Posted on 07/02/2007 4:17:47 PM PDT by AFA-Michigan
Some anti-pornography groups are demanding answers as to how much presidential candidate Mitt Romney knew about the Marriott hotel chain's profits of pornography sales during his nearly ten years on the Board of Directors in the 1990's.
The hotel chain is one of many that offer pay per view sex videos for sale through in-room entertainment.
Though Marriott doesn't release their revenues when it comes to X-rated videos, industry analysts estimate it is in the tens of millions of dollars.
During his run for President, Romney has campaigned on a platform of "family values" recently telling a graduation class, "Pornography and violence poison our music and movies and television and video games."
Some of these conservative grassroots activists want to know whether he spoke up or tried to put a stop to Marriott's business dealings back then.
Phil Burress, founder of Citizens for Community Values, has been fighting hotel chains for decades on this issue. He tells The Brody File that every month a group of roughly 15 anti-pornography leaders meet in Washington to discuss the latest happenings.
Mitt Romney's Marriott connection has come up repeatedly. "Ever since he announced for president, it's been a topic of discussion."
Mitt Romney's campaign told CBN the following: "Governor Romney's role as board member was in an advisory capacity on financial matters related to the company and, obviously, he did not have a role in the day-to-day operations or decisions of individual franchise holders."
John Harmer, president of the anti-pornography group The Lighted Candle Society and the former Lieutenant Governor of California under Ronald Reagan isn't buying it. He wants to hear more.
"My attitude toward board members is that they are fully responsible. They knew exactly what they were receiving. I don't think any board member under any rationale could claim ignorance. You're either a board member or not. I can't imagine a board member going a full year and not receiving a revenue report from the company."
Previous news accounts researched by The Brody File show that Romney was paid more than $100,000 per year while on the board of Marriott.
When he left in 2002, J.W. Marriott, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Marriott International, called him, "an active, hands-on Director… From his first days on our Board nine years ago, Mitt has been an extraordinarily effective director and visionary leader."
Mitt Romney has a very close relationship with the Marriott family.
Romney's father, George Romney was best friends with Marriott's original founder J. Willard Marriott. Mitt Romney's first name is Willard, in honor of the Marriott founder. The Marriott family gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to Mitt Romney's campaign when he ran for the U.S. Senate in 1994.
So far during Romney's presidential run, they have given close to $80,000.
When asked about Romney's time on the board of directors, Marriott Spokesman Roger Conner told CBN, "We don't comment on board level matters."
Conner wouldn't speculate whether Romney had any knowledge about the fight to get rid of pornography in room entertainment or whether he did anything about it. He would only say, "This area would not have been a board area…"
Conner is quick to point out that voting on in room entertainment packages would not have been something the board would have voted on. Rather, he says, this is an operations matter.
Moreover, he says that many of Marriott hotels are either owned by others or franchised.
"We have to respect the business decisions and needs of owners. The guest has a choice to opt out of the adult entertainment options."
The Brody File made repeated calls to LodgeNet, one of the main providers for hotel in-room entertainment. We asked whether hotels have the option to opt out of the X-rated films if they would like.
They did not return our phone calls. On their website, it does say that they work "closely with its hotel partners to determine the best mix of titles to maximize viewing levels. Unlike most systems, On Command Video has the ability to tailor the programming at individual hotels to match the demographic profile of that particular property's guests.
Conservative pro-family groups have been putting pressure on hotel chains for years to change their ways.
In a letter to Bill Johnson of the American Decency Association, Marriott's Chairman of the Board wrote in June of 2000, "The in-room entertainment operators who provide our systems rely upon a certain volume of movie types in order to be economically viable. If we were to eliminate the R and non rated offerings, the systems would not be economic."
Industry analysts estimate that roughly 60% of hotel chains provide in room entertainment with the X-rated pornography movie option. Yet, some have decided to drop the adult videos.
