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TEXT: Romney's Race to the Flop
TEXT: Mitt Romney on Race to the Top - Floriad Town Hall in Miami Sept. 24, 2011

Romney: ...No, I think Secretary Duncan has done some good things.  He's the current Secretary of Education.  He for instance has a program called "Race to the Top" which encourages schools to have more choice, more testing of kids, more evaluation of teachers, those are things I think make some sense.

TEXT: The next day on national TV

[clip(s) from debate]
Perry: There's one person on this stage that is for Obama's "Race to the Top" and that is Gov. Romney.  He said so just this last week.  Being in favor of Obama's "Race to the Top" [bell] that is not conservative.
Baier: Did Gov. Perry say something that wasn't true?
Romney: I'm not sure exactly what he's saying.  I don't support any particular program that he's describing.

Romney (audio): "Race to the Top" which encourages schools to have more choice, more testing of kids, more evaluation of teachers, those are things I think make some sense.

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Notes: The press release:
Mitt Romney’s Race To The Flop
Different days, different venues, different Romney positions on Obama’s federal takeover of education

On issues important to American voters, Mitt Romney has never been known to stick to a position for long. As highlighted at the recent debate, he is finding it particularly easy to be both for and against President Obama’s national school testing and curriculum requirements known as Race to the Top.

Mr. Romney’s fluid positions are on display in the video, “Romney’s Race To The Flop,” available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59ftBud7lcw and http://www.youtube.com/user/perrytruthteam.

“Last week at a Florida town hall, Governor Romney praised President Obama’s Secretary of Education and the Obama Administration’s federal school mandates, then flip-flopped the very next day claiming he was against Obama’s school mandates,” said Perry spokesman Ray Sullivan. “His positions change as his audience and political climate changes.”

“Whether it’s government-mandated health insurance or federal encroachment on America’s public schools, Mr. Romney’s smooth delivery hides positions that change with the political climate. The next president needs to have strong conservative principles Americans can count on,” Sullivan said.

At a town hall in meeting in Florida, Romney strongly and articulately praised Obama’s federal takeover of education: “I think Secretary [Arne] Duncan has done some good things. He is the current Secretary of Education. He, for instance, has a program called Race to the Top which encourages schools to have more choice, more testing of kids, more evaluation of teachers. Those are things I think make, make some sense.”

The next night at the Florida GOP debate, when confronted by Gov. Perry about standing with Obama on Race to the Top, Romney denied his position: “I’m not sure exactly what he’s saying. I don’t support any particular program that he’s describing.”

Just yesterday, Mr. Romney was knocked for editing his book, No Apology, to remove his statement that Romneycare’s government mandated health insurance plan is a model for the nation. The paperback version of the book removed that phrase. At last week’s debate, Romney proudly explained that his words have meaning and were written down.

Given the constant flips and shifts, most of Mr. Romney’s words seem to have expiration dates.