Mitt Romney’s money-making: It’s a virtue, not a vice

In his July 1 Sunday Opinion column, “Mitt Romney demands a retraction,” ombudsman Patrick B. Pexton asserted that Bain Capital, the private equity firm founded by presidential candidate Mitt Romney, “didn’t and doesn’t make anything.” Mr. Pexton couldn’t be more mistaken. Bain Capital, with Mr. Romney at the helm, made the most vital tool of all, the hallmark of virtue and the lifeblood of prosperity: It made money.

Mr. Pexton’s subtle jab is emblematic of the troubling, emerging narrative on Mr. Romney’s profit-seeking past. These constant condemnations reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of money. Contrary to the claims of the left, money is not the product of scheming, of luck or of force; money is the product of reason. Money and the wealth it represents are made possible only through the ambition and foresight of great men. Based on the money he’s made, Mr. Romney is a great man indeed.

If Mr. Romney is to be attacked, let him be attacked on the grounds of his political inconsistencies, his misguided policies and his social awkwardness. But let it not be for the money he’s made; let it not be for his virtues.

Jordan McGillis, Arlington