The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : Romney the Rodent Hunter

Text Size

Earlier this week, Mitt Romney took some flak when the AP reported that though he claimed to be a lifelong hunter, his "hunting experience came during two trips at the bookends of his 60 years: as a 15-year-old, when he hunted rabbits with his cousins on a ranch in Idaho, and last year, when he shot quail on a fenced game preserve in Georgia." At the time, his campaign confirmed that those were the only two times Romney had been hunting.

Campaigning in Indianapolis yesterday, he gave a new account of his hunting experience:

"I'm not a big-game hunter. I've made that very clear," he said. "I've always been a rodent and rabbit hunter. Small varmints, if you will. I began when I was 15 or so and I have hunted those kinds of varmints since then. More than two times."

This is Al Gore/John Kerry-type stuff, and completely unnecessary. If Romney wanted to reposition himself on Second Amendment issues, he could have found another way, he could have just said it should be a state issue, and left it at that. But he just can't seem to help himself. Coming off his impressive fundraising performance, McCain's money troubles, Rudy's big abortion gaffe, Romney has a real oppourtunity to gain some ground. And yet, he gets himself caught up in this nonsense. I'm beginning to think that nobody wants to actually win the Republican nomination.

UPDATE: Townhall's Matt Lewis notes this priceless quote:

"I don't think if we were sitting around the hunting lodge, he would have a lot of stories to tell about big game."
-- Romney spokesman Kevin Madden on Mitt Romney's claim to have been a "lifelong hunter.

topics:
Abortion