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."
The production of "child porn" is a serious felony, and any hotel official responsible for its broadcast should be prosecuted--the CBN's beef here is with Marriott and Romney, you will recall, and not with the customers. We have all seen "Skinemax" and their cheesy productions. This is what airs in hotels. There is absolutely no comparison between that crap and the evil and unlawful child porn. Moreover, the individuals in those production are consenting adults and not children.
An aside--how were you conceived, in a test tube? If not, then your parents had "sex". Do you wish to proscribe a manual on what methods of said "sex" is acceptable to the most vocal religious gurus in the land? If not, then why insert yourself into a silly debate over whether grown adults are permitted to watch other grown adults having "sex"?
Well said. Thank you.
Cincinnati prosecutors consider Playboy porn. They seem to spend all their time worried that somebody somewhere is having sex or taking their clothes off. What a waste of time and resources.
“Do you wish to proscribe a manual on what methods of said “sex” is acceptable to the most vocal religious gurus in the land?”
Unfortunately it seems there are quite a few on FR who would like to do exactly that.
Island says “find me an edict from Governor Romney dictating either policy and you might have a case.”
See Post 163 for what President Reagan did on this issue, back in the day when the definition of “conservative” — at least according to Reagan — meant opposing the distribution of pornography.
Island: “No one who views pornography defined by the SCOTUS) is forced to do so. In a hotel, it’s an additional charge to your room and requires additional and volitional steps by the consumer.”
Interesting. No one who does crack cocaine is forced to do so. In a club, it’s an additional charge to your wallet and requires additional and volitional steps by the consumer.
Despite whatever steps are taken by the consumer, the pusher/dealer in both cases bears a large share of the responsibility morally and legally. In this case, Marriott is the pusher, and Mitt had decision-making authority for the pusher. At minimum, he had motion-making authority for the pusher, as in, “Mr. Chairman, I move that Marriott join Omni and Days Inn and other hotels that prohibit pornographic and obscene materials on their in-room movie service.”
Careful, you may be the pay-per-view movie in the next room. ;-)
First of all, Smithee, an admirable return after so effectively torching yourself last night.
You write: “Thank you for being honest about having setting up a straw man argument! If only more people who do these hit-and-run threads with smears disguised as rhetorical questions were as candid as you are.”
Why, you’re welcome, though there’s nothing “straw” about suggesting to Romney a course of action that would remove him from a posture of hypocrisy.
But please define “hit and run.” Are you once again falsely accusing me of posting something and then “running”?
That would be “your own bloviating” at work again, right?
Timbo, you went from admitting you went “over the line” to going even further over the line, or just being plain stupid.
By all standards I’m familiar with — morally, ethically, socially, even Biblically — wanting to have sex with your wife is what you’re supposed to do. (There’s an entire book of the Bible committed to it; pull it out of the hotel drawer and read Song of Solomon to your wife tonight...just for kicks.)
But so you don’t enjoy yourself too much, please be assured that whatever you do with your wife afterward will not occupy my thoughts in the least, much less drive me or anybody else crazy.
In the spirit of the 4th, however, I wish you success in making her see fireworks.
You write further: “I do not need a porno flick to turn me own. I have a REAL woman.”
Good for you. Then why defend white collar porn-peddlers selling stuff proven to be addictive, disrupt marriages, and motivate sex crimes?
“I wish that prudes like you would get the hell out of my GOP. I hear the Taliban agrees with your views on sex.”
No, you don’t, since whatever “your GOP” is couldn’t win any election without social conservatives.
But this wish comes after you’ve stepped back “over the line,” right?
Sheesh, you anti Romney types are losing your minds these days.
Apparently it wasn’t enough to smear the man’s religion, eh?
His political positions - and the noted flip flopping should be more than enough to defeat him in the primaries.
This kind of thing is so Clintonite I feel the need for a shower.
Romney was on the board from 1993 to 2002. Estimated porn sales during that time (9 years x $30 mil a year) = $270 million. Flynt probably did more than that.
General Motors, on the other hand, did sell more porn flicks than Larry Flynt while it owned Direct TV, at a clip of $200 mil a year.
No! There goes my vote for Mitt!
Among many other things, yes. You are free to watch it or not, as you please.
You can’t watch pornography on broadcast television - so you aren’t free. What are you going to do about it?
“Questions about Romney’s ties to Marriott porn sales”
Unless he is personally IN the movies or personally making money off the sales or rentals, I see no problem here.
So, if the Mormon Priest, Mitt Romney, owned stock in perhaps Planned Parenthood, that wouldn’t be duplicitous in your eyes since he wouldn’t be doing the abortions personally, just collecting profits from them. Is that about it?
I doubt the Marriot chain would go “out of business” without pay for view porn.
Romney has stayed at Marriots so of course he knew.
I think the porn goes nicely with the BOM in every room, maybe add a biography of Joe Smith and his many wives to go with it
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