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Subscribe to RSSAccording to the Florida GOP, more than 143,000 votes have already been cast in the Florida primary through absentee and early votes.
The total number is mostly made up of absentee votes, but early voting -- which Florida allows -- also makes up a small portion of the number. Per Florida GOP spokesman Brian Hughes, 138,043 votes have been cast via absentee ballot; 5,024 have been cast in early voting.
1.9 million Florida Republicans voted in the 2008 Florida primary.
The news comes on the same day that Iowa's Jan. 3 caucuses were thrown into question by a certification of results showing Rick Santorum pulling ahead of the once-declared victor, Mitt Romney. (Because of votes missing in eight precincts, NBC News won't declare a winner in that contest.)
The Miami Herald, putting salt in Iowa's wounds, notes today there have already been more votes cast early in Florida than the record-breaking total of 122,000 total cast cast in Iowa's caucuses.
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Well, color me impressed! lol
Wonder how many went to the three stooges who dropped out?
BFD!
This is what they want to toot their horn about?
Talk about begging for scraps...
Consider for a minute the difference in total population...
And 100,000 were seniors that wrote in, thanks to Bob …
NBO
Thanks to Bob?
One must wonder why not one of these candidates mentions George Bush. I would imagine if they want to trash one another they could mention him now and then.
Fiesty, at least they didn't have to give out cash and cigaretts like Acorn did.
And seriously, try going outside once in awile.
Newton Leroy Gingrich
First Wife Jackie Gingrich was his high school geomtry teacher.
She was 25 he was 16. Not pretty enough to be first lady. Did not want a divorce from Newt. Was recovering from having a beign tumor removed (uterine cancer surgery). Newt Did not want to pay alimory or child support. Having an affair with Marianne.
Second Wife Marianne a few months after being told she had Multiple sclerosis, Newt wanted an open marriage. While cheating with Callista.
Callista Gingrich a lifelong Roman Catholic, an account at Tiffany's, cheats for 8 years with a married man whose previous two wives Jackie with cancer (not wanting a divorce, because she not pretty enough to be first lady) and Newt cheating with Marianne Marianne with M/S.
Now the state of South Carolina votes for this person. Oh man this election will be fun.
Ron Paul votes to mysterious end up in Florida dumpsters, news at 10.
Ron who? Not sure who you're referring to... oh yeah, wasn't there some old geezer named Ron Pill babbling incoherently about legalizing drugs and destroying our military on TV the other night? No, I think that guy died or was sent to the loony bin or something. Pretty sure that was just some nut.
Yeah, the classic legalizing drugs argument, followed by a solid "He's a danger to our country, just ask the military"(oh wait! HAHAHAHAH) Your only two arguments against the Doctor are weak and either misinformed or stem from plain ignorance. No, no! Go ahead and try to legislate morality. Make every drug illegal, make thinking bad thoughts illegal. It'll work just like prohibition. If there's a law against it, and a huge percentage of taxes thrown into policing the activity you're sure to end its existence. The sad thing is you don't even think for yourself about these things. Step 1. Listen to the biased media saying that Ron Paul is loony. Step 2. Blindly repeat whatever they just said without any facts or thinking of any kind. Step 3. Don't listen to anybody refuting your (surrogate) ideas and call them "loony" too.
I wonder how many of those 143,000 votes were cast for Perry or Huntsman.
How are we sure that's the real vote? Think GOP vote count, think fraud.
Faud like this?
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/66227.html
Ah...those absentee ballots, often I wonder how many of these are going to parttime residents who are snowbirds and are also owners/part time residents in other states where they may also vote, thereby making it possible for voter fraud.
The GOP in Fl are very big on absentee ballots and participate in making sure they go out in very large numbers, and it makes me wonder why? Republicans are quick to claim their party members are more likely to go to the polls on voting day and therefore couldn't or wouldn't cheat. Those that suspect others of bad behaviour are very often guilty of same no matter the behaviour.
no joe- He resigned. Dems don't condole such indignified behavior that threatens our Democracy. In the case of Bush, no need retelling the story. GOP will do anything to win. We're already seeing it.
PEN-24, yeah, sure they do. That's was a half-dozen Demcrats are now being prosecuted for voter fraud in Upstate NY. And who can forget the Democrats front men in voter fraud, ACORN! Seems more Democrats over the years have been caught in voter fraud scams. Just ask the people of Chicago. Barry's home town seems to breed voter fraud. Like we're surprised by that. That's what community organizers do.
The citizens of the state of Florida thank you all so much for your kind words about us.
Oh, phinephancy! you just made me laugh. Isn't this fun?
