Mitt Romney says that the Australian foreign minister told him that America is in decline and wants Romney policies to bring it back.
A few hours later, the Australian foreign ministry states that Romney’s account is “not correct.”
In other words, about to head on a foreign trip, Romney has managed to get into a spat with a longtime US ally before he even leaves the country.
Perhaps that is what the Australian foreign minister told Romney, although I doubt it. In any event, you can be damn sure that any diplomat would not welcome a presidential candidate using a private conversation for political fodder. The test of a foreign policy leader is whether he or she can keep things confidential. Romney has just failed that test. Unless, of course, they are his tax returns.
The next time Romney asks the leader of a foreign government for information, perhaps the answer should be “we’ve told you all you need to know.”
[Cross-posted at The Reality-based Community]
