Mitt Romney speaks sense on Obama, Olympics
SALT LAKE CITY –Former Massachusetts governor and head of the 2002 Olympic Organizing Committee Mitt Romney says President Obama is doing exactly what needs to be done by flying to Denmark to lobby for the Olympics to come to Chicago in 2016.
Romney tells ABC News that having a sitting president make a personal pitch can make an enormous difference to the 106 members of the International Olympic Committee.
“I think the people in the IOC want to understand the level of the commitment of the host country,” Romney said. “Does the host country really care? Is this going to be a high priority? And nothing says that like having the presence of the leader of that country and, particularly, the case of Barack Obama.”
Really, the attempt by Fox and others to turn this into a controversy is downright laughable. House Minority Leader John Boehner complained about it, criticizing Obama for “going to go off to Copenhagen when we’ve got serious issues here at home that need to be debated.”
Sean Hannity showed video of a fatal gang beating in Chicago — he showed it three times in all — then claimed that with Obama’s decision to go to Denmark, the beating story had somehow “turned political,” attempting to create a linkage that would give him an excuse to show that violent video over and over again.
George Bush, lest we forget, spent all or part of 490 days in Crawford, TX., and all or part of another 487 days at Camp David.
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256 comments Add your comment
Bud Wiser
October 1st, 2009
11:59 am
Time to dig up Maynard and prop him up alongside Andy to go get those Olympics!
I Report/ Vast White Wing Conspirator :-) You Whine :-(
October 1st, 2009
12:05 pm
Yes, priorities.
Says a lot, don’t it?
Redneck Convert (R--and proud of it)
October 1st, 2009
12:15 pm
Well, if he’s over there, he ain’t here to mess things up with more Socialism.
But I see the libruls just can’t keep from making fun of My President going to the Olympics in China. Well, it’s diffrent. See, the China people had to put out all the money so it was just good manners to show up. But this Obama wants the U.S. of A. to need to put out a bunch of money to build all kind of stuff in Chicago. And us with two wars to fight and all kind of debt to pay off and them trying to make us pay for health care for a bunch of bums that can’t hold a job. And taxes about to go up at the end of next year because the libruls won’t vote to keep My President’s tax cuts.
Anyway, have a good p.m. everybody. At least we finally got a topic we can talk about in front of the kids.
Wow!
October 1st, 2009
12:16 pm
Jay, so when you agree with Romney he “makes sense”. How quaint.
Bosch
October 1st, 2009
12:19 pm
Sounds like Mitt is trying to break free of the loony camp to boost himself up for the POTUS run.
Change we are already sick of.
October 1st, 2009
12:19 pm
Obama is still corrupt. Two of his top advisors including Valerie Jarrett will have a lot to gain by having the Olympics in Chicago and well as numerous other of Obama’s friends in Chicago. Two planes to Denmark, with millions spent on fuel and other things to pitch the Olympics? Come on, Chicago is a city in crisis with violence and has been for years. I would like to ask Mr. Obama about some of his campaign promises that he is now forgotten about. Like no lobbyists in his White House- Valerie Jarrett. How about the promise to debate healthcare reform around a table with doctors, insurance companies, and drug companies televised on C-SPAN so we can stay involved? More jobs might be created if his promise for a $3,000 tax credit for buisnesses hiring new full-time employees was remembered. Obama promised a 5 day window on bills being passed so the public could read them but he broke that promise signing his first bill and I now hear they will be passing the healthcare bill in hardly anytime to check the bill out. You Lie Mr. President!!!
Murph
October 1st, 2009
12:21 pm
Yes, White Winger. Priorities. So Obama shouldn’t try to influence a decision that would bring billions of dollars in economic development to this country, and create untold numbers of jobs? Is that what you/Fox/Boehner and others are saying? That it shouldn’t be a priority? You really don’t think this is all about grandstanding? REALLY? SERIOUSLY?
jt
October 1st, 2009
12:26 pm
President Obama campaigning for the Olympics, Minority Leader John Boehner complaining about the same, while Senate Leader Harry Reid furiously dashes off a note to the president on behalf of two gay service members.
In time of war.
Obscene.
I don’t know about Obama, but John Boehner and Harry Reid could better serve their country digging latrines in the Herat Province of Afghanistan.
The Truth
October 1st, 2009
12:26 pm
If the Olympics was going to benefit the country and the choice was Dallas or Los Angeles would Obama be going to Denmark? No, definately No. Why? Because he doesn’t have any cronies in those cities that are going to profit from the Olympics going to Chicago. IOC should just look at Chicago and the crime crisis they are in as well as the fact it is very fishy our President wants this so bad, and send the games elsewhere. Maybe Obama can come back here and hold his campaign promise of ending income taxation for Seniors making less than $50,000 a year.
Sgt. Hulka
October 1st, 2009
12:26 pm
Murph
October 1st, 2009
12:21 pm
Lighten up, Francis!
jconservative
October 1st, 2009
12:27 pm
Mitt Romney usually makes sense. He may not call out the crazies on the right but he does not encourage them. If he had been the Republican nominee, instead of McCain, would there be a Republican in the White House today? One, he probably would not have suspended his campaign to go to Washington to save the Republic by getting the TARP bill passed. Two, he would have had a responsible VP nominee, like McCain or Brownback.