Although it is not apparent on his financial disclosure form, Mitt Romney has millions of dollars of his personal wealth in investment funds set up in the Cayman Islands, a notorious Caribbean tax haven.
A spokesperson for the Romney campaign says Romney follows all tax laws and he would pay the same in taxes regardless of where the funds are based.
As the race for the Republican nomination heats up, Mitt Romneyis finding it increasingly difficult to maintain a shroud of secrecy around the details about his vast personal wealth, including, as ABC News has discovered, his investment in funds located offshore and his ability to pay a lower tax rate.
"His personal finances are a poster child of what's wrong with the American tax system," said Jack Blum, a Washington lawyer who is an authority on tax enforcement and offshore banking.
On Tuesday, Romney disclosed that he has been paying a far lower percentage in taxes than most Americans, around 15 percent of his annual earnings. It has been Romney's Republican rivals who have driven the tax issue onto center stage. For weeks, Romney has cited a desire for privacy as his reason for not sharing his tax returns -- a gesture of transparency that is now expected from presidential contenders.
"I can tell you we follow the tax laws," he said recently while on the campaign trail in New Hampshire. "And if there's an opportunity to save taxes, we like anybody else in this country will follow that opportunity."
But tax experts tell ABC News there are other reasons Romney may not want the public viewing his returns. As one of the wealthiest candidates to run for president in recent times, Romney has used a variety of techniques to help minimize the taxes on his estimated $250 million fortune. In addition to paying the lower tax rate on his investment income, Romney has as much as $8 million invested in at least 12 funds listed on a Cayman Islands registry. Another investment, which Romney reports as being worth between $5 million and $25 million, shows up on securities records as having been domiciled in the Caymans.
Official documents reviewed by ABC News show that Bain Capital, the private equity partnership Romney once ran, has set up some 138 secretive offshore funds in the Caymans.
Romney campaign officials and those at Bain Capital tell ABC News that the purpose of setting up those accounts in the Cayman Islands is to help attract money from foreign investors, and that the accounts provide no tax advantage to American investors like Romney. Romney, the campaign said, has paid all U.S. taxes on income derived from those investments.
"The tax consequences to the Romneys are the very same whether the fund is domiciled here or another country," a campaign official said in response to questions. "Gov. and Mrs. Romney have money invested in funds that the trustee has determined to be attractive investment opportunities, and those funds are domiciled wherever the fund sponsors happen to organize the funds."
Bain officials called the decision to locate some funds offshore routine, and a benefit only to foreign investors who do not want to be subjected to U.S. taxes.
Tax experts agree that Romney remains subject to American taxes. But they say the offshore accounts have provided him -- and Bain -- with other potential financial benefits, such as higher management fees and greater foreign interest, all at the expense of the U.S. Treasury. Rebecca J. Wilkins, a tax policy expert with Citizens for Tax Justice, said the federal government loses an estimated $100 billion a year because of tax havens.
Blum, the D.C. tax lawyer, said working through an offshore investment vehicle allows the investor to "avoid a whole series of small traps in the tax code that ordinary people would face if they paid tax on an onshore basis."
Wilkins agreed, saying the "primary advantage to setting those funds up in an offshore jurisdiction like the Cayman Islands or Bermuda is it helps the investors avoid tax."
"It helps U.S. investors avoid U.S. tax," said Wilkins, "it helps foreign investors avoid taxes in their home country, so it's not illegal or improper to set those funds up in a foreign jurisdiction, but it makes it more attractive to investors because it helps them avoid paying taxes on that income."
InPMS, did you write that article all by yourself?
Did you read it? Cause I know you didn't write it.
Notice where it says "The tax consequences to the Romneys are the very same whether the fund is domiciled here or another country".
Do you understand what that means?
Plagarism is illegal dude.
Unless PS's real name is Brian Ross, Meg Chuchmach, or Matt Mosk, than no, inPS did not write this article, and that would be plagiarism.
Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/romney-parks-millions-offshore-tax-haven/story?id=15378566#.TxhmOoH-b0g
White Collar Auto /// JoAnnaSmith1 XXXXXX SORRY I MISSED THE TOP LINE ..MY BAD ..Thanks for pointing that out ...lol
By MATTHEW MOSK, BRIAN ROSS (@brianross) and MEGAN CHUCHMACH (@megcourtney)
Jan. 18, 2012
Although it is not apparent on his financial disclosure form, Mitt Romneyhas millions of dollars of his personal wealth in investment funds set up in the Cayman Islands, a notorious Caribbean tax haven.
