Mile High Speech Can't Reverse Romney's Rock Bottom Credibility on Foreign Policy

Smooth talking Mitt Romney—a one-term governor with no foreign policy credentials, no plan for Iraq, and a consistent pattern of foreign policy blunders—will attempt to establish some modicum of credibility on national security in a speech today to the right wing American Enterprise Institute. Romney’s remarks follow months of embarrassing and revealing slip-ups on critical issues that have led voters to question whether he has the vision to lead our country in a time of war. Among Romney’s foreign policy lowlights are:

• calling capturing Osama Bin Laden “insignificant” and saying it was “not worth moving heaven and Earth” to capture him [AP, 4/27/07];
  
• saying U.S. troops in Iraq could be relocated to other countries in the region because the U.S. “has bases in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar,” despite the fact that President Bush closed all U.S. military bases in Saudi Arabia in August 2003 [AP, 6/7/07];
  
• offending Cuban Americans in Florida by misquoting Fidel Castro’s communist rallying cry and echoing stereotypical portrayals of Cuban immigrants [Miami Herald, 3/19/07];
  
• refusing to say whether he would pardon Scooter Libby, who was convicted of obstructing a criminal national security investigation in a time of war, despite bragging about never granting pardons as Massachusetts governor [AP, 6/14/07]; and
  
• employing a “checklist” approach to cover-up his lack of foreign affairs: "Where he lacked foreign policy experience, his staff arranged one-day visits to Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Check, check, check." [AP, 3/26/07]

“The only thing thinner than smooth talking Mitt Romney’s foreign policy credentials is the mile high air in Denver,” said Democratic National Committee spokesman Damien LaVera. “Romney can pander to the right wing ideologues at the American Enterprise Institute, but that isn’t a substitute for the clear vision and a real plan for Iraq that the American people expect from their next president. The fact is, the American people are quickly learning that a vote for Mitt Romney is a vote for President Bush’s failed, stay the course strategy in Iraq.”

The following is a DNC fact sheet on Romney’s lack of credibility on national security issues:

SMOOTH TALKING MITT ROMNEY: NO CREDIBLE FOREIGN POLICY EXPERIENCE

ROMNEY’S IRAQ PLAN: WHATEVER BUSH SAID

Romney On Iraq: I’m Just A Governor. Though offering support for President Bush’s handling of the war in Iraq, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, “stressed that he is not a senator or president who has the power to make decisions about war and peace,” reported the Boston Globe. "I wouldn't presume as a governor to try and weigh in on a matter which is outside gubernatorial turf," said Romney. [Boston Globe, 8/23/05]

Romney: I Wouldn’t Do It Differently From Bush. During an appearance on the O’Reilly Factor, Mitt Romney said, “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]

Romney Misled on Weapons Inspectors: There Wouldn’t Be An Iraq War If Inspectors Had Been Allowed Into Iraq. During the third Republican presidential debate, Romney said, “If you're saying let's turn back the clock and Saddam Hussein had opening up his country to IAEA inspectors and they'd come in and they'd found that there were no weapons of mass destruction, had Saddam Hussein therefore not violated United Nations resolutions, we wouldn't be in the conflict we're in. But he didn't do those things...” [GOP Debate, CNN/WMUR, 6/3/07]

• Chief UN-Inspector Reported There Were Not Weapons Of Mass Destruction In Iraq. Hans Blix, chief UN-inspector in Iraq, said, "We reported consistently that we found no weapons of mass destruction and I carried out inspections at sites given to us by US and British intelligence and not found anything." [The Guardian, 4/28/05]

Romney Echoes Bush’s Rosy Rhetoric on Iraq. “The troops surge is the right way to go. There are early signs -- very early signs -- that progress is being made. If those signs continue to hold and if we see the kind of improvement in the capability of the Iraqi military, that will be very, very encouraging. But at this stage, the signs are positive, and it's a lot better than it would have been had we continued the old policy or if we just walked away… These early stages show that we're making progress. And the American people, they don't want us to just turn and run out of Iraq.” [Mitt Romney on “The Big Show,” Fox News Channel, 4/3/07]

• Bush: Progress Is Being Made. “The reinforcements we've sent to Baghdad are having a impact. They're making a difference... General Petraeus, who is a reasoned, sober man, says there is some progress being made. And he cites murders and -- in other words, there's some calm coming to the capital.” [White House Release, 4/3/07] “There are some early signs that are encouraging…. The missions I described are only the opening salvos in what is going to be a sustained effort. Yet, the Iraqi people are beginning to say -- see positive changes… These are hopeful signs, and that's positive.” [White House Release, 3/28/07]

Romney: We Can Keep Troops at Our Bases in Saudi Arabia. Trying to smooth talk the voters into thinking he has an Iraq plan, Romney claimed the United States “can have a presence in the region” without permanent bases in Iraq because the U.S. “has bases in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar.” [Associated Press, 6/7/07]

