Romney Grilled On Foreign Policy Experience

By: Scott Conroy
Topics: Mitt Romney

(CBS)

From CBS News' Scott Conroy:

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- On a tumultuous day in Pakistan, reporters pressed Mitt Romney on why voters should trust a one-term governor from Massachusetts to make important foreign policy decisions.

"If the answer for leading the country is someone that has a lot of foreign policy experience, we can just go down to the State Department and pick up any one of the tens of thousands of people who spent all their life in foreign policy," Romney said.

"That's not what the nation needs in the president. The person that is president of the United States we look to to have leadership skill—which is the ability to assemble a great team of people, to be able to guide and direct them to understand what decision has to be made on the basis of data and analysis and debate and deliberation—an individual who knows how to make difficult decisions."

Romney pointed out that Ronald Reagan was not a foreign policy expert when he took office, but his policies helped win the Cold War.

"The president is not an expert," Romney said. "The president is a leader who guides America in making the important decisions which must be made to keep us safe."

But Romney also tried to make the case that he does have applicable experience in the realm of terror security.

"Mayor Giuliani was mayor for maybe a couple of months after 9/11 — he got about three months after 9/11 — and he did a fine job in responding to the tragedy that occurred on 9/11," Romney said. "I had the privilege over a four-year period to help create — or help develop with others — a state plan to provide for the security of our state. I also helped to develop — again with the help of others — a plan to secure the Olympic winter games, the first national special security event following 9/11."

Scott Conroy
Scott Conroy is a National Political Reporter for RealClearPolitics and a contributor for CBS News.
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by wendy731 December 28, 2007 1:39 PM EST: There is one week before the Iowa Caucaus. I would make a suggestion that anyone that loves to read would get a copy of "The Great Upheaval: America and the Birth of the Modern World, 1788-1800
by Jay Winik" and review the course of America. I am in awe at how in sink Mitt Romney is with the Founding Fathers of this nation. I am amazed that he has been attacked in many similar ways that they were. Mitt Romney is one of those rare and genuine finds and Americans need to review their history to find leaders like Washington, Adams, Jefferson,& Lincoln. Mitt Romney is such a leader; Reply to this comment


by dlounsbury1 December 28, 2007 6:49 AM EST: Dear "GiantRobot2": Once again a Romney basher rushes to post first what is clearly an inaccurate portrayal of what was asked and answered. The question was not "what would you do if nukes were launched?" The question was "would you take unilateral action without congress if you knew a foreign country such as Iran had a nuclear bomb and intended to launch it against the U.S.?" (There was no timeframe for launch involved in the question). The question of whether a president can use his executive war powers to engage enemies overseas WITHOUT congress'' formal declaration of war required by the constitution is a question that every first year law students spends about three weeks studying and there is no settled answer from the supreme court. EVERY president for the last fifty years has consulted his attorney general and other lawyers about the constitutionality of unilateral executive war action. I would be really afraid of a president who doesn''t carefully consider it as Romney said he would. The interesting thing about those who try to catch Romney in his words, is they just can''t get a direct hit on him because he is spot on the smartest, most deliberate, most professional and data driven candidate out there.; Reply to this comment


by giantrobot2 December 28, 2007 12:09 AM EST: Mitt Romney is a real threat to the American citizens especially in foreign policy.

In a National televised debate Mitt Romney said he would "FIRST" call his lawyers if a Nuclear bomb was heading our way. Call his lawyers, what is thinking about???

Mitt Romney is more concerned about covering his own behind than protecting the American people.; Reply to this comment