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BEDFORD, N.H. -- Speaking before a crowd of more than 150 supporters Tuesday night, GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney laid out a stark choice of visions for America and said the selection of the next president is a matter of choosing America's destiny.
"This America of long unemployment lines and small dreams is not the America you and I love. It is not a live free or die America. These troubled years are President Obama’s legacy, but they are not our future," Romney said. "This is an election not to replace a president but to save a vision of America, It’s a choice between two destinies."
The remarks were the clearest articulation yet of Romney's "closing argument," which the former Massachusetts governor has been test-driving for weeks. It proposes that America must choose between a society based on entitlements under President Barack Obama, or a society based on merit, risk and growth, under Romney’s leadership.
"In a merit-based society, people achieve their dreams through hard work, education, risk-taking, and even a little luck. An opportunity society produces pioneers and inventors; it inspires its citizens to build and create. As these people exert effort and take risks, they employ and lift others and create prosperity. Their success does not make others poorer, it makes others better off," Romney said. "President Obama sees America differently. He believes in an entitlement society."
Romney called an entitlement society one in which everyone is more equal, but everyone is worse off.
"President Obama’s entitlement society would demand a massive growth of government. To preserve opportunity, we must shrink government, not grow it," Romney said.
The speech, which was lit and staged with television cameras in mind, did not mention any of Romney's GOP rivals, focusing on Romney’s vision and on Obama.
"I have a vision of a very different America, an America united not by our limits but by our ambitions, our hopes and our shared dreams. I am tired of a president who wakes up every day, looks out across America and is proud to announce, ‘It could be worse.’ It could be worse?" Romney asked rhetorically. "Is that what it means to be an American? It could be worse? No. If I am president I will wake up every day and remind Americans that not only must we do better but also that we can do better! I believe in America!"
Romney later accused Obama of inverting President John F. Kennedy's famous call to service.
"President Barack Obama has reversed John Kennedy's call for sacrifice. He would have Americans ask, ‘What can the country do for you?’" Romney said.
Within an hour of the speech's conclusion, Obama campaign press secretary Ben LaBolt issued a statement defending the president's record and argued that Romney's stated positions were a smokescreen for an agenda designed to help only Wall Street and the most well-to-do.
“Only a candidate like Mitt Romney could give a speech like this with a straight face. Governor Romney claims to want to level the playing field to create opportunity, but all his policies do is stack the deck against the middle class. He has repackaged the same policies that caused the economic crisis and led to the insecurity middle class families have been facing," LaBolt said. "The president is fighting to build an economy where hard work and responsibility are rewarded, everyone plays by the same rules whether on Wall Street or Main Street, and economic security for the middle class is restored.”
Romney, who recent polls show is now locked in a dead heat with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich nationally, is on a four-day, 10-stop bus tour across New Hampshire, his most vital early primary state, to sell his message and to attempt to solidify his formidable lead here. Next week, he'll be in Iowa for a three-day swing.
After the official speech ended and the applause died down, Romney re-took the microphone Tuesday night to urge his supporters to begin the hard work of actually turning out the votes in New Hampshire.
"We don't have a long time to go," Romney told the crowd, urging them to make calls and talk to their friends.
"We want to win in New Hampshire," he said.
Leave a Comment:
That's a great speech. If only he would stick to that message, he might garner support of the so-far-un-enthused.
That the Obama campaign immediately mocks the concepts Romney points out in that single paragraph says a lot about how differently each side feels about the American people.
Leveling the playing field is not on Romney's agenda. He could care less about the middle class or how long the unemployment lines are. He made a promise to grover norquist to keep the tax cuts for the wealthy, and he means to keep that promise for his own good and that of his cronies. It's still a little soon for closing argument mittens. Your party doesn't like you.
Mitt, you have the guts to say that you are unemployed. Which house were you staying in when that occurred to you? You are totally out of touch with what is going on out there. You intend to destroy the safety net and dump a record number of people into poverty. That is the sacrifice you are talking about, isn't it? You heartless *$#!!!
The number of Americans living in poverty has already jumped to in excess of 15% - the highest level since the 50's. And that's happened on your guy's watch.
