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Subscribe to RSSRomney’s own hot-mic moment… At Florida fundraiser (overheard by NBC’s Garrett Haake), Romney singles out HUD for possible elimination and says he wants to cut the Education Dept… He and his wife also were giddy about the Hilary Rosen flap… And Romney revealed he wants a “Republican DREAM Act” to help woo Latinos… Senate to vote on Buffett Rule at 5:30 pm ET… Team Obama rakes in $53 million in March… Anonymous donor writes Crossroads $10 million check… NYT on White House’s access to big donors… Romney, meanwhile, promises his own donors access at “Presidential Inaugural Retreat!!!
*** Romney’s own hot-mic moment: In an interview with the Weekly Standard earlier this year, Mitt Romney said he learned this advice from his unsuccessful 1994 Senate race against Ted Kennedy: don’t get too specific. “One of the things I found in a short campaign against Ted Kennedy was that when I said, for instance, that I wanted to eliminate the Department of Education, that was used to suggest I don’t care about education,” he said. “So I think it’s important for me to point out that I anticipate that there will be departments and agencies that will either be eliminated or combined with other agencies.” But at a Florida fundraiser Romney attended last night -- which NBC’s Garrett Haake overheard because he was sitting on a seawall outside the home -- the former Massachusetts governor got MUCH MORE specific. Indeed, it was in a way Romney’s own hot-mic moment, where he was more open about his plans than he’s been to voters and reporters to date.
In a speech to donors at a closed door fundraiser in Palm Beach, Florida, Mitt Romney laid out plans to consolidate federal agencies, reform the tax code and win back Latino voters. The Daily Rundown's Chuck Todd reports.
*** Eliminate HUD, cut Education Department: He singled out HUD for possible elimination. "I'm going to take a lot of departments in Washington, and agencies, and combine them. Some eliminate, but I'm probably not going to lay out just exactly which ones are going to go," Romney said. "Things like Housing and Urban Development, which my dad was head of, that might not be around later.” He said he’d cut the Education Department, though not eliminate it entirely, referring again to that 1994 Senate defeat. "The Department of Education: I will either consolidate with another agency, or perhaps make it a heck of a lot smaller. I'm not going to get rid of it entirely." Romney also identified specific loopholes and deductions that he’s eliminate to finance his across-the-board tax cut. "I'm going to probably eliminate for high income people the second home mortgage deduction," Romney said, per Haake, adding that he would also likely eliminate deductions for state income and property taxes as well.
*** Giddy over the Rosen flap: At the fundraiser, Haake adds, both Romney and his wife Ann remained absolutely giddy about last week’s Hilary Rosen flap. "It was my early birthday present for someone to be critical of me as a mother, and that was really a defining moment, and I loved it," Ann Romney said. The candidate went further, calling the episode a "gift" that allowed his campaign to show contrast with Democrats in the general election's first week. But while Romney said last week that “all moms are working moms,” that doesn’t apply to mothers who are welfare recipients, the Boston Globe says. Romney said at a Jan. 4 campaign stop in Manchester, N.H.: “Even if you have a child two years of age, you need to go to work,” Romney describing his position as Massachusetts governor. “And people said, ‘Well that’s heartless,’ and I said ‘No, no, I’m willing to spend more giving daycare to allow those parents to go back to work. It’ll cost the state more providing that daycare, but I want the individuals to have the dignity of work.’”
*** Romney wants a “Republican DREAM Act”: Here’s a final bit of news from last night’s Romney’s fundraiser: He said the GOP must offer its own policies to woo Hispanics, including a "Republican DREAM Act," to give Hispanic voters a real choice between the two political parties. So Romney here is admitting the obvious: He and his party have A LOT of work to do with Latinos. Why? Consider this: Obama can get to 270 electoral votes (275 to be specific) by winning the following battleground states: Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Virginia. Under the scenario of this Hispanic path (CO, NM, NV, and VA), Obama doesn’t need to win Florida, Ohio, Iowa, or New Hampshire. That’s right -- this is a viable path to 270 that does not include EITHER Florida or Ohio. It’s pretty stunning.
