This undated photo provided by Mark and Kate Quigley shows
Glen Doherty, a former Navy SEAL who was killed in an attack on the U.S.
Consulate in Libya on Sept. 11. (AP Photo/Quigley Family Photo)
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will no longer
bring up Glen Doherty, a former Navy SEAL killed in the Sept. 11 attack
on the U.S. consulate in Libya, the campaign said Wednesday in response
to a complaint from Doherty's mother.
"Governor Romney was inspired by the memory of meeting Glen Doherty and shared his story and that memory. We respect the wishes of Mrs. Doherty though," campaign aide Kevin Madden told BuzzFeed.
On Tuesday, Romney spoke to supporters in Iowa, recalling a chance encounter with a former Navy SEAL while mistakenly attending a Christmas party in San Diego a few years ago.
“I met some remarkable people, one of whom was a former Navy SEAL," Romney said. "I just learned a few days ago that he was one of the two former Navy SEALs killed in Benghazi. It broke my heart.”
Romney didn't directly provide Doherty's name, but his campaign later confirmed his identity. He was one of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, killed during a violent assault on the consulate in Benghazi last month.
Boston's WHDH later reached out to Doherty's mother, Barbara, to get her reaction to Romney's campaign trail anecdote.
"I don't trust Romney. He shouldn't make my son's death part of his political agenda," she told WHDH. "It's wrong to use these brave young men, who wanted freedom for all, to degrade Obama.”
Doherty similarly decried the politicization of her son's death in an interview with the Boston Herald last month.
Glen Doherty's friend, Elf Ellefsen, also spoke with Seattle's KIRO, expressing similar disagreement with Romney's mention of his friend's death.
According to Ellefsen, Doherty found his exchange with Romney to be "insincere and stale."
"Mitt Romney approached him ultimately four times, using this private gathering as a political venture to further his image," Ellefsen told KIRO. "He kept introducing himself as Mitt Romney, a political figure. The same introduction, the same opening line ... [Doherty] said it was pathetic and comical to have the same person come up to you within only a half hour, have this person reintroduce himself to you, having absolutely no idea whatsoever that he just did this 20 minutes ago, and did not even recognize Glen's face."
Romney had again made mention of his meeting with Doherty in the wake of these reports on Wednesday during a town hall event in Ohio.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/10/mitt-romney-glen-doherty_n_1954925.html
She said every day, men like her son are making a difference for those who live in that region.
http://bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1061162876&position=1
Read more: http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/boston/12008755850115/mother-of-navy-seal-killed-in-libya-speaks-out/#ixzz28ztdTAtg
By Libby Denkmann
On the stump in Iowa Tuesday, Mitt Romney revealed that he met former Navy SEAL Glen Doherty at a holiday party some years ago. Doherty is one of four Americans killed during the September 11th attack on the American consulate in Benghazi.
Romney's story started out lighthearted, as he recounted how he and Ann mistook a holiday gathering across the street for their neighborhood party, and he ended up talking to Doherty. "He skied in some of the places I had. We had a lot of things in common," Romney said of Doherty. Both men are from Massachusetts.
"He told me that he keeps going back to the Middle East. He cares very deeply about the people there. He served in the military there, went back from time to time to offer security services and so forth to people there. You can imagine how I felt when I found out that he was one of the two former Navy SEALS killed in Benghazi on September 11th."
Romney was visibly emotional during the story, and the video of the speech was repeated throughout the day on network and cable news.
But one of Glen Doherty's best friends remembered Doherty's impression of this meeting much differently.
Elf Ellefsen met Glen Doherty skiing in Utah when he was 19, and the two men remained friends for more than 20 years.
"A guy living life wise beyond his years. Always trying to be progressive as well as do the right thing. Always challenging himself to his greatest ability," Ellefsen remembered.
He last saw Doherty a week before the final mission to Libya. "I stayed in his house (in California), we paddled out in the ocean together, spent some good quality time."
Ellefsen said Doherty recalled meeting Mitt Romney years ago, but the account was much different from what the Presidential candidate retold in Iowa.
According to Ellefsen, Romney introduced himself to Doherty four separate times during the gathering.
"He said it was very comical," Ellefsen said, "Mitt Romney approached him ultimately four times, using this private gathering as a political venture to further his image. He kept introducing himself as Mitt Romney, a political figure. The same introduction, the same opening line. Glen believed it to be very insincere and stale."
Ellefsen said Doherty remembered Romney as robotic.
"He said it was pathetic and comical to have the same person come up to you within only a half hour, have this person reintroduce himself to you, having absolutely no idea whatsoever that he just did this 20 minutes ago, and did not even recognize Glen's face."
Ellefsen described Glen Doherty as a humble, non-political guy, and said it was ironic for him to be used during a presidential campaign.
"Whether it be Republican, Democrat, Green Party, Libertarian, it doesn't make a difference. Because this guy is using our great friend, our humble, and honorable great friend...who is truly larger than life...He has become part of the soapbox routine for politics in a presidential race."
