US election 2012: Mitt Romney's life as a poor Mormon missionary in France questioned

The Telegraph UK ^ | 15 December 2011 | Henry Samuel, Paris & Jon Swaine in Des Moines

[Cincinna]

Much of Mitt Romney’s life as a Mormon missionary in France was not as poor or arduous as he has claimed, say those who knew him at the time.

It was a rare reflection by Mitt Romney on his life as a young Mormon, offered as proof to struggling Americans that despite being born into privilege and amassing a $250 million fortune, he too had known hard times.

A day after being labelled “out of touch” for casually offering a $10,000 bet to a rival candidate, Mr Romney told supporters he had experienced austerity as a missionary in France, using a bucket for a lavatory and a hose for a shower. “You’re not living high on the hog at that kind of level,” he said.

But the Republican presidential hopeful spent a significant portion of his 30-month mission in a Paris mansion described by fellow American missionaries to The Daily Telegraph as “palace”. It featured stained glass windows, chandeliers, and an extensive art collection. It was staffed by two servants – a Spanish chef and a houseboy.

Although he spent time in other French cities, for most of 1968, Mr Romney lived in the Mission Home, a 19th century neoclassical building in the French capital’s chic 16th arrondissement. “It was a house built by and for rich people,” said Richard Anderson, the son of the mission president at the time of Mr Romney’s stay. “I would describe it as a palace”

Tearful as he described the house, Mr Anderson, 70, of Kaysville, Utah, said Romney aides had asked him not to speak publicly about their time together there.

[Cincinna]

Monsieur Romney seems to have a problem with reality and telling the truth.

*** FRENCH POLITICS AND CULTURE PING LIST *** 

*** FREEPMAIL ME IF YOU WANT TO JOIN  ***

[RC one]

I have been questioning his time spent in france for years. nobody seems to care that, thanks to his daddy’s money, he was able to be a draft dodger without actually having to carry around the politically inconvenient label of draft dodger. he’s just a regular old american ya know, working hard and trying not to get that pink slip.

[RoosterRedux]

Hey, Mitt...how’s that kitchen heat? Getting warmer?

[Cincinna]

Mr Romney said this week: “I lived in a way that people of lower middle income in France lived, and said to myself, 'Wow, I sure am lucky to have been born in the United States of America’.”

From Americablog, a good article with eye witnesses. 

http://www.americablog.com/2011/12/romney-claimed-he-lived-impoverished.html?m=1

THE MANSION IN THE RICHEST PART OF PARIS

[x_plus_one]

The Brits are running interference for Obama and the left. Accusations made by them will be tossed around like a hot potato. Nobody cares if Romney lived rich or poor during his time in France. It's not worth the hot air to repeat the charge. Romney is the wrong candidate for office for other reasons that that he may have not been a pauper in his younger years. This is a classic red herring. The Brits are co-conspirators with the Clinton/Obama administration. That's all.

The best way to eliminate Romney from the race is to bury him and to ignore him and play up the other candidates. Keeping his name alive only gives it more recognition.

[Cincinna]

I agree that his policies are wrong for the Presidency. But character counts! Being a serial exaggerator, and a hypocrite make him unfit as well. We have seen thus before.

One wonders why the Mormons are exposing their religion to such exposure & scrutiny. They have done so well because they have kept so much secret and inaccessible.

[Darksheare]

Throwing a tantrum because FR doesn't support Mitt or your Fave RINO?

Aren't you Precious.

For those who support FR, click here to show it!
For the perpetually offended and the WHINERS, click here instead.

[Reagan69]

Several said that the future Governor of Massachusetts was a GIFTED DOORSTEP SALESMAN.

In his remarks this week, Mr Romney said of his French lodgings: “I don’t recall any of them having a refrigerator. We shopped before every meal”. Mr Anderson said that as well as a refrigerator, THE MANSION HAD “A SPANISH CHEF called Pardo AND A HOUSE BOY, who prepared lunch and supper five days a week”.

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....Poor little Mitt.

Aren’t Mormons anti-war? Does anyone know?

[RC one]

Who give’s a rats hind end how he lived while he was in france? It doesn’t matter. What matters is why he was there in the first place. He was dodging the draft. We’re supposed to be the party of national defense but how is that possible when we have draft dodging chickenhawk fortunate sons like Mitt Romney leading our party? At this point, Obama has more national defense credibility than Mitt Romney. How pathetic is that?

[mkjessup]

[Condor51]

Oh wow, what a shock. I thought Mittens went to France for the Wild Boar Hunting. But I hear Mittens found out fast that was just how the women looked who didn't shave or bathe.

btw, living in a Palace is kinda tough.
You can't touch anything.
...............

