Fields: Romney’s Character, Or Lack Thereof
BY SAM FIELDS
If I were to ask you to state your most certain belief I suspect you might cite 2+ 2=4 or “the sun coming up in the east” or perhaps Bill Clinton has not been a faithful husband.
Let me suggest something of even greater certitude. It is a fact that you could bet the ranch and your life on.
It is this. Had the raid on Osama Bin Laden failed, Mitt Romney would not have, as he did the other day, issued a statement insisting that had he been President he would have done the same thing.
Had this ended up as a debacle akin to “Blackhawk Down”, he would have been calling for Obama’s head on a political pike. And when it came out later that Obama gave the “Go” decision in opposition to the recommendations of Secretary of Defense Gates and Vice President Biden, he and the rest of the GOP whores would have been calling for the President to resign.
The simple fact is that there are very few leaders who would have had the guts to reject Gates and Biden’s positions. Corporate hack Mitt Romney would not have been one of them.
Mitt Romney is a man of little character who will say whatever is convenient because in the end it’s not about the truth, it’s not about core values, it’s all about marketing.
His father marketed cars and he is marketing himself. To Romney, changing ones core beliefs is no different than changing the tailfins on a Nash Rambler.
Born on third base he wants to convince you he hit a triple.
Whether its gay rights, abortion, and healthcare he says whatever current marketing surveys show is selling.
When the raid on the bin Laden compound succeeds he wants to insist he was always there.
Not quite
The truth about the GOP leaders and Bin Laden are these.
During the December 2001 Tora Bora campaign “Dubya” Bush refused to pursue Bin Laden into Pakistan. In 2003, he was so focused on Iraq that he referred to Bin Laden as forgotten. He had no problem defending an end zone “spike” with his “Mission Accomplished” flattop landing when it turned out he had not even crossed midfield.
Similarly John McCain made clear that respecting Pakistan sovereignty was more important than the U.S. security objective of capturing or killing Bin Laden and his thugs.
Romney has repeatedly stated that he was in full accord with the other GOP leaders.
The likely Republican presidential nominee had described the hunt for Bin Laden as a waste of money.
Maybe the outcome of the raid was just good luck. But I am reminded of Napoleon’s concern when vetting new Field Commanders: “Yes, but is he lucky.”
Had Obama’s luck run out on May 1, 2011 you could bet anything and everything that Romney and the Republicans would not have been backing a bad outcome.
It is their secret disappointment that the papers were not filled with photos of dead Seals being dragged though the streets.
Between his sons, himself and back five generations of draft dodgers, the Romney clan of “chickenhawks” has happily sent everyone else’s kids off to war.
You would think he would have enough of a sense of humility to keep his mouth shut. But that would require him to reject the “Mitt Marketing Plan.”
May 5th, 2012 at 8:42 am
What you are describing Fields is just politics as usual. Obama hide his true intent when he ran for office. He is suddenly reborn as a middle-of-the-road Democrat because he is running for re-election. Once elected, he will revert to his ultra liberal ways.
May 5th, 2012 at 9:21 am
Fields, you are as disingenuous as the man whose water you carry. Unless and until the TRUTH is used in political debate, the system will continue to rot from the head. For the sake of the country, stop it now.
May 5th, 2012 at 9:29 am
You are crazy. Have you not learned from this administration? First off, if some thing like desert one, or black hawk down occurred, we would never have learned about it. F-16’s would have blown up the area, and the families of the men and women of seal team six would hav been sent a letter two weeks later that they died in a training exercise. First the administration was touting that bin laden was armed and using one of his wives as a human shield. Once reports from Pakistan came out that he was unarmed and executed, then the story from the white house was that he was unarmed but still resisting. Obama did what any one in a leadership role should have done. He made an order to use our seals to execute a mission that they do all of the time without any of us knowing. The fact that this is even a political issue is disturbing. He sat in the comforts of the white house, while our brave soldiers, on the other side of the world carried out a dangerous mission. Now the white house and the media are making it like Obama is a brave hero. Really? How about the fact that the initial information as to where bin laden courier was came from water boarding in the base that Obama wants to shut down? Or the fact that under bush is when they gathered majority of the information as to where this monster was? I am not a bush supporter at all. But I don’t see him walking around and talking like he is a hero? As a former military member, I am completely disturbed by the way this administration is making it like Obama saved the world. If Biden and gates we’re against the president on this issue, then Obama should replace them with more competent leaders. But stop making this into a political issue. It is insulting to the men and women who serve our country day in and day out so people like us can sleep at night in the greatest nation the world has ever known.
May 5th, 2012 at 9:57 am
realist
were not talking about tilting we are talking about doing a 180 on core beliefs.
do you not understand the difference?
May 5th, 2012 at 9:59 am
It is politics as usual. Obama plays the same game. BTW, on the third base comment, Obama went from a dog-eating Indonesian to a Harvard Law grad — who paid for that?
May 5th, 2012 at 10:32 am
Realist,
I have been hearing that now for 4 years. It gets tired to hear.
