Michael O'Brien, NBC News
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney embraced Bill Clinton's speech this week at the Democratic National Convention, saying the former president's speech — which was full of criticism of Romney — helped "elevate" Democrats' convention.
In his interview airing Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," Romney praised the Wednesday night speech by the Democratic ex-president, which ridiculed Romney and Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan on issues ranging from fiscal policy to Medicare.
"He did stand out in contrast with the other speakers; I think he really did elevate the Democrat convention in a lot of ways," Romney said. "And, frankly, the contrast may not have been as attractive as Barack Obama might have preferred if he were choosing who'd go before him and who'd go after."
Clinton's speech was regarded as one of the highlights of the Democratic convention; he formally nominated President Obama for a second term, and his folksy speech built up the current president while simultaneously taking Romney to task. But as Romney suggested, Clinton's speech drew as much interest as Obama's among political observers, and Romney seemed to suggest the former president even overshadowed the current one.
But Clinton's criticism hasn't previously deterred Romney from embracing the former Democratic president. He's praised Clinton on the campaign trail as a centrist, as if to portray Obama as governing well to the left of Clinton.
Romney's tack is an implicit acknowledgement of Clinton's broad popularity, a sentiment the GOP presidential nominee joked would probably propel Clinton to a third term in the White House, if it were legal.
Asked whether Clinton could be elected president today, Romney responded: "If the constitution weren't in his way, yeah. Perhaps. But I don't know the answer to that."
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Wait a minute...Clinton DID elevate the Democratic convention! Romney actually said something that is true!! Holy crap!!!! Will someone please send a doctor to Romney's house, Mitt has something seriously wrong with him. I hope he's OK...
Romney is such an idiot he doesn't even know what he is doing! Unbelievable fool here gang!
Thanks for the opinion...now where are the facts to back it up...typical liberal strategy of calling names and avoiding the record!
"I believe it was a mistake for Republicans to go along with the plan" said Romney, that why I pick Ryan for VP because he voted for the plan! This guy has not place as President, he does not even know he is dissing his own VP choice when he says this stuff. Just like his Medicare plan, and why he will not let Ryan speak about how his bill would gut Medicare so he had to send his mom out to speak about it. Hell for all we know he did not even pay taxes before 2009 when he hid all his money offshore, his father was at least man enough to release all his taxes when he ran. This guy is a flat out liar and no one but his billionaire bank buddies will be better off if he is elected.
If the senior citizen's , which I am one of, 70 yr old white woman want to protect their medicare and social security they had better turn out and vote for President Obama. I voted for him in 2008 and will vote for him this time. He would have done more but for those sorry republicans stopping him. I hope he wins by a landslide.
The Republicans didn't stop Obama from using taxpayers money to bail out a private industry. They didn't stop him from cutting our credit rating, increasing unemployment, adding more welfare recipients to the list of entitlement programs, increasing our national debt by 34%, and illegally obstructing oil drilling in the Gulf.
Mitt Romney - are you kidding me? The Democrat Party's Convention was much better planned, operated and executed that Republicans. The energy was better, the speakers were better, the content was better and I could go on and on. Let that be a precursor and lesson to the voters in November!
So, why isn't the press making Romney answer up to the issues Clinton raised in the speech? They are letting him off the hook by letting him say it was a good speech. Yes, it was a good speech because it told everybody that Romney and Ryan are NOT qualified to run this country with their policies.
Poor Willard, there he goes again. History reveals there are two living ex-Presidents in both political parties. Why didn't Willard's mob invite either or both of the Bush's to there Ben & Jerry show? Ex-Presidents serve in the same capacity as any surrogate during a convention. Why is that a problem for Willard? Obviously, there is a matter of popularity involved between the ex's of the two parties, but whose fault is that? If Willard feels cheated the RNC could have invited some of their wealthy invisibles to occupy Eastwood's chair to shore up their positions.
republicans will never believe it was bush who started the free fall. Anecdotally its like someone jumping out of a plane without a chute.. and thinks it will all be better when he gets his two feet back on the ground. The republican party by omission knows who caused the depression. Its like being a pilot before a crash telling the passangers they are about to make an unscheduled stop. I give obama credit if he did little more than stop the freefall... (ok just so you can keep up I mentioned crash and free falling.. these are not good things!!) Keep up! "Things just keep getting curiouser and curiouser" -Alice In Wonderland
@Sailcat: I find your comment about your parents, etc. interesting because so many of my friends who once were Republicans have become Democrats. Today's Republican party is much more in line with the John Birchers and the McCarthy followers of the 1950s (those who actually said Dwight Eisenhower was a "card carrying Communist"). Today's mainstream Republicans would have been considered far-right radicals back then. In contrast, today's Democrats are much more closely aligned with the values and ideology of the New Deal Democrats. If anything, they are much further to the right.
Romney was told by Clinton to take his policies, stuff them up his and Ryan's butts and light them on fire - James Coburn, Pat Garret and Billy the Kid, 1972, Sam Peckinpah.
To Bill in PA -- When you say that Romney served "successfully" as Governor in Massachusetts -- "check" -- I must take exception. I'm from Massachusetts and although it is true that he was Governor, he was NOT successful. In my view, he only became governor so he would have a stepping stone to running for President. He didn't really ever care about Massachusetts. I don't trust him and I cannot vote for him. I recall when Obama won the election in 2008, I said to anyone who would listen that I was very concerned that people had placed such high expectations on him -- like he was the second coming of Christ. No one could fix the mess that was left for him to clean up in 3 1/2 years (it has NOT been 4 years), especially with a Congress that has been so unwilling to compromise. I look at what he HAS accomplished in 3 1/2 years, and he has my full support -- and vote -- to continue this work in progress. By the way, is no one concerned at all that neither Romney nor Ryan have ANY foreign affairs experience? The economy is certainly important, but we can't ignore the very tenuous global atmosphere we have; it scares me to death, and I certainly don't want Romney at the helm of that ship!
