say they resent Obama’s suggestion that they owe some of their success to government.
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Boy, howdy! That just didn't take long, did it? Even though a rational person must know that Romney hasn't a clue about foreign policy, or the finer points of dealing with other nations, he so completely mucked this up that a serious person must question that he has decided he is capable of being President.
All partisanship aside; America is best served by having two healthy parties presenting ideas. Romney is a danger, since he is too stupid to know what he doesn't know. Is this the BEST that the Republicans have?
Really?
Ugly American
'Ugly American' - Mitt, that is.
The Ugly American from the book 'The Ugly American' is loud, bad-behaving without a clue about the outside world, but with new found-wealth. He was an American working in southeast Asia, promising a disaster waiting to happen in Vietnam.
Mitt is the new version of the Ugly American, out of nowhere, but with vast wealth and limited brain. Yet another disaster waiting to happen.
look at the other Republican president wanna-bes: Bachmann, Gingrich, Santorum, Cain....so I guess the answer is YES.
The Republicans decided to go with a guy who had one set of "beliefs" to get elected in a liberal state, and now has another set of "beliefs" to win the Republican nomination.
Pigotry
Actually the phrase "Ugly American" from the book by the same name, had two meanings, the one You refer to is talking about big government and those who inhabit it, with all their big spending, smooth, arrogant, incompetent, know it all,officials, who never had actually done anything but with pie in the sky plans that did more harm than good,making things worse, and the other, is the plain speaking, non flashy,non smooth, but highly competent,and in that sense," ugly", American, who actually had experience and had actually done the work, and wasn't afraid to get down and dirty, learn the people and their culture,see what is needed, and provide practical common sense solutions to help the people of the country help themselves,and the never ending ideological struggle between the two,come to think of it, kinda like the situation We have now.
Willard seems to be at his 'best' when he insults his hosts. Remember "Cookie Gate"........
Willard just can't help it....There is something wrong with Willard!
Give Willard a break! All that time he spent hiding in France during the Viet Nam war made it second nature for him to be rude to the Brits! Willard can't help himself.
Knowing Willard is in London pretending to be a genuine candidate for US president gives me the willies. It's kind of like having your drunken, slightly deranged uncle appear at a party with no way of gracefully shutting him up or kicking him out. No matter what happens, Mitt is going to embarrass everyone with his thoughtless and insulting comments. Maybe we can change the locks while he is gone...
Yes, who invited him and who allowed access to these leaders? Bought and paid for by Mitt? His supporters maybe? Is Mitt in bed with Barclays? Why would the PM allow an audience with this guy? What right does he have to accessing these people under the false pretense of foreign policy? Certainly not our foreign policy. Maybe his, but who would care?
I think the Mayor of London got it right - 'there's this guy out there named Mitt Romney...........'.
Which is all we know about him too.
As a much touted successful businessman chosen by the GOP based on his experience, I find it disturbing that he lacks the basic social graces and elementary sensitivity and understanding to keep from constantly putting people off when he chooses to speak.
What he displays is not the acumen of a successful businessman, much less that of a potential world leader.
Very scary prospects with Mitt.
I f-in love it! Way to represent the US of A, you idiot.
I'm so sorry, London and the UK... You don't deserve trash like this during the Olympic games... or any time.
Can't wait to see what Feisty and Jody have to say!
So Mr. Romney says things the British newspapers have been saying for months, and suddenly it's a problem if He mentions it, methinks they,(Obama Comrades at home and Abroad), protesteth too much, now, could it be, THEY have an agenda?
J.D.Still
I wonder how Americans would responde to a foreign guy criticizing their Olympics. I wonder if you would be so understanding if Gordon Brown came to visit the US and criticized this country's preparedness.
Oh You mean like how "OUR" noble press jump to the defense of the Country when the Leaders of Iran, Cuba, Venezuela,and every other radical anti U.S. Country in the United Nations disrespects this Country from American soil, and "OUR" press says nothing or actually takes the radical anti-American side,that's pretty much the way it is working with "OUR" press is it not?
It is not for the press to jump to the defence of anyone or anything. They are to report the news. Of course there is biased reporting. Have you heard of FOX News? It is up to the individual which bias you care to listen to. This is called "freedom".
Your boy Willard screwed up J.D. Still as we knew he would. Try to deflect all you want the world knows want an idiot Willard is. Come to think of it back in the 50's and 60's when I was young, anyone with the name Willard wore a pointed dunce cap and stoop in the corner.
J.D.Still
so now you are upset that our press doesn't get MAD ENOUGH? Five minutes ago you were criticizing Brts' reactions to Mitt's comments. So which one is it, JD? The Brits have no right to be upset that an outsider is criticizing their country but we should act angrier when outsiders criticize us?
