Even When Mitt Romney is KInd Of Right

Mitt Romney Just Cannot Win One

A lot of people have been having a lot of fun with Mitt Romney for a lot of years.  And Mr. Romney just keeps teeing it up for them.

The latest joke storm out there is the position by the Romney people that argues “that Romney deserves credit for the rebound of the auto industry — even though he opposed Obama’s auto bailout.” as reported by Greg Sargent in the Washington Post.

The problem for Mr. Romney is that he penned a NYT Op/Ed piece in late 2008 that was headlined

Op-Ed Contributor

Let Detroit Go Bankrupt

By MITT ROMNEY

Published: November 18, 2008

In this comment Mr. Romney suggested a reorganization type of bankruptcy, not a liquidation. The reorganization that Mr. Romney proposed contained many of the actions that were ultimately taken in the auto industry bankruptcy and restructuring the followed.  So his claim now that it was his ideas that were implemented has some validity.  Of course, a significant difference is that Mr. Romney would have used only government guarantees for new financing, and probably not put government money into the companies. This, however, was required to implement the reorganization, which the Obama Administration did over huge objections of Conservatives, and presumably Mr. Romney so he does not get full credit.  A nice grade of B- seems right.

However, Mr. Romney gets no credit at all with the public or the chattering press because of the title of his Op/Ed piece.  It strongly implies he wanted to let the companies be dissolved and to disappear,  and today that really looks like a bad position to have taken.  That was not Mr. Romney’s position, at least not until it became clear that the government had to inject real money into the auto companies, but he gets no credit for being somewhat right.

Strangely, in the odd world of Republican politics the perception that Mr. Romney would have let GM and Chrysler fail and be liquidated will help him in the race for the nomination as it is closely aligned with Conservative policy thinking.  But if he wins the nomination, in the general election, don’t expect him to win the state of Michigan.