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TAMPA, FL -- Hours before President Obama is set to deliver his third State of the Union address, Mitt Romney delivered a "pre-buttal" speech of his own, in which the former Massachusetts governor predicted a "desperate" Obama would "tell tall tales" about an economic recovery.
"Tonight, we’ll also be treated to more divisive rhetoric from a desperate campaigner-in-chief. It’s shameful for a president to use the State of the Union to divide our nation. And someone ought to tell him: In order to put the economy back to work everyone needs to be working," Romney said. "Here in Florida you know better. You know this president has run out of time. This president has run out of ideas. This president has run out of excuses. In 2012 we've got to make sure that he is run out of the office of the White House."
Romney's address, delivered from a massive, empty factory floor, was designed to be a clear, "definitional" speech upon which he could base his Florida campaign, a senior adviser said afterwards. That's in contrast to the campaign's efforts in South Carolina, which consisted primarily of a series of rallies and lacked a single clear message.
With last night's battle with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich behind him, Romney returned to his central message: President Obama must be replaced. Romney spent the first half of his speech describing what he saw as the president's many failures, and characterizing tonight's address as nothing but a campaign speech.
"Instead of solving the housing crisis and getting Americans back to work, President Obama has been building a European-style welfare state. He has pushed for a second stimulus and deep cuts to our national defense," Romney said, standing beneath a banner that read, "Obama isn't working."
"He’s asking the American people for another trillion dollars – and another term in office. He keeps telling people, 'We can’t wait.' To which I say, 'Yes, we can,'" Romney said.
In the latter half of Romney's speech, he offered what he said would he his own State of the Union address, in which he said he would have the "courage to tell the American people how it is" and not offer blame. He provided no new policy prescriptions, but instead ticked off a series of his stump speech talking points, including strengthening national defense, and cutting taxes for the middle class.
The speech marked a pivot point from Romney's engagement last night with GOP rivals, including his release this morning of his most recent tax returns. (Those records had been demanded by Gingrich.)
"As far as we're concerned we put [the tax return issue] to bed," the senior adviser said.
Leave a Comment:
Seriously? The only gospel the GOP candidates speak is the "GOSPEL TO GET ME ELECTED." Last night, Gingrich referred to the Bush tax cuts as having saved us from a deeper post-9/11 slump. They deny the stimulus had anything to do with preventing a deeper recession, yet claim the same thing for their tax cuts!
Sounds to me like Mitt is the one who is desperate.
Uhhh. . . don't think so, senior adviser. Better do your Boy Scout thing and Be Prepared.
That's right, Jack, he should be prepared to produce the long form! And, by the way, I'd like to know how many jobs Romney's millions create. How does his investments improve the lives of the middle class? After all, that's why he pays less than 15%, right ... so it'll trickle down to all us peons?
Thanks to hi-def TV I could actually see Willard’s nose grow as he
spokelied to the sheep!When a serial liar like Willard is speaking, the MSM would be well served to do a split screen with FACT CHECKER on the other side!
You want to know what desperation looks like? Check out the following quote from Mitt Romney:
"I believe in an America where millions of Americans believe in an America that’s the America millions of Americans believe in. That’s the America I love."
Yeah, now THAT is desperation!
nisl,
Not to mention... funnier than hell! lmao!
Thanks for sharing!
Look folks, like it or not Romney paid exactly what was required in taxes. The great Judge Learned Hand wrote that no more and no less is expected of a citizen. Hell, as Romney observed, if taxes are cut a la Gingrich he would have paid virtually nothing in taxes.
We should note that Romney nailed Gingrich with a haymaker and Newt was actually speechless. He is an influence peddler. Here's what's truly scary. The right-wingers hate Mormons so much, they would actually vote for a lying, thieving adulterers. Now, there's a healthy attitude to take into the voting booth: The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
President Obama will not be telling tall tales about the G.O.P. candidate. He will be telling the plain, unvarnished, and very ugly truth. Romney is not a capitalist. Indeed, he removes capital from the pool. That's a fact. Gingrich is the most vile of influence peddlers and Romney nailed him dead to rights with his lies about his lobbying. Can't you just picture all those college kids changing their majors from Finance to History? Hell, you don't need math if you're a History major or a stone-cold liar.