A spokesperson for the Romney campaign says Romney follows all tax laws and he would pay the same in taxes regardless of where the funds are based.
As the race for the Republican nomination heats up, Mitt Romney is finding it increasingly difficult to maintain a shroud of secrecy around the details about his vast personal wealth, including, as ABC News has discovered, his investment in funds located offshore and his ability to pay a lower tax rate.
"His personal finances are a poster child of what's wrong with the American tax system," said Jack Blum, a Washington lawyer who is an authority on tax enforcement and offshore banking.
On Tuesday, Romney disclosed that he has been paying a far lower percentage in taxes than most Americans, around 15 percent of his annual earnings. It has been Romney's Republican rivals who have driven the tax issue onto center stage. For weeks, Romney has cited a desire for privacy as his reason for not sharing his tax returns -- a gesture of transparency that is now expected from presidential contenders.
"I can tell you we follow the tax laws," he said recently while on the campaign trail in New Hampshire. "And if there's an opportunity to save taxes, we like anybody else in this country will follow that opportunity."
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Republican presidential candidate and former... View Full Size
Romney Parks Millions in Cayman Islands Watch Video
Romney Critic Resurfaces Watch Video
Mitt Romney: The Wealth FactorWatch Video
But tax experts tell ABC News there are other reasons Romney may not want the public viewing his returns. As one of the wealthiest candidates to run for president in recent times, Romney has used a variety of techniques to help minimize the taxes on his estimated $250 million fortune. In addition to paying the lower tax rate on his investment income, Romney has as much as $8 million invested in at least 12 funds listed on a Cayman Islands registry. Another investment, which Romney reports as being worth between $5 million and $25 million, shows up on securities records as having been domiciled in the Caymans.
Official documents reviewed by ABC News show that Bain Capital, the private equity partnership Romney once ran, has set up some 138 secretive offshore funds in the Caymans.
Romney campaign officials and those at Bain Capital tell ABC News that the purpose of setting up those accounts in the Cayman Islands is to help attract money from foreign investors, and that the accounts provide no tax advantage to American investors like Romney. Romney, the campaign said, has paid all U.S. taxes on income derived from those investments.
"The tax consequences to the Romneys are the very same whether the fund is domiciled here or another country," a campaign official said in response to questions. "Gov. and Mrs. Romney have money invested in funds that the trustee has determined to be attractive investment opportunities, and those funds are domiciled wherever the fund sponsors happen to organize the funds."
Bain officials called the decision to locate some funds offshore routine, and a benefit only to foreign investors who do not want to be subjected to U.S. taxes.
#7 - Thu Jan 19, 2012 10:58 AM PST
To all the liberals that appear so shocked about Romney's wealth and tax rate, please answer these:
1. Has he broken any laws? If so, what laws?
2. It appears he has followed the current tax codes, so can you prove he cheated?
3. Who writes the tax codes and who had control of the House when most of these tax codes were written?
4. What did the democrats do during the majority in 2007 - 2011? Wasn't Charlie Rangel head of the tax writing committee? (Remember he got reprimanded for cheating on his taxes).
5. What do you liberals think the tax rate should be?
Must be nice to be unemployed and have money in a tax haven! Maybe someone should check for any Swiss bank accounts as well!
Sarge,
No one is angry, envious or upset with his wealth … it is the American dream.
What people are upset with are his constant verbal statements and even jokes about “pink slips” and speaking fees that “weren’t much money” when they were 6 or 7 time the average pay for American families.
Yeah, like the Kennedy family doesn't do the same thing? You libs need to get over the fact that other people are more successful than you can ever be. Your envy is obvious. Can't do it on your own so you want Obama to steal it for you.
If you have any complaints about how the tax laws allow Romney, the Kennedys and anyone else to put money offshore, then ask yourself why Obama, Pelosi and Reid didn't put a stop to it while they controlled the entire government. I guess they were too busy stealing $500 billion from the elderly's Medicare accounts to pay for Obama-care so we can get those 12 million illegal aliens free health care.
sf-
What was the tax rate when we balanced the budget and generated a SURPLUS? I would think that based on RESULTS that tax rate was pretty near optimal, don't you?
and I AM the 1%, and at the tip-top rate, though most of my income is taxed at the capital gains rate...
@ Dennis Like Bill Clinton's speaking fees for 4 years. I would like to have a fat $31 million. Interesting list of who he is speaking to ( banks, Goldman Sachs).
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2007/clinton-speeches/list/
or more recent info of $65million. I am sure those number relate to what the average American is making. Not..........