Murph
October 1st, 2009
12:27 pm
Truth, you can’t back up that statement with any sort of proof can you?
N.J.
October 1st, 2009
12:27 pm
The idea that the president does NOT represent the United States in the international arena is absurd.
The same could be said of presidents actually ATTENDING Olympic games. As George Bush did. It was a first. No other president has ever attended the Olympics on FOREIGN SOIL. Only when they occurred in the United States. Bush wasted a LOT of days over at the Peking Olympics.
Be that as it may. Its likely to go to Rio. The U.S. has had a number of Olympics. South America has never had one. This alone gives Rio the best shot. Its time and the international community will probably agree.
Say What??
October 1st, 2009
12:28 pm
jt
October 1st, 2009
12:26 pm
Well spoken.
N.J.
October 1st, 2009
12:30 pm
Conservatives like Michelle Malkin are raging about the taxpayer expense of having Obama stay for a day at this selection round. They had nothing to say when the previous president stayed, quite luxuriously, for ten days half way across the world.
Col. Nathan R. Jessep
October 1st, 2009
12:31 pm
Murph
October 1st, 2009
12:27 pm
You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth?
@@
October 1st, 2009
12:32 pm
Heck! I don’t care whether Obama shows his face in Copenhagen BUT, there’s something brewing on why Chicago?….Why Grove Park?
Have to wait and see who gets hot coffee spilled in their lap before we know what motivates Obama.
Finn McCool
October 1st, 2009
12:35 pm
Bush used to hand us scandals weekly on a silver platter. Conservatives have to use smoke and mirrors to create scandals that are about as bright as what a 3 year old could come up with.
Murph
October 1st, 2009
12:35 pm
Oh…. I can handle the truth, if I could ever find any semblance of it from some of these posters.
jconservative
October 1st, 2009
12:35 pm
N.J. – “Bush wasted a LOT of days over at the Peking Olympics.”
My memory of Peking Olympics. Opening ceremonies. Bush & Mrs. sitting in the stands next to Putin, translator in between. Russian is invading Georgia & Bush is sitting there & does not have a clue.
Hef
October 1st, 2009
12:36 pm
I think having President Obama in Denmark is a good thing,my question is timing. With all thats going on,Health Care,Economy,Afghanistan,and now Nukes in Iran, why create the publicity headache. He’s a big boy who can handle more than one objective(hopefully),but with the seriousness of the above was it the right time?
Normal
October 1st, 2009
12:38 pm
If he had been the Republican nominee, instead of McCain, would there be a Republican in the White House today?
—————–
Don’t know about that, but he would have been gnashing his pearly whites if they had tried to foist Saint Sarah of the Tundra on him, I betcha!
N.J.
October 1st, 2009
12:39 pm
Hey Jay, you forgot that G.W. spent the entire time August 8-27 at the Peking Olympics.
The fuel costs alone are way more than getting from Washington to Copenhagen.
But one of the few things I agreed he should have done, and I don’t recall any hubbub about it, though he was the first president to attend one in another country since the first one in 1896.
And of course like Obama he had American economic interests in mind/
Murph
October 1st, 2009
12:40 pm
Hef, I understand your sentiment. But when is it ever a good time? When do we ever NOT have important issues on the “homefront”?
N.J.
October 1st, 2009
12:41 pm
Romney probably could not have beaten Obama, but polls from last year indicated if Romney had been the nominee, Clinton would have been the Democratic nominee, and polls showed her wiping up the election against a Romney run. So Republicans count your blessings. Hillary would be in the White House today had it gone that way
Senator John Blutarsky
October 1st, 2009
12:41 pm
Murph
October 1st, 2009
12:35 pm
TOGA!!!!
N.J.
October 1st, 2009
12:42 pm
And of course Bush was in Peking just at the time the recession was kicking off.
Level headed
October 1st, 2009
12:43 pm
I have no problem with Obama being in Denmark. After all, that means the country is in the capable and steady hands of Joe the Biden……oops!!
Gandhi
October 1st, 2009
12:43 pm
Happy Birthday Jimmy Carter! In spite of the hatred toward you, you have your admirers. Thank you for demonstrating how one LIVES his Christianity.
Hef
October 1st, 2009
12:43 pm
NJ@12:30-I agree,but the previous Pres never came on national tv and told all that we would have to tighten our belts during this economic crisis. Leaders lead by example.
Level headed
October 1st, 2009
12:44 pm
N.J.
Romney didn’t win
Jefferson
October 1st, 2009
12:44 pm
The only answer to the 2 party system is to put independents in, the 2 parties will never change and they are the same when the rubber hits the road.
Normal
October 1st, 2009
12:44 pm
N.J.
October 1st, 2009
12:41 pm
——————
You think that’s bad. Just wait until Michelle becomes president in 2016…
Mrs. Godzilla
October 1st, 2009
12:46 pm
Please oh please oh please
Let Chicago win the bid!
Benefits going to Milwaukee, Minnessota and Indy as well.
