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Subscribe to RSSThe Tampa Bay Times: "Mitt Romney has enhanced his image as a front-runner by staying above the fray during a run of Republican debates, but Monday he sharply abandoned that approach to unleash a withering attack on the rival who threatens his claim to the nomination. The prospect of being flattened by the Newt Gingrich steamroller wonderfully concentrated Mitt Romney’s mind during last night’s NBC debate in Florida. Romney, suddenly in second place and falling fast after Gingrich slaughtered him in South Carolina, sent a simple and unambiguous message to GOP voters: This guy is trouble.”
Politico: “In only the first few days of the Florida campaign, every aspect of the GOP contest has blown up on a grand scale: the price of competing, the nastiness of the attacks and the cost of a potential defeat for Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich.”
In the most uncomfortable confrontation yet in these debates, in the first half-hour, Romney and Gingrich cut out the middleman — NBC’s Brian Williams — and went at each other. The problem for Gingrich and his undeniable momentum was that the issue was Gingrich,” The New York Post writes.
GINGRICH: Tim Alberta in National Journal, per Political Wire: "Like a stand-up comedian whose routine suffers without echoes of laughter egging him on, Newt Gingrich appeared to be a candidate without cadence Monday night when he found himself searching hopelessly for the secret weapons that have proven crucial to his season of strong debate performances: moderators to scold and audience members to energize."
ROMNEY: “Mitt Romney offered a partial snapshot of his vast personal fortune late Monday, disclosing income of $21.7 million in 2010 and $20.9 million last year — virtually all of it profits, dividends or interest from investments,” the Washington Post reports. “None came from wages, the primary source of income for most Americans. Instead, Romney and his wife, Ann, collected millions in capital gains from a profusion of investments, as well as stock dividends and interest payments. The couple gave away $7 million in charitable contributions over the past two years, including at least $4.1 million to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Romney’s family has for generations been among the Mormon Church’s most prominent members.” The Post also reports that his effective tax rate was 13.9%.
“Mitt Romney’s campaign released details of his federal tax returns on Tuesday morning, showing that he will most likely pay $6.2 million in taxes on $45 million in income over the two tax years of 2010 and 2011,” the New York Times reports, adding, “The disclosure — reported early Tuesday by The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and financial wire services — showed a vast array of investments from a recently closed Swiss Bank account to holdings in Bermuda to the Cayman Islands, all underscoring the breadth and depth of his wealth that has become central in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.”
Reuters: “Bowing to increasing political pressure to provide more detail about his vast wealth, (Mitt Romney) the former private equity executive released tax returns indicating he and his wife, Ann, paid an effective tax rate of 13.9 percent in 2010. They expect to pay a 15.4 percent rate when they file their returns for 2011. Romney's tax rate is below that of most wage-earning Americans because most of his income, as outlined in more than 500 pages of tax documents, flows from capital gains on investments.”
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Be interesting to see the polling coming out of Florida after that debate. It may begin to tell the story of who is the real frontrunner, and if Mittens saved himself.
I'm pretty sure Mitt didn't save himself. He didn't look presidential in the least. The attack mode didn't work for him four years ago and it's not working now. He looks scared.
Not too shabby for an unemployed and over housed guy to shake $20 million a year out of the trees so to speak.
(You do remember his "I'm also unemployed" comment)
As average Americans start the process of figuring out their income taxes, I have a feeling a bit of resentment might rear its head up over the rate Mr. Romney pays. Also, having money in the Caymens doesn't give a great appearance.
An effective tax rate of 13.9% is not going to go over well.
AND the money in Bermuda and the Caymens. And all this while effectively not working. Just his constant run for president. It will bring up questions about more tax returns - especially his time at Bain.
Newday, phinephancy, & ideology - Romney paid what was legally his obligation. since you obviously don't agree, what should have Romney paid? He is in the 1% but so in Obama and most politcians.
true, and wheather you earn money through labor or investments it is still earned monies and should be treated as such.
as obama has stated it is time to remove tax loopholes for the wealthy including himself.
this move alone would help to create more of an economic balance, which this country dearly needs!
I think most Americans now see Mitt as the poster boy of the 2008 collapse. He is definitely one of those who helped it happen by buying companies, shaking all of the cash out of them that he could and discarding the husk left behind. Most people find it appalling that people lost their livelihoods so that he and his fellow Baine Capital crew could fatten their wallets at the working man's expense. This is not the man we want to be president of the United States.
