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WEST COLUMBIA, SC -- Presidential hopeful Rick Santorum on Wednesday hit his Republican rivals for their critiques of frontrunner Mitt Romney's record at Bain Capital, calling their criticisms of the former Massachusetts governor an attack on capitalism.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Gov. Rick Perry have used Romney's time at the investment firm to portray him as a business tycoon who fired scores of workers for his own profit. But Santorum likened such attacks to what he called the anti-capitalism rhetoric President Obama has used to attack America's most financially successful corporate leaders. Rhetoric, Santorum says, that has stalled the economy and put the country's free market system into question.
"It’s this hostile rhetoric, which unfortunately - I don't want to stand here and be a defender of Mitt Romney, but unfortunately even some in our party now, even some running for president will engage in with respect to capitalism," Santorum said to a town hall of nearly 200 people. "It is bad enough for Barack Obama to blame folks in business for causing problems in this country. It’s one other thing for Republicans to join him."
While others seeking the GOP nomination see Romney's time at Bain and recent comments that he enjoys the ability to fire people as an opening for political attacks, the former Pennsylvania senator has not piled on. Even when prodded by reporters to take a shot, Santorum instead has only said he believes in the economic model that allows people to be successful.
However, that does not mean Santorum has shied away from taking jabs at Romney. The candidate trying to portray himself as the only true conservative in the race has elected to use Romney's record as a governor, not a businessman, to go on the offensive.
"The other side is going to look at my record and look at Gov. Romney's record on health care and say, 'You want to attack me on health care? Who are you to attack me on something that I used your plan to build my health care method?'" said Santorum. "He's taking away the biggest issue that we have in this election."
The former Pennsylvania senator arrived in South Carolina on Wednesday coming off a fifth place finish in the New Hampshire primary, where he told those here not to look at his ultimate finish, but how dramatically he improved in his poll numbers since last month.
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"Capitalism" thats what you call Corporate Raiding, firing thousands of people and destroying lives in the 1% social circles...
Now even more of the 99% are getting it....
Generation X-Cess....The worst People America has produced in the last 70 years
And Santorum is such an expert on capitalism? Croney Capitalism maybe...
In 2006, Santorum was voted one of the 3 most corrupt Senators for numerous examples of selling his votes in the Senate. Mit must be sooo happy to have his support...
According to Mitt, people are envious of him because of his wealth. Yet I can say, quite honestly, for all the money in the World I wouldn't want to be a shallow dweeb like him.
Was there actually someone named Bain at Mitt's company, or did they think it shouldn't be named "Bane Capitol"?
Talk about yer 'Devil with a Blue Sweater Vest'!
Newscover...Bingo! You hit the nail squarely on the head...Covering all his bases.They all have skeletons in the proverbial closets,with maybe the exception of Ron Paul,yea right.You don't get into position to run for office of Prez without steppin on somebody's toes....Blah,blah,blah...
Romney has lived only the privileged life and therefore has no conception of greed being a bad thing.......it is his family's mantra. .......greed is good and more greed is better.
Actually don't understand the money fever.....living comfortably is one thing but amassing huge fortunes for jollies is beyond me.
I predict a Romney/Santorum ticket in the future. Being a liberal... I like it.
I don't blame anyone for making money legally. But to say Romney is a entrepreneur is inaccurate. I've personally dealt with venture capital firms, they provide a needed service but they are not your friends. Their intent is to make as much money as possible as quickly as possible with no regard (no value judgement there) for the carnage or success they leave behind.
They are high-risk, high-return bankers. Nothing more. Not a bad thing, but also nothing to be idolized.
Certainly not anything that provides any more qualification to be president than just about any other profession.
Willard Romney is a vulture capitalist and a jobs cremator.
Capitalism needs to be attacked! We found Godless Communism; only to discover Godless Capitalism is what we have today.
Capitalism works best in a mixed economy where the benefits are allowed flourish and the inherent corruption and excesses are contained by government. As much as business complains about excessive regulation, there is actually not enough regulation of how financial institutions and corporations (which are, despite the SCOTUS, NOT people) manipulate money and use money to manipulate government.
Attacks on Romney are not attacks on capitalism. They are attacks on corrupt capitalism.
Very well said Anita.
Just another classic example of how making money at ALL COSTS , regardless of the wreckage and trail of economic road-kill it leaves behind.... there is good capitalism and and then there's the way Williard Mitt Romney makes money, when he's not inheriting a Billion dollars and leaving his kids a billion dollars ... this man has NEVER gotten his hands dirty doing REAL WORK that 98 percent of Americans are familiar with ..
