ABOUT FIRST READ

First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC News Political Reporter



Whoops...

Posted: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 12:30 PM by Mark Murray

From NBC's Mark Murray
From the AP: "In a slip of the tongue, Republican Mitt Romney accused Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama of urging terrorists to congregate in Iraq. In the midst of criticizing Obama and other Democrats on foreign and economic policy Tuesday, the GOP presidential hopeful said: 'Actually, just look at what Osam -- Barack Obama -- said just yesterday. Barack Obama, calling on radicals, jihadists of all different types, to come together in Iraq. That is the battlefield... It's almost as if the Democratic contenders for president are living in fantasyland. Their idea for jihad is to retreat, and their idea for the economy is to also retreat. And in my view, both efforts are wrongheaded.'"

"Romney was addressing a Chamber of Commerce meeting. Spokesman Kevin Madden said: 'He misspoke and corrected himself and was referring to Osama bin Laden.'"

MAIN PAGE

Email this EMAIL THIS

Comments

So Mitt Romney is the one who writes Osama Obama in firstread thread. Confirmed.

Mormon Mitt Romney -> Child Marriage Supporter
This was not just misspeaking this was total confusion. He also said democratic contenders, I'm sorry but he is suggesting that Osama is running for election on the democratic side. Do we need any more examples of this kind of discourse. I and my candidates are not terrorists. I don't want an apology, I just want this group of propogandists to go away. I don't have an idea for jihad, the terrorists do, misspoke my eye. MITT is saying democrats are the problem when it is OSAMA BIN LADEN who is leading jihad.
This is why i can't vote for Mitt Romney. His bigotry is of the highest order.

It is what he thinks, what he says and how he flips and flops so much he can not keep track. He has done this before, remember the sign he stood by???
Another GOP scumbag trying for the brass ring of Power.
This guy must be clueless about foreign policy. How did the people of MA voted this guy as their governor. Obviously, he must be on cool aid when it comes to foreign policy.
Must be something to do with being from Massachusetts because Teddy did the same thing.

Huckabee!!!! Give hope a second chance!!!
Is Mitt Romney criticizing the Democratic candidates on   foreign policy when he cannot tell the difference between Barack Obama and Osama Bin Laden while giving a speech? Mitt Romney is intitled to his opinion but if he wants to become president he needs to start offering solutions to the problems at hand. His solution for improving our foreign policy, health care, etc, is not Barack Obama and until he offers his own solution to these issues, criticizing the other candidates will not solve these problems either.
Mitt Romney is an A--!
"Oh Dubya, Where Art Thou?". Just what we need, another lame-brained President who only opens his mouth to switch feet. Talk about Mis-speak!Fantasyland? I'd say the Deomocrats would know what one is, having been in the audience (with the rest of America) of the Republican Fantasyland for the last seven years. So he thinks Bin Laden is a Democrat? And all this time, I thought he was a Republican.
Yeah Right Romney...........being a little "covert" there aren't we. Kinda reminds me of what the Republicans did to Ford in Tennesse this past election.
John

Edinboro, PA - lived in Erie for 4 (loong) years - are you guys getting ready to throw Phil English out!!
If it truly were a slip of the tongue, I hope Obama doesn't make a big deal out of it.  Our country keeps entering into misguided debates about this stuff.  Rather, if I were Obama, I would take this time to reiterate his stance on pursue Osama in Pakistan in the face of criticism from Hillary Clinton and the GOP candidates.
The apology is a good step but it illustrates just how hard conservatives are working to get people to think 'Osama' when they hear 'Obama'.
Bin Laden is hoping you all vote for Hilliary.
I realized it is only Mccain and Ron Paul  that have clue about foreign plolicy when it comes to Republican party.

Republican party is finished.
I don't believe that this is an honest mistake, it's deliberate. Mitt Romney is a MORON. The bigotry of the Mormon is beyond me. These is the same sect that thinks that Slavery is a result of Noah cursing one of his sons, whose descendants eventually became black and eventually became slaves.

MITT ROMNEY, OF THE REBUBLICAN’T PARTY AND MORMON FAITH, THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD $%#%%%%%#
#
Misspoke eh? Well, there is NO WAY a mormon will become president because they are not Chritian and mormonism is a cult. OOPS! I misspoke.
    If Mitt cannot correctly name the person who led the attack on us on 9/11, I surmise that he wlll not be trying to find Osama bin Laden if he is elected  (he'll be looking in the wrong places for the wrong man).
    President Bush's legacy of looking in all the wrong places will be carried on by the Republican Party.
    Still the same.
   
