Photogarph by Press Association via AP Images
Great Britain's Rebecca Gallantree during the training session at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park, London.
Sometimes, it takes some time to get it right.
The morning headlines in London were not kind to Mitt Romney, visiting for the opening of the Olympic games there.
“Nowhere Man,” a writer in The Times of London called him — following the prime minister’s comments on Romney’s initially broadcast remarks from London about the “disconcerting” problems planners had with security preparations for the summer games.
“Of course it’s easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere,” PM David Cameron said at a news conference following Romney’s interview with NBC News’ Brian Williams — a pointed allusion to the winter games Romney ran in Salt Lake City in 2002.
Romney turned to NBC News again to straighten out a mess that had led the mayor of London to lead a crowd of thousands in Hyde Park with a chant of “yes we are” ready — in response to that ”guy called Mitt Romney who wants to know whether we’re ready.”
In an interview from London with the “Today Show” this morning, Romney said: “After being here a couple of days, it looks to me like London’s ready. What they’ve done that I find so impressive is they took the venues and put them right in the city.”
Right in the middle of somewhere, that is.
Where the morning press had plenty to say about all this.
“‘Nowhere man’ Romney loses his way with gaffe about the Games,” the Times noted. The Daily Mail bannered a two-page spread with: ”Who invited party-pooper Romney?” The Independent: “Romneyshambles: Mitt begins his trip with a swipe at London.”
The American media didn’t exactly overlook the flap, as the Democratic National Committee is ready to note.
“Of course it is hard to put on Games in a major metropolitan area,’’ Romney told NBC’s Matt Lauer today. “What they’ve done that I find so impressive is they took the venues and put them right in the city. You’re going to be able to be just in the backside of 10 Downing Street for beach volleyball.”
“In just a few moments, all the things politicians say will get swept away because the athletes finally take the stage. The Games are about the athletes,” Romney said. “That’s why the Games virtually anywhere they’ve been have been highly successful.’’
The backside of 10 Downing Street? — Cameron’s turn.
