Mitt Romney - GMA - 04-03-2007

GOVERNOR ROMNEY ON ACHIEVING SUCCESS IN IRAQ

Governor Romney Criticized Withdrawal Timetables And Instead Talked About Setting Metrics To Measure Progress:

Governor Romney: "You want to have a series of things you want to see accomplished in terms of the strength of the Iraqi military and the Iraqi police and the leadership of the Iraqi government." (ABC's "Good Morning America," 4/3/07)

Governor Romney: "Could you imagine the setting where during the Second World War we said to the Germans, 'Gee, if we haven't reached the Rhine by this date why we'll go home,' or if we haven't gotten this accomplished we'll pull up and leave?" (ABC's "Good Morning America," 4/3/07)

Governor Romney Has Warned About Bringing American Troops Home Too Quickly:

Governor Romney: "Well, there's no question we all want to see our troops home as soon as we can possibly have them home. But we have to recognize that if we bring them home too quickly or in a way which leads to a collapse of the country or perhaps the Iranians grabbing the Shia south or Al-Qaeda playing a dominating role among the Sunnis or a Kurdish population destabilizing the border with Turkey, you could then end up with a regional conflict which would cause Americans to somehow have to get involved again -- this time at a much more ugly situation with more casualties." ("Laura Ingraham Show," 3/9/07)

Governor Romney: "I Don't Think We Should Run Our Foreign Policy Based Upon Elections, Election Schedules Or Anything Of That Nature." "But Mr. Romney said he did not agree with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, the New York Democrat, that President Bush needed to resolve the war he started before he left office and not hand it off to his successor, as she said while campaigning in Iowa on Sunday. 'She can do what she likes -- but I take exception to her conclusions,'" Mr. Romney said in an interview while campaigning across this state today. 'I don't think we should run our foreign policy based upon elections, election schedules or anything of that nature.'" (Adam Nagourney, "Romney: Clinton's Wrong About Bush," The New York Times, 1/29/07)

Governor Romney Has Consistently Said There Must Be "Clear Objectives And Milestones":

Governor Romney Said There Must Be "Clear Objectives And Milestones" In Iraq. "This effort should be combined with clear objectives and milestones for U.S. and Iraqi leaders." (Romney For President, "Governor Mitt Romney On Iraq," Press Release, 1/10/07)

President Bush Has Himself Talked About The Importance Of Setting Benchmarks In Iraq:

President Bush: "Iraq's Leaders Must Continue To Work To Meet The Benchmarks That Have [Been] Set Forward." "As we help the Iraqis secure their capital, their leaders are also beginning to meet the benchmarks they have laid out for political reconciliation. ... There's been good progress. There's a lot more work to be done, and Iraq's leaders must continue to work to meet the benchmarks that have set forward." (President George W. Bush, Remarks On The Fourth Anniversary Of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Washington, D.C. 3/19/07)

President Bush "Pleased" Iraqi Government "Meeting Benchmarks." "I was pleased that he's meeting benchmarks that he had set out for his government. One of the benchmarks was to move Iraqi troops into the city of Baghdad -- troops that will be complemented by our own troops. He is meeting those obligations. A second such benchmark is that he would change the rules of engagement so that criminals, regardless of their religion, would be brought to justice in equal fashion. He is meeting that benchmark. Thirdly, he passed a budget of which $10 billion is available for reconstruction. He said he would do that; the budget has been passed, he has met that benchmark." (President George W. Bush, Remarks Meeting With Ambassador Ryan Crocker, Ambassador-Designee To Iraq, Washington D.C., 2/16/07)

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Romney
• McCain
• Liar
• GMA
• Troops
• Iraq

[loonmaniac]

You eat cock.

[NDSBrewer]

you obviously need to be given a cookie seeings how you did such a good job in your communist learning center called public schools. how dare you have the nerve to suggest the... no glorify the killing of our troops. may you rot in hell alongside so damn insane osama bin laden. if you hate America taliban johnny why dont you just jump off the face of the earth? or better you just go swimming and never rise above the water to breath.

[uglygeorge2]

And NOW AS REQUIRED BY THE FAIRNESS LAW, that same ABC-TV chattel/slave will pose the Exact Same Question to D.N.C.-employee Obama...Note that Romney (cleverly) invokes that "Good War" (WW2) where Lying-Liberals shriek that even US Germ Warfare was "good" 2 beat Fascism...

[Wunpawng]

I agree with Kenny that British and American should not leave Iraq now. They should be there untill they all get killed by the Iraqi militia or Islamic extremists. They deserve this because they are the roots of all conflicts around the globe. They have been messing up everything in almost every country.

[hydroponicrose]

He sure did! He supports private timetable's of progress. And so do I. Go Mitt!

[smpf38]

Romney called for milestones, benchmarks, goals, etc. What is the alternative? Just an indefinite occupation with no program or mission objective to get our troops home?

Romney is for "milestones" and benchmarks because that is the correct position to have. You would be a terrible leader if you weren't setting goals and trying to complete it in a timely manner. This is different than publicly saying, "we are out by this date no matter what" which is what the Dems propose.

[Look2theWest]

Why isn't Fox News playing the whole clip? They cut off the first 8 seconds and last 48 secs.

In the first 8 seconds, the interviewer says, "You (Romney) have been a vocal supporter of the President and the surge even when the war has been unpopular." This speaks to McCain's criticism that Romney was against the surge.

Of course, McCain has had 9 mos & 13 debates to bring this up. Instead he drops this political hit job 3 days before the Florida primary.

Don't fall for it Florida.

[chrisand111]

You liberal morons are grasping at straws on the "timetable" issue. Romney never has said "I want to move all troops home in 90 days" like the liberals have.

Romney is an adult. Hitlery & Mocha Obomba don't understand the world except thru the eyes of political newbies.

[johnnyrotten3993]

So what , big deal. I think he wants tme tables for success not failure.

[joe2stones]

He clearly supported the idea of a private timetable. Its clear from the clip.