Community | May 10, 2012 | 104 comments

Washington Post Account Details Romney's Prep School Pranks, Bullying

source: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entries/washington-post-account-details-romneys-prep-s...

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FreeSpiritMuse

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entries/washington-post-account...

Mitt Romney’s prep school classmates recall pranks, but also troubling incidents


A Washington Post account details the six years Mitt Romney spent at the all-boys Cranbrook prep school. It includes several of his former classmates recalling his boisteroius nature as a prankster, and also reveals some troubling incidents of bullying.

Romney singled out one student, John Lauber, for his “bleached-blond hair that draped over one eye”:

“He can’t look like that. That’s wrong. Just look at him!” an incensed Romney told Matthew Friedemann, his close friend in the Stevens Hall dorm, according to Friedemann’s recollection. Mitt, the teenaged son of Michigan Gov. George Romney, kept complaining about Lauber’s look, Friedemann recalled.

A few days later, Friedemann entered Stevens Hall off the school’s collegiate quad to find Romney marching out of his own room ahead of a prep school posse shouting about their plan to cut Lauber’s hair. Friedemann followed them to a nearby room where they came upon Lauber, tackled him and pinned him to the ground. As Lauber, his eyes filling with tears, screamed for help, Romney repeatedly clipped his hair with a pair of scissors.

The Post account also recalls teachers, particularly one with failing eyesight, being the “butt of Romney’s brand of humor”:

One venerable English teacher, Carl G. Wonnberger, nicknamed “the Bat” for his diminished eyesight, was known to walk into the trophy case and apologize, step into wastepaper baskets and stare blindly as students slipped out the back of the room to smoke by the open windows. Once, several students remembered the time pranksters propped up the back axle of Wonnberger’s Volkswagen Beetle with two-by-fours and watched, laughing from the windows, as the unwitting teacher slammed the gas pedal with his wheels spinning in the air.

As an underclassman, Romney accompanied Wonnberger and Pierce Getsinger, another student, from the second floor of the main academic building to the library to retrieve a book the two boys needed. According to Getsinger, Romney opened a first set of doors for Wonnberger, but then at the next set, with other students around, he swept his hand forward, bidding the teacher into a closed door. Wonnberger walked right into it and Getsinger said Romney giggled hysterically as the teacher shrugged it off as another of life’s indignities.
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104 comments // Washington Post Account Details Romney's Prep School Pranks, Bullying

  • Paratus
    • -3
      Paratus  

    • The Washington Comopost, now there is an unbiased source. The paper has backed off the account. Mountain out of a molehill. The neolibs will go to any lengths to reinstall the disaster for another term.

    • 1 year ago
  • DEM46
    • +1
      DEM46  

    • Some say this doesn't matter, it does. It shows his wealth from all the way back to his "prep-school" days make it impossible to relate to even a standard middle-class family let alone those who require a understanding and assistance the government can and should provide.

      My biggest problem is; no denial, no real admission, and characterizing this behavior as "hijinx." Really? A hate crime? Hijinx?

    • 1 year ago
  • thedirtman
    • 0
      thedirtman  

    • Lemmesee. Bully. Draft-dodger. Daddy gave me a loan. Proud to fire workers to make money. Corporate raider. Animal abuser. Politician. Did I cover everything? Are those the qualifications of a President? Hell no.

    • 1 year ago
  • fiberbundle
    • +2
      fiberbundle  

    • Thank god for a free press and the Internet. This country would be up the proverbial creek without a paddle, without the vetting of Romney and Ron Paul. We already have suffered the consequences of allowing unqualified schmuck "W" into the WH.

      Imagine if a pathological liar with etch-a-sketch integrity captures the WH.
      Forewarned is forearmed; however people who know who he is and vote for him anyway, deserve to suffer the consequences.

    • 1 year ago
  • FreeSpiritMuse
    • +1
      FreeSpiritMuse  
    • fiberbundle:

      The focus or the GOP plan seems to have been to sabotage the economy and then put it completely on Obama. As you wrote, I'm really thankful for the internet as well. Jackhole down thread wrote about Romney as a Mormon Bishop, that gave me an even better picture of Mitt. As much as Romney morphs day to day it's good to be able to find evidence of the things he originally said.

    • 1 year ago
  • nanac
    • +2
      nanac  

    • Mitt Romney exhibits traits of a sick mind. He lacks compassion for his fellow man. Most normal people would have been more than willing to offer help to a teacher with failing eye sight. Regardless to how the Romney campaign tries to spin these recent revelations, this doesn't look good for Romney. It only confirms his ruthless behavior..

