you just worry about your states deficit, ok?

JS in SD - so you're all for "bailouts" if it keeps the Olympics from being an "embarassment"?

Sounds a lot like how Bush and the rest of the GOP were all for bailing out the banks so they didn't become an "embarassment".

I am not thrilled with any of the Republican choices for President

Looks like most of the rest of the GOP aren't too thrilled, either, considering the turnout at the primaries. Some of us, however, are perfectly happy with our choice for President.

Obama/Biden 2012

With every quote, Santorum is starting to sound more and more like a whiney dork.

As The New York Times reported:

[T]he federal government's contributions, thanks to Mr. Romney, were also immense. By the time the Games were over, about $342 million in federal money to plan and stage the Winter Games had flowed into Utah, a record outlay for the Olympics and nearly $50 million more in constant dollars than was spent for the Atlanta Olympics, according to a report in 2001 by the Government Accountability Office.

What is being over looked is this...Romney and all the other want to be's hand out lots of speaches that have little truth in them. Every politican today uses earmarks...and every politican makes claims against having them...except when its time to vote them out...they all talk a different story then. Wake up folks...no one in the republican party as yet has done anything for the general public....and lotrs for their wealthy contributers.

Are you for real? First, no one really knows what the deficit really is. SecDef Gates stated that the DOD is unauditable as are many federal agencies. Second, during the bush years, they used phony accounting methods to mask the true annual deficits and made no attempt to conceal that. No one wanted to really know. Third, go back to Govt 101. Obama cannot spend one $1 unless it is first authorized and then appropriated by both Houses. Don't want him to spend somewhere? Just do not give him the money for those programs. Romney/Santorium/Gingrich are much worse than anything they have accused Obama of. They are just pamdering to the far right GOP fraction to get the nomination.

Yeah, like any of these repubs running will do half as good a job as Obama. They all say let the states run things. OK, tell me this, since the red states get the most money from the federal gov't, just how are they going to manage anything without the Blue states' tax money? Tell you what give the money back to the states now commensurate with what they send to DC. PA, NY, MA, etc will do just fine while WY, AL, MS, KS and all those other red states will go broke and be crying to DC for more handouts.

This year's presidential election contest is shaping up to be a choice between a President who is capable, competent, and committed, and whatever phony bag of wind the ignorant, gullible and misinformed right wing fools finally wind up with. As long as the Republicans continue kneel before their gods of greed, and slavishly follow the blather of ignorance and misinformation put out by the right-wing echo chamber, the outcome is pretty predictable.

I believe that most of us can see through the overwhelming and disgusting exhibition of pandering and lies that the candidates for the Republican nomination are putting forth. But, in this country the ignorant, racist, uninformed, gullible and barely literate, also have a vote. Those are the folks being courted by the Republican candidates, lapping up the fear mongering, the demagoguery, and the twisted ideology of the rich and privileged self-satisfied, and self-righteous conservatives

Rick Santorum is simply not a serious person. He and all others in his boat trying to portray complex, nuanced issues as if they were as easy as filling a cart at the grocery store, do a great deal of damage among the part of the population that is unable or unwilling to take in more information than is available on a bumper sticker.

Listen Buddy I am against earmarks and out of controll federal spending..... wait wait. I mean we need federal dollars to help get the olympics in Utah, you and I know that the private sector will not put in 1 dime, we just tell the populace that private enterprise solves all problems says Romney to his closest friends

Obama / Biden 2012

GOP the worst bunch of crooks since Watergate

"the bridge to nowhere" was a classic in political duping of people. This is why government collecting so much in money leads to too much waste. The Bridge to nowhere was presented as a necessary benefit in Alaska, and due dilligence was never done until someone got suspicious. Normally, voting against construction of bridges is a bad thing, and that is how some bad stuff gets through.

Obama has cost the taxpayers that much just on vacations.

BTW DB Akron, Nobody can hold a candle to former Senator Byrd when you talk about misappropriation of funds ie, building highways that went to nowhere. And while you at it check on the mining company's in your buddy Reid's state that are mining on Government land in Nevada and pay NO yes NO royalties.

Here are some parts of the problem... there is no such thing as an honest politician! Americans on both sides of the party isles are vastly uninformed. I would venture to guess maybe 1-3% of Americans really know what is going on in the nation because the Government is going to withhold it from you.

Also lets get rid of political parties, pass a balanced budget, start taking care of our own country, decrease the defense budget, decrease the amount of money going to social programs, fix the tax rates so they are fair, have 100% of the country paying some portion of the taxes.

I would support almost every government program Obama wants to pass if we would just stop sending money and aid overseas and could afford it.

JS in SD, you make some excellent points! Now, you need to follow-up and get out and VOTE for the man! Don't sit at home while others are making your selections for you! Romney is the only candidate out there who is NOT a Washington insider "corruption specialist!" He is the only one running who has leadership and management abilities that have been proved in both the private sector and government service. Poor Sanatorium is presently spewing out nothing but garbage! Did Sanatorium demonstrate good common sense and logic by bringing his deceased baby into the home to show to the other siblings?? What was he thinking when he did that?? The place for a deceased body is the funeral home!

Okay fellow Dems... let's get real about this earmark discussion. Romney's JOB during the Olympics was to secure funding and to try to turn a profit. He did that. As a member of Congress, Santorum's JOB was to secure federal moneies for his home state. He did that.

I know, I know, it's kinda fun watching the GOP eat it's own and meltdown with this issue, but, seriously... let them at it. WE should take the high road here... acknowledging that "earmarks" (their term) or "pork" (their term) was just a matter of doing business in Congress in the past and that, going forward, we need more controls on it.

Should the feds stop funding projects? Not ALL projects. Should there be better ways to discuss and gain approval for worthwhile endeavors? Yes.

Were Romney and Santorum wrong in securing federal money for their projects? Nnnnnn....Nnnnnn.... Of course!!!! LOL

Romney is proof positive that anyone can run a business when you are receiving federal funding for your business - just like Bain capital.

A $1.5 billion dollar price tag for the Olympics and we want to give Romney credit for his 'business' ability?

All we'll get with Romney is more GOP pork barrel politics.

JS in SD Comment collapsed by the community (sorry 'bout that)

Obama turning around the deficit!?!?!? You have got to be kidding!!! He has increased the deficit more in the last three years than any president in history throughout their entire presidency.

GOP sound byte. False. The DEBT increased more during those three years than any other period in history. But the FACTS are that the debt would have increased virtually the same or more had McCain been elected. You see, BUSH increased the DEFICIT (annual contribution to the DEBT) more than anyone in history by starting, but not funding, Afghanistan, Iraq, Homeland Security, Medicaid, and his "oh so special" tax cuts... not to speak of the $500 Billion in less revenue he handed Obama with the collapsed economy. You see? The story takes a little longer to tell than your GOP generated sound byte.

the deficits projected in his latest budget are only eclipsed by those of previous years in his presidency.

GOP sound byte. True... meaning that Obama's budgets show reduced DEFICITS in future years due to his actions on Iraq, Afghanistan, health care, and other projects. Stated correctly, this doesn't sound so bad, does it?

Obama and the current crop of democrats spend like a drunken sailors. A second Obama term would be a disaster for this country.

GOP sound byte. False. The NEW spending by this administration and Congress has been limited at best and has been targeted to JOBS, the support of those most affected by the economic collapse, green energy, and frankly, undoing the "starve the beast" dysfunction that BUSH and the GOP engrained into our federal government agencies (like regulators and auditors).

Besides, exactly which one of your GOP geniuses has a better answer? Yep. None. Oh well.

floyd-335513

Obama has cost the taxpayers that much just on vacations.

I do hope there is a cure for your ODS ( Obama Derangement Syndrome). Georgie Boy spent more of the taxpayers money going on vacation to clear brush while President Obama cleared out terrorist.

See, that is what happens to you FOX Nationalist when you listen to FOX LIES!!!

You Fox Nationalist get more petty, more ridiculous, and downright more ignorant. Really, you people need to learn how to NOT be so IGNORANT by doing your research. Learn something-- but, then again it probably wouldn't matter since facts to you are fiction.

FOX Noise's Doocy (dunce): On Why Bush's Vacations Were More Acceptable Than Obama's: "[Bush] Never Had A Surfboard"

The other dunce Clayton Morris expounds to back up the bleached blond monkey girl; Gretchen Carlson, who holds her job down showing her tail that Bush didn't have a surf board but was down on the ranch and clearing brush" On His Vacations. That is sooooo LOL funny.

mediamatters.org/mmtv/201112050002

That bloke Stuart Varney Mocks Obama's Holiday Vacation: "This Is Occupy Oahu"

http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201112060005

FOX NOISE's bloviator Andrea Tantaros thinks Obama should model Bush's vacation schedule?
http://mediamatters.org/blog/201008050054

FYI: learn something. Okaaaay???

Bush Spent 5 Times More On Flights To Texas Than Obama's ...

Not only did Bush spend more days on vacation than any other president, but he used Air Force One more often while on vacation than any other president.

http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/another-right-wing-slander-debunked-presidential-vacation-costs/question-2355535/

Georgie Boy was hardly thrifty. Don't forget those billions of dollars lost on cold slab in Iraq the right wing or FOX NOISE and its echo chamber fail to bash.

Here's a bit of bipartisanship. I think both parties are right.

On the question of which party is comprised of nothing but liars, the Democrats say Republicans and the Republicans say Democrats. Independents agree with both.

What's interesting to me is all the Dems that said Romney did a good job at the time of the Olympics are now saying the opposite. The same thing as John Kerry's military record when those Texas jerks that backed Bush and put down Kerry's military record, but a few years earlier their spokesman stood with Kerry for re-election to the Senate and applauded his military record. Why can't people just tell the truth??

As far as the gov't money goes, every State that takes on the Olympics looks for these monies, and by rights he had an obligation to look for them. Seems to me he was doing his job to the best of his abilities and that's it. He made the Utah Olympics the most successful ever after it was deemed a disaster.

Beverly in Chicago

Actually Buck was correct in saying that you should probably concentrate on your State's problems.

You' ve made a good point considering the republicans on your side want to run this country in the ground. However, since we have President Obama at the helm; I'm more encouraged.

