Mitt Romney - police impersonator

[RecycleMichael]

http://www.nationalmemo.com/did-young-mitt-romney-impersonate-a-police-officer-another-witness-says-yes/

When Mitt Romney was a college freshman, he told fellow residents of his Stanford University dormitory that he sometimes disguised himself as a police officer – a crime in many states, including Michigan and California, where he then lived. And he had the uniform on display as proof.

So recalls Robin Madden, who had also just arrived as a freshman, the startling incident began when Romney called him and two or three other residents into his room, saying, "Come up, I want to show you something." When they entered Romney's room, "and laid out on his bed was a Michigan State Trooper's uniform."

Madden, a native Texan who graduated from Stanford in 1970 and went on to become a successful television producer and writer, has never forgotten that strange moment, which he has recounted to friends over the years as he observed his former classmate's political ascent. The National Memo learned of the incident from a longtime Madden friend to whom he had mentioned it years ago.

Said Madden in a recent interview, "He told us that he had gotten the uniform from his father," George Romney, then the Governor of Michigan, whose security detail was staffed by uniformed troopers. "He told us that he was using it to pull over drivers on the road. He also had a red flashing light that he would attach to the top of his white Rambler."

In Madden's recollection, confirmed by his wife Susan, who also attended Stanford during those years, "we thought it was all pretty weird. We all thought, 'Wow, that's pretty creepy.' And after that, we didn't have much interaction with him," although both Madden and Romney were prep school boys living in the same dorm, called Rinconada.

Other eyewitnesses have previously recalled Romney's alleged use of a police or trooper uniform in pranks during his high school years at the exclusive Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Phillip Maxwell, a prep school buddy, told the New Republic in 2008 that Romney had pulled over students from a girls school next door to Cranbrook while wearing a police uniform as a prank. Other former classmates described Mitt as a "happy-go-lucky guy known less for his achievements and more for his pranks."

In The Real Romney, a biography published by Boston Globe reporters Michael Kranish and Scott Helman this year, another former friend recalled how Romney had "put a siren on top of his car and chased two of his friends who were driving around with their dates." The two friends were in on the scheme, but the girls were not. There was beer in the car trunk, according to a prearranged plan. Mitt told his two counterparts to get out of their vehicle and into his car. Then they drove off, leaving the girls behind.

"It was a terrible thing to do," said one of his accomplices, a Cranbrook classmate named Graham McDonald.

To some observers, Romney's alleged masquerading as a cop to intimidate innocent drivers shows a character defect that is also revealed by other bullying incidents during his youth. When those incidents were disclosed in the Washington Post earlier this year, Romney issued an apology of sorts, stating that he had done "stupid" things and was sorry if he had harmed anyone.

While he may have believed that his cop antics were harmless, Romney may well have been breaking the law merely by donning a police uniform, committing a crime if he pretended to be a cop and a felony if he did so more than once. In both California and Michigan, any person convicted of fraudulently impersonating a police officer may be sentenced to up to one year in prison. (The National Memo has collected some other examples of police impersonators.)

The Romney campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Following his sophomore year at Stanford, young Mitt left and never went back. For more than two years he served as a Mormon missionary in France — thus avoiding the obligation to wear a very different  uniform in Vietnam.

[Conan71]

"The National Memo learned of the incident from a longtime Madden friend to whom he had mentioned it years ago."

Is the National Memo like the National Enquirer for liberals?

Barak Obama snorted cocaine and was a pot head by his own account.  Both substances were illegal in Hawaii.

Keep digging RM if you think it's going to take everyone's eyes off Obama's dismal job performance.

[Hoss]

"The National Memo learned of the incident from a longtime Madden friend to whom he had mentioned it years ago."

Is the National Memo like the National Enquirer for liberals?

Barak Obama snorted cocaine and was a pot head by his own account.  Both substances were illegal in Hawaii.

Keep digging RM if you think it's going to take everyone's eyes off Obama's dismal job performance.

I don't think he needs to.  The NAACP appearance yesterday and now his Bain problem will keep the mainstream media busy for a while.

[Conan71]

I don't think he needs to.  The NAACP appearance yesterday and now his Bain problem will keep the mainstream media busy for a while.

What exactly is his Bain problem?  An 80% success rate of businesses they incubated and grew?  There are thousands upon thousands of Americans who would not have jobs today if it were not for Bain.