In 1999, Omni Hotels announced that it would remove adult pay-per-view movies from its guest room televisions. It took a financial hit but Peter Strebel, Omni Hotels vice president of marketing, said in a press release at the time, "
"Money is not the issue in this matter. Not all business decisions should be fiscally driven. We believe that this is the right thing to do; the right thing for Omni Hotels, our associates and our customers."
Gary Glenn, a well known pro-family activist in Michigan recently sent an email to Justin Hart, one of Mitt Romney's Faith and Values Steering Committee members. Hart also works for the The Lighted Candle Society.
Glenn writes, "It is a matter of record that during the time Romney served as a 'hands on' member of its board of directors, the Marriott Corporation sold tens of millions of dollars worth of hardcore pornographic videos… as a candidate for president, Gov. Romney has a bully pulpit from which he could greatly assist your organization and others in applying sufficient public pressure to Marriott and other white-collar porn peddlers to 'dry up some of that funding'…we encourage you to urge the Romney campaign to initiate public discussion of the above concerns and questions in a proactive fashion, for which he may receive some credit for initiative and leadership on an issue that speaks both to his personal and political integrity and to his trustworthiness should he be elected as the chief law enforcement officer of the United States."
The Brody File contacted Justin Hart who said "In this important fight against pornography there are those people who are determined to make enemies and effect zero change and there are those who propose to use their influence to create serious lasting change - Romney is in this latter camp…pure societal turnaround can only happen when people of influence find the right moment in time to lead change…In my opinion, Romney's record shows that he could very well effect that change to happen. The fact that he included a serious anti-pornography group on his Faith and Values committee suggests this as well."
That's not satisfying to Phil Buress. He wants answers from Romney. "This man is very knowledgeable about the issues, but for him to not know anything about what Marriott is selling, I found that very interesting."
The Romney campaign won't go beyond their initial statement.
Instead they point out that Governor Romney is actively talking about pornography issues and today's culture wars.
In a speech Romney gave nearly three months ago, he said, "I have great faith in the American people. I have faith in our children, and in our grandchildren. But at the same time, I am deeply troubled by the culture that surrounds them today.I'd like to keep pornography from coming up on kid's computers. I'd like to keep drugs off the streets. I'd like to see less violence and sex on TV and in movies and in video games…I believe that the most important work being done to strengthen America's future is the work that is being done within the 4 walls of the American home."
“So X-rated porn in hotels that is unaccessible unless one willingly purchases it is more dangerous than the stuff on street corners, libraries, and readily available on computers.”
You’re off in la-la land now, EEE. But if you can cite me where I ever wrote the above, I’ll bother to respond further.
Actually, it was a state law in both KY and OH, and the local prosecutors obviously didn’t consider it “dinky.”
Again, I’ll defer to your certainty of what’s in Penthouse and Hustler.
Oooh, them not running porn movies put a .00001% dent in stopping sex crimes or marriage breakups. That'll show 'em.
A trillion internet websites (remember, most originate outside of the U.S.), adult bookstores, magazines, word-of-mouth, dirty text messages, and your mission will be complete!!
Your writing suggests that you believe that the hotel's practice is illegal by federal statute. Do you? If yes, what is the law. If no, then since the hotel is breaking no laws what is your point?
Trashing Rudy has helped sink him. I think he’s on the way to irrelevance. Sooner rather than later, I hope.
“How many hotels allow prostitutes to work the bars, and otherwise come to businessmen’s rooms an hour after the horny toad calls an escort agency.”
Hotels don’t ALLOW that kind of thing but it happens, sad to say. One time, I heard the people in the next room having sex - loud sex - I think it was pornographic, all those sounds. I can’t remember if it was at a Marriott. I wonder if we should make Mitt Romney responsible for unmarried people having loud sex in those hotel rooms.
People could bring their own DVD’s and DVD players and play that crap. People are stupid and evil. That’s not Mitt Romney’s fault.
I didn't imply that you wrote it. I merely pointed out how incredibly irrational and myopic your agenda is.
