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Five words a GOP presidential candidate shouldn’t say

By Michelle Malkin  •  January 19, 2008 08:03 AM

Update: Bryan has the vid clips.

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1mittleno.jpg

“Frankly, I like Ted Kennedy.”

I watched Mitt Romney tell Jay Leno that last night.

My legs fell out, as they say.

“Like” is not a word a conservative should use when referring to the Senate’s biggest windbag, eco-hypocrite, shamnesty supporter, race demagogue, and conservative judicial nominee slimer.

And yes: Mary Jo Kopechne was unavailable for comment.

See what others have said

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Comments

Comment pages: « 1 [2]

  1. #101
    On January 19th, 2008 at 3:52 pm, vickisoup said:

    Back on topic,

    On January 19th, 2008 at 11:09 am, DarleenClick said:
    oh for heaven’s sake …Ronald Reagan confessed to enjoying Tip O’Neil’s company.

    Well, how many young women did Tip O’Neil drive into the water and leave there to drown?

    As for Christ’s command to love our enemies, yes. But loving your enemy is not the same thing as declaring, “Frankly, I like my enemy”. If Mitt does not see any problem with liking Ted Kennedy, then that’s perfectly OK, but we are entitled to infer something of his wisdom from this declaration. I don’t want a President who, “Frankly” likes everyone; particularly the likes of Ted Kennedy.

  2. #102
    On January 19th, 2008 at 3:55 pm, right_on said:

    “Frankly, I like Ted Kennedy.”

    (Not said:)..even though he’s a fat pompous drunkard, who womanizes, fabricates, and obfuscates, has questionalbe ethics, has been wrong on all his predictions throughout the years, and on, and on, and on…

  3. #103
    On January 19th, 2008 at 5:01 pm, Papa Louie said:

    vickisoup said:

    As for Christ’s command to love our enemies, yes. But loving your enemy is not the same thing as declaring, “Frankly, I like my enemy”.

    I guess this went over my head. Are you saying that you can love your enemies but you shouldn’t say it out loud? Or are you saying you can dislike someone and yet still love them? If someone said, “I dislike God but I love him with all my heart”, would that make sense to you? I just don’t follow this reasoning.

    I understand people’s concern with what Mitt said. Too many Republicans have made friends with Ted and gotten the short end of the stick. If Mitt sells out conservative principles to get Kennedy to like him, I’ll criticize his actions along with the rest of you. But that’s not what’s happening here. I think this quote from Will Rogers is worth remembering:

    “I bet you if I had met him and had a chat with him, I would have found him a very interesting and human fellow, for I never yet met a man that I didn’t like.”
    On Leon Trotsky Saturday Evening Post (6 November 1926)

  4. #104
    On January 19th, 2008 at 5:20 pm, vickisoup said:

    PapaLouie: Yes, this is what I’m saying: You can dislike someone and yet still love them.

  5. #105
    On January 19th, 2008 at 5:55 pm, fred5676 said:

    I like Ted, too - just enough for me to let him buy me a drink. That is the ONLY thing he is good for.

    On second thought - no, I wouldn’t accept a free drink from that crapweasel.

    I rememeber Mary Jo Kopechne and his despicable conduct and legal coverup.

    MA voters should be ashamed.

  6. #106
    On January 19th, 2008 at 6:00 pm, jimC said:

    The transcript does provide more context, and frankly if he had come out and said what we’d all like for him to have said he would have been torn apart by the media, and that indeed would have signaled the end of his campaign.

    So, even though I have absolutely no respect for Ted “the drunken swimmer” Kennedy — and would love nothing more than to see the drunken gasbag in prison — Romney did the right thing.

    Jim C

  7. #107
    On January 19th, 2008 at 6:01 pm, Paul-Cincy said:

    You’ve seen Cold Case files on A&E ? Stuff even 30 years old? I’d love to see them get Ted Kennedy on murder. There’s no statute of limitations on murder. Well, it wasn’t murder. But it was close. If they had just gotten help right away, shallow water, air pocket, she might be alive today. I can’t believe he got away with that bull****.

  8. #108
    On January 19th, 2008 at 6:04 pm, vickisoup said:

    Jack McCoy would try him for reckless endangerment/Murder 2….oh yes he would.

  9. #109
    On January 19th, 2008 at 7:22 pm, winemkr said:

    I saw him make that comment. At the time it felt to me that he was being self deprecating.

    What is your problem Michelle? Your starting to sound like Hillary Clinton.

    Why post tripe, when you can post logic. Why take a comment out of context?