Why is Obama sending Biden to speak to the convention?  I'd feel very slighted that the president couldn't find the time to come and face one of his core constituencies.

[Hoss]

What exactly is his Bain problem?  An 80% success rate of businesses they incubated and grew?  There are thousands upon thousands of Americans who would not have jobs today if it were not for Bain.

Why is Obama sending Biden to speak to the convention?  I'd feel very slighted that the president couldn't find the time to come and face one of his core constituencies.

Boston Globe.  Saying he was CEO and stakeholder until 1999 when he left to run the Olympics.  SEC filings showed that he was CEO until 2002.

And sending Biden instead?  Really.  That's pretty weak sauce for you.

[erfalf]

"The National Memo learned of the incident from a longtime Madden friend to whom he had mentioned it years ago."

Is the National Memo like the National Enquirer for liberals?

Barak Obama snorted cocaine and was a pot head by his own account.  Both substances were illegal in Hawaii.

Keep digging RM if you think it's going to take everyone's eyes off Obama's dismal job performance.

It would be nice to hear anyone else's account of Obama's formative years.

[Conan71]

Boston Globe.  Saying he was CEO and stakeholder until 1999 when he left to run the Olympics.  SEC filings showed that he was CEO until 2002.

And sending Biden instead?  Really.  That's pretty weak sauce for you.

Blacks have been hardest hit by the economy and have less to show for the last 3 1/2 years of the Obama White House.  Their jobless rates are through the roof and many believe traditional marriage is between a man and woman.  If I were Obama, I'd go speak to them.  It's a simple PR move to show he's still in touch with black Americans and hasn't become an Uncle Tom.  I'd feel pretty slighted that he couldn't be bothered to attend and sent his blathering minion to crack tasteless remarks.

What difference does it make if Romney was CEO until '99 or '02?  How does it affect his qualifications to be POTUS? I don't get the big deal if he ran the Olympics at the same time.   I'm not catching an obvious conflict of interest, if there is, please enlighten me.

It's just like the attacks on Romney for college and prep school pranks which happened 45 years ago.  At least explain how that's relevant to his leadership skills today.  I'm quite certain if Romney had been the pot smoker, cocaine snorter, and drunk when he was that age, the libs would be all over it.  Apparently that's no big deal that Obama was.  Previous substance abuse issues were hinted at as being a reason why Bush II was an unfit leader.

[Hoss]

Blacks have been hardest hit by the economy and have less to show for the last 3 1/2 years of the Obama White House.  Their jobless rates are through the roof and many believe traditional marriage is between a man and woman.  If I were Obama, I'd go speak to them.  It's a simple PR move to show he's still in touch with black Americans and hasn't become an Uncle Tom.  I'd feel pretty slighted that he couldn't be bothered to attend and sent his blathering minion to crack tasteless remarks.

What difference does it make if Romney was CEO until '99 or '02?  How does it affect his qualifications to be POTUS? I don't get the big deal if he ran the Olympics at the same time.   I'm not catching an obvious conflict of interest, if there is, please enlighten me.

It's just like the attacks on Romney for college and prep school pranks which happened 45 years ago.  At least explain how that's relevant to his leadership skills today.  I'm quite certain if Romney had been the pot smoker, cocaine snorter, and drunk when he was that age, the libs would be all over it.  Apparently that's no big deal that Obama was.  Previous substance abuse issues were hinted at as being a reason why Bush II was an unfit leader.

If he LIED about having part in Bain Cap on a federal disclosure form (which he does state that he left Bain in 1999) then it's a felony.  I'm not saying what he did was felonious, but the media will get traction on this.  All except Fox for obvious reasons.

And the 33rd attempt at repealing the ACA (why try if you know the Senate won't do it?) is probably not going to resonate well with many who are undecided.  A lot of people see the perceived 'performance issues' as the stonewalling by the Republican controlled House.  And the constant Republican filibustering in the Senate.  Sofar about 150.

I have my issues with the current president.  Bush had a rubberstamp Congress for 6 of his 8 years in office so obviously it was easy for him to get many bills through.  Both parties inability to work with each other is destroying the political process.

[Conan71]

I have my issues with the current president.  Bush had a rubberstamp Congress for 6 of his 8 years in office so obviously it was easy for him to get many bills through.  Both parties inability to work with each other is destroying the political process.

