Romney's Ahmadinejad ad

Posted: Monday, September 24, 2007 11:27 AM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Romney is up with a new 60-second radio ad touting his refusal, as governor, of a state police escort for former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami when he was invited to Harvard to speak in 2006.

The ad begins airing today as part of the campaign's rotation in Iowa and South Carolina, and then Florida later in the week.

Here's the script of the ad:
ANNCR: On the eve of the fifth anniversary of 9/11, Harvard University invited Iranian President Mohammed Khatami to Boston, the same Mohammed Khatami who has supported the terrorist group Hezbollah advocates destruction of Israel and stood by while Jews and Christians were persecuted. The Iranian wanted VIP treatment at tax payer expense. But Governor Mitt Romney said no. Governor Romney called the invitation a disgrace and refused to grant Khatami a police escort. Now another Iranian president is visiting America coming to New York and Governor Mitt Romney is leading the opposition.

ROMNEY: We should be tightening our sanctions against Iran not welcoming him to the world stage, and I've called on the Secretary General of the United Nations to withdraw that invitation. What we should be doing is indicting Ahmadinejad under the genocide convention.

ANNCR: As governor, Mitt Romney did what was right not what was politically correct. As president, he will do the same. Mitt Romney.

ROMNEY: I'm Mitt Romney, and I approve this message.

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Comments

This is just an embarrassment all around. The Republican candidates are basically competing to see who's the biggest, most ignorant a-hole. So far I'd say Giuliani's got that sewed up.

Jim J, Savannah, GA (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 11:32 AM)

It's hilarious watching Americans squelching free speech. Hypocrites.

M. Boley (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 11:33 AM)

Wow, what a shameless liar Romney is - either that or he's an incompetent fool. Khatemi was the most progressive and Western friendly President in Iran since the revolution, and was from the other end of the political spectrum as Ahmadinejad. This not only exploits people's lack of information about Iran, but adds to it; no American, whether Republican, Democrat, or independent, wants a President that relies on and contributes to public misinformation.

Shadow, Hamden, CT (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 11:34 AM)

Nixon shook hands with Mao Zedong.
If a person cannot show civility to foreign leaders he is not qualified to be president.

nuanced (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 11:53 AM)

excellent post nuanced!

Tuck, realityville, kansas (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 12:02 PM)

Who is he trying to appeal to? Yahoos who refer to all Muslims as "ragheads?" Are Romney's advisors all graduates of the Rove school of winning through battling strawmen? Really, who finds xenophobia appealing in the President of United States? I guess these Republicans have a really stupid base to cater to. Good luck with that, Mitt.

Amy B Portland, ME (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 12:03 PM)

Does Romney's radio commercial contain any commentary on why his National Campaign Fundraising Co-Chairman, Alan Fabian, was arrested on 23 counts of mail fraud, bankruptcy fraud, money laundering, perjury, and obstruction of justice?
Just curious, since so little has been made of this in the mainstream media. (Hint, Hint, First Read!)

J. Merle Stanley, Westchester, NY (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 12:03 PM)

LOL.. are the Republicans really competing over who is the most xenophobic candidate? And I love how they keep saying that the issue is about preventing hate speech. Well, if that's really true, are we prepared to ban all the right-wing talk radio shows?

Asad (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 12:04 PM)

I agree with nuanced, we need a leader that can negotiate with other world leaders, this attitude of 'I am the leader of the u.s. and don't care what you think' has got to stop, you can always kill them latter if necessary

MK,MO (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 12:13 PM)

This manipulative radio ad, when coupled with The NY Daily New's juvenile front page and all of the other anti-Iranian propaganda out there this week, shows how debased the American perspective of international relations is. This man is a revisionist and a sabre-rattler, but so is our president. Let's cut the patriotic hate-week crap and figure out a way to work with Iran before things really get out of hand. We do not own the planet, let's stop acting like we do.

