Romney’s Not Ready For Primetime Campaign Continues Gaffes In Israel – OpEd
Yisrael HaYom journalist, Amir Mizroch has recounted a continuing series of gaffes by Mitt Romney while in Israel that mirror similar errors during his previous visit to London during the Olympics. Apparently, Mizroch either doesn’t know or doesn’t care that his bosses at the paper are unreconstructed Mitt boosters. Anyway, it’s our gain since his coverage is delicious.
The gaffes began with the candidate’s decision to break a vow to the press that all public fundraisers would be open to media coverage. He summarily announced that last night’s $50,000 a plate King David Hotel event would be closed to the media, undoubtedly to flatter mega-donor, Sheldon Adelson, to whom he planned to whisper sweet nothings about Jerusalem being the undivided eternal capital of the Jewish people.
After the closed event decision didn’t go over so well with the media, Romney backtracked and reopened it. He made several other similar backtracks.
Dan Senor, Romney’s Dan Shapiro (his Jewish liaison), told the U.S. media that Romney would “respect” an Israeli unilateral strike on Iran. When the campaign realized this was way too far off the reservation of U.S. foreign policy, it backpedaled on no less a media outlet than CBS. As Mizroch notes, either Romney knew what Senor was going to say and looked foolish having to retract it; or Romney didn’t know, which is even worse.
If you’d like to read a downright shameless piece of puerile puffery celebrating Senor, get a load of this profile at the pro-Israel neocon-funded Tablet Magazine.
After scheduling a meeting with Labor party leader, Shelly Yachimovich, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office announced on Romney’s behalf that he was canceling it. Apparently, the excuse offered was that Yachimovich was no longer considered the leader of the Knesset Opposition since Kadima had just deserted the governing coalition. Mizroch points out that Romney knew when the meeting was scheduled that Yachimovich would no longer be Opposition leader. Not to mention that it looks lame when the candidate himself doesn’t announce or control his own schedule.
Romney told the Israeli media only two outlets would be allowed to cover his speech to the Jerusalem Foundation. After consternation ensues, he rescinded this ruling and allowed all to cover it.
The Not Ready for Prime Time Candidate next takes his show to other foreign capitals where he’ll undoubtedly continue making goofs, gaffes and errors.
This article appeared at Tikun Olam
