There’s a fake report all over the internet that Mitt Romney said he was “too important to go to Vietnam.”
It’s breathtakingly arrogant, if true, and it’s not true. It originated on a website called “News That’s Almost Reliable,” according to the apparently infallible source of rumor-debunking, Snopes.com.
Romney, the über-hawk who wants to go to war in so many places, got four deferments—all legal—as a young man during the Vietnam war. But whatever he may have thought, there’s no record of his ever saying that he was too important to go to Vietnam.
Shame on whoever started to spread the story. Everybody else, when you hear of a story that’s too good (or too bad) to be true, first use your head, then check it out—not on left-leaning or right-leaning blogs but with reputable news sources, and if there’s any doubt, with Snopes.com.
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Sources: Photo from PoliticalRapids blogspot, idea from Richard Broida via Facebook
Tags: “News That’s Almost Reliable”, “too important to go to Vietnam”, ethics, PoliticalRapids, Richard Broida, Romney, Snopes
Ethics Bob 
August 21, 2012 at 7:46 pm |
That is what is discouraging about the internet, chain emails, and other electronic media. Many times people are lazy or so indoctrinated through either family or their environment, they don’t want to find out the truth and would rather believe it. Then it sticks. You would think politicians would shy away from this in their obscene rhetoric. The tables can easily be turned in a matter of minutes with non-stop media coverage.
August 21, 2012 at 9:57 pm |
I don’t know how you stop the hyper-partisans from spreading vile stories about the other side. Even repeating the rumor to debunk it, as I’ve done, gives added prominence to it. My take is that some people behave in an ugly fashion, and it’s the obligation of the rest of us to call them out, ESPECIALLY when the ugliness comes from our own side.
August 22, 2012 at 7:21 am |
Enough stupid remarks come out of Mr. Romney’s mouth it seems unnecessary for anyone to make anything up. (but it’s great to have a Truth Crusader checking on the more outrageous claims for the rest of us!)
August 22, 2012 at 10:56 am |
Yeah, now if some on the right would only call out Romney for making things up–like Obama is removing the work requirement from welfare–an outrageous lie.
August 23, 2012 at 2:36 pm
I’ve been seeing alot lately about Romney using the “otherization” or “niggerization” card to shake up the white uneducated base.
August 23, 2012 at 2:48 pm
Any examples?
August 23, 2012 at 3:34 pm
My bad! I was looking at one source— shame on me! It was when Toure was on an MSNBC program and accussed the speech of Romney calling Obama divisive and to take it back to Chicago. I don’t agree with the tone that Toure was using here especially using the “n” word. At the same time I can sort of see what he is talking about. It is just like when critics of Obama use the same kind of reasoning whenever Obama opens his mouth that he is race-baiing.
August 25, 2012 at 11:06 am |
So you can prove that he DIDN’T say it?
August 25, 2012 at 11:32 am |
I can prove that it was published as a parody, that a lot of blogs picked it up and attributed it to Romney, and that I’ve been unable to find a serious news medium that attributes it to him. All circumstantial evidence, for sure..
August 25, 2012 at 11:24 am |
OK, I’ve done some more research and it does appear that this actual quote did not issue from Mitt. Very stupid of the idiots that made it up. With everything thing we KNOW Mitt has said (and continues to say on a daily basis), why the need to invent?
August 25, 2012 at 11:35 am |
No need to invent, but before talking about need, let’s not invent because dad taught us not to lie.