Mitt Romney’s propensity for flip flops could put American lives at risk from terrorism, according to a spokesman for Newt Gingrich.
RC Hammond, press secretary for the former Speaker, warned reporters after Sunday’s NBC/Facebook debate that everyone should take Romney’s shifts seriously in case they spill over into his potential role as Commander in Chief.
“Newt Gingrich is the only one with national security leadership,” he said. “When you have the Iranians trying to shut down the Persian Gulf, you have drug cartels in Mexico, you have Al Qaeda across the world trying to attack the US, when you put it in those lenses, it’s a lot different when you look at the candidates up there. Mitt Romney, it may be like whatever he wants to tell the terrorists that week to appease them might be what he’s up to.”
Asked by TPM to elaborate, Hammond said while he was “poking fun” at Romney’s record, the connection between his shifting positions and his ability to protect the nation was indeed legitimate.
“He’s trying appeal in a Republican primary, trying to be the conservative, but in reality it’s not what his track record shows,” shows he said. It’s an indicator on any level.”
Benjy Sarlin
Benjy Sarlin is a reporter for Talking Points Memo and co-writes the campaign blog, TPM2012. He previously reported for The Daily Beast/Newsweek as their Washington Correspondent and covered local politics for the New York Sun.
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