E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSObama unloads on Romney, delivering his harshest and most personal indictment against the GOPer to date… Romney fires back… How do we know this race is close? When both men are going to extremes to disqualify each other… It’s NBC/WSJ poll day!... WaPo/ABC poll shows Obama at 49%, Romney 46%... Powell praises Obama, but doesn’t endorse (yet)… Booker: “I am very upset that I am being used by the GOP this way”… The myth of the “Catholic vote”… And Biden stumps in New Hampshire, while Romney raises money in NYC.
Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images
President Barack Obama speaks at a press conference during the NATO Summit at McCormick Place on May 21, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois.
*** Obama unloads on Romney: Over the course of the past year, Mitt Romney has fiercely criticized President Obama and his presidency at every opportunity -- which isn’t surprising given the nearly yearlong GOP primary campaign; being a candidate is his full-time job. But yesterday, President Obama became Candidate Obama and delivered his harshest and most personal indictment against Romney to date. (Remember, Obama criticisms have usually been directed more at the Republican Party than Romney.) The thrust of Obama’s argument: Romney isn’t qualified to be president. When asked at the NATO summit in Chicago about Newark Mayor Cory Booker’s (D) criticism of the Obama campaign’s attacks on Romney’s tenure at Bain Capital, the president responded this way: “If your main argument for how to grow the economy is I knew how to make a lot of money for investors, then you’re missing what this job is about. It doesn’t mean you weren’t good at private equity, but that’s not what my job is as president. My job is to take into account everybody, not just some. My job is to make sure that the country is growing not just now, but 10 years from now and 20 years from now.”
The Daily Rundown's Chuck Todd talks about the argument over whether Mitt Romney's career at Bain Capital is fair game for the 2012 general election.
*** Romney fires back: Interestingly, Obama better articulated this argument against Romney and Bain -- private equity is a healthy part of capitalism, but leveraged buyouts don’t qualify you to be president -- than from any other Democrat we’ve heard in the past couple of weeks. And while the entire Booker episode wasn’t helpful to the campaign, it elevated the discussion about Bain (in fact, we’ve been talking about it for the past two weeks now) and it gave Obama a high-profile opportunity to make his side’s attack. Romney responded to Obama with this statement yesterday: “President Obama confirmed today that he will continue his attacks on the free enterprise system, which Mayor Booker and other leading Democrats have spoken out against. What this election is about is the 23 million Americans who are still struggling to find work and the millions who have lost their homes and have fallen into poverty. President Obama refuses to accept moral responsibility for his failed policies.” The best thing Romney has going for him on Bain are the lack of Democratic surrogates who seem to back the president’s criticisms. In fact, the Romney campaign video using Booker, Harold Ford Jr. and Steve Rattner is a pretty effective pushback. What’s also pretty effective counter-pushback: A Priorities USA video showing Gingrich, Perry, Huntsman, and Palin hitting Romney on Bain. (Remember that?)
*** Going to extremes: Yesterday’s back-and-forth made us wonder if this is May or October. How do we know the Obama-Romney race is close? Because both men are going to the extremes to disqualify each other. Obama’s argument is that Romney doesn’t have the values to be president (he’ll look out only for the 1%, not the 99%); Romney’s is that Obama doesn’t have the skills (he’s never run a business and his policies have failed). In addition, we’ve now seen Republicans -- Marco Rubio was the latest -- to describe Obama as the most divisive president in modern times. (Yet channeling National Journal’s Jill Lawrence, Obama is only the most polarizing president since Bush, who was the most polarizing president since Clinton, who was the most polarizing since Reagan, etc…. And, boy, that Lincoln was so polarizing that his election triggered the Civil War.)
*** NBC/WSJ poll day! It’s worth noting that Obama has been unable to drive a message on the economy in May. For instance, there was the recent NATO summit on Afghanistan. There also was Obama’s own announcement on Afghanistan, as well as the Osama bin Laden anniversary and the gay-marriage announcement. So how do Americans currently view the economy? Where does the Obama-Romney contest currently stand? Tune in to “Nightly News” or click on to msnbc.com for the answers to those questions from our brand-new NBC/WSJ poll beginning at 6:30 pm ET. Meanwhile, a new Washington Post/ABC poll shows President Obama leading Mitt Romney by three points among registered voters, 49%-46%, though it’s within that survey’s margin of error. The poll shows the two men deadlocked on handling the economy, 47%-47%.
*** Powell praises Obama but doesn’t endorse: On “TODAY” this morning, Colin Powell largely praised Obama’s presidency thus far, though he said he was still waiting to make an endorsement. Powell told NBC’s Matt Lauer that Obama had stabilized the financial industry, rescued the auto industry, and taken the country out of the most severe economic downturn since the Great Depression. His biggest criticism of the Obama administration, he said, was its failure to close the Guantanamo Bay prison, but he acknowledged that was due to congressional opposition. But Powell didn’t endorse Obama, saying that he wanted to listen to what Romney is saying. “I owe that to the Republicans,” he said.
Related: Colin Powell declines to endorse President Obama
*** Booker: “I am very upset that I am being used by the GOP this way”: While Republicans have made Cory Booker their new hero in the battle over Bain, it’s worth remembering that will only go so far. Booker, clearly nervous about how this episode is playing with base Democrats, went on “Rachel Maddow” last night, and said this: “I am very upset that I am being used by the GOP this way and it's, uh, while I thought today I was going to be quiet, I've been pushed so far that you are going to hear a lot from me to the extent possible and to the extent that President Obama and his campaign want to hear from me.”
