Once again, Mitt Romney reveals his talent as a flip-flopper:
CHICAGO (AP) -- Republican president candidate Mitt Romney, who denied every pardon or commutation during his term as Massachusetts governor, said Thursday a pardon for former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby deserves a close examination.
"I took a careful review during my term as governor of the people that were brought forward. That doesn't mean I pardoned them, but I took a careful review. I think this deserves a very careful review," Romney told The Associated Press in a brief interview....
..."I think the prosecutor may well have abused prosecutorial discretion by pursuing the investigation after he had learned that the source of the leak was Richard Armitage," Romney said. "He knew that there was, therefore, not a crime committed and yet, he proceeded with the investigation knowing that there was no crime to pursue.What utter nonsense. Just because Armitage leaked first doesn't exonerate Libby from leaking a CIA operative identity, too, and then lying about it under oath. The jury convicted Libby of perjury and obstruction of justice. Logic or law and order doesn't have a thing to do with Mitt's position. He's pandering for conservative voters who hold a double standard when the case involves one of their own.
Democratic National Committee spokesman Damien LaVera contends Romney is dodging a fundamental question.
"Defending Scooter Libby may be a good applause line for right wing Republicans, but the American people are looking for a strong and decisive leader who can say one way or another whether he would pardon a man who obstructed a national security investigation in a time of war," LaVera said.
On the campaign trail, Romney often cites his record as governor in denying pardons or commutations. During his four years in office, 100 requests for commutations and 172 requests for pardons were filed in the state. All were denied.
Romney has said he refused pardons because he didn't want to overturn a jury.His record doesn't square with Mitt's current position on Libby to potentially overturn a jury's decision with a pardon. But give him time. He could flip-flop again.
