Romney’s sons on the front line — of their father’s campaign

August 8, 2007

This is as bad as it sounds.

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney on Wednesday defended his five sons’ decision not to enlist in the military, saying they’re showing their support for the country by “helping me get elected.”

Romney, who did not serve in Vietnam due to his Mormon missionary work and a high draft lottery number, was asked the question by an anti-war activist after a speech in which he called for “a surge of support” for U.S. forces in Iraq. […]

“My sons are all adults and they’ve made decisions about their careers and they’ve chosen not to serve in the military and active duty and I respect their decision in that regard.” He added: “One of the ways my sons are showing support for our nation is helping me get elected because they think I’d be a great president.”

For what it’s worth, I don’t think the question was entirely fair. A voter in Iowa specifically asked Romney, “[H]ow many of your five sons are currently serving in the U.S. military and if none of them are, how do they plan to support this War on Terrorism by enlisting in our U.S. military?”

I’ve long believed candidates’ kids should be largely off-limits. If Romney’s sons don’t want to serve in the military, that’s up to them. They’re not candidates for public office, and their career choices aren’t relevant to their father’s presidential race. Some candidates (McCain, Hunter) have kids in uniform, most don’t. None of that matters.

That said, Romney’s answer was pretty ridiculous. To hear Romney tell it, his sons’ campaign efforts constitute “support for our nation,” on par with military service. I have a hunch most veterans and their families would disagree.

Romney’s campaign believes the former governor was taken out of context. I don’t think he was.

Greg Sargent published a transcript, from an audio of the entire exchange distributed by the Romney campaign. Here’s the whole thing:

Question: “Hi, my name’s Rachel Griffiths, thank you so much for being here and asking for our comments. And I appreciate your recognizing the Iraq War veteran. My question is how many of your five sons are currently serving in the U.S. military and if none of them are, how do they plan to support this War on Terrorism by enlisting in our U.S. military?”

Governor Romney: “Well, the good news is that we have a volunteer army and that’s the way we’re going to keep it. My sons are all adults and they’ve made their decisions about their careers and they’ve chosen not to serve in the military and active duty. I respect their decision in that regard. I also respect and value very highly those who make a decision to serve in the military. I think we ought to show an outpouring of support just as I suggested. A surge of support for those families and those individuals who are serving. My niece, for instance, just to tell you what a neighborhood can do and how touching it can be.

“My niece, Misha, living out West, her husband I think he got a call on a Tuesday. He’s in the National Guard. He got a call on a Tuesday that he was going to be called up and shipped overseas on a Thursday. And they just bought a home — they hadn’t landscaped it — but the rules in the neighborhood were that unless you got your home landscaped within a year of the time that you bought your home, they began fining you, because they didn’t want people having mud holes in front of their homes. And she was very worried and just before the year expired, she woke up one morning and looked out the window and all the neighbors were out there, rolling down sod, putting up trees, getting it all done.”

“It’s remarkable how we can show our support for our nation and one of the ways my sons are showing support for our nation is helping to get me elected, because they think I’d be a great president. My son, Josh, bought the family Winnebago and has visited 99 counties, most of them with his three kids and his wife. And I respect that and respect all of those in the way they serve this great country.”

I don’t see how the context helps. Romney still believes driving a Winnebago and writing for a campaign blog is “showing support” for our country on par with serving in the military.

I’d argue the question probably wasn’t appropriate, but the response was much worse.

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney on Wednesday defended his five sons’ decision not to enlist in the military, saying they’re showing their support for the country by “helping me get elected.”

imho, the country would be much better off if they all enlisted in the military instead.

  • “I’d argue the question probably wasn’t appropriate”

    Why? I can understand the argument that the candidate’s family should generally off-limits, their drug problems, etc., are not that relevant, and their political preferences should remain private. I may not always agree, but I see the point.