When politicians talk about corporations putting their profits in off shore accounts, and how this is bad for America, a candidate running for president doesn't seem very believable when HE has his own off shore accounts. As for what Gov. Romney paid in taxes - yes, he paid what the law required. However, it does point out the need for a fairer tax code. What Mr. Romney paid in taxes is more than most people will earn in 10 years, the percentage he paid does not effect him as much as a 35% rate effects someone making less
So tell me Steve: how do you think that will go over with Americans as they fill out their tax forms FROM WORKING AT THEIR JOBS and knowing that Mitty gets to sit on his hands and pay far less?
You are missing the point entirely. The point is that middle class Americans should be getting the break that MItty does.
We need to thank the Republican Party for putting forward two candidates who so perfectly illustrate the climate that produced the financial crisis of 2008. The intersection of wealth and politics is becoming clearer, thanks to the scutiny brought by these two particular individuals being in this primary contest.
Here we have Gingrich, uber influence peddlar, who was paid over a million dollars by Freddie Mac to help the mortgage giant circumvent congressional oversight, and Mitt Romney, venture capitalist extradinaire, who paid only 15% of his income in taxes, while the average, wealthy American pays upwards of 30%.
It's about time the American people got a look inside how our society actually works, who pays what in taxes, how political decisons are influenced by corporate interests. Fascinating.
You have to wonder, Amy, how Romney's 13.9% tax rate is going to be seen by Americans who have less but make more.
Wait. Mittens covered that. "Jealousy and envy." I forgot.
This is Republican on Republican smear. The only original ideas Republicans can muster is lies about opponents, distortion, misrepresentation, false promises (jobs, jobs, jobs), and new ways to rephrase failed policies. Their last contribution to America was two endless wars, six trillion dollars of national debt, and the biggest recession since 1929. Now they want to reintroduce their failed economics and provoke Iran into war. Of course, when they are in power, "Debt doesn't matter." - D. Cheney. Neither does peace on Earth and good will to mankind.
Well, the gop has certainly got a big kettle of fish to fry that is for sure, nobody in the south is going to vote for Mitt, and I don't see the churches supporting Newt, when push comes to shove a Christian church or organization is going to have egg all over their face if they support either of these candidates and that might be bad for church business - no doubt I'd have to rethink my church affiliation if they supported a Morman or an adulterer (to a real Christian having more than one living spouse really is adultry, you can look it up in several chapters of the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke - all in there, every time, all in red meaning it is the spoken words of Christ). Perhaps a good thing will come out of this - the churches will conduct church, and the government will do what it is supposed to, govern for the people by the people - in a democracy that is what we are and do, unfortunately our founding fathers were wealthy and opted for a republic style of government, now if we ever get rid of that electorial college thing we will be on the right track to true democracy. Ron Paul people are only going to vote for Ron Paul, they will either run him as an independent or they will stay home, win, win for me! Hope and change are working very well for me and my working middle class family, thanks for asking! NBO (Nobody but Obama) 2012!
Wow 42 million in 2 years. Then he paid less than 14% in taxes. NOT ENOUGH! Who says being rich does pay? How out of touch can this guy be? He has no way of knowing how the rest of us gets by. Ever wonder if he goes to the grocery store? In the picture of him doing laundry makes one wonder if he knew how to turn the washer on.
what do you think Obama made these past few years with his book sales? Don't forget that Obama is the 1%.
Romney is rich. So what. Good for him. He paid his taxes - legally. Get over it.
obama wants tax loopholes repealed for the wealthy including himself. and, yes, it is a big deal, for the less the 1% pays in taxes the more unbalanced this country becomes?
check out a history book!
The President paid a 26% rate.
what is the percentage you pay? if you pay taxes you pay more tha mitt? does that make since?
are you for the more you make the less you pay? i think not!
before regan lowered taxes for the wealthy they were paying on 75%. since he lowered those taxes the wealthy income has increase 250% and middle has increase 20%????
compare that with the period from 1945 t=up to 1965. middle class had a 100% income increase.
it's about balance and the tax rate for the wealthy is way out of wack and has caused spinning out of control!
Romney pays over 6.2 million in taxes in one year?? And that's just "not enough"?? Well how much is enough??
Yes, he's rich. But we knew that, didn't we??
So, what's the point of all this. He either followed the law, and paid what he owed, or he didn't. Simple.