And what makes you so sure that Romney won’t do exactly the same type of thing that you claim Obama might do and move back to his liberal/socialist ways (pro-choice, Romney care, etc.). That is what has upset so many conservatives and tea-party people, which is why they haven’t come to embrace him even now. His own party feels they can’t trust him.
The fact is that Romney has shown that he is far more likely to flip flop then Obama ever has.
May 5th, 2012 at 12:54 pm
@realist
Ultra-liberal?
Dude… I am a Socialist… I know ultra-liberal.
Obama is not ultra-liberal. I’d be hard pressed to call him “modestly liberal.”
May 5th, 2012 at 2:33 pm
DEAR CRITICS
NOT ONE OF YOU HAS DENIED MY MAIN PREMISE WHICH IS THAT HAD THE MISSION FAILED ROMENY WOULD NEVER HAVE SAID HE WOULD HAVE DONE THE SAME THING.
HUMAN CHARACTER AND CORE VALUES ARE APPARENTLY NOT TRAITS THAT MATTER TO YOU EITHER.
YOUR PARENTS DID A RATHER POOR JOB RAISING YOU
May 5th, 2012 at 4:12 pm
well said in Common Sense comment. we cannot afford more more years of obama, regardless of who the other candidates are
May 5th, 2012 at 4:46 pm
Fields’ article is based on his belief on what Romney would have said if Osama was not killed. I’m glad Fields can see alternate futures and pasts.
Fields is a doctrinaire liberal who can’t accept that others disagree with him. When they do, he resorts to personal attacks, not facts. “You Parents Did A Rather Poor Job of Raising You.” That is beneath even the level of the Fox Network.
May 5th, 2012 at 5:29 pm
Sam Fields says,
“DEAR CRITICS
NOT ONE OF YOU HAS DENIED MY MAIN PREMISE WHICH IS THAT HAD THE MISSION FAILED ROMENY WOULD NEVER HAVE SAID HE WOULD HAVE DONE THE SAME THING.”
Name the person on this planet who would have said after a failed mission that they would have done the same. What a ridiculous statement.
May 5th, 2012 at 6:41 pm
Sam is so not doctrinaire
May 5th, 2012 at 8:56 pm
Excellent and accurate observations, Mr. Fields. Too bad the truth hurts too much for some.
May 5th, 2012 at 9:37 pm
What Mitt may or may not have said is immaterial. All we can do is speculate. And that is exactly what it is. Speculation. No doubt Obama made a brave, courageous decision, bringing to completion the intelligence work begun under Bush. Obama is a good, sincere guy. But it is the fact that he has less than stellar advisors, as evidenced by this very decision and event, that will cause my indecision at the polls.
May 6th, 2012 at 12:02 am
fields:
your are a testiment that the only good quality a democract possesses is a donor card.
May 6th, 2012 at 5:59 am
“doing a 180 on core beliefs”
Are you discussing LBJ, who represented segregationists and supported their position. Then later “doing a 180” on his core beliefs and passed the county’s premier Civil Rights laws?
Another example is Obama, who promised to close Guantanamo, then he kept it open.
Every president in history has done “a 180” on core beliefs. They evolved.
May 6th, 2012 at 9:02 am
@realist says:
>> Another example is Obama, who promised to close Guantanamo, then he kept it open. They evolved.
I don’t call that evolution — to throw away the core beliefs of our nation.
May 6th, 2012 at 3:49 pm
Obama is so brave, he took almost a year to act on killing Bin Laden.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WsT4Tmc_K4g
The only reason Obama acted at all is because he was afraid the information would get out and he would be seen as a coward.
May 6th, 2012 at 7:04 pm
Romney, in response to Obama’s pledge to go after bin Laden, even if it meant going into Pakistan to do it: “It’s not worth moving heaven and earth spending billions of dollars just trying to catch one person.”
May 6th, 2012 at 8:31 pm
Sham…amazing you can read one person’s mind and refuse to understand another’s written word….
May 6th, 2012 at 9:14 pm
@realist
Every president in history has done “a 180″ on core beliefs. They evolved.
I would not say so much as “evolved” as I would suggest that once fully in Office, they have the naivete stripped from them, their understanding of situations and dynamics more fully comprehended which indeed may give pause to further reflection and thought. This often may result in contrary decisions and actions than what was originally proffered in their innocence and ignorance.
May 6th, 2012 at 11:31 pm
Buddy,
Why do you still let this guy write for you?
May 7th, 2012 at 8:54 am
Watcher says,”Sham…amazing you can read one person’s mind and refuse to understand another’s written word….”
Hi Watcher, I could read your mind too, but there is nothing in it.
May 7th, 2012 at 9:06 am
Sam sees all, knows all, that’s why.
May 7th, 2012 at 1:50 pm
Mitt Romney is very consistent when it comes to being on all sides of all issues.
May 7th, 2012 at 6:29 pm
I give Obama full credit for making the right decision to go after Osama. It is ironic, however, that had we followed Obama’s view of enhanced interrogation he never would have had the chance to make the call to take him out.
May 8th, 2012 at 8:49 am
Dear Challenge, et.al.
