Mitt Romney again bashed President Obama for his connections to Harvard on Thursday, despite holding multiple degrees from the university himself and relying heavily on Harvard advisers as part of his presidential campaign.
Speaking in Harrisburg, Pa., Romney told an audience that Obama may have spent “too much time at Harvard,” according to NBC. Obama, who has a law degree from Harvard, spent three years there. Romney, who earned both a Harvard law degree and business degree, spent four years at the university and was by all accounts a motivated student who was happy with the institution during his time there.
Despite frequently mocking Obama for taking advice from the “Harvard faculty lounge” and spending too much time at the university, Romney has shown little indication that he regrets his own experience.
Three of his sons attended Harvard and he has donated over $50,000 to the university. His campaign lists over a dozen advisers with Harvard ties, including Harvard economics professor Greg Mankiw and international affairs professor Meghan O’Sullivan.
Romney recently cited Harvard professor David Landes during a major economic speech as one of his biggest policy influences — after bashing the “Harvard faculty lounge” the day before.
Romney’s ties to his alma mater are indisputably strong, making his continuous habit of slamming Obama for an arguably less extensive connection to the same school a peculiar tic.
Update: Buzzfeed dug up a video of Romney in 2006 explaining just how “terrific” his Harvard education was, specifically crediting it with putting him in the initial consulting job that launched his incredibly successful business career.
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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