Romney's anti-Muslim bigotry gets worse
By Steve Benen Tuesday Nov 27, 2007 7:23amMitt Romney ran into a little trouble yesterday, when the Christian Science Monitor ran an account in which Romney said that he "cannot see that a cabinet position would be justified" for a Muslim. The Republican presidential hopeful, later in the day, denied the whole thing.
Unfortunately for Romney, there are more witnesses suggesting he's lying. Greg Sargent explains:
[A]s we reported earlier today, we located two GOPers in Nevada who say that Romney had in fact been asked a similar question and given a similar answer at another event three months ago. George Harris, a state GOP official, told us that he asked Romney at a private fundraiser if he would have any Muslims in his Cabinet. According to Harris, Romney's reply was "most likely not."
We've now discovered that there's a contemporaneous account of this episode in something called Liberty Watch Magazine, which Harris publishes.
I suspect if a leading Democratic candidate announced publicly that he or she would, if elected, discriminate against a religious minority, it'd be a fairly big deal.
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And why isn't the media paying more attention to this?
Way to go Mitt, you sound like a stand up guy! GO RACISM!
No one calls the repugs on their bigotry since it's a major piece of their party platform.
Yep, Steve, if it were a dem who made that comment it would be a big deal, but it would be a big deal to us, indeps and dems. Since it was a repub who said it, it plays well to the repubs so they soak it up with glee.
I suspect if a leading Democratic candidate announced publicly that he or she would, if elected, discriminate against a religious minority, it’d be a fairly big deal.
That's the way it works in America now...if a Democrat does it it's a crime...if a Republican does the same thing it's justified! sounds fair to me. except that all the real criminals are in the Republican party.
Funny, if I was president, I wouldn't want any Christians in my cabinet...
Sh*t Romney only employes brown people to rake his lawn and pump his septic tank up at the lake! Or to help out Anne when she craps on sales clerks helping her shop for her designer duds.
Thank God they have the boys serving their country at the Front, you know, the front of the campaign bus.
Mitt's script writer must be on strike.
This won't be that controversial. Now, if he had said he was going to appoint an atheist to his cabinet he'd be committing campaign suicide.
The funny thing is, the people he's trying to appease also harbor similar thoughts about Mormons.
Actually, if a Dem said they would be pleased to consider a Muslim for a cabinet position if that person was duly qualified, they would be attacked for being naive and not security-minded. All that pre-911 thinking ya know.
S. 1959 Will Label Us All as Terrorists! Take Action to Stop It!
We cannot allow them to sneak in and pass this Unconstitutional bill in silence without debate, like the House did! RTR wrote this and it should be viewed by anyone who has ever written that this administration and their globalist agenda is wrong for the country!
http://willyloman.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/s-1959-will-make-us-terrorist...
Boy, I sure am glad the good old 5th US MN elected Keith Ellison, otherwise them good ol' boys would be flapping their lips more about the 'bad Muslims'.
Kinda keeps them in their place IMO.
I suspect that would be true only if they discriminated at a nominally Christian splinter group.
This isn't generating the attention it should because like the Democrats, the ReThugs have already annointed it's successor to Shrubya. He is a cross-dressing former NYC mayor with a history of piss-poor relationships with women (his first wife was his cousin), and has managed to alienate his children when he decided to divorce their mother (by announcing it at a press conference) and bring his mistress into Gracie Mansion when the wife and children were still living there. Not to mention he takes a call from replacement third wife while in the middle of a speech and pisses off the audience to which he was appealing for their votes.
God, you have to love those Republican Family Values... ::rolls eyes::
I suspect if a leading Democratic candidate announced publicly that he or she would, if elected, discriminate against a religious minority, it’d be a fairly big deal.
Depends on which minority. This society has demonstrated that some minorities are still OK to attack.
I suspect if a leading Democratic candidate announced publicly that he or she would, if elected, discriminate against a religious minority, it’d be a fairly big deal.
