" "It's hard to know just how well it will turn out. There are a few things that were disconcerting. The stories about the private security firm not having enough people, the supposed strike of the immigration and Customs officials - that obviously is not something which is encouraging."
The remarks were greeted with anger, with many British supporters of the Games taking to Twitter to accuse Mr Romney of being graceless and rude. "
What followed was a very uncomfortable statement by the Prime Minister:
"Cameron had earlier expressed displeasure with Romney’s public remarks that he found some of the events leading up to the games "disconcerting."
“We are holding an Olympic Games in one of the busiest, most active, bustling cities anywhere in the world,” Cameron said, according to The Telegraph. “Of course it’s easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere.”"
Ouch.
The PM spanks Mitt about his Utah games.
Slapped down by the PM, Mitt "No Apologies" Romney apologized. Overseas. To a foreign head of state.
" “This is an indication of a community that will share in the Olympic experience, be unified and uplifted by it and I am delighted my wife and I will be here at least for the beginning of this Olympic experience.”
His words contrasted with an interview he gave to US television channel NBC News shortly before arriving in London, in which he played up the teething problems which have beset preparations for 2012, and appeared to suggest that Britons would not get behind the Games. "
Stay tuned. This is Governor Romney's first stop. Let's see what he says when he visits our troops in Afghanistan.
But first, the Romney's are going to watch their (taxpayer funded) dressage horse compete in the Olympics.
Mitt Romney rebuked by David Cameron in London Web Link
Posted by London bridge is falling down, a resident of the College Terrace neighborhood, on Jul 26, 2012 at 11:18 am
Rich: Romney isn't going to visit the troops, he's going to Poland instead.
It's started so well for Mitt - at a press (!) conference, he declared he won't answer questions from Americans, only from foreigners.
"Mitt Romney is perhaps the only politician who could start a trip that was supposed to be a charm offensive by being utterly devoid of charm and mildly offensive."
Posted by Rich Jeffries, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Jul 26, 2012 at 11:50 am
@adhd
Of course Romney is going to fly into Afghanistan. It's not announced, but it will be a surprise visit. This way Sharon can start up her MENA rants.
No way he flies around the world to just visit Poland and Netanyahu.
No politician would be so stupid as to not visit Kabul in time of war; even Romney's team isn't THAT stupid.
Israel will be interesting. Romney told the NYT he's best buddies with Netanyahu - "We [Mitt & Netanyahu] can almost speak in shorthand. We share common experiences and have a perspective and underpinning which is similar."
In the GOP Debate Mitt said: "I'd get on the phone to my friend Bibi Netanyahu and say, 'Would it help if I said this? What would you like me to do?'"
Mitt's so-called friend doesn't share the fantasy friendship.....
Bibi Netanyahu, July 2012 in Vanity Fair Interview, (middle of Page 4) “I remember him [Romney] for sure, but I don’t think we had any particular connections, I knew him and he knew me, I suppose.”
Mitt HAS to visit the troops. He's too gaffe prone to survive this trip without the patriotic cover a troop visit provides.
Posted by Jimmy, a resident of the Greenmeadow neighborhood, on Jul 26, 2012 at 12:11 pm
Romney spoke the truth! He has the experience with Olympics details (saved the Winter Olympics, when he came aboard). Makes me more favorable towards him.
The Brits should not be thin-skinned, when a foreign politician tells the truth about them. They should just buckle down, and prove him wrong. They could start by buying up all the tickets for the Opening Ceremonies (and showing up for them!). London has a lot to prove, given all the pre-Olympic screw ups, especially on the security front. I hope they prove Romney wrong, but I don't blame Romney for expressing the truth.
Posted by Brit, a resident of the Palo Verde neighborhood, on Jul 26, 2012 at 1:13 pm
The unsold seats are going to be given to local children.
Romney should read how to win friends and influence people. Of course there are problems, but it doesn't mean that a visiting dignitary should use it to show how much better he is at arranging things. If I was him, I would keep my mouth closed before he puts his foot in it again!
Posted by Jimmy, a resident of the Greenmeadow neighborhood, on Jul 26, 2012 at 1:33 pm
If Romney has pissed off enough Londoners/Brits, maybe they will actually show up for the games! And quit whining about putting missles batteries on their apartment buildings (security issue). Romeny might be just the extra push that the Brits need! Imagine all the (potential) Brits what will show up at events, just to boo Romney? It seems to me that Romney understands how to get the job done!
