Romney says "birther" joke wasn't a swipe at Obama

[highplainsdem]

Source: CBS News

(CBS News) In an interview with CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley on Friday, Mitt Romney played down the remarks he made about President Obama's origins, arguing that they amounted to a joke and not a "swipe" at the president.

"No, no, not a swipe," Romney said. "I've said throughout the campaign and before, there's no question about where he was born. He was born in the U.S. This was fun about us, and coming home. And humor, you know -- we've got to have a little humor in a campaign."

-snip-

"You just felt, you know, you felt sort of everything that happened to us here - how we grew up, how we met here, the sacrifices that our families made - coming to Michigan, you know, it all sort of just washed over me as we got up on that stage," he said. "It was a very emotional feeling. It's a feeling of coming home."

-snip-

When Pelley asked Romney if he agrees Mr. Obama is the "legitimate president of the United States," Romney responded, "I've said that probably 30 times by now, and 31 certainly won't hurt."

-snip-

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57500130/romney-says-birther-joke-wasnt-a-swipe-at-obama/

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Video at the link.

Mitt Romney, always setting new world records for flip-flopping.

If he wanted to make a joke was supposed to be just "fun" about himself and Ann, as he tried to suggest, why would he have used the birther nonsense for the joke?

[liberal N proud]

1. I CALL BULL SHIT!!!!!

[riverbendviewgal]

14. I second that

[Heather MC]

26. My sentiments EXACTLY!!!!!!!!

I watched that Video he proudly waited for and expected that Audience to laugh
Agggggggggggghhhhhhh
What a FUCK WAD


If it was a Birther Comment then what is so damn funny about it???????????

[Siwsan]

2. Willard is a dirty, rotten liar

But, we pretty much all know that, already.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

3. so how does he explain his birther buddy Donald Trump?

and flying to Vegas to kiss his ass, doing fundraisers with him and giving him a featured spot at the convention as a reward for his birther crusade?

Just a little fun among racists, you need to have a sense of humor, you know

Also, comedy has to have some basis in truth.
For instance, if someone make a Seamus joke, it works, as the dog-on-car incident actually happened, by Willard's own admission.
However, Obama produced his birth certificate (twice), so Willard's joke doesn't work, as there was nothing to question.

[HangOnKids]

39. Princess Prancing Pony Sure looks Mean!

Rmoney is hitting the botox hard or he has had a face lift.

[Lint Head]

4. This is planned. It plants the thought that Mitt is a tea bagger inside yet says he is joking to

pander to the middle. He wants to get the tea bagger vote who don 't like Mormons.

[yardwork]

32. It's so clumsy, I don't think he's fooling that many people anymore.

[pepperbear]

5. LOL...."walk walk walk it back gently down the stream......"

this guy has had to clarify more than his fair show, doncha think?

[jtuck004]

6. Racist jokes are funny to certain white people. They are known as racists, Mi$$. Like you.

Creep.

[C_U_L8R]

7. Slippery manipulative bastard

Gawd I hate Rmoney.

[Bluenorthwest]

8. One of their legion of sons made a similar birther wise crack back in December

Matt Romney on releasing the tax returns: "“I heard that someone suggested that as soon as President Obama releases his grades, and birth certificate, and a sort of a long list of things, then maybe he will.’’
http://articles.boston.com/2011-12-30/news/30573620_1_tax-returns-mitt-romney-jokes

[DallasNE]

25. Huge Difference

Between making fun of someones stupid behavior and using made up crap for an alleged joke. Plus this personal attack, falsely based, is payback for Obama linking Romney's windmill on a car swipe at Obama and him shooting back about Romney having something else tied to the top of his car. And it represents still another example of how Romney really has a crappy way about him. A way that reminds me completely of Richard Nixon and we all know how that turned out.

[lastlib]

9. I'm convinced--it was aimed at dick cheney...

Last edited Sat Aug 25, 2012, 10:02 AM - Edit history (1)

Yeah, right, mittens, you filthy lying racist misogynist elitist asswipe!

SHOW US YOUR TAX RETURNS, YOU WORTHLESS FUCKWAD!

[Progressive dog]

10. What made him such an a'hole, nature or nurture?

I thought that even the Mitt would pretend to not be a racist.

[NYC Liberal]

11. Biggest bullshitter on the planet.

[4lbs]

12. Wasn't a swipe at the President?

So, Rmoney, please tell us what other Presidential candidate was ever asked about his birth certificate and was questioned for so long about his birthplace.

[maddezmom]

13. Bullshit...he's a Birther now

he's pandering to his racist base, not a lot of good it's going to do for him because they'd never vote for Obama anyway.

[jsr]

15. His sense of humor is a gift from God

[Major Nikon]

16. We're talking about the same Rmoney that palls around with the creme-de-la-dumb of birthers, yes?

This isn't a swipe at Obama?

Just exactly how fucking stupid does this lying sack of shit think the average American is? This fucker must think that his money equates to intelligence and everyone else HAS to be dummer than he is and the idiots he is surrounded by.

Sure all the rednecks and hillbillies and other assorted birther believing rubes that make up his constituency are collectively nodding their heads, but this isn't a fucking swipe at Obama?

Sorry dickhead. You can't have it both ways this time. It's not enough for you simply to deny it anymore. You either have to condemn the birthers as stupid shitheads, or you need to take credit for your cheap shot at Obama. Playing both sides ain't gonna work no more.

