Posted on 07/02/2007 4:17:47 PM PDT by AFA-Michigan
Some anti-pornography groups are demanding answers as to how much presidential candidate Mitt Romney knew about the Marriott hotel chain's profits of pornography sales during his nearly ten years on the Board of Directors in the 1990's.
The hotel chain is one of many that offer pay per view sex videos for sale through in-room entertainment.
Though Marriott doesn't release their revenues when it comes to X-rated videos, industry analysts estimate it is in the tens of millions of dollars.
During his run for President, Romney has campaigned on a platform of "family values" recently telling a graduation class, "Pornography and violence poison our music and movies and television and video games."
Some of these conservative grassroots activists want to know whether he spoke up or tried to put a stop to Marriott's business dealings back then.
Phil Burress, founder of Citizens for Community Values, has been fighting hotel chains for decades on this issue. He tells The Brody File that every month a group of roughly 15 anti-pornography leaders meet in Washington to discuss the latest happenings.
Mitt Romney's Marriott connection has come up repeatedly. "Ever since he announced for president, it's been a topic of discussion."
Mitt Romney's campaign told CBN the following: "Governor Romney's role as board member was in an advisory capacity on financial matters related to the company and, obviously, he did not have a role in the day-to-day operations or decisions of individual franchise holders."
John Harmer, president of the anti-pornography group The Lighted Candle Society and the former Lieutenant Governor of California under Ronald Reagan isn't buying it. He wants to hear more.
"My attitude toward board members is that they are fully responsible. They knew exactly what they were receiving. I don't think any board member under any rationale could claim ignorance. You're either a board member or not. I can't imagine a board member going a full year and not receiving a revenue report from the company."
Previous news accounts researched by The Brody File show that Romney was paid more than $100,000 per year while on the board of Marriott.
When he left in 2002, J.W. Marriott, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Marriott International, called him, "an active, hands-on Director… From his first days on our Board nine years ago, Mitt has been an extraordinarily effective director and visionary leader."
Mitt Romney has a very close relationship with the Marriott family.
Romney's father, George Romney was best friends with Marriott's original founder J. Willard Marriott. Mitt Romney's first name is Willard, in honor of the Marriott founder. The Marriott family gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to Mitt Romney's campaign when he ran for the U.S. Senate in 1994.
So far during Romney's presidential run, they have given close to $80,000.
When asked about Romney's time on the board of directors, Marriott Spokesman Roger Conner told CBN, "We don't comment on board level matters."
Conner wouldn't speculate whether Romney had any knowledge about the fight to get rid of pornography in room entertainment or whether he did anything about it. He would only say, "This area would not have been a board area…"
Conner is quick to point out that voting on in room entertainment packages would not have been something the board would have voted on. Rather, he says, this is an operations matter.
Moreover, he says that many of Marriott hotels are either owned by others or franchised.
"We have to respect the business decisions and needs of owners. The guest has a choice to opt out of the adult entertainment options."
The Brody File made repeated calls to LodgeNet, one of the main providers for hotel in-room entertainment. We asked whether hotels have the option to opt out of the X-rated films if they would like.
They did not return our phone calls. On their website, it does say that they work "closely with its hotel partners to determine the best mix of titles to maximize viewing levels. Unlike most systems, On Command Video has the ability to tailor the programming at individual hotels to match the demographic profile of that particular property's guests.
Conservative pro-family groups have been putting pressure on hotel chains for years to change their ways.
In a letter to Bill Johnson of the American Decency Association, Marriott's Chairman of the Board wrote in June of 2000, "The in-room entertainment operators who provide our systems rely upon a certain volume of movie types in order to be economically viable. If we were to eliminate the R and non rated offerings, the systems would not be economic."
Industry analysts estimate that roughly 60% of hotel chains provide in room entertainment with the X-rated pornography movie option. Yet, some have decided to drop the adult videos.
In 1999, Omni Hotels announced that it would remove adult pay-per-view movies from its guest room televisions. It took a financial hit but Peter Strebel, Omni Hotels vice president of marketing, said in a press release at the time, "
"Money is not the issue in this matter. Not all business decisions should be fiscally driven. We believe that this is the right thing to do; the right thing for Omni Hotels, our associates and our customers."
