96 Comments

• Realist | Aug 02, 2012, 07:16 AM EDT

  aliceschesya: "It's OK to proclaim oneself Irish or German, but not British or English."? Lol....that comment just about sums this site up.

• ManOfReason | Aug 01, 2012, 01:23 PM EDT

  "How many black people were admitted to the Republic of Ireland back in the 1960s?" Well, I cannot imagine there was much desire to migrate to one of the poorest countries in Western Europe with a primarily rural economy, and that had a outmigration flow all the way up until the early 1990s (and has restarted yet again)..

• cillowen | Aug 01, 2012, 10:08 AM EDT

  stupid romney

• aliceschesya | Jul 31, 2012, 06:21 PM EDT

  I am of Irish and German descent yet I've been brought as British. I feel most comfortable proclaiming my Irishness, I don't mind my 'Germanness', but am deeply embarrassed about being British. The British Empire was responsible for some pretty bad things, but the British people on the whole aren't that bad. My feelings are echoed by the US census which saw a decline of 70% in people marking themselves of English descent with commensurate rises in people marking themselves as German or Irish. It's OK to proclaim oneself Irish or German, but not British or English.

• Greendays | Jul 30, 2012, 04:04 PM EDT

  Where did my comment go. I hope I don't have to write it all over again. Larry

• hancock | Jul 30, 2012, 01:06 PM EDT

  What about the current moron who said we have 57 states?

• BigDaddy | Jul 30, 2012, 10:13 AM EDT

  I fail to see why anyone is surprised at the ignorance of Mitt Romney. Have you forgotten America's last Republican offering to world politics? Nah, how could forget a man who believed that the people who populate Greece are called "Grecians"?

• pilib04 | Jul 29, 2012, 09:23 PM EDT

  Passing this information on about Sir Romney to family and friends. He is no friend of Ireland. Support Offaly's favorite son. Is Feidir Linn.

• seanomelb | Jul 29, 2012, 07:24 PM EDT

  The " Boston tea party" was a catalyst for freedom.

• hancock | Jul 29, 2012, 12:58 PM EDT

  Schon, Americans did what everybody wanted to do. Kick out the English.

• SAirish | Jul 29, 2012, 11:42 AM EDT

  The founding fathers of the USA were 100% of British decent. That is why Irish Catholics were severely discriminated against right up until the beginning of the last century. Irish Americans don't owe much to the founding fathers.

• hancock | Jul 29, 2012, 10:37 AM EDT

  The Americans wanted the English out, just like everybody else.

• curtisjohnson | Jul 28, 2012, 11:40 PM EDT

  @Schon - do you believe the Americans were more justified in their "rebellion" than the Irish.

• EphraimKibbey | Jul 28, 2012, 06:33 PM EDT

  @Schon - Danke for all of your FUN facts. Do you always view history through the cold filter of dollars and cents to the elimination of moral principles and higher callings? Americans and our history are a lot more complicated than your distillation would imply. Bitte schon!

• seanomelb | Jul 28, 2012, 06:29 PM EDT

  We also had the British working class racism against cheap Irish labour brought in during the twenties and thirties to work in the shipyards of northern England.On an international basis nothing has changed only the ethnic mix of the new cheap labour pool.Mexicans in the US,East Europeans and Africans in Britain and the rest of Europe or sub-Saharan Africans in north Africa.The more things change the more they stay the same.

• EphraimKibbey | Jul 28, 2012, 06:06 PM EDT

  @KatieMurphy - They are all very well organized, Thank You! Now I spend my time reading about the crazy stuff done by the GOP and the Tea Party and I just have to comment on the inconsistencies of their positions or I will burst. Sorry if you see my method of lowering my blood pressure as silly. By the way, I agree whole heartedly with both of your other two posts.

• curtisjohnson | Jul 28, 2012, 06:03 PM EDT

  Correct, Hancock. The end of slavery during the 19th century was due to the wide availability of Class D tools and the exploitation of fossil fuels. Regarding the US revolution, in substance it was a rebellion against a mercantile oligarchy which became over bearing.

• hancock | Jul 28, 2012, 04:56 PM EDT

  England abandoned slavery when it wasn't beneficial to them.

