Romney bullying allegations grow legs
The stories about Mitt Romney’s bullying behavior as a high school student, first reported in the Washington Post, do not appear to be going away.
Quite the contrary.
“One former classmate and old friend of Romney’s – who refused to be identified by name – said there are “a lot of guys” who went to Cranbrook who have “really negative memories” of Romney’s behavior in the dorms, behavior this classmate describes as “evil” and “like Lord of the Flies.”
The classmate believes Romney is lying when he claims to not remember it.
“It makes these fellows [who have owned up to it] very remorseful. For [Romney] not to remember it? It doesn’t ring true. How could the fellow with the scissors forget it?” the former classmate said.”
While saying that he does not remember specifics, Romney offered an apology of sorts in a radio interview with Fox News:
“I’m not going to be too concerned about their piece. They talk about the fact that I played a lot of pranks in high school and they describe some that, well you just say to yourself, ‘back in high school, well, I did some dumb things’ and if anybody was hurt by that or offended obviously I apologize but overall high school years were a long time ago.”
Romney also says that at the time, he had no idea that the victims of his pranks may have been gay, since they didn’t come out of the closet until much later. That’s quite plausible. In one case in which Romney is described as leading an attack on a student, the victim’s alleged mistake was to have worn his hair too long.
The Romney campaign is reportedly reaching out to former classmates, asking them to come forward and vouch for the candidate’s behavior and character. It’ll be interesting to hear what they have to say. This story has a ways to play out yet.
Two closing points:
– It’s important to note that Romney was 18 at the time. None of us is the person that we were at 18. Norms of social behavior were also different back then.
– That said, the behaviors described are troubling. Having learned of the allegations, The Washington Post had an obligation to report them. If you read the entire , lengthy Post story, it does a good job of putting the allegations into context, including anecdotes that speak well of the future GOP nominee. Neither the story nor Romney should be judged based on incomplete information.
– Jay Bookman
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620 comments Add your comment
JamVet
May 11th, 2012
8:43 am
Oh yeah? I’m amazed that you cowards on the right don’t realize that when you try and cover up this issue about the Liar Romney you don’tcare how pathetic his pitiful little “remembering problem” really is…
Junior Samples
May 11th, 2012
8:47 am
oh the horror. How could we ever elect someone who has done such brutal acts of violence. The media is really reaching on this one. They may have to dig a little deeper. I heard he pulled a girls hair in elementary school. LOL.
straitroad
May 11th, 2012
8:52 am
Jay, you are as transparent as celopane. My assessment of the emotionally-led liberal mind holds true. Instead of focusing on the failed policies of a failed president, you run with 45 year old heresay. This is the reason you are a blogger in a one paper town.
kayaker 71
May 11th, 2012
8:54 am
I really don’t care if he bullied some kid in high school or not. I don’t care if he has 290M dollars in the bank or that his wife drives 25 Cadillacs. I don’t care if he thinks the world is flat, he saw Elvis at the mall or he attended some posh school in Michigan. If he can get this country back to work, lower our debt to a reasonable level, increase our domestic growth to 4% or better in his first four years….. I really don’t think that the average out of work schmuk gives a tinker’s damn about Romney’s alleged bullying. These are called priorities, liberals. Something you and others like you have some trouble understanding. Wake up.
JamVet
May 11th, 2012
8:56 am
oh the horror, Junior. How could YOU ever nominate someone who lies like a petty thief! (He’ll never be elected.)
And straight, instead of focusing on Willard the Liar, you run with his cover up claptrap.
Beautiful, you socialist excusers!
JamVet
May 11th, 2012
8:57 am
71: I really don’t care if he lies through his teeth or not.
kayaker 71
May 11th, 2012
8:58 am
Jam vet, 8:56,
“Lies like a petty thief”. For someone who defends the actions of the biggest world class liar that the WH has ever known, that statement makes even you look pretty bad.