Ellefsen said he understands why people would want to link themselves with Doherty. "Of all people to tie yourself to for advancement in life, it's not surprising that Romney or anybody else would want to tie themselves to Glen Doherty. Because he was incredible. And I can honestly say beyond a shadow of a doubt, he was the greatest person I have ever met in my life."
I asked Ellefsen what he thought of his friend's story being used on the political stump:
"Honestly it does make me sick. Glen would definitely not approve of it. He probably wouldn't do much about it. He probably wouldn't say a whole lot about it. I think Glen would feel, more than anything, almost embarrassed for Romney. I think he would feel pity for him."
Editor's note: While it's unclear just what political, if any, motivations Ellefsen has, it is clear on his Facebook page that he's upset about the U.S. government's role in security overseas.
Ellefsen isn't the only one perturbed by Romney's speech. According to WHDH-TV in Boston, Doherty's mother Barbara says Romney is using her son's death for his political agenda.
http://mynorthwest.com/108/1353861/Romney-story-doesnt-jibe-with-fallen-SEALs-account
"Governor Romney was inspired by the memory of meeting Glen Doherty and shared his story and that memory. We respect the wishes of Mrs. Doherty though," campaign aide Kevin Madden told BuzzFeed.
On Tuesday, Romney spoke to supporters in Iowa, recalling a chance encounter with a former Navy SEAL while mistakenly attending a Christmas party in San Diego a few years ago.
“I met some remarkable people, one of whom was a former Navy SEAL," Romney said. "I just learned a few days ago that he was one of the two former Navy SEALs killed in Benghazi. It broke my heart.”
Romney didn't directly provide Doherty's name, but his campaign later confirmed his identity. He was one of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, killed during a violent assault on the consulate in Benghazi last month.
Boston's WHDH later reached out to Doherty's mother, Barbara, to get her reaction to Romney's campaign trail anecdote.
"I don't trust Romney. He shouldn't make my son's death part of his political agenda," she told WHDH. "It's wrong to use these brave young men, who wanted freedom for all, to degrade Obama.”
Doherty similarly decried the politicization of her son's death in an interview with the Boston Herald last month.
Glen Doherty's friend, Elf Ellefsen, also spoke with Seattle's KIRO, expressing similar disagreement with Romney's mention of his friend's death.
According to Ellefsen, Doherty found his exchange with Romney to be "insincere and stale."
"Mitt Romney approached him ultimately four times, using this private gathering as a political venture to further his image," Ellefsen told KIRO. "He kept introducing himself as Mitt Romney, a political figure. The same introduction, the same opening line ... [Doherty] said it was pathetic and comical to have the same person come up to you within only a half hour, have this person reintroduce himself to you, having absolutely no idea whatsoever that he just did this 20 minutes ago, and did not even recognize Glen's face."
Romney had again made mention of his meeting with Doherty in the wake of these reports on Wednesday during a town hall event in Ohio.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/10/mitt-romney-glen-doherty_n_1954925.html
Ex-SEAL’s mom: ‘It’s sad’ death politicized
25SEP12
By O’Ryan Johnson
The
mother of a former Navy SEAL from Winchester killed in Libya said it is
“very sad” that her son’s death was being used as political theater
yesterday — and she agreed with President Obama’s controversial
assessment that the latest round of deadly troubles in the region
constitute “bumps in the road.”She said every day, men like her son are making a difference for those who live in that region.
http://bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1061162876&position=1
Romney agrees to stop sharing story about Glen Doherty
10OKT12
BOSTON (WHDH) -- Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has
agreed to stop sharing a story about his encounter with Winchester Navy
SEAL Glen Doherty who was killed in the attack on the U.S. consulate in
Libya after Doherty’s mother said she was upset Romney was using the
story for his political agenda.
Glen Doherty was one of four Americans killed in the September 11 attack on the U.S. consulate.
“I met some remarkable people, one of whom was a former navy seal. I just learned a few days ago that he was one of the two former navy seals killed in Benghazi. It broke my heart,” Romney said to a crowd on the campaign trail.
Romney met Doherty at a Christmas party.
During a radio show interview, Doherty’s friend recounted a different version of Romney’s meeting with Doherty.
“He actually approached him, using this private gathering as basically a political venture to further his image. And Glen just believed it to be very insincere and stale,” said Elf Ellefsen, Doherty’s friend.
"I don't trust Romney. He shouldn't make my son's death part of his political agenda. It's wrong to use these brave young men, who wanted freedom for all, to degrade Obama,” said Barbara Doherty, Glen’s mother.
http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/boston/12008755850115/mother-of-navy-seal-killed-in-libya-speaks-out/
Glen Doherty was one of four Americans killed in the September 11 attack on the U.S. consulate.
“I met some remarkable people, one of whom was a former navy seal. I just learned a few days ago that he was one of the two former navy seals killed in Benghazi. It broke my heart,” Romney said to a crowd on the campaign trail.