Clinton is intelligent and a well read person. Reading informs!
"The GOP will call your paid benefits— entitlements"(Lofgren). The vocabulary makes it sound like you did not pay for them.
"Washington Spending is spending for unemployment compensation, food stamps, and medicaid to those economically damaged [fallen middle class]" (Lofgren). Well deserved, for those who were working hard.
"Deficit= bank bailouts, a few Bush fiscal policies and banks unloaded dept onto taxpayers" (Lofgren). GOP claims it is our entitlements" (Lofgren).
The GOP wants you to forget and we are so busy earning less we may.
Find out who Mike Lofgren is!
Hey Willard, like they say, when in doubt, say something even if it's wrong.
wish you all would not keep saying the Rebuplicans have stopped Obama in so many areas. He put forth 2 budgets Should have been 3...none of his own party voted for it . He proposed 2 bills in 3 1/2 years . Both rewritten by ..yup you guessed it the Dems .. none came to a vote in the senate. soo of Obama's so called plans what are they? Even his Obamacare he did not write it or propose it. Nurse Nancy and Harry's gang did.
Jill-1477171: perhaps you have forgotten already what Mr. Clinton said during his masterful speech at the DNC convention; arithmetic. Additionally, I couldn't help but notice you neglected to refer to Senate minority leader Mcconnell's infamous statement,"our sole purpose is to make the President a one term President". How very dreadful it must have been for you to have to linger in the fifth grade for four years.
Yes I remember McConnell's statment. Once he saw the direction this president was taking the country he know it was time to take a stand. I know what Clinton said at the DNC I also remember when Clinton said Romney was a good choice for president because of his past experiences. So which Clinton remark would you like to choose ? or maybe the one lying before a grand jury one ? Did you like when Bill proposed to privatize SS up to 9% of your SS contributions ? and why the fifth grade remark ? That was beneath you
Jill, McConnell made that statement publicly. The republicans were plotting and scheming to block everything President Obama propose before he was inaugurated. Nice try, but that statement was not an after thought, but rather, a public admission to a pathetic strategy where Americans are paying the price...
I remember him saying that just after the 2010 landslide in the house where the GOP took back control. You say they blocked everything Obama wanted to do? He got his healthcare. Not with a GOP vote because he didn't need one vote of theirs for the first 14months of his presidency as he had a super majority in both houses. Untill Kennedy passed away and Scott Brown was the 41st republican senator. Although he has voted with the Dems 46% of the time so that would still be a filibustor proof senate. What about Clinton wanting to privitize SS .. that was one of his better ideas.
Jill, I'm with you...what is wrong with saying Obama should be a one term president Who would expect the GOP to want Obama to stay in office? In the liberal bizarro world republicans should pretend things are great and try to keep their opponent in office for four more years of destruction. Does anyone recall Obama saying that if he didn't keep his promises once elected, the voters could make him a one term president. Let's give him what he asked for.
Willard, as I recall Mr. Clinton eluded to you as a decent family man during his illustrious presentation. You're a republican, what else was he supposed to say?
WE know more about aliens than we do Romney....maybe he is an alien....not from another country but from another planet or galaxy....I think his church wants to claim they all are!!!!!
Romney and the Republican party are terrified of Bill Clinton. Mr Clinton has a 70% approval rating and the last thing they want is criticise him.
Sharky, All the kool-aid has messed with your memory, or maybe your love of Clinton demonstrates the total flushing of ethics and values down the drain. He was impeached for perjury and obstruction of justice, He was accused of rape by Willey, Brodderick, Jones, and Gracen, and had affairs with Gennifer Flowers and Sally Perdue. He turned down 3 chances to get Bin Laden. You are right about one thing, however; we should all be terrified of Bill Clinton!
where is our leader with the 16T debt, 1.4 B deficit, $4.00 Gas ( he did said he would like to see gas $8.00 a gal.) He did say he was in favor of socialized med. (ask canada, england and Cuba how that is working out) He did say He went to 57 stated with 2 more to go. He did say he would close Gitmo by the end of the year ..2009. He did say if he couldn't cut the debt in half in his first 3 1/2 years this would be a one term presidency.There are many more things he said ohh one more FORE
Look folks the reason no-one understands why the far believes as they do comes down to their penchant for eating a full portion of whatever they are spoon-fed by Rush Limbutt and the army of blondes over at FOX (uninformed opinion) news. Catch Jon Stewart sometime, the video library of that crew dismantles the lies on a daily basis.
So Jim, we'd be a whole lot smarter if we got our news from a comedian?
Clint Eastwood proved that he's as good as the script he reads. The empty chair revealed that without a script and someone yelling, "cut", "action", he is just as empty as the chair.
On behalf of all veterans. You HElers speak for yourself as a vet. not the rest of us. Why don't you stand up and be a real man?
i wish the Republicans would attack Obama more on his college transcripts,and him being a foreign exchange student, i know in my heart ..Obama is a fraud..
haha
Clinton elevated the Dems. but no one can elevate the party of vaginal probes.
Do not waste your time watching MTP tomorrow. David Gregory is a disappointing replacement to Tim Russert. For a better glimpse of what a REAL interview should look like, watch Russert's take down of Mitt in 2007 -- complete with a pair of flip flops! Really, change the date, and this interview could easily occur today. I sure miss Tim Russert. No one got a pass, whether Democrat or Republican.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QycLM6euhg