People have their definitions of socialism totally skewed. Everyone likes to make a buck... that's what capitalism is supposed to be right? What the tightie righties are bitching about is really 'fairism'... they're scared that if the playing field is leveled, they'll lose their edge... which chances are, they attained through stomping on other peoples lives in one way or the other anyway.
The wealthy and the christian right are wrong. Their twisted vision is NOT what this country is supposed to be. All you want to do is slam the lid on the great Melting Pot that is/was America.
You're all Sunday afternoon anarchists without the true attitude and street smarts to back it up.
If we really had capitalism then there would be no need for bailouts!!!!! Insider trading and federal reserve no interest loans are not capitalism. What a bunch of bull!!!
I'm pretty sure anyone who has amassed a 250 million dollar fortune in business without having a product to manufacture has not got it all legally or morally!!!!
Legally, probably...morally, doubtful. But capitalism isn't about morality.
This is the strange *contortions & torment* of the *new right-wing* ... thats is, the establishment conservatives faking like they're not neocons and tea baggers faking like they're not neocons ... who want you to believe there's no difference between *Your Rights to Do* & *Do the Right Thing*
Do you have to be some kind of insane person to understand Willard ? ....
"I want individuals to have their own insurance.
That means the insurance company will have an incentive to keep you healthy. It also means that if you don't like what they do, you could fire them."
This makes sense how ? (is this some kind of subliminal rant to the Ryan Plan) and he actually said this at time of Tea Bag Death Panels ?
This shows Romney is now forced back into his practice of *Panache* ... that is, *the fast-food, slick-ass, Persian bazaar manner* he used to bedazzle investors and banks to borrow for his Leveraged Buyouts ...
... a frantic position given the heat coming from the other candidates ... and where Obama is closely watching Romneys *gobbledygook as desperate retorts* to maintain his *capitalism is great* to defend against the now defunct hysteria that *Obama is a European socialist* (remember when Obama was a socialist / communist / national socialist facist muslim terrorist with a bone through his nose ?) .... as we go into the 2012 general election ...
This is the last thing Romney wants since it *unveils* the Republican *never war on each other in front of the enemy* as a kind of Norquist pledge ... because it does in fact *embolden the enemy* by divulging secrets and weaknesses to be used against them ...
They can do this you see because Bush never existed ... neither did Clinton ... but Reagan did ... odd isn't it ? Bush & Clinton are still amongst us but Reagan is long dust ...
:nutzo:
Why would ANYONE criticize capitalism? After all, everything is goign so well for the great unwashed, uninitiated masses.
Nobody is unemployed.
Nobody is broke
Nobody has lost their home.
Nobody is without medical coverage
Nobody's 401(k) inadequate.
Nobody's pension has been raped by politicians or corporate biggies.
Nobody's job was exported.
Nobody's kid was killed in a stupid, immoral, unfunded foreign war while looking for WMDs that never existed. And, if they did, that's what patriots do.
The military-industrial complex doesn't promote foreign wars in order to prop up their revenue streams.
Energy companies and other large corporations don't promote foreign wars just so they can steal other countries' natural resources.
Other countries admire America and reap the many benefits of our foreign policy. Their leaders can get rich just like OUR leaders get rich.
Politicians don't cheat on their wives
Politicians don't ever lie to us. They LOVE us.
Politicians actually believe all that religious stuff they spout about being their brother's keeper.
Politicians actually believe that stuff about feeding the hungry and providing shelter for the homeless and improving education and helping minorities and looking out for the poor, the old and the weak.
Republikans are right when they accuse unemployed workers of being SLACKERS.
That's right. KAPITALISM is everyone's best friend especially the way it's being practised these days. It ranks right up there with Jesus. As a matter of fact, Jesus was a republikan.
So, ignorant fools - don't believe anytyhing you hear about Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich or Rick Sanatorium. They're the GOOD GUYS. They're trying to bring back the very political party that brought you this recession. Now, I ask you, Can that be bad?
What planet is Santorum from. Who the hell does he think started the never ending export of good paying American jobs oversees. It was wall street never ending greed for larger and larger corporate profits. If a company cant meet its profit projections wall street buries the company. CEO's will do anything to keep their obscene salary packages. Romney and his investment banker friends had no problem eliminating and shipping jobs overseas in order to profit themselves. They dont give a crap about the middle class American worker. So any allegiance to the american worker is long gone. Greed is the only god these people know.