Given the willingness of the right-wing to eschew (that's for you, Jack) facts and reality, President Obama cannot take victory for granted, and his supporters would be well-advised to keep that in mind. However, for those right-wingers who think either Gingrich or Romney is going to tear the President up in a debate, you folks don't have a clue. The President is the blender. The Republican candidates are the vegetables. Think puree.
Mittens is channeling Newt......Just a short while ago, didn't Newt use the term 'desperate baloney' referring to Mitt!
Com'on Mittens, get your own talking points!
Quite the opposite! Mr. Romney has brought the issue of taxes to the forefront by releasing his returns. It gives the average American an example of why we cannot keep using our tax laws to favor a select few.
Once again many thanks to the Romney team!
Our tax laws are creating class warfare and politicians know this. The blame lies with Congress and lobbyists. Will any of these candidates stand up and tell the truth or will they continue to distract?
It's already in public records that Mitt is a liar.
Here is how Obama will win the election:
tonight he will announce a national tour of the USA. He is the speaker at dinners in all major cities from now until November. The tickets will be $5,000 per plate and he will conduct these dinners/speeches and donate the money to pay off the national debt is paid off. What a plan! He walks away with the second term in a landslide.
".....It’s shameful for a president to use the State of the Union to divide our nation...."
But it was quite all right for a Republican President to use it to lie to every American about a war... a lie that cost American lives.
@Fiesty - You are so Stupid. O! Wait I know what you are going to say. "You the Right .... blah, blah, blah... " Please get a real Job. What a Moron !!! If you really want to be the guy who gives out REAL information create a web site, and give the information on everyone. Look for it all. Not just what convinces you that you are right and they are wrong.
Gosh, you talk about serial liars? I hope Obama can explain these accomplishments of his presidency without lying:
1. A staggering 48 percent of all Americans are either considered to be “low income” or are living in poverty.
2. Approximately 57 percent of all children in the United States are living in homes that are either considered to be “low income” or impoverished.
3. If the number of Americans that “wanted jobs” was the same today as it was back in 2007, the “official” unemployment rate put out by the U.S. government would be up to 11 percent.
4. The average amount of time that a worker stays unemployed in the United States is nowover 40 weeks.
5. One recent survey found that 77 percent of all U.S. small businesses do not plan to hire any more workers.
6. There are fewer payroll jobs in the United States today than there were back in 2000 even though we have added 30 million extra people to the population since then.
7. Since December 2007, median household income in the United States has declined by a total of 6.8 percent once you account for inflation.
8. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 16.6 million Americans were self-employed back in December 2006. Today, that number has shrunk to 14.5 million.
9. A Gallup poll from earlier this year found that approximately one out of every five Americans that do have a job consider themselves to be underemployed.
10. According to author Paul Osterman, about 20 percent of all U.S. adults are currently working jobs that pay poverty-level wages.
11. Back in 1980, less than 30 percent of all jobs in the United States were low income jobs. Today, more than 40 percent of all jobs in the United States are low income jobs.
12. Back in 1969, 95 percent of all men between the ages of 25 and 54 had a job. In July, only 81.2 percent of men in that age group had a job.
13. One recent survey found that one out of every three Americans would not be able to make a mortgage or rent payment next month if they suddenly lost their current job.
14. The Federal Reserve recently announced that the total net worth of U.S. households declined by 4.1 percent in the 3rd quarter of 2011 alone.
15. According to a recent study conducted by the BlackRock Investment Institute, the ratio of household debt to personal income in the United States is now 154 percent.
16. As the economy has slowed down, so has the number of marriages. According to a Pew Research Center analysis, only 51 percent of all Americans that are at least 18 years old are currently married. Back in 1960, 72 percent of all U.S. adults were married.
