Mitt Romney's George Costanza Standard: "Jerry, Just Remember, It's Not A Lie If You Believe It."
Recently, Mitt Romney Recalled His Father "Marching" With Martin Luther King And Was Caught In Yet Another Exaggeration. Observers Have Noticed Romney's Pattern Of Economizing With The Truth
During His "Faith In America" Speech, Mitt Romney Stated Clearly: "I Saw My Father March With Martin Luther King." "In the most-watched speech of his political career, speaking on 'Faith in America' at College Station, Texas, earlier this month, Mitt Romney evoked the strongest of all symbolic claims to civil-rights credentials: 'I saw my father march with Martin Luther King.'" (The Boston Phoenix, 12/21/2007)
On Other Occasions During The Campaign, Romney Repeated The Story That His Father Marched With King. "Romney has repeated the story of his father marching with King in some of his most prominent presidential campaign appearances, including the 'Tonight' show with Jay Leno in May, his address on faith and politics Dec. 6 in Texas, and on NBC's 'Meet The Press' on Sunday, when he was questioned about the Mormon Church's ban on full participation by black members. He said that he had cried in his car in 1978 when he heard the ban had ended, and added, 'My father marched with Martin Luther King.'" (The Boston Globe, 12/21/07)
* "[Romney] Told Reporters In Iowa That He Recalled His Father Changing His Mind, And Deciding To March Even Though It Was Sunday." (The Boston Phoenix, 12/21/2007)
Years Ago, Romney Even Claimed That He Himself Joined King In A Civil Rights March. "Mitt Romney went a step further in a 1978 interview with the Boston Herald. Talking about the Mormon Church and racial discrimination, he said: 'My father and I marched with Martin Luther King Jr. through the streets of Detroit.'" (The Boston Globe, 12/21/07)
* Romney National Press Secretary Kevin Madden Admitted Mitt Romney Never Marched With King. Matthews: "In 1978 … your candidate said, 'My father and I marched with Martin Luther King through the streets of Detroit.' Did Mitt Romney, your candidate, your client, march with Martin Luther King or didn't he?" Madden: "No, he did not." (MSNBC's "Hardball," 12/21/07)
* "Romney Spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom Acknowledged That Was Not True. 'Mitt Romney Did Not March With Martin Luther King.'" (The Boston Globe, 12/21/07)
Historians, Journalists And Dr. Martin Luther King Himself All Agree: George Romney Never Marched With King During A Civil Rights Event
According To Newspaper Accounts At The Time, Martin Luther King Refused To Criticize George Romney For Not Attending The Detroit Demonstration. "On Sunday, June 23, 1963, 125,000 people marched down Detroit's Woodward Avenue to the Civic Center, in what was described at the time as the largest civil-rights demonstration in the nation's history. According to the next day's account in the Holland Evening Sentinel, the crowd at the Center 'lustily booed,' when representatives of Governor George W. Romney read a proclamation declaring 'Freedom March Day in Michigan.' But Martin Luther King Jr. didn't fault Romney for his absence, which the governor ascribed to his policy against public appearances on the Sabbath. 'At a news conference following the march . . . [King] refused to criticize Romney for not attending the demonstration,' the Sentinel reported." (The Boston Phoenix, 12/21/2007)
A Leading Historian, Who Is Editing King's Papers, Said "It Is Untrue That George Romney Marched With Martin Luther King." "Susan Englander, assistant editor of the Martin Luther King Jr. Papers Project at Stanford University, who is editing the King papers from that era, told the Globe yesterday: 'I researched this question, and indeed it is untrue that George Romney marched with Martin Luther King.'" (The Boston Globe, 12/21/07)
The Grosse Pointe Historical Society Reported King Never Set Foot In Grosse Pointe In 1963 And When King Was There In 1968, Romney Was Not. "[T]wo members of the Grosse Pointe Historical Society said yesterday King never set foot in Grosse Pointe in 1963 and they would have known if George Romney marched with him. A member of the committee that invited King to appear at Grosse Pointe High School on March 14, 1968 - the only time historians say King appeared in the Detroit suburb - says George Romney wasn't at the event and there was no 'march' at that time." (The Associated Press, 12/21/07)
* Grosse Pointe Historical Society Curator Suzy Berschback: "We're A Small Town ... Governors Don't Come Here Very Often, Except For Fundraisers.'" (The Boston Phoenix, 12/21/2007)