Let's look at your State as a prime example of what Liberals can do for you. (And I am not talking about Democrats).

Kerner was convicted on 17 counts of bribery while he was governor
Walker was convicted of business crimes
Blagojevich convicted last year and the first Illinois governor to be impeached and removed from office.

And that's just your Governors! Won't even post the historical problems of your Legislature & Chicago! The State has a history of corruptions as far back as anyone can read.

Your Governor, Democrat just raised your income tax in 2011 rate 67% (from 3 to 5%), during a recession. And Corporate tax rates went up 2%. Gee if I was a corp thinking about moving into a state, it wouldn't be Illinois. Probably why Illinois unemployment is above the national rate.

That deficit Georgie boy ran up President Obama is turning around.

Are you kidding me!!! And what dream world are you living in? Obama has added more to the deficit than any President before him and has added more cumulatively than the Presidents dating from Washington to GWBush! This country hasn't passed a budget for three years! Two years of which the Democrats had complete control.

If I must worry, I prefer worrying about chicken hawks like Santorum's, the fools in the GOP/Tea Potty running for nomination, and FOX & FIENDS inflammatory remarks which cause people like the guy the CIA stopped from blowing up America.

"The Democratic National Committee released an attack video Friday assailing him for running “the most expensive games in U.S. history.” "

I doubt that it was even 1% of the $5 Trillion of debt increases under Obama.

clb-462357

What were the Deficits for recent presidents?

Here are the actual figures, according to official government sources (Obama White House);

Total Deficits under Reagan (1981-1988) = $1,339 Billion over 8 years = $167 Billion per year.

Total Deficits under Bush 1 (1989-1992) = $933 Billion over 4 years = $233 Billion per year.

Total Deficits under Clinton (1993-2000) = $321 Billion over 8 years = $40 Billion per year.

Total Deficits under Bush 2 (2001-2008) = $2,006 Billion over 8 years = $251 Billion per year.

Total Deficits under Obama (2009 – 2012Proj) = $5,453 Billion in 4 yrs = $1,363 Billion per year.

Obama's average Deficits are more than 5 times greater than 'big spender Bush'. After seeing what's happening in Greece, can we afford 4 more years of Obama?

Source - http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Historicals See Table 1.3

Oh......get serious. This is, as so many others, here today and gone tomorrow. Is it really our business how people make and spend their money? Seriously? Last week the congress has to pass a law stating that they agree to abide by the preexisting law of the land against "insider-trading." Does this imply that they have been breaking the law in the past? Really a law to agree to follow the law?? How insane is that concept? Dick Nixon said it best; " I am not a crook."

Mitt Romney and his money and Salt Lake City and the Olympics and massive sums of money? If people really cared they would put a serious track on the money, where it came from and to whom it went. That's right, "follow the money...." Mitt has made a bunch of money; but honestly, if he has done it honestly what right does anyone have to question it? Does it matter that Romney is a Mormon, that Salt Lake City is the "Home of the Mormon's." Does it matter that he got his venture capital, the bucks to start up Bain from his pals and godfather the Marriott Brothers and J. Willard himself. Mitt is named after the late J.W.M. Romney is like every working class American's dream. He started with a dream and $25.00 and a broken down pick-up truck.....

Or Rick Santorum? Good Ricky was a US Senator from 1995 to 2007. How much do we pay a senator? Rick recently released his tax-returns for the years 2011, 2010, and 2009. In each and every one of those years Rick made over a million dollars. Who are we to question that? He jumps from the senate into a law practice and is immediately copping over a million smackers a year. More power to him, he must be one hell of a great lawyer to be making that kind of money. He is doing so well at his craft that he even bought a house and five acres of ground in Great Falls, Virginia for a mere two million bucks. Where does he find the time to mow the five acres? Hey, it's his money, he earned it and he can spend it any damn way he likes. Rick buddy, I could use a new television.....

Then I hear on CNN that the VP Joe Biden is the "cheapest" guy in town when it comes to "charitable giving." Now whose business is that; who and how much he donates? Looked at from a more proper point of view one may have to feel sorry for him. The reality is that he has less to write-off on his taxes, as donations to non-profits are a tax deduction. Why hit at him when so many sit down with their accountants a year in advance to figure out how much to give to charities in order to look good and to maximize their tax deductions???? I already feel sorry for the Bidens. They could not afford to buy a dining room table for the Vice President's home. He had to borrow one from the State Department. Yes he did, he borrowed an antique Hepplewhite table and shield back chairs to match. Who cares, all of the antiques that sit on the top floor of the State Department along with massive numbers of paintings by the "Great Masters" belong to all of us. Have you ever visited the ninth floor? It is a veritable warehouse of the most beautiful antiques and knick-knacks. Most are tagged; "Given to Thomas Jefferson from Queen Henry," or a gift to "Benny Franklin from the Duke of Earl." We need not question that too. All of that stuff belongs to us; the citizens of these United States. All you need is a card and you too can check out and take home a few rooms of furniture with art work to adorn the walls to furnish your humble abode.

It is only money. I would like to know how President Obama was able to pay for his college, buy his shoes and shirts, pay his rent in Cambridge or Boston, have waking-around-money to take the girls out to a movie and dinner. He never had an after school job as a kid, he never worked during the summers when school was out. However, this is no ones business, any American can afford to go to Columbia and Harvard and Harvard Law School. Shoes are only a few bucks, a suit costs nearly nothing, rent in Bean Town is so cheap that all American kids can afford an apartment.....There is hope for all single mothers in America, your kids can go to Harvard and Grad School, don't worry it is no one else's business.

Beverly in Chicago

I will not speak for Ron Paul, but only give my impression of "liberty".

Right before the new year, the President of the United States signed the National Defense Authorization Act. Part of the bill allows for the indefinite detention of American citizens without due process of law. That means that the President has all Americans rights to due process in his hands.

The bill states being a terrorist or giving aid to terrorists. But the problem lies in how you define what is terroristic. Will my voicing my opinion against my government be viewed as terroristic? And if that is the case, have I also not lost my right to free speech? If I have lost my right to free speech, then have I also lost my right to protest over illegal search and seizure? If I have lost my right to free speech, have I not also lost my right to practice my religion?

The NDAA is also telling the entire world that it has the right to arrest anyone in the world, anywhere in the world, and not give them protections of due process. What kind of message are we sending to the world about freedom and democracy when our own government holds these rights so cheap?

The Patriot Act already allows for government spying, through wiretaps, monitoring communications, and a few others. Have I not lost my right to privacy?

My definition of "liberty", is living my life without these interferences from my government. I am a free man, and if I hope to stay that way, there are principles worth fighting for. That is "liberty".

And here is an article and a video of Carl Levin Democrat in front of congress telling them that the President demanded indefinite detention powers be given to him.

http://www.infowars.com/obama-administration-demanded-power-to-indefinitely-detain-u-s-citizens/

Be careful of those that you consider hero's, because this one just stabbed your rights in the back.

Roy, appreciate you citing the source, but common sense says no way, regarding President Bush's deficits. Under his administration, the national debt rose from $4 trillion to $9 trillion. That's a lot more than $250 billion in deficits a year.

JS in SD

Obama turning around the deficit!?!?!? You have got to be kidding!!! He has increased the deficit more in the last three years than any president in history throughout their entire presidency. the deficits projected in his latest budget are only eclipsed by those of previous years in his presidency. Obama and the current crop of democrats spend like a drunken sailors. A second Obama term would be a disaster for this country.

Obama increased the deficit?

Bullchit!

Let's start where the truth lies.

In February, 2009, Obama’s first full month in office, unemployment was at 8.2% and rising rapidly. The economy was already losing 750,000 jobs per month before Obama was sworn in.

And it’s also untrue — as claimed in a graphic widely circulated by email and in social media postings — that the debt has increased more under Obama than under all previous 43 presidents combined. In fact, as of Jan. 31, 2012, the rise under Obama had yet to surpass the rise under his predecessor, George W. Bush.

Ezra Klein argues that the economic stimulus and other Obama policies account for just under $1 trillion of the debt added since he took office, while Bush added $5.1 trillion in his eight years — mostly due to tax cuts and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

http://www.factcheck.org/2012/02/dueling-debt-deceptions/

The Republicans understand that the lack of education is the key to controlling an ignorant electorate.

media matters................yup that's some reliable sources. You know Bev, media matters is being investigated for hiring people to follow staffers from Fox. Even though Fox leans to the right, why would media matter do such a thing? Well lets hope they lose their tax exemption. Since you post your hatred for Fox news is common for people who relay on media matters for their information. It's kind of like a cult you know?

clb, it's been the Senate that won't pass a budget and it's been going on for over 1000 days. Reason why they won't pass one is because they did they won't be able to spend like they do. That's why Obama's so called budget never will pass because the amount he wants to spend. You can't spend more than you take in. This type of thinking is why people are broke and in debt. They get credit cards and thinks it's free money until the bill comes in.

Ezra Klein? oh...... well there you go, a man who out right hates Republicans. That's a good example, wow......everything that comes out of his mouth is hatred towards people that disagrees with him. Kind of like you right Bev, if people disagrees with you, you call them names. That's why it's fun reading your and others posts that thinks like you.

No city can afford the cost to run an olympics. That was part of his job in running the olympics to get the funding necessary to run it. He did that. As has every other person that has run an olympics in this country.Govt pays a lot of the cost in every country that puts on an olympics. Not sure why this is even news.

So Obama added only just under 1 trillion of debt. That is the stimulus alone. So that would mean that outside of the stimulus not one penny of debt has been added by Obama. That could possibly be the wackiest thing i have ever heard on here.

If you use Klein's logic that lowering rates a little over 4% caused us such harm, then our economy should have been decimated when it was lowered 42, yes forty two, points under Reagan. From 70 to 28. But we all know that didn't happen. How would Klein explain that one president lowered rates over 10 times the amount Bush did and the economy did fairly well. That would be interesting to hear.