17. The U.S. Postal Service has lost more than 5 billion dollars over the past year.
18. In Stockton, California home prices have declined 64 percent from where they were at when the housing market peaked.
19. Nevada has had the highest foreclosure rate in the nation for 59 months in a row.
20. If you can believe it, the median price of a home in Detroit is now just $6000.
21. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 18 percent of all homes in the state of Florida are sitting vacant. That figure is 63 percent larger than it was just ten years ago.
22. New home construction in the United States is on pace to set a brand new all-time record low in 2011.
23. 19 percent of all American men between the ages of 25 and 34 are now living with their parents.
A remarkable record and Obama's speech will focus on the economy! Wow, the guy must be a magician!
Gosh - George, I sure you can come up with something better than an already debunked YEAR old chain e-mail...
Proving yet again, the sheeple will eat up anything that is FED to THEM!
The prebuttal from romney shows that in this field, he is as disconnected as from the rest of the Nation.
The guy hasn't a clue...no wonder the repub voter has turned to others 7 times in this primary! He is the poster child for 'desperate' on both fronts!
NPR.org has an excellent factcheck on the SOTU and the Daniels rebuttal...all from experts from a particular field... Proves that the GOP is lying out their ears!
The Gop fairy dust is not selling!
Go USA !
$57,000 a day, not quite the same for the rest of the unemployed!
But you are ok with Bill Clinton making 75 Million on speeches?
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/58770.html
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2007/clinton-speeches/
I really wish a poster on here could explain intelligently why when one person of a different political persuasion it is bad but when their party does the same thing it is good. That goes for both sides.
Bill Clinton pays the highest tax rate on the money he earns from his speeches. If someone wants to pay him to give a speech, I'm perfectly OK with him getting the money and paying taxes on it at the rate for earned income. Good for him. The problem we have is taxing interest and dividends at such a vastly lower rate.
My point is that is the tax law and if you think there are no Democrats not taking advantage of the tax laws you are incredibly naive. I agree we need to change the law but until them I am not going to bash someone for doing what is legally within their right. Everyone I know takes their maximum deductions to reduce their tax liability.
ksw - Guess the difference is that Romney thinks the rates are ok as is or wants to lower them more. Clinton and yes Obama has said that millonaires like me don't need tax cuts. Another point, wouldn't Clinton's speech income be taxed at a higher rate than the capital gains rate?
edit - Steeler fan beat me to it.
he paid taxes on the money as earned income onve already, now he is paying taxes on interest and dividends. How many times do you want him to pay taxes? It is not his fault the rate is 15% so what?
I will buy that from Democrats when they all fill in their tax returns year and put the overage in the Buffet line to donate to reduce the national debt. Talk is cheap, action has more meaning.
KSW,
As i recall, Clinton, nor any democrat, has gone out publicly and stated that they are unemployed while making 57K a day and paying the lowest possible tax rate on that money. Therein lies the issue. Mitt is out of touch.
@ Bryan If you think rich democrats are any more in touch with the average american just because they talk about it I have some swamp land to sell you. My own state's Claire McCaskill flies private jet instead of business class like the rest of us. Do I think she is in touch? Heck no. I think all wealthy politicians right or left are out of touch and just say what they think we want to hear to get re-elected.
Yellowdog---good point. Both President Obama and President Clinton, as well as Mr. Buffett, Bill Gates and others, have said that they think taxes should be raised on both earned and unearned income for the highest-earning taxpers. Romney's plan would lower his taxes while raising the taxes on the lowest earning Americans.
"Tonight, we’ll also be treated to more divisive rhetoric from a desperate campaigner.
It’s shameful for a flailing candidate to use the State of the Union to divide our nation. And someone ought to tell him: "Redundant platitudes don't create jobs." "Here in Florida you know better. You know this pandering candidacy has run out of time. This sagging campaign has run out of ideas. This Massachusetts Moderate has run out of excuses. In 2012 we've got to make sure that he is run out of the hunt for the White House."
dangerfield,
Saw your post on FT, why do you think there aren't more R's talking about the reason their hopeful should win or discuss their policies. Here at FR, with the exception of the Paulists, it seems as if the R's are only worrying about electability. They can't seem to say why they support someone. It is like during the debates, when the top two finished ripping each other and then said, anyone on this stage is far better than Obama.
