At the big CNN Debate in Florida Thursday, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich got into a back-and-forth over immigration. At one point, Romney’s tough ad attacking Gingrich for saying “Spanish is the language of the ghetto” came up, with moderator Wolf Blitzer asking Romney to repeat the charge.
“I haven’t seen the ad, so I’m sorry, I don’t get to see all the TV ads,” Romney said. “Did he say that?”
The fact that Gingrich did say something like that is a bit awkward for Gingrich, and has been for quite a while. But there was plenty of awkward to go around: Turns out the ad Romney said he’s never heard of is running on the radio from his campaign — and Romney’s voice, in Spanish, is on the end saying he approved it.
Here’s the video of Romney’s exchanges with Blitzer:
And here’s the Spanish language ad itslef, as posted to the Romney campaign YouTube account:
Update: According to Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom, Romney saw the ad in question but didn’t remember it.
“We’ve had about 85 web videos, radio ads, and TV spots that have been up and running which he has reviewed and approved,” Fehrnstrom told TPM. “He doesn’t recall every single one of them, but in this particular instance it was a radio ad that ran on Spanish stations and it made reference to the fact that Newt Gingrich had once referred to Spanish as the language of the ghetto. And Politifact looked at that ad, they looked at that specific claim, and they rated it mostly true.”
Nonetheless, Newt surrogates raised the exchange after the debate.
“Classic case,” Gingrich backer Fred Thompson said, “Putting out ads on the radio that are false accusing Gingrich of things and then having the candiate stand up there and go ‘Oh, I didn’t approve that, I don’t know anything about that,’ while millions of dollars are being spent on a ground game and an ad game by him and on his behalf.”
Evan McMorris-Santoro
Evan McMorris-Santoro has covered politics for TPM since 2009. Before that, he was a reporter at National Journal’s Hotline covering election 2008. He started his career covering local politics at newspapers in TN and his native NC.
This should have been Mitt's kill shot. They're in Florida, where probably a quarter of the Republican voters speak Spanish. And he couldn't even recall whether Newt actually said it.
There's Romney's fatal flaw in the GOP primaries - he doesn't have the attack dog instinct. Conservatives are wanting someone mean this time around, that's why Huntsman and Pawlenty couldn't gain ground, and Santorum didn't make a mark until he went on the offensive.
This exchange is really emblematic of how Gingrich lost the debate. He kept trying to trip up Romney with "gotcha" attacks, but Romney lied his way out of each one. The lies were so blatant that journalists on Twitter were calling them out in realtime, but Gingrich's didn't have any good responses to the lies, so he mostly just pouted. (Wolf Blitzer was the one who nailed Romney on the ad lie not Gingrich!)
Gingrich lost a political debate because he wasn't prepared for a Republican politician to lie to him. I can't make up my mind whether that's irony or poetic justice.
Thompson got the memo, but has "forgotten" what it said: "Fred, whenever you speak, rest certain that maybe 2 or 3 people are listening - at most". Poor old Fred - go pound sand Freddy boy. You couldn't carry Bob Dole's dentures
Not only is Willard's Spanish AWFUL, he apparently has memory problems as well. Just like another slick politician in his declining years.That's about the only way that Willard is anything like Ronnie, and lest we forget, Ronnie was bad enough for any one century, thank you very much.
Romney wants so badly to appear Reagan-like. Maybe the only comparison that works is that he has early onset Alzheimer's, since he can't seem to ever remember seeing or saying anything that he saw and said even a week ago.
Newt: "I meant to say Ebonics is the language of he ghetto. My bad."
If the Republican 'establishment' can't stand the Newter and finds the Mitter preferable, what does that tell us about the state of the Republican Party?
The kindest thing it could tell us is that few in the Party want to stand up nationally and spout the lies, mistruths, half-truth that seem to be required to coverup the failure of the "Party of Ideas".
Among the worse things it could tell us is that these two are actually the best the Republican Party has to offer.
Something Ive been trying to noodle about in the course of this 'political season' is the Republicans' branding of themselves as 'the Party of Ideas'!
