The Windsor Star, Nov 2, 1968
This Time Over the Bombing Halt
DMZ--Gov. Romney reacted Friday to President Johnson's bombing halt announcement with a warning to voters from the same lexicon that tripped him up in his run for the presidency.
"We should not risk being brainwashed again by the bombing halt," the governor said.
It was a statement intentionally reminiscent of the remark made last winter about being "brainwashed" by American officials during a visit to Vietnam. The statement cost him dearly in the New Hampshire primary campaign.
Friday he argued the electorate not to judge the value of the bombing halt until four questions are considered:
"Why the bombing halt just before the election?"
"Did the North Vietnamese make any reciprocal military commitments?"
"Are the North Vietnamese trying to influence the election?"
"Have they concluded they can do better fighting and bargaining with President Johnson's pupil, Hubert Humphrey, than with Dwight Eisenhower's pupil, Richard Nixon?"
"We don't know," the governor said, "so don't risk being brainwashed again."
"I hope the American people are not going to overlook the fact that this comes within a few days of the election."