My thoughts. From my perspective, I would think that R's would support either Santorum or Romney based on what was important for them. Someone that held social issues high on the list would probably go for Santorum. Those that favored the business model approach to the economy would favor Romney.
Those that really, really, really want to make sure to beat Obama are willing to go back to a previously toxic Gingrich that could pose problems down the ticket.
What you're seeing is pure desperation from the voters. The fear is another four years of Obama, and a do nothing congress.
To even entertain the thought of Gingrich, just shows how desperate they are.
Sorry mittens - tall tales werre what georgie jr told when giving each and every state of the union address he ever made - actually anytime anything came out of his mouth.
In some respects now that Romney had released his tax returns that should settle the matter. Yes his rivals or the Democrats can rightly point out the rate he paid and question it? Both sides will have a different idea of fairness on how much he should pay.
Romney accuses Obama of dividing the nation, does Mitt think that his recent rhetoric helps to bind it together? He is trying to show a starker contrast.
That said, despite his own tall tales and exaggeration today, I think Mitt said it best last week with Laura Ingrahm. The economy is getting better, slowly but surely. Twenty two straight months of job growth, reduced unemployment.
truth hurts!
Go Mitt -- speak truth to power
One pleasure I get is knowing that Mitt will never be elected President of the United States.
Rob,
Is there a special relationship with your former governor that we should know about?
Rob,
There is only one candidate speaking truth to power,
DR PAUL!
Please I know you love Mitts, but could you please tell us why lying to people is speaking truth to power?
Newt was right all the bashing and lying by the media do make it harder to govern our country. I couldn't believe that an elected member of our congress, current speaker of the house no less, would stand up on national television and lie to the people.
Is Boeher lying for the people, to give more to the people? No he lies so he can give even more to the richest in our country. Then they try and convince you that if Romney pays half the taxes he is paying now and you pay higher taxes it would be good for you.
I am surprised at the amount of people who claim to be smart that support that kind of baloney.
Tax the poor, protect the rich 1% brought to you be the republican party.
Watch what happens with the tax holiday extention for the working poor. Republicans will once again choose to raise taxes on the poor before they will raise taxes on the rich.
Tall tales, huh? Like the tall tale Romney told about his dad marching with Martin Luther King? Romney can lie with the best of them. I wouldn't buy a car from this guy, let alone elect him as president.
The Republicans’ consistently stubborn attitude and arrogant actions have literally made my voting decisions clear; I absolutely have to vote against them. To ever support them would be to condone and encourage their self-serving “more” mentality and that would make me co-responsible. They have obviously made the conscious decision to put their political ambitions above all else, without any regard for the costs to the people. They actually prefer that the country be brought to its knees in order to serve their purposes and to just blame Obama. Everything they do is consistent with that tactic. Their every action is intentionally divisive and aimed to extend the problems, while hoping to fault Obama and the Democrats, who of course are not perfect. Along with the totally aggressive, overt and covert support of their strong and powerful supporters, who aim to substantially gain, the Republicans strive to con the people and manipulate public opinion, insultingly taking everyone for granted. They offer “puppet” candidates like Cain, Perry, Bachmann and Gingrich along with the blocking actions of Boehner, McConnell, Cantor, Ryan and others, which clearly demonstrates their complete disregard for responsibility and their constant focus on serving only “the few” (1%). They offer the majority (99%) nothing but deceptive rhetoric and a costly return to “more of the same”, Bush-Cheney style, with that being their real goal. To fail to recognize and understand all of this, is to be used by prejudices, biases, fears, blind loyalties and emotions and to result in being self-abusive.
"Desperate" Obama? Funny---the person I see giving speeches, meeting with advisors, conducting state business and, yes, campaigning, seems very relaxed and at ease in what he is doing.
Nothing wrong with making millions...but when you are running for president when middle class is hurting, don't tell us you feel our pain...because you NEVER were middle class Mittens! Mittens was born into wealth and has no idea what it's like to watch all the social safety nets get bankrupted because of tax cuts for the rich.
