It’s not as bad as the British press is making it out to be (big surprise, huh?), but Mitt Romney made a definite diplomatic faux pas when he seemed to give voice to thoughts that might have better been kept to himself.
About British preparations for the Olympics, Romney said:
“It’s hard to know just how well it will turn out,” he said. “There are a few things that were disconcerting: the stories about the private security firm not having enough people, supposed strike of the immigration and customs officials, that obviously is not something which is encouraging.”
G4S, a private security company, provided thousands fewer staff than were expected, forcing the armed forces to fill the gap. British immigration officers had threatened to go on strike during the Olympics, but this ultimatum was called off on Wednesday. The Government insists that all preparations have been made and the event will be a success.
Nonetheless, Mr Romney questioned the enthusiasm of the British public. “Do they come together and celebrate the Olympic moment?” he asked. “That’s something which we only find out once the Games actually begin.”
However, the presidential challenger later back-tracked on the comments at a press conference on Thursday morning.
“The weather could not be better. Fortunately the sunshine is out and the warmth is here,” he said. “I know the spirit and the people of this community will welcome the athletes of the world.”
“Who Invited Him?” said a Daily Mail headline. The rest of the tabloid press expressed varying degrees of disdain toward Romney — as did Prime Minister David Cameron who took a jab at Romney’s stewardship of the Utah games in 2002:
We are holding an Olympic Games in one of the busiest, most active, bustling cities anywhere in the world. Of course it’s easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere, Cameron said.
Romney deftly walked the comment back when he said after his meeting with Cameron:
I’m very delighted with the prospects of a highly successful Olympic Games. What I see shows imagination and forethought and a lot of organization and expect the Games to be highly successful,” Romney said.
Romney’s observations were correct, although using the word “disconcerting” to describe preparations and then questioning the unity of the English people were probably thoughts that should have remained private. He was repeating criticisms that have echoed throughout the country so it’s not like he was making false accusations. But the Labor Party has been using the mistakes in preparing for the Olympics as a political attack on Cameron and for Romney to repeat those charges is considered bad form.
A rookie mistake? Romney has never been abroad as a candidate for president when, like the president, every word is weighed and analyzed for meaning beyond what is spoken. He recovered gracefully so there will be no lasting damage.
Let’s hope the experience was an object lesson in choosing one’s words with greater care.
So…they care more about the fact that their gamesmanship has been called into question than one Barack Obama sending back the bust of Winston Churchill and Michelle Obama getting touchy-feely with their queen. If Mitt’s slip is a diplomatic faux pas, then the Obamas must have committed some form of betrayal, right?
Right?
…..Right.
Nobody does “disdain” better than the Brits…..especially when aimed at us Americans.
They’re very resentful about the collapse of their ‘status’ post World War II…this in a nation where ‘status’ and ‘class’ lines are very difficult to cross, even now in 2012.
They were nearly broke and exhausted after losing a whole generation of their young men in the First World War. Then, a recovery of status and Empire, of sorts, during the 1930′s, in spite of the worldwide Depression, unsurprisingly that exhaustion was repeated and compounded at the end of the Second World War with the collapse of Colonialism in general, and the British Empire in particular. Three hundred years of Colonial superiority evaporated. That’s a tough adjustment.
Life has never been the same for the Brits.
So a bit of ‘chip on the shoulder’ touchiness is to be expected when an American Presidential candidate, Romney, makes a pretty fair public estimate….”Who can know?”in about Olympic security, in effect….inside a crowded public event with Muslim young men merging in the crowds, even….. “British”… Muslims.
But don’t take that justifiable nervousness out on Romney, who meant no disdain at all….merely stating a fact of our current life among Muslims.
In Britain they’re not referred to as muslims . . .they’re “asians”. Most from “strong ally” Pakistan.
Good point.
….when you think about it, “orientals” is certainly an equally accurate, albeit politically disastrous, old fashioned term.
This quivering “political correctness” of ours on both sides of the Atlantic is lethal……no one, noooo body…..is admitting it. Muslims cause trouble wherever they go.
In a very real sense, London during this Olympic period is a lightning rod. Again, the Brits shouldn’t snipe at Romney’s valid observation.
The British press were kind enough to call the Vancouver Winter games a disaster before it began. My thanks to Romney for returning the favour, though Romney spoke the truth.
Next time he should just give them an Ipod with his speeches.
Or keep this in mind next time they need us to save them from Germany.