• Pittsburghkid | Jul 28, 2012, 02:48 PM EDT

  Propaganda based on a quote from an unnamed sourse.

• Schon | Jul 28, 2012, 08:37 AM EDT

  (cont) KatieMurphy Incidently, the Tea tax and 'no taxation without representation' was not the real reason for the revolution that created the US... it was basically allied to the fact Jefferson and Franklin among other slave owning notables in the 13 Colonies, had territorial claims into Iroquios Territory, which Britain would not permit due to the 'Great Law of Peace' a treaty between Britain and the Iroquois nations. These speculators wished to realise a profit and gain power tehmselves.

• Schon | Jul 28, 2012, 08:33 AM EDT

  (cont) KatieMurphy Incidently, the Tea tax and 'no taxation without representation' was not the real reason for the revolution that created the US... it was basically allied to the fact Jefferson and Franklin among other slave owning notables in the 13 Colonies, had territorial claims into Iroquios Territory, which Britain would not permit due to the 'Great Law of Peace' a treaty between Britain and the Iroquois nations. These speculators wished to realise a profit and gain power themselves.

• Schon | Jul 28, 2012, 08:32 AM EDT

  Then there was the American Civil war which was won by the side with the most men, that was the North who armed the immigrants, coming from famine and oppression in Europe, as they stepped of the boats and sent them to fight for their new adopted country. After the war, there was a glut of potentiial 'wage slaves'. In particular the Irish had set up ghettos in most of the cities on the East coast of the continent and had been employed to provide manual work over the previous 30 or so years. There was a problem, however. The emancipation of the former slaves, provided an additional workforce prepared to work for less than the Irish. This lead to many riots with the Irish Roman Catholic immigrants refusing to work '...for less than n****rs'. So you see the racism of the Irish, both Protestant and Roman Catholic, existed with the Irish Protestants racism, as you say based on biblical interpretations. while the Romam Catholic racism was based on bread and butter issues.

• Schon | Jul 28, 2012, 08:30 AM EDT

  hi KatieMurphy. Unfortunately you are not quite correct. While slave owning was well established throughout the US, even your early presidents endulged in kepting, breeding (interbreeding?) and selling slaves, the practise became less rewarding financially in the north where there was a ready supply of 'wage slave' from the old countries of Europe. There was a disadvantage with owning a slave; they were property and required housing and feeding... you only had to pay a 'Wage slave' when needed and because there was an over supply, their wages were low. After the Brits educated you Yanks that salvery was bad by having the Royal Navy intercept and free slaves from American slave traders, slavery died a death in the Northern states.

• RthrBHistCorr | Jul 28, 2012, 08:22 AM EDT

  "Romney’s advisors furiously backpedaled afterwards but it is too late. Vice President Joe Biden, a proud Irish American, was quick to the ramparts." Biden a proud Irish American? When? Biden is a member of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian. The Smithsonian celebrates with elaborate programs every year (at taxpayer expense) Black History Month, Asian Pacific Islander Month, Hispanic Heritage Month. Nothing wrong with that but for Irish American Heritage Month (which has been stablished for over twent years) the Smithsonian does nothing. Mr. Biden hasn't been to quick to the "ramparts" on that issue.

• RthrBHistCorr | Jul 28, 2012, 08:12 AM EDT

  "It was clearly an ethnic slur aimed at Obama who does not have a drop of ethnic Anglo Saxon in him quite obviously." Niall is your memory going or do you smoke something before you write these pieces to further your agenda? Don't you remember the guffaws as having a few days before celebrated his "Irish Heritage" the President in a speech before the Queen stated he came as "one of the millions of Americans of British Heritage?" Have you also forgotten the presidents mother Niall? She lists a much stronger English Anglo/Saxon Heritage than Irish. I wthink is is "obvious" that the president has more than a "drop" of Anglo Saxon heritage in him. The only thing "obvious" in your comments is (A) you don't do reseach and (B) you have an agenda

• seanomelb | Jul 27, 2012, 07:41 PM EDT

  Looking good for four more years.

• seanomelb | Jul 27, 2012, 05:36 PM EDT

  Ephraim stick to organizing your abba and john denver albums, your question is silly.