    • 1 year ago
  • FreeSpiritMuse
  • nanac
  • Leen61
  • FreeSpiritMuse
  • Leen61
  • kalamama
  • attilatheblond
  • FreeSpiritMuse
  • kalamama
    • +7
      kalamama  

    • Oops Mittens, and I bet in your massive house they have not even begun to find all the closets that you have these type of secrets tucked away in.

    • 1 year ago
  • FreeSpiritMuse
  • kalamama
  • FreeSpiritMuse
    • +1
      FreeSpiritMuse  
    • kalamama:

      That explains the comments I've been hearing of him saying he didn't know that the young man was gay. As though there were no gay people until the 70's, yet he teased and embarrassed (bullying) another student by shouting out "atta girl".

    • 1 year ago
  • OlBlue
    • +4
      OlBlue  

    • I predict that in the debates, Romney will receive many Presidential Wedgies for his past and present transgressions and that he may have to be helped off the stage in a few.

    • 1 year ago
  • Incredulous
  • FreeSpiritMuse
  • RevKen
    • +7
      RevKen  

    • A person's past can tell us a lot about a person. Of course we need to take into account that we all make mistakes and many of us become better people by learning from these mistakes.

      I guess the question we need to find an answer to is, has Mr. Romney learned from his mistakes and is he a better person today? His childhood behavior appears to be that of a spoiled child and from what I have seen of his adult life he now appears to be a wealthy man that looks down on the poor. No, I do not believe he became a better person from learning from his mistakes. I believe he feels entitled to run over any person he thinks is beneath him.

      I also know that it would have been fun being in high school with Mr. Romney. I was the kid that always stood up to protect the kids being bullied. It would have been fun to intimidate the hell out of him.

    • 1 year ago
  • attilatheblond
    • +9
      attilatheblond  
    • RevKen:

      You're a Rev after my own heart.

      Yep, there are those who learn and grow, and those who learn that being abusive pays off for them. Mitt is the latter.

      He would probably be a better person now if someone like you had stood up to him and knocked him off that high white horse a time or two. It's a pity none of the classmates who still say they are uncomfortable about his behavior didn't shoulder that responsibility and help him see that being a bully is just not acceptable.

    • 1 year ago
  • FreeSpiritMuse
  • RevKen
  • RevKen
    • +4
      RevKen  
    • attilatheblond:

      I think all of us would be better off if every once in awhile someone was there to set us straight. I was just lucky enough that it happened very early for me and I remembered it.

    • 1 year ago
  • Incredulous
  • RevKen
  • jackhole
  • FreeSpiritMuse
    • +8
      FreeSpiritMuse  
    • jackhole:

      Didn't know that, just read up on it. Just as Obama was questioned in 2008, it seems Romney should be questioned about his Mormon beliefs. All of it should be on the table. Very informative video.

    • 1 year ago
  • carmalite
    • +10
      carmalite  

    • So? Like we should be suprised that a Republican is a bully? I always thought it was one of the criteria to make our well as a Republican.
      Mitt........probably also has a secret fear of being gay just like all the self hating fundamentalists who pulically denounce gays then end up being one.

    • 1 year ago
  • TanzaniteDiamonds
  • Incredulous
  • carmalite
  • JangoFetish
  • RevKen
  • attilatheblond
  • bike10
  • carmalite
  • BrushwithDeathToothpaste
    • +7
      BrushwithDeathToothpaste  

    • Romney is a douche. I consider him a douche because of who is today, not for what happened before his brain was completely developed. If you want to raise this as a relevant issue, then you shouldn't bitch whenever Fox News rubs Bill Ayers in the President's face. Anyone can change, not that everyone does, but let's focus on who Romney is now.

      Besides, maybe Romney didn't do this out of hate. He seemed somewhat obsessive about Lauber. Maybe he was attracted to this guy and didn't know how to deal with it.

      Sorry couldn't resist putting him on the therapist couch for a moment.

    • 1 year ago
  • FreeSpiritMuse
    • +5
      FreeSpiritMuse  
    • BrushwithDeathToothpaste:

      "Maybe he was attracted to this guy and didn't know how to deal with it."

      That's one way to look at it BWDT. I'm glad this is coming out, not as a condemnation of Mitt but as a means to find out more about the whole person and not just the candidate.