Walt you WALLY the USA never saved the UK from Germany the RAF did that in 1940 and then the it was the RUSSIANS who really beat the German Army 80% of which was fighting in Russia. America just did what it does best sit on the sidelines and make money from BOTH sides then jump in LATE on the winning side. In WWI that was 1917 when the fighting begun in 1914 was just about over and the British and French were already winning and in WWII when the USA only came in to the war when Germany declared war on YOU in 1941 in support of their Japanese allies.
The British spent the wealth of Empire in those two wars and MOST of it ended up in Fort Knox. America GAVE us nothing it was ‘Lend Lease’ and Britain paid back every penny.
Standard Oil Fuels World War II
In two years Germany will be manufacturing oil and gas enough out of soft coal for a long war. The Standard Oil of New York is furnishing millions of dollars to help. (Report from the Commercial Attaché, U.S. Embassy in Berlin, Germany, January 1933, to State Department in Washington, D.C,)
During World War II Standard Oil of New Jersey was accused of treason for this pre-war alliance with Farben, even while its continuing wartime activities within Himmler’s Circle of Friends were unknown. The accusations of treason were vehemently denied by Standard Oil. One of the more prominent of these defenses was published by R.T. Haslam, a director of Standard Oil of New Jersey, in The Petroleum Times (December 25, 1943), and entitled “Secrets Turned into Mighty War Weapons Through I.G. Farben Agreement.”4 This was an attempt to turn the tables and present the pre-war collusion as advantageous to the United States.
Ethyl Lead for the Wehrmacht
Another prominent example of Standard Oil assistance to Nazi Germany — in cooperation with GENERAL MOTORS — was in supplying ethyl lead. Ethyl fluid is an anti-knock compound used in both aviation and automobile fuels to eliminate knocking, and so improve engine efficiency; without such anti-knocking compounds modern mobile warfare would be impractical.
Standard Oil of New Jersey and Synthetic Rubber
The transfer of ethyl technology for the Nazi war machine was repeated in the case of synthetic rubber. There is no question that the ability of the German Wehrmacht to fight World War II depended on synthetic rubber — as well as on synthetic petroleum — because Germany has no natural rubber, and war would have been impossible without Farben’s synthetic rubber production. Farben had a virtual monopoly of this field and the program to produce the large quantities necessary was financed by the Reich:
The volume of planned production in this field was far beyond the needs of peacetime economy. The huge costs involved were consistent only with military considerations in which the need for self-sufficiency without regard to cost was decisive.
So tell us again WALT just how AMERICA saved us from Germany
Ford and GM Scrutinized for Alleged Nazi Collaboration
Nazi, Ford
German diplomats award Henry Ford, center, with their nation’s highest decoration for foreigners, the Grand Cross of the German Eagle, in July 1938. (AP Photo)
By Michael Dobbs
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, November 30, 1998; Page A01
Three years after Swiss banks became the target of a worldwide furor over their business dealings with Nazi Germany, major American car companies find themselves embroiled in a similar debate.
Like the Swiss banks, the American car companies have vigorously denied that they assisted the Nazi war machine or that they significantly profited from the use of forced labor at their German subsidiaries during World War II. But historians and lawyers researching class-action suits on behalf of former prisoners of war are busy amassing evidence of collaboration by the automakers with the Nazi regime.
And theres loads MORE WALT. Ignorant uneducated Americans really get right up my nose.
Sounds like you have something up your nose, all right, but it probably came from Colombia.
@Ill Eagle – He’s just upset because the UK is now known as the US’s permanate aircraft carrier.
Calling this a rookie mistake is rather generous. Romney’s hardly a rookie and his ill-timed and petty remarks were gaffes, plain and simple. Having the Daily Mail sneer, “Who invited him?” should get any campaign manager to wince. The man who’s been waiting in the wings to become President should be more than ready for primetime. If he can’t even go to the Olympics’ host city without denigrating the efforts and spirit of the organizers and people, how is this guy going to beat Obama?
Romney read the British press, echoed it back at them and they ask who invited him? Muslims in the UK carp like babies and if you ask who invited them it’s Islamophobia time. And let’s be honest, probably close to 100% of the UK’s security concerns are because of Muslims. That’s the case from a shopping mall in a city you never heard of in India to an Brazilian airport. Yeah, who invited that? The whole world’s on lock down for the 8 zillion pound zebra in the room.
There’s the phone, Kensi – I think they need you back at the Campaign to Reelect Obama headquarters for another talking points meeting.