Is there a relationship between the Party's and its representatives' increasing and intensifying lying and the failure of the brand, i.e. 'the Party of Ideas' ?
I think there may be: The problem is not the Republicans have not been great at hiring people to fill their "think tanks" and to spew out propaganda; and they've great at taking a novel like Atlas Shrugged and trying to spin it into reality; and they've hired some terrific word-smithers and psychobabble folks.
The Republicans' problem is not their sales and marketing. There's been nothing wrong - and there's been everything right - with the Republicans' 'we're the Party of Ideas' sales and marketing machine.
The Republicans' problem is that reality has overtaken the fabrications and fantasies they've manufactured and peddled.
In the experience of the voting public, reality has finally broken through the bogus marketing. And that has left the Republican candidates with only one alternative: to attempt to cover-up with lies the failure of the Party's 'ideas'.
So, we voters approach the coming months with an increasingly clear picture of the gap between the Republican fantasy and middle class reality. The failure of the Republican brand - 'the Party of Ideas' - leaves them only one immediate 'out' - tell more lies, tell lies more often, tell lies louder: Try to cover-up reality as best you can and hope the voters can still be led by a Pied Piper, the Newter or the Mitter.
(Does anyone remember which - the Newter or the Mitter - entered the race first? If my Granddad's Rule is correct, it might give us a clue as to who's going to win. Granddad's Rule "The First Liar Don't Have a Chance".)
workforcecomplex Nailed it sir. I have had the same feeling since the '08 campaign. Why can't the Right side of the aisle come up with someone WORTHY of my vote? I voted for Bush 1 and considered McCain until the Palin debacle. This is pathetic.
workforcecomplex I don't know which is worse: branding the GOP "the Party of Ideas" or Newt's claim last Friday that "the Republican Party at its best is the party of science and technology."
workforcecomplex Your description of the GOP's only remaining "out" is spot on, and sure to be the road taken. It reminds me of the advice a stoner friend gave me regarding my malfunctioning car. "If your car makes a bad noise, just turn on the radio. If the noise gets worse, turn the radio up REAL LOUD!"
I think The Daily Show played a clip from a few (several?) debates ago where Romney claims no knowledge of the contents of one of his ads then, a few minutes later, describes exactly what's in the ad.
I am thoroughly enjoying this. You knew it was coming. The GOP establishment and Super Pacs and Romney were going to throw an armageddon at the Newster in Florida. They know they CANNOT allow the Newster to win in Florida. I am guessing it will be effective enough to eke out a win for Romney. Newster deserves every rotten thing that happens to him, whether or not Romney is a sleazy and dishonest corporate raider. Compared to the Newster he is Barack Obama (and yes, right wing whackos, that is a compliment). My hope is the Newster ekes a win out, but of course, the media expectations keep seesawing. Breathless Nate Silver, whose forecasts change faster than a twitter feed, is going to tear a neck muscle predicting and repredicting.
My question is, if Mitt was making enormous amounts of Money in a "blind trust" which he did not officiate, nor did he make decisions on, how could he claim success for this venture?
And, if it was in his wife's name (the swiss bank account), wouldn't that mean that she was the one who was "successful?"
Romney blames his trustee for his investments in Fannie and Freddie. He blames others for the anti-Gingrich ad on which he says he approved. He blames his employing illegal immigrants on the company that he hired. He blames his campaign staff for not releasing his tax records earlier. He blames his paying a 13.9 percent tax rate on those who made the rules that he himself lobbied for. He blames his record as governor on Democrats. He blames, he blames. The man takes responsiblity for nothing.
Kaneblues he takes responsibility for the jobs created at the companies that managed to survive his predatory attentions at bain capital.
OT, but when I run for president, this will be my ride...
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9IfIbd4hirQ/R7py0Gi6NPI/...
Catch you later gators.
Mickey Bitsko
Oh, that's hot!
G'night Mickey!
Mickey Bitsko Good night, all!
ChesireMickey Bitsko
G'night Chesire!
G'night, rest of ye!
Mickey Bitsko The green lawn is a nice touch. May it be an easy ride.
