Apparrently Mitt touched base with the NE and IA GOP today according to this Omaha World-Herald story (registration required. bugmenot works well).It sounds like Mitt was here to rev up the warboner. "Iraq is a vital front in the nation's war against jihadists, and withdrawal of American troops would not end the war, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said."
But why come here where he's guaranteed electoral votes in the general election and the Nebraska primary is in May long after the candidate has been decided? My guess is he's worried about Hagel who has taken some abuse from the LTE writers over the past year or so because he dares to criticize the King's war. Of course, we can't ignore this, his 4th visit to Iowa so far and positive coverage from eastern Nebraska/western Iowa's premier newspaper.
Did he address Hagel in a backhanded manner and suggest something we've already expected? Yes.
"Some people want to compare Iraq to Vietnam and want to believe that if the United States leaves Iraq, the war will be over, Romney said. But that's not true because the United States is fighting a global war, he said."The jihadists are waging a global war against the United States and Western governments generally with the ambition of replacing legitimate governments with a caliphate, with a theocracy" Romney said."
Hagel attended the event but if you look at the Weird-Harold photos he didn't look too excited. The yellow tie looks terrible.
As for Mitt's theocracy:
Romney, 58, said he realizes he has two "M's" to deal with if he makes a bid for president - his Mormon religion and his Massachusetts ties.As for his religion, he said, it is his job to make sure that people see him as more than just a Mormon. "My faith isn't very well-known and it's certainly not my job to change that. My job is to let people know what I stand for and what I believe," he said.