So far, there have been no photos of Romney bowing to Cameron and kissing his ring, and no speeches apologizing for America’s past actions in their relationship with the UK. He’s going to beat Obama by convincing the American voters that he will work with a Republican Congress to free America’s private economy to grow and provide the private sector jobs necessary to pull us out of Obama’s continued stagflation. He’s going to beat Obama by convincing the American voters that he will take executive action to reverse Obamacare and the incredible increased red tape of regulations created by Obama’s czars and unelected bureaucrats.
You’re a prime example of what’s wrong with the Republican party. You automatically assume anyone who doesn’t immediately defend Romney is therefore an Obama supporter. Nothing could be further from the truth. Romney already has my vote, but America elected Obama and every indication shows him winning again. Romney may have a chance, but you’re only deceiving yourself if you think gaffes like this don’t add up. It’s mind boggling how someone as intelligent as Romney could have been so obtuse. All he had to do was smile, wave, and say he was there to cheer on his horse to victory. Instead, he made a horse’s ass out of himself.
I’m not a Republican, Kensi, and if gaffes add up, Obama and Biden have an unsurmountable lead – in case you haven’t been paying attention to their comments!
Remember Kensi,
You didn’t build that, America’s 57 states, I have no ties to Bill Ayers (a terrorist).
GM
I echo Krauhammer on this. All he had to do was nothing. Just visit the UK, Poland and Israel – the three allies that Obummer has spit on and he’d look like a true leader.
If Salt Lake City is in the middle of no where, then where does that leave Idaho, Montana and Wyoming?
Suburbs.
Next time, don’t lead with your chin!
Given that the games will cost a reported $14 Billion, I can’t see it proving a success. As to Romney’s comments, only in the last day or so one of the US networks had a piece about Londoners being “fed up” (reporter’s words) even before the game’s official opening because of the disruptions, particularly the “Olympics lanes” for traffic, leaving much of the driving public in gridlock.
Yes, well, it’s still bad form to insult the Brits – IN London.
I’m glad Romney is riling up the socialist Brits. The Brits are going to get a lot more pissed off when America won’t play their Keynesian money games any longer.
You’ll see smart Brits trying to put themselves on the right side of Romney.
The stupid socialists will double down like they are everywhere else in Europe.
The Brits will be “lucky” if they don’t somehow screw the Olympics up. Socialists can’t help it, they screw everything up.
Oh darn, all the Brits will vote for Barack, I just hope we can capture the dead folks vote.
Good job Romney, I to have been worried about security for all athletes during the Olympics in Londonistan. Maybe the Brits will step it a notch just because of his comments. We need a President who will speak the truth to the world.
Don’t worry Mitt just wanted everyone to be sure that it’s he who understands our Anglo-Saxon heritage. I hope this isn’t going to turn into an apology tour having to walk back his statement to The Leader who wasn’t the Leader.
Folks, the planet is laughing at your mess of a candidate. And HE is the best you got? You need to re-evaluate your allegiance to the cult – they are doing you no good. Do you care about the laughing stock your party has become?
All their life they always thought people were laughing with them instead of at them. Look at those business people who made those ads for Romney – they actually thought that it was hypocritical to say they had no help when one got close to a million and a half in government loans and bonds since the 1980′s and the other got state and federal help as well. Typical conservatives who fail to understand irony and nuance.
Steve-O and the BostonLIP are typical USURPER supporters who go on the attack on the slightest whim and can only see wrong in Republicans. While completely ignoring what their gaffe prone, Racist, LYING, Document HIDING, Autobiography FANTASIST, Criminal, Islamist, Terrorist and COMMUNIST associating President has got away with from an ‘in the tank’ Lame Stream EneMedia and weak RINO’s.
Is the ‘planet’ laughing at our current president? If not, then why would any reasonable person care that they laugh at Romney? The real joke is in the office. He may well reflect the values of those who think the government should run their lives.
‘ Mr Romney questioned the enthusiasm of the British public. “Do they come together and celebrate the Olympic moment?”
The atmosphere is great here .The Olympic torch has been all over the country, massive crowds have followed it ,schools have been getting involved.
There is excitement,Union Jacks are everywhere.
Posters must agree that he shouldn’t of said that, it’s not a’ valid observation.’
“Romney deftly walked the comment back…”
I’m not sure if “deftly” is the best word choice. Maybe “futilely?” “Ineffectually?” A deft walkback generally doesn’t result in one getting slapped down by the prime minister and turned into a laughingstock by the media.
