Mitt Romney on Gun Ownership and The 2nd Amendment

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Romney: “I Purchased A Gun When I Was A Young Man. I’ve Been A Hunter Pretty Much All My Life.”

(Glen Johnson, “Romney Calls Himself A Longtime Hunter,”
The Associated Press
, 4/5/07)

Romney Has Spoken Of His Hunting Prowess “On Several Occasions.”
“The Republican presidentialcontender has told audiences on several occasions, most recently this week in gun-savvy – and early voting –New Hampshire, that he has been a longtime hunter.”
(Glen Johnson, “Romney Calls Himself A Longtime Hunter,”
The Associated Press
, 4/5/07)

Romney Repeatedly Claimed He Owned A Gun And Went Hunting Himself.
“[Romney] expressedenthusiasm for guns and hunting. ‘I have a gun of my own. I go hunting myself. I’m a member of the NRA andbelieve firmly in the right to bear arms,’ Romney said.”
(Scott Helman, “Romney Retreats On Gun Control,”
The Boston Globe
,1/14/07)

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“I Have A Gun Of My Own, I Go Hunting Myself...”

(Glenn And Helen Radio Show,www.glennandhelenshow.com,1/10/07)
Romney’s Pro-Gun Campaign Rhetoric Noted By Media.
“To hear Mitt Romney talk on the campaign trail, youmight think the Republican presidential candidate had a gun rack in the back of his pickup truck.”

(
Glen Johnson,“Romney Calls Himself A Longtime Hunter,”
The Associated Press
, 4/5/07)

Romney Forced To Admit He Hunted Only Two Times In His Life And Does Not Own A GunRomney Later Admitted He Has Been Hunting Only Twice In His Life – Once Nearly Fifty Years Ago, OnceAt “Fenced Game Preserve” On 2006 Retreat For Political Donors.
“[T]he former Massachusetts governor’shunting experience is limited to two trips at the bookends of his 60 years: as a 15-year-old, when he huntedrabbits with his cousins on a ranch in Idaho, and last year, when he shot quail on a fenced game preserve inGeorgia. Last year’s trip was an outing with major donors to the Republican Governors Association, whichRomney headed at the time.”
(Glen Johnson, “Romney Calls Himself A Longtime Hunter,”
The Associated Press
, 4/5/07)

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Romney’s Recent Hunting Experience: RGA Quail Hunt In Sea Island, Georgia.
“According to hiscampaign, Romney spent a summer as a 15-year-old hunting rabbits in Idaho and didn’t hunt again until lastyear, when he attended a quail hunt in Sea Island, Ga., sponsored by the Republican Governors Association.”
(Scott Helman, “Romney’s Record On Guns Questioned,”
The Boston Globe
, 4/5/07)

After Professing He Owned A Gun, Romney Admitted The Gun Was Not His But Maintained He WentHunting “From Time To Time.”
“Asked by reporters at the gun show Friday whether he personally owned thegun, Romney said he did not. He said one of his sons, Josh, keeps two guns at the family vacation home in Utah,and he uses them ‘from time to time.’”
(Scott Helman, “Romney Retreats On Gun Control,”
The Boston Globe
, 1/14/07)

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“Even Romney Acknowledges That The Single Gun In One Of His Homes Isn’t His; It Belongs To HisSon.”

(Editorial, “Modified Mitt,”
Lowell Sun
, 2/22/07)

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“[Romney] Does Not Own A Firearm, Despite Claiming To Earlier This Year.”

(Glen Johnson, “RomneyDefends Lack Of Hunting License,”
The Associated Press
, 4/7/07)

Voter Who Asked Initial Question Said Of Romney: “I See Another John Kerry Coming Down The Road”
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Joe Feuer, Who Asked Romney Initial Question: “I See Another John Kerry Coming Down The Road.”
FOX 25 BOSTON’S JOE BATTENFELD: “Do you view this as sort of one more, kind of…” JOE FEUER: “Flipflop? Yeah, I see another John Kerry coming down the road.”
(Fox 25 News,www.youtube.com, 4/11/07)

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WatchFeuer Comment On Romney’s Hunting Remarks.A Day Later, Romney Revised His Remarks, Saying He’d Hunted “Small Varmints” And “Rodents” MoreThan Twice
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Romney Revised His Remarks The Next Day, Saying He Has “Always” Hunted “Rodents” And“Varmints.”
“Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is taking a second shot at describing his huntingexperience. … Campaigning in Indianapolis on Thursday, Romney said he has hunted small game since hisyouth. ‘I’m not a big-game hunter. I’ve made that very clear,’ he said. ‘I’ve always been a rodent and rabbit hunter.
BuzzFeed

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Small varmints, if you will. I began when I was 15 or so and I have hunted those kinds of varmints since then.More than two times.’”
(Emily Udell, “Romney Aims Again To Explain Hunting,”
The Associated Press
, 4/6/07)

