ROMNEY and CAIRO, UPDATE

How did I predict it? Romney backed off and basically said the same thing that the Cairo U.S. embassy said, and that Secretary Clinton said. And he basically issued a no comment on the whole story.

Of course, certain of his advisers and point people are still flapping their gums, but it's a 180, and it's obvious.

At least he did the right thing after all! Not huge praise. I still have no idea what he was thinking when he followed this dreadful advice! He should have used his brain to filter out this concept.

He's just looking way too weak, following whatever some far right person tells him to say to keep that part of the party in the bag. He's been so desperate to court and hold them, that he's backed himself to the edge of a cliff. I think he fell off this time, but that may not be true.

We'll see soon enough. Hell, I could have told him not to do it.

Romney PAC: 10K to NOM

Ah, yes, thanks to HRC for getting the goods:

Financial documents obtained by HRC reveal that Mitt Romney donated $10,000 to the National Organization for Marriage in 2008 ...

Romney's group was something called the Free and Strong America PAC. Not the Subdued and Wimpy America PAC, mind you.

In sudden high-alert defense mode, the Romney campaign shot back:

“Gov. Romney believes marriage is an institution between a man and a woman and his PAC made a donation to a group supporting that view,” campaign spokesman Andrea Saul said Friday. - Washington Post

What timing, just as NOM's divide-and-conquer African-American-and-Hispanic-people-vs.-gays strategy is revealed:

“The strategic goal of this project is to drive a wedge between gays and blacks—two key Democratic constituencies. Find, equip, energize and connect African American spokespeople for marriage, develop a media campaign around their objections to gay marriage as a civil right; provoke the gay marriage base into responding by denouncing these spokesmen and women as bigots…”

Another passage:

"The Latino vote in America is a key swing vote, and will be so even more so in the future, both because of demographic growth and inherent uncertainty: Will the process of assimilation to the dominant Anglo culture lead Hispanics to abandon traditional family values? We must interrupt this process of assimilation by making support for marriage a key badge of Latino identity - a symbol of resistance to inappropriate assimilation."

I would like Romney to open his mouth, yet again, and speak from the heart regarding this news of the week. It's another episode in the Perils of Mitt. How will he escape the quicksand pit? Did he know about this strategy, which NOM was apparently cooking up at about the same time? Who were his or his PAC's contacts in the group? Will he offer details about the dates and times of their meetings and conversations?

Come back next week!

Related:
Romney the Erasable
Romney: Russia, Our Biggest Foe

Romney: Russia Our Biggest Foe

This does not look good. Romney seems to hanker for the good old days of the Cold War. Via CNN's Blitzer's interview:

What he did both on nuclear weaponry already in the - in the new START treaty, as well as his decision to withdraw missile defense sites from - from Poland and then reduce our missile defense sites in Alaska from the original plan, I mean these are very unfortunate developments.  And if he's planning on doing more and suggests to Russia that - that he has things he's willing to do with them, he's not willing to tell the American people - this is to Russia, this is, without question, our number one geopolitical foe.  They - they fight every cause for the world's worst actors. The I - the idea that he has some more flexibility in mind for Russia is very, very troubling, indeed. - CNN

Russia looks out for its own interests. The U.S. does ... about the same. With any luck we back the good guys more than the bad, but there have been quite a few bad guys on our payroll. Anyone remember Noriega? Hands? I thought not.

Who wouldn't want the Cold War back? Hiding under nuclear-blast-proof school desks, stocking the bomb shelter with crackers and Twinkies, the tense spy movies - it was a truly romantic era. P'shaw on disarmament.

Keep shaking, Romney. You're fading fast.

Related: Romney the Erasable

Etch-a-sketch Romney the Erasable

Someone actually should turn Mitt Romney upside down and shake him. A lot.

It might cause his brain to snap into place in some way that his foot does not reflexively stick itself into his mouth.

I don't know the neurology here. But there are stories of people being struck by lightning and suddenly knowing Swahili. Perhaps some sort of jolt might cause Mitt to speak Commoner.

There's an undertone throughout most media coverage that seems to repeat the mantra:

Poor Little Rich Guy Mitt. He just can't HELP it. He's been so coddled for s-o-o-o-o long. Can't you just feel for him? Imagine the burden of having to talk to real, actual, smelly people - after years of having everyone massage your ego on an hourly basis? POOR MITT!!!

No one I can think of begged him to run, but I'm certainly enjoying it.

Related: Romney: Russia, Our Biggest Foe