Posted by Mittt the lobbyist, a resident of the Charleston Gardens neighborhood, on Jul 26, 2012 at 1:46 pm
Jimmy, if Romney didn't do anything wrong, why did he change his tune after apologizing to the Prime Minister?
Apologizing to foreigners?
Also, romney soaked taxpayers for Billions of Dollars in the Utah games. He bragged in his book about using Olympic money to hire lobbyistd to get EARMARKS FROM THE FEDS.
Posted by Jimmy, a resident of the Greenmeadow neighborhood, on Jul 26, 2012 at 1:59 pm
Romney has provoked the Brits, a hard thing to do. He then apologized (kinda) for provking them to get their act together, and prove him wrong (kinda). The main point is that he told the truth. Perhaps the Brits are pissed off enough to get the job done!? It is very hard to stir up the Brits...maybe Mitt will get it done! The Brits can show Mitt how ticked they are by actually buying out the Opening Ceremonies, AND actually attending them, instead of heading for the country estates and out-of-country vacations...givng away tickets to children and soldiers to fill the seats. Where is the British fighting spirit?
Posted by George Lucy, a resident of Menlo Park, on Jul 26, 2012 at 2:22 pm
Jimmy - I would like some of whatever it is that you are partaking!
Romney went over to insult the Brits 2 days before it opens, who have been preparing for this for years, and then apologizes but is now your hero for fixing the Olympics.
Romney apologized. Romney, whose book is No Apologies.
In his book: "England is just a small island. Its roads and houses are small. With few exceptions, it doesn't make things that people in the rest of the world want to buy."
Will he apologize for that?
Romney is once again proving he is the new George W Bush: publicizing a secret agency, insulting his hosts, apologizing to the Prime Minister, forgetting Miliband's name, and on and on.
The mayor of London just mocked him in front of a huge crowd in Hyde Park. The tweets are telling it all:
"Serious dismay in Whitehall at Romney debut. 'Worse than Sarah Palin.' 'Total car crash'. Two of the kinder verdicts "
Romney is becoming a bit of a joke in London. Never liked the chap, but never liked Obama either. Shame you can't find a good couple of candidates for your top job!
Posted by Jimmy, a resident of the Greenmeadow neighborhood, on Jul 26, 2012 at 3:27 pm
George,
You need to calm down. Ronald Reagan was also mocked by the Brits, and the Europeans. Reagan won the cold war, despite the mocking. He won, they lost. Romney simply spoke the truth that we all know. If his speculation and concern forces the Brits to get their act together, good for him! It would also be good for the Brits.
Brits: NO children or soldiers in the empty seats! Buy up the seats, AND sit in them. Celebrate your country, don't escape!
Posted by George Lucy, a resident of Menlo Park, on Jul 26, 2012 at 3:35 pm
Jimmy - "He won, they lost." The Brits lost the Cold War? Again, sure would love to try some of what you're having!
Did Reagan insult the Brits and apologize as Mitt did?
Love the spin - if the Olympics are great - all hail Romney! He saved the Brits by insulting them!
If they suck dang, they should have listened to Mitt belittling them, those losers!
No matter what, Mitt shows up to fundraise from foreigners for a day and leaves having saved the Olympics. That is one great fantasy world you live in....
Posted by How rude can you get, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jul 26, 2012 at 3:58 pm
Mitt Romney has started off his foreign invasions by insulting his most important alley if he wants to go to war with Iran as he said he did. Now he'll probably have to go it alone against Iran. Are you ready for another war U.S.?
Posted by Jimmy, a resident of the Greenmeadow neighborhood, on Jul 26, 2012 at 4:07 pm
I find it refreshing that a potential U.S. President is willing to tell the truth. The Brits are having touble, and they prefer to not talk about it. Romney talked about it. Good for him!
The mockers of Reagan, including many Brits, lost; he won.
Posted by Jimmy, a resident of the Greenmeadow neighborhood, on Jul 26, 2012 at 4:32 pm
Mitt Romney would proudly accept the loan of the Winston Churchill bust in the Oval Office. Obama rejected the offer. Shame on Obama. Romney told the truth about the Olympics preperations (he should know). Good for him.
Posted by George Lucy, a resident of Menlo Park, on Jul 26, 2012 at 4:54 pm
Only Gary continually brings up Churchill.
"Romney told the truth about the Olympics preperations (he should know)"
Mitt knows!
