FACT CHECK: Romney Stands Shoulder To Shoulder With Cheney, Bush

FACT CHECK: Romney Stands Shoulder To Shoulder With Cheney, Bush

As President Obama just said, the last thing we can afford is to go back to the foreign and economic policies of Dick Cheney and George W. Bush. Unfortunately, Mitt Romney called President George W. Bush a “good economic steward” and praised Vice President Dick Cheney for his “wisdom and judgment.”

ROMNEY PRAISED CHENEY AS A MAN OF “WISDOM AND JUDGMENT”

Romney: Former Vice President Cheney Is “A Man Of Wisdom And Judgment And He Could Have Been President Of The United States… That The Kind Of Person I’d Like To Have.” “In what was a free-wheeling town hall that felt more like a rally, Mitt Romney, with shirt sleeves rolled up and pacing the stage, seemed to be able to do no wrong — receiving generous applause, even as he praised one of the most controversial political figures in recent American history: former Vice President Dick Cheney. ‘I think it was last weekend I was watching C-SPAN, and I saw Vice President Dick Cheney and he was being asked questions about a whole host of issues — following 9/11, the affairs in various countries in the world. And I listened to him speak. and said whether you agree or disagree with him, this a man of wisdom and judgment, and he could have been president of the United States,’ Romney told the crowd to their loud approval. ‘That's the kind of person I'd like to have —  a person of wisdom and judgment.’’ [First Read, MSNBC,9/14/11]

Romney Said Former Vice President Cheney Is “An Individual Who Has The Confidence Of The American People” That He Could Be President. ROMNEY: “I think that's pretty straightforward. I listened to the vice president speak the other day, and his thoughtfulness and his deliberation and his intelligence shown through. I remember watching the debates, the vice presidential debates and between Joe Lieberman and the vice president, Dick Cheney, and I thought both of those men were men of substance and thoughtfulness and experience. Dick Cheney served in the Department of Defense, he served with prior presidents. You know, I know he's criticized by many, many people, but you do want in the vice presidency an individual who has the confidence of the American people that that person could be president, and I think Dick Cheney was certainly a man of that character.” [Situation Room, CNN, 9/15/11]  

Andrew Sullivan: Electing Romney Would Be “A Return To Cheneyism In Foreign Policy.” [Andrew Sullivan, Daily Beast, 6/18/12]

Reuters: “A Long-Time Republican Activist Who Has Been In Contact With Some Of The Romney Camp's More Centrist Elements Said That Moderates ‘Are Very Concerned About The Fact That If Romney Needs To Call Anyone, His Instinct Is To Call The Cheney-Ites.’” [Reuters, 6/28/12]

Think Progress: “With Their Closely Mirrored Language On These Controversial Issues, It’s No Surprise That Romney Said Last Year That Cheney Was A ‘Man Of Wisdom And Judgment.’” “That Sort Of Lavish Praise And The Fundraising Relationship Could Portend More War And Strife For The U.S. In A Potential Romney Administration.” [Think Progress, 7/12/12]

ROMNEY’S ECONOMIC PLAN: DO JUST WHAT GEORGE BUSH DID

Romney Said Of His Economic Plan “The First Thing To Do In A Tough Economy [Just] As George Bush Did When He Was In A Recession.”[American Morning, CNN, 1/8/08]

Washington Post’s Ezra Klein: “Romney Can’t Explain How His Policies Differ From That Of George W. Bush.” [Ezra Klein, Washington Post, 7/27/12]

Romney Said “Yes” George W. Bush Was A Good Economic Steward. Fineman: “Do you think George W. Bush has been a good economic steward?” Romney: “Yes, I think George Bush has faced some extraordinary challenges that have tested his mettle. The first was a declining economy when he came in, which shortly thereafter got hit by 9/11 and the Internet bubble burst. And he was able to take swift action to get the economy to turn around … I likewise think that in the current situation, with us having been hit by the subprime-mortgage crisis spreading throughout our economy, that he has moved quickly to reach agreement with Congress to put in place a stimulus plan.” [Romney Interview with Howard Fineman, Newsweek, 2/4/08]