Mitt Romney - prep school bully

[RecycleMichael]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mitt-romneys-prep-school-classmates-recall-pranks-but-also-troubling-incidents/2012/05/10/gIQA3WOKFU_story.html

Really disturbing images of young Mitt. Him and a friend pick on someone weaker and holds them down while Mitt takes scissors to cut the boy's hair.

Bully. It was a long time ago and most of us did stupid things when we were in high school. But I never respected the class bully. 

If you defend Mitt for being a bully, you condone this behavior. If this wasn't your candidate, you wouldn't defend him.

[Townsend]

This is all over my twitter feed and FB pages.

I didn't think this story would go anywhere...of course, I don't follow Fox or Beck's rag.

The "schoolmates" they're quoting sure are trying to hammer some nails in this coffin.

[Conan71]

Meh, Obama talks about shoving a girl when he was in grade school.  Then he probably went home and ate his dog.

[AquaMan]

I am close to Mitt's age. We did stuff that was stupid in Jr. HIgh, (we once locked a smaller student in his locker) but nothing like that in High School. You risked getting your butt in deep trouble. If you were still doing bully smile in HS the die was set and you likely felt bulletproof as an adult.

Maybe it was different in Prep schools.

My real concern, as is usual in these drama filled bogus news stories, is his reaction. He at first denied it and said he didn't remember the guy, then laughed it off, then mentioned that they didn't know he was gay. Curious remarks. Just fess up and say what we all feel about our high school years...they were an embarrassment to our current selves for many reasons, then move on.

[Townsend]

Meh, Obama talks about shoving a girl when he was in grade school.  Then he probably went home and ate his dog.

If Obama had held a guy down and used anything sharp on him in Highschool in the 60's he'd've been sentenced to a long stint in the pokey.

[Teatownclown]

If Obama had held a guy down and used anything sharp on him in Highschool in the 60's he'd've been sentenced to a long stint in the pokey.

RMoney probably leaked this, thinking it'll make him look like less of a Milhouse. It is interesting that he doesn't remember the incident but he does remember that he didn't think the guy was gay.

Romney Battled LGBT Anti-Bully Commission As Governor
http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/05/romney-threatened-lgbt-anti-bully-commission-as-governor.php

[guido911]

A couple of links giving this "story" some perspective:

http://hotair.com/archives/2012/05/11/scarborough-i-question-the-timing-of-the-wapo-hit-piece-on-romney/

And the victim of the bullying's family speaks out, as well as NBC calling out the accuracy of the story.

http://themoderatevoice.com/146840/sister-of-alleged-romney-target-starting-to-dispute-parts-of-washington-post-story/

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/kyle-drennen/2012/05/11/nbc-reports-romney-bully-story-labeled-factually-incorrect-family-alle

[swake]

A couple of links giving this "story" some perspective:

http://hotair.com/archives/2012/05/11/scarborough-i-question-the-timing-of-the-wapo-hit-piece-on-romney/

And the victim of the bullying's family speaks out, as well as NBC calling out the accuracy of the story.

http://themoderatevoice.com/146840/sister-of-alleged-romney-target-starting-to-dispute-parts-of-washington-post-story/

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/kyle-drennen/2012/05/11/nbc-reports-romney-bully-story-labeled-factually-incorrect-family-alle

Calling out the "accuracy of the story" is misleading. They are disputing the portrayal of the victim, they are NOT saying the incident didn't happen and they had no direct knowledge anyway.

Betsy Lauber, one of John Lauber's three sisters, spoke with ABC News Tuesday night regarding the accuracy of the story.
"The family of John Lauber is releasing a statement saying the portrayal of John is factually incorrect and we are aggrieved that he would be used to further a political agenda. There will be no more comments from the family," she said.
She did not say specifically how the Washington Post story was incorrect.

Christine Lauber, who is a few years older than John Lauber, was at college when the alleged incident happened, and said the brother and sister were "doing our own thing" at the time.
When ABC News showed her the story, Christine Lauber's eyes welled up with tears and she became agitated.
She described her brother as a "very unusual person."
"He didn't care about running with the peer group," Christine Lauber said. "What's wrong with that?"

"Even if it did happen, John probably wouldn't have said anything," Christine Lauber said.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/05/sister-of-alleged-romney-target-has-no-knowledge-of-any-bullying-incident/

They aren't saying it didn't happen, at all. She doesn't like the portrayal of her brother but that has nothing to do with the accuracy of the article and her own quotes seem to support the portrayal of her brother.

[guido911]

Calling out the "accuracy of the story" is misleading. They are disputing the portrayal of the victim, they are NOT saying the incident didn't happen and they had no direct knowledge anyway.

And neither did Romney have knowledge. Didn't stop WaPo from running the "story" did they. I'm no Romney fan, but sheesh. This is what we can expect? Anyway, let's see how this plays out over the next couple of days because if more facts show the story to be BS, folks in here will have some 'splainin to do.

[Townsend]

And neither did Romney have knowledge. Didn't stop WaPo from running the "story" did they. I'm no Romney fan, but sheesh. This is what we can expect? Anyway, let's see how this plays out over the next couple of days because if more facts show the story to be BS, folks in here will have some 'splainin to do.

What do you mean?

edited to say:  I mean the "This is what we can expect?".  If you're questioning this popping up during a political year then, yes, this is always what we can expect.

As far as "splainin", this is a story on the 24/7.  Haven't heard anything about Obama being Muslim or not a US citizen being 'splained from the other side when those were proved to be wrong.

[Teatownclown]

Really Guido.....what about Rev. Wright?....what about that terrorist association game?....what about the ole community organizer slant?

A bit two faced of you.

[guido911]

What do you mean?

edited to say:  I mean the "This is what we can expect?".  If you're questioning this popping up during a political year then, yes, this is always what we can expect.

As far as "splainin", this is a story on the 24/7.  Haven't heard anything about Obama being Muslim or not a US citizen being 'splained from the other side when those were proved to be wrong.

I'll splain the Muslim faith thing...

As for your point, there was PLENTY of demonizing from the left on these BS distractions. Those levying the claims (as well as those who shared the political view) faced its wrath, were even called racist. That's kinda what can be expected if some dumb@ssed story about what Romney may have done in damned high school is false.

[Townsend]

As for your point, there was PLENTY of demonizing from the left on these BS distractions. Those levying the claims (as well as those who shared the political view) faced its wrath, were even called racist. That's kinda what can be expected if some dumb@ssed story about what Romney may have done in damned high school is false.

Many of those levying those attacks are racist.

Many of the attacks on Obama are based on things when he was a small child, younger than high school.  Not with a group of kids/teens holding another down and physically attacking him.

If Romney really did this, he did a bad thing.  Would it make him a bad president?  I don't know.  Not really important to me. 

[Teatownclown]

I'll splain the Muslim faith thing...

As for your point, there was PLENTY of demonizing from the left on these BS distractions. Those levying the claims (as well as those who shared the political view) faced its wrath, were even called racist. That's kinda what can be expected if some dumb@ssed story about what Romney may have done in damned high school is false.

Guido, you're such an exit!

[guido911]

Many of the attacks on Obama are based on things when he was a small child, younger than high school.  Not with a group of kids/teens holding another down and physically attacking him.

I'll pass along your concerns about the age a person suffers abuse having some sort of meaning to Trig Palin...