Mittens: I never saw it, even though I approved it. I just don't have time to look at everything I approve. I don't have time to know what it is before I approve it. I mean, I'm running for President, for Pete's sake!
Cyberduckie Hey, it worked for Dubya. I wouldn't be surprised if Mitt is eyeing some property around Crawford, TX right now.
Mickey BitskoCyberduckie Good point, Mickey, "I never saw it, even though I approved it" pretty much sums up the inetlligence on WMD's, doesn't it?
ChesireCyberduckie He's a little bit Bush and a little bit Nixon. No, make that a whole lot of both.
Mickey BitskoChesire Where Donnie and Marie were a little bit country and little bit rock n' roll, Mitt is 100% Lite FM, with just the slightest dash of canned salsa.
ChesireCyberduckie For the first in my life, I apologize to Nixon for my previous remark comparing him to Mitt.
CyberduckieMickey Bitsko
"Short, yet tall and
fat and sassy,
the girl from Ipanema's gassy, and..."
ChesireMickey Bitsko
And when she passes,
Each one she passes goes "OY! *cough hack choke hack hack cough*"
CyberduckieMickey Bitsko I have been trying for years to think up the next line - I'm stealing that!
ChesireMickey Bitsko Be my guest, kind sir!
Mickey Bitsko I was thinking something closer to the border. Ya know, makes it easier to get his "treasure" to and from the rest of his family.
Cyberduckie Can one inherit dual citizenship?
Mickey BitskoCyberduckie Romney's barely able to meet the challenge of citizenship, never mind doubling down on it!
Mickey Bitsko Do robots have inheritance rights?
Chesire You can bet he knows where to find the best fromage, especially fromage blanc.
CyberduckieMickey Bitsko Only if they incorporate.
Cyberduckie Osaac Asimov's Three robot rules:
1. Robots must never harm human beings or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. Robots must follow instructions from humans without violating rule 1.
3. Robots must protect themselves without violating the other rules.
Mitt fail!
Mickey Bitsko MOUSEBENDER :No matter. Fetch hither le fromage de la Belle France! M-mmm!
WENSLEYDALE: I think it's a bit runnier than you'll like it, sir.
MOUSEBENDER: I don't care how f*****g runny it is. Hand it over with all speed.
WENSLEYDALE: Oh ...
..
MOUSEBENDER: What now?
WENSLEYDALE: The cat's eaten it.
MOUSEBENDER: Has he?
WENSLEYDALE: She, sir.
Chesire Heh!
Do yourself a favor, Mitt, and start drinking now. It just might kill that bug you've got up your arse.
Sort of like Ron Paul denies knowledge of the newsletters that carried his name -- except these ads are RIGHT NOW.
It's all Rethuglican -- all lies -- anyway. Whatever. Who can lie the best and deny the best. I guess those are qualities to test if you're a Rethug.
Denies knowledge? Guess he's turning out to be a Reagan Republican after all.
bnmng
"The task of watering the arid desert between Reagan's ears is a challenging one for his aides."
-- quite possibly the only interesting thing columnist David Broder ever wrote
When you have the kind of money Romney has, you don't have to see all the ads you approve.
RexKC Why, Romney even has servants who approve ads for his servants.
I expected to hear Newt say he was young, gifted and black, but I didn't watch it so maybe he did.
Mickey Bitsko Did nobody watch the debate? I thought I was the only one. I thought I was special. :(
CyberduckieMickey Bitsko I've been trying to watch the debates out of some probably misguided sense of civic duty but it doesn't take me very long to reach my bulls**t quotient and I have to turn it off. I did have one epiphany tonight, though. R*n P**l sounds like Don Knotts when he speaks; I think he's straight out of The Ghost and Mr. Chicken.
twoviragosMickey Bitsko Don't get me wrong - had I been home, I would have been watching with an alcoholic beverage in my hand, ready to drink it up and make it just that much funnier. Instead, though, I was out having an adventure. I figure I have about 500 more chances to drink some vodka before they actually choose a candidate.
How could Romney have SEEN a radio spot?
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