Mitt Romney: Senator Graham sounds like Jimmy Carter

by  • 

Olympic-Boycott

O.K. Mitt didn’t really say this, but in a moment of political karma, he could have.

During the Republican primaries in 2011, John McCain’s BFF criticized the Republican presidential field’s ambivalence about the war in Afghanistan, and accused front-runner Mitt Romney of promoting a weakness in U.S. military policy that sounded a bit like President Jimmy Carter:

“From the (GOP) point of view, the biggest disaster would be to let Barack Obama become Ronald Reagan and our people become Jimmy Carter,” said Graham.

Graham also stated in the interview with The Hill that he believed the GOP was at risk of ceding its ownership of national-security issues, adding, “I’m not going to let that happen without some speaking out.”

Fast forward to 2013. Sen. Lindsey Graham said this week that President Barack Obama should consider boycotting the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia if Edward Snowden received asylum from that country.

“I would,” the South Carolina Republican told The Hill. “I would just send the Russians the most unequivocal signal I could send them.”

This suggestion from the G.O.P. Hall of Shame member bears an uncanny similarity to a decision Jimmy Carter made in 1980. Faced with the hostage crisis in Iran, a severe recession, turmoil in the Middle East, and military weakness due to excessive budget cuts, Carter was crippled in his attempt to deal with the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. With no leverage to pressure them, Carter decided that America would boycott the 1980 Summer Olympic Games in Moscow.

Yeah, nothing says “I’m the boss” like taking your ball and going home. It failed to make a difference, and the U.S.S.R. retaliated in 1984 by boycotting the Olympic games in L.A.

Now, like then, the leadership in Washington is showing themselves weak. In a display of pure political emasculation, they are unable to pressure Russia to do what we want concerning Edward Snowden, they can’t fix our sagging economy, and they have mucked-up the entire Middle East.

And now, just like then, the solution being considered is a boycott of the Olympics. At least, that’s the solution being proposed by the RINO from S.C. as proof that the Republicans are still in control of national-security issues.

In 2011, Lindsey Graham accused Mitt Romney of being Carter-esque. In 2013, Mitt Romney is saying the same thing about him.

Not really, but he could.

 

What others had to say: