Romney's connection to Saul Alinsky

WND/ Michael Carl

BOSTON – Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has frequently brought up President Obama’s fondness for the politics and methods of activist Saul Alinsky.

However, there is evidence presumptive Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney may have been influenced by the late 20th century, Chicago-based radical.

Political commentator Dan Riehl wrote on BigGovernment.com that the “toxic-to-conservatives” Alinsky effect has its roots in the former Massachusetts governor’s father, George Romney.

“The progressive Alinsky is infamous and actually toxic on the right,” Riehl wrote. “George Romney’s endorsement of him, coupled with his acknowledged strong influence on son Mitt, will do little to assure suspicious conservatives concerned about Mitt Romney’s record as a progressive, including his introduction of Romneycare in Massachusetts.”

Political journalist and analyst Andrew Kaczynski wrote in a recent edition of the Buzzfeed that the elder Romney met with Alinsky to find a way to deal with the problem of the urban poor.

“In the wake of the devastating Detroit riots of the summer of 1967, Michigan Gov. George Romney, a liberal Republican, met the radical organizer Saul Alinsky to discuss the grievances of the urban black poor,” he explained.

Photos of the meeting can be found in the archives of the Library of Congress.

Kaczynski noted that a book on George Romney quotes the former Michigan governor telling his allies, “I think you ought to listen to Alinsky.”

Political analyst and think-tank researcher Steve Baldwin believes that Mitt Romney was definitely impacted by his father’s association with Alinsky.

“Romney’s dad was a big leader of the RINO (Republican in name only) wing of the Republican Party and hated Goldwater,” Baldwin explained. “George actually walked out of the 1964 GOP convention in protest of Goldwater’s views. He was an admirer of Alinsky.”  More >>