Romney: I'm not watching Obama's speech

Mitt Romney

/ Justin Sullivan

CONCORD, N.H. - Mitt Romney said on Thursday he hasn't been watching the Democratic National Convention and has no plans to tune in for President Obama's speech, though he acknowledged that he's heard some details about what the president will address.

"I hear that the president is going to report on the promises he made and how he has performed in those promises, I'd love to watch it," he told reporters here. "But if it's another series of new promises that he's not going to keep, I have no interest in seeing him, because I saw the promises last time. Those are promises he did not keep, and the American people deserve to know why he did not keep his promises."

Veterans, Romney said, were among those who received promises. After meeting with veterans who have been phone-banking on his behalf, Romney defended his commitment to the military and said it is Obama who has let down those who served in the military.

Romney was recently criticized by members of both political parties for failing to mention the current war in Afghanistan or troops there in his convention speech. Romney brushed off the criticism, pointing to a speech he gave to members of the American Legion in Indianapolis on the day before his convention speech.

"Promises were made to veterans when the president was running for office four years ago, that his support of veterans would be unwavering, that he would not balance the budget on the backs the veterans," Romney said during an unannounced stop at the launch of a new coalition group, New Hampshire Veterans and Military Families for Mitt. "And yet he has now proposed a dramatic increase in the payments they have to make under Tricare. And these veterans are not happy and they are getting out to phone bank to make sure the veterans across New Hampshire know the President didn't keep his promise."

The Obama campaign previously has taken Romney to task for his remarks on Tricare, the military's health care program. The campaign has said Tricare's spending has more than doubled since 1999, and a moderate increase in premiums will maintain its sustainability while ensuring that military retirees pay less for coverage than other private or public sector options.

The New Hampshire group is the latest military or veterans group affiliated with the Romney campaign. Others are located in Ohio, Colorado, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Florida, and a campaign spokesman said there would be more to come.

[purplestates]

Three weeks that changed the world. "It started in a mood of eerie calm, but then 2008 exploded into a global financial earthquake: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt. Merrill Lynch, AIG, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, HBOS, Royal Bank of Scotland, Bradford & Bingley, Fortis, Hypo and Alliance & Leicester all came within a whisker of doing so and had to be rescued." Guardian, December, 27 2008

"Worst Crisis Since '30s, With No End Yet in Sight"—Wall Street Journal, September 18, 2008

"The worst market crisis in 60 years"—Financial Times, January 22, 2008

Financial crisis 'worst I have ever seen': BMO economist—CBC NEWS, September 15, 2008


**Yes, we're better off than 4 years ago when W. Bush left office. ** Here's why:

1. When W. Bush left office, our GDP was at minus 9 and today is positive 2.

2. When Bush left office, Down Jones was at 7,949.09 point, minus 24%, and today is at 13,000 points, up 61% since Mr. Obama took office. Similarly, when Bush left office, my 401K was half value, and today is double.

3. When Bush left office, we had over 12 months jobs lost consecutively, 800K jobs lost per month, spiral to a depression. Mr. Obama had stopped the bleed, and he has produced 29 month jobs growth consecutively or 4.5 million private jobs more than entire of W. Bush 8 years in office.

4. Manufactures employment has gone up since Bush left office.

5. When Bush left office, we had a depression in auto industry, and today GM is saved and the industry is profit again, and Osama Bin Laden is dead, thanks to Mr. Obama and his courage.

W. Bush & GOP took 8 years to create this great recession since the great depression. Thus, Mr. Obama needs 4 years to clean up all the messes. 1930 depression took FDR 13 years or 3.5 terms to fully recover.

"No President - not me or any of my predecessors could have repaired all the damage in just four years. But conditions are improving and if you'll renew the President's contract you will feel it. I believe that with all my heart." -Bill Clinton—

[madegacbs]

Great scene in the movie American President,

"This is a time for serious people, Bob, and your fifteen minutes are up. My name is Andrew Shepherd, and I *am* the President."

Tonight President Obama declared,

"I *am* the president."

And put Mr. Romney on notice:

Mr. Romney, your fifteen minutes are up.

[tafhdyd]

He didn't want to watch it because it would be hard for him to comprehend and he didn't want to keep asking his aides to explain it.

[inbethlehem]

Romney should have watched Obama's speech. He could have learned a thing or two. Like how to excite an audience, how to talk to a large group without doing the "two words, turn left, two words, turn center, two words, turn right, repeat" thing that I find so annoying. In short, how to look and sound like a human being rather than a robot-o-tron.

[walkthetalk]

Well! I personally think that Mr.Rommey is a very good business man and he didn't make his fortune wasting expensive electricity. You know just sayin.

[nearl451]

Didn't generate any wasted energy in the GOP convention speech either.

He should have watched. He could have learned how to speak to people.

[erasmus111]

"I have no interest in seeing him, because I saw the promises last time. Those are promises he did not keep..."

Well, if you read the story the other day, you would have seen he kept a good many of them. Some partial.

It's a wee bit hard to say you are going to do things when you haven't entered the White House yet to see what you are actually left with. He was left with a huge mess to deal with, so it's only logical that some things would have to wait. Of coure then you have these idiots blocking you from doing things, too.

I was going to say that I could hardly wait to see how many promises Romney would keep, but he's not going to make it into the White House, so I don't really need to think about that. We all know that there would be promises he wouldn't be keeping. If any.

[Mikexxxxxxx]

"...Romney: I'm not watching Obama's speech..."

What a stupid A $ $. You are running for President of The United States AND YOU ARE NOT WATCHING WHAT YOUR OPPONENT SAYS?

How stupid is that?

[Lindag20]

I agree. If you want to BE president you WOULD listen to what your opponent was saying so you could rebut, attack it, etc. Apparently Komney thinks he can just BUY the office.

[retmw1]

prosperity

Any different then Romneys speech, a lot of promises and no plans on how he's going to accomplish them.

[TimeToEvolve]

Robbed Me does not want to see a speech by a real human being. A speech by an actual exceptional politician that has been a true success in spite of the Republicons.

[robert1129]

He will not watch it but will spend the next sixty days critizing the hell out of it.

[TimeToEvolve]

Robbed Me is the ******* who is criticizing Obama for not creating enough jobs when it is HIS PARTY that swore to not create jobs. They swore to take Obama down. Even if they had to take America down to do it. That's who we want running America? OMG.

[erasmus111]

That's right.

To say that he won't be watching it, it just shows his ignorance.

[nearl451]

Aw come on Mitt. Really, what're ya afraid of, Mr. Fraidy-pants.