BigATC: It's news because its the latst example of the Republicans all being vulnerable on an issue they're trying to hang on the other guy. Romney made it news by citing his management of the Olympics that year as further proof of his so called "management abiliities". I happen to agree with you: those abilities include wringing over a billion out of the federal government...Instead of owning up to that though, as usual, Romney insists the facts aren't reallly the facts. He says Santorum is the kind of earmarks (true), but how does the guy who comes in second on that list make that charge with a straight face?

clb-462357

Beverly in Chicago

Let's look at your State as a prime example of what Liberals can do for you. (And I am not talking about Democrats).

Kerner was convicted on 17 counts of bribery while he was governor
Walker was convicted of business crimes
Blagojevich convicted last year and the first Illinois governor to be impeached and removed from office.

And that's just your Governors! Won't even post the historical problems of your Legislature & Chicago! The State has a history of corruptions as far back as anyone can read.

Your Governor, Democrat just raised your income tax in 2011 rate 67% (from 3 to 5%), during a recession. And Corporate tax rates went up 2%. Gee if I was a corp thinking about moving into a state, it wouldn't be Illinois. Probably why Illinois unemployment is above the national rate.

No, let's look at the big picture. That would be recalcitrant GOP/Tea Potty in Congresss are doing to suppress every state budget.

Also, let's look at the fact that this portrayal of my city and state as corrupt is strait out of FOX NOISE talking points to lay claim to my city and state being "A Culture of Corruption" as platypus mouth Michelle Malkin's book portends and that dumb@$$ unrepentant Hannity says.

BTW: Did you see the look on Jodie Kantor's face when Hannity tried to Hannitize her by saying President Obama hanged out with Bill Ayer which is a countdown evey night from that hand jive he gives.

Kantor said she interviewed 33 “current and former White House aides and a lot of the Obamas’ closest friends.”

But, apparently, no research can match what Sean Hannity can just “glean.” He said, “I look at the people that the president has surrounded himself with. …Why do conservatives like me look at his background, look at (Tony Rezko), look at the people – Jeremiah Wright, look at this inner circle and say I find he hung out with radicals his whole life, Bill Ayers, Bernardine Dohrn, and there’s a part of his life that he hides. I don’t think he’s honest with the American people.” Hannity went on to tie Valerie Jarrett to Media Matters and said, “What are we to glean from Ayers, Wright, Jarrett, Media Matters, and I see this as a conservative, as an outspoken conservative and I said there’s something not right. Am I off base?

http://www.newshounds.us/hannity_lectures_the_obamas_author_jodi_kantor_for_not_portraying_obama_as_a_secret_radical_02162012

I am not a mathematician, but this looks like a parabolic curve headed to infinity. All were responsible. Quit playing the blame game. It serves no useful purpose. It is time to fix it.

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=us+debt+chart&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1162&bih=1102&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=cBWVbiGvFrXTYM:&imgrefurl=http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/79-percent-of-american-voters-say-they-think-the-u-s-economy-could-collapse-and-they-are-absolutely-right&docid=iOvwLb-Z3kAYHM&imgurl=http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/United-States-national-debt.png&w=534&h=384&ei=ci5BT6SmCbLOiALGyP3BAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=133&vpy=263&dur=960&hovh=190&hovw=265&tx=169&ty=134&sig=102386534269638797320&page=2&tbnh=151&tbnw=210&start=24&ndsp=25&ved=0CNQBEK0DMCA

Bevinlalaland, You need to learn to use your computer. Its a skill that could land you you a better paying job.

You know Bev- facts are a funny thing. They can support an argument or they can completely destroy an assumption. You site factcheck.org- while Roy sites the official reporting from the White House accounting- which are the official figures according to the CBO. It would be interesting to see if you had an actual argument that stood up under the same data.

Here are some more for you- and keep in mind, these are the yearly figures that add to the previous years debt! If Obama gets re-elected, it will destroy America. Bush didn't even come CLOSE to Obama's numbers!

During the Bush 2 years vs the Obama years and estimates going forward, from income/outlays were per year (in millions) & yes, these include all the war figures:

year income outlays +/-

2001 1991082 1862846 +128236

2002 1853136 2010894 -157758

2003 1782314 2159899 -377585

2004 1880114 2292841 -412727

2005 2153611 2471957 -318346

2006 2406869 2655050 -248181

2007 2567985 2728686 -160701

2008 2523991 2982544 -458553

2009 2104989 3517677 -1412688

2010 2162724 3456213 -1293489

2011 2303466 3603061 -1299595

2012 2468599 3795547 -1326948 (estimate)

2013 2901956 3803364 -901408 (estimate)

Source - http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Historicals See Table 1.1

how does the congress suppress state budgets Bev?

Ap i'm neither for nor against Romney. The difference is the lawmakers are the ones writing the earmarks, not the ones trying to get the money as Romney was. Except for GE maybe which has the biggest lobbying money. So if he doesn't get the money what happens? The cities can't afford all of that expense so our venues don't get built. They half ass throw something together and we look like an inept country and the committee never gives us another olympics.

He had no choice, as any other person running an olympics did, to get federal funds. That's how it works. Not just here but every country.

Here is what FACT CHECK. ORG says on the Obama deficits when calling out Romney for twisting facts.

http://www.factcheck.org/2011/06/romney-wrong-on-deficits-auto-bailout/

Home • The FactCheck Wire • Romney Wrong on Deficits, Auto Bailout

Romney Wrong on Deficits, Auto Bailout
Posted on June 9, 2011 , Corrected on June 15, 2011

Mitt Romney wrongly claimed deficits “multiplied … by a factor of four or five” under President Barack Obama. He also incorrectly stated that auto companies have repaid only a "small" share of the government bailout money.

The deficit was already running at $1.2 trillion when Obama took office, and it grew to more than $1.4 trillion during his administration — an increase of far less than 400 percent to 500 percent. As for the auto bailout money, nearly 50 percent of the roughly $80 billion has been paid back. By any reasonable measure, half is not "a small share."

Inflating Deficits

Romney, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination on the strength of his business experience, was asked during a June 6 interview on CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight" why the economic crisis began under President George Bush's watch if Republicans are so much better on economic issues than Democrats. Romney criticized Bush for allowing federal spending to increase during his administration. He then blamed Obama for increasing deficit spending "by a factor of four or five."

Romney, June 6: Now, President Obama when he was candidate Obama pointed out those deficits were too large. He’s now multiplied them by a factor of four or five.

As we have written twicebefore, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projected the fiscal year 2009 deficit at $1.2 trillion two weeks before Obama took office. That fiscal year started Oct. 1, 2008. The fiscal year was already nearly one-third over when Obama took office on Jan. 20, 2009. After Obama took office, the deficit increased to $1.4 trillion for fiscal year 2009. At the end of the fiscal year, the CBO largely blamed the 2009 deficit on the recession, specifically a sharp decline in tax revenues and an increase in spending in response to the economic crisis — first by Bush and later by Obama.

Under Obama's watch, federal spending has remained at or near that level. In an April 2011 report, the CBO said (table 1-1) the actual deficit for fiscal year 2010 was nearly $1.3 trillion and the estimated deficit for the current budget is $1.4 trillion.

Republicans frequently make the argument that deficit spending should have returned to pre-recession levels by now, and that's an opinion that we leave for you to judge. But even if you go back to fiscal year 2008 — the last full year of the Bush administration — Romney's claim that Obama increased deficits "by a factor of four or five" would be way off base.

The federal government ended fiscal year 2008 with a deficit of $458 billion, as the CBO reported in table F-1 of a January 2010 report. Four times that would be about $1.8 trillion and five times would be roughly $2.3 trillion — both far higher than the deficit spending under Obama. Of course, as we already explained, it would be wrong to go back to 2008 and ignore the projected deficit as it stood when Obama took office.

Bailout Baloney

Romney, whose father was chairman and president of the American Motors Corp., also vastly understated how much the auto companies have repaid in government bailout funds.

Romney was asked if he was wrong to argue in his 2008 op-ed in the New York Times that auto companies should have to file for bankruptcy, rather than receive a government bailout. "Detroit needs a turnaround, not a check," Romney wrote at the time. As it turned out, General Motors and Chrysler got both: They went into bankruptcy and received government bailout funds to the tune of about $80 billion.

Morgan, June 6: How much of that money has now been paid back.

Romney: Well, a small share of it. And that money did not have to be spent.

Romney is wrong to characterize the amount repaid so far as a "small share." The Department of Treasury provides a "Daily TARP Update" that provides data on how much money was spent under the Troubled Assets Relief Program. The June 6 report, which came out the day that Romney was interviewed on CNN, showed that TARP's Automotive Industry Financing Program provided a total of $79.69 billion to the auto companies. Of that, $39.61 billion has been repaid — roughly half. That's not a "small share."

– Eugene Kiely, with Lalita Clozel

Correction, June 15: This item originally stated that at the time Obama took office "Bush had signed all of the 2009 spending bills," which was not correct. We have deleted that statement. Bush signed a single, massive spending measure for FY 2009 (H.R. 2638) setting funding levels on which CBO based its $1.2 trillion deficit projection.

For most agencies, that bill provided only temporary funding expiring in March 2009. For those agencies, Obama later signed an omnibus spending bill (H.R. 38) that increased the government's discretionary spending levels only slightly — by a total of $9 billion for what remained of the fiscal year, according to a later CBO analysis (page 5). That of course was too small an increase to have affected CBO's original $1.2 trillion deficit projection, rounded to the nearest hundred billion. Nevertheless, we erred when we said Bush had signed "all" of the FY 2009 spending bills.

Really people start educating yourself! READ the above article carefully to see where you are WRONG!!!

Roy Wilson -- Pay attention!!!! Per Fact Check.org's article above the following sentences are important:

As we have written twice before, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projected the fiscal year 2009 deficit at $1.2 trillion two weeks before Obama took office. That fiscal year started Oct. 1, 2008. The fiscal year was already nearly one-third over when Obama took office on Jan. 20, 2009.

Lloyd Dahl

Obama's average Deficits are more than 5 times greater than 'big spender Bush'. After seeing what's happening in Greece, can we afford 4 more years of Obama?

Source - http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Historicals See Table 1.3

I can't download your tables. Could you please copy & paste the explanation.

