Romney: “Syria is Iran’s only ally in the Arab world. It’s their route to the sea.”

The minute that came out of Romney's mouth, I knew he had not prepared for the foreign policy debate because it isn't important to him.  He doesn't bother to read the papers prepared for him on foreign policy as the only thing that matters to Romney it seems is the economy and his wealthy friends getting wealthier.  Not someone I want as President.  I still cannot get over his said this again last night:

Puzzling over this tonight from Romney: “Syria is Iran’s only ally in the Arab world. It’s their route to the sea.” 

Late Update: Not the first time Romney has said this, apparently. More here.
David Kurtz

During the last night's debate when Romney talked about Iran's only route to the sea was Syria, I had a flashback to the GOP primary debate where he said the same thing and thought I must be imagining I heard it before, but I was right.  All these months later and no one has bothered to look at a map on the GOP side?

From the Washington Post site, Romney has said it six more times since then and again last night.  Why didn't his staff correct him?  I put up the first map because it shows the very reason we are talking and not attacking Iran's nuclear reactors.  To go from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and out to the Arabian Sea, you have to through the Strait of Hormuz which for years Americans and our NATO allies along with other countries on the Persian Gulf have been afraid Iran might mine that Strait.  In June of this year, it was revealed that there was a buildup in the Persian Gulf by the US and its allies:

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, June 26 (UPI) -- In the wake of Iran's refusal to rein in its contentious nuclear program at talks in Moscow, the U.S. military buildup in the Persian Gulf is gathering pace, with four more Navy mine countermeasures ships arriving at the weekend. 

The Avenger class vessels out of San Diego will join eight U.S. and British navy mine hunters deployed in the region. 

Their main mission will be to keep open the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the only way in and out of the gulf, if the Iranians carry through on a threat to close the vital energy artery through which one-fifth of the world's oil supplies pass every day. 

Iran is reported to have in excess of 2,000 sea mines, including advanced Russian weapons, that could be used to block the narrow, 112-mile strait.

These could be used in conjunction with Chinese-designed anti-ship missiles and swarm attacks by fleets of armed speedboats manned by naval forces of the elite Revolutionary Guards Corps.

Read more:  UPI

The Air Force has joined the Navy buildup by increasing their resources in the Gulf with F-22 Raptors and F-15's moved to the region this summer.  Anyone thinking that we don't have a lot of resources in this region needs to look no farther then the fact that the Fifth Fleet of the US Navy headquartered in Bahrain.  We keep a carrier in the Persian Gulf at all times and another one in the Arabian Sea.

The Fifth Fleet of the United States Navy is responsible for naval forces in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and coast off East Africa as far south as Kenya. It shares a commander and headquarters with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT).

Here is a map of the Middle East where you see that Iran does NOT border Syria and has plenty of access to water as its long coastline borders the Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf, and Gulf of Oman which connects to the Arabian Sea.

These same maps were shown over and over again during Gulf War I and Gulf War II but Romney and his consultants (other then Bush national security people advising Romney) obviously never paid attention to the countries in the Middle East.  Yet for months Romney has been saber rattling against Iran and how we need to quit talking and attack Iran.  Even Senator Lindsey Graham wants talks to stop with Iran.  Wonder what he thinks of Romney today after he went out on a limb for him or Cong Peter King on Libya?  

It is obvious that Romney didn't pay any attention during Gulf War I or II to what was happening in the region but now parrots what Fox News and Rush have to say.  That is no way to run foreign policy.  I went after McCain/Palin for not being ready on foreign policy but Romney/Ryan are even worse.  In fact, they are downright scary when you realize that Romney considers Russia our biggest geopolitical foe and thinks the World Court should indict the Iranian Leader for a speech:

During Monday’s presidential debate in Boca Raton, Fla., Romney brought up the notion of indicting Ahmadinejad for his inflammatory statements against Israel. The Iranian dictator famously was quoted in a speech saying that Israel “must be wiped off the map,” though the translation was later revealed to be somewhat inaccurate. 

“I’d make sure that Ahmadinejad is indicted under the Genocide Convention. His words amount to genocide incitation,” Romney said. 

So now Romney wants Ahmadinejad indicted for speaking out even though the translation was inaccurate and this man wants to be President?  Give me a break!

Then there is the little fact that once again Romney did not mention veterans last night but Obama did.  Imagine that after the uproar from the GOP Convention not mentioning veterans, that Romney did it again.

