Mitt Romney: That guy sure has long history as a prankster (read in NYTimes)

[Allhallowsday]

Mitt Romney: That guy sure has long history as a prankster
By Gail Collins 
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/05/15/3240422/mitt-romney-that-guy-sure-has.html   

Today, let's do a favor for Mitt Romney.

Indulge me.

You have undoubtedly heard the story about a bullying episode during Romney's high school years. The Washington Post quoted former classmates who said that Mitt had led an attack on a kid who had bleached blond hair that he wore over one eye. While the others held the boy down, Romney cut off the offending tresses.

Let me say right off the bat that stuff politicians did when they were in high school shouldn't count. And while this appears to be a particularly mean, and possibly homophobic, incident, it is really a good idea to stick to that rule. Otherwise, we would have to go back to the question of whether Barack Obama ate dog meat in Indonesia and we will never move on to health care reform.

But about the hair-cutting story. When Mitt was asked about it, he said he did not "recall the incident."

This puts a whole new spin on things. The idea that Romney could have absolutely no recollection of this event is way more shocking than the incident itself. Did he engage in this sort of behavior so often that things just sort of ran together...?

...Romney supporters have made a vague attempt to lump the hair-cutting incident in with Mitt's long history of pranksterism. It certainly is true that Mitt has a longstanding affinity for practical jokes. Let's revisit a few:

• Invited to the wedding in which his wife was one of the bridesmaids, Romney livened up the afternoon by snitching the groom's shoes and using nail polish to write H-E-L-P on the soles so all the guests could see it when the happy couple knelt down to take their marital vows.

• On his first visit to the White House during the Clinton administration, Romney protested when he was handed a red visitors' badge with the letter A. "I'm not the one that cheated on my wife. He should be wearing the scarlet A, not me," Mitt said, repeatedly, to the fun-loving White House security staff.

• During his stint in France, Romney entertained a homesick and undoubtedly edgy fellow young missionary by coming to his door wearing a sheet and impersonating a French terrorist/bandit.

• A teacher who students enjoyed making fun of for his poor eyesight was walking with Romney and some of his classmates when they came to two sets of glass doors. Mitt opened the first for his professor, swept his hand forward to indicate the second set was open as well, and then laughed hysterically when the teacher smacked into the closed door.

That last one was in high school, so we're not counting it. Except as part of a lifelong pattern of fun.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/05/15/3240422/mitt-romney-that-guy-sure-has.html#storylink=cpy

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/05/15/3240422/mitt-romney-that-guy-sure-has.html

[Criswell]

HAHAHA the guy sounds like an absolute riot.

[HappyGilmore]

Oohhh...'hilarious.'...zing.

Guy just sounds like an a**hole.

Not particularly fond of Obama, but I'd likely vote for Obama over Romney.

I can think of funnier things than his pranks.

[indianasmith]

I would vote for Atilla the Hun over Obama.  At least he would conquer and plunder and bring wealth INTO the country instead of spending $6 trillion in new debt, and running up 1.5 TRILLION dollar deficits! 

Romney was not my first choice.  But I firmly believe Obama will bankrupt the country if he is re elected.
And he has NO concept how badly he is hurting the country.  Give me an absolute a##hole who knows how to handle money any day!

[HappyGilmore]

Personally, I was hoping Ron Paul would do better, as he's the candidate who'd have gotten
my vote.

However, this likely isn't a 'political thread' and it isn't the space for it.

[indianasmith]

I admire Paul's consistency over the years - he is one of the very few politicians who practices what he preaches.
His bent towards isolationism really scares me, though.   Also, I think he would have a very hard time getting any of his  major policy initiatives thru Congress, and the Presidency would wind up being a very frustrating experience for him.

[lester1/2jr]

I can't tell if this is real.

[Allhallowsday]

I can't tell if this is real.

What can't you tell "is real", Lester?

[tracy]

I really wonder about Romney.....perhaps he knows about money but I also suspect he understands little about the common folks. I would never vote for Obama...NEVER....but I can't be settled on Romney yet.

[Jim H]

On his first visit to the White House during the Clinton administration, Romney protested when he was handed a red visitors' badge with the letter A. "I'm not the one that cheated on my wife. He should be wearing the scarlet A, not me," Mitt said, repeatedly, to the fun-loving White House security staff.

OK..  I can't lie, that's pretty funny.

[Allhallowsday]

I really wonder about Romney.....perhaps he knows about money but I also suspect he understands little about the common folks. I would never vote for Obama...NEVER....but I can't be settled on Romney yet.

So, you're going to vote for him or you're not going to vote.  Seriously. 

[lester1/2jr]

the column. is the author making it up?

[Allhallowsday]

the column. is the author making it up?

No.  I read two pieces about MITT ROMNEY's "hijinks" in the New York Times and found one of the stories online. 

[lester1/2jr]

there's an expression of sorts about mormons. Basically, You take a religion like Islam, it has very basic tenets but the followers are kind of crazy, whereas mormons, their beliefs are kind of weird on close inspection but they are by and large pretty nice people.

I think Romney will make a good president but i have a few reservations. Fpreign policy for one, but also I was here in MA when he was Gov and he didn't do that great of a job. You could only look over in amazement at the stuff Guliani was doing in NYC, just totally and completely transforming the city.

[indianasmith]

I think that the whol "concern with the common folks" is what leads us down the garden path to bankruptcy.
The desire to help others is incredibly commendable, but when the whole benevolence industry is taken over by the gov't, what results are huge, bloated bureaucracies with enormous overhead that may do some good to some people, but wind up doing harm to others in the process - and they also shield people from the consequences of negative decisions, so that lessons are never learned and people go on and on and on making those negative, destructive decisions, until the government destroys the producing classes and then bankrupts itself trying to "help".

Providing food, medical care, housing, and clothing used to be a normal responsibility of adulthood. Socialism makes all those things the responsibility of the government to some degree.  When the responsibilities of adulthood are assumed by government, people are free to never grow up, and continue living their lives in a selfish and irresponsible manner.

here in the U.S., we hear all about "the one percent" from the Socialists, communists, idiots, and malcontents who make up the Occupy Wall Street Movement. Those are the villains who are allegedly stealing the wealth that belongs to all of us, or something like that.  Yet the top 1% of wage earners supply the government every year with about half or more of its total annual tax revenues.  The bottom 50% of wage earners pay virtually no income taxes at all, by the time you calculate the benefits they receive.  As someone who pays a hefty chunk of my annual income and receives no federal assistance of any sort, I think it's time we quit taxing the producers and start taxing the freeloaders - or at least, quit giving them money that we are having to borrow from China because our President and Congress don't understand the simple concept of ceasing to spend when there is no more money in the bank!!!!