[Ryan Williams]Romney spokesman blasts British paper's ‘false quote' about ‘Anglo-Saxon heritage'

[maddezmom]

Source: ABC

¬snip¬
Spokesman Ryan Williams angrily denounced the comment on Wednesday as "an anonymous and false quote from a foreign newspaper." And Williams assailed Vice President Joe Biden for using the news report to accuse the Republican standard-bearer of playing politics with foreign policy while on an overseas tour.

"Today, the race for the highest office in our land was diminished to a sad level when the Vice President of the United States used an anonymous and false quote from a foreign newspaper to prop up their flailing campaign," Williams said in a statement emailed to reporters. The spokesman charged that Biden—who did not cite the specific quotation—had "advanced a falsehood" and accused him of trying "to divert voters' attention with specious shiny objects."
¬snip¬

Here is how the Daily Telegraph characterized the unnamed Romney adviser's comments—which might suggest why the Republican's campaign is so aggressively hitting back:

In remarks that may prompt accusations of racial insensitivity, one suggested that Mr Romney was better placed to understand the depth of ties between the two countries than Mr Obama, whose father was from Africa.


Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/romney-spokesman-blasts-british-papers-false-quote-anglo/story?id=16855159

---

This campaign sure uses the "foreigner" card quite a bit.


Romney campaign in hot water for alleged 'Anglo-Saxon' remark

¬snip¬
But the reason the quote is resonating is because of its racial implications, and its suggestion that president is less than fully American. That appeal is rooted in the discredited birther movement that posits that the president was not born in the United States. Obama was born in Hawaii, but his father was African and he spent part of his childhood in Indonesia.

Romney has consistently said he believes the president was born in the United States, though he has stood alongside prominent birthers such as Donald Trump.

And Romney and a top surrogate have flirted with the matter in recent days. Former New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu said the president needed to “learn how to be an American,” a comment he later apologized for. And Romney has repeatedly said on the campaign trail over the past week and a half that Obama was leading the nation down a “foreign” path, one that he said in Pennsylvania last week that “changes America.”

more:http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-romney-campaign-in-hot-water-for-anglosaxon-remark-20120725,0,2007997.story

[reflection]

1. The blow that strikes true

elicits the loudest howl. The frequency of Mitt's dogwhistle was a little off, and everyone heard it. Too bad, Mitt.

[SemperEadem]

4. LOL! Yep...

the guilty always make the most noise.

[Berlum]

11. Dogwhistling is an olde & stanky Right Wing Occult tradition for seeding fear & hate

[C_U_L8R]

2. The British press is going to give Mitt quite a welcome

The British press doesn't usually put up with this bullcrap from politicians
(and they sure don't play nice).

I'm immensely enjoying Romney's amateur hour. What a dope !

[whathehell]

16. I know...Isn't it great?

No, they don't "play nice" and you can see it in Martin Bashir, for one.

I love it .

[yardwork]

24. I don't think that they're going to like the "foreign newspaper" quote from Romney camp either.

I'm chuckling. Romney and his advisors are really stupid. At least w had Rove.

[T_i_B]

30. The British press is actually very partisan

As such they take quite a lot of bullcrap from politicians they support.

It's worth noting that the Daily Telegraph is very pro-Romney at the moment. The stuff in the Telegraph read like a very bad attempt to play up to all sorts of right-wing/neo-con prejudices.

[C_U_L8R]

31. The Telegraph doesn't seem to love him much today

pretty funny - Romney seems to attract universal dislike.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/mitt-romney/9428764/Commentary-if-Mitt-Romney-doesnt-like-us-we-shouldnt-care.html

[SemperEadem]

3. wel now...

They're going to claim that the Telegraph made it up?

ryan williams must think he's dealing with the US press corp... he has no idea how brutal the British press is.

[maddezmom]

6. it was the Telegraph, but yeah it's always someone lying

on Team Romney

here is the article.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/mitt-romney/9424524/Mitt-Romney-would-restore-Anglo-Saxon-relations-between-Britain-and-America.html

[DallasNE]

10. Perhaps Romney Isn't So Anglo-Saxon Savvy After All n/t

[SaveAmerica]

5. Your Honor!! I project!!!

Edited to add evidence.

Exhibit A: "...to prop up their flailing campaign,"

[emulatorloo]

20. Yep - obvious projection.

[surrealAmerican]

7. There they go, trying to stuff the genie back in the bottle.

Too late, as usual. They are a team of total failures.

[reflection]

14. Yep

You can't unring a bell, and you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube.