- he was a registered lobbyist for the Salt Lake games
- in his book, Mitt tells how the Feds bailed out his, ummm, 'games' with over a billion in taxpayer subsidies; Mitt gave commissions on the Fed money to lobbyists
- Mitt did not Build It Himself, he also blackmailed local governments for another half a billion
- Mitt told Olympic athletes they didn't Build It Themselves, it takes a village (just as Obama said this week!)
Posted by flip flop, a resident of the Adobe-Meadows neighborhood, on Jul 26, 2012 at 6:37 pm
At least Romney is not a stubborn idiot like W Bush who invaded Iraq knowing full well he would not find any WMDs there. Give Romney credit for admitting that he is a flip flopping idiot on the Olympics issue after getting slapped down by smarter people.
Posted by George Lucy, a resident of Menlo Park, on Jul 26, 2012 at 6:44 pm
Obama's a hero to the Brits, and anyone who believes in diplomatic niceties in the wake of Mitt's Very Bad Day.
* Mitt start by saying he met with the head of MI6, which you are not supposed to do, because MI6 is like Fight Club. The first rule of Fight Club is.....
* Mitt then proceeds to question, in London, to Londoners, whether London will be able to pull off the Olympic Games: "You know, it's hard to know just how well it will turn out," Romney said. "There are a few things that were disconcerting... that obviously is not something which is encouraging."
* This angers Prime Minister David Cameron, who responded by noting of the Romney-headed Salt Lake City games that it must have been "easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere."
* This ticks off the current mayor of Salt Lake City, who offered to send David Cameron a map of the place.
* So Mitt apologized, which is something he has said a president should never, ever do. Not bad, apologizing for a multitude of mistakes - the author of No Apologies!
* Mitt forgets the name of the leader of the opposition Labor Party that he met with, and has nice things to say about 10 Downing Street's backside, which in addition to being the usual awkward Romney framing is awkward for an entirely different reason:
"Firstly, in Britain, "backside" means "ass". As in the part of the body. Secondly, "10 Downing Street" is often used in political reporting as a synonym for a press spokesman for the prime minister, in the same way as "the White House" can say things or have opinions."
* The British reaction to Mitt's visit quickly went from tepid to mocking, with even stalwart British conservatives calling it a "total car crash" and "worse than Sarah Palin".
* The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, continued: "Can this get any worse for Romney? Boris is now mocking him in front of 60,000 people in Hyde Park #romneyshambles"
* the White House had weighed in, with spokesman Jay Carney noting: "In keeping with our special relationship, the President also made it clear that he has the utmost confidence in our close friend and ally, the United Kingdom, as they finalize preparations to host the London Olympics."
* Mitt found himself hammered for having a posh fundraiser with employees from Barclays, embroiled in scandal over manipulations of the critical LIBOR index.
Mitt: can't wait to see how the rest of your trip goes!
Posted by Rich Jeffries, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Jul 26, 2012 at 9:48 pm
"Romney is an expert in economic turnarounds"
No. Romney is an expert at vulture capitalism (per Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry.) Vulture capitalism doesn't care if the company succeeds nor if jobs are created. Vulture capitalism is about making money, often using massive government largesse such a subsidies and bailouts.
Romney's economic plan is Bush/Cheney on steroids.
Last night he was asked by Brian Williams to explain the difference between his tax cuts/reduce regulation plan and the bush/Cheney plans.
He never answered the question.
Romney is a disaster for America. He will drive the deficit deeper much faster than Bush and Obama. look at his plans (as lacking in details as they are.)
Return to Clinton tax rates, Clinton spending, Clinton job creation (23 million new jobs,) Clinton prosperity. Clinton budget surpluses - largest in American history.
Posted by Rich Jeffries, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Jul 26, 2012 at 9:54 pm
back to the Romney debacle, or as the Brits called it in one of their London papers: "Mitt Romney is perhaps the only politician who could start a trip that was supposed to be a charm offensive by being utterly devoid of charm and mildly offensive."
Shall we end Day 1 of the Romney escapades with the Tweet of the Day?
"My sources in the Romney campaign tell me the remainder of his trip will consist of silent tributes to the countries he visits."
Posted by flop, a resident of the Adobe-Meadows neighborhood, on Jul 26, 2012 at 11:17 pm
Quote from Romney's book: "England is just a small island. Its roads and houses are small. With few exceptions, it doesn't make things that people in the rest of the world want to buy. And if it hadn't been separated from the continent by water, it almost certainly would have been lost to Hitler's ambitions."
No Apologies. The UK is a lost cause and Americans shouldn't care what they think about anything.
