by Mark Silva
It was George W. Bush, campaigning for president in 2000 with a pledge to "restore the honor and dignity'' of the office to which he is elected, who elicited ready applause from Iowans weary of the personal scandal that had tarnished Bill Clinton's White House.
Now it is Mitt Romney, campaigning for president in 2008, who is telling Iowans and other voters that he won't embarrass them, the way the White House did in "the Clinton years.''
In an interview with CNN today, Romney was asked about comments he made at recent house parties in Iowa that he and his wife, Ann, would not embarrass the nation in the White House. Romney faces stiff competition in Thursday's caucuses from Republican rival Mike Huckabee, a Baptist minister who has made a successful appeal to many evangelical Christians.
Former First Lady Hillary Clinton, of course, is seeking the support of Iowa Democrats in the caucuses. The last part of Bill Clinton's second term was dominated by a scandal involving his relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
"We'll try and represent ourselves and our nation well also to our kids because I think, I think kids watch the White House and there have been failures in the past in the White House — if you go back to the Clinton years and recognize that — that I think had an enormous impact on the culture of our country," Romney said in his interview today.
"And we'll do our very best, our whole family will to — well, if we can't be perfect, we'll do our best to uphold and to be a good example for the kinds of values I think people expect from our leaders."
Romney also said that he was "not referring to anybody, referring to ourselves. We will do our very best to uphold the kind of values that people expect of a White House couple."
The Romneys have been married 38 years and have five sons and 11 grandchildren. The former Massachusetts governor has featured his family prominently in his presidential campaign.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Comments
Really? how do we know that Mitty won't tarnish the White House? how do we know that he won't flip-flop on this statement like he has on every other statement/lie he has made in the past?
Romney supports the guy (W) who is tarnishing the White House right now, I think that speaks volumes as to his character/integrity.
Willard Mitt aka Mr. Plastic, Flip-flopper Serial liar can't be trusted just like the current Decider Guy shouldn't have been.
Is this guy the best the Republicans have to offer?
Repubs, America is laughing at you not with you.
Posted by: John E | January 2, 2008 4:21 PM
There are many ways a Prez can tarnish the W.H. Obviously when President Clinton was having his tryst with what's her name,that brought a focus on our President that will always tarnish his record in office.
Our current Prez,has brought a different type of tarnish reminiscent of the Nixon years.Lying us into a conflict that has taken so many lives and ruined so many more.
Expended resources that has short changed the neediest of Americans.
There are many ways to tarnish a W.H. Mitt, like hiding in France while the middle class who didn't attend college were fighting and dying in Vietnam.
I could go on and on,but that's enough for now.
Posted by: Raving Loon | January 2, 2008 4:47 PM
"ROMNEY SPEAKS"
BLAME IT ON THE NOOKIE, THE NOOKIE.
FORGET THE PAST 7 YEARS OF ECONOMIC DESTRUCTION, CRIMES AGAINST THE OVAL OFFICE, CRIMES AGAINST THE CONSTITUTION. FORGET THE PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS ACT VIOLATIONS, FORGET THE OATH TO UPHOLD
THE CONSTITUTION SO HELP HIM GOD.
IT'S THE CLINTONS FAULT THAT THEY LEFT SOMEONE ELSE CHILD WITH A SURPLUS FOR DECADES TO COME. IT WAS THE NOOKIE THAT MADE THE WHITEHOUSE A CONVENTION OF CRIMINALS CIRCUMVENTING THE LAW.
IT IS CLINTONS FAULT THAT THE REPUBLICANS ATTEMPTED TO ADOLF HITLER FAST ONE WITH HOMELAND SECURITY AND ITS "phony achievements"
IT'S THE CLINTON FAULT THAT CONGRESS WONT CHURN ITS OVERSIGHT OVER TO THE SECRETARY AKA CHERTOF.
NO ROMNEY IT'S YOUR FAULT BECAUSE YOU TOO DIDN'T DEMAND FOR OVERSIGHT, JUST LOBBY MONEY TO BLOW ATTEMPTING TO BECOME SOMETHING OTHER THAN A FALSE PROPHET, JUST LIKE WARREN JEFF.
YOUR GOD ABOVE GOD, REMEMBER!
Posted by: Roger Morris | January 2, 2008 5:01 PM
Mitt Romney is the candidate the Democrats fear most because he is presidential in every respect, unlike the
amateurs on their side. Experience, achievement, intelligence, and decency are hallmarks with which the vast majority of Americans identify. The Democrats' alternative? Revisiting the Monica, Paula, Kathleen et al scandals.
Posted by: Graydon | January 2, 2008 5:04 PM
Republicans are furious that Democratic policies help the country and make people's lives better, so they try their hardest to lie people into thinking Democrats are bad. It just isn't happening. We all remember the Reagan years, the Clinton years, and the W years. And we all know during which years our lives were better.
And PS: if he's so concerned about children, ask him why Republican presidents cut funding for student loans.
Posted by: Paul | January 2, 2008 5:07 PM
The Democrats' alternative? Revisiting the Monica, Paula, Kathleen et al scandals.
Posted by: Graydon | January 2, 2008 5:04 PM
Graydon, which Democrats currently running for President have a history of infidelity to match Giuliani's?
Posted by: Luke | January 2, 2008 5:49 PM
Let's see; Romney is attacking Bill Clinton?
A true sign of intellectual bankruptcy.
Posted by: C.Morris | January 2, 2008 7:47 PM
Rimney doesn't creep me out the way Romney does. Besides, the more I know about the republican candidates, the more I'm convinced a democrat needs to be elected this time around.
Posted by: Logic Prisoner | January 2, 2008 7:53 PM
The way things are going Prez 26%'s library will be closet sized but with a BIG sign on the front door: "Everything Here is Classified! Truthy Seekers please Go Away" ( The background is a photo of Cheney with rifle). Good luck at getting to the bottom of this. The pardon list will be several telephone books thick...starting with Cheney.
Mission "Constitution Shredding" Accomplished!
Posted by: John E | January 2, 2008 9:52 PM
Republicans have the weirdest relationship with sex. They seemingly only judge people by their sex lives.
I guess when Dick Cheney announced to the world on Aug. 26, 2002, that he knew where Saddam's weapons of mass destruction were located in Iraq...
That doesn't count as utterly humiliating our nation, huh?
In my opinion, Clinton's nine bj's are nothing compared to America's national nightmare of Bush/Cheney incompetence, especially when it comes to war.
And, Republicans, how about if you get some kind of sex life of your own, so you can stay out of ours?
Posted by: Jan | January 3, 2008 6:50 AM