[DallasNE]

8. What Is Telling Is That Williams

Didn't demand the newspaper retract the statement, only calling it a "false quote". Often campaigns prohibit actual quotes so I presume that is the case here as well so Williams is improperly using the word "quote" in this context. I suspect we have not heard the last of this. Romney also did not clear the matter up by disclosing what was actually said so one suspects that the newspaper got it about right.

[mountain grammy]

15. Of course, what did he really say?

[lupulin]

17. Why would a campaign

prohibit the use of actual quotes?

[DallasNE]

22. Both Sides Do It All Of The Time

Probably to allow them to walk back some of the things they said without acknowledging that they said it.

[lupulin]

25. This is about quoting the other campaign.

Why would a campaign give the courtesy to the opposition of not quoting them directly? Or, why would a campaign create deniability for their own quotes? It's deception either way.

[Jessy169]

9. We all know who is giving the "false quote"

And it isn't the "foreign newspaper".

[whathehell]

12. See how fast the Romster can flip?

First, they were brothers under the skin, sharing that "special relationship".

Now, they're just plain old "foreigners".

[amandabeech]

29. History major here.

The "special relationship" started with the amazingly close military and diplomatic cooperation between the U.S. and U.K. that started before the U.S. entered WWII.

The relationship has had its ups and downs, but some folks think that Obama isn't as keen on the formal (NATO) and informal alliance between us and the Brits as some of his predecessors, both D and R.

For more on the "special relationship" as an historical subject, go to Google. They have an extensive article.

Personally, I wish that the poodle Tony Blair had taken the Shrub by the collar and shaken some sense into him about Iraq, and that Calloway (or was it Brown) should have done the same to Obama about the "surge" in Afghanistan. In the latter instance, I think that Biden would have give the PM some assistance. Biden was against the surge all together, and appears to have been right IMHO.

Rmoney's advisor sounds like a complete clod in this, just like his boss.

[whathehell]

33. History and international affairs, especially as they pertain to Europe & the UK are

a very strong interest of mine, so, I actually know quite a bit about the "special relationship".

I agree with you COMPLETELY on Blair and Bush and I'd say everyone, to a person,

on this board felt the same...Like many here, I didn't like the "surge" in Afghanistan

either, nor the drone strikes which Biden was ALSO against.

Romney is a complete idiot when it comes to "people skills".

and his gaffes are a staple of humor here, so most of us aren't terribly surprised

that his "utterly charmless and mildly offensive" personality is now a matter of

international record. One can only laugh or role one's eyes.

TV pundits this morning were in hysterics regarding his "diplomacy" and since

he's going to Poland, were wondering if he planned to tell Polish Jokes.

He's a very odd man, and I honestly think it stems from something

beyond what might be explained by his wealth, religion, or politics.

[amandabeech]

34. Rmoney seems most at home with numbers.

Unfortunately for him, people are much more messy than a messed up balance sheet.

In a sick way, I look forward to his visits to Israel and Poland.

My guess is that many will be laughing and rolling their eyes at the same time.

[whathehell]

35. Yes, it's true.

he's a train wreck with people, here and abroad.

[1StrongBlackMan]

13. Well ...

they can always run to Murdock's UK News shop for a soft landing, just like here in the states ...

Oh, wait ...

[nolabear]

18. So this is how Mitt handles issues abroad, eh? "FOREIGNERS!!"

[Enrique]

19. he added, "notice that Biden is a Catholic"

"i'm not saying anything, i'm just saying..."

[heaven05]

21. well?

given that the 'white house is headed by someone of a different ethnicity than the republican challenger, the use of the race card is pretty transparent. It's obvious. Republican outrage? "Thou protest too much." Is it really that simple? White against black? Sad, mean season.

[rocktivity]

23. Romney Campaign SOP

Last edited Fri Jul 27, 2012, 11:38 AM - Edit history (1)

1. Say whatever might hurt (regardless of how true it is)
   
2. If people embrace it, claim the credit.
   
3. If people reject it, either ignore it, deny it, or blame others.

Now that his business, government, and Olympics platforms have collapsed, Mitt's only recourse is to come up with ways of saying "Vote for me because I'm NOT the black guy."


rocktivity

[mucifer]

26. Too bad we don't have a video.

[Drunken Irishman]

27. Nothin' but a bunch of whiners. His whole campaign whine mores than a teething toddler.

[taught_me_patience]

28. The Romney campaign blasting anybody for a false quote

is rich rich irony.

[KurtNYC]

32. Simple way to resolve this -- name the advisor who was quoted.

The Telegraph should pull Romney's knife out of their back and name the advisor. Heck, release the tape of the interview or phone call that contained that quote.