I happen to be a history buff- reading about the 1912 election and the speech's are somewhat dated with language but the themes are identical to what we will be reading about come this election.
The themes are the same- who gains the wealth. The 1 or 10% or the 99 or 90% however you define wealth.
I don't know for sure if the President will use the State of the Union, for campaigning tonight or not, at this point he shouldn't have to, while I wasn't planning to vote for him my wife and I both agree he would be better than any of the clowns, in the multi ringed circus the GOP has become! Undoubtably the lesser evil may not be, the smartest way to cast a vote, but hey, the devil you know, versus Bush rerun wantabee's.....no brainer!
Well you know when Warren Buffet's Secretary gets invited to sit in the audience that the "dastardly rich" are going to take one on the chin from the "campaigner in chief".
This is going to be nothing but more "promises" of the things to come.
"We haven't had enough time".
"It was worse than we thought. Gonna need more time" (you should have thought of that with your genius advisers before you made all the promises you did. "The stimulus will keep the jobless rate at less than 8%". Ring a bell?
"We are going to consolidate 6 departments into 1" Should have done that 3 years ago. Pure posturing and I am sure we won't hear the results of any of those "impact studies" that are supposedly taking place to implement it.
All a hope and change redo. We aren't buying this time. Didn't the first time but everyone deserves a shot. You are out of bullets Mr. Obama.
Mitt is fast on his way to becoming as big a caricature as Newt.
Republicans rail against the wealthy/corporations paying a higher tax rate...they seem to forget that their God, Ronnie Raygun, supported, and got, higher taxes on corporate gains, and lower taxes for working class Americans.
BlingRICH cried that higher tax rates on the rich would throw the country into a "greater depression than what was experienced in the '20's"...it didn't...and during the Clinton presidency, we experienced a budget surplus.
Selective memory, I guess.
Romney lies about all of his opponents. Yawn.
ksw62118:
First of all Mr. Clinton made $75mil in 10 years (Mr. Romney: $42mil in 2 years).
The fact that Mr. Clinton income of $75mil was "earned income", I venture to guess that he paid much more in taxes then the 15% that Mr. Romney paid on his "dividend" income.
And this is at the core of the problem: there is nothing wrong in making money, there is a great deal of "wrong" when the person earning $40,000/yr has to pay 30%+ taxes and the person making $40mil, through no effort of his own, pays 15%.... Just saying...
holy crap are you people really that uneducated or does it just make you feel better to spew on about paying 15%? It really frightens me that there are that many people in this country who appear to have no understanding of paying taxes on wages. And then paying taxes a second time on any money left over that you happened to invest.
No effort of his own? Duh....he had to first work for the money to invest.
Mr. Clinton and Mr. Romney paid the same rate on each of their earned incomes....period. And they both paid the same on their investment income.....period.
Stop being so jealous of others and grow a pair of your own for crying out loud.
sailorlp:
".....Duh....he had to first work for the money to invest...."
No, according to the reports he came from money...
His (mr Romney) was NOT earned income, was DIVIDENTS income. Newt Greingrich paid over 30% on his speech earnings, Presiden Obama paid 26% on his salary... Can't you see the absurdity...??? If it was earned income Mr Romney should have paid 25%-30%.
Mind you.. he paid whatever is legal, no questions about it... It's just that the sytem is wrong.
How is Romney going to return jobs to American workers? He had already given up on any jobs returning to Detroit. Wrong, thanks to Obama's action. How about the same way he did in MA? Nope, 46th in job creation during his term. And Obama's Chicago political cousin Deval Patrick (they share many of the same political advisors) is outperforming the rest of the country in job creation.
And then he cannot tell the difference between an annual performance review and a campaign speech? OK, I'll give Romney that one, but only because as a job applicant for President he has to present his resume. Which of course Romney should know because of all the people he interviewed to replace the ones he fired. In any case Obama's resume happens to take the form of the Sate of the Union. A status report.
How dumb do the Republicans think we are?
This demonstrates how desperate Willard is. He is spineless. He wakes up in the morning, goes outside and checks to see which way the wind is blowing. He is shameless in low he sinks in order to win election.