    Are you so busy with your other media commitments that you only have time to toss a bone to the dogs on your website?

    Semper Fi

  10. #110
    On January 19th, 2008 at 8:31 pm, NBF said:

    If Romney is even on the ticket as VP, the GOP will be destroyed.

    It will be an absolute bloodbath as the base will not campaign, not contribute, and not vote.

  11. #111
    On January 19th, 2008 at 10:52 pm, vickisoup said:

    winemkr, gee whiz….that was harsh.

  12. #112
    On January 19th, 2008 at 11:05 pm, graysonret said:

    At first, I felt quite revolted by his remarks and I was going to post an attack. But then, I remembered a good friend of mine back years ago, Philip. He was a solid liberal and could argue his points very well. I had become a conservative and could argue very well too. We used to get into some real “knock down, drag out fights” sortofspeak, between us. Yet, we respected each other and, to be honest, we really liked each other. My wife used to remark, “One day you two are going to kill each other”. Well, never it never came to that. Heck, he played a mean chess game! He’s gone now, and, you know, I miss him sometimes. I miss our debates. I would mention how I really liked Reagan. He would attack “trickle down economics”. And, away we would go. Nixon, don’t start him on Nixon. As neighbors, we could argue til late evening. Then it was, “You got coffee?” “You betcha”. “See you in the morning.” If he was in trouble, I was the first to defend him, and if I was trouble, I knew he would be there. We were that close. I was the best man at his wedding. It was usually, “You up for a chess game?” and away we went. So, in a way, I can understand Mitt saying that frankly he liked the man. Politically, it isn’t good, but personally, I understand. I wish he was here now. I truly do. We could have some real “fun”. A “p-qb4 (for those of you who know chess) could provoke a “You know, Obama has some good ideas”, and away we would go. If I was a Congressman, or even President, I would have Philip as an advisor. For him to keep me on the “straight and narrow” and for me to know which way NOT to go. God keep you and bless you, Philip. P-Q4.

  13. #113
    On January 20th, 2008 at 2:21 am, Lars said:

    Maybe Romney just likes whales i.e. - Ted Kennedy, a.k.a., “The Cape Cod Orca”

  14. #114
    On January 20th, 2008 at 1:09 pm, libertyvista said:

    I’m with the love your enemies camp on this one, and think it’s worth considering that expressing a like for Kennedy does not in any way fall into the same category as co-sponsoring a tragically flawed immigration bill with him.

  15. #115
    On January 21st, 2008 at 12:20 pm, coldfront said:

    I realize that this thread is ‘dead’….
    but it caused me a great deal of reflection.
    Wether you like Ted Kennedy or not, the fact remains he witnessed the assassination of both of his brothers & still went into politics.
    He was responsible for the death of a young woman. Anyone who thinks he has forgotten this young woman is probably wrong.

    He drinks heavily, is anyone really surprised???

    What is to be gained from pointing out the Sins of another over & over & over again???

    ” I assure you, as soon as you think you know the condition of another’s spiritual life, you are wrong.’ from the Lessons of Divine Mercy / Scotsdale, Arizona

  16. #116
    On January 21st, 2008 at 1:26 pm, GaijinBob said:

    Tempest in a teapot. A throw-away line, it means nothing really. Mitt was following one of the fundamental laws of congressional politics: Thou shalt not speak ill of thy state’s fellow congresspersons. Besides, wouldn’t you like the guy who always bought the first round? :)

  17. #117
    On January 23rd, 2008 at 4:05 am, Mr_Conservative_Cat said:

    Coldfront #115

    Threads never die, they just wind up being forgotten and unanswered.

    Yes, it’s very nice to forgive Teddy for all his problems, but not his character, and yes, in many respects one can easily seperate them.

    He has demonized conservatives most of his career, with the harshest of words often telling the most heinous of lies. His behavior, espcecially while drunk, around young women has been well-documented, yes, but also ill-represents the stature of his post, demeaning the senate and adding to the tidal wave of cynical response to this nations politics as they shape the future of this country. He has praised the worst of dictators and held them up as positive role models, and has had much praise for Sen Robert Byrd, an ex-KKK officer, among the lowest character demonstrations a human being could exhibit.

    If watching his brothers be murdered and killing mary Jo himself have been too much for him emotionally, then he should quit the senate immediately. No one should despise the man for his personal suffering, but his vindictive and hurtful character in his role as a United States Senator is another thing entirely. As the world moves into a very dangerous time in history, it’s important to know the difference, and verbalize it both clearly and often.

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