Team Obama seeks to convert on Romney 'fumbles'
July 30th, 2012
05:59 PM ET
11 years ago

Team Obama seeks to convert on Romney 'fumbles'

(CNN) - If Mitt Romney has indeed fumbled the football overseas, President Barack Obama's campaign may well be seen as spiking it.

Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Monday the Republican presidential candidate's overseas trip has put his readiness for the Oval Office in question.

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"He's now been to two countries and he's had two countries where he has made a series of fumbles," she said. "He's been fumbling the foreign policy football from country to country.

And there's a threshold question that he has to answer for the American people and that's whether he is prepared to be commander-in-chief," she continued. "As we look to the past events, we know that this raises some questions about his preparedness and we'll see how the rest of his trip goes."

Psaki was referring to what some have seen as Romney's missteps over the last several days in London and Israel.

In London, some saw his answer to a question about the Olympic games as a gaffe.

"You know it's hard to know just how well it will turn out," he said in an interview with NBC News, explaining that issues with a private security contractor and labor issues were "disconcerting." After a meeting with the British prime minister, who himself responded to Romney's remarks, the candidate said he was "very delighted with the prospects of a highly successful Olympic Games."

The episode brought mocking headlines from British newspapers his way.

Days later, a prominent Palestinian leader called out one of Romney's statements in Jerusalem "racist."

Palestinian negotiator Sa'eb Erekat said Romney's "racist statements about the Israeli culture being superior to the Palestinian culture reflect someone who needs to be educated, who needs knowledge." Romney pointed out a wealth disparity between Israel and the areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority.

Psaki's Monday statement - made to reporters on Monday - is the latest in a volley over Romney's foreign trip. On Sunday, Robert Gibbs, a senior adviser to Obama's reelection campaign, said "I think it's clear that voters in this country wonder aloud whether Mitt Romney is ready for the world."

Romney adviser Kevin Madden said Sunday that any gaffes in the campaign would be overshadowed in voters' eyes.

"I don't think that a gaffe or a YouTube moment is really going to make or break this particular election," he said on ABC News' "This Week." "I think it's going to be about the direction of the country, how we rebuild the economy, how we continue to have a stronger national security posture around the globe."

But on Monday, Psaki had a different perspective: "I think 'foreign policy fumble' has a nice ring to it."

Romney's trip continued in Poland on Monday.

- CNN's Kevin Liptak contributed to this report


Filed under: 2012 • Israel • Mitt Romney
soundoff (178 Responses)
  1. Brian

    Team O is in desperation mode and will try and stick anything to Romney, hence this feeble attempt to smear him regarding his overseas trip. Their numbers are falling and they know it so they call in the one person that can save their butts, Bill Clinton. AHAHAHAH good luck

    July 31, 2012 07:56 am at 7:56 am |
  2. Montykoolaid

    If you cant explain your mistakes and attempt to find middle ground...

    I guess you could just swear at us and tell us to "shove it" like you did in Poland...

    July 31, 2012 08:00 am at 8:00 am |
  3. Jazz4Life

    Romney continues to raise serious doubts about his leadership skills overseas. And in the US, there are still a few questions to be addressed when he gets back from his Foreign trip and won't quietly go away.

    Mitt Romney vs. stubborn factsBy Donna Brazile, CNN Contributor
    updated 9:57 AM EDT, Fri July 27, 2012

    Until he makes peace with the facts, Romney will be stuck at the intersection of what is both a character issue and a policy issue. If Romney won't stand by his record at Bain, just like he won't stand by his record as governor of Massachusetts, how exactly is the American public supposed to evaluate the candidate? And if he won't disclose his own relationship with tax loopholes and offshore tax havens, leaving voters more questions than answers, how can the American people trust him to reform our tax code in a way that closes loopholes, eliminates free-riding and ensures that everyone is playing by the same rules?

    Trust must be earn to lead!

    July 31, 2012 08:05 am at 8:05 am |
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