*** Senate to vote on Buffett Rule: Congress is back from its Easter/Passover break, and the Senate today votes -- at 5:30 pm ET, per NBC’s Libby Leist -- on the so-called Buffett Rule, under which millionaires would have to pay an effective tax rate of at least 30%. We’ve talked plenty about the presidential politics of the Buffett Rule, but here’s something additional to consider: How do the individual senators vote? We’re looking at five running for re-election/election in November: Jon Tester (D-MT), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Scott Brown (R-MA), Dean Heller (R-NV), and Bill Nelson (D-FL).
*** Team Obama rakes in $53 million-plus in March: In a video, the Obama campaign announced this morning that it raised more than $53 million in March -- the campaign, DNC, and other committees. It added that 567,000 contributed to the campaign last month, and the average donation was $51. We won't know until April 20 -- the filing deadline for March -- how much of that $53 million was from the campaign, DNC, etc. But for February, the campaign announced raising $45 million, and the split was $21.3 million for the campaign and $24 million for the other committees. To put these new Obama numbers into perspective, for March of 2004, the Bush-Cheney campaign raised $26.2 million, and the RNC brought in $18.8 million. That's a total of $45 million. To date now, the Obama campaign and DNC have raked in nearly $370 million this campaign cycle.
*** An anonymous $10 million check: But that campaign money is only part of the story. On Friday, the Washington Post reported that an anonymous donor gave the Karl Rove-backed Crossroad GPS a $10 million contribution late last year. Unlike American Crossroads, which is a Super PAC and which has to disclose its donors, Crossroads GPS is a 501c4 and doesn’t have to reveal the identity of its donors. So with one check, an anonymous donor gave this conservative outside group about half ($10 million) of what the Obama campaign raised in February ($21.3 million).
*** White House access for big donors: There are a couple of other fundraising stories. First, the Sunday New York Times reported on the White House access that big Obama donors have received. “[T]he review showed that those who donated the most to Mr. Obama and the Democratic Party since he started running for president were far more likely to visit the White House than others. Among donors who gave $30,000 or less, about 20 percent visited the White House, according to a New York Times analysis that matched names in the visitor logs with donor records. But among those who donated $100,000 or more, the figure rises to about 75 percent.” It’s worth noting that for all the reforms Team Obama has instituted – not taking lobbyist money, making the White House visitor logs open to the public, efforts to rein in the lobbyist revolving door – it’s received very little political gain. In fact, you could argue that it’s created more pain… (The fact is most Democratic lobbyists and big donors don’t believe they get any special treatment from this White House, and they complain loudly about this. As the re-election has geared up, Team Obama has tried to make these folks feel better, only to have their efforts get correctly flagged for coming across hypocritical.)
*** Romney camp promises donor access at “Presidential Inaugural Retreat”: The Romney campaign pounced on yesterday’s New York Times story. “Less than four years after promising to drive special interests out of Washington, President Obama has done the exact opposite—granting top donors special favors and access to his White House,” said spokeswoman Andrea Saul. “This is just another example of President Obama’s failed record, which he’ll be desperate to hide from voters this November.” But get this: Buzzfeed reports that Romney “is already offering top donors access to a special ‘Presidential Inaugural retreat,’ planned on the assumption that he will be elected president this November. The offer, in a fundraising email circulated by a top Georgia supporter to fellow Republicans and obtained by BuzzFeed, is one of several goodies offered to those who contribute more than $50,000 to the joint fundraising committee known as ‘Romney Victory.’ Those donors will be named ‘Founding Members’ of Romney Victory and invited to a California retreat with Romney and offered ‘yet to be determined access at the Republican National Convention in Tampa in August.’”
