London Stalling: Not the Headlines Mitt Romney Traveled Across the Pond to Get

Thursday, July 26, 2012


It’s easy to see why Mitt Romney would want to get out of the country for a few days. As one reporter wrote, the trip could be “a welcome respite from perhaps his roughest patch yet of the general election.” (Politico, 7/21/12)

Unfortunately for Romney that’s not how it’s worked out…

Romney under fire for comments about London Olympics (ABC/Yahoo, 7/26/12)

Romney goes to Europe, causes stir (AP, 7/26/12)

Romney’s Remarks on Olympics Cause Stir in London (New York Times, 7/26/12)

Romney Trip Off to Inauspicious Start (National Journal, 7/26/12)

Mitt Romney questions whether Britain is ready for Olympic Games (Telegraph, 7/26/12)

Mitt Romney questions London's enthusiasm for Olympics (The Week, 7/26/12)

Olympics: David Cameron rejects Mitt Romney's suggestion Britain is not ready (Telegraph, 7/26/12)

David Cameron 'angered US conservatives' with 'unprecedented' election-year embrace of Barack Obama (Telegraph, 7/25/12)

“And another Mitt Romney blunder: confirmed outside No 10 he met head of MI6. Aspiring US presidents not meant to say that” – Nicholas Watt, Guardian's chief political correspondent

Let’s take stock of Romney’s European misadventures thus far.

He arrives in London on Wednesday, insults the city of London, the London games and then publicly acknowledges meeting the director of the United Kingdom’s intelligence service.

Of course, Romney’s trip to London doesn’t have to be a total loss. He was able to carve out time for some of his most ardent and generous supporters:

Romney’s London fundraisers will take him to heart of scandal-plagued banking industry (Washington Post, 7/18/12)

Why are London’s bankers so eager to give to Romney’s campaign? Maybe it’s because he’s made it clear he would let Wall Street write its own rules again.

Mitt Romney wanted this trip to showcase his foreign policy chops…but the trip so far has been far from a success.

Meanwhile, back home…

Romney's taxes: Why do they matter? | New Hampshire Union Leader

“But there is no place for secrecy or, indeed, privacy in a Presidential campaign. If you want the job, you have to subject yourself to the scrutiny. You have to be prepared to stand and explain, indeed, justify, your actions. If they are legal, then so be it... Surely he could not have arrogantly believed that he could withstand any storm that developed by bluffing his way through it? If so, it hasn’t worked.

“If Romney intends to win, he is going to have to make the tax forms public.”