Bayllie
When newspapers in another country write for months,"We are concerned about issues ,A,B, andC, and then a candidate not to the liking of the radical socialists in that country is asked,How do You think things are going, and the Candidate simply replies to show that He is are aware of that countries problems," issues A,B, and C, are concerns", and then opposition socialists in that country and back home jump all over it, that's understandable politics, but when enemies come to Your country ,call the American People, evil, and Your president the Devil,does our noble media get angry? of course not!the only thing the noble socialist media does is join in and ADD to the insult by chiming in falsely to maximize the effect, how the President at that time isn't liked ANYWHERE the world, well, both scenarios pretty much give You an idea where they stand and whose side they are on, and the way the MSM is losing readership,and Obama is slipping in the polls,it looks like a lot of people are figuring that out.
Mr. Still, The British can say whatever they want about the British, it's not an Americans place to point out where things may be lacking in England.
Kind of like getting involved in a family argument when it's not your family, like pissing in a fan; all you're gonna get is wet and not smell very good either.
I agree Mr. Saunders but it was a no win situation for Mr.Romney all along, and I believe a setup, Kinda like if You are asked" Do You still beat Your Wife?,to which there is no good answer, so when Mr. Romney was asked by a member of the American media, how do You think things are going?, He answers truthfully, according to factual information reported by the British Press, and is jumped on by the Socialist, on the otherhand if He had said, Oh things are going great! He would have been accused of being ignorant of the situation,of not knowing what was going on, and being out of touch,and not prepared for the international stage, I can imagine their other prepared comments,"How could You say such a thing! Don't You know anything about the problems We are having?", a well planned ambush indeed, but Americans have grown used to these slimey political tactics, and see them for what they are,because they have been used so often during the past four years, by an administration and their willing propagandist media lapdog supporters,that have nothing else to offer.
Mr. Still, you have to admit that Mr. Romney is lacking in tact, the thing is that if a person wants to be the leader of the free world, certain minimum requirements are a necessity, one of which is not inserting your foot in your mouth. Mr. Romney seems to have the proclivity of gaffes when he goes off message. An absolute requirement of Commander- in -Chief is thinking fast on your feet, something in which Mr. Romney, once again, is lacking. I'm not going to say that Mr. Romney is stupid, I believe there's nothing further from the truth, however, he seems to speak before his brain starts working ( verbal diarrhea?), or if that's not the case, something very sinister is taking place.
The best definition for tact I have ever heard is, the ability to tell a man to go to hell and have him looking forward to the trip!, many politicians have this ability, but, with a national debt that has increased more under Mr. Obama than all previous Presidents combined, unemployment over 8% ,(closer to 15%), a very unpopular health care tax that will only increase and cause more businesses to flee the country or not open at all, We do not need anyone telling us what a great trip we are on, We need a realist who can identify problems, clearly state them, and plainly tell us what We must do to save the Republic.
Let's face it the Brits will make a big deal out of anything, it's their nature. Just like they were unhappy and let the US know when President Obama said, while in France, that "France was our strongest ally", which anyone knows that France has never been a strong ally.
The Brits will get over it and move on regardless of who is President. Just like the Polish people will get over the stupid remark by Obama about "Polish death camps", when honoring the late Jan Karski, a Polish born US citizen, with the Medal of Freedom. True, it was not done on Polish soil but none the less it created a uproar in Poland and the Polish government demanded an apology.
I agree that Romney should not have mentioned the concern about the security of the Olympics, but I believe he was echoing what the British press was saying when the British government had to bring in more military personnel because the private security could not provide enough people.
It appears that unless someone is kissing Romney's tush there is some world conspiracy out to get him. Him and his Fascist wannabe buddies are so hypocritical and what babies. They can't stand the heat but are too stupid to leave the kitchen.
JD First, you should ignore the controversy, you can only make it worse. Second, if Mitt would have responded with his back up position first, the noise would have been muffled.
He has to know that the lights are glaring on the world stage.
One of the UK newspapers called him "Mitt the Twit". I'd say that was a pretty succinct description of him.
JD - you do not go to another person's house or country and insult them. You graciously find something positive to comment on. Lets face it, it wouldn't be anything new for Mitt to deflect a question from the press.
Though not a fan of the administration overall, the one thing I can say I regularly agree with Obama on is foreign policy. Hilary Clinton has done an incredible job of professionally and passionately representing US interests and improving the standing of the country in the eyes of the world.
Then we get Mitt Romney, acting more like a character that would be played by Rowan Atkinson. If he doesn't trip and fall into a large, inopportunely-placed cake in the middle of an internationally televised event, I'm going to be somewhat disappointed.
Mitt's daddy should have named him Foot in accordance with always seeming to have that appendage in his mouth . He might have been distracted about what color velvet he was picking out for his dressage horse riders hat. Foot you are a dandy!
So that silver spoon should actually be a silver shoe horn? Who'd a thunk it?