• kelto67 | Jul 27, 2012, 05:05 PM EDT

  If this comment is indeed legit, he said nothing wrong. America was founded and most of its institutions, culture, and language are rooted in The British Isles.

• EphraimKibbey | Jul 27, 2012, 02:49 PM EDT

  If Romney lived in the American Colonies in 1770's, do you think he would have joined the Sons of Liberty or would he have been one of the Tories (loyalists?) Think about it Tea Party! Would he have been one of those destroying Crown property over a little spat about taxation without representation - how silly!

• susan724 | Jul 27, 2012, 01:02 PM EDT

  Tom do do - nobody cares what you think!

• susan724 | Jul 27, 2012, 12:59 PM EDT

  irishandloud: So you this this topic is irrelevant? Uh, Mittens has a chance - not much I might add) of becoming the President of a country that was destroyed by the incompetent and so corrupt Bush/Cheney Presidency. Now we have candidate Romney who is as bad or worse when it comes to not only his IQ , but his lack of integrity. God bless America! If this idiot gets in, you think Bush was bad - it will be hell under this moron!

• BrianO | Jul 27, 2012, 12:01 PM EDT

  so unnamed adviser named yet?

• BrianO | Jul 27, 2012, 11:51 AM EDT

  Dingle999 Only the good die young, and great rockers on heroine, Most on this comment board have no idea who Thin Lizzy is or the great Phil Lynott, Instead of dancing in the moonlight, making a jailbreak or welcoming the boys back to town, they be listenin to swedish pop ABBA. And trying to re elect obama.

• BigDaddy | Jul 27, 2012, 10:05 AM EDT

  and have his Attorney General blatantly refuse to prosecute voter intimidation by blacks because they're 'his' people...and all this gets celebrated by the left wing I wasn't aware that the name Limbaugh was either Irish or proud. btw...how much does the RNC pay you to go online and spout this idiocy?

• dingle999 | Jul 27, 2012, 08:14 AM EDT

  If you want to see what you call "black people" check out Dublin's O'Connell Street TODAY! Inane comment ... What about Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy ?

• eiriamach | Jul 27, 2012, 08:05 AM EDT

  "Anglo-Saxon"??? I'm surprised that the Romney camp thinks there are identifiable Anglo-Saxons today, or anytime since the Middle Ages. The Anglo-Saxon language (Old English) was a medieval Germanic language that quickly lost its grammatical structure and became Middle and Modern English. The Angles and Saxons were tribes of Germanic origin. They had a briefly magnificent culture in poetry and folklore, shipbuilding, tribal organization, religious rituals, metalwork and such, but what did they leave us in terms of political philosophy? Nothing! What heritage does America have from the Anglo-Saxons? A few thousand lines of great poetry and prose. "Beowulf," the greatest of these, was written in a difficult early German and includes no character or locale from places later known as British and NO shared politics. Are we living as warrior tribes, fighting dragons and swamp monsters named Grendel, and swearing undying loyalty to our local chieftains? That would be our "special relationship" with the Anglo-Saxons, as far as I can see. Unless "Anglo-Saxon" is just code for white-European-descended.

• IrelandNorth | Jul 27, 2012, 06:47 AM EDT

  Sounds to me like a kite flying exercise to woo the WASPish franchise. If Brittania had been truly "fortress of the free", how does one explain Ellis Island. Given that the concept of "faith" is generic, how 'strong' were Roman Catholics in the great and glorious British Empire. It's one thing to crucify Christ. Quite another to crucify Christinaity. There seemingly is no limit to the pius ejaculatory apologia for white indentured servants and black slaves to the Americas, for whom hope or glory were in very short supply. (See ex-Irish Army officer, Sean O Callaghan's (2001): "To Hell or Barbados: The Ethnic Cleansing of Ireland." Brandon Press). Sadly, the further the generation from the revolution the greater the risk of elective historical amnesia, particularly of upwardly mobile descendants of the great unwashed Patriots themselves. Presidential hopefuls reference to special [imperial?] relationship would infer return of the 13 north-eastern colonial states, as it would her keeping 6 north-eastern counties of Ireland. Political contenders like to be seen rehearsing their hoped for new role. It's called positive expectancy. Or wishful thinking?

