Mitt Romney's 2007 Hypocritical speech on Iranian Investments
So far, Mitt Romney has released only his 2010 Federal Income Tax returns and nothing more. People across America are becoming increasingly uneasy about what is unknown about this candidate. What on earth does he have to hide? When someone decides to run for the highest office in the free world, full disclosure is not that candidate’s “personal decision”! It is a national imperative. Here is what The Stew found on Mitt Romney’s 2006 financial disclosure form. We, the electorate of the United States of America demand to see more.
| COMPANY | INVESTMENT | INCOME EARNED |
| Gazprom | $250,000 | unknown |
| Gazprom & Cnooc Fund (Ann Romney) | unknown | $1 million |
| Lukoil Stock | unknown | $100,000 |
| Sinopec | $100,000 | $15,000 |
The Iran Connection
| COMPANY | IRAN CONNECTION | IRAN INVESTMENT | SOURCE |
| Gazprom | Iranian gas pipeline | $7.5 billion | UPI Energy 8/14/2007 |
| Lukoil | 25% stake in Norsk Hydro (2003-2007) | Norsk Hydro held 100% stake in developing Iran’s Anaran Oil block | Defenddemocracy.org |
| Lukoil | Iran oil deal (2007-2010) | $1 billion | Reuters UK |
| Cnoor Ltd. | Iranian oil deal | $16 billion | London, Dow Jones Wires 12/20/2006 |
| Sinopec | Iranian oil field deal | $100 billion (25-year contract 2004) | London, Dow Jones Wires 12/20/2006 |
If any of the above was part of Barack Obama’s investment portfolio, the Right Wing would be going nuts. Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck would be frothing at the mouth. Mitt Romney would be doing his robotic “lumber to the left, then to the right while smacking his lips” rant about how un-American Barack Obama is. They’d be calling him Israel’s Muslim enemy. Yet Mitt Romney invests in Iranian oil, and pumped money into the economy of Israel’s enemy in 2006, even after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for the annihilation of Israel in 2005.
But let’s not let a few million in Iranian investments get in the way of our self-righteous outrage! During his 2007 electioneering, Mitt Romney railed against Ahmadinejad, and against states like California and New York, whose pension funds invest in companies that do business with Iran:
WATCH (story continues below the video):
“We don’t want to give a signal of support or accomplishment to someone like Ahmadinejad. Instead, we want to tighten the economic sanctions. Today, by the way, I wrote a letter to the comptroller of New York State, and said “I hope you would take a very careful look at all the investments of your pension fund. I’d like to make sure that all the pension funds in this country, and New York State in particular – in this letter – that your pension funds disinvest from countries doing business in Iran. We want to squeeze the pressure on this country and get them on the right track.”
All this, as he continues to personally enrich himself with significant investments in Iran. The speech was delivered during the election for which he submitted the 2006 disclosure showing active investments in companies (ahem!) doing business in Iran. Does he not give new meaning to the term “sanctimonious hypocrite”?
Today, Mitt’s shameless hypocrisy continues to astound, even as he sabre-rattles against Iran. This year, Mitt promises to check Iran’s nuclear ambition – even though he pumped his money into the very economy that sustains it. Although Gazprom and Lukoil are oil companies headquartered in Russia, Mitt drew heat when he declared, in recent months, that “the Soviet Union is America’s biggest enemy.” Furthermore, while Romney yells that “Obama is not tough enough on China”, both CNOOC and Sinopec are Chinese state-owned corporations in which Mitt Romney heavily invested. Someone needs to tell Mitt Romney that by his investments he supports Iran’s nuclear weapons program and the activities of these companies in Iran. Note too, that it was the Obama administration who forced Lukoil to cease all transactions with Iran in April 2010, because such transactions violate US sanctions against Iran.
Will the media once again fail the American public on the vetting of one Willard Mitt Romney? Or will they join The Stew in loudly and forcefully calling for Mitt’s tax returns? We want returns going back 12 years, in keeping with his father’s tradition. Were the Iranian oil investments ever sold? If so, were they sold to a family member? For how long after that 2007 hypocritical speech did he keep them? While you’re at it, we demand to know what foreign entities, if any, contribute to Mitt Romney’s 2012 campaign. Will foreign entities own a piece of a Romney presidency and by default, the People’s White House? The electorate has a right to know. Tax returns, please.
