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Subscribe to RSSMitt Romney waged a charm offensive on Capitol Hill on Thursday morning, meeting with conservative heavyweights and courting lawmakers who hail from states that are soon to host primaries.
Romney spent a jam-packed morning in Washington, D.C., where he held a fundraiser that netted the campaign $450,000. The fundraiser was better than expected, Romney campaign officials said, so much so that additional tables and chairs had to be brought in to accommodate the extra guests.
That was just one stop in the former Massachusetts governor's whirlwind tour of Washington.
Romney met with Rep. Paul Ryan, the House Budget Committee chairman, for about 45 minutes this morning. Romney is also slated to meet sometime today with South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, an influential conservative figure.
The meetings were significant as part of Romney's effort to shore up additional conservative support as he seeks to work toward gaining a firmer hold on the Republican presidential primary.
The Ryan meeting was especially significant given the Wisconsin Republican's unveiling this week of his 2012 budget, essentially a distillation of conservatives' vision to reshape federal spending if Republicans were elected this fall. Romney warmly praised the plan Tuesday upon its release, and Democrats, who charge the plan would "end Medicare," this morning labeled the plan the "Ryan-Romney budget."
Romney's work to court Washington Republicans extended also to meetings with Republican lawmakers from Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Texas. Wisconsin hosts its primary April 3, and Pennsylvania hosts a primary on April 24. Both are considered must-win contests for Romney's chief rival, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.
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How cute - Willard is making the rounds kissing behinds of the party of pale, male & stale!
What a coreless SUCK UP!
And a bold face liar.
Willard is about as charming as a King Cobra...
Job1- Note: He's a bold face PERPETUAL liar.
I'll bet it was a real upbeat fundraiser for Mitt this morning---so much good news to celebrate after yesterday's Etch-a-Sketch comment and Mitt's comment that it was right to bailout the banks but not right to bail out GM.
I wonder if each participant got an Etch-A-Sketch as a favor?
Nice Romney ....
They say now that it will take more than 60 years to pay down Obama's massive debt ....
Can Obama's debt , fit on an Etch A Scetch ....
i love the way conservatives were never concerned about the debt until there is a Dem in the white house.
Reagan tripled it.
Bush one doubled it!
Bush 2 added 76% to it.
Obama was just stuck with it and the worst economy in 80 years.
Bush's 8 year debt ....
Was duplicated by Obama in 3 years ....
Obama is surely the debt master ....
They say it will take 60 plus years to pay it down now ....
Obama out in 2012 ....
Many of those Republicans will be gone after the elections of 2012. The country is not happy with Congress, to say the least.
They say? I wonder who that is Ben?
Did they also mention that if Bush has not given tax cuts and had kept the surplus and paid down the debt and not got us into phony wars, that the debt would have been paid off by 2010.
Much easier to blame someone else than take the credit for what the republicans have done to our country.
VOTE FOR AMERICA.....VOTE FOR OBAMA/BIDEN 2012
Big Ben or is it Frosty in Alaska,
POLITICO: The GOP has been quick to fault Obama for excess spending. But more than three-quarters of the $3.5 trillion in added red ink can be explained by what is still a rich diet of tax breaks continued by this president.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0312/74109.html
Dennis, I'm afraid your logic is lost on a guy pining for the pit bull in lipstick!
"I think bigbenalaska needs a Aspirin"
Bigbenalaska...Gota love the way you frame an argument..What you don't mention are two wars that were part of the Bush debt (over a trillion) and the cost of the national security apparatus (Homeland Security) added to the budget...You know the GOP fear card! At least this president made an attempt to spend the money (60% via tax cuts, and the auto bailout that helped the middle class and working stiffs).
BTW ... how is that Alaska Welfare thingy workin out for ya? Did you get your share this year?...Do tell!
Was Rickety playing with a "Etch A Sketch" or his "Yo Yo" ?????????? He can spread his disease playing with that thing, next Santorum will be in Porn.
Was King Norquist there? Or was he hiding behind the curtain again?
Looks as if you liberal wingnuts received your marching orders from obummer and bashed the Ryan plan out of the gate. Why don't you take the time to read the plan instead of taking what the administrations mouthpiece MSNBC says is gospel. Seems to me that Ryan is attempting to correct the mistakes that this inept administration has perpetuated on this once great country. This admin are a bunch of liars, from the money wasted on green energy to the photo op where obummer states that he approved the pipeline from Cushing to Texas, lie lie lie, the pipeline was approved at the state level to move through state and private lands, the feds had nothiong to do with it, but I'm sure you sheeple believed every word of the liar-in-chief
rick,
Father Thomas Kelly:
“As a constituent of Congressman Ryan and a Catholic priest, I’m disappointed by his cruel budget plan and outraged that he defends it on moral grounds. Ryan is Catholic, and he knows that justice for the poor and economic fairness are core elements of our church’s social teaching. It’s shameful that he disregarded these principles in his budget.”