• FLASHBACK: U.S. Closed All Bases in Saudi Arabia in 2003. Romney apparently forgot that President Bush withdrew virtually all U.S. troops and closed all U.S. bases in Saudi Arabia in 2003, a gaffe that highlights his lack of the foreign policy knowledge and experience. [Foxnews.com, 4/29/03]

ROMNEY SAID CAPTURING OSAMA “INSIGNIFICANT”

Romney Said It’s “Not Worth Moving Heaven and Earth” to Capture bin Laden. Speaking to reporters in New Hampshire, Romney doubted the capture of Osama bin Laden would substantially impact American security. "It's not worth moving heaven and earth spending billions of dollars just trying to catch one person," Romney said. He argued that the country would be safer by only "a small percentage" and would see "a very insignificant increase in safety." Rather that targeting bin Laden, he said he supports a broader strategy to defeat the global Islamic jihad movement. [Associated Press, 4/27/07]

Romney: Catching Osama Would Be an “Insignificant” Increase in U.S. Security In an interview with the Associated Press on Thursday, April 26, 2007, Republican Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney said, “the country would be safer by only ‘a small percentage’ and would see ‘a very insignificant increase in safety’ if al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was caught because another terrorist would rise to power. ‘It's not worth moving heaven and earth spending billions of dollars just trying to catch one person.’” [Associated Press, 4/26/2007]

NO CHECKLIST CAN HIDE ROMNEY’S PAPER THIN RESUME

Mitt Romney’s Checklist Approach to Foreign Policy. The Associated Press highlighted Romney's "checklist" approach to winning the Republican nomination: “As Mitt Romney transitions from one-term governor to presidential candidate, he has been ticking through a presidential checklist, sometimes with perilous results. Where he lacked foreign policy experience, his staff arranged one-day visits to Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Check, check, check." [Associated Press, 3/26/07]

While in China, “Romney Stumbled Over Relatively Straightforward Geopolitical Issues.” Reporting on Mitt Romney’s trip to China, the Boston Globe wrote: “Romney stumbled over relatively straightforward geopolitical issues: Romney had to ask the US Embassy staff accompanying him the value of the Chinese renminbi to the US dollar, despite the fact that this is one of the hottest economic issues between Washington and Beijing.” [Boston Globe, 12/9/06]

“Without an Iota of Foreign-Policy or National-Security Experience,” Romney Clings to Bush Iraq Strategy. “According to the most recent New York Times/CBS poll, a whopping 75 percent of Republican voters still approve of Bush’s job performance and 61 percent support his handling of Iraq. Thus have Giuliani and Romney, a pair of candidates without an iota of foreign-policy or national-security experience between them, determined that the safest course is to fasten themselves to the president and hold on for dear life.” [New York Magazine, 3/26/07]

ROMNEY OFFENDS CUBAN AMERICANS WITH MADE ILL-ADVISED, INSULTING REMARKS

Romney Botched Florida Speech to Cuban Americans; Offended Many with Stereotypical Comments. Romney delivered a speech to the Miami-Dade Republican Party that was heavy on anti-communist rhetoric but full of errors. First, he condemned the Venezuelan president who has embraced Castro. Romney said, ''Hugo Chávez has tried to steal an inspiring phrase -- Patria o muerte, venceremos. It does not belong to him. It belongs to a free Cuba.'' Actually, the quote belongs to Castro who is abhorred in the Cuban American community. The quote, for many Cuban Americans, represents the oppressive regime of Fidel Castro. Then, “he punctuated his speech with 'Libertad, libertad, libertad!’ to show his support for freedom in Cuba. But to some, he was echoing a line from Scarface, a movie notorious for its stereotyped portrayal of Cuban immigrants.” [Miami Herald, 3/19/07]

Romney Reaffirmed Castro Phrase Belongs to “Free Cuba” Despite Scholarly Claims to the Contrary. Scholars and prominent Cubans said “Patria o muerte, venceremos” has always been a Communist rallying cry and that it represents the oppressive regime of Fidel Castro. Florida state-Representative Rene Garcia said, “It means communism. It means Fidel Castro. It's a Communist catch phrase.” However, Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said, “The phrase belongs to liberators, not oppressors. It doesn't belong to Fidel Castro. It doesn't belong to Hugo Chavez. It belongs to a free Cuba.” Garcia said Romney was “ill-advised” to mention the saying, especially at the epicenter of the Cuban-American struggle. Garcia said, “When you come into our community, you should be a little better-prepared.” He added that Romney’s comments “left a negative taste with local officials.” [Boston Herald, 3/20/07]

Garcia: Romney Ill Advised on Issues. Florida State-Representative Rene Garcia said Romney was “ill-advised” to mention the saying, especially at the epicenter of the Cuban-American struggle. Garcia said, “When you come into our community, you should be a little better-prepared.” He added that Romney’s comments “left a negative taste with local officials.” [Boston Herald, 3/20/07]