Posted by Rich Jeffries, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Jul 27, 2012 at 9:05 am
@important stuff:
Yes, good call. Mitt's team is comprised of morons (they are all former Bushies, after all - must make the tea party proud!) It was insane to have Mitt's first stop be in Britain. He made a LOT of unforced errors that might have been ignored in other countries, but resulted in the Mayor of London leading a "Yes We Can" chorus of 60,000 in Hyde Park after mocking Romney mercilessly.
Stunningly bad candidate, stunningly bad team, stunningly bad day. A Republican nominee who failed a trip to London. A former Olympic CEO who should be reliving old glory, who know wishes his dressage horse was riding to just distract everyone from a self inflicted disaster.
Who would have thought?
@Sharon:
Saw the interview. That was "great"?
This one stuck out, as does many of the Romneyisms (ie.. rhetoric and bloviation without substance, detail or fact)
"Our nation's leadership has been perhaps the greatest source of a national entity's good that you've seen on the world stage."
Huh?
This is the "what's sauce for the goose" guy, isn't it?
Posted by Jimmy, a resident of the Greenmeadow neighborhood, on Jul 27, 2012 at 10:01 am
Will Obama admit his mistake, and request the bust of Winston Chruchill back from England, to be proudly displayed in the Oval Office? Perhaps he can take a knee in front of the Queen, since he so used to kowtowing to foreign leaders.
Romney will be more than happy to accept the Churchill bust, if offered. He won't take a knee, though. He doesn't need to.
Posted by cracked tea pots for all, a resident of Mountain View, on Jul 27, 2012 at 10:49 am
Romney won't "bend a knee"? Funny! He groveled around outside 10 Downing after being rebuked by the Prime Minister! Would be VERY funny, if it wasn't VERY sad.
Why won't Mitt supposedly not bend a knee? Because he wasn't invited to see the Queen, and one imagines he won't on this trip given his disastrous performance thus far. Mitt is persona non grata in England, America's most important ally, at a very proud moment in their culture and history. What a dope.
What's with this Churchill bust you incessantly harp upon? Is this like a tea bag birth certificate issue? Another version of the college transcript dog whistle tea bagging conspiracy theory thing the fringe is always baying on about?
Romney's a disaster in Britain. Bringing up some conspiracy theory about the expired loan to the Bush/Cheney White House of a statue is quite preposterous!
It really does highlight just how crazed the fringe is!
Posted by Jimmy, a resident of the Greenmeadow neighborhood, on Jul 27, 2012 at 11:00 am
Obama rejected the bust of Winston Chruchill, which was already proudly displayed in the Oval Office. Churchill was one of the great world leaders, perhaps the only one that should have a place of honor in the Oval Office. Obama made it a point of personal pride to diss the Brits, by sending back to England the bust of Churchill. No conspiracy here...just the facts.
Posted by crazy loon theory, a resident of the Downtown North neighborhood, on Jul 27, 2012 at 11:25 am
Jimmy's absurd conspiracy theory is actually hard to track down without going to the fringe side of the internet.
from the Uk, specifically, the DailyMail
The entire article is well worth a read, the whole thing. But just to help those of you who haven't a clue about "Jimmy" (gary) and his weird rant on a conspiracy theory of a statue which rivals the whole Birther movement for lunacy:
"Later on, Romney told donors at a fundraiser (tickets had been slashed from $25,000 to $10,000 during the day) that he was 'looking forward to the bust of Winston Churchill being in the Oval Office again'.
The problem with that applause line is that the Jacob Epstein bust was a personal loan from Britain to President George W. Bush made in July 2001 for the duration of his presidency.
When Obama took over from Bush, the loan expired and he apparently showed no interest in extending it. The bust was returned to the Government Art Collection.
The whole issue, which has been used to portray Obama as anti-British, is a sore point for British diplomats, who view it as presumptuous for Romney to assume the bust would be loaned to him.
And then the incorrigible Mayor Boris Johnson turned the day into what one American reporter on the trip aptly described as a 'Cat 4 manurestorm' when he mocked Romney before 60,000 people.
'I hear there's a guy called Mitt Romney who wants to know whether we're ready,' Johnson shouted, in a performance more Viking than Anglo-Saxon. 'Are we ready? Yes we are!'
He then led the crowd in a chant of 'Yes We Can', Obama's famous campaign slogan from 2008."
Posted by Churchill lives, in the White House, a resident of Los Altos Hills, on Jul 27, 2012 at 11:55 am
The poster "Jimmy" and his/her alter egos that have posted the LIES about the Churchill bust in numerous threads (do a search, the crazy lie pops up every so often like all the other far right fringe fantasies - Kenyan, Muslim, radical Cristian, socialist, fascist, etc..) is wrong.
