Sununu: I’m apologizing for using those words.
CNN’s Wolf Blitzer asked Romney national campaign co-chair John Sununu if he regretted his negative comments about President Obama. Sununu said, “And, frankly, I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have used those words. And I apologize for using those words.” A highlight of the interview is below and a full transcript will be posted on http://archives.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/sitroom.html.
Please credit all usage of the information to CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer
Highlight from the Interview
THIS IS A RUSH FDCH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED
WOLF BLITZER, HOST: because, as you know, it’s causing a huge uproar. Here’s the full context of what you said on that conference call with the reporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM ROMNEY CAMPAIGN CONFERENCE CALL)
SUNUNU: The president clearly demonstrated that he has absolutely no idea how the American econ — economy functions. The men and women all over America who — who have worked hard to build these businesses, their businesses, from the ground up is how our economy became the envy of the world. It is the American way. And I wish this president would learn how to be an American.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: All right, “I wish this president would learn how to be an American.” Governor, go ahead and explain what you really — Sununu: Sure.
BLITZER: — meant to say.
SUNUNU: Well, I said the — first of all, I was responding to the president’s really terrible remarks in Virginia over the weekend, where he told the businesspeople of America they shouldn’t take credit for building their businesses. That clearly is insulting to them and — and, in my opinion, expresses a lack of understanding of how jobs are created.
I was making the point that in America, entrepreneurs deserve credit and there is an American formula for creating jobs. And I used that phrase three or four times in that call.
And — and I wanted to come back to that same theme in that riff that you just played there. And instead of saying that he’s got to learn the American formula for creating jobs, I — I did say those words that are there. And, frankly, I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have used those words. And I apologize for using those words.
But I don’t apologize for the idea that this president has demonstrated that he does not understand how jobs are created in America. He thinks that jobs are created by giving grants to your cronies, to your bundlers and your contributors, like he did with Solyndra. Like he did with Vista (ph), like he did with the wind projects that took jobs out of this country. The common denominator is that they all had owners and investors that were bundlers and contributors to his campaign.
That’s what he means, perhaps, when he says government creates jobs, American taxpayer dollars going to cronies.
BLITZER: So when you — hewn you say you were apologizing, are you apologizing directly to the president?
SUNUNU: Yes, I’m apologizing for using those words. I shouldn’t have used them.
###