Romney is damned if he does, and damned if he doesn't with some conservatives.
Right Wing Watch dug up tape of American Family Association spokesman Bryan Fischer from last week. He slammed Mitt Romney… for not standing up to people like him.
"If Mitt Romney can be pushed around, intimidated, coerced, co-opted by a conservative radio talk show host in Middle America then how is he going to stand up to the Chinese? How is he going to stand up to Putin?" The evangelical leader railed, "How is he going to stand up to North Korea if he can be pushed around by a yokel like me? I don't think Romney is realizing the doubts that this begins to raise about his leadership."
Fischer first criticized Romney for hiring Richard Grenell, an openly gay man, as his foreign policy spokesman, then called it a "huge win" after he resigned. Now, Fischer said the whole ordeal exposed Romney's fragility as a leader for letting Grenell go.
Addressing the situation last week, Romney said, "We wanted him to stay with our team. He's a very accomplished spokesperson, and we select people not based upon their ethnicity or sexual preference or gender, but their capability."
Grenell cited the "hyper-partisan discussion" surrounding his personal life as a reason for his departure.
Team Obama pounced on the apparent storm within the GOP at large.
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I would like to see the media ask the pertinent question regarding Mitt Romney's Mormon Faith. There is no reason why this subject should be deemed offensive or verboten. The fact the Republican Party is famous for wanting to weaken or even destroy the important wall between church and state makes Mitt Romney's religion a big issue if the candidate is a member of the Republican Party. On the other hand, a Democratic candidate's religion, even if it is Obama's professed Christianity, should most definitely remain off limits. Democratic candidates have chosen to be a member of a party that believes both the institutions of religion and politics benefit from maintaining the strong wall our founding father's built and deemed important. I could care less what a candidate's religion is, UNLESS they are a member of a party advocating for the tearing down of the bulwark of church and state. I know there are a few Mormon Democrats but, again, they chose to be part of a party that has a healthy respect for separating church and state. The Fourth Estate owes the American people to at least acknowledge this concern and point out the nuanced difference between whether or not one's religion should become a litmus test. For instance, in the Mormon faith, one can not question the Mormon prophets and everything the Mormon prophet states becomes church canon. If Mitt Romney believes church and state should be muddled then shouldn't we know more about his particular religion and whether or not he answers to Mormon prophets? If a Mormon President was influenced by a Mormon prophet it could have dire consequences for our nation and national security. Therefore, it is the responsibility of journalists to at least pose this question and for them to report on what Mormons actually believe. I do know that journalists certainly did not balk when it came to reporting on John F. Kennedy's Catholicism. The fact he was a Democrat who refused to kiss the Pope's ring because of his healthy respect for separation of church and state became huge news at the time. It also proved why a Democrat's religion should not have any bearing on their candidacy and it would be unfair to apply a litmus test. Republicans have time and again proudly proclaimed they think religion has a place in politics so Willard "Mitt" Romney's faith should be ON THE TABLE, and the media should not shrink from asking the difficult questions. By being a proud severely conservative Republican, Mitt Romney automatically fails the test of whether or not his religion should be off limits. We need to know where the Mormon candidate stands on separation of church and state and we need to know it before the Presidential election!
Garbage in, garbage out with the above posters thought process, and also that of Bryan Fisher, if you ask me.
Bigotry by antiMormonism and Stupidity in the form of an enbittered Santorum supporter do not have any useful places in the discussions and decisions over electing a President in this critical year with a faltering economy and disasterous fiscal and energy and defense policy of the present administration.
I sincerley believe you are some kind of lds chruch plant. you want to make it seem as if the last word is all about bigotry against the lds church, it isnt. the subject of this article is about willard m. romney's lack of leadership. no one gives a hoot about what you think of the man's church.
no one is a bigger critic against the lds than I am. no one is a more vocal conservative than I am. yet, I can seperate nonsense from reality. willard is weak in the knees. he ran in the wrong primary. I couldnt tell you why this man wants to be president. I know why other people have run for the presidency and why they pursue it. this guy tries to hide everything and ends up hiding any qualifications.
talk about romney's lack of leadership leave ridicule his religion where articles are written ridiculing his religion. or keep your comments to yourself.
Keith did you by chance vote for the Bush Administration and his disasterous fiscal and energy and defense policy? Just asking, its interesting how the right doesn't want to discuss it and yes I know he is not in office. However, it doesn't negate the fact that we had a GOP control WH and Congress their policies had a lot to do with our financial situation. What's even more interesting is the Right demanded this President to get us out of that mess in less then 2yrs oh and let's not forget the excessive filibusters.
One more thing Keith, explain the secret meeting between Cheney and the Energy sector. Don't YOU think it's time for Cheney and the Energy sector be more transparent about what happen in those meetings? Just asking.
Yes I voted for Bush, both of them twice.
Nope, I don't think the Vice President meeting with top energy corporations executives in war time needs to be an open book for antiIraq War and antiWar on Terror Dems to stick their noses in. Just as it wasn't for the pacifists in the US to have access to the minutes of meetings between Rooseveldt and executives of a number of industrial sectors, including energy pre and during World War II.
As for Lawrence's comments on "yokelgate" calling Ficsher's gloating "unbelievable" I must disagree. Bullies always gloat after their percieved victories. Its the farthest thing from "unbelievable". Its standard operating procedure. Ignorant people must celebrate their victories as vehemently as possible because it doesn't happen but a couple times in a lifetime! We should all just continue to count our blessings that this lunatic fringe in the Republican party keeps making points that continue to help President Obama's campaign. The Republicans have given us all the ammunition we need to show Romney for the soulless whore he is!
I agree Jason.
Mitt Romney is no different than any other Republican President or Republican Presidential Candidate! They are all shallow/dumb/political whores who want to continue the conquistador method of using the spade and the cross to dominate and fool a people! They have no moral obligations to the citizens of America and thus blow with the wind and say whatever the wind blows their way in order to line their pockets/win a nomination/conquer a people! The only thing worse than a fool are those that continue to be fooled after realizing that they've been struck out by a ninny! QUICO!
Since Mr. Romney obviously cannot make a decision or changes it depending on who he last talked to /is talking to now, if he is elected president who will really be running the country? It was evident that under the Bush presidency Cheney was the one really running the country but since Romney is such a pushover taking whatever tack he is told to take who is going to be the one at the rudder steering him wherever they want him to go.
Good point Wayne.
I really don't know what to think about Bryan Fisher's reversal. I wonder if anyone understands what Bryan Fisher trying to prove.