When I first joined Republicans for Obama, I wondered if I was doing the right thing, but now I know it was the right thing to do.  Romney is not ready on any front to be President and his ability to lie without batting an eye could be a foreign policy disaster.  Mitt Romney does not have the character to be President and it is time for the American people to send him back to one of his mansions for good on November 6th.

Upstate New York Republican Congressman Lee Quits over Craigslist Scandal

Stupidity and arrogance are not good traits to have as a Congressman.  The Congressman is married and he sends a picture of himself with no shirt to a woman on Craigslist?  Who are these people we are electing to Congress.  Anyone with half a brain should know if you are married the chances of you getting caught like this are pretty high and if you are a Congressman, extremely high.  To resign so fast, what else is out there is the question of the day other than pictures and this email?

Lee responded by e-mail the same day. He told the woman he was 39 years old, unmarried and "a very fit fun classy guy" according to the Gawker report. "I promise not to disappoint," he wrote, further describing himself as "6ft 190lbs blond/blue."

That makes me ill -- sounds like a teenager or someone who never grew up.  Looking at the picture he sent -- UGH!

How would you like to be this guy going home to Upstate New York to meet his wife?  The cold weather we are experiencing is going to be nothing to the chill in that home.

When I first heard it, I thought no one is that dumb in today's environment and then Lee talks about a security breach in the office (yeah right), and finally admits and resigns. 

All they have to do is go to Congress, do their job, and go home.  He is cute or she is cute is not reason enough to elect someone but that seems to be the #1 criteria of some people as we witnessed with O'Donnell in Delaware.  If she had been a guy, she wouldn't have gotten to first base or Hailey down in SC who doesn't believe in open meetings since becoming Governor. 

This should be an interesting two years and hope in 2012 people look at the candidate, their background, and experience.  If there are rumors of an affair(s), chances are there is probably some truth there.  If you want to run for office, candidates have to remember that their private lives become public.  If you cannot stand the heat, then don't run and have to resign a month into a new term like this guy and cause a special election.  Personally think he should reimburse New York for the cost of the special election for being so dumb!

GOP lawmaker quits over Craigslist scandal


By: Susan Ferrechio 02/09/11 8:05 PM
Chief Congressional Correspondent

Rep. Chris Lee, R-N.Y., resigned Wednesday after a report on Gawker.com revealed that the married lawmker sent shirtless photos of himself to a woman he met on Craiglist. – Images courtesy gawker.comA New York Republican congressman resigned abruptly on Wednesday after a scandalous photo and e-mails surfaced that suggest the married father of one was seeking women outside his marriage. Rep. Christopher Lee, 46, left the Capitol on Wednesday after releasing a statement that said he felt he could no longer effectively represent his Western New York district.

"The challenges we face in Western New York and across the country are too serious for me to allow this distraction to continue, and so I am announcing that I have resigned my seat in Congress effective immediately," Lee said. "I regret the harm that my actions have caused my family, my staff and my constituents. I deeply and sincerely apologize to them all. I have made profound mistakes and I promise to work as hard as I can to seek their forgiveness."

The photo and e-mails were first reported by the Web site Gawker. The site revealed a photo Lee sent to a woman he met on Craigslist, which showed him standing shirtless and flexing one of his biceps in front of a mirror. In mid-January, Lee had sent e-mails and a photo to a 34-year-old woman who listed herself in the Craigslist personals, the "Women for Men" section. The Gawker report described her as a government employee from Maryland, but did not name her.

She had sought a man who was "financially and emotionally secure" and specified that responders not "look like toads."

Lee responded by e-mail the same day. He told the woman he was 39 years old, unmarried and "a very fit fun classy guy" according to the Gawker report. "I promise not to disappoint," he wrote, further describing himself as "6ft 190lbs blond/blue."

The woman forwarded the e-mails and photo to Gawker after searching him online and discovering who he was.

Lee was elected in 2008 and was serving his second term. He spoke to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, just before resigning, but leadership aides would not disclose whether Boehner encouraged him to resign. In the past, Boehner has expressed a "zero tolerance" policy toward GOP members who go astray and has generally forced them out quickly.

The state of New York will have to set a special election to fill the remainder of Lee's term. The timing of that will be in the hands of the state's Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The district has leaned Republican, even in years that the nation favored Democratic candidates. GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain carried it with 52 percent of the vote in 2008, even as Barack Obama won the state by an overwhelming margin.

Read more Washington Examiner

Note to Upstate NY Republican County Chairs:  Please vet your candidates better than the GOP did the last time in the NY 23 special election where the candidate chosen by the district GOP Chairs turned out to be a liberal.  Please send former Congressman the bill for the election -- taxpayers should not have to foot the bill.