Posted on 10/18/2007 8:36:01 AM PDT by Spiff
Romney Calls Global Body a 'Failure'
By JIM DAVENPORT
Associated Press
18 October 2007
PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Republican White House hopeful Mitt Romney called the United Nations a failure on Thursday and said he would support a new coalition of the free nations of the world.
The former Massachusetts governor said the U.N. Human Rights Council has repeatedly condemned Israel while taking no action against nations with repressive regimes.
"The United Nations has been an extraordinary failure of late," Romney said in response to a question at a pancake house along the coast of early voting South Carolina. "We should withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council."
Actually, the United States doesn't have a seat on the human rights council, which it has been boycotting.
Romney also said he would support a new "coalition of the free nations of the world and bring those nations together so that we can act together."
"We should develop some of our own — if you will — forums and alliances or groups that have the ability to actually watch out for the world and do what's right," Romney said.
Romney was sharing the political attention in this state with GOP rival John McCain, who is on his second consecutive day of campaigning here.
McCain, in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, accused both Russia and China of causing gridlock in the U.N. Security Council and hindering the world body's ability to sanction Iran or address pressing matters in Darfur, Burma and other trouble spots.
If elected, McCain said he would form a league of democracies to circumvent the Security Council and enact tough sanction against Iran and other problem countries.
Romney, who has been criticized for his changing view on abortion, was also asked where he stood on the issue that is important to voters in this conservative state.
"I am pro life and I am proud to be pro life," Romney said.
The former governor also said he would oppose using federal dollars for abortions and would appoint Supreme Court justices opposed to abortions.
He said he opposes using cloning or practices that create human cells for stem cell research.
>>>“We should withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council.” .... Actually, the United States doesn’t have a seat on the human rights council, which it has been boycotting.<<<
Actually, we do continue to finance the toothless hounds. I remember Bush and Bolton came to an understanding that the United States would not run for a seat on the Human Rights Commission specifically because of its treatment of Israel.
Even after we withdrew, in 2006 the Human Rights Commission decided to make a review of every alleged Israeli human rights abuse a part of every single meeting session. That brought condemnation from both the US and Europe.
>>>Several people I know who watched the debate all agreed that Mitt Romney is over-stylized, slick, and comes across as untrustworthy, pandering and changeable on positions not to mention decidedly un-presidential.<<<
The usual. “He talks too nice!!”
*rolls eyes*
Got any more names you want to toss into the pot?
Romney I’d support.
Rudy is no different than Hillary in my book. He calls himself a Republican, she calls herself a Democrat, but they both think alike.
My first choice is still Duncan Hunter.
Glad to see Rommney is coming around, he must have felt the political winds shifting...
http://www.house.gov/paul/legis/106/hr1146.htm
HORRAY! Good for you Mitt!
Good Romney quote:
"...The UN Human Rights Council, however, has a particularly repugnant record. It has repeatedly targeted Israel, while remaining virtually silent in the face of egregious violations by the world's worst human rights abusers: Iran, Burma, North Korea, Cuba, Sudan, Zimbabwe and Syria. It is time to end U.S. support for this sad spectacle... "
Another good one from yesterday:
Governor Romney: “In the face of the global radical Jihadist threat, many in the Democratic party are in the most serious, delusional and politically-driven denial since Neville Chamberlain.”
---> Not afraid to tell it like it is. What a relief.
Hey, don’t crab at me if people I talked to don’t like your guy after watching him.
Yes that would indeed to be a HUGE announcement and step.
And no candidate is going to take it, IMO.
This basically sounds like just so much red meat for the conservatives.
seen this? ping
This would be interesting if I believed a word that came out of the guy’s mouth.
So well said, lonevoice. It does make one feel all warm and cozy, doesn’t it? ;-)
Same here. I like Hunter and Fred but this puts Romney back on the table for me.
~ BUMP! ~
Republican White House hopeful Mitt Romney called the United Nations a failure on Thursday and said he would support a new coalition of the free nations of the world.
"The United Nations has been an extraordinary failure of late," Romney said in response to a question at a pancake house along the coast of early voting South Carolina. "We should withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council."
Nice sentiments, yet easy to walk away from at a later date.
Have you ever heard of "Alliance of Democracies?"
It's been around for a while now.
For this reason, I argue that the democracies must set up a parallel international organization like NATO, but now including all democracies, and perhaps called the Alliance of Democracies. It would act as a driving force of democratization in and outside of the UN. Within the UN it could be a democratic political party, acting like all political parties do in democracies, and in cases when the United Nations when the UN is paralyzed in cases of democide, severe repression, or aggression, it could intervene outside of the UN.
IMO, that would gradually wipe out the un.
From what I know about them, and I confess isn't more than a thimble full, there are 106 countries involved in it.
What would the un be without ours and Japans money to keep them rolling?
An example: When the Tsummi (spel?) hit, who was there to help the victims? Was it the un or did we and other free countries dive right in without waiting for the un to get its head out of its @$$.
IIRC, I've heard politicians talking about something other than the un, a place made up of only democratically elected countries.
“I don’t see anything here to get excited about other than the hypocrisy of FReepers who call Paul a kook for advocating withdrawal from the UN”
No one calls him a kook for that. He’s a kook for, Oh so many other reasons.
Heaven knows I'm no fan of that gawd-awful UN. It's been an extraordinary failure for a lot longer than "of late". But how about this little oopsie:
Actually, the United States doesn't have a seat on the human rights council, which it has been boycotting.
LOL! If this report is true (I always feel compelled to add that disclaimer with any MSM piece) it sorta illustrates the candidate wasn't really on top of his extemporaneous game with this one, eh? Maybe Mitt didn't check with his lawyers first.
Pure campaign-talk, of course. And meaningless.
Home run. This is a leader.
**************
LOL! Exactly.
More evidence Romney is a light weight. I have no problems with leaving the UN, but who is it we're supposed to form a coalition with? The rest of the world seems wedded to the UN, so with the possible exception of Israel and Taiwan we've nobody to form a new organization with. Better to leave the UN and drop the 'new world body' nonsense.
*************
That was the most telling moment of the last debate for Mitt. Mitt as Commander in Chief? It's a big concern for me.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.