Pete Caloger Bushkill, PA (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 12:19 PM)

Romney is a huge phoney idiot. Perfect as the repub nominee.

F StLouis (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 12:25 PM)

This message of censorship by Romney is just one more reason he is not qualified to be a world leader. Why wouldn't he want the American people to hear what he has to say? He obviously feels his message is important enough to fly to the US. We should let him speak and I don't have a problem with providing him a secure escort to the venue, as we would do for any other visiting official. A willingness to LISTEN and communicate is key for a successful foreign policy. That is why I support Ron Paul.

Debbie , Atlanta, Georgia (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 12:30 PM)

Another basic idiot posturing to the lowest common demoninator (when was the last time the GOP did THAT?) advertising himself as another "F.U."- style diplomat. Bush I can understand - every foreigner in the world speaks better English than him, but Romney is just a xenophobic fool who believes some liar found (then couldn't find) golden tablets from heaven.

Just a sorry state of affairs (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 12:36 PM)

nuanced: 'Nixon shook hands with Mao Zedong.
If a person cannot show civility to foreign leaders he is not qualified to be president.'

GREAT POINT, nuanced !!
It was Churchill (another furriner !!) who said 'jaw, jaw is better than war, war' !!
(and he was speaking about and to Stalin)

Don't worry, given Romney's record, he'll probably FLIP, FLOP on this position, too......

Sierra, SF (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 12:38 PM)

I agree with everyone who says we need a president willing to talk with foreign leaders, not just ignore them or go straight to threatening a country with war/nukes.
The only candidate I found from the GOP who is against preemptive strikes is Ron Paul.

Michele (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 12:41 PM)

Maybe someone doesn't want the American's to hear that we are not going to try stop Israel's preemptive strike on Iran.
"A spokeswoman at Cheney's office confirmed to NEWSWEEK that Wurmser left his position last month to "spend more time with his family." A few months before he quit, according to two knowledgeable sources, Wurmser told a small group of people that Cheney had been mulling the idea of pushing for limited Israeli missile strikes against the Iranian nuclear site at Natanz—and perhaps other sites—in order to provoke Tehran into lashing out. The Iranian reaction would then give Washington a pretext to launch strikes against military and nuclear targets in Iran. (Wurmser's remarks were first reported last week by Washington foreign-policy blogger Steven Clemons and corroborated by NEWSWEEK.) When NEWSWEEK attempted to reach Wurmser for comment, his wife, Meyrav, declined to put him on the phone and said the allegations were untrue. A spokeswoman at Cheney's office said the vice president "supports the president's policy on Iran."

DAL, West Palm Bch, FL (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 12:42 PM)

Just get Moveon to escort Khatami. They both have the same "Death to America" politics, so they'd probably do it for nothing. New York Times might even kick in a contribution to help defer expenses.

Varte Jackson (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 12:46 PM)

Like it or not (and most Republicans probably don't like it), the UN is located on American soil. That means from time to time people we don't like will be here for UN functions - as is their right as member-nations. I don't think we would be too happy if there was a UN meeting in Iran (not that I can conceive of why there would be but just for argument's sake) and they refused to let Bush attend.

Diplomacy is important. Sometimes you have to shake hands with the devil. Any politician that doesn't realize that is completely naive, or in great denial.

Carrie, Eastern Iowa (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 12:47 PM)

I am seriously embarrassed for Mitt Romney. Idiot needs to get a clue and lay off the Islam-bashing RIGHT now.

Brian, Las Vegas (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 12:49 PM)

This is scary. I keep hearing this viscious lie "advocates destruction of Israel" being said of Khatami and Ahmedinejad. Not just by Republicans.

Both leaders want peace for all, including the Palestinians (suffering under the treatment by the Israelis), the Lebonese (bombed last summer by the Israelis), the Syrians (bombed this month by the Israelis).

Maybe its time to sanction Israel instead of supporting their crimes against humanity with our tax dollars.

