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Mitt Romney's world tour seen as open to interpretation
By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
August 1st, 2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)
August 1st, 2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is winding up his world
tour in Poland, which included stops in Britain and Israel. Romney's
team is confident that there were no gaffes or missteps made on the
trip, although there are those who beg to differ. While forceful and
confident, many felt that Romney's speeches trod upon some sensitive
toes while he was abroad.
This didn't sit well with British Prime Minister David Cameron who replied that it was far more difficult to organize the Olympics in a world capital than in the "middle of nowhere," an allusion to Romney's Games in Salt Lake City. London tabloids dubbed Romney "Mitt the Twit."
Moving on to Israel, Romney reiterated the U.S.'s commitment to Israel's right to exist and the danger of a nuclear-armed Iran.
However, Romney inflamed Palestinians leaders with his talk of Jerusalem as the undisputed capital of Israel. A comment at a fundraiser Romney made about a "culture" can partly explain the economic disparity between Israelis and Palestinians, fueled the already roiling bad feelings felt there.
Romney took only three questions from the journalists after his overseas trip.
In the estimation of Mitt Romney and his top campaign aides, there were no gaffes, no mistakes and no ill-advised statements on the Republican candidate's overseas trip.
As Romney wrapped up the last leg of his tour in Poland, a senior Romney adviser said the campaign will land back in the U.S. this week.
"I think it was a great success," Romney adviser Stuart Stevens said. "The idea is that, can people get a good sense of who he is? Can people listen and see that this is a person speaking from the heart about Israel and about Poland? And he is," Stevens added.
The Romney campaign talked of its "great success" while being bombarded by criticism over moments that did not go so well.
In Poland, it was not Romney - but his travelling press secretary that made an inappropriate comment. After Romney paid tribute at the Polish Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, journalists tried to field questions, only to be shouted down by the campaign's traveling press secretary.
"Kiss my ---. This is a holy site," Rick Gorka barked at one reporter. "Shove it," he said to another. Gorka later called two reporters and apologized.
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