We are not Greece and never will be Greece. Don't try another useless scare tacit.

Here's some numbers.....

When Bush took office unemployment was at 4.2%, when he left office unemployment was at 7.8%

In eight years, the net jobs gained under Bush: 1.1 million. That averages to be 137,500 jobs added per YEAR,not month, but year.

Figures depend on where and what data you look at. Figures gleaned from any data depends upon the start/end points chosen. The figures above are based on data found at the OFFICIAL government Bureau of Labor Statistics site.

Lloyd --Congressional Budget Office projected the fiscal year 2009 deficit at $1.2 trillion two weeks before Obama took office. That fiscal year started Oct. 1, 2008. Get it now Lloyd! 1.2 trillion of that 1.4 trillion deficit in 2009 is attributed to the Bush budget.

Paul-Florida

media matters................yup that's some reliable sources. You know Bev, media matters is being investigated for hiring people to follow staffers from Fox. Even though Fox leans to the right, why would media matter do such a thing? Well lets hope they lose their tax exemption. Since you post your hatred for Fox news is common for people who relay on media matters for their information. It's kind of like a cult you know?

I love posting how much I loathe FOX Noise. FOX News is an abomination. A truly tacky, vile affair If I can enlighten the world about FOX NOISE's poison; it's a good thing. It is not news; it's toxic to America and the world and should have its license revoked. That ole dried up prune Rupert Murdoch who thinks he is a fertility god should have his citizenship revoked so he could be deported.

This man has done more to harm journalism in America and Britain than any other person. I cannot speak for Australia. In the U.S., where his newspaper holdings are limited to the New York Post and the (actually good) Wall Street Journal, his damage has been done with Fox News, the first deliberately and unapologetically biased and partisan network in American history. You disagree? Be my guest.

In the UK, it is now revealed, his managers and editors oversaw a culture of bribery and deception that was depraved even by the low standards of Brit tabloids. It appears even the Queen's cell phone was tapped, leading my friend Margo Howard to ask on Twitter, (1) Does the Queen actually use a cell phone? and (2) Would the hackers be guilty of treason?

You've read the news. I need not recount the details of the scandal. What we see now is the rare sight of all three major British parties, Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrats, marching together arm-in-arm, united in joyous agreement to bring the Dirty Digger low. His hopes of buying control of BSkyB, the British satellite network, appear doomed. His lieutenants face squirmy sessions before Parliamentary committees, and some of them may do prison time.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2011/07/the_dirty_digger.html

==================================================

I read he is not well liked in his Australian homeland either

Why Fox Declared War On Media Matters

http://www.newscorpse.com/ncWP/?p=6413

Paul-Florida

Ezra Klein? oh...... well there you go, a man who out right hates Republicans. That's a good example,

Paul, just because it is impossible to find a qualified economist that doesn't hate Republicans doesn't mean they're wrong. This Obama deficit bull has to stop. Yes, he added some to the deficit. He said he would. He explained that the economy had to be on the mends before we started attacking the debt with full force... you CANNOT cut your way to a balanced budget in an economy that is has a $500 Billion deficit in tax receipts alone. I'd explain this again, but nobody will listen anyway... you'll just repeat your talking points.

But Bush... hear me out here... BUSH created $500 Billion a year in deficit SPENDING that CANNOT and WILL NOT be stopped for at least a decade after he left office. By starting Afghanistan without funding it, Iraq WITHOUT funding it, Homeland Security WITHOUT FUNDING IT, Medicaid WITH NO FUNDING, and his tax cuts WITH NO FUNDING, he created this long term DEBT problem for WHOEVER followed him. And his genius VP Cheney said "Deficits don't matter"... he just forgot to say "unless the economy collapses, then you're in deep sh!t".

Bush is directly responsible for $500 Billion a year in spending and $500 a year in fewer tax revenues for a grand total of... wait for it... $1 Trillion a year... and he's not even f*cking here!

Obama is working of the deficit by 1) stimulating the economy, 2) reducing spending on the Bush items, and 3), when the economy starts recovering even more, by employing spending cuts.

And what is the Republican plan? Money to the rich. Garbage. Misguided at best. Idiotic at worst.

ROY WILSON-336103

clb-462357

What were the Deficits for recent presidents?

Here are the actual figures, according to official government sources (Obama White House);

Total Deficits under Reagan (1981-1988) = $1,339 Billion over 8 years = $167 Billion per year.

Total Deficits under Bush 1 (1989-1992) = $933 Billion over 4 years = $233 Billion per year.

Total Deficits under Clinton (1993-2000) = $321 Billion over 8 years = $40 Billion per year.

Total Deficits under Bush 2 (2001-2008) = $2,006 Billion over 8 years = $251 Billion per year.

Total Deficits under Obama (2009 – 2012Proj) = $5,453 Billion in 4 yrs = $1,363 Billion per year.

Obama's average Deficits are more than 5 times greater than 'big spender Bush'. After seeing what's happening in Greece, can we afford 4 more years of Obama?

Source - http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Historicals See Table 1.3

You again with your fake facts!!!!!!!! I think this is going to be my 20th time telling you that what you are posting is a LIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Obama came in and the deficit was 1.42 trillion and 8 trillion over the next decade.

All that is Bush spending

You think you can come in here and brain wash people with your fox news propaganda?????

The National Debt as of 09/28/2001 = $5,807,463,412,200.06 ... as of his last budget year 09/30/2009 = $11,909,829,003,511.75 ... thats a little better than doubling it, or increasing by $6.1 Trillion

AND LEFT A 1.42 TRILLION DEFICIT.

Bush started 2 wars while lowering taxes and passed a medicare part d that grows every year.

Bush deficit in 2008 458 billion according to you and previous posts elsewhere

Revenue lost in 2008 due to the Bush recession 500 plus billion.

Medicare part D keeps growing every year due to the law not having price controls on companies providing the drugs.

The wars in were funded trough appropriations.

At the end we get 1.42 trillion deficit.

LOOK IT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lloyd Dahl

You know Bev- facts are a funny thing. They can support an argument or they can completely destroy an assumption. You site factcheck.org- while Roy sites the official reporting from the White House accounting- which are the official figures according to the CBO. It would be interesting to see if you had an actual argument that stood up under the same data.

Here are some more for you- and keep in mind, these are the yearly figures that add to the previous years debt! If Obama gets re-elected, it will destroy America. Bush didn't even come CLOSE to Obama's numbers!

During the Bush 2 years vs the Obama years and estimates going forward, from income/outlays were per year (in millions) & yes, these include all the war figures:

year income outlays +/-

2001 1991082 1862846 +128236

2002 1853136 2010894 -157758

2003 1782314 2159899 -377585

2004 1880114 2292841 -412727

2005 2153611 2471957 -318346

2006 2406869 2655050 -248181

2007 2567985 2728686 -160701

2008 2523991 2982544 -458553

2009 2104989 3517677 -1412688

2010 2162724 3456213 -1293489

2011 2303466 3603061 -1299595

2012 2468599 3795547 -1326948 (estimate)

2013 2901956 3803364 -901408 (estimate)

Source - http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Historicals See Table 1.1

Those graphs DO NOT account for the 500 plus billion lost in 2008 due to the Bush recession.

Also it does not account for the way the medicare part d keeps growing every year due to it not having price controls on drug companies.

Also they do not account for the wars being payed for with appropriations(off budget).

LOOK IT UP.

yOU PEOPLE ARE TOO @#@#@# TO UNDERSTAND THIS NUMBERS????????

It is YOUR idiotic leaders that have indentured this country to the Chinese with bailouts that don't work

Yep, the TARP bailout, supported by Republicans for their Wall Street buddies and signed by President Bush Jr. And the auto company bailout, also supported by Republicans and also signed by President Bush Jr. Glad you recognized who was responsible, but I wouldn't go so far as to call the Republicans and Bush as "idiotic leaders"

Both "bailouts" were eventually turned over to the next President to administer, and Obama has done fairly well in recovering funds from TARP and getting both Chrysler and GM back to profitability, and has started to sell off the Government shares in both companies.

Mr Cool said Mitt Romeny started with $25 in his pocket and a broken down pick up truck.

Well you did not mention his father was the CEO of American Motors and a former Governor and Nixon Cabinet Member (Not a Nixon yes man though). You did not mention he went to an elite private Prep School.

He hardly started with just 25 Bucks and broken down truck.

Don't buy myths, my Dad used to tell em the 'I walked to school in the snow for miles each day' crap too. My dad was poor raised by his mom when his father abandoned the family; the only good thing my grandfather ever did was to not sell the family land which later was inherited (because the granddad never did a will).

But Mitt had serious connections and his family certainly had a lot of money. And they were supportive of him.

The fact that libs here not only deny Obama's documented record breaking deficits, but have either the sheer arrogance or plain stupidity to praise his nonexistent efforts to reduce the debt, is truly mind boggling. I mean, what do you say to someone who denies reality?

spider - It's a disease.... a disease of the mind. They are completely lulled into some sort of hypnotic state about Obama. They will deny everything he did wrong. It's almost demonic. Obama denies... they believe it.

Here's some interesting viewing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCAffMSWSzY

Sounds a lot like how Bush and the rest of the GOP......

BUSH??!! HA HA...it's been FOUR YEARS! ..and President Obama has spent us to less than AAA rating for the first time in HISTORY!!!

blah blah blah TWO WARS! (forget Libya) blah blahblah blah THE RICH blah blah blah TEA BAGGERS blah blah blah blah G-DUB blah blah blah RUSH blah blah BECK blah blah blah REAGAN blah blah blah TRICKLE DOWN blah blah blah WALL STREET blah blah blah blah REPUBLICANS blah blah MILLLIONAIRES blah blah blah PALIN....on and on ad
nauseum...

It's the Obama supporters that are changing
the subject to ANYTHING but OBAMA!! Doing it for 3 inexcusable years now
and the majority of Americans are sick and tired of it!

Bad republican candidates bunch, terrible current POTUS who knows know constitutional bounds and is determined to keep the nation buried in debt and spending on social programs designed to keep the out of work out of work, and a bunch of Congressman and Senators who are complete morons ... this poor nation is doomed and many of it's citizens or clueless. The hybrid progressive weed has taken root, grown wild and spread throughout out government systems and there are no republicans or democrats or independents who have the fortitude, ideas, and leadership ability to stop this suicide train.

