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British Paper: Romney Lived In A ‘Mansion’ During French ‘Hardship’ Period
TalkingPointsMemo ^

Posted on 12/16/2011 11:45:48 AM PST by tsowellfan

Mitt Romney has been trying to relate to voters by letting them know he’s more than a rich businessman who makes $10,000 bets. Over the past week, Romney has been discussing his time as a missionary for the Church of Latter-day Saints in France in the late 1960s. He describes living an austere life on a limited budget, rooming in a series of apartments without proper toilets or luxury items like refrigerators. “I lived in a way that people of lower middle income in France lived,” Romney said. But Romney may have stretched the truth a bit.

Britain’s Daily Telegraph decided to check into Romney’s account of his time and France. They found that, for about 8 months out of his 30-month stay in France, Romney lived in a mansion in Paris, living a comfortable, upper-class lifestyle. The building, someone familiar with it said, could be described as a “palace”:

It featured stained glass windows, chandeliers, and an extensive art collection. It was staffed by two servants - a Spanish chef and a houseboy…The building, on Rue de Lota, was bought by the Mormons in 1952, having been seized by the Nazis during the Second World War. The Church sold it again in the 1970s, and it was until recently the embassy of the United Arab Emirates. It is currently worth as much as $12 million.

Romney wasn’t thinking about his housing in Paris when he told supporters, “I don’t recall any of them having a refrigerator. We shopped before every meal.” The head of the mission at the time, Duane Anderson, told the Telegraph that the house not only had refrigeration, but a chef who cooked for Romney and the other missionaries five days a week. Romney also made comments that most of the places he lived didn’t have a bathtub or shower, but the Telegraph discovered that this was at least unlikely. If that were the case, it would be an outlier, one Mormon who met Romney in Bordeaux told the paper.

From food to plumbing, the way Romney described living to supporters this week doesn’t square with the Telegraph’s account of how he spent 8 months in Paris. Mr. Anderson claimed some campaign aides had asked him not to talk to the press about Romney’s time there.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: gopestablishment; romneybachmann2011; zots4romneybots
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1 posted on 12/16/2011 11:45:53 AM PST by tsowellfan
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To: tsowellfan

I’m no Romney fan, but he might have been living in poorer digs for the other 22 months. Not only that, but he got an upset stomach from the seasoning the chef used!


2 posted on 12/16/2011 11:48:20 AM PST by Dr. Sivana (May Mitt Romney be the Mo Udall of 2012.)
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To: tsowellfan

Wonder if he didn’t know the 10000$ remark was really stupid until someone reminded him the people he was trying to get to vote for him mostly didn’t have 10k in net assets to bet with.


3 posted on 12/16/2011 11:49:19 AM PST by WoofDog123
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To: tsowellfan

I’ll bash Romney because there is no position that is near and dear to a ‘Conservative’, that he hasn’t had both a “Pro” and a “Con” viewpoint on. Abortion, gun control, illegal aliens - I’m truly not sure how he feels about cannibalism.

But, I’ll not bash him because he’s been successful.


4 posted on 12/16/2011 11:49:40 AM PST by Hodar ( Who needs laws; when this FEELS so right?)
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To: Dr. Sivana

Mayonnaise will do that.


5 posted on 12/16/2011 11:50:13 AM PST by nesnah
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To: tsowellfan
That lying SOB !

He's no better than Reid !

...And don't forget, this is what he dodged the draft to do !

6 posted on 12/16/2011 11:50:17 AM PST by SENTINEL (Romney is to Conservatism what Mormonism is to Christianity.)
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To: tsowellfan

So why is it we have to get this from the British press, instead of our own press?


7 posted on 12/16/2011 11:50:29 AM PST by dfwgator
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To: tsowellfan

Romney is detached. Detached from reality, detached from regular people.


8 posted on 12/16/2011 11:50:45 AM PST by Clara Lou
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To: tsowellfan

Here’s a hint, Mitt. Reminding me that you were a mormon missionary is not going to endear you to me.