    But if you’re going to stand up and run for office, making speeches about how the GWOT is the defining struggle of our lifetime, etc., and send SOMEBODY ELSE’S kids off to war (even as volunteers), I don’t see why it should be off-limits to ask the candidate what their family is doing.

  • Romney should have just told the truth. “I am super rich and the children of super rich people don’t join the military because they don’t need the money. Most people who join up do it for the money. My kids don’t need the money. Next question?”

  • Where is the photoshop expert when you need one? I can see the poster now: “Uncle Sam Wants You! To Campaign for Mitt Romney!

  • In this case it’s not just a child in the background. It’s a man and his family working right up front to get their pro war dad/father in law/grandpa elected so he can continue a bad and stupid policy which is badly harming this country. At least that particular son is just as fair game as any partisan and committed upper echelon campaign worker and his motives and actions can be scrutinized right along with the rest.

    Mittwad shouldn’t get a pass on his campaign workers just because they’re related to him. If he doesn’t want questions like this he should keep his kids at a distance from the campaign.

  • I miss how the question was inappropriate in any way. If it was a journalist asking about the candidate’s children it might be arguable, but why is it wrong for a voter to ask whatever is on their mind when questions are opened up to the audience? This is how democracy works, candidates have to answer to their constituents’ concerns, whatever those may be.

  • This is in the same vein as going shopping to support the war on terra. Nothing these republi-freaks do is ever in the public interest.

  • There are probably many, many parents who would send their sons and daughters off to work (serve) on anybody’s campaign if it kept them from being shipped off to Iraq 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 times.

    Of all the R nitwits running for the nomination – Mitt’s comapaign is the most baffling to me. I am at a loss to understand how he has any support at all.

  • Free Market conservatism in a nutshell: the best way to help that homeless man on the street is to get stinking rich, and help raise all boats. What’s best for me is what’s best for everybody. Voting for me is patriotism, voting against me is treason, supporting me supports the troops, helping me win wins the war — the path through victory is not through Bagdhad, but through me, me, ME!

    Giving me whores furthers family values — I can’t strengthen your families horny!

    Nubile little boys let me relax enough to pass anti-gay laws.

    The economy ain’t gettin’ better if I’m not getting richer!

    What sacrifices have you made for this country? My ass doesn’t kiss itself!

  • now THERE’S a way out of iraq! just have the parent of every person now stationed there to say that they’re running for president and need their kid at home to help them campaigh.

  • It’s hard to reconcile the image of someone with a muscular pro-war stance, who has five able-bodied sons by his side, who in turn, believe in their father’s message to the point where they are actively campaigning to get him elected. It is an all-volunteer military, so no one is forced to serve who does not want to or who has other priorities. It’s easy to answer those who chose a career in the military – they have not interrupted their lives to serve – the military is their life. It’s harder to answer those in the National Guard, or those who believed their service was complete, who have left private sector careers, and whose businesses and families have suffered as a result.

    Mitt Romney’s sons are adults. If people want to know whether they are serving, or plan to serve, or why they are not, those questions should be directed to them, and not to their father. It was a dumb answer, and no amount of context makes it any less dumb. It does, perhaps, reveal the height of the pedestal on which Mitt Romney sees himself standing; there might be oxygen required for the trip to the top of that platform.

  • Another way of viewing Romney’s examples is, this is how the rich take care of the rich, rolling out sod, driving winnebagos around with your wife and kids (I guess they don’t work or get paid by the campaign). How is America being supported again? Especially by those who can afford it? By getting Romney elected?

    Whatever…Romney will end up winning the republican nomination, Guiliani will not withstand public scrutiny, the other candidates are not viable, so it will be Romney and his canned philosophy. As Josh Marshall appropriately referred to him as the king of phoney-baloneyism, just not those exact words. (what the hell, if I had Alzheimer’s how would I know it).

  • He should have just left it with the initial statement. Instead he just sounds like the elietist, my kids are too good to hang with the unwashed masses. No one but a Republican would equate working on a political campaign with public service of any type.

