Romney refuses to say sorry over Osama jibe

REPUBLICAN US presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is refusing to apologise for posing with a sign that said “No to Osama, Obama and Chelsea’s Moma”, lumping two Democratic rivals with the 9/11 mastermind.

Said Mr Romney: “I don’t look at all the signs when I’m having pictures taken. I have a lot of pictures taken with people. I don’t really spend all that much time looking at the signs and the T-shirts. I don’t have anything to say about a sign somebody else was holding.”

Mr Romney posed for the photograph while campaigning in South Carolina last week.

An audience member at a town hall in Exeter yesterday pressed him to apologise, saying it was inappropriate to compare Democratic Barack Obama with Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the September 11 terrorist attacks. It also referenced Hillary Rodham Clinton, whose daughter Chelsea was part of the hand-written sign.

“I’m just concerned because I can remember where I was at on September 11,” said Jerid Kurtz, a New Hampshire-based contributor to Buckeye State Blog.

“How can you compare any American to Osama bin Laden? How can you do that?”

Mr Kurtz’s bio on the website notes he is a former Democratic campaign operative.

“You know what? Lighten up slightly,” said Mr Romney. “There are a lot of jokes out there. I’m not responsible for all the signs I see.”