A Civil Rights Activist In Grosse Pointe Confirmed The Only Time King Came To Town Was Three Weeks Before His 1968 Assassination. "Russell Peebles, who was a civil rights activist in Grosse Pointe in the 1960s, said in a telephone interview yesterday that the only time King ever came to the town was three weeks before his assassination in 1968, when he spoke at Grosse Pointe High School." (The Boston Globe, 12/21/07)
Another Detroit Civil Rights Activist Recalls Marching With George Romney, But King Was Not In Attendance. "Arthur Johnson, a longtime Detroit civil rights activist and former president of the Detroit Branch NAACP, said Thursday he clearly recalls marching with George Romney in a fair housing demonstration in Grosse Pointe in 1963, Romney's first year as governor. But King, who led a major civil rights march in Detroit days earlier, did not attend, Johnson said." (The Associated Press, 12/21/07)
A Wayne State University Librarian Confirmed George Romney Did Not Attend The 1968 Event And King Was Not At The 1963 March. "William LeFevre of the Reuther Library at Wayne State University, who is in charge of the papers of the Grosse Pointe Civil Liberties Association, has since confirmed to the Phoenix that George Romney was not at the 1968 event, and that King was not at the 1963 event." (The Boston Phoenix, 12/21/2007)
Once Again, When Caught Making A False Statement, Romney Backtracked And Parsed His Words - Like Former President Bill Clinton
Facing A Perfect Storm Of Academic And Personal Accounts, Romney Acknowledged He Personally Never Saw His Father March With King. "Mitt Romney acknowledged yesterday that he never saw his father march with Martin Luther King Jr. as he asserted in a nationally televised speech this month, and historical evidence shows that Michigan's Governor George Romney and the civil rights leader never did march together." (The Boston Globe, 12/21/07)
But Romney Said He Still Believes His Father Marched With King, Despite Evidence To The Contrary. "[Romney] indicated that he still believes his father, widely acknowledged as an advocate for an end to discrimination against African Americans, marched with King, even though witness accounts and reports in Free Press archives appear to contradict that claim." (The Associated Press, 12/21/07)
Since Romney's Brother Thinks He Saw His Father With King, Mitt Romney Said "In That Sense I Saw [George Romney] March" With King. Romney: "My brother also remembers him marching with Martin Luther King, and so in that sense I saw him march with Martin Luther King." (The Associated Press, 12/21/07)
Romney Also Argued He Was Correct In Saying He "Saw" His Father With King Because He Was Speaking "In A Figurative Sense." "[Romney] insisted that he was right to say that he 'saw' it himself. 'I 'saw' him in the figurative sense,' Romney said at a press conference. 'The reference of seeing my father lead in civil rights and seeing my father march with Martin Luther King is in the sense of this figurative awareness of and recognition of his leadership.'" (Salon.com, 12/21/07)
Romney Pointed Reporters To The Dictionary Meaning Of The Term "Saw." Romney: "If you look at the literature, if you look at the dictionary, the term 'saw' includes being aware of in the sense I've described. … It's a figure of speech and very familiar, and it's very common. And I saw my dad march with Martin Luther King. I did not see it with my own eyes, but I saw him in the sense of being aware of his participation in that great effort." (The Boston Globe, 12/21/07)
* Romney: "You Know, I'm An English Literature Major As Well. When We Say, 'I Saw The Patriots Win The World Series, It Doesn't Necessarily Mean You Were There -- Excuse Me, The Super Bowl." (The Associated Press, 12/21/07)
When Romney Supposedly "Saw" The March, He Was Cut Off From Virtually All Family Contact During His Two-Year Mormon Mission In France. "Mitt Romney would not have known about the event, let alone had a chance to 'see' it. He was at that time in the middle of his two-year mission for the Mormon church in Le Havre, France. By his own description and others', he was cut off from virtually all contact with his family; and at the time, King's Grosse Pointe appearance was no more than local news." (The Boston Phoenix, 12/21/2007)
Romney's Staff Scrambled To Reveal The Truth Without Contradicting Their Candidate - But They Found The Task Extremely Difficult
Initially, A Campaign Spokesman Parroted Romney's Claims That George Romney Marched In June 1963 With King. "A spokesperson for Mitt Romney now tells the Phoenix that George W. Romney and Martin Luther King Jr. marched together in June, 1963 -- although possibly not on the same day or in the same city." (The Boston Phoenix, 12/21/2007)