PeaceNotWar, Planet Earth (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 12:49 PM)

You guys don't get it do you? 30% of Americans are smarter and more worldly than the rest of us and all of the civilized world...thats why they have candidates out there showing the xenophobic, racist gun toting credentials off...its all that appeals to the the right wing crazies in this country, that and anything anti gay or abortion of course, as long as yer agin something you can be a republican...

Rick, WS, NC (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 1:07 PM)

Romney and the other Repuks again trying to convince the voters that they're tough on foreign policy. They are trying too hard to be Ricardo Montalban....Quien es mas macho!Please. spare us.

juan,ft lauderdale,fl (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 1:19 PM)

So, are we saying it's ok to let terrorists come into our country and use our own constitution to mock us? These terrorists (and some previous posters) say we should allow free speech but they execute and terrorize their own citizens for attempting to do so. They flog us for not allowing them to speak their minds but they castigate others who speak critically of them. Have we forgotten that Ahmidenajad (sp?) thinks all Jews should be exterminated? Why in the world would we give such a person the time of day? This is what is so wrong with liberal America... they are so easily manipulated by these monsters who say one thing but clearly intend another. Romney is right.

T Jones, Salt Lake City, Utah (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 1:20 PM)

Its because of America's mistreatment of Khatami and threats to Iran that you know how Ahmedinejad to deal with.

However Americans treat foreign affairs as a joke and dont learn from any mistakes.

Abbas Khan (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 1:29 PM)

Excellent posts, all, today. Sure, the Iranian leader has many, many faults, and sure he is a tyrant in many ways. In essence, he is a man who has done very bad things. However, I am just not sure that following the same logic that has be the foundation of this current administration - no talking to our enemies - is in any way sensible. Such thinking is very concrete ('you are either with us, or against us' & the logic behind calling individuals traitors/unpatriotic for asking questions) and unbelievably dangerous.

Such simple-minded, concrete thinking got us into the problems that we face today.

jjg, ms (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 1:39 PM)

"However Americans treat foreign affairs as a joke and dont learn from any mistakes."

Couldn't have said it any better...

M. Boley (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 1:40 PM)

T Jones - please take this in the most respectful of ways... your thinking is based in fear, just as Bush would want. It is this sort of logic that has us sitting in the middle of a quagmire in the middle east.

jjg, ms (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 1:42 PM)

Remember, Obama is the one who said he would meet with any foreign leader. All the rest...including Hillary...said no or maybe with conditions. I know who gets my vote.

Al, KS (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 1:51 PM)

Did I read this correctly....Romney is tying Iran to 9/11? Are the fear mongers going to try to make that connection now? For the records, Iran has always been an enemy of al-Quaeda and the Taliban. Iran and 9/11....don't even try to make us believe this connection.

Al, KS (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 1:54 PM)

T Jones-Give me a liberal anyday who respects our constitution and Bill of rights than your lying holier than thou Republican fear mongers. History has shown our support for ruthless right wing military dictatorships were find as long has it towed the line. "They might be dictators....but they are ours" You seem to be manipulated by the Shrub, Fox news, and the other arrogant and pathological neo-cons. Voltaire once said "I may not agree with what you say....but I will defend with my life your right to say it" PERIOD!

juan,ft lauderdale,fl (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 1:56 PM)

Mitt Romney is an airhead. Why doesn't he just keeping spraying hurricane proof hairspray and shutup. No, wait, I am sure he will flip-flop on this too in the next week or so.

Avvorio, Houston, Texas (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 1:57 PM)

tjones, the Iranian leader is a narcissistic murderer, just like someone else we know.This liberal has figured it out about both leaders, different countrys.

