Risk Averse Romney Squirms On Face The Nation

Yesterday Mitt Romney appeared on his first non-Fox Sunday news show -- Face the Nation -- and squirmed as Bob Schieffer kept asking the questions Romney definitely did not want to answer.  Especially about immigration.

BOB SCHIEFFER: The President said, Friday, the government will no longer seek to deport eight hundred thousand of these young illegal immigrants who were brought into this country by their parents. I think you said this is just a short-term solution to a long-term problem, but would you repeal this order if you became President?

MITT ROMNEY: Well, let's step back and-- and look at the issue. ...

BOB SCHIEFFER (voice overlapping): Well, what would you do about it?

MITT ROMNEY: Well, as-- as you know, he was-- he was President for the last three and a half years ...

BOB SCHIEFFER (voice overlapping): Would you--

MITT ROMNEY: --and I've said, for instance, that-- that those who served in the military, I would give permanent residents, too.

BOB SCHIEFFER: Sure, but would you repeal this?

MITT ROMNEY: Well, it would be overtaken by events, if you will ...

BOB SCHIEFFER: ... would you leave this in place while you worked out a long-term solution or would you just repeal it?

MITT ROMNEY: We'll-- we'll look at that-- we'll look at that setting as we-- as we reach that. ...

As John King of CNN reported, Schieffer asked Romney about President Obama's decision to halt deportation of young immigrants no fewer than five times, to no avail.

KING: That's not exactly a direct answer and it's not the first time. In an ABC interview this past April he employed the same tactic when he was asked by Diane Sawyer if he would have signed the Lilly Ledbetter law. His answer? Quote it's certainly a piece of legislation I have no intention of changing. I wasn't there three years ago. Not exactly direct or not exactly bold leadership and I could give you a few more similar examples. “Risk-averse Romney” is the label awarded to the candidate by the conservative Weekly Standard. And it fits and truth is while people in my business prefer more direct answers and while more information and insight might help you make your mind, caution is in Governor Romney’s DNA.

Yep. Risk-Averse Romney is a pretty good label for this guy.  He's obviously trying to shake the Etch-A-Sketch on immigration here, but just can't get the new image to appear fast enough to do him any good.  As MSNBC's Ed Schultz says, Romney lacks core values and political courage.  He evades questions again and again, refusing to tell the country what he would actually do if elected.

He refuses to take a stand on the tough issues time and time again. Romney is trying to walk, I guess you could say a fine line, between the majority of Americans and the lunatic fringe of the Republican Party. Now, it must be pointed out, some of the most outspoken voices from the right wing have come out in support of the President's new policy. 

What a disappointing show of non-leadership from a man seeking to lead this nation.  Or as The New Yorker said of Romney's performance ...

... if you’ve agreed to appear on a big national show, and you know there are going to be some awkward questions, arrange to do the interview on a pretty farm with some cows mooching around in the background. That was the tactic Team Romney adopted for their man’s much-anticipated sit-down on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” and it worked out well.