Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Mitt: NYO Story on Mitt Selling Out

By

It seemed a perfect illustration of why the state’s independent suburbanites had flocked to Mr. Romney: A machine Democrat would have made a patronage pick, while a right-winger would have sought out a James Inhofe clone. 

Mr. Foy didn’t disappoint, promptly teaming with counterparts throughout the Northeast to create the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a miniature Kyoto Accord aimed at stemming carbon-dioxide emissions.

Then Mr. Romney made up his mind to go national-and suddenly, Mr. Foy’s work reeked of Al Gore-ism. So the governor, unlike his five fellow governors, refused to sign onto the agreement and pushed Mr. Foy out.

But that’s Willard Romney: He could have been an exceptional, ideologically independent governor, just as he could have been the real-deal conservative he now appears to be. It’s just a pity that he didn’t pick one face and stick with it.

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Comments

  1. hopefully, coming out on a regular basis over the course of the next year, will help the country really get to know mr. romney, our “volunteer” governor.  Where is that romney quote diary someone had put out here a while ago about romney saying he had a problem with saying one thing and doing another.

  2. I like how they refer to him as “Willard”.  We need to keep letting people know that is his real first name!

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    And your diary is great; just the right amount of commentary.  Thanks!

  3. A highlight

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    In 1994, when Romney was running for U.S. Senate against Ted Kennedy, he engaged in a lengthy interview with Bay Windows during which he discussed his views on employment nondiscrimination legislation, the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy – and civil marriage rights for same-sex couples (see “Mitt’s secret gay history II,” page 10). The interview was published Aug. 25, 1994. His views on gay issues in 1994 are largely at odds with his stated views today.

    …
    In the interview, Romney emphasized that he would be an advocate for gay civil rights. And he offered some surprisingly thoughtful reasons for his positions – surprising only because of his demagoguing on gay rights today. He tied his willingness to advocate for the rights of gay people, for instance, to the Mormon concept of “free agency”: “When I speak of free agency, I don’t just mean that each person can do what they want to do, I mean that our society should allow people to make their own choices and live by their own beliefs,” said Romney. “People of integrity don’t force their beliefs on others, they make sure that others can live by different beliefs they may have. That’s the great thing about this country: it was founded to allow people to follow beliefs of their own conscience. I will work and have worked to fight discrimination and to assure each American equal opportunity.”

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