Oh, the freepers are gonna LOVE this: South-of-border family reveals Romney's Mexican roots [View all]

[Amerigo Vespucci]

http://rockcenter.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/06/10005266-mitt-romneys-family-in-mexico-reveals-candidates-heritage-south-of-border

Mitt Romney's family in Mexico reveals candidate's heritage south of border
Fri Jan 6, 2012 11:51 AM EST

By 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.”