Then, Since King Marched In Detroit And George Romney Marched In Grosse Pointe On A Different Day, The Campaign Asserted The Two Marches Were Part Of The Same - At Least The Same "Series" Of Events. "Romney, according to one piece of written source material provided by the campaign, made a 'surprise' appearance at a small march in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, in late June -- several days after King led a much larger march in Detroit. Romney spokesperson Eric Fehrnstrom suggests that these two were part of the same 'series' of events, co-sponsored by King and the NAACP, and is thus consistent with Romney's claim that 'I saw my father march with Martin Luther King.'" (The Boston Phoenix, 12/21/2007)
Fehrnstrom: "The Record Is Convincing And Clear - George Romney Marched With Martin Luther King And Other Civil Rights Demonstrators." (The Boston Phoenix, 12/21/2007)
Under Questioning From NBC's Chris Matthews, Romney Press Secretary Kevin Madden Said He Believed George Romney Marched With King. Matthews: "Do you believe that George … Romney marched with Martin Luther King -- marched with him? Yes or no." Madden: "… I do believe he marched …" (MSNBC's "Hardball," 12/21/07)
Madden Also Reinforced The Idea That Mitt Romney And His Brother Scott Believe Their Father Marched With King. Matthews: "Was Martin Luther King and George Romney at the same parade ever? Ever?" Madden: "[T]hat's the memory that George Romney had and that Governor Romney has based on his recollections from the memories that George Romney and Scott Romney have." Matthews: "OK. So he believes his father did march with Martin Luther King." Madden: "Yes. Oh, yes." (MSNBC's "Hardball," 12/21/07)
Like His Boss, Madden Tried To Parse The Word "Saw." Madden: "I think the problem that we have here in the discussion that has probably taken a step too far, has been this discussion over the word 'saw' and whether or not we should parse what 'saw' meant." (MSNBC's "Hardball," 12/21/07)
Unfortunately, The King Incident Was Not The First Time Romney Made False Claims About His Record And Those Of His Opponents
Recently Romney Attacked Sen. John McCain For Opposing Tax Cuts That, As Governor, Romney Rejected. "Taking aim at a rallying John McCain, New Hampshire front-runner Mitt Romney said Saturday that his GOP presidential rival had failed 'Reagan 101' by twice opposing President Bush's tax cuts. … 'He voted against the Bush tax cuts twice,' Romney said. 'That's failing Reagan 101. (Ronald) Reagan taught … almost all of us in the Republican Party that lowering taxes would grow the economy and was good for our economy and good for individuals." (The Associated Press, 12/22/07)
* In 2003, Romney Told The Boston Globe That He "Won't Be A Cheerleader" For Tax Cut Proposals With Which He Did Not Agree. "At the time of the [2003] votes, Romney was in his first stint in elective office, leading Massachusetts. The Boston Globe reported that year that during a meeting in Washington with the Massachusetts congressional delegation, Romney was asked about the tax cuts and said he 'won't be a cheerleader' for proposals he did not agree with." (The Associated Press, 12/22/07)
Romney Used To Portray Himself As An Avid Sportsman, Claiming He Was A "Hunter Pretty Much All My Life." "When asked at public forums about his stance on guns, Mr. Romney portrayed himself as a sportsman, a 'hunter pretty much all my life,' who strongly supported the right to bear arms. He recalled how he had gone hunting with his cousins as a teenager. The last time he went hunting, he said, was last year, when he shot quail in Georgia and 'knocked down quite a few birds.' 'So I've been pretty much hunting all my life,' he said again." (The New York Times, 12/22/07)
* Later Romney Admitted He Had Only Been Hunting Twice But Rushed To Add He Used To Shoot "Varmints" Like Rabbits. "When challenged, his campaign said that Romney had gone hunting just twice -- once when he was 15 and once last year, when he shot at quail on an outing with GOP campaign contributors. Romney subsequently argued that he'd done more than that: 'I've always been a rodent and rabbit hunter,' he said. 'Small varmints, if you will. I began when I was 15 or so and I have hunted those kinds of varmints since then. More than two times.'" (Salon.com, 12/21/07)
Romney Also Alleged That The National Rifle Association Endorsed Him In 2002 - Another Mistake. "Romney claimed on the NBC News program 'Meet the Press' last Sunday that he received from the National Rifle Association while running for governor of Massachusetts in 2002, when it turned out the group had never endorsed him." (The New York Times, 12/22/07)
* "The Gun Rights Group Did Not Endorse Either Candidate, And Gave A Higher Issues Rating To [Romney's] Democratic Opponent." (The Associated Press, 12/21/07)