Think Progress: Because Romney’s income is almost exclusively derived from what are qualified as investments (he recently said he has no income that qualifies for the personal income tax), he is able to drive his tax rate to absurdly low levels for someone making as much as he does. Citizens for Tax Justice estimated that Romney pays about a 14 percent tax rate, below the level at which many middle-class families are paying. And he’s paying that low rate on money made via dismantling companies and eliminating jobs.
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Romney has zero business running for the presidency. President Obama is still in his first term, working day and night trying to turn things around because of people like Romney.
I think the American people are going to re-elect the president. There is so much negativity out there. But when you look at everybody, whether it be the Republicans, the internet, the tv, the ads, the newspapers, etc., - all the people who had something to say - the American people are going to realize that President Obama was consistent, he was mature, he was warm, he was intelligent and most of all, he worked his tail off.
And at the end of the day the one thing most people in this country appreciate - especially the working and middle classes - are the blood, sweat & tears - those who put forth 100% effort - day in, day out. It always shows. The effort is quiet, it is consistent, it is steady. And we see it.
They may not win the Super Bow (get everything they wanted), but you respect them because they gave it all. And President Obama is doing that, more so than any other person in this country.
So many people have sort of sat in the back seat the last 3 years and just ridiculed every GD thing that comes to mind - you hear and see them day in, day out - yet they themselves haven't lifted a finger. Their excuses are plentiful though.
With the Obama Administration you get no excuses. There is no need for any.
They just keep working. While the GOP did nothing at such a critical time is our history. That's Romney.
America is paying attention.
If you didn't notice, it was the last guy who dumped this in the lap of my guy, and your financial services firm is in the center of the mess. It was firms like yours who put people on the streets and the unemployment lines. Romney wants to protect firms like yours at the expense of the middle class and poor. You have no valid point to make here.
Gosh, Pat. It's so interesting how perceptions are different. You see President Obama working "his tail" off for the American people...blood, sweat and tears......100%. I see the President dismissive, and incredibly annoyed that getting everyone to sign on to his ideas is such a huge pain in his patooty.
Compared to regular people pouring concrete in the steaming heat of the summer, finishing roads in 20 degree temperatures, police officers dodging bullets, firefighters storming into a burning building, miners hoping to go home at the end of the day wet with sweat and covered in carbon and silt, or workers pulling scrap in the heat of the furnaces in the steel mill, hoping not to slip into the splitter and die, I think the President has a pretty cushy job. Thinking otherwise, in my opinion, is disrespectful those people who are actually working their tails off.
You perceive the President as working solely for the good of the American people. I see him irritated and wishing he could just make a few speeches and win another four years.
The Obama Administration has nothing but excuses.
However, we can agree on one thing. America is paying attention.
Wayne. Really? Not one Democrat signed onto any legislation, any deregulation, or instituted any policy that contributed to the financial mess? Not one? Really?
Actually, my firm survived the mess. Without one layoff. Not one.
Now Candy,
Don't start romanticizing the common working man and his sacrifice. You are not a part of that. I did my 20 as a firefighter with the scars and bad lungs and the satisfaction of a career in public service to show for it. The president is working for the good of the American people. You and your company are working for your own good. Why don't you go out there and bust your butt in a public service job. You will experience all of the sacrifices you discussed above and risk unemployment because of the financial debacle launched by "W" and firms like yours.
Wayne. You were a firefighter? I have an incredible amount of respect for the job that you do - or did. Very few would rush in while others rush out. You, as a firefighter, are far braver and bolder than our Congressmen and Senators and President. I think most of them would admit that themselves.
I didn't always work in this industry. That's how I know what "regular working folks" do. Don't make so many assumptions, Wayne. (You may be perceived as a bit pretentious....and it's only the non-public servants that are pretentious, right?)
Wayne,
Good to know you were a firefighter. So many people on the right ridicule those whose work revolves around providing valuable community service, rather than scrambling for every dollar they can get their hands on. Spanky comes to mind. They seem not to realize that the money they earn would not be possible were it not for the organic net of the community. I'll read your posts with more background context now.
