(Newser)
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Mitt Romney kicked off his international tour with an appearance in Parliament today, where he tried to downplay London officials' North Korea flag mix-up by saying that "my experience with regards to the Olympics is it is impossible for absolutely no mistakes to occur," reports Politico. But if he was hoping to win Brits over with the statement, it might be far too late for that. In an interview with Brian Williams last night, Romney made some comments that quickly drew the attention of British media.
The remarks getting the most thumbs down:
- "You know, it's hard to know just how well it will turn out."
- "There are a few things that were disconcerting. The stories about the private security firm not having enough people, the supposed strike of the immigration and customs officials—that obviously is not something which is encouraging."
- "Do they [the British public] come together and celebrate the Olympic moment? And that's something which we only find out once the Games actually begin."
The
Guardian reports that David Cameron today "hit back" at Romney's comments today, saying, among other lines, "We'll show the world we've not only come together as a United Kingdom but are extremely good at welcoming people from across the world." Politico's Maggie Haberman
tweets what she read as a subtle dig at Romney and his Salt Lake City Olympic heritage: Said Cameron, "We are holding an Olympic Games in one of the busiest, most active, bustling cities anywhere in the world..."
