Mitt Romney Finds A New Message: Only D.C. Insiders, Not the American People, Can Change Washington

By Igor Volsky

Mitt Romney touted the ability of Washington insiders and politicians to change the course of the country on Thursday, seizing on a quote from President Obama during a Univision forum. “I think that I’ve learned some lessons over the last four years, and the most important lesson I’ve learned is that you can’t change Washington from the inside,” Obama said. “You can only change it from the outside. That’s how I got elected, and that’s how the big accomplishments like health care got done, was because we mobilized the American people to speak out.”

Romney appeared to disagree during a rally at Sarasota, Florida, telling the crowd that he will change the country — not with the support of his constituents or his base — but by bringing “Republicans and Democrats” together to implement his agenda:

ROMNEY: He said he can’t change Washington from inside. He can only change it from outside. Well, we’ll give him that chance in November, he’s going outside. I can change Washington, I will change Washington, I’ll get the job done from the inside. Republicans and Democrats will come together.

Watch it:

<...>

The new attack is a departure from Romney’s repeated claims that only Washington outsiders, particularly those with private sector experience, can change the course of the country...It’s a message he echoed throughout his campaign. “The idea that somehow everything important for conservativism or for America happens in government is simply wrong,” Romney explained in January. “I’ve been in the private sector. I worked in one business that was in trouble and helped turn it around.”

During a debate in December, when he characterized many of his GOP opponents as career politicians, Romney said, “having spent my life in the private sector, I understand where jobs are created. They’re not created in government, they’re not created in Washington. They’re created on Main Streets and streets all over America.”

http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/09/20/886571/mitt-romney-finds-a-new-message-change-can-only-happen-from-inside-washington/

Mitt Romney: Elect me, and 'Democrats and Republicans will come together'

by Jed Lewison

So Mitt Romney has a new attack, and, as always, he's managing to take the dumb and make it dumber. The gist of his attack? That President Obama, by saying earlier today that you can't change Washington from the inside—that you have to change it from the outside—had somehow thrown in the white towel as president. That's nothing that Obama has not said before, and it's nothing we won't say again.
But Mitt Romney is so desperate that he thinks he's acting like he's found gold. Here's what he said this afternoon:

<...>

Republicans and Democrats will come together? Under Mitt Romney? This is a guy who can't even get Republicans on his side. This is a guy who appeared at a fundraiser earlier this year and sneeringly dismissed half of Americans as worthless moochers who will never, ever support him. He said he didn't think his job was to worry about them, because he'd never be able to convince them to take responsibility for their lives.

This is a guy who couldn't even attend the Olympic games without insulting the host country. He couldn't attend a NASCAR race without insulting fans. He joked that he wishes he were Latino so he could win more votes. He couldn't even bother himself to thank American troops during his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention.

And he's going to bring Democrats and Republicans together? Get fucking real.

2:25 PM PT: Mitt Romney, 2007:

I don't think you change Washington from the inside. I think you change it from the outside.

h/t: BlueFranco

Transcript of President Obama's comment that Romney was attacking:

I think that I’ve learned some lessons over the last four years, and the most important lesson I’ve learned is that you can’t change Washington from the inside. You can only change it from the outside. That’s how I got elected, and that’s how the big accomplishments like health care got done, was because we mobilized the American people to speak out. That’s how we were able to cut taxes for middle class families. So something that I’d really like to concentrate on in my second term is being in a much more constant conversation with the American people so that they can put pressure on Congress to help move some of these issues forward.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/09/20/1134509/-Mitt-Romney-Elect-me-and-Democrats-and-Republicans-will-come-together