Romney ‘looking forward' to returning Churchill bust to Oval Office

[cali]

By Holly Bailey
July 26, 2012

LONDON—Mitt Romney has repeatedly insisted he won't criticize President Barack Obama or his policies while traveling overseas. But the presumptive Republican nominee came close to breaking that vow on Thursday night, telling supporters at a fundraiser here he would return a bust of Winston Churchill to the Oval Office.

"I'm looking forward to the bust of Winston Churchill being in the Oval Office again," Romney told donors at a fundraising event in London's Mayfair section that netted roughly $2 million for his campaign.

Romney's comments were a nod to the controversy that erupted in 2009 after it was learned President Barack Obama had removed a bust of the former British prime minister that had been prominently displayed in the Oval Office by his predecessor, George W. Bush. The bust was returned to the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., a move that raised eyebrows among British diplomats.

While Romney did not directly mention Obama, it was the closest he came to an obvious critique of the current administration. Throughout the day, Romney stuck to his pledge not to trash his Democratic opponent, going so far as to not discuss any details about his own foreign policy views publicly. Asked about his private meetings, a senior aide to the GOP nominee insisted Romney kept to his pledge behind closed doors as well.

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http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/romney-forward-returning-churchill-bust-oval-office/story?id=16864723#.UBGt5KB9bfY

[maddezmom]

1. after this trip, I doubt the Brits would give it to him

[TheCowsCameHome]

2. Being compared to Sarah palin qualifies as a bust.

This guy is soooooo out of it.

[Tanuki]

3. President Obama has a bust of Lincoln in its stead,

so I suppose this means that Runtney will be getting rid of the Lincoln bust. Why does Mutt hate President Lincoln?

[Tom Ripley]

4. Why? Maybe because Mormons meant Brigham Young and not Lincoln when referring to "the President"?

Oh, those wacky cultists and their pesky history!

[Tx4obama]

10. Lincoln was already in the Oval Office. Pres Obama brought in a bust of MLK, Jr.

Lincoln is on one side of the fireplace and the Martin Luther King, Jr. bust is on the other side.

[coalition_unwilling]

17. Now that is one hell of a poignant setting, Lincoln on one side and MLK, Jr on the other. Almost

makes me weep.

Thanks for posting.

[Tx4obama]

18. Here's a couple of photos of the MLK bust and one of MLK and Lincoln.

SIDE VIEW and info regarding the artist here: http://www.charlottedispatch.com/2012/01/the-charlotte-born-artist-whose-sculpture-was-the-first-image-of-black-people-in-the-white-house/

[coalition_unwilling]

22. Went to bed misty-eyed and now I'm having first cup of coffee

misty-eyed. Thanks for posting. Really awesome shot. And doubly poignant, given the man in between the two busts.

[Tx4obama]

19. And here's a photo of the CHURCHHILL bust that was SENT BACK to England

[coalition_unwilling]

21. I like the way President Obama has the Oval Office now better. You don't

have to scratch very far below the surface to uncover Churchill's deep racism (mainly against Arabic peoples). IIRC, Churchill advocated using poison gas or some other chemical weapons against "uppity Arabs" ca. 1918-22.

[AnOhioan]

5. "at a fundraising event in London's Mayfair section that netted roughly $2 million"

Did I miss something? I am hoping it is still illegal to accept political donations from non-citizens.

[truebrit71]

8. It is. He can only collect from Americans living abroad...now a REAL American would ask why are they

...abroad and not here in the USA to begin with....

[LeftishBrit]

13. Yes, but there's lots of American expats in London

[dballance]

6. Shouldn't THE office of the US President honor great US statesmen?

Isn't Churchill a "foreigner" after all? Rmoney has been pretty adamant about how Obama's philosophy is "foreign" to our American way. I think a Lincoln bust is quite appropriate. And an FDR one would be more appropriate than Churchill.

Frankly this whole thing is ridiculous. If Obama had put the Churchill bust in the Oval Office the GOP and Rmoney would be blasting him with pandering to the European Elitists and trying to be apologetic to the UK for winning the Revolutionary War.

[arely staircase]

7. who let him take it in the first place? nt

[abolugi]

9. You'll have to

get elected first fuckwad!!

[kentuck]

11. right next to Neville Chamberlain...

I suppose? I hear he's not real fond of Americans?

[surrealAmerican]

12. Yeah, right ...

... he's "not discuss(ing) any details about his own foreign policy views publicly" in order "not to trash his Democratic opponent", and not because he doesn't actually have foreign policy views. Sure, we believe that.

[LeftishBrit]

14. And I am looking forward to Mitt getting the hell out of my country!

At least he hasn't yet said that he wants to spread Republicanism around the globe, like McCain did when he visited England.

[BumRushDaShow]

15. LOL

[alp227]

16. Translated: Romney appeals to the drooling mindless Fox Boobs/Freeper crowd.

In this free republic thread from 2009 reporting on the returned bust, only posts 20 and 23 addressed that the bust was loaned (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2192025/posts). These people will NEVER understand reality beyond sensationalized Drudge/Fox headlines.

[Raine]

20. So Rmoney would give a place of honor to a foreigner over Americans like Lincoln and MLK ...

that's says much about him and not anything good.