Romney's Character in the 1960's Isn't the Issue

We all have done stupid things in our teenage years we'd like to forget, well maybe not me, but it seems that Romney is claiming that a particularly vicious attack led by him seems to have completely slipped his mind even while the other 5 boys that participated in the incident have vivid memories and guilt over it. Never mind what he did over 50 years ago. That can be written off to youthful stupidity. What can’t be excused is his current lies about remembering the incident. It says that he either has a pretty bad memory or that such incidents were so common in his young life that he can’t remember each individual vicious attack which is even scarier than his conveniently faulty memory. Or maybe he is just a big fat liar. He just doesn’t come off looking too good no matter how you slice it.

It would hardly seem fair to judge a 65-year-old man for the shameful things he did in high school, as long as he also regarded them with shame. That doesn't seem to be the case with Mitt Romney.
Confronted this week by a Washington Post article in which five classmates independently recounted how he led them in an attack on a gay classmate in the 1960s, Romney did not do several things.
He did not say he remembered the incident with horror. He did not say he doesn't remember the incident, but that bullying must not be tolerated and that vulnerable students everywhere should know he stands with them. Instead, Romney did what he seems to do best in tight spots: He hedged.
“Back in high school, I did some dumb things and if anybody was hurt by that or offended, obviously I apologize for that,” Mr. Romney said. “I participated in a lot of high jinks and pranks during high school and some might have gone too far and for that, I apologize.”
The "dumb thing" in question was an incident in which he and his friends pinned down a misfit kid who was presumed to be gay. As the boy cried, Romney cut off his hair. Romney's fellow bullies told the Washington Post that the "vicious" attack on a classmate considered "easy pickins" has haunted them ever since. Romney says he doesn't remember it.
Maybe that’s true (a;though it seems doubtful). But according to a classmate who apologized to the victim years later, the terrifying memory stuck with him long into adulthood.
In September 2010, after a spate of suicides by young victims of bullying, columnist Dan Savage started the "It Gets Better Project," which uses user-created videos to let young LGBT people know that no matter what challenges they encounter as teens, they can find happiness and acceptance at some point in adulthood.
Today, Mitt Romney sent those same kids a less helpful message: that the students bullying them without consequences today will still be evading responsibility when they are powerful adults.
This message seems more than accidental coming on the heels of another recent Romney saga -- the resignation of his foreign policy spokesman Richard Grenell, who is openly gay, after Romney failed to stand by him publicly in the face of an anti-gay onslaught.
One can only hope these were two isolated cases of bad public relations, not a window into what's actually in Romney's heart, or a hint of how he really treats those more vulnerable than he.
As a father, businessman, former governor and potential president, Romney owes it to all kids -- the bullies and the bullied alike -- to be a better leader.

 

Unfortunately, he won't be the first known liar to be elected President.

 

The family of the kid involved has come out & said the story is false but most here wouldn't know that because the lefty media isn't telling them that.

 

I also heard that one of the supposed participants is now denying that he was present and stated that when he was contacted by Washington Post, they have twisted his words.

 

I know the type pretty well. They avoid attacking if they haven't got their posse with them. Partially because they need an audience but mainly they want the protection, which half the time their pals prove too cowardly to provide much of. If you're a femmy kid it's good if you have a little experience in a dojo.

 

Right because the Washington Post is such a "Lefty " media source. The 5 other students that participated independently confirmed the story and they were actually there. You believe what you want to believe. I'll go with the people that were actually there.

 

The phrase plausible deniabilty is really getting a work-out in this thread, as well as Romney's selective memory. David & rlm apparently do not want to consider the fact that Romney didn't deny the incident took place... which suggests he either did it, and doesn't want to admit it, or at the very least he considers it a possibility, and that speaks volumes on whether or not the accusation is an accurate account.

 

You heard it, huh? I just need some clarification. Is this maybe connected with what you're talking about?
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politic...paign-wants-him-to-counter-prank-accusations/

 

And don't forget that he also apologized when the incident was forced into the public spotlight.

 

Yeah, both he and David didn't bother to post any proof, but I'm sure Fox is working hard to make something up that they can post eventually.

 

Well they do seem to have their little kinks. Romney likes holding guys down and cutting off their hair. Bush II apparently liked branding guys on the ass with a red hot coat hanger.

 

What has been said by the family thus far is that the story is "factually incorrect." According to this article, Lauber was a boarder, not a day student. From what I've been able to find, no other parts of the story are being disputed by the family. I'd be very interested to see any statements by Lauber's family that the incident didn't actually happen.

I don't know whether ABC News qualifies as "lefty media" or not, but they're the ones who broke the "family says Washington Post article is 'factually incorrect' " story. (ABC News | "Sister of Alleged Romney Target Has ‘No Knowledge’ of Any Bullying Incident")

The Washington Post of course says that the "Mitt Romney bullying story holds up to scrutiny".

 

Nope!. If I could remember some particulars/find the story, I would post it. But ........

 

And BO like pushing the girls around, cutting classes, smoking dope and doing other drugs. BTW, reference for that is BO's words. See "Dreams from My Father"

 

A lot of the push-back on this story, including the yawping about things in Obama'a book, seems to be coming from Michelle Malkin's site: Twitchy.

See: "Wapo is full of it. . ." and "Rut-roh … looks like Barack was a bully, too. . ."

 

FWIW, I had never been to that site until your post

 

Now you have another source you can check in on when you want to get away from the lame-stream.

 

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/fam...the-portrayal-of-john-is-factually-incorrect/

 

Found it - in the Post! http://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...ng-incidents/2012/05/10/gIQA3WOKFU_print.html

Although they have massaged the wording, in political speak, it pretty much says what I said.

 

....anything to distract voters from BO's failed policies....I guess the left suffers from ADHD?

.....squirrel....