Depends on the religious minority. Sadly, it's too easy make political capitol with a significant segment of our society by using the right code words when referring to Muslims or immigrants - especially those from Mexico. And even more sadly, that segment is not comprised of only "Nascar republicans".
Comeon, this is political genius. He's pandering to the racists and bed-wetters.
In a nutbag, his message is "I hate muslims and I want to torture all of them in a double-sized Gitmo."
Mittens is keepin it real.
Mit Romney must be pretty damned sure of himself becoming President if he is lying already.
I think there are very valid reasons to enquire into the beliefs of people who aspire to access the red telephone. If a candidate believes in the rapture, dances with snakes in his/her mouth, transubstantiates, wears funny underwear, or loops rags on his/her head (To name only a few of the available abnormalities.) in an attempt to reach the lap of a sky daddy I would shunt them to ground with malice. The power of the presidency is REAL. We need a clear eyed individual in the office during these trying times. Of course, he/she will need to lie about their adherence to some superstition in order to con the ballot box stuffers out of their birthright.
Steve blogs "I suspect if a leading Democratic candidate announced publicly that he or she would, if elected, discriminate against a religious minority, it’d be a fairly big deal."
That's because it would be at odds with the philosophy of most Democrats. To say something that stupid would be political suicide. But, for a Republican, it's appealing to his base. Were he to say he would include a Muslim at the cabinet level, he'd lose any chance with most Republican voters.
More succinctly - in most cases Republicans are bigots and Democrats are not.
This is sad, because many people are giving him short shrift for being a Mormon.
detrius @ 9:
I'm sure they're all amused as hell in a "We appreciate the sentiment, Mitt. But, as far as we're concerned, we might as well be watching most unpopular kid in school pick a fight with the class retard" kind of way.
Sigh @ 10:
It's sad, but it's true. The media would find more of a controversy if someone wasn't racist in this case.
The fact that Shit Romney would have the audacity to feel comfortable making an ignorant comment like that says a lot about the level of tolerance in this country. I'm an African American and sadly I'll never vote for Barack Obama because I know he can't win in the U.S.. There are simply too many unamerican white people who won't vote for him solely because he is black, and this election is just too important to risk giving it to the Republicans.
This coming from the man who follows a religion founded by Joseph Smith???
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Smith,_Jr.#Major_teachings
The Political Junkie @ 14:
So the cross dressing must be his way of subtly letting his rethug constituents know that he's 'one of them'.
Big Tobacco @ 21:
Yes, and i would give him short shrift for being a Scientoligist as well. Mormons believe Jesus Christ came to America in a rowboat. And that is just the begining. I do not want anybody like that running the country.
I'm mad. I don't even live in the Us. And I'm not the brightest of my class. But somehow I can see a lie when it is told. And a lot of people rather belief the lie rather than the truth because of fear of it being true. When will you stand up (and there is a reason I post this question on this website) and do something about it? Fear is a strange thing. It dissables you of even telling your truth to your closest friends. Discuss everything you know (offline)(and there is a reason I state this on this website) and be rediculed, it will set you free. There are a lot of brave people around the world (including US) voicing different opinions. so can you. Ever asked yourself how the second world war coul'd even occur. the attrocities. the people involved. You are in such a situation right now. Talk to the people close to you (again offline), and this will end.
MargeAggedon @ 2:
Or, as Paul Klugman maintains, with the GOP, it boils down to racism. They dress it up with doublespeak, but class-ism and racism are the two platforms of the GOP.
it sounded to me in the sound bite like he said "it would not be justified to reserve a cabinet position for a muslim american." that's different isn't it? It is your job to be accurate. He said he wouldn't specially set one aside to be filled by a muslim. (I'm a kucinich supporter)Calling him anti muslim for this is stretching.
How many democratic governors or presidents have had muslims in their cabinets.
Hypocrite allert
What kills me is that this kind of quote would be an atomic bomb of a news if instead of 'Muslims' he said another religion, say 'Jews'. It would effectively mean the end of his career.