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/29/clinton-earns-65-million-in-speaking-fees-as-private-
Like I said … it is not about how much anyone makes it is about how Romney (not Clinton, not McCain and not most others) rubs his wealth in our face with his cute remarks.
Deflect much? So you are ok with Bill making speaking fees of $65mill as long as he doesn't talk about it. LOL... The lib's blasted McCain on his comments about how many houses he had. The Kennedy's are no slouches either. They are all making more money than the average American.
ksw, I don't have a problem with Clinton or Romney making big money in speaking fees. If someone wants to pay them that much for talking, fine. But Clinton doesn't go around saying he "doesn't make very much in speaking fees". If someone works their tail off and makes $50,000 a year, it's kind of a slap in the face when someone calls $374,000 "not very much". Romney's problem is he keeps virtually bragging about how much money he makes ($10,000 bets, $374,000 minimal speaking fees, etc.) and he doesn't even know he's doing it. Kind of like Poppy Bush being amazed at supermarket checkout procedures. It just demonstrates how clueless he is about how most people live.
@Heartlight I am not sold on Romney but I have heard his comments first hand and the press is taking a lot out of context and really trying to make this into class warfare. I think it is your opinion he is bragging. I would bet you a lot of the democrat millionaires really don't have any real life experience in shopping at the supermarket either, they just tell you they do. Kind of like my own state's Claire McCaskill having to fly on a private jet instead of business class like I do.
sfcret The tax rate should 35% for people making over $250 thousand. 25% for people making between 250 to 100 thousand. 20% for people making between 100 to 50 thousand. 15% for people making less than 50 thousand. That would also be a flat tax.
That proposal is a flat tax?
SNL WRITERS are probably having as hard a time keeping up with the news today as I am!
XXXXXX SORRY I MISSED THE TOP LINE ..MY BAD ..Thanks for pointing that out ...lol
By MATTHEW MOSK, BRIAN ROSS (@brianross) and MEGAN CHUCHMACH (@megcourtney)
Jan. 18, 2012
Although it is not apparent on his financial disclosure form, Mitt Romneyhas millions of dollars of his personal wealth in investment funds set up in the Cayman Islands, a notorious Caribbean tax haven.
A spokesperson for the Romney campaign says Romney follows all tax laws and he would pay the same in taxes regardless of where the funds are based.
As the race for the Republican nomination heats up, Mitt Romney is finding it increasingly difficult to maintain a shroud of secrecy around the details about his vast personal wealth, including, as ABC News has discovered, his investment in funds located offshore and his ability to pay a lower tax rate.
"His personal finances are a poster child of what's wrong with the American tax system," said Jack Blum, a Washington lawyer who is an authority on tax enforcement and offshore banking.
On Tuesday, Romney disclosed that he has been paying a far lower percentage in taxes than most Americans, around 15 percent of his annual earnings. It has been Romney's Republican rivals who have driven the tax issue onto center stage. For weeks, Romney has cited a desire for privacy as his reason for not sharing his tax returns -- a gesture of transparency that is now expected from presidential contenders.
"I can tell you we follow the tax laws," he said recently while on the campaign trail in New Hampshire. "And if there's an opportunity to save taxes, we like anybody else in this country will follow that opportunity."
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Republican presidential candidate and former... View Full Size
Romney Parks Millions in Cayman Islands Watch Video
Romney Critic Resurfaces Watch Video
Mitt Romney: The Wealth FactorWatch Video
But tax experts tell ABC News there are other reasons Romney may not want the public viewing his returns. As one of the wealthiest candidates to run for president in recent times, Romney has used a variety of techniques to help minimize the taxes on his estimated $250 million fortune. In addition to paying the lower tax rate on his investment income, Romney has as much as $8 million invested in at least 12 funds listed on a Cayman Islands registry. Another investment, which Romney reports as being worth between $5 million and $25 million, shows up on securities records as having been domiciled in the Caymans.
Official documents reviewed by ABC News show that Bain Capital, the private equity partnership Romney once ran, has set up some 138 secretive offshore funds in the Caymans.
Romney campaign officials and those at Bain Capital tell ABC News that the purpose of setting up those accounts in the Cayman Islands is to help attract money from foreign investors, and that the accounts provide no tax advantage to American investors like Romney. Romney, the campaign said, has paid all U.S. taxes on income derived from those investments.
"The tax consequences to the Romneys are the very same whether the fund is domiciled here or another country," a campaign official said in response to questions. "Gov. and Mrs. Romney have money invested in funds that the trustee has determined to be attractive investment opportunities, and those funds are domiciled wherever the fund sponsors happen to organize the funds."