    • 1 year ago
  • attilatheblond
    • +6
      attilatheblond  

    • Romney campaign trying to get some of his old classmates to help massage this. It isn't going all that well for team Romney. Seems some of his classmates have some unflattering opinions of him

      http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/05/romney-friend-stu-white-says-campai...

      "...

      One former classmate and old friend of Romney’s – who refused to be identified by name – said there are “a lot of guys” who went to Cranbrook who have “really negative memories” of Romney’s behavior in the dorms, behavior this classmate describes as “evil” and “like Lord of the Flies.”

      The classmate believes Romney is lying when he claims to not remember it.

      “It makes these fellows [who have owned up to it] very remorseful. For [Romney] not to remember it? It doesn’t ring true. How could the fellow with the scissors forget it?” the former classmate said.

      ..."

    • 1 year ago
  • FreeSpiritMuse
  • notsure
  • EmperorThan
    • +5
      EmperorThan  

    • I'm pretty sure this was the whole basis of the Rockstar videogame Bully. An elite prep school bully who just attacks other kids.

    • 1 year ago
  • chew_chew
    • +8
      chew_chew  

    • Speaking only for myself, this seems to be just another brick in the "pattern of behavior" wall Mr Romney continues, to this day, to construct around himself.

      This was in high school. Some people do some very rude, or let's say ill-advised things in high school, but learn from them, correct the unseemly behavior, and move on. Not Mr Romney.

      He fondly talks about, with a smile, when his daddy closed a car plant, and then the family moved away... and he does this speaking to voters in the very city where the plant was closed. At Bain Capital, he was responsible for killing many American jobs - which were then resurrected overseas - and siphoning money from workers' pockets, to his own. He unsuccessfully tried to take "a lot" of the credit for Mr Obama's saving of the American auto industry, which he (Mr Romney) was adamantly against at the time the decision had to be made.

      He responds to questions about Bin Laden with, "Any President would have made the same call. Even President Carter would have made that call."

      President Carter *would* have made that call?

      Well, President Carter *DID* make that call regarding the hostages in Iran, it failed, and it may have been one of the biggest contributing factors in causing him to not win re-election. I do NOT believe Mr Romney would have had the guts to make the same call as President Obama, or as President Carter.

      Not saying I support President Obama (I don't *support* ANY of the Presidential choices, at the moment), his last straw with me was when he green lighted the Keystone Pipeline... not that he will lose any sleep over that. However, his speaking out in favor of gay rights has me listening to him again.

      I'm only saying, from my perspective Mr Romney is a liar and a cheat, and he confirms that publicly on an almost daily basis, with his own words and actions. Mr Romney changes his stance on *something* practically every day. He is a walking talking self-contradiction.

      And, since he treats us this way when we can see him, how are we suppose to have any faith at all he will treat us any better when he is behind closed doors? It simply won't happen.

    • 1 year ago
  • FreeSpiritMuse
  • Wyley_Wombat
  • TanzaniteDiamonds
  • FreeSpiritMuse
  • Wyley_Wombat
  • jackhole
    • +11
      jackhole  

    • This was no apology: I was his way of saying to Republicans, Conservatives, Libertarians, Tea Party and the whole gamut os bullies, "Hey guys see what I can do!" If he is elected he WILL bully the American people. Stop hate, vote OBAMA in 2012!

    • 1 year ago
  • FreeSpiritMuse
    • +6
      FreeSpiritMuse  
    • jackhole:

      His supposed apology included not remembering. Maybe he has a memory problem that's causing all his flip-flopping. Yes, I believe he will bully the American people, if we let him get away with it.

    • 1 year ago
  • attilatheblond
  • Incredulous
  • attilatheblond
  • EmperorThan
  • BrushwithDeathToothpaste
    • -5
      BrushwithDeathToothpaste  

    • This was decades ago. Who cares. I'm more concerned about his current prickishness rather than his past. I'm sure none of us want to be held accountable for crap that happened 40 years ago.

    • 1 year ago
  • EmperorThan
    • +5
      EmperorThan  
    • BrushwithDeathToothpaste:

      I completely unequivocally disagree with you. And you are wrong. Completely wrong. v'd

      I've always held myself to a high standard and wouldn't do shit like this when I was in high school, when I was in middle school, when I was in elementary school, and wouldn't do it now. Cus I have now and always have had respect for others around me. You are who you are raised to be by your parents and who you are when you're younger and older are NOT different people.

