Mitt Romney and the Olympics

Mitt Romney’s foreign policy field trip got off to an interesting start when in an NBC interview he questioned the preparedness of the London Olympics. The Brits were not impressed. Whether out of a sense of defensiveness or national pride or some combination, they responded vigorously. Here’s a sampling from today’s Boston Globe story by Glen Johnson:

Prime Minister David Cameron said ““We are holding an Olympic Games in one of the busiest, most active, bustling cities anywhere in the world. Of course it’s easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere” referring to Utah, of course.

The Daily Mail online newspaper had this headline: “Who invited him? US presidential hopeful Mitt Romney questions British public’s appetite for the Games during visit to London.”

This New York Times report carries more UK headlines:

The Times of London: “PM rebuffs Romney over readiness for Olympics”

The Guardian: “Romney’s Olympics blunder stuns No. 10 and hands gift to Obama.”

Then there was London mayor Boris Johnson (a Conservative) who fired up a 60,000 person rally by derisively invoking the name of Mitt Romney:

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