Romney: Obama Suffers a Hamlet Complex
Likening the president to Shakespeare's immortal Dane, former Mass. Governor Mitt Romney castigated Mr. Obama for not having already made a decision on changes in U.S. strategy in Afghanistan. (watch video at left)
Romney also suggested the lack of a "legitimate" power base in Kabul makes it harder for the U.S. to go forward, for which he also seemed to blame Washington for not ensuring that the August presidential vote, which was monitored by international election representatives, was devoid of fraud.
"It's very difficult in a counterinsurgency not to have a strong government and one that's backed by the people as a legitimate government," Romney said on CBS' "The Early Show," when asked whom the U.S. would partner with in Afghanistan, now that the runoff election there has been canceled. "You really have to ask yourself why, with all at stake, this administration didn't take a more careful role in making sure the election was a fair election, assumed by the people of Afghanistan.
"And by the way, this Hamlet performance that we're seeing out of the White House is very, very disconcerting," Romney told anchor Harry Smith. "The president has known about this issue for a long time. He received the report from General [Stanley] McChrystal what, four months ago" (actually, two months ago) "and has not been able to make a decision. This is very, very unfortunate for the people there and for our troops."
Smith asked if getting the decision right allowed for contemplation.
"Well, of course you should get it right," Romney said, "and the president has been president for nine months. Afghanistan was a centerpiece of his campaign. He's been speaking about it as president. He's had the McChrystal report for four months and during the same time period by the way, he's had enough time to do 30 campaign trips around the country. Look, with men and women dying in U.S. uniform, the president ought to be focusing on getting them home, getting them home safely and stabilizing the situation in Afghanistan, rather than trying to reelect his friends."
Romney, meanwhile, has been attending fundraisers for his friends, supporting GOP candidates in races across the country through his PAC, Free and Strong America. In the past several weeks Romney has attended fundraisers for Va. gubernatorial Bob McDonnell and the candidate for Lt. Governor, Bill Bolling; New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie; South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint; and candidates for races in Utah, Texas, Missouri, Nebraska, Massachusetts, New York, Georgia, Arizona and elsewhere.
"Mitt Romney is doing what he can to strengthen the Republican Party nationally and help its candidates be successful, and that is going to take up more and more of his time," a Romney spokesman told The Hill newspaper.
The Hill: Romney Goes on Fundraising Tear
One GOP candidate whom Romney has avoided backing was Diedre Scozzafava. The moderate New York Republican State Assemblyman who was running for a vacant House seat dropped out after many conservative Republicans threw their support to the Conservative Party candidate, Doug Hoffman. [Scozzafava has since endorsed Democratic Party candidate Bill Owens.]
"There's a battle going on right now for the soul of the Republican Party," Smith said. "Conservatives say there is no room for moderates there. Will this tactic save or kill the Republican Party?"
"Well, the Republican Party has always had a lot of voices and we are going to continue to be a big tent party. The New York 23rd race had a very anomalous situation."
"That's not a big tent!" said Smith.
"Well, no, I disagree with you. You look across the elected Republicans, in Congress and governors' offices, they represent a pretty wide perspective of issues. But New York 23rd was a very anomalous situation."
Also on "The Early Show" this morning, Romney said that the government economic stimulus package did not work and could not be credited with saving or creating jobs, arguing that the private sector alone is responsible for where the economy is today.
"Well, first of all, you have to recognize that the stimulus that the president and Congress passed is not what's helped this economy," he said. "As you recall, the scenario they forecast would occur without the stimulus, is now the very scenario which they're forecasting is going to occur. So the jobless rate is going to hit 10%, we're not going to have any net new jobs into the third quarter of next year. That's what was supposed to happen without the stimulus. So their stimulus didn't work.
"The right answer is to stop the stimulus that they put in place, reform it, or scrap it, because it is not what's creating jobs in this country; instead, it's the private sector. Look, any time you try to stimulate government, you're not going to get the kind of private sector jobs you'd get if you instead stimulated the economy."
Romney also suggested the lack of a "legitimate" power base in Kabul makes it harder for the U.S. to go forward, for which he also seemed to blame Washington for not ensuring that the August presidential vote, which was monitored by international election representatives, was devoid of fraud.
"It's very difficult in a counterinsurgency not to have a strong government and one that's backed by the people as a legitimate government," Romney said on CBS' "The Early Show," when asked whom the U.S. would partner with in Afghanistan, now that the runoff election there has been canceled. "You really have to ask yourself why, with all at stake, this administration didn't take a more careful role in making sure the election was a fair election, assumed by the people of Afghanistan.
"And by the way, this Hamlet performance that we're seeing out of the White House is very, very disconcerting," Romney told anchor Harry Smith. "The president has known about this issue for a long time. He received the report from General [Stanley] McChrystal what, four months ago" (actually, two months ago) "and has not been able to make a decision. This is very, very unfortunate for the people there and for our troops."
Smith asked if getting the decision right allowed for contemplation.
"Well, of course you should get it right," Romney said, "and the president has been president for nine months. Afghanistan was a centerpiece of his campaign. He's been speaking about it as president. He's had the McChrystal report for four months and during the same time period by the way, he's had enough time to do 30 campaign trips around the country. Look, with men and women dying in U.S. uniform, the president ought to be focusing on getting them home, getting them home safely and stabilizing the situation in Afghanistan, rather than trying to reelect his friends."
Romney, meanwhile, has been attending fundraisers for his friends, supporting GOP candidates in races across the country through his PAC, Free and Strong America. In the past several weeks Romney has attended fundraisers for Va. gubernatorial Bob McDonnell and the candidate for Lt. Governor, Bill Bolling; New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie; South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint; and candidates for races in Utah, Texas, Missouri, Nebraska, Massachusetts, New York, Georgia, Arizona and elsewhere.
"Mitt Romney is doing what he can to strengthen the Republican Party nationally and help its candidates be successful, and that is going to take up more and more of his time," a Romney spokesman told The Hill newspaper.
The Hill: Romney Goes on Fundraising Tear
One GOP candidate whom Romney has avoided backing was Diedre Scozzafava. The moderate New York Republican State Assemblyman who was running for a vacant House seat dropped out after many conservative Republicans threw their support to the Conservative Party candidate, Doug Hoffman. [Scozzafava has since endorsed Democratic Party candidate Bill Owens.]
"There's a battle going on right now for the soul of the Republican Party," Smith said. "Conservatives say there is no room for moderates there. Will this tactic save or kill the Republican Party?"
"Well, the Republican Party has always had a lot of voices and we are going to continue to be a big tent party. The New York 23rd race had a very anomalous situation."
"That's not a big tent!" said Smith.
"Well, no, I disagree with you. You look across the elected Republicans, in Congress and governors' offices, they represent a pretty wide perspective of issues. But New York 23rd was a very anomalous situation."
Also on "The Early Show" this morning, Romney said that the government economic stimulus package did not work and could not be credited with saving or creating jobs, arguing that the private sector alone is responsible for where the economy is today.
"Well, first of all, you have to recognize that the stimulus that the president and Congress passed is not what's helped this economy," he said. "As you recall, the scenario they forecast would occur without the stimulus, is now the very scenario which they're forecasting is going to occur. So the jobless rate is going to hit 10%, we're not going to have any net new jobs into the third quarter of next year. That's what was supposed to happen without the stimulus. So their stimulus didn't work.
"The right answer is to stop the stimulus that they put in place, reform it, or scrap it, because it is not what's creating jobs in this country; instead, it's the private sector. Look, any time you try to stimulate government, you're not going to get the kind of private sector jobs you'd get if you instead stimulated the economy."
