Mitt Romney's "Willie Horton" problem

[teapartysamurai]

The nightmarish case of one Daniel Tavares, a convicted murderer held in a Massachusetts prison only to be released by a Romney-appointed liberal judge, to kill again in another state, is now almost entirely forgotten.
If Mr. Romney becomes the Republican nominee the Democrats and reasonable people across the country will have a great deal of soul-searching to do on this case. Because the convicted murderer killed again due to Massachusetts’ leniency and “liberal tolerance” for such things (Massachusetts liberal politicians did not learn the “Willie Horton lesson” of being “soft on crime” from 1988) this case will certainly come up in the 2012 campaign.

Few media outlets covered this case in 2007. Few media outlets are covering this important story today now that Mr. Romney may well stand again for President.

Here's the money quote part of this:

Asked (11/24/07) if he was afraid the press attention on Tuttman would create a similar situation (Willie Horton and Dukakis), Romney said simply, “No, not really.”

Twenty months after he put a career prosecutor on the Massachusetts Superior Court bench, confident in her law-and-order credentials, Mitt Romney called yesterday for the judge to resign because she released without bail a convicted killer who went on to allegedly kill again. (Boston Globe; LA Times)
​

Superior Court Chief Justice Barbara J. Rouse issued a statement of support for the judge on November 26, 2007 several days after Governor Romney called for Judge Tuttman’s resignation.

The wisdom and effectiveness of the Massachusetts court system is clearly open to question in this case. However, what is more important is the Chief Executive who, through his decision as Governor, appointed the judge who allowed the killer to go free to kill again.

In December, 2007, Two members of the board that appointed Judge Kathe Tuttman now want her booted from the bench, charging that former Gov. Mitt Romney did not inform them of her involvement as a prosecutor in a botched case that freed a child rapist.

‘This is ridiculous. The Romney people didn’t do their investigation,’ Governor’s Councilor Marilyn Pettito-Devaney said.
​

» 1988 Redux-Mitt Romney

It's an extremely long article. I suggest you follow the link and read all.

The point of this is, I LOATHE hypocrisy.

You can't beat up on Michael Dukakis for this and then give Mitt Romney a free pass. (and as an asside, I always thought it was completely right to beat up on Michael Dukakis for this. There was nothing racist about the Willie Horton ads. That was just the liberal's way to bleat it was "unfair" of Republicans to expose the truth about Dukakis)

Well, here's the truth about Romney. He's just as bad.

And we are supposed to drink this kool-aid that he's conservative? McCain is more conservative than Romney!

This is NOT a guy we want becoming president and nominating people for the USSC.

I said Romney was a faux conservative in 2008. I find now, it's even worse than that.

We do NOT need this guy running against Obummer. No way!

 

[Two Thumbs]

To people from Mass he is a conservative. to most of the world he's a progressive republican

 

[Valerie]

The point of this is, I LOATHE hypocrisy.

You can't beat up on Michael Dukakis for this and then give Mitt Romney a free pass.

Not even Mitt Romney gave Mitt Romney a free pass...



Romney's spokesman, Eric Fehrnstrom, told TIME thatRomney understood the anger of the Maucks' family and friends. "Governor Romney is horrified by the vicious murder that took place in Washington State, and his sympathies and condolences are with the families of Beverly and Brian Mauck," Fehrnstrom wrote in an e-mail on Sunday. "They have every right to question a system that would permit a violent offender to re-enter society when it was possible to keep him behind bars."

Fehrnstrom said that Judge Tuttman is not a political associate or supporter of Romney's, and that he appointed her based on "her long record both as a prosecutor and as an advocate for victims." Fehrnstrom also noted that Judge Tuttman had been recommended for Romney's approval by the Massachusetts Judicial Nominating Commission and vetted by the state's bar association as well as the Boston bar association.

"Judge Tuttman's entire experience as a prosecutor suggested she would be a law-and-order judge," he said. "Otherwise, she wouldn't have been appointed. Her actions in this case are inexcusable. Governor Romney believes she should resign for her inexplicable lapse in judgment."

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1687352,00.html

 

[Dr.Drock]

To people from Mass he is a conservative. to most of the world he's a progressive republican

He's a big government liberal, so in 2012 we'll have the same thing as 2008, lib vs lib.

 

[teapartysamurai]

To people from Mass he is a conservative. to most of the world he's a progressive republican

Progressive is just a cover word for liberal.

 

[teapartysamurai]

The point of this is, I LOATHE hypocrisy.

You can't beat up on Michael Dukakis for this and then give Mitt Romney a free pass.

Not even Mitt Romney gave Mitt Romney a free pass...



Romney's spokesman, Eric Fehrnstrom, told TIME thatRomney understood the anger of the Maucks' family and friends. "Governor Romney is horrified by the vicious murder that took place in Washington State, and his sympathies and condolences are with the families of Beverly and Brian Mauck," Fehrnstrom wrote in an e-mail on Sunday. "They have every right to question a system that would permit a violent offender to re-enter society when it was possible to keep him behind bars."