Romney met Doherty at a Christmas party.
During a radio show interview, Doherty’s friend recounted a different version of Romney’s meeting with Doherty.
“He actually approached him, using this private gathering as basically a political venture to further his image. And Glen just believed it to be very insincere and stale,” said Elf Ellefsen, Doherty’s friend.
"I don't trust Romney. He shouldn't make my son's death part of his political agenda. It's wrong to use these brave young men, who wanted freedom for all, to degrade Obama,” said Barbara Doherty, Glen’s mother.
http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/boston/12008755850115/mother-of-navy-seal-killed-in-libya-speaks-out/
Read more: http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/boston/12008755850115/mother-of-navy-seal-killed-in-libya-speaks-out/#ixzz28ztdTAtg
Romney's emotional story remembered very differently by friend of fallen SEAL
listen
Listen: Romney's emotional story remembered very differently by friend of fallen SEAL
On
the stump in Iowa Tuesday, Mitt Romney got emotional when he revealed
that he met former Navy SEAL Glen Doherty at a holiday party some years
ago. Doherty is one of the four Americans who were killed during the
September 11th attack on the American consulate in Benghazi. But Glen
Doherty's good friend Elf Ellefsen said that Doherty recalled Romney as
"robotic," and the meeting went much differently from what Romney retold
in Iowa.
 On the stump in Iowa, Mitt Romney revealed that he met former Navy SEAL Glen Doherty at a holiday party some years ago. Doherty's friend, Elf Ellefsen, says Doherty wouldn't want Mitt using him for the campaign. |
On the stump in Iowa Tuesday, Mitt Romney revealed that he met former Navy SEAL Glen Doherty at a holiday party some years ago. Doherty is one of four Americans killed during the September 11th attack on the American consulate in Benghazi.
Romney's story started out lighthearted, as he recounted how he and Ann mistook a holiday gathering across the street for their neighborhood party, and he ended up talking to Doherty. "He skied in some of the places I had. We had a lot of things in common," Romney said of Doherty. Both men are from Massachusetts.
"He told me that he keeps going back to the Middle East. He cares very deeply about the people there. He served in the military there, went back from time to time to offer security services and so forth to people there. You can imagine how I felt when I found out that he was one of the two former Navy SEALS killed in Benghazi on September 11th."
Romney was visibly emotional during the story, and the video of the speech was repeated throughout the day on network and cable news.
But one of Glen Doherty's best friends remembered Doherty's impression of this meeting much differently.
Elf Ellefsen met Glen Doherty skiing in Utah when he was 19, and the two men remained friends for more than 20 years.
"A guy living life wise beyond his years. Always trying to be progressive as well as do the right thing. Always challenging himself to his greatest ability," Ellefsen remembered.
He last saw Doherty a week before the final mission to Libya. "I stayed in his house (in California), we paddled out in the ocean together, spent some good quality time."
Ellefsen said Doherty recalled meeting Mitt Romney years ago, but the account was much different from what the Presidential candidate retold in Iowa.
According to Ellefsen, Romney introduced himself to Doherty four separate times during the gathering.
"He said it was very comical," Ellefsen said, "Mitt Romney approached him ultimately four times, using this private gathering as a political venture to further his image. He kept introducing himself as Mitt Romney, a political figure. The same introduction, the same opening line. Glen believed it to be very insincere and stale."
Ellefsen said Doherty remembered Romney as robotic.
"He said it was pathetic and comical to have the same person come up to you within only a half hour, have this person reintroduce himself to you, having absolutely no idea whatsoever that he just did this 20 minutes ago, and did not even recognize Glen's face."
Ellefsen described Glen Doherty as a humble, non-political guy, and said it was ironic for him to be used during a presidential campaign.
"Whether it be Republican, Democrat, Green Party, Libertarian, it doesn't make a difference. Because this guy is using our great friend, our humble, and honorable great friend...who is truly larger than life...He has become part of the soapbox routine for politics in a presidential race."
Ellefsen said he understands why people would want to link themselves with Doherty. "Of all people to tie yourself to for advancement in life, it's not surprising that Romney or anybody else would want to tie themselves to Glen Doherty. Because he was incredible. And I can honestly say beyond a shadow of a doubt, he was the greatest person I have ever met in my life."
I asked Ellefsen what he thought of his friend's story being used on the political stump:
"Honestly it does make me sick. Glen would definitely not approve of it. He probably wouldn't do much about it. He probably wouldn't say a whole lot about it. I think Glen would feel, more than anything, almost embarrassed for Romney. I think he would feel pity for him."
Editor's note: While it's unclear just what political, if any, motivations Ellefsen has, it is clear on his Facebook page that he's upset about the U.S. government's role in security overseas.
Ellefsen isn't the only one perturbed by Romney's speech. According to WHDH-TV in Boston, Doherty's mother Barbara says Romney is using her son's death for his political agenda.
http://mynorthwest.com/108/1353861/Romney-story-doesnt-jibe-with-fallen-SEALs-account
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