That's one reason I like Romney, he appears more moderate to me in important issues based on his track record as governor of Mass.  He's much more a traditional Republican along the lines of Reagan, Ford, Bush I, or Nixon, not one of the Neo-Cons.

[Teatownclown]

That's one reason I like Romney, he appears more moderate to me in important issues based on his track record as governor of Mass.  He's much more a traditional Republican along the lines of Reagan, Ford, Bush I, or Nixon, not one of the Neo-Cons.

I think your new wife has sucked your brains out. Romney's got no integrity. Reagan did...Ford did....Bush I did. Again, he has no integrity. And, do you still think this guy will have our backs when he has a history of outsourcing jobs to China? http://m.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/bain-capital-mitt-romney-outsourcing-china-global-tech

Above all else, magic underwear.

[RecycleMichael]

Barak Obama snorted cocaine and was a pot head by his own account.  Both substances were illegal in Hawaii.

What a retort. If anyone says anything bad about Mitt, your response is that Obama did drugs when he was in college. No matter what the Mitt says or does, you don't respond to the actual Mitt event or words, you just say that Obama did drugs.

I would bet that more people of the similar age as Obama did drugs in college than dressed up as a police officer, bought a flashing light and pulled over the friends while driving. I bet not many of the people of Romney's age bullied a kid in the hallway and cut his hair off.

Romney was a weird freak who was a menace to his schoolmates and wore odd costumes while driving. Obama did some drugs.

Who was the freak?

[heironymouspasparagus]

Oh, well...boys will be boys....Mitt just had extra resources available due to lots of money and good political connections...

[Conan71]

What a retort. If anyone says anything bad about Mitt, your response is that Obama did drugs when he was in college. No matter what the Mitt says or does, you don't respond to the actual Mitt event or words, you just say that Obama did drugs.

I would bet that more people of the similar age as Obama did drugs in college than dressed up as a police officer, bought a flashing light and pulled over the friends while driving. I bet not many of the people of Romney's age bullied a kid in the hallway and cut his hair off.

Romney was a weird freak who was a menace to his schoolmates and wore odd costumes while driving. Obama did some a lot of drugs...by his own admission

Who was the freak?

No, you keep dredging up incidents which happened well over 40 years ago about his opponent rather than point to anything positive President Obama has accomplished.  It's sad you must think his record as president is so bad that you need to dig up second and third hand accounts about things Romney did as pranks when he was in prep school & college.  Do you realize how sophomoric that is?  Either that or you are just jealous you didn't have an OHP uniform when you were that age.

I know I'm a lot different now than I was in high school & college.  How about you?  Do you believe your life today is defined by the dumbest stunt or prank you ever pulled as a young adult?  

Point is RM, people change and what they do as a teenager or in their early 20's is no sure predictor of what they will eventually become.  Many people around Obama's age drank and got stoned, and not one of the people I knew back then were people I thought would change and become something productive.  Many of those same people now lead major financial institutions, have become politicians worthy of respect, priests, excellent doctors, lawyers, engineers, and above all very good family people.

I'm quite certain Romney, just like Obama is a very different person today than he was in his wilder years.  I'm not going to judge a candidate based on what he did in his youth.  I'm going to look substantively at what his leadership traits are today which will make him a great leader.  President Obama has had almost four years to prove whether or not he is qualified to lead the next four years.  In my mind, he has not, and I don't believe he deserves another four years based purely on his record since Jan. 20, 2009.

[Conan71]

I think your new wife has sucked your brains out. Romney's got no integrity. Reagan did...Ford did....Bush I did. Again, he has no integrity. And, do you still think this guy will have our backs when he has a history of outsourcing jobs to China? http://m.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/bain-capital-mitt-romney-outsourcing-china-global-tech

Above all else, magic underwear.

There you go with your religious bigotry again.

Obama has paid for the outsourcing of jobs to China via the stimulus.  Where's the integrity in that?  He was for gay marriage, then against it, then for it again in an election year.  Is that what you equate to integrity? 

[Teatownclown]

There you go with your religious bigotry ANTI-CULT again.

Obama has paid for the outsourcing of jobs to China via the stimulus.  Where's the integrity in that?  He was for gay marriage, then against it, then for it again in an election year.  Is that what you equate to integrity?  

You really beat the sh!t out of logic. I would not expect you to understand integrity. Obama was never against gay marriage. And the outsourcing of jobs to China by Bain directly benefited RMoney's pocket.