*** On the GOP trail: Romney attends a Red Sox game at 11:00 am ET and also gives an interview to ABC. Later in the day, Romney heads to Philadelphia, where he speaks to a Tea Party group… Also, Gingrich attends a fundraiser in Texas.
Countdown to the CT, DE, NY, PA, and RI primaries: 8 days
Countdown to Election Day: 204 days
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We are talking about a Vulture Capitalist here aren't we? A so called true GOP conservative that was for something before he was against it, henceforth the name "Flip-flopper". Don't ask me ask Sen. John McCain... So whenever the cat gets let out of the bag and he peeps his hand in front of his 1%ile peers. Don't be suprised. After all if you are what you do or in his case what he used to do. Because he doesn't have a job except for trying to be the President of the United States of America. All you can fall back on is his past occupation. And that being a "Vulture Capitalist". Wow a carrion eater, who if given a chance will without a doubt kill off and make readily available more carrion than we can possibly imagine. Boy oh boy, I bet the orient is licking their chops-sticks if this Vulture Capitalist gets to be in charge of this nation. I even bet 10.000 dollars that the Chinese probably donated the 10 million. Since it will be a drop in the bucket for the return on their investment. Hoping that this "Vulture Capitalist" wins in this upcomming election.
Go figure, then go vote...
Bishop Romney invented Obamacare.
It's good to know that the teatards have seen the light.
Give me Bishop Romney any day, over the Imam Obama.
You must like high taxes.
If you've ever been around one in a social setting or worked around one of these Bishops, you'd know the problem and it's not a small one if you believe in Life,Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
Lance - should that not be a "Black Fist?"
Explain the "problem" jones? If you please.
"Hot Mic" how low will MSNBC go to protect Obama.
Really low.
Sniffle, Sniffle Bob, what the hell happened a few weeks ago when Obama was overheard on a hot mic, Fixed News ran that story to death for a week, trying to make political hay of it. Don't sound so self righteous, cause your hypocrisy is breathtaking.
Obama was caught on a hot mic. This is a reporter overhearing a conversation. Not the same Ozzie the boy wonder.
President Obama and his "crew" will say anything to try and divert the attention of the American vote away from the "Cold Hard Facts"........ Gas @ $4.00, new unemployment number up again......it's that simple.....
Can't you see right through it?.........if you can't see it....you have a real problem because there's no "hope and change" for you.......just more Obama "Misery and Pain"..........
Considering that the president doesn't set gas prices, nor control corporate hiring decisions... Your mindless rant is all but meaningless.
Sorry billy bob..
CLEAN: Awful, ain't it? Almost as bad as when gas was over $4 a gallon when Dubya was running the show. Of course, then I'll bet it was fine with you, right pal?
The cost of gas is not going to decide this election. And in case you didn't get the memo, the word is that prices are going to start receding soon so I guess you'll have to puke up a new canard to blame Obama for.
Clean,
Cost of gas...not Obama's fault. Nor was it Bush's fault when it was up to $4 a gallon during his tenure.
Yes, new unemployment benefit claims were up last month. However, the economy is still adding jobs and the new unemployment benefit claims had been falling for months. Have you given Obama any credit for 27 straight months of job gains and the doubling of our stock market?
Clean...the vision you see fly's in the face of reality and statistics. The economy is improving and any misery that's still felt through out the economy is what's left of the BUSH ERA recession. Remember, this recession started late in the Bush term...reached it's peak in Obama's first year and has been steadily declining over the last two years with slow but steady job growth. If you call improvement pain then it is you that has the real problem.
Mr. Obama said he felt $4.00 gas was reasonable in the US. Didn't set it. Just gave his personal opinion on it.
Vote HOPE and CHANGE in 2012!
Make Mr. Obama run on his record. We need a new Coach "IN HERE"! :)
His policies Do both. . .
All4reason,
You might want to check on when Obama said that. There is a big difference if he said that during "good times" and during a recession. Context does mean something, you know?