  • “The woman who asked the question, Rachel Griffiths, 41, of Milan, Ill., identified herself as a member of Quad City Progressive Action for the Common Good, as well as the sister of an Army major who had served in Iraq.”

    “‘Of course not,’ Griffiths said when asked if she was satisfied with Romney’s answer. ‘He told me the way his son shows support for our military and our nation is to buy a Winnebago and ride across Iowa and help him get elected.'”

    Here, here. I couldn’t have said it better than myself.

    While you’re in Iowa, Mitt, why don’t you look into the story about another five brothers from Waterloo, the Sullivans?

  • Hey George Bush worked on a political campaign instead of serving and he was already in the Guard.

    Ask anything and let the candidate decide whether to answer.

  • Open letter to Mitt:

    You said:

    “My sons are all adults and they’ve made decisions about their careers and they’ve chosen not to serve in the military and active duty and I respect their decision in that regard.”

    Thank you!

    My sons are all adults and they’ve made decisions about their careers and they’ve chosen not to serve in the military and support a stupid war created by dishonets politicians for the benefit of certain infamous American corporations.

    Like you, I am so goddamn proud of my boys!
    Their one-finger salutes at Bush-Cheney warms my heart!
    Glad to see we are all in this together!

  • Politicians’ families should not be a priore off limits. If a candidate pushes family values (particularly in the case of insisting that everyone else lives up to the candidate’s own rigid standards), then it is appropriate to ask if the candidate lives up to them as well. If his or her offspring are over 18 (or certainly if over 21), then they are old enough to be responsible for their public deportment, and it is properly public. Massively inappropriate behavior by adult children (cf. Neil Bush re his dad) does indeed call into question how good a job the candidate did of raising his or her children. Parents aren’t totally responsible for their kids’ failures, but it’s worth considering how much they are to blame.

    In this case, the father is pushing a war in which other people’s kids are dying. His own adult children are supporting him, and thus by extension they are also supporting the war. In my view it is always appropriate to ask supporters of wars or other sacrifices why they are supporters and how much they themselves are sacrificing to support it, or whether they view the sacrifice as something to be sloughed off onto the less fortunate.

    In terms of Vietnam:
    Kerry – honorable service;
    McCain – honorable service;
    Romney – high draft number, lucky guy, nothing more needs to be said;
    Gore – enlists but gets safe job due to family stature, would be dubious if he was a chickenhawk but otherwise neutral;
    Cheney – endless but legal deferments, dubious given he’s a chickenhawk;
    Clinton – finagles deferments, same as Cheney, but he’s not a checkenhawk;
    Bush – pulls family strings to get in Air National Guard, illegal; cuts out early, should be prosecuted; dissembles about it all while presenting himself as the morally superior candidate, deserves endless grilling.
    Romney’s kids re Iraq: – avoiding it while being chckenhawks, legal but can properly be called on the hypocrisy.

  • 99 counties? There’s 105 in Kansas, so they’ve not gone far…

    Of course, helping both the Winnebago industry AND the gas industry is important.

  • Talk to any mother of a dead soldier and see if questioning Mitt about his spawn is off limits.

  • I appreciate the article and the fairness at which it was presented. However when reading the entire quote, I do not find Romney’s statement about his son offensive. Romney’s point is articulated clearly that people serve in different ways. That is why he shared the story about his niece and the neighbors serving them by putting in the lawn. The neighbors weren’t serving in the military; however they served in another way.

    Romney did not use language that makes me think he is comparing riding in a Winnebago as the same sacrifice as serving in war. His statement is clearly based on the different ways people serve in a volunteer capacity, which includes the military.

    If someone serves in the peace corp. instead of the military is one sacrifice greater than the other? If someone dies serving in war or serving in the peace corp., is either sacrifice greater than the other?