G (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 1:57 PM)

The Republican canidates only know how to cater to the radical right wing fringe of the party to get nominated as does Ahmedinejad catering to radical fringe in that country. Throughout the years numerous dictators and meglomaniacs have spoken at the U.N....What is the big deal?Is it because of Isreal and his ridiculous lies that 6 millions jews were not exterminated. He's nuts but democratically elected by the people as was this administration who lied about WMD'S and has caused the total destruction of a soverign nation and killings of thousands of innocents Iraqies.

juan,ft lauderdale,fl (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 2:15 PM)

I wonder what Romney would say if Bush, Rice, Crocker or any American diplomat went to Iran to speak and were not protected by the police and were assassinated as a result. He would be calling for war, I'd be willling to bet. More political hypocrisy and pandering for right-wing votes.

As far as Chaney's plan to use Israel to okedoke Iran into a war; I wouldn't put it past him. The Prince of Darkness would sacrifice even Israel's survival to carry out his reckless foreign policy.

Robert Catalano, Salem, OR (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 2:34 PM)

Wow, such vitriol, I had to wipe the spit from my screen before I could write.

Free speech is so central to our ideals, and I don't believe Romney is trying to deny anyone their lawful rights, though it is questionable that Amadinejad has any lawful rights other than diplomatic protection while here. He is not a citizen, nor an invited guest - he is allowed here because of our UN obligations.

But I dont' get most of you. So maybe Romney is a bit over the top, it is campaign time. But to see the viciousness shown him in favor of showing graciousness to the president of a nation proven to support terrorists, that took many Americans hostage for 444 days, that continues to imprison without reason a number of Iranian-Americans, executes its own for the slimmest of reasons, and is openly racist in its policy...

I, for one, am ashamed to call you fellow citizens.

Jprice, Mid of the West (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 3:10 PM)

Thank you all for "catching on" to Mitt Romney. I was terrified he was going to be the GOP nominee, but it looks like the country is miles ahead of him. It appears you're all having no problem whatsoever seeing through his madness.

Thank goodness. He gives me the creeps and always has. The only person I can think of who smiled more than Romney in front of a camera was Ted Baxter.

Pat, Boston, MA (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 3:35 PM)

Iranian President had it right, when you invite someone to speak then you treat them like a guest. Its one of those basis civilities that helps promote peace. Romney's ad is counterproductive to the Peace process. Vote Kucinich 2008

Anna (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 4:15 PM)

Anna logan utah (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 4:16 PM)

[[ It's hilarious watching Americans squelching free speech. ]]

What free speech has been "squelched"? Do you understand that there is difference between stopping someone from expressing themselves, and being critical of what one says? Free speech doesn't mean you have to provide the platform for someone to say something.

Hope that helps.

Mark, San Jose CA (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 4:19 PM)

Boley: You have not mentioned why Larry Summers was denied an opportunity to speak at UC Irvine last week.

Robert: Israels survivial is being compromised by cowardly leftwingers in America and Europe. Not by your ''Prince of Darkness''. You will be reminded that Cheney had nothing to do with the IDF airstrike two weeks ago that took out Syrias nuke capability. This was an all-Israeli show and it worked brilliantly,as did their attack on Ossiraq in the 1980s when the democracies were similarly sitting on their hands.

Al,Ks: Romney was not the originator of such a tie. That would be the 9/11 Commission Report [Page 241].''For the record''.

Lee Holmes (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 4:40 PM)

"Robert: Israels survivial is being compromised by cowardly leftwingers in America and Europe. " So sayeth the Lord.

ppfffft! (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 4:59 PM)

Does anyone remember her indifference at the services of the 9/11 victims except me? And, what outstanding woman would sanction her husband's indiscretions?

Jane Doe, Anywhere, USA (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 6:59 PM)

Who is Jane Doe even talking about? Isn't this article about Romney's ad? Very confused...

Carrie, Eastern Iowa (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 9:26 PM)

Lee, at least both Chaney and Israel believe in unprovoked attacks. Isreal is doing more to harm their standing in the world than any 'cowradly' left-wingers in America could do.

