Aug 23, 2012
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Former U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett said Mitt Romney once compared the Tea Party to a ferret, according to a Time Magazine story published online.
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Bennett was a three-term senator from Utah who was ousted at the state’s GOP convention by conservatives.
The Time story recounts a conversation between Bennett said Romney shortly after his ouster.
He said Romney related what he believed to be an apocryphal story about getting bitten by a ferret he had tried to rescue from a dishwasher.
“Mitt said the Tea party people are like that ferret in the dishwasher,” he said in the Time Magazine report. “They’re so frightened and angry, they’ll even bite Bob Bennett, who’s trying to get the country out of this mess.”
The story was adapted from “The New New Deal,” a book written by Michael Grunwald.
Bennett’s office did not respond to calls seeking comment.
Romney campaign spokesperson Andrea Saul did not confirm or deny Romney made the comments.
“Governor Romney believes the Tea Party is a welcome force in helping reform the status quo and a source of great energy for those who understand President Obama has spent too much and made government too big,” Saul said in a statement to Fox News.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), who had the backing of Tea Party convservatives, issued defending Romney – and reiterating his support for conservative principles.
“Only a couple years ago, Americans came together under the banner of the Tea Party to fight for the principles that we hold dear – smaller government, a budget that spends within our means and policies that encourage economic growth,” Lee said in a statement. “In Mitt Romney, the Republican Party has a champion for those principles at the top of our ticket. The Romney-Ryan ticket has my full support, and I cannot wait to have them in the White House.”
Judson Phillips, of the Tea Party Nation told Fox News that if the comments are true, he would not be shocked.
“A couple of weeks ago I asked a top official in the Romney campaign when they were going to quit ignoring the Tea Party,” Phillips said. “No answer from them.”
“The Tea Party is the heart and soul of the GOP and if they are going to ignore us, Mitt Romney could end up as the 21 century equivalent of Zachary Taylor (the last Whig elected president),” he added.
FOX News Talk
Another Romney flip flop. He was against them until they became his campaign base.
When you get a disgruntled politician and Time Magazine together, that spells controversy.
Newsweek, Time, MSNBC, HuffPoop, David Letterman, bla bla bla. Who cares what they say or print anyway?
So Todd, your "story" is a third party hearsay piece from a disgruntled congressman who was ousted by Conservatives at his own state convention…Hummm, must be a real upstanding guy as I'm so sure he was ousted for no valid reason. Come on Todd… you can and must do better.
"Come on Todd… you can and must do better." — YEAH TODD. COME ON!! Give us another Gay-bashing story, or another "cross-of-the-lawn" barnburner!!!
Who cares about the transparent lack-of-principles, say-anything-to-get-elected Republican candidate and his hypocrisy anyway?!
Mittens is a RINO. It is a lie that we have a champion of Tea Party principles running for President. There is no real fundamental difference between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama when you compare records and positions. Mittens became "conservative" when running for the nomination. Such a thing did not exist in the past.
Mittens is a RINO. It is a lie that we have a champion of Tea Party principles running for President. There is no real fundamental difference between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama when you compare records and positions. Mittens became "conservative" when running for the nomination. Such a thing did not exist in the past.
Ricardo Galvan – We know and acknowledge that Mitt is a center right candidate and therefore left of the TP on some issues – so what? He will still be a damn site better leader and POTUS than O'Bummer because there are vast differences. I take issue with Todd since he seems to think conservatives have an alternative to Romney and they don't. The last time I looked, the primaries were over and a candidate that could effectively run against and win has been chosen so, it is time to get behind him and stop whining about how Romney may not be the perfect candidate or wishing for it to be so which is childish.
Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz – Who cares what a clueless progressive thinks about Romney, you would never vote for him anyway. The only good news for you is people with made up names CAN vote in Chicago.
The saddest thing, Anthony, is that YOU would or could think that this utter hollow shell of a politician could be qualified to run this country, and that you'd give you vote to a man so utterly and completely devoid of either principles or integrity? What's that say about YOU, Anthony? Not much!
Mittens is not a center right candidate. This also is a lie. He has had his fingers in virtually every leftist project in the country, from universal healthcare (the same DSA socialist who crafted RomneyCare helped Obama with ObamaCare), to cap and trade, to a war on coal, to global warming, to gay marriage and gay adoption, to progressive ideology. He is also a pathological liar since you won't ever hear him tell you straight what his history is.
Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz – No the saddest thing is people who hide behind childish made up names pretend to know enough about people or politics to be critical of them. Romney is not the ultimate savior but is a damn site better qualified to run this country than the current man. Since you are Ricardo are far left fools, no candidate put up by Conservatives would please you so why not just STFU? Since you are liberals, why do you actually think Conservatives listen to your agenda filled opinions? They don't.
