To the editor:
During the last few weeks, I was stunned, shocked and even amused at the obtuse comments of the presumptive Republican nominee for president. After all that has been said by Republicans during the past four years, that was no small feat.
Mitt Romney's first claim was the he, also, would have made the same call as President Barack Obama to dispatch Osama bin Laden from the ranks of the living. No brainer, huh Mitt? Well, not really. Romney's claim is clearly disputed by Romney, on video, not long before when he said he would not cross sovereign borders to get this despicable killer of innocents. Aside from this direct contradiction of himself, he has the shear flip-floppiness to state that opposite. My first thought was that he was supposing SEAL Team 6 had just stumbled over bin Laden when it was out for a stroll in the dessert, blissfully unaware it had crossed the border. Hey, look, isn't that the guy who killed thousands of people in New York? Let's get him.
Fortunately for all of us, with the exception of Mitt, this was not the case. During the campaign, Obama stated that he would cross borders in order to see that justice was done and protect the American people. Then he did. The former administration had disbanded the unit that had been searching for the cold-blooded murderer. Our president had a slightly different approach. He hired Leon Panetta, made the hunt for bin Laden the highest priority and then asked Panetta what he needed to get the job done. I have no doubt Panetta did exactly that and simply went about his job, with a vengeance. Good for Obama, good for Panetta, good for the Navy SEALS and good for the American people and the world. Romney's claims are not supported by the facts. Imagine that.
Another ridiculous claim is that it was his idea to do the auto rescue. Seriously, Mitt? Was the comment briefly made by his Etch-a-sketch before it exploded? He wrote an article in the Wall Street Journal that stated, "Let Detroit go bankrupt." Mitt, Mitt, you know that you can't have a structured bankruptcy without private investment, of which there was none. The result - no public funds, no U.S. auto industry, no jobs, a double-dip recession or depression.
Over the years, from time to time, some honorable politicians will review a position and occasionally change that position. However, at some point, constant contrary positions, known as flip-flops, must logically be reclassified as what they are, lies. Romney is a liar, and a huge one. To illustrate my point, I would evoke the name Rick Santorum. The fact is that I rarely agree with anything that Santorum says. Having said this, I don't consider him a liar. I am convinced that he is wrong, or misinformed, about all kinds of things. I don't believe that he is lying. Instead, he believes what he says. I had no such illusion with regard to Romney.
Bob Atkinson
Weirton