[RBInMaine]

17. Another MittTwit RobMe LIE. LIE LIE LIE. He was BIRTHER-BAITING. He is the BIRTHER-IN-CHIEF. And, to

think he is whining about Obama's tone in the campaign. He is just a totally hypocritical liar of an asshole !
And he's auctioning off dinners with his fellow Birther-Asshole, the bad hair "right wing nutjob" Trump.

[Salviati]

18. Wow, he is such a coward, he is afraid to take any criticism.

He can't even stand behind his own bullshit. How can he expect anyone to take him seriously as president.

[Solly Mack]

19. Piffle. He was pandering to GOP voters.

He was speaking their language. He knew what he was doing. He knew what it meant. He didn't care. He did it anyway.

He wears it now.

Romney, the teabagging racist.

[Javaman]

20. first he fucks up, then he sucks up.

as always, lost mittens is full of shit.

[elleng]

21. another example of his inability to be diplomatic, civil, or funny,

at the least, if nothing more.

he would be HAZARDOUS to U.S. domestic and international relations.

[Rose Siding]

22. First thing that comes to mind when I'm nostalgic is my birth certificate

The guy's got a screw loose. Can he possibly think anyone's buying that?

[2on2u]

23. Will the electorate like me more if I show that I can lie through my teeth? What a bald

faced liar, this is so sad, so very sad that he believes people are stupid enough to believe this crap.

[TomCADem]

24. The Hypocrisy Is Strong In This One

While Romney and the corporate media push the talking point that President Obama's campaign is negative, Romney makes a shout out to the birthers, rather than standing up to them.

Also, if this isn't offensive, does this mean that polygamy jokes at Romney's expense are okay?

[Politicalboi]

35. And right after he said this, he said

Obama is trying to divide America.

[Lifelong Protester]

27. Total BS

He could talk about growing up in MI without mentioning "wink-wink" birth certificates. But he did. For a specific, nod to racists and birthers, he went there. I don't give a rat's hinder what BS he tries to backpedal.

The toothpaste is out of the tube.

[ailsagirl]

28. LIAR LIAR LIAR LIAR LIAR LIAR LIAR LIAR

He lies with such ease. He's not fooling anyone-- anyone with a brain in their heads, that is.

[truthisfreedom]

29. Obama:"No one's ever asked me for my tax returns."

Just a little joke, not a swipe.

"No one's ever asked me if I held a gay kid down and forcibly cut off his hair."

"No one's ever asked me if I tied my dog to the roof of my car."

[Politicalboi]

34. I like that

I wish Obama would say that. I guess we can hope, it's fair.

[wordpix]

40. excellent, his surrogates should use it at the very least

[wordpix]

41. Obama: "No one's ever asked me how much of my wealth is in offshore tax haven accounts"

[LovingA2andMI]

30. Okay Mitt...maybe it was a swipe at your Father George instead....

"Questions were occasionally asked about (George) Romney's eligibility to run for President owing to his birth in Mexico, given the ambiguity in the United States Constitution over the phrase "natural-born citizen".[14][169][172] (Romney departed the race before the matter could be more definitively resolved,[169] although the preponderance of opinion then and since has been that he was eligible.[172][173])"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Romney#1968_presidential_campaign

Yeah, right but wonder did you ever tell your Daddy that he couldn't run for President since he was REALLY born in Mexico?

[mimi85]

31. I CANNOT wait

until we win and hopefully will never have to look or hear from Willard and his smarmy sidekick. Not to mention Ann, the witch. Ed is ripping him a new one!

[Politicalboi]

33. Are we sure Rmoney is Mormon

Is there "paperwork" to prove this, and why can't we see that. After all, a "true" Mormon would donate 10% of his earning to the LDS, wouldn't he? And we need to see his taxes to see if Rmoney is truly a "qualified" Mormon. It's their rules, not mine.

[tclambert]

36. We gotta start attending Romney rallies and shouting, "Say something stupid, Mitt!"

And you know he will. He's just like Brad in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

[Canuckistanian]

37. Because birther jokes are SOOOO funny

And they're not insulting at all, no... no....

[SunSeeker]

38. NO ONE believes him.

Including his audiance, they clearly reacted like it was a swipe at Obama by cheering. They only started cheering when he said no one asked for his birth certificate--there was no cheering up to that point, as he was talking about where he and Ann were born.

[Tom Ripley]

42. If that is so, then Romney is mocking many of his own supporters

Which is it, Willard?

[Chemisse]

43. Oh no. Of course not.

It was an ass kissing to the birthers. There is no depth to which Romney will not stoop.

[CBHagman]

44. I have a different reaction after seeing the video.

If I'd just heard the audio, I might have believed the comment was spontaneous though still very much a dig, no two ways about it.

But look at the video. Romney pauses for the reaction from the crowd. It's the same body language that I saw in the video of his speech to the NAACP when he tossed off the threat to repeal what he calls Obamacare and I call the Affordable Care Act or simply health care reform.

He's calculating. He also has a very identifiable mean streak.

[center rising]

45. The fuck it wasn't!!

[krkaufman]

46. funny?

So what about the comment was funny, absent the Birtherism context? It would make almost zero sense absent Birtherism.

Glad to see Romney going all-in on the racist approach to winning the Presidency, as if the minority voter suppression wasn't enough.