It is well understood by economists that, there is no one, single economic or political structure that works equally well for every country. Could it be that America has reached the point where, in order to secure justice for it's citizens, its economic model needs to be 'adjusted'?
If we keep on this way, we will simply re-enter the Age of Feudalism.
Pete
You may want to rethink about which party "brought this recession". I subscribe to both parties getting us to where we are, since these are the only two parties we've had for sometime. But if you believe the Democrats have no responsibility for the recession, then I challenge you to look into the government handling of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Actually, both parties did have a hand in it but, the republikans were OVERWHELMINGLY more responsible for the exporting of jobs, lobbying for trade agreements that would reward them for going global and executing that globalization faster than our economy could adjust to it.
The republikans are the party of big business and the demokrats are the party of labor. There are some exceptions but that's their history.
Pete
Jobs are being exported because it is so much cheaper to manufacture anywhere else. As a nation we had been fortunate to afford the highest wages and benefits in the world. But as the global economy has grown, so has the competition, and we're one of the more expensive places to be.
Trade agreements have been pushed by both parties. Personally, I feel NAFTA, passed after some Clinton tweeking, contributed to our immigration issues. Free trade is good thing, but again, if we're not competitive, it's better for business to produce elsewhere and sell here. As a consumer, I avoid Walmart, Home Depot, and most box stores because they offer cheaper, albeit less expensive, merchandise. When I can't find made in USA, I try to buy North American. If more people could do this, the better off we'd be.
As for party alignments, I would agree with you. As far as labor goes, do we want more people working for less, or less people working for more? That is the new question. As for Unions, please note that unionization has decreased in the private sector and increased in the public sector. I would suggest that Unions actually fight to keep jobs, rather than fight for higher pay and benefits. Keep in mind that in this day and age, workers don't have to work in a sweat shop; and the "price" of unionization becomes a "labor tax" on business. Look at Boeing trying to hire new workers in S.C.
As for big business; certainly rules, regulation, and deregulation could be handled better. But when big business and Unions influence both parties, that's what we get.
Products made in China and exported to the US pay a tariff of 2.5%.
Products made in the US and exported to China, pay a tariff of 25%. Those tariffs go directly to the respective governments. The Chinese use theirs to buy our debt.
So, we pay them to finance our national debt with out money. In return for doing so, we provide them with much fuuller employment for it's people. The corporations who exported those jobs did it solely to make more money. Their products don't sell for any less than they ever did in this country.
I have no problem with globalization as long as the playing field is level - but, it's not level. People define the repudiation of those trade agreements as 'protectionism' and they're right. However, what we have now is ALSO protectionism except that we protecting the Chinese by sacrificing our own workers in order to prop up a Godless, communist regime.
Those jobs aren't coming back until the strongest military power that the world has ever seen figures out how to assemble a complete set of balls.
Pete
As business by volume increases, the pricing does fall. Unfortunately, the true cost is the loss of Main Street, small business, expertise, wages,...
Don't hold your breath waiting for that "testicular growth"... The good news is that China is experiencing our economic issues at a faster pace... Hopefully one of the two evens the playing field sooner than later.
Santorum could give 2 $hits about the attacks on Corporate Raider RoMoney...besides the attacks arent so much about RoMoney as they are really about the 1% as a whole
He is only taking this stance because his Campaign Manager thinks he can get a few extra votes if he sticks up for Corporate Raider RoMoney...
Santorum your google says it all...
Remember the Republican Party of Ronald Reagan – the party of optimist, the party of positives, the party of Morning in America. Look what it’s become – a glorified, third rate reality show. Today Republican candidates are acting like spoiled children, screaming at each other, calling each other one name after another and threatening law suits. Meanwhile – the only message they have to offer the American citizens is I hate Obama more than my opponent hates Obama.
If you take a look at the history of the national debt, you will find that the Perty of Ronald Reagan didn't even remain the Party of Ronald Reagan. He was largely responsible for beefing up our national debt in his second term and, with the exception of the Clinton Administration, the day Obama took office, republikans had added $9 trillion to it.
Willard Romney hates America, and he especially hates the middle class. He wants to destroy the middle class, and got a good start while at Bain.
Thermen Merman
Because he makes more money NOT running a thriving business? Are you aware of how many small companies are losing money while trying to NOT let employees go? That can only be done for so long.
Business take-over, splitting, and re-organizing has been around since there has been business. Unlike the government, business can't create debt as a product.