Also, I hope he does run on his record...not bad for what he was dealt.
Sonmanvb,
Prove that please.
4AREASON: I'm not sure that Obama actually said it in the way the Right has tried to spin it. Regardless, as long as energy prices are low the dummies in this country (that means you and the rest of the Right) who have zero forethought and choose to bury your heads in the sand, will do NOTHING to invest in new technologies. You're perfectly content to just go along as if oil will be around forever until we have an energy crisis the likes of which we've never seen.
Shame shame on the liberal name callers. Filled with Hate and Anger!
Don't worry, we've become very familiar with Mr. Obama and his adminstration's "What I meant to say or was trying to say was....." lol ha ha ha So much for the wise and all knowing I guess...lol :)
Obama's record.........point fingers, blame and excuses! Now that's something he can do well! :) lol ha ha
Anyone, Anyone can make excuses and point fingers. Real leaders make things happen. Mr. Obama does not.
Vote Hope and Change in 2012! Nuf C Nuf :) lol
Why do we need a Federal Dept of Education? FOLKS, we are nearing bankruptcy! No one, particularly the Demorats, want to reduce spending. They buys votes with the peoples money!
Your question and answers answers that question. Key words (Critical Thinking)
next
Do any of you mormons know who your mom or grandma is?
Up the sertraline to 150mg, your OCD is baaaaack.
If you voted for Obama in 2008, I would focus on Romney too!!!! :) lol ha ha
Romney is just a primary candidate. Not the nominee.
We should all be focused on our current President, Mr. Obama who has left our country in the misery that we find ourselves now.
We can not take 4 more years of a leaderless president.
We are not, I said NOT, better off than we were 4 years ago.
That's under Mr. Obama's attempt to lead this country. He has failed and Americans need CHANGE!
VOTE fo HOPE and CHANGE in 2012! CHANGE America needs! Focus on the guy in the Whitehouse now! :)
“The Next To Last American President”
Barack the next to last American President
Had a contract put out on U.S.
His Government took power
The people lost theirs
There is only so much liberty
Either for him or for us
You will obey your racist master
He will make you pay and pay
Placing our resources off limits
Green or die you will be
Barry is smarter than all of US
He gloats as Illegal’s flood our country
Saying “That’s another vote for me!
Moslem terrorist stimulus plan
Watch out “Big and Little Satan”
The Free Market System is the only way
Of this I will never sway
Borrow, Borrow to buy votes
Debt and more debt is drowning US
“Never been proud of my country” MO
“Reparations don’t go far enough” BO
Can he bankrupt US into prosperity?
Wake up; it’s almost too late!
Mitt is either a Mexican or an anchor baby. I wish he would show his birth certificate.
You never cared where Obama came from?
Troll.
so what? Vote Romney .... Obama and the prodigal Michelle (means "recklessly extravagant" are killing our country - the liberals got taken and some don't want to admit it. We can't saddle our kids with his staggering debt
Let's see what President Obama can come up with next to try and steer you away form the truth!
The "Buffet Rule"........what a joke!
They can tag the wealthy with any type of "Obama Created Tax" and the wealthy's tax attorney's and CPA will always dance circle around the government created tax structures.....
How stupid do you teatards have to be to miss the last 3 boom years?
I made a fortune in stocks and gold alone.
Obama has been good for increased gold, silver, guns and ammo sales. He has also done wonders for keeping the price of oil skyhigh.
Nazarite,
Anyone that suggests Obama has some sort of control over gas prices has already proven they have no idea what they are talking about. When gas was over $4 during the Bush administration...it wasn't Bush's fault either.
Please go and research...study before posting crap. You are embarrassing yourself.
Willard is going to tell me to continue paying 31% in taxes while he only pays 14%?
Good luck with that!
Apparently then, your "fortune" is not much of a fortune. Wink, wink...
