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Hill, Globe, others quote Romney attack on Pelosi trip without correction

April 11, 2007 3:21 pm ET

10 Comments

During an April 10 speech, presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) said that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) recent trip to meet with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad was "one of the most partisan, divisive and ill-considered of any national leader in this decade." Subsequent articles about Romney's speech in The Hill, The Boston Globe, The Dallas Morning News, and The Washington Times quoted Romney's characterization of Pelosi's trip as "partisan" without noting that a Republican -- Rep. David Hobson (OH) -- was part of Pelosi's delegation. These reports also omitted mention of recent trips to Syria by a Republican-led delegation and by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA).

As Media Matters for America has documented, media figures have repeatedly reported on Pelosi's trip -- and Republican criticism of it -- without mentioning the Republicans who also went to Syria and met with Assad.

In addition to uncritically reporting Romney's attack on Pelosi , the April 10 article in The Hill stated that during his speech in Texas, "Romney embraced the courage of President George W. Bush."

From the April 10 article in The Hill:

White House hopeful and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) harshly criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) trip to Syria during a speech on foreign policy Tuesday.

Speaking at the George Bush Presidential Library Center in College Station, Texas, Romney embraced the courage of President George W. Bush before decrying "the divisiveness, the bitterness, the smallness, the disunity" of foreign-policy politics in Washington.

"And then the Speaker of the House helped dignify a state sponsor of terror," Romney said, in excerpts released by his campaign. "At this time of war, her action stands as one of the most partisan, divisive and ill-considered of any national leader in this decade." Romney said the state of the U.S. military had declined during the Clinton administration, and he called for expanding the military by 100,000 troops.

The former governor also offered a staunch defense of Bush's efforts in Iraq, echoing many of the president's talking points as he endures intense criticism over the war effort.

"Running away from Iraq now would embolden our enemies, giving them the sanctuary they need to plan more devastating attacks against our country," Romney said. "In this difficult time, some in Congress are trying to deny our troops the resources they need. This is a grave error. We need to rally behind the effort, and support our men and women in uniform in this time of war."

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    • Author by nerzog (April 11, 2007 3:30 pm ET)
         

      These lying bastards are going to ride this pony as far as they can, aren't they?  I guess you get desperate when your party is intellectually bankrupt.  Well, they can always trot out abortion and gay marriage again.

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    • Author by olivelawyers (April 11, 2007 3:32 pm ET)
         

      Off topic...hope everyone sees the synopsis of Iococca's dismemberment of Bush in his recent book. We won't likely see this in the mainstream. Go to http://www.bordersstores.com/features/feature.jsp?file=wherehavealltheleadersgone

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      • Author by nerzog (April 11, 2007 3:56 pm ET)
           

        How long before Rush Limbaugh and the rest of the professional liars are dispatched to do a hit job on Iacocca?  I guess it depends on how much noise he tries to make in the media.

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    • Author by fantagor (April 11, 2007 3:55 pm ET)
         

      An excerpt from Romney's Boston College stump speech:

      "Pelosi's trip is a shining example of how branches of government can work together to achieve a diplomatic solution...Bush couldn't be more wrong on Iraq...bring our troops home now."

      An excerpt from Romney's Oral Roberts University stump speech:

      "Pelosi's trip is a horrid example of partisanship...Bush is totally correct on Iraq...support the troops."

      Mitt Romney: a pandering shill for all occasions.

      Randy

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      • Author by greekfurnace (April 11, 2007 4:31 pm ET)
           

        Is that true? Can this guy speak out of both sides of his mouth like that? Shee-oot.

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        • Author by conleytgwinn (April 11, 2007 5:53 pm ET)
             

          'Course he can, Randy: after all, he IS running as a Repugnant, which mandates mastery of lying in all it's incarnations.

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    • Author by DLounsbury (April 12, 2007 3:01 am ET)
         

      Those who really believe the post by Romney at a Boston College stump speech is true highlights how easy it is to deceive about Romney.  As a registered Oregon democrat for over a decade Romney makes more sense to me than any other candidate.

      By the way, Romney doesn't flip flop. He makes very compelling intellectual distinctions based on logical reasoning.   Personally opposing abortion but believing it should be a state government matter is not a flip flop.  He promised to leave it alone as governor and kept his word.  Imagine a politician keeping his word!  If you look at the actual source material on immigration, gun control and other alleged "flip flops" it is not Romney flip flopping, it is disengenuine reporting of subtle distinctions Romney makes on issues that should make sense to liberals who are sick of blanket position politics.

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      • Author by mefirst (April 12, 2007 6:53 am ET)
           

        always makes me a little suspicious when someone comes in here out of the blue, claims to be a democrat, and then endorses some right winger.

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        • Author by DLounsbury (April 12, 2007 11:41 pm ET)
             

          Understandably, always a moderate democrat--more  of a Truman democrat...Romney had alot of Democrats vote for him in MA...

           

           

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