Romney Criticizes Obama For Visiting Iraq Only Once, Despite Having Visited Iraq Only Once Himself
Romney Criticizes Obama For Visiting Iraq Only Once, Despite Having Visited Iraq Only Once Himself
For over a week now, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and his right-wing allies have been criticizing Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) over the fact that he hasn’t visited Iraq since Jan. 2006. On Hugh Hewitt’s radio show last Friday, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney joined the attack, saying that he can’t believe that “a United States senator who is looking to be the nominee of his party” could “simply avoid going to Iraq.”
Hewitt tried to prod Romney into further criticizing Obama by asking him, “you’ve been to Iraq after the surge began, what do you learn from that kind of a trip?” But Hewitt got a surprise when Romney said he hadn’t visited Iraq as a presidential candidate:
HEWITT: Oh, I was under the impression you had made a trip to Iraq, governor. I’m sorry I got that wrong.
ROMNEY: No, I have…I have been to Iraq, but I’d like to go more frequently than I’ve been able to go. I’ve only been one time and I think, well, I don’t know what year that was. It was probably 2006.
HEWITT: Yeah, I think it was after the surge, I’m glad I wasn’t completely wrong about that.
Listen here:
In fact, Hewitt did get it “completely wrong.” While Romney’s only trip to Iraq occurred in May 2006, President Bush didn’t announce his plan for a surge until Jan. 10, 2007.
Additionally, Romney isn’t the only McCain attack dog whose lack of Iraq trips undermines the conservative critique of Obama.
McCain’s “right arm” in the war on terror, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, has never visited Iraq. Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ), who blasted Obama recently “for not having the first-hand knowledge of the success of Americans troops,” hasn’t visited Iraq since Feb. 2007, months before “surge” troops were sent to the country.
Transcript:
HEWITT: Uhh, let’s move on to the fact that came out this week that Barack Obama has not been to Iraq except once and that two day trip occurred in January of 2006. That was discovered by Vets for Freedom, they made a web ad about that. Were you surprised to learn that Governor Romney?ROMNEY: I must admit I was very very surprised to learn that. I don’t see how a United States senator who is looking to be the nominee of his party and create policy with regards to terrorism and policy with regards to Iraq could simply avoid going to Iraq and learning about how the surge was working. I mean the surge was working, it’s too bad he missed it.
HEWITT: What do you learn from being on the ground actually? I know you’ve been to Iraq after the surge began, what do you learn from that kind of a trip?
ROMNEY: Well, you get the chance of course to be briefed by people who are seeing first hand what’s occuring there and you also speak, if you so desire, with Iraqis. You get the opportunity to go into city centers and to see what’s happening there, whether people are working in jobs, whether the economy is working again. You frankly get a sense of whether things are happening or not. Let me tell you, you learn a lot by being somewhere. And that’s why, you know as I was leaving the governor’s office, I went off to Asia and to China, to Korea, to Japan. Soon after leaving office I went to Israel. I wanted to get to Iraq, but as a private citizen, they don’t make that possible. But as a senator, Barack Obama can go, you know, as often as he would like. I frankly was shocked he’s saying the things he’s said without having been there.
HEWITT: Oh, I was under the impression you had made a trip to Iraq, governor. I’m sorry I got that wrong.
ROMNEY: No, I have…I have been to Iraq, but I’d like to go more frequently than I’ve been able to go. I’ve only been one time and I think, well, I don’t know what year that was. It was probably 2006.
HEWITT: Yeah, I think it was after the surge, I’m glad I wasn’t completely wrong about that.
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Hi. I’m Mitt Romney, and I’m dumber than a bag of hammers.
June 2nd, 2008 at 8:54 pmDid he bring the troops a plastic turkey?
June 2nd, 2008 at 8:55 pmAnd for a man that went only once to visit Iraq, he won’t send his own sons to Iraq! Not one but all 5 of his sons!
June 2nd, 2008 at 8:59 pmDuh! I’m Mitt Romney. I wonder if I could go borrow the scarecrow’s brain!
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:03 pmYou think if he was going to pimp for McSame, at least he would practice answering the key questions . . . and by the way, how many of your 5 sons have enlisted now that those “bus’ drivin’ chores are over?