@ Truebro, Sept. 1961 JFK signed into law the minimun wage bill to $1.15 per hour. Not much but until fall of 61 a lot of women were working for .50 and .75 cents per hour. Some men didn't have it much better. JFK handled the Cuban missle crisis . Now let not forget that little thing in Dallas. The Kennedy's brought to the nation into the White House with Mrs. Kennedy's christmas tour that was televised. Most americans had never seen inside the WhiteHouse, only in still photos. When JFK was elected there was a young family moving into 1600 pennsylvania ave. good looking man and wife, cute kids, there was a feeling of better things to come for everyone. I know, I was old enough to understand.
About Ozzie and Harriet, you didn't ask me if I loved them,so you survey isn't quite complete. No one ever knew what Ozzie did for a living,he was always home or going out for ice cream, Harriet didn't have to worry her pretty little head about anything. all she had to do was say " yes dear". maybe that is part of the old white guys wanting to go back to the fifties. women were either just an unpaid house drudge or window dressing. I will however admit to having a giant crush on Richy Nelson.
Now last, The only thing I hate in this world is the word hate. I don't think any of us know Mitt Rommey well enough to hate him. I just don't beleve he has what it takes to be President of the most powerful nation on the planet.
Some downsizing and/or eliminating sounds like a good idea to me. Our federal government has gotten far too big! As for the 'Republican DREAM act, let him promise, they ALL do it after all, if he must but he should be aware the AMERICAN people wil NEVER stand for it!
From the ears of a NBC reporter.....LMAO I wouldnt believe anyone who would edit a tape of someone to make them sound like a racist only to later apologize and say it was an editing mistake...give me a break....NBC and MSNBC no news just propaganda!
MOTHER'S Day coming soon! :)
Can I get a shout out for all the HARD WORKING Stay at Home Mom's out there!!
We love you and know you bust your butt each day.
Hillary-ous Rosen, the Whitehouse, DNC and libs have a different opinion :)
Vote HOPE and CHANGE in 2012 for our children's future which has been robbed and doused for the last 3 plus years!
TO: All4Areason who wrote:
That's all you can remember, you have no recollection of your children's future being robbed while Republicans were in office lying us into war and robbing the U.S. Treasury?
Typical amnesiac Teabagger.
Obama / Biden 2012
Quit living in the past. We got Mr. Obama to deal with in the here and now :) lol
Mr. Obama calls the shots and they've been against our Freedom, pride and prosperity. No thanks.
We can't take 4 more years. lol
Typical name calling liberal, saying love and peace.....but filled with Hate. :) lol ha ha
Flamethrowers!!! :)
What "Hot Mic Moment?" Romney has been rehearsing for this for YEARS!
When it comes to Republican talking points, that's not what we would consider "a candid camera moment", he was repeating Republican talking points as usual. Whatever Republicans want to hear, he'll gladly say.
Obama / Biden 2012
Another pro Obamanite story for MSNBC. GOOD JOB! Like the Demorats say there is no inflation! There is not inflation for Obama since everything is furnished. We have to buy food, fuel, electricity etc.
Nazzy you are sounding jealous again.
The only thing you will get from a "wealthy business man" like Romney "is a low paying job". Anybody see what Home Depot starts their workers at? $10 bucks an hour...whoopee $400 bucks per week (if you're full time)...and after they take out state and federal taxes, FICA taxes, medical insurance, you're lucky if you bring home $250.00 a week or $1,000 per month.
Compare that to Mitt's $57,000 per day and (he doesn't even work) neither does his wife.
I know Obama will have my vote again in November 2012 !!!
Then toyota3, start your own job and shut UP! Demorat Whiner!
nazarite: I will, then I'll hire you to make that $10 per hour while I enjoy my record profits, tax cuts and loopholes.
While you work 3 jobs, argue with your spouse and beat your kids because they're pissed and angry you can't afford the new toys and gadgets their rich friends have.
