Mitt Romney Speech Line Contradicts 2009 Claim He Wanted 'Liberal Policies', Obama 'To Fail'

Mitt In 2009: I Want Obama 'To Fail'

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Despite saying he wishes "President Obama had succeeded, because I want America to succeed" in his GOP convention speech, Mitt Romney hasn't always felt that way.

Just after Obama was inaugurated, Romney explicitly said he wanted the president to fail:

I want liberal policies to fail. I want him to fail in trying to put in place a health care plan that takes away the private sector from health care. I want him to fail in this cap and trade program as long as China and Brazil and Indonesia are not going to play in it. But I want him to succeed as a president, meaning, I want him to succeed in strengthening our economy, keeping us free, bringing our troops home in success from Iraq and Afghanistan. But I don't want his liberal policies to succeed.

The remark, made in an interview with CNN's Larry King on March 19, 2009, was unearthed by MSNBC's "Up w/Chris Hayes" and aired during his Saturday show.

With many voters claiming to feel an emotional attachment to Obama, Romney tried to downplay the "excitement" of the president's 2008 campaign during his RNC speech.

"Hope and change had a powerful appeal. But tonight I'd ask a simple question: If you felt that excitement when you voted for Barack Obama, shouldn't you feel that way now that he's President Obama?" Romney said. "You know there's something wrong with the kind of job he's done as president when the best feeling you had was the day you voted for him."

Romney's RNC speech isn't the only one coming under scrutiny. Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan's speech was built on demonstrably misleading assertions and has been largely criticized.

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