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:07 pmlol
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:15 pmI don’t understand their idea that candidates for President are supposed to visit war zones and failure to do so means something. That’s a bad idea on the face of it, and the fact that John McCain has a lifetime pass to visit Iraq means nothing and proves nothing. The truth is, the further away you get from Iraq, the clearer it is to understand.`
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:15 pmMitt McShoulders was too busy being patriotic by campaigning to go to Iraq…just like his military able sons.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:19 pmZooey Says:
Hi. I’m Mitt Romney, and I’m dumber than a bag of hammers.
Aw, give em a break, their Republicans. They are allergic to facts.
I mean the great buffoon Ronnie Raygun himself said “Facts are stupid things.”
Heh.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:19 pmBah, “their” should have been, “they are”.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:21 pmMitt has 5 sons he could send to Iraq for a prolonged visit.
This POS is dumber than a bag of rocks.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:23 pmROMNEY: I have been to Iraq, but I’d like to go more frequently than I’ve been able to go
- - Can’t resist the lure of $5 area rugs, eh Mitt?
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:25 pmi’ve heard several times from different sources that obama has been planning a trip for some time…
you just know that they’ll all start crowing and taking credit
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:32 pmwhen he does make that trip…
Can’t resist the lure of $5 area rugs, eh Mitt?
Funishing a roost for young chickenhawks can be quite expensive — and quite messy. Those rugs are a cheap solution, and he can write them off as charitable contributions to Operation: Iraqi Freedom, or whatever they’re calling it these days.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:35 pmOperation
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:37 pmIraqi
Liberation
That’s a great picture, by the way. Must have been one uncomfortable meal, ’cause you know that, proud parent that he is, he was busting a gut not to brag about his sons:
“Better not say anything, or they might ask why none of my boys have enlisted…”
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:41 pmThere is a series of moments and this is one of them.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:48 pmIOIYAR
IOIYAR
IOIYAR
BAER (Big Ass Eye Roll)
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:52 pmMax Factor Mitt is a Green Zone veteran. HOO-rah.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:54 pmRomney was Governor of Massachusetts…which is very similar to Iraq. Come to think of it, he didn’t spend that much time in Massachusetts when he was Governor.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:59 pmWhatta maroon!
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:17 pmRomney for veep trial balloon. Fine with me.
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:26 pmMitt’s magic underwear must be a little too tight.
Go McCain/Romney!!!!
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:44 pmObamas needs to stay away from Iraq. I feel his biggest threat are the corporate thugs waiting for the right moment to take a shot at him. I do not trust Blackwater, his opponents here and especially those biting their nails worrying about losing their money or being put in jail during the Obama administration.
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:39 pmbarfly Says:
That’s a great picture, by the way. Must have been one uncomfortable meal, ’cause you know that, proud parent that he is, he was busting a gut not to brag about his sons:
“Better not say anything, or they might ask why none of my boys have enlisted…”
“So, governor, where are your sons stationed? Eh? The bus?”
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:55 pmromney: “i’d like to think of the five of you sitting here with me as my sons …”
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:56 amthese guys are a joke:
June 3rd, 2008 at 2:11 amromney forgot when he went to iraq.
hewitt forgot when the surge was.
rudy forgot to go altogether.
mccain forgot that al qaeda is not in iran.
mccain forgot how many troops there are in iraq.
and the above mentioned along with the rest of the right wing nuts all forgot that ahmadinejad went to iraq in march this year!!! - but notice they haven’t said too much about that visit - might have escaped their seemingly poor memories as they try and push obama down.
Is Mitt Romney a U.S. Senator? I don’t believe that Govenors routinely go to War Zones. Senator should because they vote on funding of the war. Senator Osama Obomba should have gone more often if he was doing his job properly.