Is that because you are way to lazy to get out there and earn it for your self so you need a leftist president to take it from some one who has earned it and give it to you? This kind of thinking will NEVER get you into the 1% or even the 49% but will keep you in the 49.5% that pay nop federal taxes.
Toyota3, you really have bought into Maobama's class war. You are showing your ignorance
.
I know it hard work for Ann Romney to direct her housekeepers, maids, cooks, nannies, gardeners, etc as a stay at home mom. Oh the drudgery of it all.
those days when little Mitt had a diaper full, Ann had to say: "nanny Mary, take care of this." Such a burden.
And it looks like big Mitt plans to out source the USA leaving ever more of the 99% living in poverty! What a guy!
.
In America we have a thing called "Freedom." Freedom to stay home and raise the kids if finances allow. Freedom to work hard and become wealthy. Stop the envy and class warfare.
What's new, it's just Willard Mitt Romney talking out of both sides of his mouth again - one side to financial backers and the other side to voters, e.g.
"Poor women who stay at home to raise their children should be given federal assistance for child care so that they can enter the job market and "have the dignity of work," Mitt Romney said in January, undercutting the sense of extreme umbrage he showed when Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen quipped last week that Ann Romney had not 'worked a day in her life.' "
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/15/mitt-romney-mothers-welfare-moms_n_1426113.html?ref=mostpopular
So what is it Mitt, is being a stay-at-home mom "work" or not? Hilary Rosen was talking about your wife never having to juggle raising children while also working a full-time job to make ends meet. So, are you saying that poor moms can't have the "dignity of work" unless they go out into the workforce and earn a paycheck?
What is it Mitt, is being a stay-at-home mom WORK or not? Oh yeah, and do you want to "bet 10,000 dollars" that poor and middle-class moms don't also have the luxury of full-time nannies and housekeepers?!
Where all Things Began
In the beginning there was social justice throughout the land. Food was plentiful, there for the picking. Man lived in harmony with Nature having no fear or worries. Even the wild beasts were friendly. Climate changed as always without someone blaming Man. Clothing was optional since God placed them in a temperate earthy paradise and they knew no sin. Eve was in a utopia. There was no worry about wardrobe, shopping, cooking or housework. Dishes were not yet invented.
God told Adam and Eve to eat of all the fruit except that from the “Tree Of the knowledge of good and evil” in the center of the Garden. If you eat that fruit, you will be doomed to die. The downfall of the godly utopia began when Eve encountered a Progressive Snake in the grass. (It should have been hanging from a tree.)These creatures are to be avoided at all cost. The snake came to the woman and said “Really?” he asked. None of the fruit in the garden? God says you mustn’t eat any of it? Of course we may eat it, the woman told him. It’s only the fruit from the center of the garden that we mustn’t eat it or even touch it, or we will die.
” That’s a lie!” the serpent hissed. “You’ll not die” The talking snake convinced Eve to disobey God, eat of the forbidden fruit and give some to Adam. Eve believed the first lie that there are no absolute truths.
The serpent is with us, as from the beginning.
“If my daughters make a mistake, I don’t want them to be burdened with a baby”(BO) The serpent hissed “YESSSS
“America is not a Christian Nation” (BO) YESSSS
“Yeah, I am a Christian, but, there are many paths to God”(BO) YESSSS
“No, No, No, not God Bless America, God___— America”(JW) YESSSS
“Never been proud of my country,” until we took over! (MO) YESSSS
“Reparations would not go far enough” (BO) YESSSS
Mr. Obama's administration Ho-Down in Columbia with Hillary C.......priceless! Great apology op for him!
What taxes...................?
When Obama and the Demorats drive US into bankrupty, women and children will be hit the hardest!
Yea, as if you care about the disadvantaged woman and children in this country.
Well Nazarite
History shows clearly they have been driving us out of the last GOP cluster fu*k the past three years. Where in the heavens have you been, in a coma?
Oh-Please not one of those "out of the coma and into the bubble people". oh no....not another one.