• Curitiba | Jul 27, 2012, 05:40 AM EDT

  I, for one think that there should be no immigration restrictions between the UK and all English countries. What is the point of being economically joined to a continent where we can't speak the languages and there are no jobs for UK or Irish people anyway. It would be of enormous benefit to the UK,Ireland, USA, Aus, NZ, Canada, if they were a single economic and labour market. The cultures of all of these countries are virtually identical. But my dear American friends, leave your guns at home,please!

• IrishAndProud | Jul 27, 2012, 03:42 AM EDT

  I might add...why is it okay for Barack Obama to pander to black people based on their race alone by setting up whole political offices for them...and tout his own blackness (even though he's actually half-white and was raised by whites) and assume as his one big claim to fame in life being America's first 'black' President...and as one of his first official acts remove the Churchill bust from the Oval office, and even screw up the protocol for addressing the queen...and have his Attorney General blatantly refuse to prosecute voter intimidation by blacks because they're 'his' people...and all this gets celebrated by the left wing...and yet an aide to Mitt Romney merely indicates that he can relate better to British culture (indicating pride in his own heritage)...and these same kook-fringe leftists throw a hissy fit? What kind of hyper-sensitive hypocrisy is that? I'm Irish and Proud, myself -- but I have no problem whatsoever with English people or their descendants taking pride in THEIR lineage, either...or anyone else, anywhere else! And if anyone has a problem with that, they..are...hypocrites, of the worst kind. If the public even notices this matter (which I don't think they'll care about), it will only HELP Romney, not hurt him...for such hypocrisy by the left is one of many reasons they're in for a mighty fall, this November. And this, of course, is assuming this unnamed aide from an unnamed source even SAID this, to begin with. This is a LAUGHABLE story, from an obviously desperate left, sensing their guy going down the whirlpool...which he rather painfully is.

• WoundedKnee | Jul 27, 2012, 02:55 AM EDT

  Jacob: "How many black people were admitted to the Republic of Ireland back in the 1960s?" ---What a weird question. Who knows? You sure don't. And what's the relevance of 50 years ago? If you want to see what you call "black people" check out Dublin's O'Connell Street TODAY!

• IrishAndProud | Jul 27, 2012, 01:33 AM EDT

  Goog GRIEF, folks...with everything else the nation is facing, is something so utterly pathethic and irrelevant as this article's topic even worth a moment of anyone's time? Get real, here. Like it or not, Barack Obama is in deep political trouble...and wasting time byching about tripe like this only makes fools of those who do so. I know the kinds of hostile responses I'll probably get for reminding people of such obvious things, but that really is completely irrelevant. No one (other than those who hated Romney already) care about this. The country has much bigger fish to fry.

• hollabackgurl | Jul 26, 2012, 11:44 PM EDT

  Google 'Romneyshambles.' His British charm offensive was more offensive than charming.

• curtisjohnson | Jul 26, 2012, 09:46 PM EDT

  The wierdest thing is that his religion was invented by an Irishman.

• BrianO | Jul 26, 2012, 09:32 PM EDT

  anonymous adviser. Unnamed source. great reporting.

• jamthecat | Jul 26, 2012, 09:32 PM EDT

  After all the decades of subtle racism put forth by the GOP, I don't see why anyone's surprised they've finally decided it's okay to go mainstream with their attitudes. We've had 4 years of the Tea Party's more overt race mongering, and with those a-holes still being taken seriously by one and all it was inevitable some in the GOP would think no one would care about such a disgusting comment. And the fact of the matter is, no one on the right really does care. People like Niall will still vote for Romney.

• seanomelb | Jul 26, 2012, 09:31 PM EDT

  --and you call yourself apolitical. JBRA the confused.

• Pazuzu | Jul 26, 2012, 09:06 PM EDT

  You say,"Obama who does not have a drop of ethnic Anglo Saxon in him quite obviously." Obama is of at least 35% English ancestry. It annoys me when Obama himself or his handlers try to portray him as an Irish-American for supposed political gain. Only 3.90625% of his ancestry is Irish, and those few ancestors were turncoats who forsook their own and joined the Anglican church. It says a lot about the present-day inhabitants of Ireland that they throng the streets for this disingenuous clown, and sing "There's no one as Irish as Barack Obama" but treat the visiting children and grandchildren of Irish emigrants like sh!t.