Fehrnstrom said that Judge Tuttman is not a political associate or supporter of Romney's, and that he appointed her based on "her long record both as a prosecutor and as an advocate for victims." Fehrnstrom also noted that Judge Tuttman had been recommended for Romney's approval by the Massachusetts Judicial Nominating Commission and vetted by the state's bar association as well as the Boston bar association.

"Judge Tuttman's entire experience as a prosecutor suggested she would be a law-and-order judge," he said. "Otherwise, she wouldn't have been appointed. Her actions in this case are inexcusable. Governor Romney believes she should resign for her inexplicable lapse in judgment."

This Year's Willie Horton? - TIME

Valerie:

In December, 2007, Two members of the board that appointed Judge Kathe Tuttman now want her booted from the bench, charging that former Gov. Mitt Romney did not inform them of her involvement as a prosecutor in a botched case that freed a child rapist.

» 1988 Redux-Mitt Romney

In other words, Romney knew about this and appointed her judge, anyway--and if Romney didn't know about it, he should have.

You can't excuse your way around this, even if you use a liberal source like Time Magazine to do it.

 

[teapartysamurai]

To people from Mass he is a conservative. to most of the world he's a progressive republican

He's a big government liberal, so in 2012 we'll have the same thing as 2008, lib vs lib.

Not if we all do our part to spread the word that Romney's a phony!

 

[Valerie]

The point of this is, I LOATHE hypocrisy.

You can't beat up on Michael Dukakis for this and then give Mitt Romney a free pass.

Not even Mitt Romney gave Mitt Romney a free pass...



Romney's spokesman, Eric Fehrnstrom, told TIME thatRomney understood the anger of the Maucks' family and friends. "Governor Romney is horrified by the vicious murder that took place in Washington State, and his sympathies and condolences are with the families of Beverly and Brian Mauck," Fehrnstrom wrote in an e-mail on Sunday. "They have every right to question a system that would permit a violent offender to re-enter society when it was possible to keep him behind bars."

Fehrnstrom said that Judge Tuttman is not a political associate or supporter of Romney's, and that he appointed her based on "her long record both as a prosecutor and as an advocate for victims." Fehrnstrom also noted that Judge Tuttman had been recommended for Romney's approval by the Massachusetts Judicial Nominating Commission and vetted by the state's bar association as well as the Boston bar association.

"Judge Tuttman's entire experience as a prosecutor suggested she would be a law-and-order judge," he said. "Otherwise, she wouldn't have been appointed. Her actions in this case are inexcusable. Governor Romney believes she should resign for her inexplicable lapse in judgment."

This Year's Willie Horton? - TIME

Valerie:

In December, 2007, Two members of the board that appointed Judge Kathe Tuttman now want her booted from the bench, charging that former Gov. Mitt Romney did not inform them of her involvement as a prosecutor in a botched case that freed a child rapist.

» 1988 Redux-Mitt Romney

In other words, Romney knew about this and appointed her judge, anyway--and if Romney didn't know about it, he should have.

You can't excuse your way around this, even if you use a liberal source like Time Magazine to do it.

Romney was no longer the governor in 2007.

 

[Valerie]

You can't excuse your way around this

Who made any excuses...???




Romney has reacted by calling on Judge Tutmman to step down, describing her decision in the Tavares case inexcusable.




"Judge Tuttman's entire experience as a prosecutor suggested she would be a law-and-order judge," he said. "Otherwise, she wouldn't have been appointed. Her actions in this case are inexcusable. Governor Romney believes she should resign for her inexplicable lapse in judgment."

 

[Two Thumbs]

To people from Mass he is a conservative. to most of the world he's a progressive republican

He's a big government liberal, so in 2012 we'll have the same thing as 2008, lib vs lib.

I blame the media and laziness of too many Americans.

Fiscal conservatives get hammered and hammered hard in the media, to the point they get driven into a 3rd party run, who are then ignored per the rules of debate, that the media set.

If Americans had done any vetting on thier own, any. Niether obama or clinton would have been running and Paul would have run for the GOP. [out of who I recall running]

 

[Toro]

I doubt it. Romney never made the decision to release the killer. The judge did. It was the judge's decision, not Romney's.

 

[Dr.Drock]

To people from Mass he is a conservative. to most of the world he's a progressive republican

He's a big government liberal, so in 2012 we'll have the same thing as 2008, lib vs lib.

I blame the media and laziness of too many Americans.

Fiscal conservatives get hammered and hammered hard in the media, to the point they get driven into a 3rd party run, who are then ignored per the rules of debate, that the media set.

If Americans had done any vetting on thier own, any. Niether obama or clinton would have been running and Paul would have run for the GOP. [out of who I recall running]

Yeah the media has created a moral attachment to government programs. So in their eyes if you're a fiscal conservative and want these government programs smaller than that means you're immoral.

Where the common sense we fiscal conservatives have simply states that we trust americans will give what they can afford to efficient charities to help, the media and fiscal liberals think it's better to force americans to give more than they can afford to inefficient bureacracies that were put in place to give politicians votes and government more power, not to help people.

