By Mike Taibbi, Michelle Balani, and Mario Garcia
Rock Center
Heading into the New Hampshire primary, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has a strong lead in the polls as he continues his effort to become the Republican nominee challenging President Obama in the fall. That would mean, of course, that the 64-year-old Romney would be closer to The White House than any Mormon ever has been.
If Romney secures the nomination, he would also be the first presidential nominee whose father was born in Mexico.
It's a little-known fact that there's a whole branch of Mitt Romney’s family living south of the border, including his second cousin Leighton Romney, and about 40 other relatives descended from religious pioneers who first traveled to Mexico 125 years ago. These days, the Romneys of Mexico enjoy pleasant and productive lives in two remaining settlements: Colonia Juarez and Colonia Dublan, just 175 miles south of the border.
“He's got a great pioneer heritage starting with people that crossed the plains going from Illinois to Utah, and then on from Utah down to Mexico," Leighton Romney told NBC’s Mike Taibbi in an interview to air Monday night on 'Rock Center with Brian Williams.' “So there's a great heritage there of people that had to fight for what they believed in and for people that had to travel to different places and learn different things. I think there's a vast amount of experience that he could draw from there.”
Jonathan Ernst / Getty Images
From governor's son to presidential contender, a look at the life of Republican Mitt Romney.
In his public life Mitt Romney has said and written little about his ancestors' history in Mexico. In one oft-repeated quote he said his family left the U.S. for Mexico to escape persecution for their religious beliefs.
In fact, Romney's great grandfather, Miles Park Romney, led that first expedition to escape not persecution but prosecution for polygamy, or what Mormons called ‘plural marriage.’ After polygamy ended, the family remained in Mexico. Mitt Romney's father, George, was born in Colonia Dublan, one of the colonies in northern Mexico that the Romneys settled in after their arrival. His mother, Lenore LaFount Romney, was born in Utah.
When Romney’s father was five years old, the Mexican Revolution broke out and his parents moved back to the United States to avoid the violence. Mitt Romney was eventually born in Michigan. But the other branch of the family – leading down to Romney's cousins Leighton, Mike and Meredith – stayed behind in Mexico, their numbers growing. The Romneys chose to remain in Mexico because they established good lives for themselves and their families there. Most of them are now dual-citizens.
“We certainly have a love for both countries,” adds Leighton. “I can sing both national anthems and tear up at both of them. I think that having two countries that you love and two countries that you can serve or be a beneficiary of their service is a great thing.”
The Romneys living in Mexico are well aware of their wealthy and famous relative’s popularity in the Republican primary race. They support their cousin's candidacy and they hope that Mitt will be more open about the issue of his religion and Mexican heritage during the campaign. It’s a family history they’re proud of, despite the fact that Mitt Romney has never come to visit.
If Romney does get the Republican nod, and the media spotlight of a presidential campaign points south toward Mexico, it will probably land on many of these unknown Romney family nuggets, and on Mormonism itself, the religion shared by Mitt Romney and the cousins he doesn't know. That part is okay with Romney's cousins.
“We're Christians, complete in every sense of the word. I don't think that any candidate for any office would shy away from their religion. I think it's something to stand up and be proud of,” Leighton said.
Editor's note: Mike Taibbi's full report, 'Romney's Roots,' airs Monday, January 9, at 10pm/9c on NBC's 'Rock Center with Brian Williams.'
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Uh-oh, Mittens is an anchor baby?? The teabaggers are going to go nuts.
The article is barely a page long, try reading it.
I see that there are still many who like to persecute people based on their religion, too bad it hasn't gone away in the past 130+ years!
Too bad the religious are doing more than their share of persecuting and taking federal funding while taunting people on welfare.
And let the Romney bashing begin
Okay, I'll start. If you are not a millionaire Mormon, Romney doesn't think you deserve oxygen. Got it yet?
Oh yes we can" Pretend to reform Banking, Causing thousands of americans to lose credit ratings, credit limits and doing vertually NOTHING to help the consumer in our efforts for fairness against the US Banking Monopoly
How much is Mitt paying you to lie on this site, Greg? You have some big repenting to do.
MSNBC thinks this is a hit piece on Romney btw...ROFL!
All those millions of his and he's never ventured to see his family? Real family man this guy is. Also, let's hear him speak against gay marriages and things he doesn't agree with - while his own family left the country because of their marriage practices. Ha! Hmm - how 'bout a show of that birth certificate dim-Mitt.
