Concord Monitor: Romney “a phoney,” “must be stopped” December 23, 2007
Posted by Paul Edwards in Mitt Romney, Romney.trackback
In an editorial the New York Times describes as “quite extraordinary,” The Concord Monitor on Sunday published its “anti-endorsement” of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, saying in part:
If you followed only his tenure as governor of Massachusetts, you might imagine Romney as a pragmatic moderate with liberal positions on numerous social issues and an ability to work well with Democrats. If you followed only his campaign for president, you’d swear he was a red-meat conservative, pandering to the religious right, whatever the cost. Pay attention to both, and you’re left to wonder if there’s anything at all at his core.
Gotta love this one.
Speaking of phonies how misrepresent their relationships with others, here’s an update from Powerline:
We have already noted MIke Huckabee’s apparently incorrect claim that John Bolton has agreed to work with him on foreign policy issues. Now it seems that Huckabee also misstated his relationship with a second conservative foreign policy expert, Richard Allen.
Huckabee included Allen, a former national security adviser, in the list of analysts with whom he has spoken. But Allen told The Politico that, although an intermediary asked him to speak to Huckabee, Allen has not spoken with the governor or agreed to do so. Allen stated, “I’m gradually getting older, but am fully capable of recalling with whom I have spoken.”
Huckabee, whose views on foreign policy might generously be described as inchoate . . . really needs to be straight about the extent to which these folks have reached back to him.
Hmm. What was it that Huckabee said in the negative ad that he pretended to pull but really didn’t? Something like:
“If a man’s dishonest to obtain a job, he’ll be dishonest on the job.”
I think that was it.
Speaking of phonies . . . Yesterday, AP reporter Ron Fournier recounted how Mike Huckabee admitted he had set out to do something naughty and then thought better of it. Or did he? One has to watch these former Arkansas governors carefully.
Turns out Pastor Mike spent the Sabbath filming an ad in which he says, referring to Romney, “If a man’s dishonest to obtain a job, he’ll be dishonest on the job”. (Mike! How could you?!) To ensure that he received full political credit for his repentance, he invited the press in for his confession and apology (not!). As Fournier tells us:
“Enough is enough,” the signs said.
When Huckabee arrived, he announced that he had just changed his mind. The ad [attacking Mitt Romney’s character] wouldn’t run. It was too negative.
“I believe the people of Iowa deserve better, and we are going to try and give them better …,” he said.
He told the media to pay close attention [to the ad that he wouldn’t “air”]. . . this is your chance to see it, then after that you’ll never see it again.”
The media laughed.
Nervous laughter, I hope. As Huckabee’s lead in Iowa polls has evaporated, the real Mike is coming through the mask and it’s not a pretty picture. Good that we see it now because by the looks of things, he would be one helluva President. Fournier adds:
Funny that Huckabee decided at noon that line was too negative, because he used it six hours earlier during a national TV interview.
He used it on a Sunday news show, too.
And he didn’t disavow the line Monday. “I said what I said. I spoke the truth,” Huckabee said.
I suppose that depends on the meaning of “truth” and “air”.* Speaking of which, is there something special about it in Arkansas?
* Courtesy of TheFreeDictionary.com:
v. aired, air·ing, airs
v.tr.
1. To expose so that air can dry, cool, or freshen; ventilate.
2. To give vent to publicly: airing my pet peeves.
3. To broadcast on television or radio: “The ad was submitted to CBS . . . which accepted and aired it” in [Iowa].