• JBRAFTREE | Jul 26, 2012, 09:03 PM EDT

  My wife has called me 'a-political' meaning , of course, I simply don't get into political battles. When a chief executive of my country takes money that I have earned, and gives it to people that don't deserve it, I'll not vote for him.

• Nicomax | Jul 26, 2012, 08:41 PM EDT

  Note to eiriamach: My point was just the opposite of what you thought. By listing White Anglo Saxon Protestant as the primary criteria some will use to vote in November it was only to show how narrow and biased they can be. In my case since I don't tightly fit that category, I will be choosing other criteria.

• conorsmom | Jul 26, 2012, 07:58 PM EDT

  Wait- I thought he was claiming Mexican roots?! What will it be next?

• seanomelb | Jul 26, 2012, 07:31 PM EDT

  next Romney will call himself a Christian.

• oaklongan | Jul 26, 2012, 05:00 PM EDT

  IT TOOK REAL COURAGE FOR OUR ENLIGHTENED AND PRACTICAL FOUNDERS, MEN OF REAL LEARNING KNOWLEDGE, VISION AND EXPERIENCE, TO FORMULATE, DRAFT AND FINALLY SIGN THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND BREAK WITH 'MOTHER' ENGLAND. THEIR LIVES WERE FORFEIT IF THEY FALED TO FIGHT AND PREVAIL. THEY KNEW ONLY TOO WELL WHERE THEIR ANCESTOR OR AS IN THOMAS PAINE'S CASE, HE, HAD EXPERIENCED FIRST-HAND...

• oaklongan | Jul 26, 2012, 04:51 PM EDT

  OUR FOUNDING FATHERS AND MOTHERS WOULDEN'T HAVE BEEN CAUGHT DEAD SINGING THIS HOGWASH, NOR WOULD WE! THEY AND NATIVE-BORN FREEMEN AND WOMEN KICKED-OUT THE ENGLISH LONG AGO AND THEIR PAID MERCENARIES (German youths pressed into service by their serv-owing 'princes' for German descended English-enthroned King George). THE GERMAN HESSIANS OF THE RED-COATS, YOUNG SOLDIERS, DESERTED IN DROVES INTO THE CAROLINAS AND OTHER PARTS THEN UNKNOWN, OF OUR STRUGGLING TO-BE-FREE REPUBLIC !

• Jacob | Jul 26, 2012, 04:18 PM EDT

  So you think Britain is racist? How many black people were admitted to the Republic of Ireland back in the 1960s?

• Jacob | Jul 26, 2012, 04:13 PM EDT

  What hyperbole....

• abbym7180 | Jul 26, 2012, 04:03 PM EDT

  tick's me off he's acting like a president, meeting the foreign leaders without being elected. it's just a campaign.Our president should be there instead.

• abbym7180 | Jul 26, 2012, 03:53 PM EDT

  Thank you eiriamach, you speak the truth. As actor Morgan freeman says, if baracks last name was o'brien instead of obama, a lot less people would hate him. But to see a campaign in the united states after civil rights years ago, wy do we still let racism rule in our elections ? This is ridiculous, and hurtful. Shameful to all americans.If your good enough to serve in our military, you're equally good enough to serve as president. And by the way, rominey is part latino, so why pick on barak ?

• howareya | Jul 26, 2012, 03:48 PM EDT

  This is off the Yahoo site. LONDON—Mitt Romney kicked off the second day of his overseas tour by meeting with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the first in a series of discussions aimed at bolstering his foreign policy resumé. But he reiterated Thursday he will not criticize President Barack Obama or his policies while he's traveling overseas this week. "While I am on foreign soil, I'm very careful not to be critical of my own government's policies," Romney told reporters during a later meeting with Labour Party leader Ed Miliband. "I would be even more remiss if I were to be critical of any other government's policies. I will instead look forward to an exchange of ideas."

