Romney Admitted He Voted for Dems to Influence Races… But Criticizes Santorum for Advocating Something Similar
- Posted on February 28, 2012 at 2:45pm by
Christopher Santarelli
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When reports broke Monday that the Santorum campaign was resorting to robo-calling in heavy Democratic/union districts as a last-ditch effort to push ahead in today’s Michigan Republican primary, Mitt Romney was quick to pounce, telling Fox News that the robo-call sounds like it’s coming from organized labor, and is an effort that is confusing people and deceptive. Romney called it “a new low” in the campaign.
POLITICO reports though that the tactic is something Romney should be familiar with, having admitted in the past to voting for Democrats in Massachusetts to alter elections. POLITICO dug up this clip from ABC News when Romeny ran for President in 2008:
ABC News’ Jonathan Greenberger Reports: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney offered a new explanation today for why he supported a Democrat in 1992.
That year, Romney, then a registered independent, voted for former Sen. Paul Tsongas in the 1992 Democratic presidential primary. He told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, in an interview that will air Sunday on “This Week,” that his vote was meant as a tactical maneuver aimed at finding the weakest opponent for incumbent President George H.W. Bush.
“In Massachusetts, if you register as an independent, you can vote in either the Republican or Democratic primary,” said Romney, who until he made an unsuccessful run for Senate in 1994 had spent his adult life as a registered independent. “When there was no real contest in the Republican primary, I’d vote in the Democrat primary, vote for the person who I thought would be the weakest opponent for the Republican.”
The Romney campaign has since responded to the comparison between Romney’s actions in 1992 and what Santorum has told voters in Michigan to do in this election, with spokeswoman Andrea Saul emailing POLITICO that it’s “no comparison at all. This is a blatant effort by Rick Santorum to join forces with President Obama and his supporters to encourage Democrats to vote in the Republican primary.”
Romney made the same point at a press conference today:
“It’s very different running for — being a candidate for president, buying ads, and telling Democrats to go, to go mess into a Republican primary and to vote against me. Particularly when he doesn’t describe his own position on the very issues he attacks me for. In my case, I was certainly voting against the Democrat who I thought was the — the person I thought would be the worst leader of our nation. In this case, as I recall, it was Bill Clinton. I wanted someone other than Bill Clinton. And certainly and against — I voted against Ted Kennedy, Tip O’Neill, and Bill Clinton. It seemed like a good group to be against.”
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Comments (105)
disenlightened
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:51pmSo . . . let’s see if I understand this . . . Romney doing something to disrupt a Democrat primary is morally equivalent to Santorum doing something to disrupt a Republican primary? Do you understand how stupid that sounds? This is Democrat-Think.
Report Post »kmichaels
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 4:09pmYou are right on the mark. How is this remotely the same? Romney voted for the weakest democrat. Is Santorum wanting the Democrats to vote for the weakest Republican? How does this make sense at all. It is just stupid. What was the blaze writer thinking? Is Santorum admitting to the world that he is the weakest candidate and Democrats should vote for him to help the weakest candidate run against Obama? The writer is doing some serious liberal-speak here.
Report Post »carbonyes
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 4:46pmYou are both dimwits. Winning the Michigan primary is important strategically and momentum wise for Santorum, so he strategizes to increase his vote take. What the hell did Romney do against Gingrich in at least three different primaries to uptick his vote total and get the win.
All is fair in love and war! This is at least a battle if not a war.
Report Post »soybomb315
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 5:39pmThis is just karma coming back to Romney. He did some very bad things to Newt in Florida. Romney was able to bask in the Iowa win before we found out he actually lost – and he was able to bask in the Maine win even though the true results were sketchy at the time. The golden boy cant get everything he wants…
Report Post »kmichaels
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 5:39pmNow for some real Santorum lies and hypocrisy …
“We want the activists of the party, the people who make up the backbone of the Republican Party to have a say in who our nominee is as opposed to a bunch of people who don’t even identify themselves as Republicans picking our nominee,” Santorum told voters on the call held January 29. “I don’t like that. I believe that states should only allow Republicans to vote in Republican primaries.”
