The Romney campaign was kind enough to send along some of the governor’s statements about Iraq that he couldn’t recall on the stump:
SEPTEMBER 2006: Governor Romney Said “My Inclination Would Be More Boots On The Ground.” “Romney and Rants held a news conference after the governor addressed workers at the Principal Financial Group in a forum that has been a presidential campaign staple. During his speech, Romney rejected suggestions that the United States should pull troops out of Iraq, even suggesting that more troops may be needed. ‘My inclination would be more boots on the ground, not less,’ said Romney. ‘If we were to withdraw precipitously, we would have a very significant threat of a full-scale civil war with massive casualties.’” (Mike Glover, “Romney Receives Backing In Iowa For 2006 And Perhaps 2008,” The Associated Press , 9/28/06)
JUNE 2006: Governor Romney Said “Of Course” Things Should Have Been Managed Differently Knowing What We Know Today. GOVERNOR ROMNEY: “As the president and Tony Blair said, knowing what we know today, would we have managed the post-conflict effort differently?. … Of course.” (Adam Nagourney, “Votes On Iraq War Put Senators At Disadvantage In ’08,” The New York Times , 6/2/06)
FEBRUARY 2006: Governor Romney Said He Doesn’t Believe There Were Enough Troops On The Ground. GOVERNOR ROMNEY: “I think also that we haven’t had sufficient troops following the period of major conflict, and so those are not new or novel observations. I think the president would agree there’s a benefit that comes with hindsight. And yet I supported the president at the time that he entered into Iraq and believed that he had the kind of information he needed to have to make that decision.” (Fox News’ “Fox News Sunday,” 2/26/06)
OCTOBER 2004: Governor Romney Said “Looking Back Over The Last Several Months, I Wish We Had Done Some Things Differently.” “Mr. Romney said he regrets some things that have happened in Iraq. ‘Looking back over the last several months, I wish we had done some things differently. Of course there are mistakes made in the fog of war, as it is called. Had we known what we know today many things would have been done differently, I am sure,’ the governor said.” (John J. Monahan, “Iraq War Deepens Political Differences,” Sunday Telegram , 10/10/04)