Rick, I did read the plan, and I'm going to say that you didn't. There is an unspecified 265B to come out of social programs by cutting the block grants to the states. Where is that supposed to come from? Oh right, that isn't Ryan's problem. The top tax rate will drop from 35% to 25%, yet no loopholes will be closed. Where is that missing revenue going to come from? This is just red meat for the right and you took the bait like a good pet. Who are you getting YOUR marching orders from?
The R&R Budget (Ryan&Romney) will be straw that will bring Obama back.
Benny likes to conveniently ignore the fact that when Bush took office the national debt was $5.7T. When Bush left office in shame, however, the debt was $10.0T. Starting and bungling two wars is pretty expensive, you know.
The Washington Post also provides some interesting insights regarding the nature of the deficit during the Bush administration versus that of the administration of President Obama:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/adding-to-the-deficit-bush-vs-obama/2012/01/31/gIQAQ0kFgQ_graphic.html
Benny's asinine remarks generally come to a screeching halt when he is faced with genuine facts.
Rick,
Obama did not take credit for approving the southern portion of the the pipeline, he just asked for any federal permits to get expedited.
For someone upset about repeating talking points you are sure good at it.
Sailcat - just remember the GNOP can't deal with facts...only fiction and lies...Ya know like not putting 2 wars on the books and then crying that the deficit is exploding when they were put on the books,,,,
Anything Ryan touches is toxic. I can't see how this guy can keep getting re-elected. The only thing I can assume is that he's from a Republican stronghold were he gets to run unopposed.
I have noticed that over this entire primary election there are less and less republicans defending the GOP nominees
the ones who do, keep on going in circles over old topics that have been argued to death and have nothing new to complain about
Kinda sad but i starting miss the ignorant posts now, they were so entertaining to read and a great way to kill some time
Hey everybody I brought my Etch-a-Sketch... got any ideas that I can do an about face on later? Keep up the good work fellas.
So his running mate will either be DeMint or Ryan.
"Ryan knows how to milk the system"
"Well, I think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign. Everything changes. It's almost like an Etch A Sketch."
- Mitt Romney’s campaign spokesman on CNN
The King of the Flip Flopper's the Etch-a-Sketch candidate is now boot licking on Capital Hill HOW PATHETIC!
Whether or not he truly embraced the particulars of Ryan's budget, Romney's in for a penny...in for a pound! Not sure if he's sucking up, kissing butt, or grabbing his ankles...
"Ryan is a poor excuse as a Human"
Eh, I think you Dems know how I feel about Etchy, but there's nothing in this article that any candidate in his position wouldn't be doing.
But for general purposes, I will add Romney = bald faced liar, lol.
You are correct. Like any good political lap dog Romney is kissing up to the establishment to get them to back him.
Experience in Washington = Same old, Same old.
Nothing ever changes in Washington.
we need to get some normal people in office with education, the ability to think for themselves, with morals and willing to compromise
then we could really get things done
Hey annoyedperson
Republicans don't have an education and they don't believe in it. They don't believe in science they don't believe in stem call research, or global warming, or evolution they prefer to wallow in ignorance and superstition. You have to remember you are dealing with ignoramuses who still believe the earth is flat
Will U-Haul be giving Obama a discount ....
With free packing boxes and bubble wrap ....
I wouldn't ....
big brainwashed benalaska, wake up to the fact that the failed GOP policies put this country almost to it's knees. You want those same failed policies back in place to finish the job?
Why don't you go find the pig in lipstick and play with her?
The republicans around the country are signaling that they are not going to continue the path of taking away women's rights. Santorum wife said directly he was not going to make birth control illegal. Even though all the candidates have signed a pledge to overturn Roe v Wade on their path to the person-hood amendment which does make many forms of birth control illegal.
But of course a republican will ask what war on women?
Last time the republicans campaigned on jobs, jobs and more jobs. We got no jobs only attacks on women's rights, voter rights and workers rights.
This time the republicans are campaigning on freedom and you can be sure no freedom is to be had if the republicans win anything. They will then take it as a mandate to continue to take our rights in the name of freedom.
Freedom to a republican means your gun rights are more important than the lives of innocent children.
Freedom to a republican means you take from the old, poor and sick to give more tax cuts to the richest in our nation.
To tell you the truth I am scared to death of the brand of freedom that the republicans hold so dearly.