Report Post »notreally
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 7:02pmWell said. And Romney didn’t attempt to mobilize others to do the same manuever — Santorum did.
Report Post »LOJ
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:50pmThere are alot of Union people who do not like the direction this country is headed and Obama has just used them to advance Socialism. Did anyone ever think that Union people think for themselves and they do not automatically want to donate Union Dues to the Democratic party!
Report Post »bullcrapbuster
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 4:20pmVery true. That could be the achilles heel of the union/ows disruption planned for this coming summer.
Report Post »BobtheMoron
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:50pmRomney is a Liberal/Progressive/Socialist/Communist or a RINO. Same thing.
Report Post »slr4528
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 5:27pmGo read a book!
Report Post »justangry
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:49pmI don‘t think he’s a shill. He’s just not as bright as he thinks he is.
Report Post »BobtheMoron
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:46pmBeck’s theme song sound like a bunch of gay men with their hangy downs caught in a wringer.
Report Post »BobtheMoron
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:44pmIdiot! Do you believe all the BS shoved down your throat by the MSM.
Report Post »Goldi
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:44pmOne vote! I guess that is as many as the robo calls! Right!
Report Post »Goldi
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:42pmSorry CCR I missed the quotation marks.
“Beck out to be embarrassed. Santorum is one of the LEAST HONORABLE people I anm learning about!!!!!
Report Post »Beck HAS to KNOW this stuff about him. SO…….WHY, WHY would Beck support someone who will LOSE to Obama (there‘s NO truth behind Santorum being an ’honorable’ man, Beck!) in November??? Is it YOUR WALLET???
I will never understand either!”
slr4528
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 5:29pmBeck just invested in his new show…so I am sure 4 more years of Obama would impact Beck’s bottom line in a positive manner just like Rush,Hannity,Gretta and Levin.
Report Post »BobtheMoron
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:41pmRomney is a Democrat in Republican clothing.
Report Post »TeaPartyForRomney
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:45pmNothing can be further than the truth. Santorum is more big government, pro-union, and his Specter vote gave us ObamaCare, two Supreme Court justices Kagan and Sotomayor. Pro-Abortion legislation, etc.
Until their history came out Gingrich and Santorum looked great, until their big government history came out.
Romney is the true conservative. This is proven: http://url2it.com/lrcq
Either way, the primaries should be closed to only Republicans.
Report Post »disenlightened
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:52pmBOBTHEMORON lives up to his name :)
Report Post »Goldi
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:40pmCCR:
Report Post »Beck out to be embarrassed. Santorum is one of the LEAST HONORABLE people I anm learning about!!!!!
Beck HAS to KNOW this stuff about him. SO…….WHY, WHY would Beck support someone who will LOSE to Obama (there‘s NO truth behind Santorum being an ’honorable’ man, Beck!) in November??? Is it YOUR WALLET???
I will never understand either!
santorum allows ministers to introduce him who makes fun of and calls the religion that Glenn and Pat adhere to, not Christian. Has Glenn confronted him on it? NO! WHY!
Please, please, please, Glenn address it.
I have followed you since I heard you on the radio travelling through the country. Was so glad when your program came to my state. I love what you have to say, but I don’t understand why you have gone all out for santorum.
You know how much Romney has donated to the poor. You know how much time he has given to his Church and never received a cent for it! I figure it is close to 15 years.
Why do you diss him all the time?
Santorum takes less money for his speeches and says he is donating. Give me a breaK!
PLEASE, GLENN ADDRESS IT!
Locked
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:30pm“GLENN BECK is a shill for the Dems”
I don‘t believe this for a second and you’re a fool if you do. What he is is a businessman.
-He can’t support Ron Paul (my personal pick, fyi), because he’s spent so much time decrying his lack of support for Israel.
-He won‘t support Romney because it would bring extra scrutiny to their beliefs and he’d be accused of playing favorites with Mormons
-He won’t support Gingrich because… well, no one likes Gingrich
-He’s only supporting Santorum because his social views align with most of his readers/listeners.
