Pork Barrel Mitt

[Puppycow]

EXCLUSIVE: In ’02 Romney Touted D.C. Connections, Federal Funds

In a long-forgotten tape from the 2002 Massachusetts governor’s race obtained by ABC News, Mitt Romney is seen touting his Washington connections and his ability to get millions of taxpayer dollars from the federal government.

“I am big believer in getting money where the money is,” Romney says on the video, “The money is in Washington.”
. . .
“I want to go after every grant, every project, every department in Washington to assure that we are taking advantage of economic development opportunities,” Romney tells the group.

And while Romney now often criticizes his opponents for being Washington insiders, in this video he touts his Washington connections.

“I have learned from my Olympic experience that if you have people who really understand how Washington works and have personal associations there you can get money to help build economic development opportunities,” Romney says.

 

[Cain]

So?

 

[leftysergeant]

So Swiss Mittens used his Washington DC connections to get grant money to his rich friends to build the infrastructure for the Salt Lake City Olympics and stimulated the growth of their ski resorts and housing developments by building roads and securing land swaps of questionable value and such.

Cried like a baby that a light rail system to move people around the town was an unproductive waste of money.

 

[BenBurch]

Lefty! Damn, man, I worried something bad had happened to you. Glad to hear from you.

 

[CynicalSkeptic]

So Swiss Mittens used his Washington DC connections to get grant money to his rich friends to build the infrastructure for the Salt Lake City Olympics and stimulated the growth of their ski resorts and housing developments by building roads and securing land swaps of questionable value and such.

Cried like a baby that a light rail system to move people around the town was an unproductive waste of money.

In other news politicians are lying, manipulative scumbags.

 

[Babbylonian]

I don't really see the problem here, aside from the insider/outsider thing but every non-incumbent candidate (and even some incumbents) tries to play that card.

For example:

“I am big believer in getting money where the money is,” Romney says on the video, “The money is in Washington.”

There's no contradiction here between someone who advocates lower federal income taxes/government spending and someone who tries to get money for his state "where the money is." In fact, if the feds are going to spend the money anyway a local executive would be irresponsible not to try to get it back for his constituents.

Don't get me wrong: I have zero interest in seeing Mittenton becoming President, but this doesn't have any effect on my position whatsoever.