In Statements And In Advertisements, Romney Claimed As Governor He Got Tough On Crime And Cracked Down On Meth Labs. "'I'm very proud of the fact that we, my state, when I was governor, we made it tougher for people with meth labs,' Mr. Romney said, echoing his commercial in which he claimed that he 'got tough on drugs like meth' while in the governor's office. 'We cracked down on crime and on meth in particular,' Mr. Romney added." (The New York Times, 12/22/07)
* According To The New York Times, Romney's Boasts On Meth Were Misleading - Meth Legislation Never Passed The State Legislature. "But both the advertisement and Mr. Romney's claims on his record were misleading. Mr. Romney's office proposed legislation that would have toughened penalties on those in possession of methamphetamine and the chemicals to manufacture it, but the bill stalled in the state legislature." (The New York Times, 12/22/07)
* Romney Then Corrected The Record: He Did Not Get Tough But Rather "Proposed We Get Tough" On Meth. "After The New York Times pointed out Mr. Romney's misstatement in a posting on its politics blog, he made sure to correct himself before taking questions from reporters at his next campaign stop here. 'If I said this morning that we 'got tough' on methamphetamines, I proposed we get tough on methamphetamine, and I've corrected that right here for all of you,' he said.'' (The New York Times, 12/22/07)
Romney Asserted He Was A Reluctant Politician, Convinced To Run For Governor By Panicked Republicans Who Wanted A Winner. "Romney also cast himself as a reluctant politician, focusing instead on his 25-year business career and stint helping to resurrect the financially troubled 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. 'When I came home, some people in the Massachusetts Republican Party encouraged me to run for office and said, 'We need somebody who can win and who can fix Massachusetts,' Romney said." (The Associated Press, 12/21/07)
* In Truth, Romney Declared His Candidacy For Govenor Two Days After Returning From The Olympics. "Romney returned to Massachusetts from Utah on Sunday, March 17, 2002. He declared he was running for governor on Tuesday, March 19." (The Associated Press, 12/21/07)
* Romney Roughly 48 Hours After Returning To Massachusetts: "I'm In. … The Bumper Stickers Are Printed, The Web Site's Going Up. The Papers Are Going In Today." (The Associated Press, 12/21/07)
Non-Partisan Political Observers Recognize Romney's Propensity For Exaggeration - And Warn It Could Be A Developing Problem
NBC News' Political Analyst Craig Crawford: "Romney Is Developing A Reputation As Kind Of A Serial Exaggerator, Going Along With His Flip-Flopping Reputation." (NBC News' "Saturday Today," 12/22/07)
University Of Virginia Professor Larry Sabato Believes Romney's "Clintonian" Parsing Comes From A Belief "No One Would Ever Check." "Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics called Romney's parsing 'Clintonian,' adding, 'He just thought no one would ever check.''' (The Associated Press, 12/21/07)
The Boston Phoenix Noted Romney's Statements "Are The Actions Of A Man Desperate To Cater To The Whims Of His Audience." "It is not just that these are untruths. They are the actions of a man desperate to cater to the whims of his audience. What they want, he must appear to be. This is the opposite of leadership - the opposite of the actions taken by his father in the 1960s." (The Boston Phoenix, 12/21/2007)
Dean Of Boston University's College Of Communication Tobe Berkovitz Believes "The One Extra Step" Causes Romney All The Trouble. BERKOVITZ: "It's the fine-tuning that's created the problem. It's always that one extra step that causes him the trouble. … You can't just say that African-Americans were accepted into the church and I was happy, you have to say you pulled over and you cried." (The Associated Press, 12/21/07)
Human Events' Star Parker: "Republicans Can Win Back The Hearts And Minds Of Americans. But They Have To Get Real And Get Honest. Unlike The Former Governor Of Massachusetts." (Human Events, 12/21/07)
* Parker: "We Haven't Seen A Politician Parse A Sentence Like This Since Bill Clinton Dissected The Meaning Of The Verb 'Is' And Explained That It Was Monica Who Had Sex With Him And Not The Other Way Around." (Human Events, 12/21/07)
* Parker: "How Ironic That Romney Chose To Insert This Apparent Whopper In His 'Faith In America' Speech. Perhaps The Governor's Idea Of Faith Is What Groucho Marx Had In Mind With His Line, 'Who Are You Going To Believe, Me Or Your Own Eyes.'" (Human Events, 12/21/07)
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