Joseph
Enough is $8,780,000 or 42% more than he paid. The special interest tax break on carried interest enjoyed by the private equity fund participants has been worth $2,580,000 to TwoBitt Mitts for the last two years. Most likely it was worth a lot more in earlier years when more of his income would have been carried interest.
Yes it is nice that he is a law abiding taxpayer, but a wall street investment employee making the same income in interest, salary and bonus could argue that it is unfair that he(she) pays $2.6 million more in taxes than Romney who doesn't have to lift a finger for all that income.
Mitt Romney in trouble? I'd like to think so, but I doubt it.
Remember up to a third of Florida's Republicans voted before the South Carolina primary, when Romney was polling up by 15 points. That's a heck of a head start for a guy who can also drop a few million a day into Florida's high-dollar media markets.
But let's say Gingrich can pull out Florida. Big, sure. That's a lot of delegates with winner taking all of them. But unless the cash literally starts pouring into his campaign and volunteers come out of the woodwork, he still will be the big underdog going into Super Tuesday.
No matter who wins Florida there is going to be a dogfight at the convention. Ugly and nasty, there will be backroom deals and namecalling before they pick the lesser of the evils. Its like the theoretical questions of "would you rather be shot or stabbed?".
Hopefully, the President with the help of the American People can pressure Congress to get these tax rates up and people such as Mitt will pay their fair share. If not, this Republican Congress needs to be voted out.
these tax rates have been approved by both parties. keep blaming the right for all of your issues in life.
No, one side the Republicans held the people on unemployment as hostage. That's a fact.
My, my Steve. You DO seem rattled by this. You should be too. Makes OWS protests more realistic, doesn't it?
Job1
Don't matter, Wall Street sprinkles it's largess on both sides of the aisles in Congress and Senate to ensure that their special tax breaks are preserved. It would be extremely hard, short of a public eruption, for a public interest group to get any traction on this issue.
Not only that, Grover Norquist is running a "protection" racket that will punish anyone who glances longingly at increasing taxes on the wealthy.
None of the above. But who is worse Romney or Newt. Newt is worse, Romney took advantage of our tax laws, but Newt Ginrich was part and parcel of the housing melt down, and blames it on Obama and the liberal media. Why is Newt running for president? Name any politician that resigned from congress in disgrace that dared to run for office, and for POTUS? A leopard don't change their spots. last night during the debate he seemed rattled and frightened about the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae attacks from Romney, he brushed off Romney as if he has already won the nomination, to date he has won one, Romney as won one and Santorium has won one. Newt has already gone off in his Napolean type mentality. Romney , how can he talk about cutting this, cutting that especially copr tax and pays 14% in taxes, and oh, how he loves and wants to improves things in this country, but he doesn't think highly of or have confidence in his own country that 's why he puts his money away in the Cayman islands. Over there he has to pay some kind of taxes to support and help that country economy. Now that 's showing love of country for ya!.
Family pooch encounters junk yard dog. Newter fits the definition of a pathological liar.
TwoBit Mitts was raised a devout Mormon. I have had enough exposure to Mormons to realize that as a community they are easy to scam because they tend to be naive and trusting.
I would suggest to Mitts that he come up with a cogent economic and social fix-it plan (not just cut taxes and regulations) and not try to out butt kick Newter. A honest man doesn't stand a chance in a liar's contest with him.
Yes, Nevada is next.
I'm kind of leaning toward Newt Gingrich, but I like Mitt too. I have some time yet to make up my mind.
"Romulian Romney" has more tax troubles than he is willing too admit to. That is why he will NEVER release his tax records since the 1980's. The "Romulian" has a lot of trouble explaining his CEO activities at Bain Capital. He has trouble with political "Flip-Flopping," and "Economic Greed." The "Romulian" has trouble convincing anyone that he is a real job creator. He has even more trouble convincing anyone that he is still unemployed. It is troubling to hear the "Romulian" talk about his ideas concerning what real work is. When he was the CEO at Bain Capital? "Romulian Romney" caused more trouble/pain for the Middle Class, the Working Poor, the elderly, and the disabled. That is fact!
When people really look at newt's record newt will not win. Newt says a lot of DUMB things. In last nights debate he said we should give people prizes for doing new things. This was in the discussion about going to Mars. Yea lets give someone a prize for being the first one to Mars. Newt will self distruct.