Gary Glenn, a well known pro-family activist in Michigan recently sent an email to Justin Hart, one of Mitt Romney's Faith and Values Steering Committee members. Hart also works for the The Lighted Candle Society.
Glenn writes, "It is a matter of record that during the time Romney served as a 'hands on' member of its board of directors, the Marriott Corporation sold tens of millions of dollars worth of hardcore pornographic videos… as a candidate for president, Gov. Romney has a bully pulpit from which he could greatly assist your organization and others in applying sufficient public pressure to Marriott and other white-collar porn peddlers to 'dry up some of that funding'…we encourage you to urge the Romney campaign to initiate public discussion of the above concerns and questions in a proactive fashion, for which he may receive some credit for initiative and leadership on an issue that speaks both to his personal and political integrity and to his trustworthiness should he be elected as the chief law enforcement officer of the United States."
The Brody File contacted Justin Hart who said "In this important fight against pornography there are those people who are determined to make enemies and effect zero change and there are those who propose to use their influence to create serious lasting change - Romney is in this latter camp…pure societal turnaround can only happen when people of influence find the right moment in time to lead change…In my opinion, Romney's record shows that he could very well effect that change to happen. The fact that he included a serious anti-pornography group on his Faith and Values committee suggests this as well."
That's not satisfying to Phil Buress. He wants answers from Romney. "This man is very knowledgeable about the issues, but for him to not know anything about what Marriott is selling, I found that very interesting."
The Romney campaign won't go beyond their initial statement.
Instead they point out that Governor Romney is actively talking about pornography issues and today's culture wars.
In a speech Romney gave nearly three months ago, he said, "I have great faith in the American people. I have faith in our children, and in our grandchildren. But at the same time, I am deeply troubled by the culture that surrounds them today.I'd like to keep pornography from coming up on kid's computers. I'd like to keep drugs off the streets. I'd like to see less violence and sex on TV and in movies and in video games…I believe that the most important work being done to strengthen America's future is the work that is being done within the 4 walls of the American home."
1. Explain how the capitalist economic system based on private property keep the free market in balance.
2. Briefly explain how Medicare Plan D works.
3. What causes inflation?
4. Are you Wealthy? How did you acquire your wealth?
5. Are your bodyguards armed?
6. What is the Constitution? (Hint: it is not a boat in Boston Harbor.)
7. Name the specific people who settled and built America.
8. Why did communism/socialism fail?
Give ‘em each five minutes.
Canticle, other sources of authority don’t consider concerns about the distribution of pornography “ridiculous”...
Catechism of the Catholic Church 2354: “Pornography consists in removing real or simulated sexual acts from the intimacy of the partners, in order to display them deliberately to third parties. It offends against chastity because it perverts the conjugal act, the intimate giving of spouses to each other. It does grave injury to the dignity of its participants (actors, vendors, the public), since each one becomes an object of base pleasure and illicit profit for others. It immerses all who are involved in the illusion of a fantasy world. It is a grave offense. CIVIL AUTHORITIES SHOULD PREVENT THE PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIALS.”
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a6.htm
http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=23645
So what? Fred wasn't married when he was banging hotties. He was already married for 26 years anyway. He married at the age of 17.
Who cares what he did between marriages? Ooooh, I bet he looked at a Hustler too. Socons are partly the reason why the GOP lost Congress last year. Socons should leave the parenting to parents and stop peeking through everyone's keyhole.
My seven questions for Romney:
1. In a recent debate you said that you support an assault weapons ban, and, in fact, you signed a permanent assault weapons ban as Governor. Why did you do that?
2. As Governor, you signed socialized medicine into law, complete with taxpayer-funded abortions. Why did you do that?
3. The amnesty bill that was thankfully just killed in the Senate included a provision that would force all Americans into the employment eligibility database before you would be allowed to work anywhere in the country. My understanding is that you support this provision. Is that true, Governor?
4. As the Governor of Massachusetts, you threatened to fire any justice of the peace who refused to perform gay marriages. Why did you do that, Governor?
5. As Governor, you appointed several radical gay activists to important positions in your administration, and even gave them seats on the judicial bench. How can we believe you now when you tell us that you’re pro-family?