Thank you Candice and Jack. I was reluctant to give any personal invormation. I am tired of seeing those in public service blamed for the recession and seeing their unions hounded, and the value of their service minimalized. I am in a different career now, but am still in public service and making use of the degree I worked for in my youth. I am proud of my service and even more proud of my brothers and sisters who continue to protect the public, often in extremely adverse conditions. God bless them and their families!
Candice is correct this president has miserably failed the country on his watch!!!!!
Romney was born with a silver spoon in his mouth! What's he know about hard work and risk taking? As Tip O'Neill said of Dan Quayle, he was born on third base and thought he'd hit a triple!!
Oh and because he is rich he will not know how to fix the economy, you are wrong he made his money, so he knows how to create wealth not create debt like Obama!!!
Think Progress:
Appearing on PBS last night with Charlie Rose, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney suggested President Obama is risking the very prosperity of the country and the middle class when he criticizes Wall Street and insurance executives:
ROMNEY: He has been the most divisive president I’ve ever seen. He has attacked one American after another, one group after another. He creates these straw men and says that Republicans believe this terrible thing, and aren’t they awful. He went after insurance company executives, Wall Street, all these bad people he finds out there. Look, Americans are not going to be a powerful and vibrant economic engine with a powerful middle class if we attack one another.
Romney doesn’t seem to be concerned with whether there’s any merit to Obama’s criticisms or not; he objects to the mere fact that the president would criticize anyone. For instance, Romney’s defense ignores the fact that Wall Street helped cause the financial crisis and ensuring recession. Obama’s main “attack” on Wall Street was the Dodd-Frank financial reform law, which has hardly hurt the industry.
Of course, Romney himself made hundreds-of-million of dollars in a Wall Street-like investment company. Asked about that company, Bain Capital, later in the interview, Romney said that attacking Bain for laying off thousands of workers is almost tantamount to an attack on capitalism itself:
ROSE: Did you sometimes destroy jobs [at Bain]?
ROMNEY: I’m sure the administration will use every weapon they can think of, some will be accurate, some inaccurate. [But] if they attack the free-enterprise system and capitalism, I think they’ll find themselves on the short end of that argument. I am proud of the fact in the years when I was at the firm that I helped found, Bain capital, every investment we made was designed to grow the enterprise and make it more successful.
The comments likely won’t help Romney beat the rap off being “Mr. 1 percent.”
*********************
Odds & Ends picked up by The Obama Diary:
Washington Post: Unemployment rates fell in 43 states in November, the most number of states to report such declines in eight years.
Housing starts jumped 9.3% month-over-month to 685k, smashing expectations.
WSJ: The Obama administration has approved a pair of renewable energy projects being developed on public lands in Arizona and California.
The Jewish Daily Forward: Top-level Jewish fundraisers from President Obama’s 2008 campaign are sticking with the president in 2012.
CNN: President Barack Obama’s approval rating is on the rise …. In a CNN/ORC International Poll out Tuesday 49% of Americans approve of the job Obama’s doing in the White House, up five points from last month, with 48% saying they disapprove, down six points from mid-November …. The 49% approval rating is the president’s highest since May, when his number hit 54% thanks to a bounce following the killing of Osama bin Laden.
********************************
None of this matters. Romney got rich off of Bain, hasn't had a job since he was the gov. of MA and now is running for the presidency. Again.
He has nothing else to do. So he just campaigns and campaigns and campaigns. And says nothing.
President Obama just works. Tirelessly. For the American people.
Bain and a small group of investors bought Dade in 1994 with mostly borrowed money, limiting their risk. They extracted cash from the company at almost every turn — paying themselves nearly $100 million in fees, first for buying the company and then for helping to run it. Later, just after Mr. Romney stepped down from his role, Bain took $242 million out of the business in a transaction that, according to bankruptcy documents and several former Dade officials, weakened the company.