Beck has already predicted that Obama will win 2012 (Here’s the story on The Blaze if you want to read it: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/beck-talks-new-george-washington-book-with-imus-and-why-obama-will-get-re-elected/). So he’s positioning himself for the best outcome for Glenn Beck, and will switch his focus to congressional seat coverage once the race is over.
It’s business, and there’s no business like show business.
Report Post »USPATRIOT101
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:21pmHere would be my commebnt to these two knuckle heads; “Anyone interested in beating barack?!?!?!”
Report Post »carbonyes
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 4:34pmRomney is the pot calling the kettle black.
Report Post »sandrunner
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:20pmboo hoo.
in the end…there can only be one.
Report Post »MammalOne
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:13pmThis is really a non-story. They’re both snakes. Neither one deserves any support as a potential presidential candidate. Let them fight it out, because in the end – they’re both right.
Report Post »dfhall
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:23pmThere is nothing wrong with Santorum going for the Regan Democrates. What I think is pathetic is Romney winning about it. I don’t want a winner and chief.
Report Post »BobtheMoron
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:43pm@dfhall Don‘t you mean ’whiner in chief’?
Report Post »TeaPartyForRomney
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:12pmCLOSE THE PRIMARIES…
DEMS FOR SANTORUM… IN THE PRIMARY ONLY
This is why primary elections should be closed. There is no logical reason to keep it open. Rush Limbaugh started ‘Operation Chaos’ and it sounded novel, that is until they enter our primary. Either way we should close them, for the Republicans, the Dems can do what they like. Remember though also, Romney wasn’t a registered Republican. So it is somewhat different.
Rick, Dems, Obama, and Soros aren’t asking for independents to vote, they are asking for Democrats, those who want Obama to win. Again this is why I want them closed.
Report Post »bhelmet
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:02pmPolitics plain and simple. Funny how one becomes a petulant little child when used against them. Mitt is just mad he did not think of it first.
Report Post »ccr
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:13pmno he’s not……
Mitt voted HIMSELF……..on his own……..he didn’t go out and promote OTHERS to swing the election. In that state as an independent and not being involved in politics, he voted where he thought it would help the best candidate.
Ricky…….and everyone here at the Blaze is DELUSIONAL (including Beck) if you think Saintorum will beat Obama!
Santorum’s record has NO FISCAL conservatism history………SPEND, SPEND was his philosophy and he doesn’t apologize for it!
“Santorum Brought Over $1 Billion In Pork-Barrel Spending Back To Pennsylvania. “In all, Taxpayers for Common Sense estimated, Mr. Santorum helped secure more than $1 billion in earmarks during his Senate career, which stretched from 1995 through 2006.” (Michael Luo and Mike McIntire, “Donors Gave As Santorum Won Earmarks,” The New York Times, 1/15/12)”
When Romney saw that he would not win the delegates he got out and helped raise $$ for McCain’s campaign against Obama. When Romney, HOPEFULLY, wins the delegates needed, WILL “honorable” Santorum HELP the Republicans win in Nov?????
NOT if it won’t land MONEY in his own pocket, I don’t think!!!!!!
I used to “like” Santorum. I find him a man of pandering, opportunistic, inside Washington nature. NO, THANKS!
Beck, Pat……….you are huge disappointments. MONEY is the name of the game for you all, isn’t it????
Report Post »bhelmet
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 4:08pmCCR, this is nothing more than politics – I do not like it either, nor do I care for Mitt or Santorum. If you listen to Glenn for political advice then you are delusional. I love what Glenn and his staff are doing despite the fact that he and I would vote for different candidates.
Report Post »Master_and_Commander
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 2:59pmOk, help me on this… someone explain to me how its dirty for anyone, candidate or not, to ask for the other side to vote one way or the other? Its not like the Dems have to listen to either Santorum or Romney, they are independent individuals with their own brains. If I were runing or supporting somebody, I’d do the same thing, as would any guy with a brain! So tell me whats the big deal?
Theres absolutely nothing wrong here with asking the other side to vote for the candidate you want. What is wrong is Romney’s hypocrisy when he himself is doing the same thing.