I’ll get to go to another Olympics, this one along our most beautiful waterfront, eating sammiches from Mr. Beef on Orleans!
It’s not just that I and my friends and family would be thrilled,
the 22.5 billion in economic stimulus to the upper mid west sure couldn’t hurt.
So like the man said, lighten up Francis, et al.
If you all play well, I can probably get ya’ a free place to stay
come 2016!
Hef
October 1st, 2009
12:47 pm
Murph-Like I said,To me it’s not that big a deal. But all including Pres say that this is most critical time in our history,if so then I just say bad timing. As I said above Leaders lead by example.
Level headed
October 1st, 2009
12:47 pm
N.J.
Romney didn’t win the republican bid and hillary didn’t win the democratic. What’s with the comparison? Gee, for that matter, who would have won between Ron Paul and Kucinich…..Huckabee and Edwards…..Giuliani and Dodd?
Jay
October 1st, 2009
12:48 pm
Actually, the Mitt Romney who spent an hour with our editorial board during the campaign last year was a smart, reasonable and well-informed candidate, someone I could be comfortable with as president. He was the kind of Republican I remembered from my youth, when I could and did support Republicans for office.
The Mitt Romney we saw on the campaign trail was often a different man altogether.
And yes, I realize that by saying those things about Romney, I confirm the right’s worst suspicions about him. It’s still the truth, and I hope that someday the GOP changes enough so that Romney and others like him aren’t forced to hide their intelligence in order to keep their party standing.
N.J.
October 1st, 2009
12:49 pm
I doubt that Bush had no idea that Georgia was being invaded while he was sitting next to Putin.
However that is rather not important. You forget that China shares a border with Pakistan and Afghanistan and built the road that would allow them to invade both if it thought it was a problem for them. The Karakorum Highway is the only road that crosses those very high mountains, it is the highest paved road in the world.and it goes from China to the Northwest Territory of Pakistan. . It connects China’s Xinjiang region with Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan And since Bin Laden was in that region of Pakistan, it is also of interest to those interested in dealing with Al Qaeda in that region. It is not well guarded by troops, either Chinese or Pakistani, because its not a place one can easily station troops. It is one of the primary smuggling routes in the world, particularly of weapons.
N.J.
October 1st, 2009
12:51 pm
No comparison at all. Except who wins one party nomination tends to effect who wins the other in many cases. Clinton and Romney lost, but many polls indicated that Clinton would have had a much wider lead against Romney than Obama would have, and these thing often play the backdrop in how the media presents each candidate, and that effects how those who vote in the primaries vote.
RollerGirl
October 1st, 2009
12:52 pm
Crawford and Camp David are in the USA, Copenhagen isn’t. Personally I hope rio gets it..who the hell wants to visit chicago.
Jefferson
October 1st, 2009
12:52 pm
Huck has gone commercial AND ain’t all that cool, Edwards who would have thunk it? Right. Paul has some good ideas but he is not ready for prime time.
Pres. Obama won and that’s the way it is. No use acting like a child that didn’t get his way, there is another election down the road.
RollerGirl
October 1st, 2009
12:54 pm
Oh yeah, and It’s Jimmy carters birthday. Hopefully the last one..father time has shown far too much patience with that peanut farming dipsh*t.
Say What??
October 1st, 2009
12:54 pm
Jay
October 1st, 2009
12:48 pm
“so that Romney and others like him aren’t forced to hide their intelligence..”. Intelligence? So he’s intelligent if he caters to your political leanings.
How about the intelligence of Joe Biden? “This election is about a three letter word…. J O B S”. Or this one “like when the depression hit, FDR got on the TV and calmed everyone down”. I guess the Democrat party DOES need to hide that kind of intelligence.
Geeeez.
Level Headed
October 1st, 2009
12:56 pm
N.J.
October 1st, 2009
12:51 pm
Wow. And the polls show that if the Braves would have scored 6 runs last night they would have won the game.
joe matarotz
October 1st, 2009
12:57 pm
I’m surprised Shammity didn’t claim Obama was one of the beaters. As for Bush’s 490 days in Crawford, was that in a row? Or was that spread over 57 years? Ditto, Camp David. If you are being critical of Bush, Jay, will you measure Obama with the same yardstick?
Hef
October 1st, 2009
12:57 pm
RollerGirl@12:54pm- I’m no Jimmy fan by any means,but Da*n that was rough!
Bosch
October 1st, 2009
12:57 pm
Off topic, but I’m sad to see the Dining Room close – I had a few good anniversary dinners there.
Matilda
October 1st, 2009
12:58 pm
N.J., So…. Bush wasn’t really falling-down drunk for a week in Beijing while our economy was collapsing, he was there (covertly) searching for Bin Laden on the Karakorum Highway? What an awesomely unselfish act for a sitting President! Gosh, I miss that guy.
Say What??
October 1st, 2009
12:58 pm
Bosch
October 1st, 2009
12:57 pm
We don’t agree much on politics, but I’ll second your comment.
Hatin' on the Stupid
October 1st, 2009
1:00 pm
Rolled girl:
I hope you can age with as much grace and vigor as brother Carter. What have you done for humanity lately?