Massachusetts Mitt Meets Right Wing Romney on Meet the Press

Massachusetts Mitt Meets Right Wing Romney on Meet the Press

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- On the same day the Los Angeles Times cited former colleagues who criticize his style at Bain Capital as "grasping and greedy," smooth talking Mitt Romney fumbled to explain his crassly calculating flip-flops today on NBC's Meet the Press. [Politico.com, 12/16/2007] Asking how the Mitt Romney who ran and governed in Massachusetts could be so radically different from the Romney running for President today, Tim Russert mocked his "intellectual journey" and challenged Romney to explain his shifting views on everything from abortion to stem cell research, gay rights to gun control, immigration reform to health care and religious tolerance--even his views on Ronald Reagan. Romney even said he would have signed a law extending the assault weapons ban, despite telling the Des Moines Register that he "opposes reinstating the assault weapons ban" as recently as October.

Instead of explaining what Russert called the "evolution" of his views, Romney continued his pattern of grasping at whatever he thinks the voters want to hear. In fact, Romney was so desperate to smooth talk his way through the interview that he even flip-flopped on whether he flip-flops. While Romney claimed that the only issue he had changed his position on was abortion, he later reversed himself, volunteering that he had changed his position on the need for federal protections against workplace discrimination for gays and lesbians.

No wonder a Des Moines Register poll found that 51 percent of Iowa Republicans refuse to support Romney because of his shifting views on the issues.

"His fumbling and flailing appearance on Meet the Press is the latest example of smooth talking Mitt Romney's desperate attempt to convince Republican voters to ignore the man they see in the rear view mirror," said Democrat National Committee Communications Director Karen Finney. "No matter how hard he tries to convince them otherwise, voters already know that today's Mitt Romney bears no resemblance to the one from few years or even a few weeks ago, and that neither one can be trusted to provide the American people the honest leadership they need and deserve."

The "Evolution" of Mitt Romney

Tim Russert: "On every one of these issues there has been an evolution, an intellectual journey on all of those issues." [Meet the Press, 12/16/07]

On Religious Tolerance:

Mitt Romney Today: No Religious Test for Appointments. "RUSSERT: So if you determined that the most qualified person for the Supreme Court or for Attorney General or Secretary of Education happened to be an atheist or an agnostic, that wouldn't prevent you from appointing them? ROMNEY: Of course not. You, you, you look at individuals based upon their skills and their ability, their values, their intelligence." Romney later said our shared values "allow us to select people regardless of their faith for positions of secular leadership." [NBC's Meet The Press, 12/16/07]

Mitt Romney Last Month: "Cannot See" Appointing a Muslim in His Cabinet. Politico.com reported that Mansoor Ijaz, "a New York financier and commentator of Pakistani ancestry," wrote in an opinion piece in the Christian Science Monitor that Romney said that he did not see that a cabinet-level position would be justified for a Muslim. According to Ijazm, the exchange with Romney occurred at a closed fundraiser in Las Vegas in mid-November. Ijaz maintained that, "I asked Mr. Romney whether he would consider including qualified Americans of the Islamic faith in his Cabinet as advisers on national security matters, given his position that 'jihadism' is the principal foreign policy threat facing America today.' And Romney replied, 'Based on the numbers of American Muslims [as a percentage] in our population, I cannot see that a Cabinet position would be justified. But of course, I would imagine that Muslims could serve at lower levels of my administration.'" [Politico.com, 11/27/2007; "A Muslim Belongs on the Cabinet," Christian Science Monitor, 11/27/2007, csmonitor.com]

On Iraq

Mitt Romney Today: I Have Said "For Months If Not Years" That The U.S. is Paying for the Bush Administration's Mistakes in Iraq. "I have been saying for months, if not years, that following the collapse of Saddam Hussein, our policy was unprepared, unplanned, understaffed under-managed, that we had made a number of errors and that much of the difficulty we face today is due to those errors." [NBC's Meet The Press, 12/16/07]

Mitt Romney, September 2006: I "Wouldn't Presume" to Have Done It Differently in Iraq. Romney told Bill O'Reilly that he "wouldn't presume" to do it differently: "I wouldn't presume to present a plan different from that of the President. But I believe he was right to take on the war on terror on an aggressive front rather than a defensive front. We toppled the government ... walking away would mean a humanitarian disaster. We're there and we have a responsibility to finish the job." [O'Reilly Factor, FNC, 9/27/06]

