Mitt Romney is attempting to pull a rabbit out of his hat by recently claiming that he’s still relatively new to politics, having only served one term as Governor before stepping back to “work” in the business world.
In a recent speech Romney revealed:
“I spent my life in the private sector, not in government. I only spent four years as a governor. I didn’t inhale.”
Critics say it’s nothing but smoke in mirrors since Romney has run for higher office four separate times dating all the way back to an unsuccessful run for the Senate in 1994. His opponents say since that time he’s built a political network around himself, raised tons of campaign cash and even focused much of his career on the public sector.
Opponents also point out that while Romney has worked in the private sector he hasn’t taken a steady position in the last decade
Speaking about Romney’s comments Obama political adviser David Axelrod noted:
“I don’t know how you define a professional politician, but running for office off and on for two decades seems to qualify.”
In the meantime the Rick Perry campaign has been actively campaigning against Mitt Romney for his flip-flopping core of beliefs, painting his as disingenuous.
Furthering Romney’s own message spokesman Ryan Williams said:
“He’s not someone who served a day in Washington. He’s not someone who’s held public office for a prolonged period of time. He’s an outsider,” while adding, “He’s someone who has not made his living in the public sector. He would bring a fresh outlook and new experience to Washington.”
In the meantime members of the tea party are scoffing at Romney’s “outsider” assertions, calling his work as a Governor and his time spent as a “politician” evidence of his insider positioning. It should be noted that the tea party largely stands behind the conservative views of Rick Perry.