[Lib-Lickers 2]

a big yawn.. he never said he spent his whole mission living in harsh conditions... he probably did spend a lot of his time staying in less than decent living areas while fulfilling his duties.... IMHO don’t waste time on this story it looks petty and will probably backfire.. there are too many real issues Romney has to answer for.... oh and GO NEWT

[Diogenesis]

Romney has a "problem" with the 911 Victory Mosque.

---

"(The GroundZero Mosque) cleared its final hurdle ….
developers plan to build the $100 million center which will include a mosque.
Since its incipient stages in July 2009, when a Muslim-run real-estate development
company purchased the damaged, vacant building and land where the new center
will be built, the project has sparked controversy and debate.
.... the tattered building that was bought by the Muslim real estate company had
been owned by a subsidiary of Bain Capital, a company Romney founded in 1984.
So it's OK if his company can profit off the sale of the land ."

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"Bain Capital, has cut checks totaling $90,000 to Romney's operation. "

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Ground Zero mosque developers apply for federal grant
The developers behind the proposed Ground Zero mosque have applied
for about $5 million in federal grant money set aside for redeveloping
downtown Manhattan after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks....
run by the Lower Manhattan Redevelopment Corp.
LMDC Board of Directors
oJohn C. Whitehead, Founding Chairman"

---

John C. Whitehead AKA John Cunningham Whitehead
Romney for President "

---

" In Islam, every structure linked to the faith and its rituals has a precise function and character.
A mosque is a one-story gallery built around an atrium with a mihrab (a niche pointing to Mecca)
and one, or in the case of Shiites two, minarets.
This 13-story multifunctional structure couldn't be any of the above.
The groups fighting for the project know this; this is why they sometimes call it an Islamic cultural center.
But there is no such thing as an Islamic culture.
The Prophet imposed his rule on parts of Arabia through a series of ghazvas, or razzias (the origin of the English word "raid").

The ghazva was designed to terrorize the infidels, convince them that their civilization was doomed and force them to submit
to Islamic rule. Those who participated in the ghazva were known as the ghazis, or raiders.
After each ghazva, the Prophet ordered the creation of a rabat -- or a point of contact at the heart of the infidel territory raided.
The rabat consisted of an area for prayer, a section for the raiders to eat and rest and facilities to train and prepare
for future razzias. Later Muslim rulers used the tactic of ghazva to conquer territory in the Persian and Byzantine empires.
After each raid, they built a rabat to prepare for the next razzia.

It is no coincidence that Islamists routinely use the term ghazva to describe the 9/11 attacks against New York and Washington.
The terrorists who carried out the attack are referred to as ghazis or shahids (martyrs).
Thus, building a rabat close to Ground Zero would be in accordance with a tradition started by the Prophet.
To all those who believe and hope that the 9/11 ghazva would lead to the destruction of the American "Great Satan,"
this would be of great symbolic value."

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[Lib-Lickers 2]

now that is a much more important issue to me.. how exactly did he get out of being drafted?.. if it was legitimate then fine... if he bought his way out or his daddy made sure he got special favors then that should be investigated pronto

[mkjessup]

When Mitt-Witt was spending his days in France in ‘68, his Daddy (George Romney) was the Governor of Michigan, and a candidate in that year’s presidential campaign, Nixon considered Romney his chief rival until Romney imploded. After the election, Nixon made Romney his Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Did Romney have the connections to keep lil Mitt-Witt out of the draft?

More than likely, IMHO.

[Lib-Lickers 2]

we sure ought to know now because there is no doubt Obama knows

[Happy Rain]

Romney’s time in France is as much a hyped mendacity as Kerry’s time in Vietnam.

What is about Massachusetts that so many accomplished liars come from there?

[RC one]

the Mormon missionary deferment was reserved for only a very select few Mormons and no records exist as to how and why Mitt Romney got his. If he had ran to Canada, he would have been a draft dodger but he ran to France and was called a minister instead. America’s favorite fortunate son.

[Caipirabob]

[Mouton]

There was only one legit way to get out of that draft: enlist. Romney opted for “minister”. TV personality BOR opted to teach in a “inner city” school. The list goes on and on. Does this bother me, hell yes it does because I cannot abide by someone who is a hypocrit. I hated Clinton for it for instance but of course he was exempt from the contempt he should have gotten. Kerry, while I cannot tolerate the guy, did join the Navy. He chose to discredit that service after he got out. Bush flew jets in uniform regardless of where he served. There is a distinction, you are either in or a guy like that Hamilton hollywood creature he was deferred to take care of his aged wife, a real scam.