• eiriamach | Jul 26, 2012, 03:41 PM EDT

  The 'Anglo-Saxon' comment was attributed to a Romney aide, not to Romney. But as Charles Blow points out (NY Times), Romney never repudiated the comment or tried to find out who said it. Nor did he ask the London Telegraph to issue a correction. The comment is a thinly veiled racist appeal to sub-Americans to vote the African American out of the White House. See, for example, Nicomax's comment at 1:49 about race: "the Mitt Man, I guess he is OK on the AS part, and certainly more W than BHO." Romney himself stands back, plays dumb, and squeezes out the poison of racism for others like Nicomax to spread for him. Shameful!

• hybernia | Jul 26, 2012, 03:10 PM EDT

  "Hey, who cares I'm just passing through on my way to kiss Israel's butt!" --

• abbym7180 | Jul 26, 2012, 02:35 PM EDT

  citizen 69 you miss the point.I'm an american.We ,centuries ago wrote a declaration of indepence, fought a war for it, and became a country independent of british rule.But he's campaingning for president of the united states.So that's what makes this wrong.We sing our anthem,they sing theirs.If george washington was alive,he'd sic his dog on rominey for this.But actually if washington was alive and running,in this election, most people would be too stupid to vote for him.No offence to the queen,or the british people,but we don't need a president that dosen't look backwards, we need one that moves us foward.And i'm appauled his aides had to say because he's white,he would be more acceptable to england, than our current president.What morons.England freed the slaves before america did.Pure racist garbage.I vote based on what issues I care about, not what dna someone has.

• citizen69 | Jul 26, 2012, 02:17 PM EDT

  Another anti-British rant and another Gerry Adams name-drop from Niall O'Dowd... Same old, same old.

• stmungo | Jul 26, 2012, 01:53 PM EDT

  THEY ARE STILL FIGHTING ON THE STREETS OF N. IRELAND !

• Nicomax | Jul 26, 2012, 01:49 PM EDT

  The real question is who is the true WASP. BHO tends to miss on those accounts except for his Kansas grandparents, and I guess that church he was a part of on the South Side of Chicago. As for the Mitt Man, I guess he is OK on the AS part, and certainly more W than BHO, but as a follower of Joseph Smith and his band of strange side kicks, his qualifying for the P is questionable to many.

• WoundedKnee | Jul 26, 2012, 01:01 PM EDT

  McKeever: I am no longer a supporter of Obama, because of his militaristic foreign policy, but why the hell should he sing a Brit jingoist piece of doggerel? You have a crazy set of values. Land of Hope and Glory My Ahhsss.

• maryosullivan | Jul 26, 2012, 01:00 PM EDT

  How can the economy be fixed? Running illegal wars[ off the books] and Republican stating from day one their one aim was to make Obama a one election President and following through on their on their proposed aim. There is much for which Obama should be help accountable, not closing US torture chamber in Cuba, not holding Bush responsible for lying the US in to war, jailing of Bradley Manning and interfering with Julian Assange's Wikileaks to name a few. but be cannot be held responsible for the economy. It's taken fifty years by various Presidents Bush , Clinton etc to reduce the US to it's present state

• McKeever1025 | Jul 26, 2012, 12:49 PM EDT

  I am not surprised Obama did not sing the song why should he wont evensing the national anthem, place his hand over his heart or salute the flag he evendoes not say the pledge. Obama is a worthles piece of crap that has done nothing for this country but bring it downand strip our freedoms away as fast as he can. In november he willbe out of a job and i cant wait tohelp make him unemployed.

• torbreezy | Jul 26, 2012, 12:36 PM EDT

  "A tempest in a teapot."

• howareya | Jul 26, 2012, 12:33 PM EDT

  As I read this, it was not Romney that said it...it was an "anonymous advisor." Like other posters have said, just fix the economy and secure our country!! I don't care if your ancestry is Martian! Robbie69, is that Boyle Co. Roscommon? That's right next to my home area...Mullaghroe Co. Sligo!!!

• johhnyb | Jul 26, 2012, 12:20 PM EDT

  Don't quite know where you got those words from. Try them to the tune you'll find they don't match. Otherwise the article is fairly standard I C boilerplate. Bad Brits etc etc etc. your usual contribution to peace between nations.

• MichaelMcGrath | Jul 26, 2012, 12:13 PM EDT

  Hey, if Romney gets to be President how many First Ladies are there going to be in the White House?