    I agree with Romney all service is appreciated. Some serve more than others and there are many who have paid with the ultimate sacrifice of their life. It doesn’t matter if they’re a fireman, service men, missionary, or neighbor, when their service puts them in harms way they become heroes in my book. When they make a choice knowing they will be in harms way, I believe that makes them a hero too.

    I also agree, the decisions of candidates’ children are not a reflection on a candidate’s ability to be president. If this were the case it would rule out Gore, because his son was arrested on a drug related charge. It would exclude Bush because of the drinking problem with his daughter.

    As I read the political blogs, I’m shocked at how people and media will take things out of context or try and “read” the “true” meaning in the statement. I found Romney’s statement pretty strait forward and in no way trying to demean the sacrifice of our military volunteers.

  • Mitt should have stopped at they’re adults and I support their decisions because working for your father’s political campaign in no way equates to serving your country, it’s just supporting your family which in and of itself is not a bad thing to do.

    In fact, the current Administrations illegal politicization of the Justice Department and many other key government agencies is a key reason why it is so critical to understand the difference between “illegal according to the Hatch Act” and “serving your country”. I do not want any more people, Dems or Repubs, who are going to warp the operational aspects of our government with partisan politics.

  • Well Open Mind, you’ve tortured the hell out of this one. I guess you’re equating Mittspawn with, “fireman, service men, missionary, or neighbor, when their service puts them in harms way they become heroes in my book. When they make a choice knowing they will be in harms way, I believe that makes them a hero too.”

    And what aspect of public service do you see in the basically self serving, (familywise), exercise of running around laying the groundwork to get their father elected? Do you think that electing Romney president is such a public service and national benefit that his sons are hero’s for focusing on that? Are they somehow in harms way for providing this service to their father? Should we honor the rest of his campaign workers for providing this service for the national good? Can others choose to work on Romney’s campaign in lieu of military service? I’m afraid that I’m a little skeptical. Are you working for Romney?

    I don’t believe anything is being taken out of context. When asked why his sons weren’t serving in the military, his reply was that they were helping his campaign as a way to serve their county. That was his tit for tat. I don’t care what his sons do. They can help all they want on Mitt’s Power Trip. But what they’re doing benefits nobody but themselves, their father and Admirers of Mitt. That’s not a big enough group for me to consider them the National Good.

    When I hear and read the kind of bizarro crap that Romney exudes, I wonder if what I’m reading is actually in English. I recognize the words but they’re being used so strangely and for such odd concepts that I am somewhat, and occasionally very, baffled. Did he actually say that? And how did he get there?

    Romney is running with the intention of continuing this putrefied conflict. His son’s are working to help him. No national interest there unless they’re looking in the mirror. No credits for national service given. No points earned for catapulting that propaganda. Sorry.

  • I dunno, CB.

    Are we really at war or not?
    Dubya fancies the occupation to be akin to WWII.
    Mitt seems to agree to a large extent.

    Back then, if you had 5 sons and NONE OF THEM were serving, every blue haired old lady and her daughter would be asking him why none of his kids were in harm’s way.

    What is the strength of his conviction towards Bush’s vision if he can’t even manage a 20% success rate transferring his philosophies to the sons he’s sired?

    Berke Brethed (sp?) made an Opus comic featuring George Bush’s nightmare: Jenna and Barbara enlist. If anyone wants to give the other hawks equal time if they have daughters, let’s not be sexist, alright?

    Michael Moore pulled this stunt on “The Awful Truth”. Just rewind and play Mitt’s tape fifteen times and you have the segment. Maybe they’d send their kids more readily if they could be ensured they’d have proper armor and there was a timetable for withdrawal????

  • #2 is correct- the question was not inappropriate, considering Romney’s position on the GWOT being the defining issue of our time. It that is the case, then why hasn’t even one of his sons joined the service? It shows the relative importance, or lack thereof, that he has placed on the GWOT. Or it shows his hypocrisy.

  • If we are going to have a debate about family values every time there is an election, than I do not see how a candidate’s family can be placed off-limits.

    The question was entirely fair.

