Say Anything Blog

When Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee were sparring over taxes, Mitt Romney said that he’d supported President Bush’s tax cuts:

When Huckabee said to Romney, “You opposed those Bush tax cuts in 2002,” and “Did you support or oppose the 2002 Bush tax cuts?” Romney said, “I never opposed the Bush 2002 tax cuts.  I supported them.  The first comment I made about the Bush tax cuts was that I supported the Bush tax cuts.  I did not oppose them.  I support them, always have.”

Unfortunately for Mitt, in 2003 he actually wasn’t really supportive of Bush’s tax cuts at all.  He didn’t oppose them either, mind you.  Instead he opposed them in private, but publicly said nothing.  At least according to the Boston Globe in 2003:

Governor Mitt Romney refused yesterday to endorse tax cuts at the heart of President Bush’s economic program, but he told members of the state’s congressional delegation during a private meeting he also would not oppose the cuts because he has to maintain “a solid relationship” with the White House….

According to the observer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Romney told the delegation that he “won’t be a cheerleader” for proposals he doesn’t agree with, “but I have to keep a solid relationship with the White House.”

Seems to me that Republicans should want someone who supports tax cuts in general, not someone who engages in fence-sitting because he wants to keep a good rapport with fellow Republicans.

Regardless, Mitt isn’t quite the tax cut champion he’s tried to make himself out to be.  He certainly wants to appear to be a tax cutter, but then he also wants to appear to be pro-life and against gay marriage as well making this just another instance where he’s tried to make himself into something he, historically, has not been.