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Boston Herald
’s Brett Arends: “Varmints? Rabbits? Hello, Elmer Fudd.”
“‘I’ve always been a rodent andrabbit hunter. Small varmints if you will,’ the hapless ex-governor said last week following his claim that hehad been ‘a hunter all my life.’ Varmints? Rabbits? Hello, Elmer Fudd.”
(Brett Arends, Op-Ed, “Mitt Shoots Holes In HisCredibility,”
Boston Herald
, 4/11/07)

Romney “Was Not Trying To Mislead Anyone,” Claimed His Aides.
“An aide said Wednesday that Romneywas not trying to mislead anyone, although he confirmed Romney had been hunting only on those occasions inhis life.”
(Glen Johnson, “Romney Calls Himself A Longtime Hunter,”
The Associated Press
, 4/5/07)

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Romney Spokesman Kevin Madden: “I Think This Is Probably A Lot Of Quibbling Over The Term‘Lifelong.’”

(MSNBC’s “Live News,” 4/5/07)

Lowell Sun
Called Romney’s Claim To Have Longtime Passion For Hunting “More Than A Little Weak.”
“Romney and his spokesman are working overtime to convince gun enthusiasts the former governor didn’t switchhis position just to appeal to gun owners, but it is a tough sell. His argument that he has been a hunter ‘all his life,’because as a boy working on a ranch in Idaho he shot rabbits that were eating the barley and that he has recentlybeen quail hunting, is more than a little weak.”
(Editorial, “Modified Mitt,”
Lowell Sun
, 2/22/07)

Washington Post:
Romney’s Hunting Gaffe Serves As Lesson That Money Can’t Buy Authenticity.
“Thereare things in politics that money can’t buy, and chief among them is the quality of authenticity: the ability toconvince voters that a candidate is more than the sum of positioning by his or her handlers. Last week, formerMassachusetts governor Mitt Romney was the latest to discover that truth.”
(Editorial, “Killer Rabbits,”
The Washington Post
, 4/10/07)

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“Mitt Romney Tried To Look Like A Hunter – And Ended Up Shooting Himself In The Foot.”
(Editorial,“Killer Rabbits,”
The Washington Post
, 4/10/07)

TheHill.com’s Brent Budowsky: “Now Mitt Romney Lies About Hunting.”
“Now Mitt Romney lies abouthunting. The former Massachusetts governor said he had been a hunter for just about all his life. Almostimmediately his staff reminded him he had only been hunting twice. Presumably Mr. Romney forgot about all thetimes he never hunted.”
(Brent Budowsky, “The Republicans’ Pinocchio Problem,”
The Hill
’s PunditsBlog, 4/5/07)

Newsweek
: Romney’s “Varmints” Explanation “Sounded Stiff And Lame.”
“Romney tried to explain that hehad not been a ‘big game’ hunter but rather shot at varmints and smaller game … But the explanations soundedstiff and lame – one more example of Romney’s trying to pander to true-blue conservatives and getting called outfor it.”
(Evan Thomas et al, “Is Mitt Romney Ready For Prime-Time Politics?”
Newsweek
, 4/16/07)

Flashback: Romney Admitted Only One Prior Hunting Experience In 2003 RemarksIn Late 2003, Romney Admitted He Had Only Been Hunting Once In His Life.
“His only hunting experiencewas shooting rabbits at a ranch in Idaho with a .22-caliber rifle and he acknowledged he has struggled when hetried fly fishing in the past.”
(John J. Monaghan, “Romney OKs Funds For Wildlife Programs,” [Massachusetts]
Telegram & Gazette
,11/1/03)
No Evidence Exists Romney Has Ever Taken Out A Hunting LicenseRomney Has Never Procured A Hunting License, According To Officials In Four States Where He HasLived.
“Officials in the four states where Mitt Romney has lived say the Republican presidential contender, whocalls himself a lifelong hunter, never took out a license. Romney says that’s because he has seldom huntedwhere he needed one. … Hunting certain small game there doesn’t require a license. …
[T]he Associated Press
asked wildlife officials in Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Utah for any documentation verifyingRomney had been a registered hunter.”
(Glen Johnson, “Romney Defends Lack Of Hunting License,”
The Associated Press
, 4/7/07)

No Record Of Romney License In Michigan, Massachusetts Or New Hampshire – Utah Does Not AllowAccess To License Records.
“Officials from Michigan, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, where a license isnecessary to hunt such small game, said they could not immediately locate any license for Romney. An official inUtah said a change in state law last year blocked public access to license records.”
(Glen Johnson, “Romney DefendsLack Of Hunting License,”
The Associated Press
, 4/7/07)

