Romney: 'Serious error' to revoke Cheek's visa
Former governor Mitt Romney, en route to Beijing for the Summer Olympics, may be taking a little break from advocacy for John McCain. But he's not taking a break from advocacy.
Romney is angry that the Chinese government this week suddenly revoked the visa of Joey Cheek, a former Olympic speedskater who went on to co-found Team Darfur, an international coalition of athletes pushing peace in Sudan's Darfur region. China maintains deep economic ties to Sudan and has been reluctant to punish the country for its human rights abuses.
Cheek, now a Princeton University student, was planning to attend the games as a human rights activist and support the 73 members of Team Darfur who will be competing. Calling the decision to revoke Cheek's visa a "serious error," Romney said he is writing letters to the Chinese leadership and Chinese Olympic officials urging that the decision by revisited.
"I hope the Chinese government is able to reconsider this," Romney said in a phone interview between flights in Washington. "Joey Cheek is by no means an out-of-control radical. He's a very serious, sober, responsible individual, and his support for human rights certainly can't be in any way a detraction from the games."
Romney, who ran the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, is reminding Beijing that he had personally helped China bid for the 2008 games. "The Chinese officials know of my involvement in the past and will hopefully give consideration to my request, perhaps on a personal basis." The revocation of Cheek's visa, Romney added, was "out of the Olympic spirit."
What a class act! Romney should be our next President. Romney in 2012!
I really miss Romney. Every time Deval Patrick opens his mouth I throw up a little.
Romney, my next president in 2012
Class act?! Mitt Romney!?
LOL
Class act? Slick operator I would say. Why is Romney speaking up for human rights now? Shouldn't he have been thinking about China's human rights abuses BEFORE he helped them land the Olympics? Or was he thinking about all those fat profits from business with China that might be coming his way in return for his help? The man (term used lightly) does what is expedient for himself and not his state (which one does he live in now?) or his country!
I agree...Romney is a total Class Act.
If we are REALLY lucky, he will be our Vice President in 2008 and President in 2012!
What a guy!
Go Mitt!
Romney is a two faced liar who stands for absolutely nothing except himself. Next week he'll be proclaiming that China was right and Cheek has no business going there.
I agree. Romney for President!
China, along with all other countries, have every right to deny visas to anyone they wish, for any reason at all. Just like the US denies visas to Irish Republicans and ex-prisionors (Pol Brennan). The denials are not right, but you cannot critize China and then be silent on the US's policy.
Mormons have more class than evangelicals.
YES!
Romney is an ignorant pandering dweeb. His political aspirations cloud and bias his effectiveness as an arbitrator for sports, foreign policy and human rights. He says whatever he deems will align him with the status quo to perpetuate his ulterior motives. He did nothing for the state of Massachusetts as Governor except leave it in upheaval as he pranced around with a smarmy swagger courting the Republican Nomination, he also took bribes for his involvement in the 2002 games, funny how nobody remembers that... he's a slippery as grease.
Romney left Massachusetts in a big mess. His health ccare thing that he brags about is bankrupt and has left more people without care than before. He ran a campaign promising that he could bring in more business and jobs, and he didn't - we lost jobs. He just left a huge mess and now you all want him for prez? Why?
Romneys examples continue to impress me especially when our nation is in the hunt for a President and Vice President coming November.What better examples we expect of a leader than those we've witness so far from a former Presidential candidate Miit Romney.It shows his true character not only as a person but as a leader for all individual American and people of this country.Mitt Romney so far has shown himself as a leader that walk the talk and thats the kind of leader can accomplish short and long term goals because he is use to being a leader with the mindset to succeed.If he can do it for the Olympics,if he can do it for Massechussets economy and health care plan,if he can do it as a successful executive of Bain Capital,if he can do it as a faithful member of his church and if can do it as an individual citizen of America when he coordinate a search for one of his associate missing daughter that went missing for days and later found because of Mitt Romneys effort America Mitt will do it for us.We cannot dream of an excellent and better leader to work together with our next President elect than someone like Mitt Romney on his side.And thats my honest opinion of this man America.We cannot just listen to sweet talks and innocent appearance by Barrack Obama and convince he is the one but nothing has shown to us he ever was a main instigator or principal figure of any major task national or international.Are you being robbed?