On Abortion:

Mitt Romney Today: Overturn Roe vs.Wade. "The first step in my view is that Roe v. Wade be overturned." [NBC's Meet The Press, 12/16/07]

Massachusetts Mitt Romney: I Support Roe v. Wade. "I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. I have since the time my mom took that position when she ran in 1970 as a U.S. Senate candidate. I believe that since Roe .v Wade has been the law for twenty years that we should sustain and support it. And I sustain and support that law and the right of a woman to make that choice." [1994 Senate Debate]

On Stem Cell Research

Mitt Romney Today: Opposes Federal Funding of Embryonic Stem Cell Research. "For federal dollars I would focus on alternative methods." [NBC's Meet The Press, 12/16/07]

Massachusetts Mitt Romney: Supported Funding for Stem Cell Research, In Part to Cure Wife's Illness. Romney's spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said, "Mitt Romney supports stem cell research. He believes the growth of our biotech industry at least partially depends on this type of research, and he also has a personal interest because this research might one day produce a therapy to treat his wife's multiple sclerosis." [Boston Globe, 12/4/02]

On Gun Control

Mitt Romney Today: Bragged About NRA Endorsement. "I was pleased to have the support of the NRA when I ran for governor. I sought it, I seek it now. I'd love to have their support." [NBC's Meet The Press, 12/16/07]

Massachusetts Mitt Romney: Bragged About Not Lining Up With the NRA. After signaling support for the assault rifle ban and the Brady gun control law, Romney said, "That's not going to make me the hero of the NRA." He added, "I don't line up with a lot of special interests groups." He echoed that theme in his gubernatorial campaign when he said, "We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts. I support them. I won't chip away at them. I believe they protect us and provide for our safety." [Boston Herald, 9/23/94]

On the Assault Weapons Ban

Mitt Romney Today: Would Have Signed Extension if He Were President. "RUSSERT: So the assault ban that expired here because Congress didn't act on it, you would support? ROMNEY: Just as the President said, he would have, he would have signed that bill if it came to his desk, and so would have I." [NBC's Meet The Press, 12/16/07]

Mitt Romney In October: Opposed Reinstating Assault Weapons Ban. According to a Des Moines Register survey, "Romney opposes reinstating the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004. He does not believe any more federal gun laws are needed but said he would consider signing carefully tailored legislation regulating weapons of 'unusual lethality or power.'" [Des Moines Register survey, http://data.desmoinesregister.com/election08_issues/issues.php]

On Gay Rights

Mitt Romney Today: Opposes Federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act. After Russert pointed out that Romney had promised to "sponsor the Employment Non-Discrimination Act," a federal ban on employment discrimination based on sexual orientation illegal, and asked if he still supported a federal ENDA Romney said, "I would not because I think that policy makes more sense to be implemented at the state level." [NBC's Meet The Press, 12/16/07]

Massachusetts Mitt Romney: Supported Federal ENDA. "Bay Windows: Do you support the federal lesbian and gay civil rights bill that would ban anti-gay discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations and credit? Mitt Romney: This is Barney Frank's legislation? Bay Windows: This is not just employment, but also housing, public accommodations and credit. Mitt Romney: I am not fully aware of that bill, so I would need to study that more fully. I am aware of the legislation that Barney Frank proposed [the Employment Non- Discrimination Act] and do support that and would vote in favor of that.' [Interview with Senate Candidate Mitt Romney, Bay Windows, 8/25/94]

On Ronald Reagan

Mitt Romney Today: Reagan Way "Right Way" for America. "The right way for America to proceed is to pursue the strategy Ronald Reagan pursued in the last century." [NBC's Meet The Press, 12/16/07]

Massachusetts Mitt Romney: I'm NOT Trying to Return to Reagan-Bush. During the 1994 Senate campaign, Romney said, "I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I'm not trying to return to Reagan-Bush." [1994 Senate Debate]

Source: Democratic National Committee

CONTACT: Damien LaVera - +1-202-863-8148

Web site:

http://www.democrats.org/

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