Completely wrong.
And Jimmy, etc.. is either too lazy, too lacking in intellectual curiosity to verify, of insufficient mental ability to understand or perform a Google search,or just wants to smear the American President.
The Churchill bust is STILL IN THE WHITE HOUSE, to this day.
Barack Obama moved it and in it's place sits a statue of Abraham Lincoln. If Jimmy prefers a foreigner over Abraham Lincoln, perhaps he should reevaluate his perception of his patriotism.
Look at the GDP growth under Obama, and what the GDP LOSSES were under Bush.
This election is about continued growth under the Democrats and returning to the Clinton economy of the 90's, or a return to the Bush/Cheney policies espoused by Mitt Romney.
Romney has declared he will follow the Bush/Cheney policies. He has hired a lot of former bush/Cheney staff and consultants.
Why aren't republicans up in arms about Romney and his return to the Bush disaster?
Why are republicans demanding a real conservative take over at the convention?
Posted by Sharon, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Jul 27, 2012 at 5:47 pm
The desperate and pathetic attempt to change the topic from the dire state of the US Economy and the lack of Job creation in the last 3 and 3/4 years is not working.
Romney in his book describes how the UK went from the richest country in the world to a basket case because it adopted socialist policies.
Quote-
" From owner to laborer, the British were eager to protect the status quo.
Industrialists secured subsidies for themselves and tariffs on foreigners rather than face foreign competition and technology head-on. When subsidies proved insufficient for the most unproductive businesses, the government took them over.
The nation spent national resources to keep sick companies alive rather than inventing new ones and investing in those that were strong.
Britain’s economic missteps were compounded when it was forced to fight and endure the cost of two world wars.
By the end of World War II, its national debt had tripled.
Massive loans were required to shore up the ailing economy; they came from its former colony."{USA}
The out of context squib with snark: "Its roads and houses are small?
The trees probably aren't the right height either."
Romneys point is about the British decline into socialism.
What do you say we take that seriously?
Socialism/capitalism — that's how campaign 2012 has been framed. Let's stare that issue in the face.
Sorry if the Brits' feelings are hurt, but this is about us.
Posted by Rich Jeffries, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Jul 27, 2012 at 9:35 pm
"Romney told the truth" - Romney misspoke and then apologized. Check it out, Sharon, it's been in all the papers.
Sharon wants politics out of the Olympics, yet won't chastise Romney for his visit - to see and insult the PM, to meet with and insult the leader of the opposition party, to insult Londoners, to brag about meeting with MI6, the list goes on.
Mitt brought the politics to London.
He could have gone anywhere else - like suggested above: Germany, Afghanistan, etc..
Instead, he went to London to hold a fundraiser. Took money from scandal plagued Barclays Bank.
What was supposed to be a great week for Mitt got real ugly, real fast.
Posted by flip, a resident of the Adobe-Meadows neighborhood, on Jul 28, 2012 at 7:17 am
So, did the Brits intentionally insult Romney by having long segments of the Olympics opening ceremony about nationalized health care and public transit? Those are two programs that Romney and his cronies are violently opposed to.
And did you hear that jab about how putting on the Olympics in one of the world's great cities is a lot different from Romney's Olympics in the middle of nowhere?
Posted by flip, a resident of the Adobe-Meadows neighborhood, on Jul 28, 2012 at 7:49 am
Is it true that when Romney was in charge of the Olympics, he issued a series of Olympic pins with his own face on them? Of course, he had them made in China. Did he use Olympics money for these or did he pay for them himself? Photos of the pins: Web Link
Posted by Bishop to H7, a resident of Stanford, on Jul 28, 2012 at 12:25 pm
Wow, interesting pins. The only Olympic CEO to put himself on pins. Someone posted this above Web Link
You have to click to the 2nd image.
A little less than holy for an LDS Bishop, don't ya think?
Sharon, why are you suggesting this thread only be about the games? If you are that interested, I suggest you post appropriate material here -- a great, great sports blog, SB Nation Web Link
How do you know what Mitt "told" MI6? That's quite silly of you. After all, Mitt had quite the faux pas when he crowed about even meeting with MI6. The Brits were shocked he was that naive.
The Israelis have to be quite concerned about a blabbermouth, tone-deaf political candidate is coming to town, just to try to score some points with his base. Romney's already getting trounced with the Jewish vote.
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