• Scrivner | Jul 26, 2012, 12:05 PM EDT

  An annonymous advisor!...this is why hearsay evidence is not allowed in court. gossip and innuendo are not becoming to a true journalist, Nial.

• IrishRyan | Jul 26, 2012, 11:59 AM EDT

  I dont think any true Amercan or Irish man/woman would ever sing a British Imperialist song, they may as well sing Nazi Germanys national anthem because the British Empire was just as much a tyrant as Nazi Germany, only difference being Justice was done on Nazi Germany, not on the british empire. I never did quite like the look of Romney and i hope he doesnt become President of the US. In a way, Romney has shot himself in the foot.

• MichaelMcGrath | Jul 26, 2012, 11:58 AM EDT

  Nonsense, Mhichil, what makes us all one is the social welfare money:-)

• Tom Mo | Jul 26, 2012, 11:50 AM EDT

  I think susan 724 is a dunce

• maryosullivan | Jul 26, 2012, 11:49 AM EDT

  Romney's goons finally paid a compliment to Obama. Given the murderous rampage of the Brits around the world, all in search of more loot, who would claim kinship, other than a dunderhead ?

• Robbie69 | Jul 26, 2012, 11:48 AM EDT

  Mitt Romney is surely part of the Anglo-Saxon tradition that held the Irish people down in their true imperialistic style. I have been to Boyle where my grandmother's family paid half their annual earnings as rent to the local British landlords, even though my family had settled their farms for centuries before. Romney is part of that same imperialistic attitude where it is OK to hold people down. But Romney should really talk! His great-grandfather moved from Utah to Mexico so that he could continue to have 11 wives. Even Romney's grandfather had multiple wives in Mexico. So his family tradition is one of imperialism and a rebel to local laws that they don't agree with. In contrast, Obama is half Irish, and a man of the people. Obama got where he is today due to his smarts and good education. Romney got to where he is today by being a capitalist imperialist, a whore to the Big Banks and investment companies that don't give a damn about working people.

• MichaelMcGrath | Jul 26, 2012, 11:48 AM EDT

  There is nothing wrong with being of "true anglo-saxon heritage" and it is racist to say there is! Me, I'm just an ol Irish Mick, like Obama.

• mhichil | Jul 26, 2012, 11:47 AM EDT

  Hey I got news for you; science indicates your DNA makes all of you human,.. not a separate race. Politics and religion is what separates you!

• susan724 | Jul 26, 2012, 11:38 AM EDT

  dev4 - "take Biden back?" What rock did you climb out from under? Biden is a great man and a great Vice President. Egads, the U.S. will never get over "President" Dr. Evil, uh, er I mean Vice President Dickey Cheney - we are still suffering from his administration's bullying,abuse of the system, abuse of law,and America's people! Now, lest you forgot, can you spell "p-o-t-a-t-o-e?"

• Springfield9 | Jul 26, 2012, 11:10 AM EDT

  This item really stinks of "Yellow Journalism". To use the word "lie" may not be too strong.

• Tom Mo | Jul 26, 2012, 11:06 AM EDT

  I thin k Niall O'Dowd is a water carrier for Obama.

• hardshoe83 | Jul 26, 2012, 11:05 AM EDT

  True anglo-saxon heritage? Why is that always so important in this country? What is wrong with us? I don't have a drop of british heritage and I'm glad not to have it. Why would anyone want to sing an imperialist song? I guess this whole thing is supposed to appeal to americans of british descent who are the most racist. This is how Romney's aides are trying to get him votes. I will not vote for Romney. Enough already with these anglo-saxon presidents. Haven't we had enough of them? I'm a protestant but I have not one drop of english blood in me and I will not vote for a racist like mitt romney. And yes someone does need to tell Romney we got the brits out of here over 200 years ago. This is America! No one should sing a british imperialist song. And when the heck are the british going to get out of Northern Ireland? Its long overdue.

• Frosty38 | Jul 26, 2012, 10:44 AM EDT

  Where does this man come from? He won't be visiting the QUEEN ANYTIME SOON"

• abbym7180 | Jul 26, 2012, 10:43 AM EDT

  Another thing,our presidents when on visit to the queen will sing god save the queen as a matter of personal respect to her majesty,because britain is our ally.And many of us like britain,love their people,but we don't sing their nationalistic anthems and songs, no more then the queen's gonna sing the star spangled banner.And that's we are american's they are british.IF HE'D LIKE to revoke his citizenship roll over to britain become a citizen and pay their taxes, and run for prime minister, be my guest. Go right ahead. But don't make a cheap shot like this during our campaign season for president. What a clown !