QUERY:  "slip of the tongue" or a "Freudian slip"?

The dems should move to censure Mitt Romney.  That's how these things are handled these days.
Well, a spokesperson from the Obama campaign requests an opportunity to review the comments before making a statement.  This is gonna be fun.  I love the Obama come backs and they'll shut Mitty up with one sentence. Can't wait.
Romney's an idiot, what do you expect from an idiot.  If he confuses Obama with Osama, when will the bombing of the Democratic states begin?
Willard 'Mitt' Romney managed to dodge the draft during the Viet Nam era.
Willard Romney's five sons have decided not to join the 'War on Terror' by enlisting in the armed services.
Yet, Willard has no problem sending others to their death.

I doubt that Willard's tongue slipped.
It's a Republican smear.
Maybe he'll apologise and flip-flop on this issue too.
Hey Mitt:

When are you going to apologize to Sen. Obama for your "Pete Stark" moment! I'm surprized Rep. Boehner hasn't introduced a "sense of Congress" resolution demanding you apology. What a political double standard!

The truth is Democrats can take the heat, it is RepubliCANTS you cry and whine on every little offense. Grow up!
Republicans only know how to win by cheating, character assassinations, and media manipulations (Willie Horton) all for the ignorant masses it caters too. Romney is no different.
As I mentioned before, if Gw had honored his words to this nation just shortly after 911,none of us, including Mitt, would be having to listen to Osama's rants. Please stop quoting, or trying to quote Osama. It just reminds us all how this administration has failed to hold account the one person responsible for 911 to account.
Sounds like more of the "OBAMA IS A MUSLIM" tripe.
Mitt and Rudy are both in denial.  Rudy is Hillary light and Mitt is a liberal who is afraid to admit his true feelings.  May I suggest Stewart Smalley?
Here's a response from Obama campaign. I love it!!!

From NBC's Mark Murray
Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton issues this statement about Romney mixing up Obama's and Osama bin Laden's names today: "Apparently, Mitt Romney can switch names just as casually as he switches positions, but what's wrongheaded is continuing a misguided war in Iraq that has left America less safe. It's time to end the divisiveness and fear-mongering that is at the heart of Gov. Romney's campaign."
To: stew wyoming

I agree with your analysis, but I think the better comparison for Mitt and Rudy is Sen. Larry Craig.  All three have a hard time admitting their true feelings.
Class Warrior -

While I can't argue with your statement that Romney is an idiot, I think we need to remember that we are NOT "Democratic" states and "Republican" states.  

We are the United States of America.  

If anyone started bombing states, I don't think there is any American who would say, "Well, it's just a republican state, so who cares."

While the politicians are doing their best to have us think in those terms, the unity needed in this country is going to have to come from all of us, being careful in how we use language and ideas to influence each other.
Dont those chuckleheads in the republican party have a primary to win.Better stick to issues instead of hilliary.He has to win to run for president,hilliary isnt even the canadate nor barack so why waste time on them,get your own house in order puckers then we can talk hilliary.
Joe Binden calls him clean:  Obama forgets it
Ted Kennedy calls him Osama:  Obama forgets it
Mitt Romney calls him Obama:  Obama gets pissed

Sierra:

That is why we have a volunteer Army.......
Not like a bunch of people that kissed the Sargent in Vietnam......

Gee...something bad happened and no one's blaming Hillary?  Disappointed in some of you.
Jerry do us all a favor and join the army.
Actually... Jerry/corpus Christi Texas, obama forgets Mitt Romney too.  When asked by a reporter, Obama said he doesn't pay any attention to Mitt.  He is irrelevant.  That's gotta hurt.
Mitt is a moron, oops, mormon. Sorry slip of the tongue.
I guess the GOP nominee will be the one who out hates the rest on Hillary.

For anybody who has already voted for Bush it's a solid platform - even if Hilldawg doesn't get the nomination.
I hope you Americans don't vote for Hillary because she is a woman and we don't believe women can handle the job.
If Mitt hadn't made the Obama/Osama/Your Moma [sic] sign famous, it might have been possible to overlook this. But, he did. Now we've got strike two. I'm not really looking forward to the edifying experience that strike three is sure to be.