      Maybe we should let murders off the hook? I mean it has been 40 years we can hardly hold them responsible for killing someone 40 years ago RIGHT??? HUH? HUH? RIGHT? LET ALL THE MURDERS GO EVERYONE! We're ignoring past mistakes cus they've CHANGED now that they're older. BULLSHIT. If you do shit like this ever it tells a lot about who you are as a person and what you'll always be. Period.

      Fuck Romney in his elitist Mormon fucking ass.

    • 1 year ago
  • attilatheblond
  • FreeSpiritMuse
    • +3
      FreeSpiritMuse  
    • Image
    • BrushwithDeathToothpaste:

      This article in the New Yorker says it pretty well.

      "What one does as a teen-ager does not need to mark a person or a politician for life. We can all be stupid. For Senator Rand Paul, it’s Aqua Buddha; for Senator Robert Byrd, it was, more darkly and at a more mature age, his affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan. It took many more years than it should, but Byrd learned how to talk about that in a way that suggested understanding and repentance. Both of those are necessary.

      And how far has Romney moved? This story is resonant because one can, all too easily, see Romney walking away even now, or simply failing to connect, to grasp hurt. How he talks about this incident will be impossible to divorce from how he talks about same-sex marriage in the wake of President Obama’s announcement, and about questions of basic dignity for gay and lesbian Americans. But unless he deals with it soundly, it will also be present as people wonder about his compassion for anyone not as well situated and cosseted as he has always been. Who else might he walk away from? Until now, the campaign has talked about his fondness for pranks as a way to humanize him; his wife called him wild and crazy. Is this what they think that means?

      Can Romney, in the end, see this story from anyone’s perspective but his own? "

      Read more http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/closeread/2012/05/mitt-romney-bully.html#i...

    • 1 year ago
  • Incredulous
    • +5
      Incredulous  
    • BrushwithDeathToothpaste:

      you are probably correct that we don't want to be held accountable for our past behaviors, but there is something about the kind of human being who could do what he did to John Lauber, that is about as clear an indication as any, that this man is NOT presidential material.

    • 1 year ago
  • jimstoner
    • +4
      jimstoner  
    • BrushwithDeathToothpaste:

      Sorry Brush, I don't have anything to be held accountable for. At least not like the average conservative minded person would have. The same A-holes that were bullies, liars and cheaters when I was young person (and that I am still in touch with) are all good conservatives now. And still A-holes.

    • 1 year ago
  • BrushwithDeathToothpaste
  • attilatheblond
    • +3
      attilatheblond  
    • BrushwithDeathToothpaste:

      In his adult professional life, he made thousands jobless for fun and profit. Seems likely that may have cost many people their health insurance, which may have cost a few their lives.

      And I wonder if any of those workers he threw to the wolves ended up getting divorced or even suiciding due to the stress, depression, desperation he caused for fun and profit.

      And he seems to have trouble remembering his youthful errors, then when confronted, he makes excuses. So he doesn't drink, but that sure sounds like the personality disorder common in alcoholics.

      Sure, he didn't murder anyone (that we know of) but his pattern of behavior has always been to disregard the well being of others. That is the mark of a sociopath. POTUS is not a good position for such people.

      Past behavior patterns matter. America would not be in such a mess if voters paid more attention to what pols actually did and do rather than just nodding along when pols tell them what they want to hear.

      It matters.

    • 1 year ago
  • BrushwithDeathToothpaste
  • BrushwithDeathToothpaste
  • attilatheblond
    • +1
      attilatheblond  
    • BrushwithDeathToothpaste:

      I don't care what color hair it was, color doesn't mean crap to me. It was the act of attacking someone with a mob for backup I object to. It was assault.

      The school is guilty of condoning it by letting Mitt stay in school. The young man Mitt assaulted got tossed out for sneaking a smoke. Gee, you think there is a bit of a double standard there, enabling some to get away with assault and going on to more disruptive behaviors like selling people's jobs out for profit?

    • 1 year ago
  • attilatheblond
  • Incredulous
    • +5
      Incredulous  

    • I despise this prick.....a barely human being. He is just another, more devious version of Dick Cheney....may they meet in hell.

    • 1 year ago
  • FreeSpiritMuse
  • Incredulous
  • BrushwithDeathToothpaste
  • attilatheblond
  • Incredulous
  • cherry5000
  • FreeSpiritMuse
  • attilatheblond
  • Varex_Sythe
    • +5
      Varex_Sythe  
    • cherry5000:

      Well, it is never too late to learn a lesson via getting one's ass whooped. Not that I advocate the assault of a politician, but he definitely needed a good roughing up and I don't see how receiving one today would do anything but build character.