Actually, it was a state law in both KY and OH, and the local prosecutors obviously didn’t consider it “dinky.”
Big deal, so it only applied to those Marriotts in the Greater Cincy area, in which the law is going to get overturned anyway and the prosecutors will end up looking like chumps. Now what about the rest of the Marriotts and other hotels in other cities, genius. You've got your work cut out for you.
Again, I’ll defer to your certainty of what’s in Penthouse and Hustler.
Yeah you probably got all the issues dating back to the 70s stashed in your closet somewhere hypocrite.
Hear, Hear.
Even if hotels did forbid it, I mean, REALLY. What's to stop some guy from going to the bar and picking up some chick and taking her back to his room.
If hotels simply existed for someone to get a night's sleep, they'd go out of business.
Triple E, ignoring my counsel not to rush to put his ignorance of the law on display, wrote:
“You said earlier some obscenity fell under a federal offense. Where is that law? What type of porn falls under this statute. How do you define this anyway? I’m sure it’s next to the invisible one that legalizes abortion.”
Don’t make this so easy, EEE. Takes all the sport out of it.
U.S. Code — Title 18 — Chapter 71. Obscenity:
http://www.access.gpo.gov/uscode/title18/parti_chapter71_.html
And how I define obscenity is irrelevant. It’s how the U.S. Supreme Court has defined it that’s actually relevant to federal prosecution.
“Miller v California sets out the ‘modern’ test for obscenity. After years in which no Supreme Court opinion could command majority support, five members of the Court in Miller set out a several-part test for judging obscenity statutes: (1) the proscribed material must depict or describe sexual conduct in a patently offensive way, (2) the conduct must be specifically described in the law, and (3) the work must, taken as a whole, lack serious value and must appeal to a prurient interest in sex. What is patently offensive is to be determined by applying community values, but any jury decision in these cases is subject to independent constitutional review.”
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/obscenity.htm
Here’s another very informative link that will enlighten Freepers actually interested in facts about this issue and the law, rather than EEE’s erroneous suppositions:
http://www.obscenitycrimes.org/cliches2.cfm
Get a life
There are definitely some people who would have the government regulate that. I don't want them in the Republican party. To them I say, go hang out with Pat Buchanan and Gary Bauer on the whacko fringe where you belong.
-ccm
Canticle is beside herself: “What would you like Mitt Romney to do about it? It isn’t his company. Should he break down the doors of each hotel room and bash in the TV sets with a hammer? Should he grab his Bible and go screeching down the halls with a bullhorn condemning everyone to hell? This is lunacy.”
Actually, Canticle, it’s your hysteria that’s approaching lunacy.
But the simple answer to your question is that while he was a board member — during which it was his company to direct, i.e., board of “directors” — we’d have liked it if he had simply opened his mouth and made a formal motion that Marriott join Omni and Days Inn and other hotels that prohibit X-rated porn flicks in their rooms.
And as a candidate for president who said he believes pornographic movies contributed to the VA Tech shootings, he could publicly encourage his friends the Marriotts to stop selling the stuff.
There, doesn’t that make you feel better? No hammers. No Bibles. No bullhorns.
Now you can calm down now and let the hysterics just melt away...
EEE has never heard the wise old maxim about being in a hole:
“Big deal, so (the law) only applied to those Marriotts in the Greater Cincy area, in which the law is going to get overturned anyway and the prosecutors will end up looking like chumps.”
Thing is, EEE, the highly-paid Marriott corp lawyers came to a different conclusion. They decided to remove the chain-wide porn flicks. The law has not been overturned. And the prosecutors looked like they were enforcing the law.
we’d have liked it if he had simply opened his mouth and made a formal motion that Marriott join Omni and Days Inn and other hotels that prohibit X-rated porn flicks in their rooms.
How do you know he didn't? How do you know his objection wasn't the reason Marriott wrote the letter?
I'd bet on it.
They know it and look the other way. They let it slide.
I agree - just saying the hospitality biz looks the other way a whole lot.
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