Most people like Romney are invested in oil anywhere they can invest at a profit. They are unlikely to start a war with Iran so long as those investments remain more profitable than going to war to steal the resource outright. If Romney has moved his Gazprom and Lukoil investments to Raytheon and General Dynamics we better look out.
Anyone who expects that Romney would be anything but a weak and accommodating corporatist, will be sadly disappointed. His code is very simple……..if there is enough money in it, for the right people, then it’s okay and it doesn’t matter what it is, the consequences for the country be dammed. It should also be noted, that working people are never, ever the “right” people.
And while you’re at it, America would like Obama’s real birth certificate. I am first an American and after weighing my options/pros & cons regarding both presidential hopefuls, I will decide on the lesser of the two evils. Sad that we have no one better running but yes, BOTH parties have some explaining to do.
Farmel, your comment might be taken seriously by a mature and rational audience, and open for debate, if it were not for your insane request: “America would like Obama’s real birth certificate.” — You lost credibility and are not worth the effort to address further. Peace.
Poor deluded Farmel. Why don’t you have this conversation with the Supreme Court justices who already decided a) that President Obama’s birth certificate is authentic and b) that folks like you are so batshit crazy, they wouldn’t even entertain a suit. Don’t argue with me; argue with the Supreme Court.
Now compare that with the fact that Romney, in his Financial Disclosure form, showed that he indeed invested in Iranian oil.
This make us very angry, how the MEDIA IS LETTING ROMNEY getting away with all this DIRT, WHY WON’T THE MEDIA VETT THIS SOCIOPATH, PSYCHOTIC LIAR, THIS SOCIOPATH DO NOT HAVE AMERICA OR THE PEOPLE BEST INTEREST.
THE MEDIA HAVE DOGGED AND HOUND PRESIDENT OBAMA FOR 4 years, yet they ask nothing of this STRANGE PERSON (ROMNEY), ROMNEY IS RUNNING AROUND MAKING ALL THIS NOISE ABOUT CHINA AND IRAN AND RUSSIA, these are his BUSINESS PARTNERS, WHERE IS CHUCK TODD, CBS WHO IS DONATING TO ROMNEY CAMPAIGN along with KARL ROVE, all these PEOPLE THAT’S DONATING TO ROMNEY CAMPAIGN ARE DEALING WITH THESE FOREIGN COUNTRIES, and CHENEY AND Halliburton, NO WONDER the PRESIDENT IS HAVING A HARD TIME WITH THESE COUNTRIES, ROMNEY, CHENEY maybe the WHOLE REPUBLICANS PARTY. ROMNEY IS ANTI-AMERICAN. IS THIS WHY THEY ARE FIGHTING TO GET ROMNEY ELECTED.
WE WANT THE MEDIA TO DO THEY JOB AND VETT ROMNEY CUT THE BS, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW WHO THIS MAN IS.
ROMNEY is a TRAITOR to AMERICA AND THE PEOPLE. PLUS ROMNEY IS BEHIND THIS FILM, MY GUT FEELING NEVER IS WRONG, ROMNEY IS THE CAUSE FOR THE DEATH OF the 4 AMERICANS, THESE PROTESTS WAS PLANNED, HOW DID THESE PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THE TWO SEAL TEAMS? ROMNEY AND HIS CRONIES HANDS ARE ALL OVER THIS THE BLOOD OF THESE 4 AMERICANS. THE QUESTION IS WHY DID ROMNEY PUT THE STATEMENT OUT BEFORE THE PROTEST, WHAT DID ROMNEY KNOW AND HOW DID HE KNOW.
WE BELIEVE ROMNEY, ADLESON, BIBI (PM OF ISRAEL) PLANNED THIS PROTESE, WHEN ROMNEY WAS IN ISRAEL AND WE FIND IT STRANGE BIBI WANT TO COME TO THE UNITED STATES. WHEN HE SHOULD BE WORKING ON HIS CAMPAIGN YET HE’S PANDERING FOR ROMNEY. ALL THESE GUYS ARE BEHIND THE DEATH OF THE 4 AMERICANS, ANOTHER COVER UP BY THE MEDIA.
Well, Emma, if these are truely your feelings on the subject I must say you are in good company. I have a neighbor who has a monkey, two parrots and a jackass who are of the same opinion!
Oil plays an important role in U.S politics. Bush administration also consisted of oil dealers