So lets see what Romney was commenting on 1) The PCS Union on a ballot that only 20% of members responded called a strike of Border Control Staff for the first day of the Olympics 2) Train Drivers who had already been paid a £1000 BONUS to simply continue doing their jobs as NORMAL are now ‘working to rule’ for the duration of the Olympics 3) G4S tasked and WELL PAID for Olympic Security only found out they were 3000 people short just days before the start of the Olympics and Troops had to be rushed in to compensate. Oh and G4S’s recruitment and training of the uneducated, IMMIGRANT and unqualified has been a National disgrace.
So Romney should not apologise one little bit he just said what any other right thinking individual KNOWS.
The umbrage being expressed by UK Politicians is from SHAME not from righteous indignation.
“Diplomatic Faux Pas”
Mitt Romney made an astute assessment of the situation.
Panic rooms for VIPs and spectators beneath London’s Olympic Stadium to protect them from being taken hostage or killed. A ring of steel set up to protect the Games. Snipers on the stadium roof and lighting towers and airborne radiation detecting equipment. Surface-to-air defense missiles. GS4 having a deficit of 3,500 security guards just weeks prior to the start of the Games. The “solution” being to call up British army reserves at the last minute, to act as security guards with two weeks of training to identify terrorist threats.
If nothing happens in the next 17 days – then call it a gaffe;
“It’s hard to know just how well it will turn out,” The entire world is thinking and saying that!
The american press is hoping all over this — of course it was they who were reporting the apparently shoddy state of british security to begin with, and from where Romney no doubt received his ideas. Though perhaps he should have made no such statement, this shows just how ridiculous the Brits are and how insanely sensitive they are to innocuous remarks. I wonder how much fun they would have had with Obama, had he made this comment? Oh none, of course, since that would have betrayed racist sentiment….
Try hoping on TWO feet – maybe you’ll have a better thought process.
I hope the Obamalini regime tries to make hay of it thru their poodles in the media. If the GOP has ANY brains, they’ll show a clip of Romney’s remarks (in my comment below). Then they’ll switch to the shrieking and snarling Brits, and the Democrats making a buig deal of it, and people will go “THAT is what they are calling a gaffe and going bananas over? Are you kidding? What a bunch of losers!”. Game over. They also should put this in an ad:
BRIAN WILLIAMS: …you are looking for a quote, “Incredibly boring white guy for your vice presidential nominee.” Can you confirm or deny?
MITT ROMNEY:
You told me you were not available.
EVEN PIERS MORGAN WASN’T FOOLED BY THE FAKE BROUHAHA!
YOU HAVE SWALLOWED THE WHOLE MSM SPIN ON THIS.
SHAME ON YOU RICK!
BRIAN WILLIAMS:
And in the short time you’ve been here in London, do they look ready to your experienced eye?
MITT ROMNEY:
You know, it’s hard to know just how well it were turn out– will turn out. There are a few things that were disconcerting, the stories about the– private security firm not having enough people– the sup– supposed strike of the immigration and customs officials, that obviously is not something which is encouraging. Because in the games, there– there are three parts that makes games successful.
Number one, of course, are the athletes. That’s what overwhelmingly the games are about. Number two are the volunteers. And they’ll have great volunteers here. But number three are the people of the– of the country. Do they come together and celebrate the Olympic moment? And that’s something which we only find out once the games actually begin.
There’s no gaffe there. There’s no insult. The last part is a comment on hosting an Olympics in general. You can’t really tell in advance, a lot depends on how well the people in the host country come out in support of it, which you can’t realy predict. There’s no there there and Moran, as usual, just goes along with the left’s “narrative”, instead of pointing out the obvious. This was a contrived bit of theater by the Obama-loving British press and the Obama lovers in the UK to try to do “their part” in smearing Romney and making him look bad. That’s all it was. THEY, the Brits, embarrassed and beclowned themselves with their hysterical mass idiocy and frothing lunacy in what was clearly and unambiguously nothing but a transparent stunt to try to help Obama. Yet Moran just mutters about a “rookie mistake”. This is a guy who doesn’t get it. He can’t recognize the left for who they and what they do. A conservative website does not need this kind of naivete.
It’s not that he was insulting us.If he had these concerns why did he keep saying
the opposite here.
He chose to come here and was unable to say his concern’s to our face even if it meant contradicting his own views in a 24hr period.
It’s like he didn’t know we can see American TV hear his worries by the time he got here he was gushing
He knew he was going to Downing St and who he was going to see.He didn’t however
seem to know Ed Milliband’s name and called him ‘Mr Leader’ to a bemused country.
Lighten up,he also said that he was looking out’the backside of Downing st’