Ricardo Galvan – Exaggerated fiction gleaned from libtool blogs – I'm just shocked.
It is not fiction, you imbecile. It's called amnesia on your part. "Conservatives," falsely so called, developed it rather conveniently regarding this man's history and integrity. Not surprising for herd animals. Just follow what Hush Bimbo and Karl Rove tell you to do. Sell your soul like a good slave in your quest to utterly transform someone just a few months ago was universally acknowledged to be deceptive and progressive into a "center right" "honest" man.
Ricardo Galvan – Hey libtool, you could take the entire content of your brain and put it all on the head of a pin and still have room to dance. If you are a progressive, you are either a moron and or hate this country…in either case, go pound sand as you have nothing to add to this or evidently any other discussion with intelligent people.
You are less than an animal. You crawl on your belly for the GOP, as not even an animal would whore itself for a proven liar and abuser. I am a conservative. You are a Republican. Learn the difference.
HA HA HA–apparently YOU still listen enough to get all hot under the collar, Anthony. No, Romney is not "qualified"–unless you want your jobs shipped out to China or somewhere. He's made his money by screwing people, not by real leadership.
And before you go ragging Obama for the commendable job he's done in the face of your obstructionist party, why don't you send some time recollecting the LAST moronic ploy of the last two candidates–McCain and Caribou Barbie. Yeah, that's right–another unprincipled, desperate grab for power and recognition. McCain, who used to be a moderate and a man you could respect, did the same transparent dance to the far Right to please the radicals in the party. And then, purely as a desperate gimmick, chooses The Quitter for VP pick.
Tell me again how your party is "qualified" AT ALL to run this country? I wouldn't trust 'em to run a pack of cub scouts.
Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz – Pretenders and phonies like you never get me hot; as you well know, normally I just laugh at your ignorance, respond and laugh at you; today is no different.
Ricardo Galvan – You are still clueless, empty and wrong. You are a Conservative like John Wayne wore dresses…please stop; between you and ZZZero, I'm laughing so hard I can hardly catch my breath or see the screen. If either of you want any further response from me, just re-read my last post – I looked, its still valid.
You didn't say anything though. All you did was say that Romney's support of big government mandates, global warming, war on coal, abortion, gay marriage and adoption, and pathological lying abotu it, were all exaggerations. That tells me you have no idea what you are talking about and are just emoting to defend your political party. I can provide you videos, straight out, and documentation, showing Mittens repeating, word for word, talking points Obama uses today. But you, because you are a slave to a party, will knee jerk and call me names. The DNC, the RNC, they're the same thing now. Congratulations, you've gone full circle. Obama succeeded in turning us into Europe.
Ricardo Galvan – I'm not here to educate you or do your miserable homework. You can provide nothing of substance that supports your BS; the RNC and the DNC ARE NOT the same – that is progressive propaganda put out there to frustrate and suppress voter turnout which helps O'Bummer; as does a vote thrown away on a silly third party candidate.
IF you are a Conservative (which is apparently preposterous on every level) and you are not voting for Romney in this critical election then you are actually twice the moron you appear to be.
Most people in these forums prefer to stay on topic with honesty which, in today's political environment, is welcomed and refreshing. To reiterate on topic, I took issue with the Conservative who wrote the article because he tends to whine about not having the perfect candidate and whining is for children.
The ONLY FACT I care about at this point is this: IF O'Bummer wins another term, he will indeed complete the process of turning us into Socialist Europe which would be an ultimate disaster from which WE WILL NOT RECOVER…how you as a self-proclaimed Conservative could back ANY other candidate other than Romney at this point is illogical and unfathomable since NO ONE else (perfect or not) can actually win.
Now IF you are a liberal, grow up and reeducate yourself because your schools and blogs have let you down. IF you are actually a Conservative, grow a pair, stop whining and become part of the solution not the problem – vote for Romney, halt this march to Socialism, take our country back and work to find that PERFECT candidate for the next election.
This constant, ever-present harping on about "SOCIALISM!!!" is the most retarded, brainless paranoia that is constantly regurgitated by mental deficients on the Right who don't understand–and would never admit–that ALL great societies are indeed built upon a mixture of nominally "socialist" programs mixed together with free market capitalism and charity.
Every time you parrot this absurd malapropism you reiterate your profound idiocy, Anthony. Grow a pair—of brain cells.
Oh, this must've been before Mitt became "severely Conservative"?
ROFLMAO!
This is so unfair to ferrets