Yes we Can" Pull out of Iraq, before it was stabelized. To then allow the very same conditions that were in place before Saddam took over, Another Religions Civil War, which will end with Iraq becoming another Iran.
youre an idiot- anyone with a brain knew that Iraq was going towards civil war regardless of how long we stayed there- in fact Bush was warned by middle east experts exactly why the war in Iraq would be futile- but maybe you should vote for MCCAIN again since hed love to see us spending our money and our young there for the next hundred years- cmon MCCAIN we need a real war hawk to run and to spend our defense money unwisely
Iraq will never be stablized.
Thank Bush for determining the exit date.
..and the we never should have been there to begin with entrance date.
This is an interesting revelation. I wonder if Mitt's Mexican relatives will be forced to renounce their US citizenship now that the spotlight has been cast. Last I read (while looking into this), Mexico if one of many nations that does not tolerate dual citizenship. US does, but frowns on it.
A lot of miss-information on Mormons in this Blog. If you want to know what a Mormon really believes go to www.mormon.org. If you want to know what a Baptist believes do you ask a Catholic? If you want to know what a Catholic believes do you ask a Baptist?
If you want to know what Mormons believe, ask an ex-Mormon.
So his father was a Jeff Warren
Well, at least Romney has something good going for him!!
Oh Yes we can" Refise tp get spending under control, and cause finanical rating services to Cut our Nations Credit rating. And our spending is stilll OUT OF CONTROL.
Quit voting for the people who cause the spending, quit lying about it and blaming it on others. We will not fall for your Jedi Mind Tricks!!!!
greg, we know you are being paid by the GOP to post anti-Obama lies.
give it up!!!
I wonder why that little ditty was reported now. Did he finally realize he needs the Latin sector vote as well. The story is written it like he's of Mexican descent. His family was just a bunch of Anglo-Saxon Mormon interlopers trying to convert the Mexicans to the book of Mormon. This is funnier than going door to door. Romney's family went country to country. I wonder if they did all this on bicycle, in black pants with white shirts, and carrying a backpack. That's silly there were no backpacks back then.
Mittens is an anchor baby! LOL
Oh Yes I can, Spend every chance possible to take off out of Washingotn to some far away place on yet another GOvt Funded Vacation, pretending it is some kind of good move for America. Mr. Obama, Stay in Washington and do your job.
once again hypocrite- Bush spent more time on vacation then any other president in modern history- and at his ranch mostly!!! by the way im no Obama fan but cant stand this phony arguments from people like you! PS go to Iraq if your so bothered were leaving- im sure youll last a day or two before your shot hung or ransomed
Well said!!!
Let's see what the Republicans say about his father being born in Mexico. Especially when they love reminding the public that Obamas father was born in Kenya. Insinuating that Obama is less of an American because of this.
They all already know, this is their strategy to gather as much latino votes possible; they do not need votes from Kenyan people. They need mexican people votes!!!! Ay caramba!!!
And Catholics used to burn people at the stake. Every religion has a bit of a sinister nature to their history. There were tons of polygs in the bible. Mormonism is no more a cult than Barack Obama is yo mamma. They are decent people IMO.
Until you just happen to live in an LDS community not being LDS. Salamander Letters, raiding wagon trains dressed as native americans need I go on. There is no basis for this faith, if you can call it one.
I'm wondering of Speaker Boehner will be asking for his birth certificate? Goes without saying...
No tells me it's not true.... Mitt's an Anchor baby????
LOL... Throw him back.
Better yet give him the Salem Witch float test.
Next, we'll be hearing about Romney's African heritage...Does he have any gays in the family too? He'll ring 'em all!
Oh Yese we can" Not put together a working budget for America, Not even ONE that has been approved. More continuing resolutions, with NO FOCUS and NO future.
how much are they paying you to lie, greg?
11/06/12 The END OF AN ERROR
C'mon, Greg. How much is Mitt paying you. No one can be that stupid.
If you think Mexico is a great place to work and live, with low regulations and great living/working conditions - vote republiklown. We'll be just like that within 8 years.
This can NOT get any richer! I'm almost doubled over laughing!
So what are you saying?....Because he has a few relatives in Mexico that illegal immigration should be ok ?? What is so unusual or ironic about this story ? Nothing ....
Soooo...why does he want to end the dreams of the millions of kids who would benefit by the Dream Act? Another reason why he'll never get elected... Mexican ancestry, but doesn't give a crap about millions of Hispanic kids, born here but who happened to have illegal parents