We talked yesterday about why the 2002 Olympic games, run by Mitt Romney, has become an awkward political story for the Republican presidential hopeful. To help drive the point home, consider this clip, uncovered by the estimable James Carter, of Romney discussing the role of taxpayer money to support the games.
"I'm often asked whether the Olympics are worth the massive investment, which they cost," Romney noted at the time. "And particularly whether the federal government should be playing any role whatsoever in financing some part of the games."
Not surprisingly, he concluded that the "massive investment" is absolutely worth it. Indeed, in the same clip, Romney went on to thank Utah's congressional delegation -- which was made up entirely of Republican lawmakers at the time -- for being "enormously helpful" in securing so many tax dollars for the 2002 Olympics.
The larger point isn't whether Romney is right or wrong about the prudence of public investment in the games, though that's a reasonable question. Rather, given Romney's campaign rhetoric, the central question here is the extent to which this belies the principles he claims to espouse.
The facts are unambiguous: the 2002 Olympics were in deep trouble, following scandals and mismanagement. Romney took the reins, hired a legion of lobbyists, received record sums of taxpayer money by way of congressional earmarks, and used the federal bailout to get the games back on track.
Indeed, it now appears he practically bragged about it on camera.
Romney, a decade later, would have voters believe he used corporate know-how and his skills as a private-sector turnaround artist to rescue the Olympics. It's awfully difficult to reconcile this version of events with what actually transpired, and it's not unreasonable to ask Romney to explain the contradiction.
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This is all so typical of Republicans specifically, and conservatives generally: They are for government help if it benefits them and against it if it helps someone trying to feed their family or get medical help needed by a sick parent, spouse or child. How else can anyone explain Romney accepting huge sums for the Olympics but opposing health care? Or denouncing food stamps but supporting massive subsidies for the oil industry, the most-profitable in the history of the planet?
Awww c'mon, if the rethugnikans suck off of the dole - it's called "being an entrepeneur", if those of US without means do it, it's "welfare/the dole/leaching off of the government" - now do you see the difference?!? Yeah, neither do I, but then again I'm not a "reality denier"!!
Rick Santorum you sit there and try to be a smooth talker, but you are really one sick puppy. It is so apparent that you must have been reading about Stalin and Hitler principles and using those principles in your speeches. But your whole outlook on what you would do for this world, if you were in the White House, would be an outright disaster waiting to happen. The earth would be in ruin. We would be in another war, especially in these trying days, but it would be a war people would never forget. People would be struggling and with no support that they could depend on. What did you do Rickie sit around with your fellow Republicans and think up the stupidest things you can to keep up these senseless distractions and if you got into the White House you would carry out these dark agendas.
in Olden Times, Romney would have had a brightly painted wagon, and gone from town to town, selling his elixirs to the rubes.
Come to think of it, that is what most all of our current crop of candidates are doing!
Yeah, except Santorum elixir is a tough sell.
He saved the Olympics like Bush saved the Texas Rangers. He did the same for Staples as well. I suspect we'll start hearing him sing "Amazing Grace" - I once was lost, but now I'm found.
Romney, a decade later, would have voters believe he used corporate know-how and his skills as a private-sector turnaround artist to rescue the Olympics.
Well, he did. He used his private sector knowledge of how to get money from the gov't to get money from the gov't.
You mean Romney is lying? It wasn't his business acumen and expertise with accounting and investment, but an infusion of cash from the federal government - though Utah's ALL REPUBLICAN congressional delegation that rescued the Olympics?
Gasp!
In other news Romney has agreed to provide snow for the next winter games. He was approached by the committee after they saw the snow job he was doing on the campaign trail.
You're being ironic again, aren't you?