6. When you were running for Governor in Massachusetts, you claimed that you supported abortion since 1970, before Roe vs. Wade was even decided. Why should we believe someone who publicly supported abortion for more than 35 years when they tell us now that they’re pro-life just because they want to be President?
7. Mr. Romney, you say that it is impossible to deport 12 illegal aliens. How can deal with them if we won’t deport them without giving them amnesty?
Pornography stinks to High Heaven. Making Mitt Romney responsible for bad choices of people who stay at hotels is a real stretch.
I’m starting to understand why you originally supported Giuliani, and are all over the board since.
“Shhh! Hyper-moralists are immune to the laws of supply and demand.”
Triple E, are you suggesting that any commodity that can be sold, should be sold?
Body parts, children, cocaine, sex? Certain elements of the market “demand” all of these. Somebody in Saudi Arabia or China would buy your daughter if she’s for sale.
Does the demand make it moral to supply it, or do hyper-amoralists believe that moral judgment should provide no balance at all to supplying whatever is demanded?
Obviously, social conservatives believe a candidate who had decision-making authority for 10 years on the board of a corp that sells tens of millions a year in pornography, which is a proven motivating factor in sex crimes, should be held publicly accountable.
Mitt’s “see no evil” spin won’t sell nearly as well as Marriott’s porn.
I don’t think it’s a “stretch.” He was on the board, and personally profited from porn.
Do you have a mutal fund? How exactly is your money invested?
There was a lot of fornicating and adultery and gay sex going on in those hotels, too. Is Mitt responsible for that? What about the drunkenness? All hotels have bars. Do you think the Marriott should close down the bars and shops that sell cigarettes?
I mean, people make choices, bad choices. How is this Mitt Romney’s fault?
“Making Mitt Romney responsible for bad choices of people who stay at hotels is a real stretch.”
Saundra, social conservatives make Mitt Romney responsible for selling the stuff in the first place or, at minimum, for doing nothing to stop it while making money off it.
Simple question, Saundra: do you think drug dealers bear any responsibility for the social effects of crack cocaine? Or is it only the “bad choices” made by users that’s to blame?
I agree that porn and porn addiction is a serious issue. But to hold Mitt Romney responsible, when he held a non-management position in one of the largest hotel chains in the world, with hundreds of bigger concerns than what guests do in the privacy of their rooms, seems to me quite absurd, and an excuse to hurt a candudate they despise anyway. I support Duncan Hunter so I don't care, but Mitt holds 2 dozen such directorships and it is silly to tar him with this.
Looks like we have a moral schism in the FR community. I guess to some, “softcore” is anything you’re watching that happens to somebody else, and “hardcore” is when its you that’s committing adultery/fornication.
Are you on the board of directors?
It jumped right into inane, insane and just plain stupid. I don't like Mitt, but this is too ignorant for words.
“Saundra: do you think drug dealers bear any responsibility for the social effects of crack cocaine?”
Crack cocaine is an illegal substance. Therefore, drug dealers are not only breaking the law and should HANG but yes they are personally responsible for their actions.
A lot of evil people stay at hotels and they make horrible evil choices while inside the room. I don’t see how Mitt Romney is responsible for that?
“There was a lot of fornicating and adultery and gay sex going on in those hotels, too. Is Mitt responsible for that?”
Good question, Saundra.
If Marriott hotels sold the fornication, adultery, or gay sex commodity for a fee — known in Nevada and elsewhere as prostitution — then, yes, I’m sure family values advocates would hold the Marriott board of directors responsible for the practice, including Mitt. (Selling porn is no different.)
Pornography is not illegal and ignorant stupid people watch that crap. Mitt Romney is not responsible for other people’s stupidity, evil-ness and poor choices.
For example, I believe Mike Tyson (the boxer) committed RAPE in a hotel room and I dare say there’s a lot of RAPE being committed in hotel rooms. Is Mitt Romney supposed to be held accountable for that? The rapist PAID for the room.
I was always amused by those reports that would come out now and then, with stats like "the typical porno video has an average of 4.5 acts of intercourse per hour, 11 acts of oral sex per hour, etc.' Gotta hand it to those very proper people for toiling over 1,000s of hours of porno to come to those very important results!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.