Anyone know how much money the 02 olympics cost our country?

Anyone know how much money the 02 olympics brought into our country?

I'm just curious if Romney was making a good move for the US or not? It would seem that this is what the entire article was getting at but never got around to mentioning. Maybe this information would just blow a huge hole in the writers BS story trying to make Romney look bad while cheerleading for Obama.

elliot,

I believe the point here is that Romney knows how best to game the system (no pun intended) with expert lobbying strategies, kick-backs, and payoffs.

Not good business, when taking into account how this guy finagled the system using the taxpayers money.

According to the state (Utah) report in 2003, the Olympics cost $4.3 Billion, created 35,000 jobs and netted the state, after all receipts, $76 Million- not to mention all the infrastructure work that was done to the city. It is now a major hub in the west- many companies use the state and city for business. There is a LOT more that goes into these numbers.

source: http://www.cppa.utah.edu/publications/econ_dev/Olympics_Econ_Impact.pdf

It's a good bet that none of that would have happened if Romney had not been put in charge of the games. The Dems are out with a new ad that claims it was the most expensive in US history. Yeah, that would be right if you add inflation into the mix. But make all things equal, and the Atlanta Olympics were more costly. But in comparison to other countries- we're not even in the same ballpark! Beijing cost $40 BILLION!! Athens was $15 BILLION!! So, in comparison, the 2002 SLC Games was chump change.

Lloyd,

So what you are saying is that spending can create both
temporary and long term jobs and give a boost to the economy.

Way to go Dennis !

My hair stands on end every time I hear "government doesn't create jobs, business creates jobs". What bollux !

Whenever the US buys anything whether Military, Social or Infrastructure it creates jobs. Only the Government has the funds to do the really big things like rebuilding our roads or electrical infrastructure. What corporation is going to have the resources rebuild the thousands of bridges in shameful condition ? And even if done privately it would be highly tolled, cutting it off from the poor and now even middle class.

So I too support spending to host things like the Olympics and benefit by the infrastructure, jobs and tourism it represents. Its a good investment. Tax the rich to make it happen. Time for the Reagan experiment to end.

Lloyd, Did the state use those profits to pay back the federal taxpayers dollars used?

Good question, Don't carry it all. I saw nothing about the state of Utah repaying those federal dollars used as seed money or briberty, which every way yhou want it, after they raked in the dough using American taxpayers dollars to do it. But then, Bain Capital isn't accustomed to giving good value for the dollar either.

Paul-Florida

media matters................yup that's some reliable sources. You know Bev, media matters is being investigated for hiring people to follow staffers from Fox. Even though Fox leans to the right, why would media matter do such a thing? Well lets hope they lose their tax exemption. Since you post your hatred for Fox news is common for people who relay on media matters for their information. It's kind of like a cult you know?

I love posting how much I loathe FOX Noise. FOX News is an abomination. A truly tacky, vile affair If I can enlighten the world about FOX NOISE's poison; it's a good thing. It is not news; it's toxic to America and the world and should have its license revoked. That ole dried up prune Rupert Murdoch who thinks he is a fertility god should have his citizenship revoked so he could be deported.

This man has done more to harm journalism in America and Britain than any other person. I cannot speak for Australia. In the U.S., where his newspaper holdings are limited to the New York Post and the (actually good) Wall Street Journal, his damage has been done with Fox News, the first deliberately and unapologetically biased and partisan network in American history. You disagree? Be my guest.

In the UK, it is now revealed, his managers and editors oversaw a culture of bribery and deception that was depraved even by the low standards of Brit tabloids. It appears even the Queen's cell phone was tapped, leading my friend Margo Howard to ask on Twitter, (1) Does the Queen actually use a cell phone? and (2) Would the hackers be guilty of treason?

You've read the news. I need not recount the details of the scandal. What we see now is the rare sight of all three major British parties, Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrats, marching together arm-in-arm, united in joyous agreement to bring the Dirty Digger low. His hopes of buying control of BSkyB, the British satellite network, appear doomed. His lieutenants face squirmy sessions before Parliamentary committees, and some of them may do prison time.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2011/07/the_dirty_digger.html

==================================================

I read also Florida Paul -- he is not well liked in his Australian homeland either!!!

Why Fox Declared War On Media Matters

http://www.newscorpse.com/ncWP/?p=6413

... and spending on social programs designed to keep the out of work out of work,

Perhaps you'd care the list those social programs that result in people being denied work? In case you haven't noticed, the country isn't awash in job openings.

Why Fox Declared War On Media Matters

It was a pathetic little screed that proved nothing but how desperate the right-wing noise machine is to prevent the world from knowing what they are up to.

More interesting is the extent to which Fox News has been promoting this astonishingly thin expose. Yesterday they broadcast three segments with their star anchors, Steve Doocy, Megyn Kelly, and Bill O’Reilly. They also posted four separate articles linking to the same TDC piece on Fox Nation. Today they added four more items on Fox Nation, an article on FoxNews.com, and two more Fox News broadcasts, including an interview of Carlson by Doocy that featured this startling exchange:

David Brock and his colleague Ari Rabin-Havt have written a book that is scheduled to be released next week.

http://www.newscorpse.com/ncWP/?p=6413

The Fox Effect: How Roger Ailes Turned a Network into a Propaganda Machine will be on Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307279588/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=newscorpsecom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0307279588

LMAO!!!!

So FOX NOISE posted four separate articles linking to the same The Daily Caller piece on Fox Nation. Repeating the same thing over and over.

How many times have I said with FOX NOISE it's the same sh!t different day????

hee hee hee hee ♥ ♥ Love, Love, It.

The world will look at every witch hunt FOX NOISE is desperately and pathetically pulling. This inordinate amount of blather 24/7 365/ year actually surely makes FOX look unethical

ACORN, "Fast & Furiois" "Solyandra" Shirley Sherrod, Cass Susteien Van Jones, or any thing and any body FOX NOISE deems is associated the Obama administration. Of course, there's the Kenyan Mau-Mau European socialist Marxist, Muslim, President Obama too

Nikki - What funds does the US have? We are living on borrowed money. Everything these days that is spent comes from deficit money. Not unless you feel $1.4 trillion over budget is in line with fiscal sense.

Dennis - if your theory about the government spending money creates jobs and makes money... how come this country is in debt up to our eyeballs? How come states are in debt up to their eyeballs?

Let's face it Dennis - you don't know what you are talking about. You are nothing but a shill for the Obama administration spouting liberal viewpoints that make absolutely no sense at all. This country needs to curb spending and get the debt and deficits under control. This government needs to be reduced in size, period! It is out of control and it needs to be reigned in.

Face it Brian you don’t know crap about anything

All the spending over the last 11 years has been on warsand rebuilding other countries and tax cuts for the CEO’s that makes 400 times more than the ordinary worker. In the 1980 the CEO difference only 35 times.

Really, anyone out there that can name one state vying for the Olympics that did not ask for earmarks? AND was it not the Democrat controlled Senate that just refused to consider or pass legislation from the house outlawing earmarks. What the heck happened to the facts being important? Our political system has turned into a bunch of advertising execs making millions with blurbs that spew BS and tell us absolutely none of the truth about the real problems that are sinking our economy and destroying our country and the average person seems to be deaf, dumb and blind to it.

I hate stupidity and we seem to be drowning in it.

WOW - Dennis can type in larger bolder letters! I'm impressed, but it doesn't change the fact that you still don't know what you are talking about Dennis. What does CEO pay have to do with the government spending that is out of control? Your attempt at deflection is completely childish! In 11 years this country has spent less than a trillion dollars on wars.... but since Obama took office he's raised the debt by $5 trillion... and that's only in 3 years and a month. Your argument is useless! The biggest problem is the fact that you don't even know your argument is useless. You actually believe you have an argument. Now that's sad... very sad indeed!

easy Bev, turn the idiot's box off or watch pragrams that please you. I never understand people who waych shows that they do not enjoy. Try picking up a copy of Forbes magazine and reading it from cover to cover.

I take it there has been no new political news for First Read to post on this weekend? These threads have been played out. How many more names can you all call each other on this thread?

Hi phancy - you know this is a daily occurrence... When the news runs out, namecalling becomes the verbose of choice. It's meaningless anyway... since we can't break out the clubs and bats to beat each other over the heads... LOL! This is the modern day arena where verbal assaults are the weapons of choice... Much better than guns and rifles in the old west... (smile)

betty, where are the new articles, feisty? taking the day off?

x

“He bought a pizza for $5, cut it into eight slices, charged $1 dollar a slice,” said Bullock. “So we could make $8 for a pizza that cost $5 and have a profit of $3. That sent a great message throughout the entire organization that we would watch every penny.”

Fairly typical BS - looks good as a fast read sound bite - BUT...

Was the pizza delivered or did somebody have to go and pick it up? Did the pizza delivery dude get a tip or did he/she get stiffed? Did he pay taxes on the $3 profit?

Trying to relate to the common man will always get Romney in trouble because he has never been there. Makes you wonder if he has ever had a $5 pizza in his life.

ok fiesty it is not your keyboard, the x key apparently is working.

Dennis, Columbus, Ohio

Lloyd,

So what you are saying is that spending can create both
temporary and long term jobs and give a boost to the economy.

Thats what i call GENIUS!!

If obama can blame HIS mismanagement of taxpayer money on the mess he inherited, then why not the same for romney? Except romney actually DID fix it. hey obama, still waiting on that part.

According to the state (Utah) report in 2003, the Olympics cost $4.3 Billion, created 35,000 jobs and netted the state, after all receipts, $76 Million- not to mention all the infrastructure work that was done to the city. It is now a major hub in the west- many companies use the state and city for business. There is a LOT more that goes into these numbers.

source: http://www.cppa.utah.edu/publications/econ_dev/Olympics_Econ_Impact.pdf

It's a good bet that none of that would have happened if Romney had not been put in charge of the games. The Dems are out with a new ad that claims it was the most expensive in US history. Yeah, that would be right if you add inflation into the mix. But make all things equal, and the Atlanta Olympics were more costly.

