Mitt Romney is lucky this morning’s debate was likely missed by many voters attending church or sleeping in on Sunday.
First of all, there was his huge lie, a lie Andrew Sullivan says is a Palin-level performance this morning:
Romney was asked about the ads attacking Newt Gingrich aired by Restore our Future, the Super PAC that supports Romney. “I haven’t seen the ads,” he said.
Seconds later: “The ad I saw said you were forced out of the speakership.” Romney went down to list attacks from the ad in question, which could be any of (or some combination of) the Restore Our Future spots.
Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said after the debate Romney meant to say he hadn’t seen all the ads. “He described the one ad he did see,” he said.
Then there was Romney’s disastrous “I am the 1%” moment when the “I’m unemployed too” candidate who nonetheless earns $26 million a year from Bain’s investments might have gone a little too far this morning. Ben Smith:
Romney said his father, Michigan Governor George Romney, had told him, “Mitt, never get involved in politics if you have to win an election to pay a mortgage.” “If you find yourself in a position when you can serve, why you ought to have a responsibility to do so if you think you can make a difference,” he recalled his father telling him. “Also, don’t get in politics if your kids are still young because it might turn their heads.”
A few seconds later, he bragged about his run against Teddy Kennedy. “I was happy he had to take a mortgage out on his house to ultimately defeat me,” he said.