9 posted on 12/16/2011 11:51:36 AM PST by Moonmad27 ("I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way." Jessica Rabbit)
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To: Hodar

Successful at what? Living off of Daddy?


10 posted on 12/16/2011 11:52:30 AM PST by dfwgator
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To: tsowellfan

Not for nothing but when you are living in France with all those cafes and restaurants nearby - what the hell do you need a refrigerator in your house for? Even if you don’t eat out every day, most Europeans have no need for a refrigerator at home - they have a culture where they shop daily for fresh ingredients to prepare their meals for that day.


11 posted on 12/16/2011 11:55:09 AM PST by SamAdams76 (I am 48 days away from outliving Marty Feldman)
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To: Dr. Sivana

Do we really want a guy who spent time spreading a false religion in other countries as our president?


12 posted on 12/16/2011 11:56:00 AM PST by DannyTN
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To: Hodar
Successful, fine.

Born rich, fine.

Born rich, then further successful, fine.

Born rich, successful, then stealing the nobility of the working poor who can't seem to get a break, by lying during election time, NOT OKAY.

13 posted on 12/16/2011 11:56:06 AM PST by SENTINEL (Romney is to Conservatism what Mormonism is to Christianity.)
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To: Hodar
But, I’ll not bash him because he’s been successful

Me neither but "success" is not the issue. It's "honesty" with the voters. What else will he be dishonest with?

Will he (as many think)pander the liberal votes after he's won the GOP nomination?

If he flip flops on abortion, liberal judges he's nominated and gay marriage, then is dishonest about his toiletless hardships in France... who's to say he cannot flip-flop for the liberal vote as our nominee?

14 posted on 12/16/2011 11:58:06 AM PST by tsowellfan (http://www.cafenetamerica.com)
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To: DannyTN
Allow me please, this small correction...

"Do we really want a guy who DODGED THE DRAFT to spend time spreading a false religion in other countries as our president?"

15 posted on 12/16/2011 12:00:47 PM PST by SENTINEL (Romney is to Conservatism what Mormonism is to Christianity.)
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To: DannyTN
Allow me please, this small correction...

"Do we really want a guy who DODGED THE DRAFT to spend time spreading a false religion in other countries as our president?"

16 posted on 12/16/2011 12:01:07 PM PST by SENTINEL (Romney is to Conservatism what Mormonism is to Christianity.)
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To: dfwgator
So why is it we have to get this from the British press, instead of our own press?

Or Michelle Bachmann. She seems to have seen checks cashed by Newt but totally missed Romney's dishonesty. I think she knows she will be on the ticket with Mitt. He will pander to the democrats (something he's a pro at) and Bachmann will round up the tea party voters.

17 posted on 12/16/2011 12:04:00 PM PST by tsowellfan (http://www.cafenetamerica.com)
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To: tsowellfan

At least part of his time in France might have been expensive, but certainly wasn’t comfy. He was pronounced dead by a French cop after an auto accident. The person sitting next to him stayed dead, he recovered but IIRC it took a couple months. He was driving, but wasn’t at fault - another car came around a blind curve head on in his lane.


18 posted on 12/16/2011 12:04:16 PM PST by JohnBovenmyer (Obama been Liberal. Hope Change!)
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To: tsowellfan
Mitt Romney did his missionary work in France?? So, why is this article important?? To me it isn't...I'm no Romney supporter, but if he is the GOP Candidate I'll vote for him.

Voting #rd party is a vote for the Marxist Jimah Cahtah II (aka 0). (I think I insulted Jimmy Carter when I compare O's administration with his).

19 posted on 12/16/2011 12:05:41 PM PST by ExCTCitizen (If we stay home in November '12... Don't complain if 0 shreds the constitution!!!)
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To: ExCTCitizen
but if he is the GOP Candidate I'll vote for him.

The magic word is "IF" which is why we have a primary. He's not the GOP Candidate yet. There are 4 front-runners. So, we need not hand it to the RINO so quickly.

20 posted on 12/16/2011 12:09:13 PM PST by tsowellfan (http://www.cafenetamerica.com)
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