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."
Michigan should probably go into the porn business to help their economy ROFL
Release the kitties!
“Michigan should probably go into the porn business to help their economy ROFL.”
That’s good, EEE. And after Mitt drops out of the prez race, we could hire him to run it, since he grew up here.
You’re certainly right about our socialist governor — whose record on social issues is pretty much identical to what Mitt’s was before he morphed two years ago into a hardcore “social conservative.”
I am saddened that now you will be personally attacked. Peace be with you.
I appreciate that. I didn't overlook anything. And as you have explained it, I'll go back to my alternative, that the speaker doesn't understand the definition of 100% correlation. For that to be the case, every possessor of pornography would have to have molested a child, and every child molester would have to possess pornography.
Every child molestor has probably eaten pizza, too, but you can't say those are 100 percent correlated.
I see this thread is still going. What makes Gov. Willard Romney worse than a Democrat? I don’t get it, FRiend. You seem to be a one-note choir, despite some of our protestations of pragmatism. Do you have Board of Directors’ experience?
What is AFA-Michigan’s dream candidate?
At a Marriott?
Let’s use smaller words, Liberty.
“Law guys say 100% of thugs they get for sex crime with kids uses porn.”
There, no words more than five letters in that sentence. Didn’t any big ones like “correlation.”
Now, is the factual content of the sentence clear?
Yes, it is clear. It is also correct (I assume) and it clearly wasn't before.
Please don't talk down to me when it is you who misspoke.
I’ll bask in it while I can. :)
I’ll bask in it while I can. :)
Back at ya!
You still have a computer and other election communications so your dollars are still in someway supporting the opposition.
2 Nephi 2:11, There is opposition in all things...
We are to be tried in all things it is up to us and all God children to choose wisely, not to police the world!
You computer is a package deal you have good things on it and you have others things on it that that the Lord has council us on, if we do away cable TV it is only proper that the computer and Internet be done away with including phones because can get porn on cell phones and sex talk on the land phone!
This whole thing is much to do about nothing accept to advertise to those who are not aware it’s available.
Even if the Cable removed from the Hotel, there still is the internet, and phone in the Hotel.
Real change takes place when we as a people change our hearts and priorities not by railing and demanding, that is not the Lord’s way!
Yes porn is bad, however, I don’t think the Federal Government should be in the business of telling people what they can watch in the privacy of their own homes or hotel rooms.. If we really want to get rid porn, we should get rid of it in an educational matter....
You are right today our education system has done away with character building and replaced it with everything is relative.
How Do We Think About What Is Human? (C S Lewis views on humanist future)BYU Forum ^ | (10/24/2006) | Jean Bethke Elshtain
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1861617/posts
He won't answer.
He has spent hours on this and other threads trashing Romney. But he says it's not because he's trying to squeeze money out of Romney, he says he's got no problem with Romney's Mormonism (recounting having worked for LDS candidates as a political consultant and campaign manager), and it ruffled his feathers when I suggested his obsession with this controversy might be because he is acting professionally on behalf of another Presidential candidate. However, he hasn't yet outrightly denied that allegation, he just chastised me for making it.
It's a legit question. AFA-M has been pounding the angle that if Romney won't repent for his alleged sins when he was a Marriott board member, he can't be trusted to enforce obscenity laws as President. If that's such an important issue that it's worth decimating Mitt, I wanna know which GOP candidates AFA-M thinks WILL pledge to crack down on porn to his satisfaction, and the basis for his belief that they will.
But -- if patterns continue -- he won't answer the question, but he will post an indignant reply about having been asked.
I think we have bigger issues to take care of then porn...
I’m just that much less intelligent even contributing to that stupid thread. Bluenoses are not as Conservative, nor as influential, as they think.
Thanks for the kind, realistic words. They can be in short supply around here at times.
I agree, this is much ado about nothing. The fact is that all hotels do this.
Yes, lets ask Mariott and the others to stop. I don’t like it either, but I guarantee you that we’re wasting our time on this sort of campaign.
And if you want to “demand answers” from Romney you’ll be shooting down a good candidate for no good reason.
The search for the perfect morally pure conservative will sink us....
I’m with you there as well.
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