    • 1 year ago
  • letsliveinpeace
  • ThirdSection
    • +2
      ThirdSection  

    • Out of a number of possible reactions, I think I'm leaning toward not caring. He was a spoiled rich kid who played pranks at prep school. Big whoop. I'd be more worried if he was a spoiled rich kid who didn't play pranks at prep school.

      Now, get me something juicy about his time at Bain Capital that I can really sink my teeth into!!!!

    • 1 year ago
  • FreeSpiritMuse
    • +5
      FreeSpiritMuse  
    • ThirdSection:

      To some of us it speaks to the nature of the individual. Let's all be happy that his bullying did not result in the suicide of the individual he bullied and came out as gay. It also helps to paint a more realistic picture of someone who is a pathological liar.

      I'm sure there will be more Bain Capitol information coming out. If not, I would wonder why. And if it does will it matter anymore to some than his bullying?

    • 1 year ago
  • TanzaniteDiamonds
    • +2
      TanzaniteDiamonds  
    • FreeSpiritMuse:

      It also speak of volumes of those around him who didn't "call him out" for his bullying. Anyone who didn't question his cruel pranks *actually* enabled him, and choosing to look the other way or "not care" is part of the problem, too.

      Why *is* it that bullies, so often, think doing cruel things to their targets is funny?

    • 1 year ago
  • FreeSpiritMuse
    • +5
      FreeSpiritMuse  
    • TanzaniteDiamonds:

      I guess in the same way that people who harm animals might think it's fun. Letsliveinpeace posted an article with his half hearted apology. It was interesting that he chuckled a bit, blew it off and said he didn't remember the incident(s).

      Just wanted to add that we live in a world that people dismiss this past behavior as somehow acceptable, yet wonder why things are such a mess.

    • 1 year ago
  • ThirdSection
    • +2
      ThirdSection  
    • FreeSpiritMuse:

      I think it's stretching things to go back to his childhood/teen years in order to determine what his character is today. A lot of people are assholes as kids and they grow up to be fine people. We have evidence of Obama experimenting with cocaine in college, but that's hardly evidence that he's a coke fiend today.

      What I'm looking for when I judge the character of a candidate is whether he grew out of being an asshole after he attained adulthood. Judging from what I know of Romney's stint at Bain Capital, I'm guessing that he didn't.

    • 1 year ago
  • TanzaniteDiamonds
  • attilatheblond
    • +6
      attilatheblond  
    • ThirdSection:

      What he did to that classmate constituted assault. That he got a mob together first to assault with is something very telling.

      I care about that kind of 'leadership'. Red flags should not go unnoticed.

    • 1 year ago
  • TanzaniteDiamonds
  • attilatheblond
  • letsliveinpeace
  • FreeSpiritMuse
  • lazloman
  • FreeSpiritMuse
  • attilatheblond
    • +6
      attilatheblond  

    • Some of Mitt's classmates go on record about his behavior and admit to STILL being troubled by it. That speaks to the issue of Mitt's core character and does not allow for dismissing this as 'youthful indiscretions'

      Interesting that such a strict school did not punish Mitt for his bullying. That would certainly reinforce an elitist snob's feeling that rules do not apply to him. Such experience during important formative years likely leave a dangerous imprint on the man.

    • 1 year ago
  • letsliveinpeace
    • +7
      letsliveinpeace  
    • Image

    • Good post, of course he was a bully. His company did what? Buy and destroy other companies. His dog rode where? ON THE ROOF. His policy towards immigration? Self deportation.. Of course the fool is a bully, he's been one all his life. And another thing about bullies is they are cowards. What did Mitt do during Vietnam? Run and hide in Paris!

    • 1 year ago
  • FreeSpiritMuse
  • letsliveinpeace
  • attilatheblond
    • +6
      attilatheblond  

    • Great catch, Muse! Good stuff to get some legs under.

      Watching Mitt for five minutes is enough to see his utter disdain for most people and resentment that he has to be among them to campaign. He is a real nasty piece of work, and your post shows it is an ingrained thing from way back.

      Sociopath. That's what he sure seems to be.

    • 1 year ago
  • FreeSpiritMuse
    • +3
      FreeSpiritMuse  
    • attilatheblond:

      Thank you Attilla. When Mitt has to bring his wife out to explain that he's a really great guy, it's suspicious. I believe he's rather cold-hearted and has proven it by many of his comments. He's more a CEO Cyborg than a human being.

    • 1 year ago
  • MSII
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