After stumbles, Romney looks to Poland as final chance to project world affairs leadership
WARSAW, Poland - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was left looking to Poland as a final opportunity to project the image of a leader ready to stand on the world stage after inadvertently insulting the British and angering Palestinians in the first stops on his three-nation tour.
Romney is stressing the United States' long ties with Poland as he caps a weeklong foreign tour on Tuesday that was intended to prove his leadership on world affairs and highlight his differences with President Barack Obama.
Romney is readying a foreign policy speech for delivery at the end of his tour that began last week in Britain and took him to Israel.
It's not clear whether Romney's stumbles will affect his prospects for defeating Obama in the November U.S. presidential election. The economy, not foreign affairs, has been the dominant issue in what polls show to be a tight race.
But the outrage generated by Romney's remarks has undermined his attempt to avoid political risk as he made his first steps onto the world stage as the presumptive Republican nominee.
Romney has been visiting countries that are staunch U.S. allies, limited questions from the media and arranged made-for-TV appearances at symbolic venues in London and Jerusalem. It was all intended to demonstrate he was ready to handle foreign affairs smoothly and lead during dangerous times.
The two-day trip to Poland is aimed at Polish-American and Catholic voters in the U.S. and will highlight Romney's stance toward Russia. He has labeled Russia as America's "No. 1 geopolitical foe," a characterization that's not unwelcome in a country that still fears Russia. Poles generally have been skeptical of Obama's "reset" with Russia, and Romney has cited Polish concerns in his criticism of Obama.
He'll deliver his remarks in a deeply Roman Catholic country that for years has favoured Republicans over Democrats. This is partly a legacy of President Ronald Reagan, whose efforts helped bring down communism across Eastern Europe, for which Poles remain grateful.
Poland has been a stalwart U.S. ally and significant contributor to military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a former Soviet bloc nation that has been subjugated by bigger European powers throughout history, it remains particularly worried about Russian policy.
Some in Poland and the neighbouring Czech Republic were upset by the Obama administration's decision to revise the Bush-era missile defence plan for Europe, which included sites in both countries.
Romney's visit, campaign officials said, was at the invitation of Lech Walesa, the Polish labour leader who co-founded the Solidarity movement and served as Poland's president during the country's transition out of communism.
Walesa effectively endorsed Romney when the Republican presidential candidate visited him Monday at the Artus Center in a historic neighbourhood of the Baltic port city of Gdansk.
"I wish you to be successful because the success is needed to the United States, of course, but to Europe as well and to the rest of the world, too. So, Gov. Romney, get your success, be successful," Walesa told Romney through a translator.
Walesa suggested Romney's leadership was needed to restore America's position in the world.
Romney is set to meet with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski on Tuesday before his speech.
Walesa's backing is meant to influence Catholics and labour union members in the U.S. But Rep. Marcy Kaptur, an Ohio Democrat, told reporters Monday that the Polish visit "is nothing more than a superficial diversion and a desperate attempt to pander to Polish Americans and Catholics across our country."
"This trip is not going to change the November election," she said.
Romney's visit to Poland was not without controversy. The current leadership of Solidarity distanced itself from the event and issued a statement critical of Romney on Monday.
Solidarity characterized Romney as being hostile to unions and against labour rights. It emphasized that it had no role in organizing Romney's visit and expressed support for American labour organizations.
Romney arrived in Poland after outraging Palestinians in a speech he gave to Jewish donors in Jerusalem earlier Monday. Romney suggested that their Jewish culture was part of what has allowed them to be more economically successful than the Palestinians. Kind words for Israel are standard for many American politicians, but Palestinian leaders suggested his specific comments were racist and out of touch with the realities of the Middle East.
Predictably, Obama's campaign was critical, with senior strategist David Axelrod saying on Twitter: "Is there anything about Romney's Rolling Ruckus that would inspire confidence in his ability to lead US foreign policy?"
Romney's missteps in the past week have fueled opponents' contentions that the former businessman and Massachusetts governor is out of touch with the U.S. and the world he hopes to lead.
As the trip got under way, Romney caused a stir in Britain by questioning whether officials there were fully prepared to host the Olympic Games. The dispute overshadowed his efforts to highlight his personal experience leading the Salt Lake City Winter Games a decade ago. Instead, Romney was widely assailed by the London media and criticized by British leaders.
Then on his first day in Israel, Romney distanced himself from an adviser's suggestion that he would "respect" a decision by Israel to launch military action to prevent Iran from achieving nuclear weapons capability.
At Monday's fundraiser, Romney shared a sentiment he sometimes talks about on the campaign trail in the U.S. and repeats in his book, "No Apology." But his decision to highlight cultural differences in a region where such differences have helped fuel violence for generations prompted new questions about his diplomatic skills — and enraged Palestinian leaders.
Comparing economic output per capita in Israel and "across the areas managed by the Palestinian Authority," he declared that "you notice such a dramatically stark difference in economic vitality." He was speaking to about 40 wealthy Jewish American donors at the King David Hotel, which is within sight of the Palestinian territory on the West Bank.
He said some economic histories have theorized that "culture makes all the difference."
"And as I come here and I look out over this city and consider the accomplishments of the people of this nation, I recognize the power of at least culture and a few other things," Romney said, citing an innovative business climate, the Jewish history of thriving in difficult circumstances and the "hand of providence." He said similar disparity exists between other neighbouring countries, including Mexico and the United States.
Palestinian leaders quickly objected.
"It seems to me this man lacks information, knowledge, vision and understanding of this region and its people," said Saeb Erekat, a senior aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. "It is a racist statement, and this man doesn't realize that the Palestinian economy cannot reach its potential because there is an Israeli occupation."
"This will cause a lot of damage to American interests," he said.
Romney campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul said later that Romney's comments "were grossly mischaracterized."
The campaign added that Romney's comparison of countries that are close to each other and have wide income disparities — the U.S. and Mexico, Chile and Ecuador — shows his comments were broader than just the comparison between Israel and the Palestinians.
At the White House, spokesman Josh Earnest said, "One of the challenges of being an actor on the international stage, particularly when you're travelling to such a sensitive part of the world, is that your comments are very closely scrutinized for meaning, for nuance, for motivation."
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Associated Press writers Kasie Hunt in Warsaw; Steve Peoples in Washington; Monika Scislowska in Warsaw, Poland, Karin Laub in Jerusalem, and Julie Pace in Washington contributed to this report.