Romney's hero is Ian Smith of Rhodesian Front fame. Apartheid has never been sexier to his fanboys like Roger Simon and Hugh Hewitt
Spud @ 30:
Yo, Spud here's the quote: Mitt Romney ran into a little trouble yesterday, when the Christian Science Monitor ran an account in which Romney said that he “cannot see that a cabinet position would be justified” for a Muslim.
He didn't say anything about a cabinet position being "reserved for a Muslim".
SPUD@30 Dude, you can't be this dumb. To openly proclaim that you WON'T HIRE PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY ARE MUSLIM is racist and anti-american! Stop with the bullshit rationalizing! No true American should support this crap.
You can understand he might be trying to appeal right-wing nuts but what a hypocricy when he claims victimized as mormon.
Sorry to point this out but "muslim" isn't a race. Therefore, being anti-Muslim isn't being racist. I hate it when words are used that sloppily.
And before anybody soils their pants, I don't like Romney either. But, should he get himself elected, he can fill his posts with whomever he likes just like anybody else. Given the blur that fundamentalist Muslims have between religion and government, I can't imagine anybody who gives a damn about his/her freedoms wanting one in high office. Let's not pretend that they aren't major control freaks over people's personal lives.
While I'm no fan of Romney...to reserve a seat for someone solely based on a given religous affliliation is dead wrong in my opinion...whether they be Muslim, Jewish, or Christian...they should be appointed for their experience in that position...
HAS anybody asked this question of the other candidates? We compare apples to oranges when questions are hand picked for each candidate. The whole process is getting kind of stupid if you ask me. They pick on each candidate for different reasons instead of doing a nice analysis of what each one stands for. It's a bunch of shit.
I suspect if a leading Democratic candidate announced publicly that he or she would, if elected, discriminate against a religious minority, it’d be a fairly big deal.
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That would make it "fair and balanced".
IOKIYAR
xoites defends Constitution @ 18:
You are correct, lying IS the first requirement.
this guy is LITERALLY the next Dan Quayle.
Does he ever stop saying incredibly stupid shit?
Simon9 @ 35:
Should he get humself elected even the undocumented will be leaving. But more to the point may i ask the difference between a fundamentalist Christian, Jew or Muslim besides the name of their God? How is this an argument?
Mitt's so called religion teaches that Negro's were meant to be slaves
to the white man. I can just about imagine were and what he thinks
Arabs are good for and should be doing. No doubt Slaves to his own
black Slaves. If you think the current POTUS has brought us to the
edge of a full out National Socialist America, Mitt as POTUS would
move us right into Goose Stepping, and children informing on their
own parents, even more than they are encouraged to do so already.
We need a Non Religious person in the White House, to undo the
damage 12 years of phony self serving so called Christians have
heaped on our Republic. Can you imagine 1 Evangelical that will
vote for what they actually consider a member of a cheap Cult?
Rest assured, the remaining freedoms we still enjoy, would go
straight into the toilet with Romney as president. Total religious
fascism would be the order of the day. With creature like Orin
Hatch in his cabinet, they would shut down every mens room in
every American airport. Unless you had a Mormon ID that is.
yeah. Sometimes he takes naps.
Well for starters, fundamentalist Christians and Orthodox Jews don't issue fatwas (death sentences) on people for saying things they don't like...
Poetic justice that anti-Mormon bigotry is hurting Mittens in Iowa. Couldn't happen to a nicer bigot.
Simon9 @ 45:
No, they cart them off to Gitmo or a secret prison and torture them. Unless of course you are forgeting about that fellow in Israel who was jailed for telling the world Israel had nukes, was released years later only to be imprissoned again for talking to the press.
xoites defends Constitution @ 47:
Or just have them disappeared.
Crickett: Chirp!
Is Romney gonna build detention camps for Muslims next?
But by far the worst thing the Fundies have done in this country is subvert the press, the Constitution and Habeas Corpus. Unfortunately they are not through.
flat rat @ 50:
Already built.