Normal Free, Plain and Simple
May 11th, 2012
9:02 am
“the biggest world class liar that the WH has ever known”
Come on man, the Bush regime is over. Give it a rest…
Normal Free, Plain and Simple
May 11th, 2012
9:04 am
Are all Republicans flip-floppers?
http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-politics/20120509/POLITICS-US-USA-POLITICS-BACHMANN/?cid=hero_media
JamVet
May 11th, 2012
9:06 am
For someone who defends the actions of the biggest world class liar that the WH has ever known
How hysterical.
The liar lover lies about me to cover up his own love for his liar candidate. And socialist.
Gawd, these Republicans and their pathetic attempts to win this upcoming election is getting more and more laughable by the day!
Mighty Righty
May 11th, 2012
9:10 am
Liberal Lies!!!!!! As usual the liberal’s are not interested in facts. Make it up report it then spread the story by saying “It ewas reported by so and so” and report an unconfirmed BS by a guess what, an Attorney. Below is real info which has been deliberately ignored by the press. Can you say Dsan Rather. LIars, Liars, Liars.
“The family of John Lauber is releasing a statement saying the portrayal of John is factually incorrect and we are aggrieved that he would be used to further a political agenda. There will be no more comments from the family,” she said.
Romney has since apologized for what he said were “pranks” in high school but has said he doesn’t remember the specific event.
JamVet
May 11th, 2012
9:14 am
Romney has since…said he doesn’t remember the specific event.
Liar.
And you suck up liars, love it. (He has an R after his name.)
Joseph
May 11th, 2012
9:14 am
Wow the backlash… Obama is down almost double digits as Romeny reaches 50%… What a fool coming out in support of homo marriage and then making up a ridiculous story with no legs about him being a bully… Good bye leftys and good ridance….
From the Center
May 11th, 2012
9:58 am
Their Politicians people, they all lie.
sadly in ATL
May 11th, 2012
10:31 am
you are too funny jay. this is such BS- oh and Obama evolving about gay rights (no legislation however) is progress? timing is a little suspect— oh he was going to do it before the convention- spontaneously i suppose
have you ever looked up or explored anything even potentially negative bout Barry O?
nalberta treadway
May 11th, 2012
11:02 am
At 18, Willard Romney should have known better! This isn’t a prank, but an assualt on another person that could have turned deadly with a scissors involved if just one of those boys took it too far or the kid in question fought back hard enough at the time! Also he can’t have it both ways! First he says he doesn’t remember the incident an then in another interview he said he didn’t even know the kids oreintation——That this was just a prank. So he out right lied! Believe me if you were holding the scissors while other guys held down some one to cut their hair off——It’s some thing u wouldn’t forget or just set aside like that!
McDonut
May 11th, 2012
2:01 pm
Simply stunning that the Libs are so desperate that they have to go back to some BS story roughly 40 years ago. How is this impactful to this election, this country at this time? It’s not. Merely an attempt to deflect from the poor job our current President has done. This is so sad, it’s comical. Yet totally expected from the left. I just shake my head at you clowns………
Ralph
May 11th, 2012
5:22 pm
Who the heck cares? I know a lot of guys who were absolute a-holes in high school who matured into reasonably decent guys.
Mark T
May 11th, 2012
5:37 pm
Christine Lauber, the older sister of Romney’s classmate, John Lauber, claims she has no knowledge of the bullying incident involving her brother, who passed away from liver cancer in 2004. When ABC News showed Christine the story, she became agitated and somewhat emotional.
“Even if it did happen, John probably wouldn’t have said anything,” she said. “If he were still alive today, he would be furious [about the story].”
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Betsy, another sister, spoke up about the incident as well. Aside from stating that the portrayal of her brother is inaccurate, she said the family is frustrated that the story is being used to push a political agenda.
“The family of John Lauber is releasing a statement saying the portrayal of John is factually incorrect and we are aggrieved that he would be used to further a political agenda,” she said. “There will be no more comments from the family.”
Stupid Libs…how weak can you get…..hope you find something better than this
JKL2
May 12th, 2012
10:35 am
I heard Romney once spilled koolaid on the white carpet then blamed it on the dog.
I’m thinking lethal injection may be required….