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I'll Change What I Believe if You Vote for Me

By wt

Here is a good round up of two Mitt Romney "flip-flops" -- on the Assault Weapons Ban and the supposed NRA endorsement of his Gubernatorial candidacy in 2002.

I call them "flip-flops" because they deserve worse names than that. They are shameless things to say when you're trying to attract voters.

I'm shying away from making any public endorsements on this blog. I try to attack everyone equally. But this is bordering on absurd.

Romney on the Assault Weapons Ban, Dec. 16, 2007:

Let?s describe what it is. I signed?I would have supported the original assault weapon ban. I signed an assault weapon ban in Massachusetts because it provided for a relaxation of licensing requirements for gun owners in Massachusetts, which was a big plus.

MR. RUSSERT: So the assault ban that expired here because Congress didn?t act on it, you would support?

GOV. ROMNEY: Just as the president said, he would have, he would have signed that bill if it came to his desk, and so would have I.

Romney, Feb 2, 2008

MITT ROMNEY: Yeah. Yeah, I don?t support any gun control legislation, the effort for a new assault weapons ban, with a ban on semi-automatic weapons, is something I would oppose.

There?s no new legislation that I?m aware of or have heard of that I would support. In regards to guns, I think we have enough legislation and should enforce the laws as they exist.

I was pleased that when I ran for Governor that I received the endorsement of the NRA and I hope to receive their support now.

Worse, Romney never received the endorsement of the NRA. And he knows that he didn't because his campaign corrected that error from the Meet the Press show above.

"The NRA did not endorse in the 2002 campaign," said spokesman Kevin Madden, when asked about Romney's comments.

"Mitt Romney as a candidate received a respectable B grade rating from the NRA, and when he was governor he had the support of the NRA and the Gun Owners Action League in relaxing some of the state's burdensome licensing regulations."

I'm somewhat in disbelief at this guy. He's changed his position on several major issues since he first ran for Governor, ok. Maybe you can say you've seen the light on abortion, Reagan-Bush, everything, since 5-10 years ago.

But to shamelessly alter your positions AFTER you've begun a presidential campaign is so baffling to me. And then to tout a non-existent endorsement from a group that your campaign has ALREADY CORRECTED as wrong?

I don't understand how this is happening.

Full post as published by Expressio Unius on February 04, 2008 (boomark / email).