 

[Valerie]

Though Mitt Romney is considered to be a frontrunner for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, the national spotlight has forced him to repeatedly confront a major skeleton in his political closet: that as governor of Massachusetts he once tried to help poor, uninsured sick people.

Romney, who signed the state's 2006 health care reform act, has said he "deeply regrets" giving people in poor physical and mental health the opportunity to seek medical attention, admitting that helping very sick people get better remains a dark cloud hovering over his political career, and his biggest obstacle to becoming president of the United States of America.

"Every day I am haunted by the fact that I gave impoverished Massachusetts citizens a chance to receive health care," Romney told reporters Wednesday, adding that he feels ashamed whenever he looks back at how he forged bipartisan support to help uninsured Americans afford medicine to cure their illnesses. "I'm only human, and I've made mistakes. None bigger, of course, than helping cancer patients receive chemotherapy treatments and making sure that those suffering from pediatric AIDS could obtain medications, but that's my cross to bear."

"My hope is that Republican voters will one day forgive me for making it easier for sick people—especially low-income sick people—to go to the hospital and see a doctor," Romney added. "It was wrong, and I'm sorry."

Mitt Romney Haunted By Past Of Trying To Help Uninsured Sick People | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

 

[teapartysamurai]

Not even Mitt Romney gave Mitt Romney a free pass...



Romney's spokesman, Eric Fehrnstrom, told TIME thatRomney understood the anger of the Maucks' family and friends. "Governor Romney is horrified by the vicious murder that took place in Washington State, and his sympathies and condolences are with the families of Beverly and Brian Mauck," Fehrnstrom wrote in an e-mail on Sunday. "They have every right to question a system that would permit a violent offender to re-enter society when it was possible to keep him behind bars."

Fehrnstrom said that Judge Tuttman is not a political associate or supporter of Romney's, and that he appointed her based on "her long record both as a prosecutor and as an advocate for victims." Fehrnstrom also noted that Judge Tuttman had been recommended for Romney's approval by the Massachusetts Judicial Nominating Commission and vetted by the state's bar association as well as the Boston bar association.

"Judge Tuttman's entire experience as a prosecutor suggested she would be a law-and-order judge," he said. "Otherwise, she wouldn't have been appointed. Her actions in this case are inexcusable. Governor Romney believes she should resign for her inexplicable lapse in judgment."

This Year's Willie Horton? - TIME

Valerie:

In December, 2007, Two members of the board that appointed Judge Kathe Tuttman now want her booted from the bench, charging that former Gov. Mitt Romney did not inform them of her involvement as a prosecutor in a botched case that freed a child rapist.

» 1988 Redux-Mitt Romney

In other words, Romney knew about this and appointed her judge, anyway--and if Romney didn't know about it, he should have.

You can't excuse your way around this, even if you use a liberal source like Time Magazine to do it.

Romney was no longer the governor in 2007.

WHAT has that got to do with the fact that when Romney WAS governor, he either did know or should have know about this prosecutor's past, before appointing her as judge????????

 

[teapartysamurai]

You can't excuse your way around this

Who made any excuses...???




Romney has reacted by calling on Judge Tutmman to step down, describing her decision in the Tavares case inexcusable.




"Judge Tuttman's entire experience as a prosecutor suggested she would be a law-and-order judge," he said. "Otherwise, she wouldn't have been appointed. Her actions in this case are inexcusable. Governor Romney believes she should resign for her inexplicable lapse in judgment."

You ARE making excuses if you are going to turn a blind eye the fact that when the judge was prosecutor she bungled a child rapist case and Romney either knew about it or should have.

 

[teapartysamurai]

I doubt it. Romney never made the decision to release the killer. The judge did. It was the judge's decision, not Romney's.

It wasn't directly Dukakis decision to let Willie Horton out either. The furlough program had been set up by a prior governor. Dukakis simply supported it. It was the Massachusett's Supreme Court that ruled the right of furlough also belonged to Murderer's. When the legislature acted quickly to pass a new law blocking murderer's from getting furlough Dukakis vetoed it.

Now compare that to Romney who appointed the judge, and knew or should have known that judge as prosecutor basically let a child rapist go.

Either way, you can't excuse their responsibility.

 

[Valerie]

You can't excuse your way around this

Who made any excuses...???




Romney has reacted by calling on Judge Tutmman to step down, describing her decision in the Tavares case inexcusable.




"Judge Tuttman's entire experience as a prosecutor suggested she would be a law-and-order judge," he said. "Otherwise, she wouldn't have been appointed. Her actions in this case are inexcusable. Governor Romney believes she should resign for her inexplicable lapse in judgment."

You ARE making excuses if you are going to turn a blind eye the fact that when the judge was prosecutor she bungled a child rapist case and Romney either knew about it or should have.

I'm not turning a blind eye to anything.

You don't even know whether he knew or what he knew or what really happened in that case, yet you are SO sure you want to lynch him over it. Okey Dokey.

I'll look forward to your perfect candidate for president.


On this issue, you are turning a blind eye to the fact that Judge Tuttman had been recommended for Romney's approval by the Massachusetts Judicial Nominating Commission and vetted by the state's bar association as well as the Boston bar association. That's how it works...