FOR THE AMERICA YOU HAVE GROWN TO LOVE......OBAMA/BIDEN 2012
Americans First - don't believe it - as some native Americans might say - pale male speak with forked tongue......You know the GNOP always say one thing then do something else...here in NY many of them signed pledges for independent redistricting panel based on the latest census...then delayed and balked saying there wasn't enough time so the legislature could pick their boundaries --even though they SIGNED pledges to former Mayor Ed Koch.....oh - wait - wasn't it in 2010 they ran on Jobs Jobs Jobs......granted they didn't say what year....but how many job bills did they pass?........go figure..
Everyone needs to thank oil companies ....
For doing their part to get Obama out ....
Obama out in 2012 ....
Ben what about the socialist payments you got from the oil companies thru the Alaskan government?
I am sure your socialist payments you received also drove up the price of gas.
Seems all republicans are against socialism until they get the check, isn't that right ben?
Just like the republicans in congress are against health care for the people, but have health care for themselves paid for by the people.
VOTE FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS......VOTE OBAMA/BIDEN 2012
I'm sure Ben sent the Big Oil bribe check that they send to every Alaskan every year back. He's more than happy to let them drill in nature preserves for free.
There was a reason Teddy Roosevelt created the National parks
so that big business wouldn't ruin all the land in the process of making money
btw Teddy Roosevelt was a republican (one of the only good ones)
'Charm Offensive'? from Mitt Romney? I'm guessing he'll get about 30% of the vote in both houses of Congress.
Has Mitt ever gotten more than 50% of the vote in any primary?
60% in Virginia. He was only up against Ron Paul though. Which is sad that he can't even get more than 60% when his only opponent is uncle Fester.
"Charm Offensive" - short on charm, but long on offensive
"Romney has his DNA on Reaganomics"
Romney wages Capitol Hill charm offensive
This is about as close to Capitol hill as Mittens will ever get........
Obama/Biden 2012
How does one wage a charm offensive without charm? That would be like taking a position without having core principles, or standing firm without a spine, or being a conservative while running to the left of Ted Kennedy or insisting you're resolute while flip-flopping every time you open your mouth.....ah, I see a pattern. Quick, Mitt, get out the etch-a-sketch!
I know how the Obama administration can get around the accusation of being accused of: " raising taxes". And de-fang the likes of Grover Norquist. He can use the same terminalogy that the Holy-one of the GOP -- Ronald Raegan -- used. Ronald Raegan never "raised taxes"! He instituted a program of: "Revenue Inhancements". I wonder what the GOP would say to Obama using *THAT* terminalogy! ? LOL/FOFL/LMAO !
As for Romney and the rest of the GOP? Via the 2010 mid-terms -- they are the party of *bait & Switch*. BAIT the american electorate with a campaign theme of: "JOBS, JOBS, JOBS". John Boehner in October/early Nov of 2010: " From day one, we'll be all about jobs, jobs, jobs".
And AFTER they won?
The *SWITCH*. NOT ONE WORD ABOUT JOBS. LITERALLY EVERYTHING coming OUT of the GOP from then on was NOTHING but social issues.
So WHY would -- or should -- they be trusted NOW!? I've been voting since '74, and I have NEVER seen a candidate flip-flop SO FAST on SO many different issues! HOW are we supposed to TRUST him on ANYTHING he says!? Especially since he is a *conservative* (now during the primaries) what will he be come the general election? He is going to do the same to the GOP party base -- bait and switch. He panders to the * conservatives/TP's/right-wing nut jobs* but once he gets the nomination? Its going to be fun to watch him more or less *ditch* his "I'm a severe conservative" declaration, to trying to pander WAY off the left to get (or dupe) enough people to elect him over Obama.
And Romneys aide JUST gave the dems the near PERFECT ad to run on via the Etch-a-sketch flap.
And as if all THAT isn't enough, the GOP is going all out to LOSE nearly ALL of the womens vote, given their: "war on Women". It seems like there isn't a week -- or even a DAY that goes by that just when you think the GOP can't get any dumber about coming up with a winning strategy for winning in Nov, they manage to stick their foot in their mouths again. E.G., the newly revamped Paul Ryan plan!?
I used to watch the Ed show and the Maddow show for my comic relief of the day or week to see what the latest stupidity is coming out of the GOP. But with the general getting closer, especially since the beginning of the yr, their stupidity has gotten down right scary!
Indie, their ideas are down right scary. But they made some huge mistakes, especially when they declared the WAR ON WOMEN. The pigbags refuse to realize it, thinking people will forget about it.