BuzzFeed

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Romney’s Handling Of Gun Issue Compared To Similar Efforts By John Kerry In 2004
Associated Press
Report: Criticism Of Romney Evokes Echoes Of Kerry.
“Critics said it was the latestexample of a White House aspirant willing to say anything to reach the Oval Office. … The charge echoed withsimilarities to the criticism the Republican National Committee used to level against another Massachusettspolitician running for president, Sen. John Kerry, who was his party’s 2004 nominee.”
(Glen Johnson, “Romney CallsHimself A Longtime Hunter,”
The Associated Press
, 4/5/07)

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Eye On 08 Blog: “Mitt Romney Has A Problem With Gun Owners, And It Is That He Is Like JohnKerry.”
(“Romney On Guns: More Mitt-Representations,” Eye On 08 Blog,www.eyeon08.com, 4/4/07)

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American Spectator
’s Philip Klein: “This Is Al Gore/John Kerry-Type Stuff, And CompletelyUnnecessary.”

(Philip Klein, “Romney The Rodent Hunter,” American Spectator’s “AmSpec”Blog, 4/6/07)

Lowell Sun
: “Let’s Recall That Sen. John Kerry … Was Pilloried” For Trying To Court Gun Owners WithStaged Hunt.
“Let’s recall that Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., was pilloried by his political foes, and the media, whenhe tried to court gun owners by joining a duck hunt – in brand-new camouflage duds. No one believed a guynormally spotted skiing or windsurfing was a hunting enthusiast, and no one should believe Romney is, either.”
(Editorial, “Modified Mitt,”
Lowell Sun
, 2/22/07)

MSNBC’s Norah O’Donnell Asked Campaign Adviser If Romney’s Hunting Remarks Could Be ComparedTo John Kerry’s Duck Hunt From 2004.
O’DONNELL: “[Y]ou may recall the 2004 presidential race. John Kerrywas widely ridiculed when there was video of him on a hunting trip and after that came this tide of criticism,painting Kerry as this flip flopper, like, ‘Look at him out there, he’s trying to prove he is a huntsman and he’s not.’Are you concerned that Romney could get portrayed as a flip flopper in the same sort of way?”
(MSNBC’s “Live News,”4/5/07)

Boston Globe
Columnist Compared Romney’s Gaffe With Kerry’s “Can I Get Me A Hunting License”Comment.
“Of course, Romney is not alone when it comes to trying to woo the hunting crowd. During the 2004campaign, John Kerry asked store owners in Ohio, ‘Can I get me a hunting license here?’ He was furtherlampooned after he emerged from a cornfield, wearing a camouflage jacket and holding a dead goose. But Kerryactually owns guns.”
(Joan Vennochi, Op-Ed, “Guns, Trust, And Romney,”
The Boston Globe
, 4/8/07)

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Globe
Columnist: “Leave It To Mitt Romney To Shoot Himself In The Foot With A Gun He Doesn’tOwn.”
(Joan Vennochi, Op-Ed, “Guns, Trust, And Romney,”
The Boston Globe
, 4/8/07)

Boston Herald
Drew Parallels Between Romney’s “Pandering” To Gun Owners And Kerry’s ‘04 Efforts.
“Why pandering to the National Rifle Association requires actually invoking some kind of hunting expertise is still amystery. There are no real rules about pandering, after all. And if Romney doesn’t believe that, there’s a once-used L.L. Bean hunting outfit John Kerry might lend him.”
(Editorial, “Let The ‘Varmint’ Hunt Begin,”
Boston Herald
, 4/7/07)

Washington Post
’s Dana Milbank: “He’s Getting A Little Bit Of A Kerry Problem.”
“He doesn’t call themsmall animals, he calls them varmints. It sounds like Yosemite Sam here… ‘Say your prayers, varmints.’ Does itrecall or bring to mind something that happened about this time in the 2004 cycle with John Kerry and hishunting? It’s curious that these two from Massachusetts seem to have this sort of ‘I voted for the $87 billion beforeI voted against it’ problem going on here, just as Mitt Romney is rising to prominence in the Republican field, he’sgetting a little bit of a Kerry problem.”
(MSNBC’s “Countdown,” 4/9/07)

Romney Joined NRA For Blatantly Political Reasons Months Before Forming Presidential ExploratoryCommitteeRomney Explains He Signed Up For Lifetime NRA Membership In August 2006 Because “I’m After TheNRA’s Endorsement. … If I’m Going To Ask For Their Endorsement, They’re Going To Ask For Mine.
“Expressing familiarity with and support for gun rights is key among Republican presidential contenders … It helpsexplain why Romney joined the NRA last August, signing up not just as a supporter but a designated ‘Lifetime’member … Romney told a Derry, N.H., audience, ‘I’m after the NRA’s endorsement. I’m not sure they’ll give it tome. I hope they will. I also joined because if I’m going to ask for their endorsement, they’re going to ask for mine.’”
(Glen Johnson, “Romney Calls Himself A Longtime Hunter,”
The Associated Press
, 4/5/07)

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