Even some people who benefited from that payday and found it reasonable at the time now question it. “You would have to say, looking back, that it was too large, because it pushed us into bankruptcy,” said Robert W. Brightfelt, a former Dade president who collected more than $1 million. (NY Times 11/12/2011).
barry@star-telegram.com
Thirteen people -- including an Irving executive, a Houston attorney and men allegedly linked to the East Coast Lucchese crime family -- have been charged with using extortion to take over Irving-based FirstPlus Financial Group, then maneuvering to acquire firms at inflated prices and drain assets in a scheme that cost shareholders $12 million, the U.S. Justice Department said.
The 25-count, 108-page indictment, unsealed today in Camden, N.J., said that Nicodermo S. Scarfo and Salvatore Pelullo, both with purported Cosa Nostra ties, seized control of the publicly-traded mortgage company in 2007.
Scarfo is the son of Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo, the imprisoned octogenarian boss of the Philadelphia-area mob who was named as an unindicted co-conspirator.
The point is that Mitts' acquired Dade Pharmaceuticals, a viable company, loaded it up with debt, looted it and dumped the carcass into bankruptcy court. For this he is touted as an job creator.
The Lucchese crime family did essentially the same thing and they get indited by the Feds.
Not claiming that Mitts was engaged in organized crime, just noting that he used the same business model as organized crime, except he did it legally.
I suspect the Dems have already filmed the TV commercial on this.
Bain and a small group of investors bought Dade in 1994 with mostly borrowed money, limiting their risk. They extracted cash from the company at almost every turn — paying themselves nearly $100 million in fees, first for buying the company and then for helping to run it. Later, just after Mr. Romney stepped down from his role, Bain took $242 million out of the business in a transaction that, according to bankruptcy documents and several former Dade officials, weakened the company.
Even some people who benefited from that payday and found it reasonable at the time now question it. "You would have to say, looking back, that it was too large, because it pushed us into bankruptcy," said Robert W. Brightfelt, a former Dade president who collected more than $1 million. (NY Times 11/12/2011).
barry@star-telegram.com
Thirteen people have been charged with using extortion to take over Irving-based FirstPlus Financial Group, then maneuvering to ...acquire firms at inflated prices and drain assets in a scheme that cost shareholders $12 million, the U.S. Justice Department said.
The 25-count, 108-page indictment, unsealed today in Camden, N.J., said that Nicodermo S. Scarfo and Salvatore Pelullo, both with purported Cosa Nostra ties, seized control of the publicly-traded mortgage company in 2007.
Scarfo is the son of Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo, the imprisoned octogenarian boss of the Philadelphia-area mob who was named as an unindicted co-conspirator. (Star-Telegram 11/1/2011)
The point is that Mitts' acquired Dade Pharmaceuticals, a viable company, loaded it up with debt, looted it and dumped the carcass into bankruptcy court. For this he is touted as an job creator.
The Lucchese crime family did essentially the same thing (for much less loot) and they get indited by the Feds.
Not claiming that Mitts was engaged in organized crime, just noting that he used the same business model as organized crime, except he did it legally.
I suspect the Dems have already filmed the TV commercial on this.
Bain and a small group of investors bought Dade in 1994 with mostly borrowed money, limiting their risk. They extracted cash from the company at almost every turn — paying themselves nearly $100 million in fees, first for buying the company and then for helping to run it. Later, just after Mr. Romney stepped down from his role, Bain took $242 million out of the business in a transaction that, according to bankruptcy documents and several former Dade officials, weakened the company.
Even some people who benefited from that payday and found it reasonable at the time now question it. “You would have to say, looking back, that it was too large, because it pushed us into bankruptcy,” said Robert W. Brightfelt, a former Dade president who collected more than $1 million. (NY Times 11/12/2011).
barry@star-telegram.com
Thirteen people -- including an Irving executive, a Houston attorney and men allegedly linked to the East Coast Lucchese crime family -- have been charged with using extortion to take over Irving-based FirstPlus Financial Group, then maneuvering to acquire firms at inflated prices and drain assets in a scheme that cost shareholders $12 million, the U.S. Justice Department said.
The 25-count, 108-page indictment, unsealed today in Camden, N.J., said that Nicodermo S. Scarfo and Salvatore Pelullo, both with purported Cosa Nostra ties, seized control of the publicly-traded mortgage company in 2007.