Robert Catalano, Salem, OR (Sent Tuesday, September 25, 2007 1:21 AM)

Al Gore was mediocre 'Professor' at Columbia-but why would school invite Shiite-just to insult HIM?

Jambalaya (Sent Tuesday, September 25, 2007 2:04 AM)

If you happen to notice, those of you with actual functioning brains, who have gotten this far thru the pile of slop contained herein, you will see the cowardice of the mouthy party by the falsity and
creativity? in their identities.

WhatAmerica standsfor (Sent Tuesday, September 25, 2007 2:26 AM)

Romney's ad is nothing more than another politician capitalizing on current events, spinning them to his own political advantage. (Watch out. We'll see a lot of Romney. His campaign for MA gov. spent the most money ever for MA--between $9-10million...about $6 million of it was Romney's own money/NOT from supporters. He wants this election bad. We'll see/hear way more of him)

Pat-Boston: Hang in there. There are more and more of us who see Romney will not make us a good president.

As for talking with the Iranian president, I've always been one to stand the devil himself to his face. If a man can't talk to the devil and come out on top, I sure don't need him as my president...and I'm a woman. THAT's negotiation skills. THAT's being a Leader.

We should be making sure we are at the UN meetings with Ahmadinejad. Dialogue is part of the job description for president of the US, or it should be. We don't have to like what he has to say.

We let Romney talk all he wants and it's no secret that his 'kingdom' intends to take over the world, beginning with the U.S., establishing Theocracy (according to a former Brigham Young University teacher, "Saints Among Us," Rocky Mountain Magazine, Jan/Feb 1980, pp.17-32). No. Romney does not want to discuss His religion, just keep deferring that conversation to Christianity.

Providing an escort is much better than a foreign assination on any leader's watch. What's to boast about?

Jaye (Sent Tuesday, September 25, 2007 3:39 AM)

Jim, mccain is the biggest idiot. This is a guy who actual sang about bombing other human beings to a Bech Boy's song. Match that anyone?

Dan< St. Louis, Mo (Sent Tuesday, September 25, 2007 11:13 AM)

Robert: Eh? What did Argentina do to deserve HEZBOLLAH death squads? What did anti-Syrian legislators in Lebanon do to deserve their murder at the hands of HEZBOLLAH assassins? What have the Kurds done to deserve Iranian artillary strikes on their lands? What did Jordan do to deserve a chemical bombing attack on its Annan citizens by the Syrians?
Yet all of these were unprovoked attacks by state-sponsored terrorists meddling in the affairs of nations they have no business in. You will have observed that while Israel adhered to the Lebanese ceasefire crafted by the UN,HEZBOLLAH and Syria have not. In that there is no reason whatever for the Jews to believe that Syria or Iran will stand by any resolution,especially while seeking weapons of mass destruction[and in the case of Syria,getting them],and while advocating that they be ''wiped off the face of the earth'',and why they use proxies in order to forment terrorist attacks within the Jewish state,there is no logical reason why Israel would blithely stand by and allow a loose cannon like Syria to craft a nuclear weapon.

Lee Holmes (Sent Tuesday, September 25, 2007 3:48 PM)

To Romney and other Israel first people who are running for president Democrats and Repuplicans.

All of these problems with Iran and Iranians are over
one thing and one thing only, Iran objects to GENOSIDE of Palestenian people,so does Jimmy Carter and many Jews in Israel and in the world, this voices have to be silent no matter what it takes that is why Romneystiens want to defend Israel. for all of those who are running for president and sitting president I must say there is the "LAW OF RETURN" GO TO ISRAEL I
WILL be happy to pay my share for you to move there
and as an Israeli you do what you want. as American president you must put America first. for Israel nothing will happen to your country to respect international law we need the AID we give you and the cost of war in Iraq to rebuild New Orlean.

david alian dracut ma (Sent Tuesday, September 25, 2007 4:38 PM)

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