Next thing he might be telling "Polish" jokes in Poland. What a piece of work.
Mitt Romney has a preternatural ability to turn every single element of his biography into a liability. The Olympics were supposed to be the one thing he could run on proudly without a hint of controversy, and now he's blowing even that. How hard is it to go to Britain, hobnob with some aristocrats, and say nice things about the Olympics? But he can't even pull that off. Clearly he can't be too effusive, because if a bunch of European socialists can pull off a successful Olympics, then what was so special about what he did in Salt Lake City?
So now we have his dirisive comments and gaffes making him look arrogant and clueless and undermining his attempts to appear presidential or to develop his diplomatic chops. We have the "made in China" story reinforcing the outsourcing narrative. And we have his tax deductions for his dancing dressage horse making him look like a tax weasel and an out-of-touch European-style aristocrat at the same time and making Americans wonder what other deductions he's taken in those unrevealed tax returns. Romney has realized that now and flip-flopped on dressage, trying to distance himself from it, but he still looks like a rich guy trying to buy an Olympic medal. All together, he's now got a situation where the Olympics are just one more thing that reinforces his negatives.
It's really amazing just how unlikeable Romney can make himself. And all he has to do is just be Mitt Romney. It also explains why he goes to such lengths trying to avoid being honest or candid about himself.
At least he isn't refering to Queen Elizabeth as living in 1776 or calling the Russian leader Pootie poot poot like lil' Georgie did. Now there was a piece of work when it came to diplomacy.
On the bright side, now we know that the Beatles really did have psychic powers, perfectly describing Mitt Romney decades in advance:
He's a real nowhere man, sitting in his nowhere land, making all his nowhere plans for nobody. (Well, nobody but the top 0.1%, anyway)
Doesn't have a point of view, knows not where he's going to, isn't he a bit like you and me? (No, unless it's politically convenient)
He's as blind as he can be, just sees what he wants to see, nowhere man can you see me at all? (No, unless you are a millionaire or billionaire with campaign donation check in hand)
Nowhere man, please listen. Nowhere man, you don't know what you're missing (because you're hopelessly out of touch).
Nowhere man, (we're all doomed if) the world is at your command.
The best campaigner President Obama has on his team is Willard Mitt Romney. Just step back and turn Willard loose. He'll do more for the President and Democrats than anyone else ever could. Me and many others have said for months Willard's going to have to come out of hiding sooner or later and face the press and this is what you've got tea people Koch republicans. Good chance Willard will go back into hiding for awhile now. But sooner or later "HERE'S WILLARD".
If I was visiting a "foreign" country to show how much I knew about diplomacy and foreign affairs, I would read as much as I could to learn the history and values of the country I was visiting. This would impress the people of the country I was visiting. I would keep my comments as mundane and non-offensive as I possibly could. I would be effusive in the comments I made and talk about my respect for the culture of the country I was visiting.
This is called "respect", something my parents taught me as a child.
I am of the belief that Mr. Romney never learned respect for other people, as a child, unless there was something in it for him personally.I believe he has thought himself above the social rules which civilized people follow. In other words,in my opinion, a sociopath.
Now I realize that "sociopath" is a strong word, however, Mr. Romney seems to fit the diagnosis. Here is a man who, it seems, lies with utter aplomb and when caught in a lie, either denies he ever told a lie, or gives just that silly a$$ed grin. Here is a man who, as a high schooler, tackled a fellow student, held him down, and cut his hair with scissors, then denies he ever did such behavior. The others involved in this attack remember the incident like it happened yesterday. One individual involved said it haunts him to this day. Here is an individual who seems to be devoid of any morals or ethics; evidenced by having no moral stands on anything.
All these behaviors, when looked at as a whole, are indicators of a sociopathic personality.
I wonder if he tortured or killed small animals when he was a small child?
Actually he's said that he shoots "varmints" - whatever that may be. Don't know whether sociopath is the correct word for him - its strong. But he definitely is not patriotic - or he would be happy to pay a higher share of his income in taxes.
Maybe that's why Seamus, the dog, had to rid on top of Willard's car.
Add to the assault on a fellow student at Cranbrook....impersonating a police officer as a teenager then as an adult cruelty to Seamus.
Lying with such ease!
The very nervous grin/chuckle and stiffness seems troubling. Perhaps those medical/psychiatric professionals have a name for this type of behavior.....some sort of personality disorder unfitting for someone seeking the Presidency.
pathological liar
Another WikiAnswers contributor adds:
An alternate 'checklist':
Read more: #ixzz21wP7Ogs
What do you think? Does Mitts exhibit symptoms of a pathological liar?
Consider why Mitt the Twit would claim warm association with Bennie Netanyahu while Bennie says that's nonsense, "I may have seen him a time or two". Why lie when you are certain to be challenged?