You're outta there, Mitt!
Bin Laden is hoping you all vote for Hilliary.
Frank Cioffi

---- close friend of yours is he Frank? Maybe the FBI should look into your acquaintances.
Hey U2, heck yeah he is done here! No more rebumblekin dough boys for northwest PA. Where did you move to, any good jobs?
Shit, opps I mean Mitt is just like all the other religeous bigots in the party of the pachyderm. Elephants should be outraged and break free of their zoo cages and beat this man with ther toy logs. He is scum and he knows it, that is why he is so well groomed, he has to hide his villianous ways behind pretty hair and make up.
Romney is one of the good candidates that we have on the republican side.  He mis-spoke, so what?
Why don't you people grow up?
Obama is irrelevant.  It's going to be the clinton machine the republicans have to defeat.
Hey Chuck, what a stroke of luck. apparently binladen has emailed the thread. Quickly send his IP address to Homeland secutity and the CIA. bush hasn't found him in 6 years now and the thread has him. Get on this quickly. surely no one would use such a reprehensible tactic for a cheap political trick so it must be him!
RhJ,
Stark misspoke to then, how come your riech leaders made a big deal out of it?
Sieg Hiel, long live the rebumblkin propaganda machine.
If you read all he said it was not a mistake it was planned.
No votes yet and you predict the future without any facts. Sounds like you are working in the white house, they do that thing all the time. Here is my prediction-any democrat will do better than the boy king and uncle dickie, dems will vote in droves and repubs will be so sick of candidates without ideas and sit home and watch desperate housewives or dancing with the stars, george and dick masks will do well this halloween, a drunken hollywood party girl will get more press than bush in the coming months, fema will help in the britney debacle giving millions to cover her court costs. phil spector will run on the third party ticket, chertoff will be found to be a real vampire, Ronnie Raygun will still be dead, they will kill off VP and put Jenna in the office or Jeb or jebs son or daughter. Are you too afraid to post a real name. I know your Alberto Gonzales.
Mitt Rommney wouldn't know who Osama Bin Laden was if he walked up to him and said I'm Barak Obama. He is just a polished new car salesman who wants a larger desk in the oval office. So much for awareness on the world stage of international affairs. He is not stupid but that remark was or was it?  
I can't believe how bigoted and vicious most of the remarks in here are regarding Mormonism and Mitt Romney. God help our poor country when there are so many fools who are quick to judge others, and quick to find fault. It makes one think that our country is truly going to hell in a handbasket, when this is coupled with the evidence of our corrupt and degraded popular media (TV and movies, pervasive porn, broken families) and our unfortunate society in general is rotting from within. Our children are bombarded with garbage from their peers and from the "popular" media. Our government cannot survive if the society doesn't practice honesty and love for their fellow man. Mormons in general are decent, honest people, and without such people our society is doomed. You who are quick to judge and condemn others, take the time to take a good honest look at yourselves and also the person(s) you are condemning before making a knee-jerk reaction based on your biased and bigoted desires. You believe what you choose to belief about others. You condemn because that somehow makes you feel better about yourself, just like the immature bullies we all grew up with.
My 86-year-old Dad can't pronounce alot of surnames but he doesn't want to lead this country.  Anyone who's been watching/reading the news the past 6 years ought to be able to say Osama bin Ladin with no problem.  Either this was a deliberate attempt to harm Obama's campaign or Mitt Romney's stupid.  Come on people, it's as simple as that.


SEND A COMMENT

PLEASE READ: All comments must be approved before appearing in the thread; time and space constraints prevent all comments from appearing. We will only approve comments that are directly related to the blog, use appropriate language and are not attacking the comments of others.

Message (please, no HTML tags. Web addresses will be hyperlinked):

TRACKBACKS

Trackbacks are links to weblogs that reference this post. Like comments, trackbacks do not appear until approved by us. The trackback URL for this post is: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/trackback.aspx?PostID=426556

First Read e-mail alerts


Sign up for First Read alerts
The first place for key political news and analysis

Syndicate This Site

Add First Read to your news reader:
live.com xml
myyahoo msn
bloglines newsgator
google