The comparsion is silly. — TheRight
****************************************************
No, it’s not…and my guess is that you know that just as well as I do, so stop blowing smoke and wasting everyone’s time by trying to confuse the point by bringing up tangents which have nothing to do with the topic at hand. It won’t work…
The point — which you’re all-too-conveniently trying to avoid — is that the rationale which Romney gave for criticizing Obama was not his status as a US Senator but his status as a contender for the Democratic Party’s nomination as candidate for President. Now let me refresh your memory (and while we’re on the subject, I’d see a doctor if I were you, since you seem to be experiencing some rather disturbing lapses in that quarter)…
Romney was until recently a contender for the Republican Party’s nomination as candidate for President — and by his own admission, has also only visited Iraq once. That means that Romney is guilty of exactly the same thing for which he’s criticizing Obama…which this makes him (and you, if I may be so bold) nothing more than a blatant and baldfaced hypocrite.
If Romney had chosen to attack Obama in his capacity as a US Senator for failing to visit Iraq since 2006, then perhaps your argument might have had some validity — but he didn’t do that. He chose to attack Obama for a supposed error of which he himself was equally guilty, which invalidates his criticism. If he wishes to attack Obama in his capacity as a Senator for failing to visit Iraq since 2006, then by all means…let him try it. However, if Obama ought to be obliged to visit Iraq on a regular basis as part of his Senatorial responsibilities, then all Senators whether Democratic or Republican should be subjected to the same requirement. Care to supply documented figures on how many of the Republican Senators have visited Iraq more times than Obama? Consider this a challenge, sir…supply documented proof, or prove yourself yet again a blatant and baldfaced hypocrite.
And no…I’m sorry to say that assumption and braggadocio will not be considered a sufficient substitute for cold hard data.
June 3rd, 2008 at 2:13 am“And no…I’m sorry to say that assumption and braggadocio will not be considered a sufficient substitute for cold hard data.”
______
The blood on the coffin of John Cheney “McBush” McSame.
Grassy-ass, a-MEEEEE-go.
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:25 amMethinks the elitist Romney needs to visit Iraq much more often. He would enjoy it so very much wearing fatigues and combat boots and carrying 90 lb. of gear in the middle of summer.
June 3rd, 2008 at 7:23 amMaybe his five sons would like to accompany him. They could carry water and bandages and body bags.
LOL, I just love politics. Romney is obviously a bigger idiot than McBush. LOL
JT
June 3rd, 2008 at 8:13 amIs your ISP watching?
He cared so deeply about what he learned on his trip that he can’t even remember when the hell he went.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:09 pm#8 TheRight wrote:
The point is not that Romney is hypocritical or that Obama’s and Romney’s situations are exactly the same. The point is that the standard of evidence used undermines the claims made by the person presenting that standard. Romney claims that visiting Iraq is the standard by which one measures knowledge of the situation in Iraq (a poor standard given that visitors get to see little the military does not want them to see, but it’s the standard he presents here nonetheless), and Romney criticizes Obama for lack of knowledge based on Obama’s failing to meet that standard while failing to meet that standard himself. If Obama does not know the situation in Iraq because he has not visited, then Romney also does not know the situation because Romney also has not visited. Hence, Romney does not know, if his standard is correct, whether Obama is right about the situation in Iraq or not. If, on the other hand, Romney has other grounds for his criticisms of Obama’s position on Iraq, then Obama might also have grounds for his own position. The point is that Romney cannot claim both that the standard for knowledge of the situation in Iraq is visiting Iraq and claim that Obama is wrong about Iraq (on the grounds that he, Romney, does know the situation) while Romney has not himself visited Iraq. Failing to see this constitutes willful ignorance.
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:02 pmTP,
Why are you wasting space and effort on MittWitt? This story is meaningless!!!
Did anyone tell you that he’s a biga$$ nothing in this election cycle at this point?
If not, why?
How ’bout ‘dat Hillary failure thing????????
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:29 pmOT because TP has it’s head in the sand…
Hillary is done…over…it’s a given TP.
She CAN NEVER BE VP UNTIL SHE SHUNS THE CORPORATE FASCISTS THAT BRUNG HER AND HER HUSBAND TO THE DANCE….IN HIS FIRST TERM….THAT COMPROMISED THE WORKING PEOPLE…
OBAMA SHOULD IGNORE HER UNTIL SHE SWEARS OFF ALL OF THE CORPORATE FASCIST SUPPORT FROM THE PAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:51 pm