You're sort of right and, sort of wrong...though that's not to say the earmarks weren't necessary.

Salt Lake has always been a hub for the nation, and though the Olympics weren't the reason why business has boomed in Salt Lake, the Olympics did open up the conversation on long-needed federal assistance in this city, that was always put on the back-burner at the federal level.

The light rail project (TRAX) was well under way long before the Olympic committee got involved, but lacked public support due to a shortage of federal funding yet, TRAX was a desperately needed train transit option that even federal authorities could see SLC desperately needed, along with numerous other western cities. TRAX provided the transportation that SLC needed during the olympics, has allowed SLC to boom, and opened up the conversation for rail projects all over the western United States. Now, Utah has a high speed rail system that will eventually connect with most western states. The majority of senate leadership failed to see why western states need high speed rail before this.

The interstate improvements were an absolute need...the federal government touted the intersection of I-15 and I-80 as being one of the most important interstate crossings in the nation, yet balked at Utah leaders for asking for funding to repair and improve these important yet heavily worn roads. Now, the interstate is in top shape and will last 50 or more years without a major overhaul.

Finally, the Salt Lake City airport did receive improvements. These improvements were long overdue, and stymied for years by federal officials who failed to recognize that Salt Lake City is one of only a handful of critical air traffic hubs. Since the minimal upgrades to the airport have been completed, Salt Lake has been able to accommodate traffic at unprecedented levels, allowing for annual events such as the Sundance Film Festival, Slamdance, Novell Developers Conference, and numerous other conferences of global interest.

Thanks to a number of infratructure improvements, the Rio Tinto soccer stadium became a possibility, making Utah home to one of only a handful of places in the United States with a stadium built for, and continuing to host a MLS soccer team. This stadium has hosted numerous championship and all star games.

Keep in mind too, that much of the federal funds went toward rebuilding Salt Lake City after a tornado ripped through downtown salt lake only a few short years before the games. Many millions of dollars of damage was caused to the city's infrastructure and private losses were almost in the billions.

It should be stressed that the United States combined military descended upon the Salt Lake valley to protect the people of Salt Lake and it's guests before, during, and after. The military stood guard in every neighborhood, and kept a watchful eye from above with non-stop fly-overs. We're very grateful for their protection, with all the threats made.

----

So why is this all important??

A little investment from the federal authorities allowed a city that was literally bursting at the seams to become bigger, better, and more self-sufficient. Utah operates with a fiscal surplus, and is one of the fastest growing states in the nation...what can most other states say?

Oh yeah, and the state made a financial contribution larger than the cost of the LA games' total cost...they got their money back and more.

Sounds a lot like how Bush and the rest of the GOP......

BUSH??!! HA HA...it's been FOUR YEARS! ..and President Obama has spent us to less than AAA rating for the first time in HISTORY!!!

blah blah blah TWO WARS! (forget Libya) blah blahblah blah THE RICH blah blah blah TEA BAGGERS blah blah blah blah G-DUB blah blah blah RUSH blah blah BECK blah blah blah REAGAN blah blah blah TRICKLE DOWN blah blah blah WALL STREET blah blah blah blah REPUBLICANS blah blah MILLLIONAIRES blah blah blah PALIN....on and on ad
nauseum...

It's the Obama supporters that are changing
the subject to ANYTHING but OBAMA!! Doing it for 3 inexcusable years now
and the majority of Americans are sick and tired of it!

I'm sure you are as successful as Romney .... "LOL"

The 2002 Olympics were a great success ....

You can come back to earth now ....

Nice post Pat!

What a hypocrite this guy is:

Romney got a big helping hand from U.S. taxpayers. The federal government poured $1.5 billion into the Salt Lake games – more than twice the amount spent on any previous U.S. Olympics.

Romney got a big helping hand from U.S. taxpayers. The federal government poured $1.5 billion into the Salt Lake games – more than twice the amount spent on any previous U.S. Olympics.

************

With that kind of money, even The Three Stooges would have succeeded. Anyone would have succeeded.

So in the world according to Mitt Romney, it is OK to spend money to lobby Congress to get taxpayer money for the Olympics---a worthy goal but still an athletic contest---but not OK to use taxpayer money to save the auto industry. And to top it off, he attacks Santorum for---getting taxpayer money for his state. You can't make this stuff up.

If only people knew some of the real happenings that went on in Utah before, during, and after the Mormon Olympics. The citizens of Utah were fleeced out of over $10 million to try to buy the olympics before the 2002games. It cost them another $56 million to successfully buy the olympics. But also it cost the taxpayers millions of dollars through a land swap to a billionaire. Earl Holding (owner of SnowBasin, Sun Valley, Sinclair Oil, Little America, Grand America, etc) traded some undevelopable land to the federal government for some federal land to expand his resort. Without the trade Utah would NEVER have had the olympics because there would not have been a venue with the minimum elevation drop required by the IOC.

The mormon church funneled untold millions into the games also.

They touted having to spend so many millions on security and yet they put a propane tank right next to a major checkpoint at SnowBasin. While talking to some DEA agents assigned to the security detail I asked who the Einstein was that positioned the 25,000 gallon propane tank less than 50 yards from the check-in. They said it was an excellent idea until I hypothesized about a terrorist with a satchel charge. After I described over a dozen other serious voids in their security they walked away. They commented that I would be surprised at their ability to respond. I responded that I certainly would be surprised. I asked how effective they were at using a sieve as a cereal bowl.

By the way, SLC is SERIOUSLY considering another bid for the olympics - 2012. Hold onto your wallets taxpayers - federal and state.

Floyd- Very succinct. Got it. You are voting GOP.

floyd would vote for his right hand, if his left hand didn't find out and get jealous.

Floyd, you can add the Bush disasters to your list of characters. Oh yeah, Jim Carter is STILL involved with Habitat for Humanity. What the hell is GHW Bush doing in his old age, not to mention his useless offspring GW, other than spending Prescott's Nazi money.

Republicans are quite worthless, in and out of office.

Floyd

I'd vote for Wile Coyote, Mickey Mouse, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Tinker Bell, and even Jimmy Carter before I would vote for Obama.

Lucky for you all of the above will be on the ballot your keepers give you in November. You will even have five colors of crayons to use in your day-long voting experience.

Floyd's juvenile comments say more about him than they do about anything else.

the thinker-318752 post 3.5 Thank you. One of your best posts to date. There is a lot more to this story than you are telling. Is that intentional? I no longer take it personally or say or even think "I told you so." It is best to let things like that go free; don't you think?

Sailcat-2064101 post 3.11 You use that tired old saw as a "got-you?" Is it wood or fiberglass?

clb-462357

Beverly in Chicago

Let's look at your State as a prime example of what Liberals can do for you. (And I am not talking about Democrats).

Kerner was convicted on 17 counts of bribery while he was governor
Walker was convicted of business crimes
Blagojevich convicted last year and the first Illinois governor to be impeached and removed from office.

And that's just your Governors! Won't even post the historical problems of your Legislature & Chicago! The State has a history of corruptions as far back as anyone can read.

Your Governor, Democrat just raised your income tax in 2011 rate 67% (from 3 to 5%), during a recession. And Corporate tax rates went up 2%. Gee if I was a corp thinking about moving into a state, it wouldn't be Illinois. Probably why Illinois unemployment is above the national rate.

No, clb-462357 let's look at the big picture. That would be recalcitrant GOP/Tea Potty in Congress doing everything to suppress every state budget. What else can be done be raise taxes?

Also, let's look at the fact that this portrayal of my city and state as corrupt is strait out of FOX NOISE talking points to lay claim to my city and state being "A Culture of Corruption" as platypus mouth Michelle Malkin's book portends and that dumb@$$ unrepentant Hannity says.

BTW: Did you see the look on Jodie Kantor's face when Hannity tried to Hannitize her by saying President Obama hanged out with Bill Ayer which is a countdown evey night from that hand jive he gives.

Kantor said she interviewed 33 “current and former White House aides and a lot of the Obamas’ closest friends.”

But, apparently, no research can match what Sean Hannity can just “glean.” He said, “I look at the people that the president has surrounded himself with. …Why do conservatives like me look at his background, look at (Tony Rezko), look at the people – Jeremiah Wright, look at this inner circle and say I find he hung out with radicals his whole life, Bill Ayers, Bernardine Dohrn, and there’s a part of his life that he hides. I don’t think he’s honest with the American people.” Hannity went on to tie Valerie Jarrett to Media Matters and said, “What are we to glean from Ayers, Wright, Jarrett, Media Matters, and I see this as a conservative, as an outspoken conservative and I said there’s something not right. Am I off base?

http://www.newshounds.us/hannity_lectures_the_obamas_author_jodi_kantor_for_not_portraying_obama_as_a_secret_radical_02162012

Also clb-462357

Washington DC is corrupt. You've got both republicans and democrats. But, republicans are more corrupt and refuse to investigate their corrupt politicians. For example, the most recent. Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL).

"You use that tired old saw as a 'got-you?'"

Sometimes that is all one can say about the adolescent ravings of an intellectual midget. The saw may be tired, but it still cuts.

If the Repugs were smart they would make Wiley Coyote the Presidential noominee. He just might beat Obama nrcause he would amuse and eentertain the kiddie-minds who happen to the be GOP "deciders."

And for vice president!!!!Herman Cain. Unbeatable.

Bev - "republicans are more corrupt." It's OK that democrats are corrupt, just as long as republicans are more corrupt so Bev can point her fingers at them. She doesn't mind the corruption coming from the democrats at all... in fact, she relishes in it. They can be as corrupt as the republicans, just as long as in her mind, the republicans do one itty bitty thing more than democrats.

Now, this is the strangest logic I've ever come across in my life. Instead of being against all corruption, Bev chooses the corruption she likes the most. I'm going to change my motto for Bev to "Democrat corruption is good!!"

Also, let's look at the fact that this portrayal of my city and state as corrupt is strait out of FOX NOISE talking points to lay claim to my city and state being "A Culture of Corruption" as platypus mouth Michelle Malkin's book portends and that dumb@$$ unrepentant Hannity says.

