The Savior of Salt Lake City? Mittens Exaggerates

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Willard "Mittens" Romney made a short but triumphant return to Utah on Saturday for the 10th anniversary celebration of the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. On the campaign trail, Mittens regularly regails his audience with tales of how he "saved" the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. Romney to Team 2002: ‘You have been an inspiration’:

[L]ocal Democrats Sydney Fonnesbeck, Joe Hatch and Joanne Milner, all of whom held city or county council positions leading up to the Olympics, chastised Romney on three fronts: For seeking federal funding for Olympic projects then but criticizing the practice of "earmarks" now; for having an insensitive attitude toward the poor; and for taking too much credit for the Games’ success — all issues that have arisen in the presidential campaign.

"Leaving the appearance he saved the Olympics is inappropriate," said Milner, a former city councilwoman. "The peoples of Utah did. They’re often forgotten and overlooked. Mr. Romney exploited his role for personal gain."

Well, actually it was a federal government "bailout" that saved the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.

Press release from the Arizona Democratic Party:

In a new video released by the DNC, footage can be seen of Arizona's own Senator John McCain criticizing the $1.3 billion federal bailout of Mitt Romney's 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, referring to it as a "pork-barrel project" and a "national disgrace."

The video, which can be viewed here, was released in advance of Mitt Romney's trip to Salt Lake City on Saturday for the 10th anniversary of the 2002 Winter Olympic games there.

Mitt Romney has said on the campaign trail that he was responsible for saving the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. However, several people involved in the Games have said he exaggerated his role and overstated his involvement.

In addition to exaggerating his impact on the games, Mitt Romney also fails to acknowledge the $1.3 billion federal bailout–the largest for any Olympics then–that he secured and bragged about at the time, while railing against similar federal spending on the campaign trail today.

Just as Mitt Romney has failed to come clean about what he actually did in the private sector as a corporate raider, there are even more tall tales and hypocrisy when it comes to the Olympics. Mitt Romney will say anything to win, and as Sen. McCain points out, when it comes to the Olympics he didn't save the games–the taxpayers did.

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