The "Romulian" love to tell even large tales than the President has ever done! "Romulian Romney" not only loves to politiacally tell tall tales. He is a huge economic "flip-flopper!" His idea of solving the housing crises is to let every home owner go bankrupt. Where are these individuals suppose to live?? The "Romulian" says he is unemployed! Now that is a tall tale! He is understanding of the economic struggles of the Middle Class, the Working Poor, the elderly, and the disabled. Now that is a tall tale! He has wrongly stated that he has earned all of his money. Really?? Now that is really "Pathetic!" Oh! I'm sorry! "Bonehead Boehner" is crying in the corner. Again! Are "Nutty Newt" and "Bonehead Boehner" sharing thumbs?? Who is crying louder now?? Will soneone please tell "Crazy Cantor" to stop dancing around the floors of Congress with those rotten tea bags hanging off his ears. Again! "Nutty Newt" loves to tell tall tales as well. He tells many tall tales of how he was an historian at Freddies Mac and Fannie Mae. The "Richie Rich Ryan" Economic Plan is a "Pathetic" tall tale of GOP Clowns robbing the Social Security Fund. It is really a tall tale of laughable poltically dancing GOP Clowns. That is a very sad fact America!
So Romney is going to run on his time as Governor, where he was 47th in States at creating jobs
So Romney is going to run on his time a Bain where he destroyed jobs, and created low paying jobs like at staples and Sports Authority's
So Romney is going to run on how much he changes his position on core values,
Romney is just another very Rich guy who wants it all and more
Romney turned a Democrat deficit into a surplus.
Romney turned around the Olympics.
Romney pays millions in taxes and gives a lot to charity and his church.
When the tax code gets reformed , Romney will pay more.
He's doing nothing illegal and paying his "fair share" but Obama will use his class warfare rhetoric and to make us think otherwise.
Where are the jobs he is supposed to be creating with his considerable wealth?
Mr. Romney's "prebuttal" is another example of the Republicans' pig-headed opposition to whatever Mr. Obama proposes, even before he has proposed it!
These as yet ungrounded attacks on the State of the Union speech seem motivated by animosity toward Mr. Obama.
Mr. Romney's failure to increase significantly his vote count in Iowa from four years earlier despite the considerable money and time spent there, his unimpressive plurality in his "home state" of New Hampshire, and the rapidity with which his campaign imploded in South Carolina are signs of a very weak campaigner.
Is Mr. Romney's grandstanding a sign of desperation?
We know you are in the Obama Adoration Society.
This means that you ignore unemployment and debt and you ignore that Obama made the country more ideologically divided than it's ever been since the Civil War.
You proclaim "Obama for a better future !" and disparage all Republicans ........to which we respond........the past 3 years is the best indicator of what Obama will do the future. ......MORE SPEECHES (800+ and counting).
Leona,
Mr. Bush and the Republicans' policies led the to the financial meltdown, the loss of 8.3 million jobs, a stock market crash of some 45%, the Great Recession, and two trillion-dollar, no-win wars paid for with money borrowed from the Chinese
These Republican administration catastrophes happened prior to Mr. Obama's inauguration!
Reasonable economic observers have reached a consensus that economic recovery is underway, though not a speedy as one would want.
With respect to creation of "ideological" division, I acknowledge the superiority the Tea Party faction of the Republican Party.
What jobs have you created Mr. Romney? With all that wealth that evaded taxes... what jobs have you created? How have you reinvested into this economy?
Actually Michelle has a better grasp on the economy. She knows where to go to get the best deals on bling bling. She makes the best use of US taxpayer funds as she jets across the ocean to Europe to go on a spending spree. Barry's weak attemp to show her up by flying to Hawaii to play golf with a convict buddy is shameless, to say the least. Say, why is it all Obama's friends are criminals or lunatics? Why is tha?
What a man you are - attack a woman with chauvinist stereotypes - ENVY!
Romney is a fine one to talk about anyone telling "tall tales" Gee that is all this guy does !!! Along with Gingrich they could write a book on how to "tell tall tales."