Good grief Beverly, do you ever read the Chicago Tribune? Or watch the local network news? Or pay any attention whatsoever to the steady decline of a once great state? The democrat corruption in Illinois and Chicago is NOT a Fox News talking point, it is a reality that normal citizens of Illinois are disgusted with.

And what's with all the name calling from the progressive side of the aisle in these comment boards? If it makes you feel good by all means do it, but it does seem childish to me.

President Obama was wrong to help out the auto workers..

YES...our tax money is not investment money for the incumbant president to spend!!!!

To Santorum, anyone more than a couple of sheets to the left of his extreme right-wing craziness is a liberal.

Yes, the Olympics are popular. I love them. That's really not the point. Mr. Romney is claiming that "he" saved the '92 Olympics, but failed to mention that he did it by using "our" tax money to do it. So, really "we" saved the '92 Olympics.

And his stance on letting the auto industry just fail "then" is killing him, but surely we've all heard him say that President Obama just took "his" advice with the bailout, although President Obama did it wrong.

As a liberal democrat, I couldn't make up this kind of good stuff. Do all politicians think we don't have a memory? We do.

Do all politicians think we don't have a memory? We do.

Minus one. Yours has failed you. '92 Olympics was Barcelona. How did Mitt save them?

It still was a feat, but no matter how he pulled the event off, that was far better than a major catastrophe and total international embarrasement that it was going to be.

No, I'm not going to vote for Mitt this time on super tuesday, because I am better informed and have other choices and one for certain is better. That is the cool thing about the extended primary battle, more time to examined these candidates for hours on end to really know them.

My choice, made just a few weeks ago, will win.

@the thinker-318752, if you're going to correct someone, get your facts straight. The 1992 Winter Olympics were in Albertville France - as it was the Winter Games that were held in SLC.

DB Akron, Iand I know you are smart enough to call it what it is and vote for Ron Paul. He is the only candidate that could even come close to saving this country with the right personnel supporting him in the congress and the senate. If they were serious they would gather around Ron Paul and stop trying to use his ideas to get them elected, Ron Paul knows what to do. Not one of them have given us anything substantial to hold on to except for Ron Paul, go figure, stick to the constitution, simple as our A, B, C's. Don't agree with every single thing he proposes, but he sure does have the favorable solutions to the majority of our problems, think, watch, wait and listen, then you will not waste your vote for sure this time. Yes, a change is coming and if you vote any other way, all you will get is change not dollars.

Thinker, I believe it was a typo: 02. 9 is next to 0.

Really hate those little smart@zz grade school b@zz-tards that make much ado about nothing. They grow up to be whining Republicans.

The Olympic Games are a complete waste of money. They never bring in enough money to cover the billions it costs venues to host them. Denver is vying to get the Games for 2020. I hope this effort fails just like it did in 1976 when the voters in the state of Colorado saw the truth behind hosting the Olympics.

Ron Paul is the very worst choice. Why would you trust someone who says one thing and then votes another?

Ron doesn't plan on saving anyone but the 1%. His never raise taxes again only benefits the rich. I know republicans aren't very bright but Ron Paul, really!!!!!!

Just like the rest of the republicans Paul wants to shred the safety net and starve children in the name of freedom. Ron Paul so cares about the people he voted against increasing the minimum wage. At the same time Ron never met a tax cut for the rich that he didn't vote for.

The pacifist Ron Paul the last time he had a chance to vote to end the Iraq war, he didn't, but he did vote with the republicans to keep the war going with no end in sight.

Ron Paul is no different from the rest of the republicans, he will lie to you and tell you what he thinks you want to hear while voting for the 1% and against the people in his every vote. He is all for social security and medicare until him and the rest of the republicans vote it away from the people.

For the love of America, Obama/Biden 2012

Suzanne

I admire your spunk for sticking up for the Honorable Congressman Paul but I can't shake this Western themed image of him running the country. I get an image of a poor little mule attached to an oxcart designed for 12 oxen to pull. The oxcart is of course loaded with pork.

As much as the poor little mule tugs and struggles, he gets nowhere.

His political views are mostly irrelevant since it is not conceivable that, as President, he has any constituency to lead in the House or Senate.

It isn't just the eating their own that is hilarious as much as their attempts to marinade the other is sanctimonious moralistic tripe before doing so.......just sayin'

Because there are so many to eat. If only obama was worth a sniff. People know when to avoid wasting time on an empty suit.

Political cannibalism. Good grief. What is going to happen when the red meat is gone?

be careful, they may start looking for 'Candy.' =D

People know when to avoid wasting time on an empty suit

Really? Considering the GOTP circus lineup? Please.

No worries here...it's gonna be a turkey shoot for whoever gets the nomination with Obama's Epic Fail.

Spending only several hundred million would have been a deal - in comparison.

Salt Lake is SERIOUSLY considering a second run as host city. This is despite the fact that they realize and readily recognize the fact that they lost millions and continue to lose millions (supporting/maintaining the venues). Their positive point they are pushing is that the venues are already in place. In other words, the world didn't think it worthy to go to the first SLC olympics but that the world will go to some re-run olympics.

RedDevPS, Hate to bust your ignorant bubble, but the Democrats are the war mongers, not the Repubs. WWII, Korea, and Vietnam all involved by Democratic presidents and far more expensive in terms of lives lost and money spent. Get your facts straight or shut up!

Bobwhite - 3292025

My first reaction was WOW, Is he kidding? But you do have a point. The GOP has long had multiple personality disorder. The GOP political mood was completely isolationist from the 20's through the 30's. Henry Ford firmly believed we had no business messing in Germany's internal affairs (like invading neighbors and ethnic cleansing). Roosevelt had a tough time with his lend lease program to arm allies Russia and England. Of course when Pearl Harbor was attacked, the GOP industrialists rallied behind Roosevelt and profited.

That isolationist mood still resonates in the GOP, i.e Ron Paul's bring em home rhetoric. However, the "Neocons" that came to power during the Bush Jr. administration (i.e. Romney's John Bolton) view the US as an undisputed super power obliged to confront anti-US sentiment on the ground anywhere in the world.

So I give you a half credit, given that Truman was in-charge when North Korea invaded South Korea.

Of course when Pearl Harbor was attacked, the GOP industrialists rallied behind Roosevelt and profited.

Oh yes...of course indeed...hrumf hrumf...lol

Nah, he's terrible. Bad job all around. Probably worthy of impeachment. Ignores the law. Ignores the Constitution. Hides his past. Has corrupt people in his cabinet.

Can't imagine why or how any of the GOP bozos wouldn't do a much better job. Even Palin.

Boromir - pay attention to all of corporate America, not just the Republican side, there is also a democrat contingent and an independent contingent. In 2000 & 2004 the Independents supported Bush, In 2008 they supported Obama, 2012 - they are fleeing Obama for the Republicans.

You are not wrong to be suspicious of Corporate America, but in the end they act a lot like the American voters - just blowing in the wind - wherever that leads.

Nah, he's terrible. Bad job all around. Probably worthy of impeachment. Ignores the law. Ignores the Constitution. Hides his past. Has corrupt people in his cabinet

Heard the same, exact rant from the right when Clinton was elected. Get a new complaint.

after 8 yrs of a pres. that was never elected-brain dead BUSH WAHT A PATHETIC IDIOT HE WAS AND IS TODAY

Probably worthy of impeachment.

Unlike Clinton....

GranCanyon - Romney definitely made the Olympics more successful - he took it from a huge deficit to a profit. But the issue that John McCain and now Santorum are going to town on is that he accepted huge earmarks when he is campaigning against earmarks and accusing Santorum of being the earmark king. And McCain pointed out that little of the earmarks went for security.

If what you're saying is true, why then did McCain call it out for being a horrifying pork-barrel project on 9/19/2000, almost an entire year before the attack on the WTC even happened?

So..because he successfully run the Olympics ... he can now run this country?

McCain said that because he wanted to the Republican Candidate for President. I firmly believe we should all be reminded that the Salt Lake City Olympics started only 5 months after the 9/11 attacks on the USA. Everyone was on edge and feeling unsafe in the USA. USA had a responsibility to the world make it safe for the athletes and spectators from around the world. Romney did an exceptional job in helping the Olympics be more successful.

GranCanyon - Of course McCain made the statements because he was running for President, but it doesn't make them any less true. And he got his facts and figures from a primary source - the General Accounting Office report-so anyone can go back and verify the figures.

About the security -"documented a litany of direct and indirect federal earmarks for the Salt Lake Olympics that had little if anything to do with security. Among them: $645 million for new highways and roads, including a repaved mountain road to the Snow Basin ski resort, owned by a wealthy local oilman. There was also hundreds of millions more for light rail, parking lots, bus rentals, sewer construction, housing for the news media and weather forecasting — in addition to $161 million for security (a figure that climbed even higher after 9/11.)" But note that the amount for security is less than for other nonsecurity items.

He did an exceptional job on the Olympics - you're right - but that's not why Santorum is roasting him - it's the earmarks he used while he is blasting Santorum for using earmarks.

Whoever says the SLC olympics was a success has a VERY low standard for success. Less than 25% of the people they expected did not show up. There were thousands of empty motel/hotel rooms, restaurants with plenty of seating, unused reserved seating, etc, etc. Locally, they were known as the olympics that nobody went to. Businesses ramped up for the onslaught that never happened.

On a positive note, there were many people who rented out their houses (with payment in advance) but never had to vacate because the renters never showed.

Well, there ya' go then.

Irrelevant....point - Obama = EPIC FAIL

No Way. President Obama is NOT my salvation.

Obama has plans for America and they are not plans he will verbalize nor are they plans the majority of Americans would support.

Tom343: How do you know this? Are there facts or real logic to back up what you say? Or are you talking out of both sides of your mouth like the republican candidates do?

Tom-where have you been? The US has a majority of women. They want plans to cover their health along with their children. Obama has been verbalizing this all over. Are we back again to the secret, fear-mongering, agenda of the ultra right? Oooppps. Sorry. There is no ultra right anymore. The Republicans have fallen over the edge. The ultra right is now considered moderate/liberal in the GOP world.