Oh, and look at today's round up.
Migrant detention center being built at Gitmo to house 10,000
"Simon Says" is a children's game after all.
Is that a dig, Xoites? Rather lame. Stick to the subject and lose the ad hominems.
The reason why Western Religions don't issue fatwas, Pat Robertson excluded, is because of the secularization of Europe, not some alleged higher nature of the religion. People finally got sick of centuries of religious bloodshed, and said to their clergy, enough, we're done, we're not doing your dirty work anymore.
xoites defends Constitution @ 54:
Speaking of Simon Says:
http://www.uclick.com/client/nyt/ta/
If romney keeps this up they won't sell him any oil to put in his hair helmet.
Simon9 @ 45:
No, not direct orders, but they might incite people like Paul Hill with their violent rhetoric.
Romney is a Republican. Of course he's a bigot. Of course he's a liar. I wonder how he is going to give answer to the position that, "We can't have a Mormon for president", when he is himself engaging in the identical ignorance and bigoted intolerance that brought life to the anti-Mormon meme.
What goes around, comes around. Usually, though, it takes a little longer. I think this is hillarious.
Simon9 @ 56:
Actually, i responded directly to you more than once. If you can respond to this harmeless little crack why can't you respond to my much more serious remarks?
Romney's position is that if you belong to a religion that represents a small percentage of society, you shouldn't expect to be given a position of high responsibility: He “cannot see that a cabinet position would be justified” for a Muslim.
So, since Mormons are such a small percentage of American society (about 1.2%), doesn't this mean that he shouldn't expect to be President? By his own logic, I mean?
Why doesn't someone ask him about this? (Oh, wait, I know the answer, he keeps denying that he said it ....)
The Morons...sorry, Mormons didn't allow blacks to become priests in their religion until 1978 and for much of the 20th century were known for forcing blacks to use difference (read: side and back) entrances.
Mitt Romney was born in 1947.
If Romney shares in the old mentality toward blacks (as C&L points out, none of the Re-Pubic-an 2008 candidates have talked to blacks) then it would explain his attitude towards non-christians.
Simon9 @ 45:
True, they just ostracize them, and even encouraged their own family members to ostracize them. And then urged their own family members to cleanse themselves and give their all to GOD and the church (i.e. the pastor).
And in the name of the pastor...oops the Lord ('Eff the Lord, I am GOD', says the pastor), I command 'thee begone'.
No, thank you. I'd rather be killed than to have to know that my own wife now fathers the sons/daughters of the pastor.
Romney's plan to fill cabinet posts by religious quotas makes perfect sense, assuming that he is running for President of Lebanon, which is the country that uses this system.Will he also base other actions on the census of the 1930s, as they do?
I should mention that a big part of the secularization of Europe was due in large part to the plagues. They so decimated the population, that workers became scarce and valuable, and therefore better treated.
By the way most of the plague wasn't bubonic but septicemic and/or pneumonic.
Maybe he can get one of his mormon brothers to baptize his campaign once it's dead.
he is a repug ... his MO is to lie and tell bullshit ...
before i comment on whether the omission of muslims in the cabinet is bigotry or nor could someone please tell me whether, under sharia law, having a woman flogged as punishment for being raped constitutes torture?
xoites defends Constitution @ 48:
People have been hauled off to Gitmo for saying things the govt doesn't like?
Who the fuck cares what romney says or does, or doesn't say or do, he and the rest of the assholes running for president including a good portion of democrats are a fucking joke, in fact this whole race is a travesty, there is no substance, no gravitas, nothing, zilch, bupkes. No talk of anything that might be important like a fucking war and the equivocation of what is and what is not torture, when we all no goddamn well what torture is.
Which leads to wondering what planet I am on, because all I see everywhere I go is pure unadulterated fucking in your face insanity.
OK rant over but my anger is unmitigated.
They're muslims and thusly evil, of course don't deserve a spot!
Whatever happened to calling them Musselmen?
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