Romney's dodge
DO AMERICANS really want another president who won't accept any responsibility for his part in systemwide failure?
Mitt Romney is trying to duck culpability in the terrible case involving Daniel Tavares Jr., the Massachusetts man imprisoned for killing his mother, released on personal recognizance by a Romney-appointed judge, and charged with killing a newlywed couple in Washington state.
It was "a systemwide failure," said Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom, an accurate assessment that avoids two important facts: Former governor Romney once headed the system that failed, and worse, he ignored recommendations that could have made a difference.
You know how Romney is always promising to consult with experts to figure out the best solution to urgent problems? In Massachusetts, he ignored the experts with whom he consulted.
In 2003, then-governor Romney set up a blue-ribbon commission to address, among other things, the chilling pattern of crime committed by ex-cons. In 2004, his hand-picked panel came back with 18 recommendations members considered a "top public safety priority, requiring a renewed sense of urgency, attention and collaboration." Romney, already cultivating a national profile, had little interest in system reform back home. He ignored the panel's recommendations, to the point that its chairman, former Democratic attorney general Scott Harshbarger, resigned in protest.
Some recomendations are relevant to the Tavares case. Romney's experts said Massachusetts should view reducing the rate of re-offense by inmates leaving prison "as one of its highest public safety priorities." It said the state should establish a presumption that inmates who are released are subject to ongoing monitoring and supervision and the Department of Correction should adopt a comprehensive reentry strategy, including risk assessment and supervised release. The lack of a comprehensive reentry strategy, risk assessment, and supervised release all contributed to Tavares's ability to go to Washington, where he allegedly executed Brian and Beverly Mauck.
Disloyal to a fault, Romney is calling for his appointee, Judge Kathe Tuttman, to resign. The judge overturned a district court's call for $100,000 in bail and released Tavares on personal recognizance, minus any monitoring device. She has some explaining to do.
But the system also broke down around her. The Department of Correction never told Tuttman of death threats Tavares allegedly made and waited 18 months before seeking to have Tavares prosecuted for assaulting prison guards. Prosecutors didn't seek a dangerousness hearing, which would have allowed Tuttman to consider information beyond his likeliness to show up again in court.
The Tavares case raises questions for many people - including Romney.
When it came time to get behind reform, "he was missing in action," said Harshbarger. Now that Romney blames others for the Tavares outcome, Harshbarger said it's fair to ask Romney: "Governor, what did you do? What did you fail to do that might have prevented this tragedy?"
Romney often dodges tough questions by promising to consult with experts.
For example, during last week's CNN-YouTube debate, Romney said he would consult with generals about the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that guides the issue of gays in the military. He also said he would consult with Senator John McCain on what constitutes torture; McCain quickly told him water-boarding qualified. During a previous debate, Romney said he would consult with lawyers on when he needs authorization from Congress to go to war.
When he talks that way, he sounds like the CEO he once was. But, what's the point of CEO-style consulting, if you ignore the consultants' recommendations? And what about accountability afterward, if the broken system you let stand leads to tragedy?
A similar mindset led the Bush administration to deny responsibility for system failure after Hurricane Katrina. The same mind-set applies to White House attempts to duck blame for decisions surrounding the invasion of Iraq. Some are still ducking. During a recent TV appearance, longtime Bush adviser Karl Rove blamed Democrats in Congress for pushing the administration into war with Iraq.
Romney didn't release a dangerous man to prey on an innocent couple. He wasn't sitting in the governor's office when Tavares fled Massachusetts for Washington. But Romney was in charge when experts, including his own lieutenant governor, handed him 18 major recommendations "for enhancing public safety by reducing the rate of re-offense by returning inmates."
The system failed. Why can't the man who once presided over it say, "I'm sorry I didn't do what I could to fix it"?
Because that would put personal accountability ahead of political ambition.
Joan Vennochi's e-mail address is vennochi@globe.com.