I guess women don't count when tallying "majority" anymore. At least from where you are espousing.

Tom343: How do you know this? Are there facts or real logic to back up what you say? Or are you talking out of both sides of your mouth like the republican candidates do?

Well, the folks down at Faux Noise told his so.

Tom: more of the 'great conspiracy' stuff??? When will you people stop the nonsense that at any moment, the President is going to rip off his mask and reveal himself as a martian from outer space? No WONDER your side is losing so badly...is there anyone left that's not a complete KOOK?

ONE QUOTE

Obama is our salvation

ANOTHER QUOTE

Obama has plans for America and they are not plans he will verbalize

...ikes ...scary huh??

To understand the earmarks, I think we also need to understand the entire story surrounding the Olympics of 2002. Earmarks, are pet projects, like the "bridge to nowhere" The Olympics are for the World.

It matters because thousands and thousands are being/will be thrown off the voter registration rolls in another attempt to disenfranchise. Otherwise, to me, it is just verbal garbage expected from the desperate candidates. And the brain dead do hang onto the words from these people. Remember Kiss the Ring of Trump? Sure agree with you about hypocrisy, though.

fedupwithidiots-2010592

Romney and Santorum are both hypocrites. Nothing they say matters anyway.

Till November anyway....you don't have a President that led the United States of America into a less than AAA credit rating that gets re-elected 'fedup'. OWN IT OBAMA = EPIC FAIL

Do you think that discussing an entertainer that has lately passed away trumps discussing politics?

Also it interests me that some drone (Mentor!) can seize control of a forum whose subject is trivia for some reason of little or no consequence (considering the subject matter is a passed away entertainer) at the same time he/she ignores all the bigotry exhibited towards the Catholic Church on many other forums.

BillLumbergh

HEY EVERYONE,

Let's all discuss the Whitney Houston funeral on THIS discussion. I have two good reasons....

One is DEFINATELY that you don't have to try to defend Obama's dismal leading qualities for sure!

Bobl -All but that Mormon comment

I agree Katheryn about the comment. Romney's a Mormon weasel.

Not True. What about all the jobs that were created, i.e. Sports Authority, Staples to name a few.

I guess the Mormons and the Catholics are fair game on this forum.

Bill - there is sooo much more that you could debate successfully on - you shouldn't need to degrade his religion

GranCanyon

How many jobs can I claim to have created if I catch some Facebook shares in their IPO? Speaking of creating jobs, Governor Romney seems to have lost his nerve now that Staples is celebrating it's 25th anniversary.

He is sitting on a pile of about a quarter billion $ stuffed into Swiss banks and Cayman Island trusts. When is he going to use some of that loot to create some more jobs in the US?

HA HA...so Obama was pulled from a food line?? Give it up...

And you just posted a duplicate of something quoted by Cris Matthews? Does it not bother you that you cannot even post something that you yourself though up or better yet, posted something with actual facts? Born and raised in Massachusetts and trust me when I say this is nothing to brag about however, I know how Mitt did and what he created and pushed to better the state and give back to the people and I'll tell you right now that 99% of what you hear in the media about Mitt and what he did is absolute BS. You have a guy who walked into office in one of the most liberal states in the US. He had to fight the likes of Kerry and Kennedy, no easy task along with Frank and others who hated him just because he had that (R) in front of his name. You don't read however why Kerry and Kennedy actually hated Mitt. Kennedy had made a promise to the people of Massachusetts that once the day came where the state was out of the red budget wise, he would then see to it that the state tax were dropped to 3.9% Well, even after hearing actual recordings of this promise, Kennedy put it out there and changed the alleged promise by saying it was a promise of only 5.3% then 4.6% back up to 5.1% etc, etc, etc... Mitt created a surplus which at first excited the liberals, after all, they could now spend all that tax payer money right? Wrong! Mitt went to Kerry and Kennedy to collect on what Mitt told people he would do when he was running for office which was he would put Massachusetts back into a surplus and use the tax payers money to take care of the citizens of the state. Mitt was told to "go away" by Kennedy and told that he would never see the state taxes go down even after Mitt held Kennedy accountable to his very own words and promise to the people.

Next, Mitt took the surplus he created and came up with a health care bill that would help hundreds of thousands of citizens of the state. With the now "positive" cash flow via taxes, Mitt designed a Health care bill that would offset the total out of pocket cost to people in the state. The example that was used if I recall was a single mother of 3 working for McDonald's which at the time was charging I think $429 per moth for family coverage. This was more than 1/4 of monthly pay just to keep this mother and her 3 kids insured. The offset however would have made it only cost $81 out of pocket for her and her family. Mitt never wrote in the bill that he backed abortion either, that nothing more than liberal BS and spin. What bothers me is that any one of these people who accuse and present these false facts can read the bill and it's entirty that Mitt wrote. You can alse see all the additions, changes such as the abortion support that was hand written by Kenndy and added into the bill. YOu will see so much extras that liberals attached to this thing it's enough to make you puke. Mitt also went after those who screwed the people of Massachusetts in the "Big Dig" you know, where liberals made out like bandits? Shannon O'Brien for one who happens to have a career in TV now also was being investigated for all the sudden owning a home in the Hampton's soon after she refused to accept any bids from local construction companies even though the state was facing, at the time, a rather high unemployment rate not to mention that contract for the job would have created an additional 3500 jobs but, Shannon made sure her boys in New York got the handout instead (thank her daddy and all there contacts via law firm). After that fiasco, everyone wondered where these workers were, why on earth did the state pay millions and millions of dollars to these contractors who by the way, cost more than triple in comparison to the bids made by local contractors in Massachusetts, but anyhow. The company owners took the money and ran, leaving the US and being found in some tropical island somewhere I forget exactly where. Mitt comes in, blows the hood off all this crap and once again, find that the liberals were behind everything and he attempted to get rid of the problems. One of those problems was and is the MTA or Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. Another pointless entity controlled by liberals to suck and drain money out of the tax payers pockets. Mitt found out that the roads had been pain off long ago and based on the positive tax revenue he had created, we could now due away with this worthless agency. Mitt found that the average citizen in the state of Mass was paying on average $2700 per year just to be able to drive on a rod to get to work. Needless to say, Mitt about lost it and was in the middle of getting rid of it that was until he Ran for president which IMO, he should have won and we wouldn't be where we are now, but then another liberal came in named (Duval "gimme a fin" Patrick) who took one look at what Mitt had done, sank Mass back into the negative in less than 2 years, increased the cost to drive on the Turn Pike, not abolish it to help save people money like Mitt was doing, and Duval just keep doing the liberal thing, raise taxes, added another $2 on tobaccos to pay for the cost of health care, yeah, I know, didn't Mitt already have a plan for that? Didn't Mitt create a surplus? Didn't Obama tell the people when he visited Boston and stood shoulder t shoulder with Duval that if (quote)"Any of you want to know how I will conduct myself when it comes to economic responsibility you only have to look at Duval Patrick as this man is not only my brother but a mirror image of who I am concerning fiscal responsibility and spending" (end quote)

While my post may be long it present facts and the truth, not some liberal twisted agenda filled with facts from the media but facts from what actually happen in the state I lived in while Mitt Romney was Gov. My comments are also based on facts taken from the exact bills in their original submission that anyone can read at Thomasbill dot gov. I know most of you liberals won;t give researching the facts the time of day because it goes against your logic and in essence, will prove everything I stated as fact. That's a problem when you want people to listen and buy into a lie to promote an ideology that has failed and will continue to fail. God Bless

JoeKing, In the first place W didn't create the piles you refer to. Only an ignorant person would think so. The piles you refer to have been coming for a long time. The rust belt didn't occur on W's term nor did the loose lending that led to overcommitments that couldn't be met by home buyers, nor did over commitments by our government, nor did the cost of wars by both parties (mostly Democrats) piling up massive debts. Those are only a few of the real reasons our economy and the worlds at large sunk. One only has to look at Greece to see that. Greece will never recover because 40% of their people are on the government dole and our country is getting close to that state. Secondly, Obama has not cleaned up anything as you stated, he has only made it much worse. If he is re-elected we will end up like Greece and I'm sure people like you will still blame someone else even though Obama has run up more debt in his first term than any other president in our history.

oh, but youre wrong- the GOP LOVE federal funding. why else do they keep shoving our money at 'defense contractors' and find tax breaks for billion dollar businesses?

I would argue, unfortunately, Romney is too stupid to understand the original concept of the Republican party. It has become so inverse/convoluted. Pox on both for making a mockery of the electoral process.

Spectacularj1

....unfortunately for Romney his party is too stupid....

Careful Spec..your IQ is showing...

Some one who knows what they are talking about and not spouting uninformed opinions.

Thanks for posting that site, I'll check it out. This is why I feel NBC is so biased, they never post both sides of the issue only their opinions and not credible journalism.

Wrong Rombo: Look for the clip from Senator John McCain on the floor of the house saying he is OUTRAGED at the cost of the Olympics and the outsized federal support Romney was begging for. McCain called the Olympics, "an incredible pork-barrel project for Salt Lake City and its environs".

GranCanyon: The definition of "credible journalism" is not journalism that only reports things you already happen to agree with.

But Matthew - then Romney should not have defended the earmarks so vigorously.

He should not have taken credit in his book for obtaining those earmarks,nor used the fact that he was so successful at securing federal earmarks when he was running for governor.

When he claimed that he got earmarks, while chastising Santorum for that very thing,he opened himself up for criticism from Santorum.

Matthew: All you've done is further reveal Romney's duplicity. He's been taking credit on the campaign trail for getting that federal money for the Olympics. Which is it? If it's true, then he's a hypocrite for claiming Santorum is wrong for supporting the extensive federal spending and earmarks he has supported when he was a Senator. If he's right, then you're calling him a liar for claiming credit for those earmarks. Was that supposed to be a DEFENSE of Romney? And you're calling other people "morons"??? Tsk tsk.

Sure...... and Im a Democrat!

LOL...this election is not about the Olympics...it's about Obama's epic fail as President - quite simple

"We Love You, Mitt" Olympic pins that he himself sanctioned?

Oh dear.