Report Post »cripplecreek
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:02pmNo kidding, the goal is to get as many votes as possible.
By whining about this Romney is telling half of America to go screw themselves.
Report Post »JustPeachy
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:52pmAgreed. Many seem to be either uninformed or misinformed (confused) about this.
This isn’t that big of a deal and even ROMNEY knows it. lol But he’s grasping at a few straws and a little more than worried that someone else may actually win his precious home state! It would be pretty humiliating as well as yet another loss. All I guess Romney knows to do about it is to complain and try to call “foul ball!”
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 2:57pmwho cares. who cares. in NOV, we will vote for whoever the GOP nominee against obama will be, because they are 100% American. —— something that filthy fecal communist obama can never lie and claim to be.
Report Post »ccr
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:06pmI’m so disgusted by the likes of Beck, Hannity, Rush, Levin, Ingraham lying, distorting, twisting (as in this article tries to do with the headline!!!!!) against Romney and for ANYONE BUT Romney!
Beck is a fool for supporting Santorum who is showing himself to be a fool, with his foot in his mouth with extreme statements, divisiveness in religious arena, and with middle America voters.
Report Post »martinez012577
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:08pmSpeak for yourself. I will not vote for one of the clones. I refuse. You can either get on board with us and vote for a candidate that is different from Obama or you can just get four more with Obama.
Obama is horrible, but he didnt start this mess. He has continued and in some places increased the speed of bad things coming but he didnt start it.
So, no I will not vote along with you for “who ever the nominee is”.
Ron Paul 2012, I am writing his name in if I have to.
Report Post »Locked
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:24pm@CCR
“Beck is a fool for supporting Santorum.”
My thinking is that Beck’s already written off 2012 as an Obama win (he’s said as much, near the end of last year), and so he figures that if the GOP is going to lose, he might as well go for the most socially conservative candidate on the field. If he wanted a fiscal conservative he’d go with Ron Paul (but he can’t, because he‘s already ranted and railed that Paul isn’t supporting Israel). And any support for Romney makes people claim he’s just supporting another Mormon.
Report Post »chips1
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:33pmMARTINEZ”
Report Post »Don‘t forget to spell his name correctly or your vote doesn’t count. It’s P_A_L_I_N_
martinez012577
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:44pm@chips
Are you comparing Ron Paul to Palin? Look I like Mrs. Palin, I think she means well, but her time is over. When she quit being being Gov. of Alaska and then start some wildlife show she was done. I am not saying she cannot have a cabinet post over energy but no way president. She has done to much damage and has turned to many people off.
I do think she is going to try and wiggle in at the brokered convention though.
Report Post »Razorhunters
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 2:57pmbig govt slimes…what do you expect.
Report Post »romney could not beat mccain…yet he will beat obama?
ricky is just wrong.
newt is still up clinton’s backside.
UBETHECHANGE
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 2:58pmAnd Ron Paul’s a kook RINO.
Report Post »Razorhunters
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:36pmclimb back in the box…you are not ready.
Report Post »cripplecreek
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 2:57pmRomney is a sleazeball. He’s making Robocalls to democrats as well. The big difference here is that Santorum is filling in the blank that Romney has specifically left empty and he knows it hurts him.
Besides only an idiot makes it clear he doesn‘t want half of America’s vote.
Report Post »justangry
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 2:55pmMichael Moore said all his democratic friends are voting for Santorum.
Report Post »justangry
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:41pmYup. “Operation Hilarity”
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2012/02/28/michael_moore_a_lot_of_my_democratic_friends_will_vote_for_santorum.html
Beck and Michael Moore are pulling for the same guy in Michigan. Even Maddow is mocking you all.
Report Post »slr4528
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 5:37pmBeck,Rush,Levin,Hannity and Gretta are all watching out for their ratings and money. Why do people place such blind trust in these people? Do you really think they really care about your life. Santorum stands no chance against Obama…that is why the Dems are pulling for the nimrod.
A Rasmussen poll revealed that Romney and Ron Paul would beat Obama by 2 points and Santorum and Gingrich would lose. Romney and Ron Paul have been polling consistently better against Obama than Santorum and Gingrich.