Scarfo is the son of Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo, the imprisoned octogenarian boss of the Philadelphia-area mob who was named as an unindicted co-conspirator.
The point is that Mitts' acquired Dade Pharmaceuticals, a viable company, loaded it up with debt, looted it and dumped the carcass into bankruptcy court. For this he is touted as an job creator.
The Lucchese crime family did essentially the same thing and they get indited by the Feds.
Not claiming that Mitts was engaged in organized crime, just noting that he used the same business model as organized crime, except he did it legally.
I suspect the Dems have already filmed the TV commercial on this.
Somewhere along the line, President Obama's advisors forgot to advise him that once the Presidential election is won, the President is supposed to lead the entire country --- not just the part of the country that belongs to his party. The President criticizes everyone. Seriously, that's all he does. He wags his finger and demonizes people, parties, groups and industries. He forgets that American citizens make up those groups and parties. When he bashes groups, he bashes Americans. And people, quite frankly, are growing tired of it. His condescending behavior is unbecoming of a leader.
Obviously, the author of the Think Progress article hasn't a clue of the impact of Frank-Dodd. I work in the financial services industry, and many of the insane rules set forth in this legislation are.....well --- insane. The first 300 pages is costing my firm in excess of $20 million the first year - and will every year following.
Candice
The "not ready for prime time" Financial Industry executives demonstrated they could not differentiate between "legal" and "prudent". Unfortunately, the public was dragged into writing regulations to teach them the difference. There is no evidence that the Industry has come to Jesus.
Call it insane regulation if you like, but the Industry brought it upon themselves. America cannot afford the rogue practices of the business as usual Financial Services Industry. Deal with it.
Who on earth is going to cry crocodile tears for you Candace, and the financial services industry? 20 mill is drop in the bucket for the misery your industry has inflicted on the people of this country!
LoyalTexan. You're right that a lot of industry executives did not differentiate between "legal" and "prudent." I am in no way providing excuses here. Cycles come and go. We have periods of Boom, nearly always followed by Busts. Everyone hops on board the Boom times, only to get crushed in the Bust.
That's everyone. The executives. The legislators. The mortgage brokers. The home buyers. The property flippers. The Fed.
There were plenty of factors that led to the crisis. The truth is that the regulators turned a blind eye. The SEC in particular, I think, were focusing on the wrong issues instead of the issues that ultimately brought down the global economy.
And through the "wisdom" and lack of foresight we experience from our legislators and regulators, what was too lax on the one extreme is now too harsh on the other. The Government loses control and then strangles with a tight grip. The Government has not the wherewithal to address issues to avoid collapse - they are only capable of reacting. Usually overreacting at that.
Seriously. Some of the crazy things we have to do now because of Dodd-Frank --- are just crazy. Few of the new policies would have prevented the meltdown.
Wayne.
No. Please don't cry for me. Sounds like since you're using all your tears on yourself, you'd have none to spare anyway. :-)
Candy,
Man, you are cold! There is clearly nothing that anyone can say to you to make you consider the needs of others. I gave at the office. How about you?
Wayne. I didn't mean to be cold. I do consider the needs of others - more than you can possibly know.
And that's why I've turned away from supporting the President. He promised to help fix things, to unite, to lift up and to make a difference. But people are still suffering. And suffering too long. Lives should have improved by now. All lives. Don't you agree?
Candice
Do you intend to make the argument that the "Financial Regulators" were too lax during the period of Industry Malfeasance as a reason that the public oversight should not be strengthened? I 100% agree that the Government is the least desirable arbiter of business practices and it is a shame that it has come to this. Unless you have a better alternative than "repeal dodd-frank", we have to agree to disagree.
Also, I don't buy the argument that since it's everybody's fault, it's nobody's fault.
Loyal, I do intend to make the argument that the "Financial Regulators" were too lax during the period of industry malfeasance. More so, their priorities and areas of focus were misdirected. Laws and rules were already in place that, had they been enforced, a lot of the calamity would have been avoided (naked short selling, for example - among other rules). Should public oversight be strengthened? Absolutely. The Government, however, tends to under-act and then overreact and they make up rules that are redundant or off focus.
