Romney: For high gas prices before he was against them

Romney went so far as to make high gas prices out to be a welcome reality for the foreseeable future, one that people needed to learn to live with.

When lieutenant governor Kerry Healey, a fellow Republican, called for suspending the state’s 23.5 cent gas tax during a price spike in May 2006, Romney rejected the idea, saying it would only further drive up gasoline consumption.

“I don’t think that now is the time, and I’m not sure there will be the right time, for us to encourage the use of more gasoline,” Romney said, according to the Quincy Patriot Ledger’s report at the time.

“I’m very much in favor of people recognizing that these high gasoline prices are probably here to stay.”

I added the hard return after each sentence. Not sure if that qualifies him as saying that it would be a “welcome reality.” Still, he has a very somber and pragmatic view here. But that was the Mitt Romney 2006.1.2.3.455.