Mitt Romney is a joke! The GOP can not be serious! Romney is Sarah Palin with pants!!
Well, maybe old man jeans. I think Sarah had the cojones (forgive me if this is misspelled - I'm Canadian and I took French, not Spanish).
Poor Mitt... He anticipated a royal coronation... He expected a triumphant return as the new world leader... Poor, Poor Mitt... You just can't buy class...
Boy mitt romney makes sarah palin look like a rhode scholar and i never believed that could be possible. Romney has shown the world how how out of touch he is with people not only in america but with other people in other countries.
Mitt said that he had a special relationship with the Anglo Brits, I would call his awkwardly insensitive remarks "Special", wouldn't you! This man is not suited to be president.
Why sugar coat it? The Brits screwed up the security for the Olympics. Tell it like it is….let em get pissed off…so what? Tell it like it is!!!! Don't bow down like obammie does!
motherland1
How to win friends and influence people. Geesh! I guess there's more than one Ugly American. lol
Mitt called the ball. This is what we have been wanting him to do, so why bash him for it? Also, the Brits never could take constructive criticism from us, and that would be understood 50 years ago, but we've blown their doors off for so long that they need to get rid of that "chip" on their shoulders.
If Mitt says they gotta get their crap together, and Mitt has a proven track record in this arena, what kinda Prima Donna would find it necessary to snipe back? Take the criticism and move forward.
Motherland, you obviously have never lived in England. I have for 2 years. Although the English speak the same language we do (kind of), culturally they are quite different than we are. English people do not take kindly to criticism in any way,shape, or form.They take it as a personal attack.That's the way they are.
They will criticize among themselves, but just let an "outsider" criticize and stand back and watch the fireworks!!
The Brits are no different than the rest of us. I've not known any Americans or Canadians for that matter that can take criticism in their stride.
I've spent 6 weeks in Britain over the last two years and find them to be a friendly, kind people.
Mitt the Twit is in over his head
it's becoming very clear that if you don't like what Mitt Romney says on a particular issue, just wait a day- he will flip
Is gitmo closed? Is the deficit cut in half? Is unemployment below 6%? Is gay marrriage on or off?
Are these flops or lies?
german,
the President signed an executive order to close Gitmo two days after taking office, congress wouldn't fund the operation
his budget deficit next year is $900 billion, half would have been $700 billion but he's not that far off(relatively speaking)
and the 6% unemployment line was Romney's, not the President's
England has nerve, but thats nothing new. When our troops were stationed there during WWII, the ungrateful Brits called our soldiers obnoxious and rude and said they couldn't wait for them to leave. Towards the end of the war good ole Churchill made a deal with Stalin behind FDR's back. England can rot, just like its' citizens teeth.
Romney is already in medal contention... for the gaffe-athlon
Bowing and blowing smoke is what the liberals expected just like they do with Obama.
Daily Presidential Tracking Poll
July 27, 2012
ROMNEY 2012!!! YEAH BABY!!!
NBC/Wall St Journal Obama 49 Romney 43
Fox News Obama 45 Romney 41
also from Rasmussen:
Obama leading Romney in swing states:
Ohio 47-45
Virginia 47-46
Nevada 50-45
Michigan(one of Mitt's home states) 48-42
Pennsylvania 48-44
you're welcome bill bob, took me longer to type it than find it, lol
It's halftime in the 2012 campaign process and President Obama leads his witless cometition by a score of 231-181!
President Obama in 2012 by another landslide! Yeah baby!
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/2012_elections_electoral_college_map.html
Mitt "Cyborg" Romney is a puppet of the Mormon Church, not the old men presiding over it, the spiritual powers behind it. But Mitt doesn't want to be president. The Mormon Church intends to buy the White House and put their cyborg puppet in it. Saying dumb things and not releasing his tax returns are Mitt's ways of fighting against the spiritual powers, to thwart their plan. To gain an existential understanding of the cult that produced Mitt "Cyborg" Romney, and to get your socks scared off, read The Assassination of Spiro Agnew, available at:
www.amazon.com/Assassination-Spiro-Agnew-novel-ebook/dp/B0083EGJXC
Its brown-eyed, part-Mexican Mormon assassin dramatizes the Mormon superiority complex manifesting as jingoism and an anti-federal government temperament. It shows the similarities between Islam and Mormonism and reveals the secrets of Mormon mind control.
“With a clarity of language and vision unsurpassed in contemporary American prose, Steven Janiszewski's Assassination of Spiro Agnew takes us into a U.S. mazed with madness and Mormonism and all things Utah, a U.S. that was then and still is. Do we need a novel, even as brilliant as this one, about a young man on a divine mission to assassinate the Vice President because he is too liberal? Yes, now more than ever. Readers, welcome to a masterpiece.”
tomwhalen.com
Read The Assassination of Spiro Agnew.