Portman: Romney would sacrifice a two-term presidency

AP Photo/Al Behrman

(CBS News) Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, widely presumed to be among the top candidates to become Mitt Romney's running mate, suggested Tuesday that Romney would be willing to sacrifice a second term if it meant making unpopular decisions.

"This is something I have never said publicly. I've told my wife this, but I think he'd be willing to risk being a one-term president in order to make the tough decisions that are going to be required," Portman said at the Reuters Washington Summit.

That's not necessarily the length of a presidency Romney has in mind, although he has said in the past - not unusual for a presidential candidate - that he is more concerned with doing the job right than doing it for eight years.

"I'm in this race because I want to get America back on the right track. I don't care about reelections," he told Bob Schieffer on Face the Nation earlier this month. When Schieffer followed up to clarify whether it meant he only intended to serve one term, Romney said, "Oh, no, look, I'm going to do whatever I think is right to get America right, but for me this is not about politics. This is not about, did I win this or did they win this. This is about what can we do to get America right."

But from Romney's rhetoric on the campaign trail, he's made it clear that a commander-in-chief only gets four years to prove he is effective. His stump speech frequently refers to a 2009 interview President Obama gave to the Today Show in which he said his presidency would be a "one-term proposition" if he didn't fix the economy in three years.

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The day in politics: June 26

[jimatmadison]

Romney would bring back the Bush policies that crashed the economy in the first place.

That's what would 'sacrifice' his second term.

And I'll bet Romney would never make a decision that was unpopular with Grover Norquist, the Koch brothers or Sheldon Adelson.

[Thinkbeforeyouwrite]

Of course, he would, Rob. I'm sure Romney would be content with one term if he could "fix" the country. Here's what your fellow GOPer, Perry, said: "Romney is a vulture capitalist whose work at Bain allowed him to reap huge profits by dismantling companies and laying off workers." I'm sure such a man would be content with only 4 years.

[sjc_1]

Rob must be their trial balloon guy, if you read the article it sounds like he told his wife he thought he heard Romney say this. He is trying to make Mitt sound like a swell guy that would sacrifice for ruining the country more than G.W. did.

[TimeToEvolve]

Isn't this moron Portman embarrassed to be a Republicon? I mean they cannot govern, have no ideas or plans to help Americans or anyone else and have done nothing good for anyone except themselves for as long as I can remember.

The Republicon white wing wackos really need to go lie down in the corner before they hurt themselves. Or someone else. They seriously live in some kind of twisted, sick, fantasy world where everyone is out to get them. If they weren't so dangerous I would actually feel sorry for them being of subhuman intelligence.

[esq777]

That's really funny considering that (a) Willard Romney is a guy who has been done nothing other than run for the presidency for the past 5 years and (b) Willard Romney has never had to "sacrifice" once in his ultra-privileged life. He didn't have to sacrifice when he waltzed into top prep schools and top colleges, not when he dodged the draft hiding out in France during Vietnam, and not when he was handed a cushy "job" at Bain. The only thing Willard Romney has sacrificed are American jobs at the companies he looted.

[anyyname]

In other words, Romney would be willing to accelerate the United State's decline into a kleptocracy by committing even larger crimes against U.S. Citizens than those perpetrated by the last four presidents and he would be willing to risk a second term to do so.

Wow, that should be a real vote-getter!

Hey, Romney, why not just promise to do absolutely nothing at all to us. It would be such an improvement that we might even abandon the two-term limit just for you.

All we ask is that you not:

Loot our treasury by giving our money to your associates.

Let Timothy Geithner loot our treasury by giving our money to his associates.

Start fake wars to give huge contracts to your associates.

Start fake wars for profit that kill hundreds of thousands of innocents.

Create any more trade agreements that make your associates filthy dirty wealthy at the expense of U.S. Citizens, their economy, and their job market.

Occupy Afghanistan again (assuming we ever leave) if the local government eradicates opium production again as the Taliban did in 2001, immediately preceding our decision to invade it to look for boogeymen.

Use our CIA to import heroin created from Afghanistan opium.

Occupy Columbia to look for boogeymen if the local government becomes successful in eradicating cocaine production.

Look for boogeymen in the wrong country for ten years.

Allow illegals to cross the border in massive numbers to benefit your associates while U.S. Citizens become unemployed and die.

Use any of the other scams employed by the last four presidents or use any new ones.

Use more hair dye.

Smile and wave.

Speak.

[qyeteye]

So when are we to believe any statement coming from etch-a-sketch man and his party?

[Edward_Norton]

How cute! I remember when Obama said he'd rather be a "great" one term president, rather than a "good" two term president, too! That's called "politicking" and they're both liars! Want an unpopular decision? How about a third party? We NEED a third party, as Dems/Repubs are TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN!!

[MurdochSucks]

Bernie Sanders for Prez, NOW!

[abby_del_abbey]

I guess Romney figures it won't take him 4 years to completely turn over America to the 1%, especially since the 1% have already started usurping our democracy...

[gwwelch]

Isn't that what Nobama said?