Bain officials called the decision to locate some funds offshore routine, and a benefit only to foreign investors who do not want to be subjected to U.S. taxes.
I wonder how many of those early Florida voters are having second thoughts about voting for Romney now that the Cayman Islands information has surfaced. Also one can but wonder if poor ol' Chad is still being hanged down there.
I make Newton a 7-5 favorite tonight...and I predict that Phine gets to see her Mitt go a little crimson-cheeked more than once...
I'd probably bet those odds but then I have never won a bet no matter the odds. I will in that case place a (small) bet on SF to beat the Giants tonight at my local. Enjoy the victory:-)
Anybody got 10G to spare.....
ideologyspoilstheview, I like your thinking. I have a parlay of $200 on New England and SF winning this weekend.
Politics has nothing over sports betting :D
I used to ask my step-father how he was betting, and do the opposite. It was a damned near foolproof system!...;)
Anyone doubt that most of these absentee voters weren't pre-screened by Romney's organization? I'll give the Romney camp credit for having this scripted out, no detail too small, down to the color of his tie. They learned well from the Rove-Bush orchestrated events. But this should be a wake up call to the Obama forces. Romney's campaign is Rove on steroids with the added advantage of unlimited resources.
Wm, its still Romney. ;)
This is SO rich .....
They cannot even reliably count their own votes, yet we are supposed to TRUST them as they push unneeded voter regulations on the poor, the old and some minority groups.
Meanwhile they DECIDE who won in Iowa, not count the votes to see who won.
Sure sounds like that is their plan for the general elections eh? Comeon who is really going to trust these buffoons and their oh so obvious attempt to rig this election?
Gimme a break, my New name for the Republican Party is the 'Keystone Politicos'! For those of you who do not get the association please google a history of 'The Keystone Cops.
Obama / Biden 2012
Florida the fruity state. Damn if congress woked as well as florida votes, we might have something going on for this country. GOP congress that is!
So far, Mr. Romney has done nothing illegal. He has the right to invest where he pleases and the law allows him to be taxed at a 15% rate rather than a 35% rate. However, the optics on this are just not good. It emphasises the tax breaks for the rich and the government assistance they recieve and have recieve for many many years. So the answer is fix the tax code so that investment bankers pay the same rates as non- financial corporate executives, labors and bus drivers, etc. - My biggest problem with Romney is that he proclaims to have experience in job creation - when in reality he has experience in wealth creation and has had government subsidies doing it (ie tax rate exceptions) to the tune of 20% of his income on all his earnings at Bain. So, if we are going to fix government subsidies, we should start with investment bankers!
Looks like a bunch of wasted votes!
I wonder how many voted for Perry...What a waste...
newts attractive to dorky men that look like him...no real man would vote for a turd who snitched off a dude for getting head....he is king of the dorks...
Democrats vote early so their ballots won't be "lost" on election day. In 2000 they were bushwhacked.
Even Florida's Republicans are fed-up and showing their disdain.....so they put all names into a box...shake a little and pick-up any one....different day.....same result........ (2nd) second to President Obama.
We have early voting here in Nevada. we love it.
Just go to the mall of your choice. Monday through Friday, and zip zop. Your done. No waiting. No Black panthers with clubs. Easy.
Yep, from the state with legalized gambling and prostitution... What exactly is "zip zop" Joseph?
Sacredfire,
Zip Zop is the funny sound the poker machines make when they swallow your Twenty dollar bill. LOL
No legalized prostitution in Clark County. But the rest of the state it's O.K.
Oh brother! Are Jeb Bush and Katherine Harris involved by any chance? Shades of 2000...
The Chicago democrat machine most likely has many times that number of deceased Obama voters ready to send in.
My parents live in FL...and they were never impressed by the ignorant & stupid. I graduated from high school in FL. What can I tell you besides what I've already said? Get out of your box, little people...get out of your box. I think you are afraid of different ideas, different thoughts. If I don't look like you & think like you, then I think you are VERY afraid of me. What I think doesn't mean I'm better than you. I'm just different...deal with it. So I might appreciate Romney, but I'm getting ready to vote for the candidate that represents me the best!
I hope that the Floridians are more intelligent than the voters in South Carolina seem to be. Please , I can't take looking at the pompous , inflated and all knowing Speaker Gingrich much longer. Moderates and Republicans alike will run back to Obama begging him to protect us fron the Newtser.
I had to laugh about his comment about his proposed Lincoln- Douglas debates. Hey Newt, the little short fat guy lost those debates.
Santorum said that Gingrich was unsteady, he was right. So unsteady in fact that they stripped him of his post as Speaker and charged him with 84 ethics violations.