Why would you read him?
May 8th, 2012 at 3:41 pm
Here is more proof of how “gutsy” Obama is.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2141038/Revealed-How-White-House-planned-shield-Obama-blaming-Navy-chief-bin-Laden-raid-went-wrong.html
Obama would take credit for the success, but throw General McRaven under the bus if there had been a failure. Yes, Obama is one gutsy guy, not to mention his “Buck stops here” character.
May 8th, 2012 at 4:29 pm
Dear Sham the Sham,
Here’s the memo:
MEMO FOR THE RECORD Apr. 29, 2011, 10:35 a.m.
Received phone call from Tom Donilon who stated that the President made a decision with regard to AC1 [Abbottabad Compound 1]. The decision is to proceed with the assault. The timing, operational decision making and control are in Admiral McRaven’s hands. The approval is provided on the risk profile presented to the President. Any additional risks are to be brought back to the President for his consideration. The direction is to go in and get bin Laden and if he is not there, to get out. Those instructions were conveyed to Admiral McRaven at approximately 10:45 am.
It says nothing of the kind you are suggesting. Would you prefer to have the Prez calling the shots with the men on the ground.
It then says to let the Prez know if things change because he might then change his mind about giving the “go” signal.
I told Buddy to put on the “idiot filter” to block your comments.
More crap from FOX
May 8th, 2012 at 6:47 pm
Helloooo, TESTING, TESTING 1,2,3. Wow, I’m still able to post. I guess that Buddy does not believe in censorship like Sam Fields does.
Sam, it is good for you that you chose a life in the legal profession and not a military career. Good for the military too.
A few interesting things about this memo:
It was written by Leon Panetta, then CIA Director, not Sec of Defense and not McRaven’s boss.
It was written for the record, not to anybody in particular. Typical CYA maneuver.
It notes a call from Tom Donilon, the National Security Advisor. Donilon is a lifelong Democrat operative and lawyer/lobbyist. Read: No security experience whatsoever. So basically you have two lifelong Democrat operatives discussing, not the mission, but the strict parameters that it can be conducted in and how it can be “called back”.
Panetta, presumed by the existence of this hand written memo to be McRaven’s boss, misspells McRaven’s name (McCraven instead of McRaven).
Anyone who has planned anything, from a Little League game to taking out Bin Laden, knows that you cannot know all the risks. In writing this memo, Panetta knew something, perhaps dozens of things would go awry their plans. Just look at the one helicopter that crashed and had to be destroyed. That increased the risk but there is no memo about them asking Obama if they should scrub at that point. No, it is given to brave men, in the field and in command, to make hard, on the spot decisions. McRaven knew if anything went wrong, he would be blamed and his career would be over, but he took the job anyway. An honorable commander.
If every changing risk in an operation like this needed to be second guessed by the President, these operations would never take place.
We cannot know for certain that if things went wrong, Obama would have thrown McRaven to the wolves, just as we don’t know what Romney would do in the same situation. However, we do have past actions to judge them by. Obama’s history is replete with examples of taking credit where none was due, and never taking the blame for his mistakes.
Everything is some one else’s fault. A short list of people to blame:
– Bush
– The Tea Party
– The Reps in Congress
– The Entire Congress
– Fox News
– Talk Radio
– Wall Street
– Banks
– The Rich
– Insurance Companies
– Oil Companies
– China
– Turmoil in the Mid East
– Carbon
– State Governors
– The Supreme Court
What makes anyone think he would have taken the blame for failure here?
FROM BUDDY:
You will continue to be able to post comments. Sam Fields is a columnist, but not the decision maker on Browardbeat.com. I welcome your contributions. Sam needs to be challenged.
May 9th, 2012 at 7:19 am
I surprised Sam didn’t blame believers. People of faith are his usual target. If you believe in a Higher Power, you are responsible for war, poverty and even the recession. From what I hear, Sam needs to get a life and a girlfriend.
May 9th, 2012 at 7:15 pm
Obama was first against gay marriage and now he is for it. Isn’t that a 180?
May 10th, 2012 at 6:42 am
Obama signed a questionaire when running for STATE senator in Illinois where he explicitly said he was in support of gay marriage rights and would defend their rights. Nice try Romney/Palin supporter. Facts are such a pesky thing, huh?
May 10th, 2012 at 7:43 am
“Obama Did Not Flip Flop” better check out where Obama was on this issue when he ran for Prez. Against gay marriage. For civil unions. It was political expedient then so he flipped before flopping back again. Here are a few more. Will not hire lobbyists in his administration. Administration is full of them. Will not take PAC money. Uh oh, that tune changed this year also. You need to stop drinking the Kool Aid. The problem Sam (and mental midgets like “Obama Did Not Flip Flop” have is that they are not against candidates who flip flop, only GOP candidates who flip flop. That degree of intellectual dishonesty makes their viewpoint partisan fluff. By the way, I freely admit Romney is a flip flopper and I suppose I’ll have to hold my nose when I vote in order to rid the White House of the WORST President this country has ever suffered through.