I miss Romney too. Our current Governor is an ambitious big government bureacrat who wants to drain everyone's pockets for his big and foolish ideas.
Keith Johnson,
You are very ignorant. There was a bribery scandal BEFORE Romney got involved in the games, in fact, that is why they asked him to come help clean it up. He TURNED AROUND the Olympics because it was in bad shape and he fixed it. HE DIDNT TAKE A DIME. In fact HE DIDNT EVEN TAKE A SALARY!!! Hello your information is wayyyyyyy off. BY the way he didn't take a salary as governor of Massachusetts either and he turned around the state that was in debt just like the Olympics and it ended up with a surplus when he left just like the Olympics. What governor doesnt take a salary and just gives his service as governor (and head of the Olympics) for free? A CLASS ACT! Of course the only way people can attack him is by lying because he is so squeeky clean that it drives the dems crazy!!
Would your idols be the same ones who've been trying to create the United States of Europe that is the EU? The same group of nations with unemployment rates of 9 and 10%? The same land mass of concentrated wealth and a smaller middle class? The home to guys who live at home with mommy until they're 29? The same parochial place that has severe minority assimiliation problems? The same Continent that has erupted into WORLD wars and has periodic genocide? The same people who flock to the US for medical care? And university education? Nice try.
Now, I'm neither an ardent Bush supporter nor a Euro-basher. I don't have extremist tendencies or vulnerabilities like some others obviously do or at least are susceptible to. France is energy independent, as you think of it, because of their great reliance on nuclear power, which Obama stupidly opposes. I'm not some doctrinal dolt beholden to partyism or ideological loyalty despite evidence or potential, unlike some. Hell, my man Mitt is the only person in American history who has implemented universal healthcare coverage, which rich and poor alike are happy with. The point is if government can regulate, officiate, or intervene and improve matters anywhere, then great, but if it's just going to be more waste and inefficiency--and Obama's gluttonous earmarks in the Senate are indication of the latter--then the answer is he's not going to be President.
Amen Celest!!!!!!
Keith Johnson,
You ARE ignorant and ill-informed if informed at all. But thank you for so well characterizing the blatant ignorance of many. What is said derogatorily about Mitt Romney is mostly hearsay that is passed along as fact.
Some are just frustrated because they can't find any dirt so their resentfulness creates some. Romney was branded as a Flip-Flop for two issues he admits to revising as he weighed them more and he has explained why to the rational mind over and over. Others, like Obama literally act as if their previous positions do not exist as they profess anew.
Keith, Where do you get your ideas? Have you personally researched Mitt Romney or are you spitting facts you have heard and want to believe? Nothing you say makes any sense. Do your homework before you spread more falsehoods.
Funny how everyone just wants to talk about Romney. Some hate him, some love him.
What CHINA did was wrong, and Romney was right about that. He was right to speak up. Political or not, Romney said what needed to be said about this situation.
I like how the most important part of this article was that there are people in need and the hero that Stood up was Joey... Why are we talking about one man that NONE of us know rather than the issues that are taking place. Genocide, in Darfur It doesn't matter personally who likes Mitt or not, so why get on here and waste energy on useless put downs? Its unintelligent and powerless, so please take time to use something negative, then positive to make a difference, learn about the current situation in Darfur but don't get on and just clutter the wall.
Though he is a politician, Mitt's truly concerned about the country. He doesn't seek power like others--he's already got that. He sincerely wants to help our country. He's the most solid character we've seen since Ronald Reagan. Mormon or not.
I'm surprised at the balance of pro and con comments about Romney. The pro's do out number the cons which gives me a good feeling that adding Romney to McCain's ticket will only improve McCain's chances of winning the White House.
Richard's comment is right. Strong feelings either pro or con indicate that Romney is a formidable political figure.
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