What ever one thinks about Obama, one thing he isn't, and that is stupid. The pigbags gave the Obama campaign so much ammo to use against them. He won't let the women forget the insults heaped upon them by the control freaks. And yes, they are control freaks, and 95% of the independent women know this.
Outside of the bible thumpers, and a small base, who haven't they insulted? Way to go pigbags. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
"Romney met with Rep. Paul Ryan, the House Budget Committee chairman, for about 45 minutes this morning."
Mitt; "Paul, how can we screw the middle class even more and get away with it?"
Ryan; "Mitt, we can do this through the budget process. We can screw them in the name of budget austerity while handing out more tax cuts to our buddies on Wall Street by using the Frank Luntz 'job creators' euphemism".
Mitt; "Excellent Paul! I am laughing my ass off"!
Very funny! I would be laughing my ass off, too except the republicans have gone crazy and I'm afraid you may have gotten the scenario all too close to the truth!
The failed leadership of Willard Mitt Romney while governor of Massachusetts is stunning. His state ranked 47th out of 50 in job creation, 4 straight years of manufacturing sector job losses, what few jobs that were created, public sector outpaced private sector 6 to 1 and the state's debt increased 16.5%. With a failed leadership record like that, it is no wonder that Willard won't talk about his record as governor.
look at your president record if you want to see failed F F Failed
What a twit.
Conservatives? There are fewer conservatives and more reactionary ideologues in the Republican Party than at any time in a century. Moderates have been purged and true conservatives are on the fringe. Romney is a fake reactionary, conservative, moderate, progressive, and liberal, as his record shows. He is outside the bounds of politics and conviction. However, he is the best candidate Wall Street could buy for the fall. They can tell him what to think and do by exploiting his ego and lack of principle.
Republicans won't need to deregulate Wall Street. Wall Street will regulate them and the president too, if Romney should win. Ryan's obscene, hard core, antisocial budget will just be a beginning. Looting the government is the biggest temptation out there for the unscrupulous barons of the "Street" and their Republican toadies. The prevailing assumption is that the only thing they can do that is wrong is not make a profit. Mangling society and stealing from the disadvantaged, disabled, dysfunctional, unemployed, and the middle class for profit is the perfect storm, and economics has no moral code.
If Romney is turning on the charm in Washington, I'd expect the suicide rate to go up.
Oh please let it be so.
Obama/Biden 2012!!!!!!
Wearing the "Willards" aka flip flops...enjoying the nice weather and wondering how much Mittens is kissing the back sides of DeMint and Ryan. It is hard to understand it would take Mittens 45 minutes to understand a budget, but being a vulture capitalist it could. He doesn't have that much knowledge on creating decent jobs, just being able to strip the profit of the ones he buys out. Have a good day guys.
bigbenalaska
Bush's 8 year debt ....
Was duplicated by Obama in 3 years ....
____________________________________
To end Bush's debt you have to end his tax cuts for the rich, and restore the economy he destroyed to begin with.
President Obama is making progress towards this - we've 4 million jobs in the last 2 years after Bush destroyed 7 million.
Romney would reverse that progress and drag the country down into a GOP sinkhole of tax cuts for the rich, outsourcing, and massive job losses for everyone else.
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012
.What you don't mention are two wars that were part of the Bush debt (over a trillion) and the cost of the national security apparatus (Homeland Security) added to the budget....
________________________________________________________________
Right, they want you to pretend that the debt is "obama's fault" from the moment he takes office, even when it defies logic once you grant that the debt was caused by tax cuts for the wealthy, unfunded wars, and economic meltdown.
The valid question for President Obama is ->
is he ending the wars, and rebuilding the economy and the tax base?
The answer is, yes.
So why would anyone then vote Republican? Out of sheer masochism?
Romney is a 10 cent . " l i a r " . who lies like a school age boy to get what he
wants. .What does this tell you about a person who might possibly be President.
What has our United States come to even accept candidate like this ???
No problem backing up this comment on his remarks from the time he start his
campaign and before. . W h i t e . . t r a s h
Romney said for ...women to get their own health insurance...
Sure don't seem right to me . . .
What Romney says doesn't really matter. He'll say anything to gain favor with whatever group he's talking to for the moment. Google "professional politician" and his face pops up.
The forced and frozen smile, the purposefully just-folks appearance, the high-energy but rote presentation, each and all are the hallmarks of a salesman committed to close the deal yet not -- himself -- sold on the goods and services that he's proffering. Lewis Carroll offered various cautions about the frumious bandersnatch, and as a survivor of Mitt's Massachusetts, I might caution other potential inhabitants of the Romney Wonderland to think twice. But actually, don't think: You'll make the 2012 re-election easier.