If you are a bigoted fool then you should at least vote for Paul since he stands a better chance of beating Obama than Santorum or Gingrich.
Report Post »TRONINTHEMORNING
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 2:54pmWell, MItt baby, you are not so pure as the driven snow either. And of course, you are a flip-flopping flip-flopper. Whatever gets you the bowling trophy, right? Good grief.
SANTORUM 2012
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:01pmYou’re just a right wing zealot for not wanting the author of Obamacare as our nominee! :-)
Report Post »TRONINTHEMORNING
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:06pmLOL! Right on GONZO!
Report Post »P8riot
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:15pmDid you even read the article or just the headline? HE VOTED AGAINST THE PERSON HE THOUGHT WAS THE WORST FOR THE COUNTRY! If you could have voted against Obama in the democratic primaries would you have? Of course.
This translates to the exact reason why Santorum will get votes from Michael Moore’s democratic friends – because they are voting against Romney whom they know has the best chance to beat Obama.
By the way, have you ever stopped to think about what “flip-flopper” means before saying it? First you must have a position – then you must “flip” to the other position, then you must “flop” back to the first position. Mitt Romney has not flip-flopped – yes, he has “flipped” to more conservative positions over the years, but has never “flopped” back towards more moderate positions. He has ONLY become more conservative over the past 20 years.
Finally, you defend the republican who actually is trying team up with the union democrats to overthrow what the republicans want in a republican primary? Even if Santorum eaks out a victory in Michigan today, the victory will now be tainted by the liberal votes he bought with those robocalls last night.
Report Post »JustPeachy
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:57pmTron, people are trying to make it sound (especially Romney, of course) as if Santorum is doing something wrong. Truth is, he isn’t. “Robo calls” are pretty normal (and expected) in politics, marketing, even just getting word around to groups of people. Calling on Reagan democrats to vote (an open primary is an open primary/opportunity for this type of thing–if a state doesn’t want it, then they need to change it to a closed primary). It’s a type of “marketing ploy” used in politics and other areas. People are still free to do as they wish, vote as they wish.
By the responses of some, one would think Santorum actually committed some type of huge crime–as a few of our politicans actually HAVE done in their pasts! LOL
Report Post »thegrassroots
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 5:00pmRombo‘s like the kid who can’t get everyone to play his way!
SO, he runs home crying and calling the other kids names and throwing mud and rocks at them!
By Whining “Foul” — Rombo’s setting the stage to blame Santorum IF He Loses Michigan!
By Whining “Foul” — Rombo‘s revealing that he’s beginning to actually think that he can’t carry his own state and That He WILL Lose Michigan!
Because Rombo’s a “white” and “shining” legend in his own mind — Rombo Can‘t Bring Himself To Accept That Folks Just Don’t Like Him and That He Can’t Buy Them!
Rombo’s disconnect and delusions of grandeur cause Rombo to think that his filthy campaigning is “right” and “good!”
Rombo even goes so far as to paint himself to be a “hero” to rationalize his smear gun campaigning and not only that — Rombo Expects America To Buy It!
BECAUSE: Like BHO, Rombo Believes That The End Justifies The Means!
NEWT 2012
Report Post »http://www.newt.org
UBETHECHANGE
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 2:52pmThat would be called a hypocrite.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 2:51pmIt’s completely different! Why, it’s as different as Romneycare and Obamacare! Pay attention.
Report Post »DaveOregon
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:14pmRight on! Romney’s a sell-your-soul to get $$ and power; Santorum is sell-your-soul to the Catholic Church so you get to heaven (he can always say a couple Hail Mary’s on Sunday and be forgiven he,he,he). Paul – what’s a soul?
Report Post »martinez012577
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:25pm@dave
You make a lot of assumptions here. You know what they say when you make assumptions.
Report Post »disenlightened
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 4:00pm@DAVEOREGON
Report Post »Bigotry is always ugly.
zzanggu33
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 2:49pmParticipating in this activity as a voter and participating as a candidate are two different things.
Report Post »Locked
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 2:56pmBecause candidates don’t vote, right?
Report Post »