Mitt Romney Offers Gentlemanly Response to Hubbub Over Anonymous Comments

Twitter has been all aflutter with Palinites upset over the anonymous comments by ‘supposed’ Romney staffers in a TIME.com news article. It’s been very painful to watch the “Romney” search on Twitter because of the many harmful and divisive things that are being said, particularly before a mid-term election. Granted the comments by the anonymous staffers are completely uncalled for, but I believe the sensational reaction has been equally wrong-spirited.

The thing that is painful to watch is when the upset Palin supporters presume that these anonymous ill-speakers are actually conveying the mind and will of Mitt Romney. I don’t believe that is the case. Mitt Romney has been nothing but gracious towards Sarah Palin, or any other GOP member for that matter.

These types of ugly remarks and over-reactions have severe effects on the unity of the party. Why should we let the tasteless remarks of two staffers divide thousands of conservative, who should be unified allies, into warring factions? Mark Halperin of TIME.com is probably laughing his hind end off over the schism he’s caused amongst our ranks.

Here’s how it went down:

The Time.com quote:

One adviser to Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, and, by traditional standards, the putative 2012 frontrunner, says of Palin, “She’s not a serious human being.” Another Romney intimate warns, “If she’s standing up there in a debate and the answers are more than 15 seconds long, she’s in trouble.”

The upset responses:
ReagantoPalin.com: Romney Campaign Staffers Attack Sarah Palin
Conservatives4Palin.com Reagan to Palin: Romney Campaign Staffers Attack Sarah Palin
Tammy Bruce (radio talk-show host and blogger): When it Comes to Palin, Romney Decides the Gutter Suits Him Best
Rebecca Mansour, founder of C4P, but is now official adviser to Palin, promotes Tammy Bruce’s blog post via Twitter.
Erick Erickson of Redstate.com and Allahpundit add fuel to the fire.
A long-time Palin aide fights back and criticizes the Romney camp … anonymously via Politico. (Sorry, but that is just too ironic.)
Plus many more I’m sure.

Mitt Romney responds via Twitter:

TIME says unnamed advisors disparaged @SarahPalinUSA. Anonymous numbskulls. She’s proven her smarts; they’ve disproven theirs.

I would think this answer would placate some of the concerns of Palin supporters. Mitt denounced the anonymous commentors, and goes on record saying Palin has proven smarts, and again castigates the commentors. I thought it was sincere, gracious and well spoken. As someone commented on twitter: smart of @MittRomney to realize that an anonymous quote war w/ @SarahPalinUSA won’t get anyone anywhere.

Frankly, I am even more astonished by further responses to Mitt Romney’s. When Romney offers an olive branch they accuse him of what else? 24 hour flip-flopping.

Responses to Mitt’s tweet:
Conservatives4Palin: Mitt Romney Surrenders Quickly
Tammy Bruce blog post update: “pathetic, immature response from Romney”

Uggh.

This rhetoric needs to be toned down quickly. It is not even the mid-terms yet. If this continues it will be one very ugly primary, perhaps rivaling that of 2008. And the uglier it gets the more likely our nominee will lose in 2012.

What should we as supporters do? Get some class like Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney. That means you, unnamed “numbskull” commentors. And that means you, Tammy Bruce. And that means me, Nate Gunderson.

~Nate Gunderson

Update: To further my point that all staffers don’t “speak the mind of the candidate” as Tammy Bruce suggests, Rebecca Mansour (Palin adviser) tweets this: Just to clarify things. This is my personal Twitter account. Just mine. These are my personal thoughts. It’s called free speech. Period.

Update 2 by Jayde: Follow-up tweet from Rebecca Mansour (Palin adviser)

@RomneyCentral Let’s work together on 2010.

UPDATE 3 by Jayde: Some background information regarding Mark Halperin, author of the Times article in which he claims he spoke to an ‘adviser’ of Mitt Romney and an ‘intimate’ of Mitt Romney:

Halperin worked for ABC for 20 years, with 10 of those years as their Political Director. “In that role, he was responsible for political reporting and planning for the network’s television, radio and Internet political coverage. He also appeared regularly on ABC News TV and radio as a correspondent and analyst, contributing commentary and reporting during election night coverage, presidential inaugurations and State of the Union speeches. At ABC, Halperin reported on every major American political story, including working as a full-time reporter covering the Clinton presidential campaign in 1992 and the Clinton White House.”

Just a couple of weeks ago, on June 30th, he was named as MSNBC’s newest Senior Political Analyst.

Last year, Mark Halperin and John Heilemann co-authored a best-selling book about the last presidential election called ‘Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, Palin and McCain, and the Race of a Lifetime’ which was released in January of this year. He and Heilemann claim truthful behind-the-scenes information (over 300 interviews) about then-candidates.

Knowing Halperin’s background, with Obama’s plummeting poll numbers (could MSNBC’s low ratings be a factor?), he is attempting to throw a skunk into the Republican coalition family reunion. Let’s focus on the real threat to America – the Obama Administration and the progressives who support him.

Update 4 by Jayde:
Leave a comment for Tammy Bruce: http://bit.ly/aIsS6V

Hat tip to Jim (MRC commenter):

“You might want to add Mark Levin to that list, too. To hear Mark Levin’s take, follow the link below, wait until it has loaded, then drag the audio to the 1:08:35 mark.” http://bit.ly/aNi19U

How to contact the Mark Levin Show:
Phone: 1-877-381-3811
(Mon. – Fri. 6pm to 9pm)
Email: marklevin.show@citcomm.com

Update 5 by Aaronius:
Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom told The Daily Caller emphatically that the comments about Palin in the Time.com article were not authorized, approved or encouraged by Romney.

“These anonymous voices don’t speak for Governor Romney,” Fehrnstrom said in an e-mail. “The truth is Governor Romney has a small circle of people who advise him, and they all know the high regard that he has for Sarah Palin, and he has expressed that view in numerous interviews over the years.”

*Hat tip (from Jayde) to Marybeth (MRC commenter) for bringing this story to our attention as it was breaking.