SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) There's an Olympic battle brewing between Mitt Romney and British Prime Minister David Cameron.
It was a comment Romney made about security at the London Olympics that set the prime minister off.
On Wednesday, Romney told NBC that it was unclear whether the issues that have plagued the final preparations for the London Games could be overcome.
Romney said London’s Olympic preparations were "disconcerting" and also stated, "It’s hard to know just how well it will turn out."
Cameron later suggested that Romney had a much easier time overseeing the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City because they took place in "the middle of nowhere."
The Salt Lake City Mayor's office responded in kind, saying "While those of us who have had the fortune of visiting London know it is certainly a wonderful city, Prime Minister Cameron's comments likely reflect his lack of familiarity with Salt Lake City."
The comment was
posted to Buzzfed by Art Raymond, a spokesman for Mayor Ralph Becker.
"We'd welcome the opportunity to share all that we enjoy here with the PM, including a great number of assets that you'd be hard-pressed to find in London-world-class outdoor recreation, an economy that has prospered even through the recent economic recession, one of the best-educated populations in the world and a rare sense of community and commitment to progressive evolution," the statement continued. "We also hosted the most successful Olympics Winter Games, ever."
Becker added one more addendum to the British PM: "He can stop by any time. We'd love to have him and are happy to send a map so he doesn't run into any trouble locating the middle of nowhere."
After meeting on Thursday with Cameron, Romney backed off his earlier comment, and said he thinks the games will be "highly successful."
