Romnesia: Tonight's Foreign Policy Edition

With Romney having flip flopped more than a hooked fish in the bottom of a boat - or lied constantly for those who like to call a spade a spade - on virtually every issue.  Now, with tonight's debate focused on foreign policy, Romney will likely once again conveniently forget all of his previous statements - suffer from Romnesia, if you will - and once again pander to debate viewers and say whatever he thinks is most politically expedient at the moment.  If you don't believe how many times Romney has flip flopped on his positions, Blue Virginia has put together a great compilation of Mitt's serious "Romnesia" problems.  The compilation should be required reading because it underscores the reality that if Romney is elected, there is no basis to know what the Hell the man would do in office.  Here are some highlights:

In the 24 hours before the final presidential debate, Mitt Romney’s Romnesia has apparently spread to his national security positions. He’s tried to backpedal on his bluster, his pledge to arbitrarily increase defense spending by $2 trillion without saying how he’d pay for it, and his criticism of the President’s commitment to getting our troops home. But this is nothing more than a cynical attempt to hide his true – and extreme – positions from the American people.

Here are the facts:

TODAY: Romney Adviser Dan Senor On Afghanistan: Romney Has Said “And He'll Say It Again Tonight, We Need Diplomatic Solution To The Iranian Nuclear Crisis.” ROBINSON: “Doesn't he have to be careful here? I mean, this could be a delicate and perhaps productive moment - perhaps not - in the relations -- relationship between the US and Iran, and in our efforts on the Iranian nuclear program. Doesn't Romney have to walk very carefully in terms of what he says about…” SENOR: “That's always the case. That’s always the case. I mean, the Iranian government and the administration both said this ‘New York Times’ story is not accurate. So I'm not sure he has to respond to a story that both governments involved have said is not true. That said, if you listen to what he said, and he'll say it again tonight, we need diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear crisis. It's gotten really bad.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 10/22/12] 

ROMNEY HAS ISSUED VOLATILE RHETORIC ON IRAN THREATENING “IF YOU WANT PEACE, PREPARE FOR WAR”

Romney To Iran: “If You Want Peace, Prepare For War.” “The United States needs a very different policy. Si vis pacem, para bellum. That is a Latin phrase, but the ayatollahs will have no trouble understanding its meaning from a Romney administration: If you want peace, prepare for war.” [Mitt Romney Op-Ed, Wall Street Journal, 11/10/11]

Romney Said He Would Be “Just As Ready To Engage Our Military Might” On Behalf Of Israel As He Is Ready To Engage In Diplomacy.Romney: “As President, I will be ready to engage in diplomacy. But I will be just as ready to engage our military might. Israel will know that America stands at its side, in all conditions and in all consequence.” [Romney Speech, AIPAC, 3/6/12]

  

Romney When Asked If He Supported A “First Strike” Against Iran Either By Israel Or U.S.: “Yes.” Host: “Do you support a first strike against them, either by Israel or by us or a combination of the two to halt that process?” Romney: “Yes, and I think you actually have to act before they had a weapon, a deliverable weapon. They have to understand that we will take military, kinetic action if they continue to pursue a nuclear option. That is unacceptable to us. That is unacceptable to Israel. It's unacceptable to the world.” [Rick and Bubba Show, XM Radio, 3/9/12]

  

Romney On Taking A First Strike Against Iran: “Yes, And I Think You Actually Have To Act Before They Had A Weapon, A Deliverable Weapon.” [Rick and Bubba Show, XM Radio, 3/9/12]

Romney Declined To Say What Kind Of Military Strike He Would Order To Stop Iran From Acquiring A Nuclear Weapon But Did Say “Of Course” He Was Prepared To Act Unilaterally. “BAIER: Would you be prepared to do it unilaterally if need be? ROMNEY: Of course.” [Special Report With Bret Baier, Fox News, 11/29/11]

Romney Said He Was “Being Pretty Serious” About The Idea Of Military Action Against Iran. “Mr. Obama accused the GOP field of taking the idea of war with Iran too casually. ‘I think all of us are being pretty serious,’ Mr. Romney said in his news conference.” [Wall Street Journal, 3/7/12; Romney Press Availability, 3/6/12]

Romney: “We Should Always Make Sure That They Recognize That To The United States Of America, Iran Becoming Nuclear Is Unacceptable, And We Have Options On The Table, But They’re Not Just On The Table But In Our Hands.” [Romney-Ryan Town Hall, Manchester, NH, 8/20/12]

ROMNEY OFTEN WARNS THAT IRAN IS CLOSE VERY CLOSE TO NUCLEAR CAPABILITY

Romney: “Iran Today Has Never Been Closer To A Nuclear Weapons Capability.”  [Romney Foreign Policy Address  to the Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, VA, 10/8/12]

Romney: “If Barack Obama Gets Reelected Iran Will Have A Nuclear Weapon.” [Romney Event, Snellville, GA, 3/4/12]

Romney: “If We Re-Elect Barack Obama, Iran Will Have A Nuclear Weapon. And If You Elect Mitt Romney, Iran Will Not Have A Nuclear Weapon.” [CBS/National Journal Debate, 11/12/11]

TODAY: ROMNEY HAS TRIED TO BACK AWAY FROM HIS $2 TRILLION IN PROPOSED DEFENSE SPENDING…

Headline: “Romney Camp Blurs $2 Trillion Defense Spending Goal.” [Talking Points Memo, 10/22/12]

Talking Points Memo: The Romney Campaign Is Obscuring A Clearly Defined Policy Proposal, Which Serves As The Basis For Democratic Claims That Romney Wants To Spend $2 Trillion Additional Dollars On Defense Spending Over The Next 10 Years.”  [Talking Points Memo,10/22/12]

·         Romney Adviser: “The Goal Of” Increasing Defense Spending To “4 Percent Of GDP… Is Not Going To Be Achieved Overnight Or Perhaps Even By The End Of The First Term.” “Mitt Romney’s pledge to spend at least 4 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product on the military isn’t an immediate goal or even one he is sure to meet in a first term as president, according to a defense adviser. ‘The goal of 4 percent of GDP remains and is unchanged,’ Dov Zakheim, a former Pentagon comptroller who advises Romney, said in an e-mail. “But that goal is not going to be achieved overnight or perhaps even by the end of the first term.’” [Bloomberg, 10/22/12]

…BUT INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS SHOWS HIS PLAN TO RAISE DEFENSE SPENDING TO 4% OF GDP, WHICH ROMNEY SAID IS “ESSENTIAL TO KEEPING AMERICAN SAFE,” WOULD REQUIRE A $2 TRILLION INCREASE

Romney Defense Plan: “Reverse Obama-Era Defense Spending Cuts With The Goal Of Setting A Core Defense Spending Floor Of 4% Of GDP.” [Defense Fact Sheet, Romney For President, 7/24/12]

·         Romney: Raising Defense Spending To 4% Of GDP Is “Essential To Keep America Safe.” Romney: “I’m, I think I’m the only guy suggesting that we should raise our Defense budget to 4% of our total GDP, which is about one-fifth of federal spending. For me, that’s essential to keep America safe.” [Hugh Hewitt Show, 11/18/11]

There's much more, but you get the drift.  Romney says one thing at one moment in time and then totally forgets his prior positions and statements if the audience changes or he thinks the public mood has shifted.  As for what he'd actually do, we have ZERO assurance.