Romney Ducks Debate, Dodges Key Issues
November 16, 2007
Today, Nevadans will get a first-hand look at the contrast between the strong Democratic presidential candidates who took part in last night's DNC-sanctioned debate in Las Vegas and smooth talking Mitt Romney's empty rhetoric and crass flip-flopping. While each of the Democratic candidates offered new ideas and solutions on the issues confronting America's working families, Romney is in Nevada today trying to convince GOP caucus-goers to ignore his record and the fact that he refuses to offer clear plans on the war in Iraq, health care, or immigration reform.
In fact, Romney is so adamant about ducking the issues he even forced the Iowa Republican Party to cancel a GOP debate. According to the party's political director, "Mitt Romney's unwillingness to participate" forced the party to cancel the debate planned for December 4. [AP, 11/15/07]
Romney's decision to duck the Iowa debate follows criticism that he has refused to address the war in Iraq on the campaign trail, distorted his record with misleading rhetoric on immigration reform, and made a politically-motivated decision to distance himself from the health care plan he championed as Massachusetts governor.
"Smooth talking Mitt Romney may be afraid to take the stage in Iowa, but there is nothing scarier than his lack of foreign policy experience, his blatant pandering on immigration reform and his fear of defending his own health care plan," said Democratic National Committee spokesman Damien LaVera. "The voters want real leaders who they can trust to offer clear answers on important issues, not shameless opportunists who will say anything to hide their real records."
Romney Misleads on Immigration Record. According to the Washington Post Fact Checker blog, "Romney's attempts to position himself as 'the anti-illegal immigration candidate' are reminiscent of his attempts to establish himself as the 'pro-gun,' 'pro-life' candidate." [WashingtonPost.com Fact Checker blog, 11/15/07: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2007/11/mitt_warns_illegal_immigrants_1.html]
Romney Bashes Immigration Proposals he Once Defended. According to the Boston Globe, in November 2005 Romney spoke "approvingly of efforts by McCain and Bush to solve the nation's immigration crisis, calling them 'reasonable proposals'" and saying they were "quite different" from amnesty, because they required illegal immigrants to register with the government, work for years, pay taxes, not take public benefits, and pay a fine before applying for citizenship. [Boston Globe, 3/16/07] Now, Romney calls that proposal "amnesty," saying "I think we should not call it the 'Z' visa; we should call it the 'A' visa, because it's amnesty and that's what it stands for." [AP, 6/4/07]
Romney Displays "Superficial" Knowledge on Iraq, "Never Mentions Iraq" in Stump Speech. A Time Magazine column highlighted Romney's "superficial" knowledge of the war and other top issues and blasted Romney for "the brazen cynicism of his candidacy," saying "he skims the surface of issues" in a stump speech that "never mentions Iraq." In fact, on a recent swing through New Hampshire, Romney "cruised through two performances before the word Iraq perforated his balloon." When finally asked about it by a high school student, Romney "offered a welter of details... which sounded sort of knowledgeable but was actually quite superficial" before getting to the point: "he would support the President." [Time.com, 5/31/07]
Mitt Romney Says Surge is Working, Refuses to Outline Alternate Plan. "'I think in some respects there's more good news on the Iraq front than people have yet to internalize,' [Romney] told reporters after knocking on doors for about an hour." [MSNBC's First Read, 11/10/07] "Romney said the surge of 30,000 more troops in Iraq 'is working,' and if it continues to pay dividends, about one brigade per month could pull out of the war-torn nation in 2008. He said the U.S. should hold firm in Iraq." [Sioux City Journal, 11/14/07] "Romney declined to say how long he'd keep American troops in Iraq if that country hasn't stabilized, saying that 'it's very difficult to forecast a series of actions based on uncertain settings. . . I really can't forecast from something other than success.'" [Concord Monitor, 11/13/07]
Romney: Catching Osama "Insignificant," Said It's "Not Worth Moving Heaven and Earth" to Capture bin Laden. 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]
Romney Distances Himself From Health Care Plan. "With signs emerging that his signature health care plan faces hurdles, former governor Mitt Romney has begun to distance himself from the new law...At recent political appearances, Romney has subtly lowered expectations for the law he championed as governor...The plan for statewide, near-universal health coverage was the centerpiece of Romney's administration, and it has become a key part of his presidential resume...Romney's recent comments underscore how sensitive an issue the plan is with conservative audiences, whose support is crucial to his presidential aspirations. Many conservatives view the concept of requiring individuals to purchase health insurance - and penalizing some businesses that don't offer it - as anathema to their principles." [Boston Globe, 2/3/07]