  • Members running for president should get questioned about their childrens support.
    As noted, rich kids get to skip. If Romney is pro-war, then where’s his interest or his families interest if they won’t participate?
    To be for the war but against serving is cowardly. They could get a safe stateside job, something is bettter then nothing.
    The message is a lie. “I believe in the war, as long as some one else kids die for it.”

  • I think his response, although lacking eloquence perhaps, was appropriate. He is basically saying that not everyone is in the position to suit up and go to war. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t serving their country. I think its a call to all Americans, no matter where they’re at or who they are to support our country and support troops in any way they can. Obviously the troops are making a major above and beyond sacrifice, and his response prompts people to support that even if they’re in a place where they can’t make that sacrifice or are choosing something else right now. It is not comparing the amount of sacrifice or honor. It is simply saying, “do what you can”.

  • Quoting Rebecca:

    “The message is a lie. ‘I believe in the war as long as someone else’s kids die for it'”

    I am not a Mitt Romney supporter, so I feel no need to defend him, but I think this is just a matter of common sense. That is not his message at all. He never said he wouldn’t support his sons going to war. The fact is, they are all adults who have a right to choose their own careers, and I think we would have a majorly micro-managing president on our hands if he were someone who forced his sons to enter the military, if in fact that would even be possible to do so. I repeat, I have never seen anything in any of his words that says he would be opposed in any way to his sons going to war if that were their choice. Perhaps what he’s feeling is merely “stop digging at my sons, they are respectable people and their career choices have nothing to do with my stance”.

  • In spite of Romney’s obvious hyocrisy, to draft his sons would still be wrong.

    Would you be willing to spread the word about http://www.draftresistance.org? It’s a site dedicated to shattering the myths surrounding the selective slavery system and building mass civil disobedience to stop the draft before it starts.

    Our banner on a website, printing and posting the anti-draft flyer or just telling friends would help.

    Thanks!

    Scott Kohlhaas

    PS. When it comes to the draft, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

  • Of course the question was appropriate, it just wasn’t worded properly. The question should have been, ” How can we consider your commitment to the protection of this country to be sincere, when you have 5 sons who have chosen to avoid service? Don’t you feel as though, if you are supporting this war for other peoples children, you ought to also be supporting it with your own?”

  • People, if you don’t want your children and spouses to go to war…don’t let them sign up. Last time I checked, it was a voluntary army. Uh, when you enlist in the military, you may have to go to war and when you’re in a war, you get shot at. Remember, a soldiers job is…to fight wars.

  • i think one main point is being missed here. Read his answer to the question… did he answer it? no not even close nothing he said has anything to do with the question. Americans seem to miss that some how. I dont know of any question he has been asked where he has it dragged it out to make people think there hearing what they want yet he gets off the subject and just says a bunch of unless BS. Plus why would it take people in his family a entire year to fix their yard. Also the NG doesnt just tell you two days before that you going to deploy overseas. So once again that was another lie by Romney. Plus Romney bailed out on fighting in a war by saying he had mormon missionary things he had to do. Yet while real Americans supported our country and fought for its freedom

  • ROTFLMLiberalAO, your comment below is rather funny. Yes, it might be a stupid and pointless war but Romney says supports this stupid and pointless war. Yet he doesnt know the truth about war because he isnt man enough to serve.

    17. On August 8th, 2007 at 4:33 pm, ROTFLMLiberalAO said:
    Open letter to Mitt:

    You said:

    “My sons are all adults and they’ve made decisions about their careers and they’ve chosen not to serve in the military and active duty and I respect their decision in that regard.”

    Thank you!

    My sons are all adults and they’ve made decisions about their careers and they’ve chosen not to serve in the military and support a stupid war created by dishonets politicians for the benefit of certain infamous American corporations.

    Like you, I am so goddamn proud of my boys!
    Their one-finger salutes at Bush-Cheney warms my heart!
    Glad to see we are all in this together!

    • Comments are closed.