(Just one small example: There's been a long, long time rule that I have to keep copies of all incoming and outgoing correspondence - regardless of pertinence. (I have to even keep copies of posty notes). I think that's a sound, reasonable and common sense practice. Now with Frank-Dodd, not only do I have to keep copies of correspondence and posty notes, I also have to keep a log of each piece of paper or note that comes in the mail or that goes out. It's redundant. Such a log can easily be "fixed," can't it?" It's time consuming, uncontrolled and a duplication of policies already in place.
Can you see how sometimes the Legislature makes rules just to make rules without thinking things through? Dodd-Frank is full of stuff like that.)
I wouldn't demand Dodd-Frank be repealed, but they should revisit it with clear and practical mindsets.
If you discount all of the factors that contribute to a crisis, dismiss the ones you choose, and deem only one or two factors (out of many) responsible, you'll likely make some changes or adjustments but you'll miss the rare chance to fix the entire problem for the future.
Romney and Paul will be the top two finishers. My guess is Paul on top but not predicting. Don't mean much since Huckelberry won Iowa last time around
Is it me or do Willard and Butt-head of Beavis and Butt-head look like they were separated at birth?
Forgive me Candace,
I can't see myself crying for your financial services firm. Dodd- Frank is there to protect us from firms like yours, the folks who made this mess. It does my heart good to see your industry is being forced to contribute something back for the disaster it has created.
America still isn't buying it Mitt...your Anti American views are evident..and your anti science views will kill medical research in the disease field ....Your a Bushy in disguise ... A 12 million dollar home in LaJolla...your not a man of the people ...
Mitt uses JFK inaugural quote. Hey Mitt, did you volunteer your service for your country during Vietnam? No. Which of your five sons has served in the military? Not one.
Mitt the hypocrite.
To me this election is less about conservative vs liberal. It is about who has the problem solving skills to get the country back on its feet. Romney and Cain are the only ones that have those skills and Cain is obviously out so Romney is the only one with the skills left in the race.
our current president brought us back from the brink and we are seeing a recovering economy as we speak.
Mitt Romney likes the policies that got us in this mess in the first place
Romney has the skills? Which skills, the skills other business men who were president possessed? I am certain that he does possess those skills and would be as successful as they were...George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter and Herbert Hoover.
Well Obama had no skills and he has proven it over and over and over.......get out from under your rock!
Check his total record so far as president,Ditto Head..
SINCE Romney brought it up let us com-pair the two , Romney one wife , Romney the liar , ( the latest ad is nothing but lies ) a man who will lie to be President will lie as President
Newt three wives ,Wife number one , still alive , She wanted the divorce , She was also one of Newts high school teachers ( ? that ) wife number two was involved in unethical if not criminal activities of which Newt was cleared of having any knowledge of ,until he came under investigation be cause of these activities by wife number two , JUSTIFIED DIVORCE ,
The NEWT obama debates are going to make history World history as the greatest debates of all time , NEWT with the peoples solutions obama with his failed leadership and failed policies
with the amount of damage Romney has personally done to the middle class, he insults our intelligence to even speak of helping or defending it. this guy is the quintessential politician who will say whatever he thinks will get him elected but when given the chance, turned thousands of families out in to the cold to benefit his own interests.
Mitt Romney is the definition of a flip-flopper and will make decisions only to save his own skin.
and that is why republicans and democrats should avoid him
This is in response to the Republican Idea that the election will be between "Newt's claim Entittlement vs paycheck" and " Romney's Merit vs Entitlement"
What neither is willing to address is that the cards are stacked against middle America and have been for a long, long time.
GOP's Plan for Job Creators - Please note this isn't a plan to increase Jobs; jobs so desparately needed in America for all Americans it's a plan to Help the Job Creators.
I urge you to Download the plan; specifically page 8 - where they are so arrogant that they want to make it easier for Foreigners to come to America under a visa program to Work.
This is no joke....not one thing in the plan specifically to help an American out of work...but to specifically to put Foreigners to work.
Between Bain Consulting Turn and Burn, Newt's lack of ethics neither are an intelligent choice.
Not if you value America.