• dev4 | Jul 26, 2012, 10:40 AM EDT

  would ireland please take biden back? please, please,

• Walter Ellis | Jul 26, 2012, 10:35 AM EDT

  I should add that the words you quote are part of the song that is never sung and don't even seem to fit with the tune. Hardly anyone has heard of them.

• Towngate | Jul 26, 2012, 10:34 AM EDT

  Well said, WALTER ELLIS. Thanks for shining some light on the 'Liquid West!'. Not for the first time is an apology due from Chara O'Dowd for distorting the facts. Btw; Obama, on his British visit claimed English ancestry.... Niall! You're makin' a holy show of yourself with posts like this! Get a grip!

• DrTrelawney | Jul 26, 2012, 10:16 AM EDT

  Can I just repeat an earlier poster's bafflement at Niall's representation at the lyrics? I fear Dr Wikipedia is in the house. That is indeed the first verse, but those lines are almost never sung. As anybody who's seen Last Night at the Proms knows, the song invariably begins with the chorus. "Land of hope and glory, mother of the free..."

• Hepzibuh | Jul 26, 2012, 10:10 AM EDT

  "anonymous advisors" says it all. An entire article shouldn't be written based on something supposedly said by "anonymous advisors."

• KilkennyCats | Jul 26, 2012, 10:08 AM EDT

  This issue is probably being a bit overblown. But that said, while some call England "our closest friend", others call them "our oldest enemy"!

• susan724 | Jul 26, 2012, 10:07 AM EDT

  "true Anglo-Saxon Heritage?" Definitley an appeal to the racists with a blatantly racist remark! And, who really gives a "poo" - how many Americans are of "true Anglo-Saxon" heritage and trust me, if they are or aren't, they have no clue!

• abbym7180 | Jul 26, 2012, 09:51 AM EDT

  And he wants to be our president. Did he forget the history lesson in school on the american revolution ? Why it happened ? Hello. I'm voting for the guy with the irish relatives.lol.

• davekemp | Jul 26, 2012, 09:40 AM EDT

  I am wondering if Mitt is proud of his English heritage as it relates to his first English ancestors to the new world. He is a descendent of Elizabeth Nurse, one of the last women hung by the Puritans during the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts. I am a descendent of John Nurse, one of Elizabeth's sons. Mitt's ancestor is one of her daughters, I believe it was Sarah. Once you find out that you are descendent of one of the Salem victims it tends to seriously influence your attitude toward the English. I guess that we were lucky that our people married the Irish Catholic people they did. I don't think I could have handle the five wives like Mitt's polygimist great-grandfather did. Save by the grace..

• merefalow | Jul 26, 2012, 09:11 AM EDT

  truth maintained,kin hell,should have been in the wizard of oz,freedom gained,yuk,pass the sick bag.what a sycophantic dick,he should read his own countries brave and fierce struggle against brit imperialism before he starts advising people to sing elitist imperialist rants.george wasington and his lads would realy have appreciated that advice.yuk again.

• Walter Ellis | Jul 26, 2012, 08:55 AM EDT

  Actually, Niall, the words to Land of Hope and Glory run as follows: Land of Hope and Glory, Mother of the Free, How shall we extol thee, who are born of thee? Wider still, and wider, shall thy bounds be set; God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet! Truth and Right and Freedom, each a holy gem, Stars of solemn brightness, weave thy diadem. Tho' thy way be darkened, still in splendour drest, As the star that trembles o'er the liquid West. Throned amid the billows, throned inviolate, Thou hast reigned victorious, thou has smiled at fate. Land of Hope and Glory, fortress of the Free, How may we extol thee, praise thee, honour thee? Hark, a mighty nation maketh glad reply; Lo, our lips are thankful, lo, our hearts are high! Hearts in hope uplifted, loyal lips that sing; Strong in faith and freedom, we have crowned our King!