*** The myth of the “Catholic vote”: Be sure not to miss msnbc.com’s Mike O’Brien piece on the myth of the Catholic vote. He writes, “The most misunderstood voting bloc in the 2012 election is the Catholic vote. Why? Because there isn’t one. The religious assemblage, which has evolved over the past century from a strong Democratic constituency into a national election bellwether, is no longer discernible from most other voter groups. As the community has become less homogenous and more assimilated into mainstream culture, so has its voting habits – sending many politicians on a fool’s errand in pursuit of the ‘Catholic vote.’ ‘I think the Catholic vote is very fractured right now,’ said Rev. Drew Christiansen, S.J., the editor in chief of ‘America,’ a Catholic newsweekly published by the Jesuits.”
*** On the trail: Vice President Biden gives a speech in Keene, NH at 1:45 pm ET (the Romney camp holds a conference call at 10:30 am pre-butting his speech)… Romney continues to raise money in New York… And the RNC is holding a conference call at 9:00 am charging that Obama has rolled out “the red carpet for the Castro family.”
*** Primaries in Arkansas and Kentucky: While the GOP presidential contest is essentially over, Arkansas and Kentucky hold their presidential primaries today. Here’s where the delegate race stands: Romney 992, Santorum 253, Gingrich 131, Paul 119. That means that Romney is 152 delegates away from mathematically clinching the GOP nomination, which he’ll probably do on May 29 when Texas holds its primary.
*** Veepstakes watch: Paul Ryan speech at the Reagan Library at 9:00 pm ET…And per NBC’s Alex Moe, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels said he would disconnect the phone if the VP call was coming, he said on FOX yesterday.
Countdown to WI recall: 14 days
Countdown to GOP convention: 97 days
Countdown to Dem convention: 104 days
Countdown to Election Day: 168 days
Click here to sign up for First Read emails.
Text FIRST to 622639, to sign up for First Read alerts to your mobile phone.
Check us out on Facebook and also on Twitter. Follow us @chucktodd, @mmurraypolitics, @DomenicoNBC, @brookebrower
Leave a Comment:
While today's GNOP have no issues with bleeding the middle class dry, King Grover & his merry
band of misfits vehemently defend tax cheats!
Tell us again which side has the preference for calling others Nazi's?
From ThinkProgress;
After Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin avoided some $67 million in taxes by renouncing his American
citizenship shortly before the company made its initial public offering, Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced the "Ex-Patriot" Act. The bill would make former citizens subject to the capital gains tax on U.S. investments and bar those who renounce citizenship for tax purposes from reentering the country.
To American for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist, Schumer and Casey's effort is akin to Nazism or South African apartheid, as The Hill reports:
This is one of the most callous things I've heard coming out of Grover's mouth!
There was a time in this country when everyone had a fair & equal chance at the American dream!
Isn't it about time we sent the I got mine – screw you crowd packing & return to it?
What Romney Does Not Want To Talk About:
Romney is a strong believer of the Mormon faith and he should not be faulted for his beliefs. There is a long held acceptance of "separation of church and state" and he should not be measured by his religious convictions. However, he clearly does not want to talk about it. When giving the commencement address at Liberty University; not once did he use the word "Mormon": A religion that is considered a cult according to the Liberty University curriculum guide.
I notice that Willard Romney is usually introduced as "Governor Romney", yet he seldom talks about his accomplishments as Governor of Massachusetts. Probably his greatest achievement as governor was implementing the Massachusetts healthcare system that ultimately became the model for the Affordable Healthcare Act (Obamacare). He has chosen to avoid talking about it as his conservative base wants no part of providing healthcare for all Americans. As governor, the other topic Willard avoids talking about is his efforts as a job creator. The reason is pretty clear because Massachusetts came in 47th out of 50 states when it came to job creation.
Romney is also very uncomfortable talking about his wealth. Some politicians wear their wealth well. The mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg is a wealthy man, but for most people his success is a non-issue. But in Romney's case he wants to avoid talking about his wealth, the tax rate he paid, the money held in Swiss bank accounts and the Cayman Islands. He clearly does not want to talk about where he got his money.
Romney was CEO at the time Bain acquired AMPAD for five million dollars. In Marion Indiana, the Chronicle-Tribune newspaper reported that Romney fired ALL, that's right, 100% of all the AMPAD employees and took the workers' pension money; Romney paid creditors .002 on the dollar, and sold the company's assets for 100 million dollars. In short, he was a jobs killer, not a jobs creator. He has no answer for his work at Bain because there is no defendable answer to justify his treatment of American workers. He really does like to fire people!
Romney has little to say about himself. He has no credibility so what is left is an empty suit. But he still has his Bush advisors who are itching to talk about Rev. Wright, Obama's citizenship, and the "Obama is a Muslim" lie. The only thing left for Romney to cling to is the "marvelous" Ryan Budget which destroys Medicare as we know it, gives tax breaks to the wealthy 1%, and increases America's debt.
Is This A Kangaroo Court?
The Founding Fathers Never Quite the Question of What to Do About The Vagina.
The men in drag, sitting in the college of cardinals and the bishops along with right wing christian nuts must learn something. What does contraception have to do with J-O-B-S?
President Obama is "NOT" using the Affordable Health Act as a means of "rapidly advancing the culture of death – abortion, contraception, and homosexual marriage" that will determine "whether America survives as a Judeo-Christian nation." It's nuts like the men in drag, sitting in a the college of cardinals and bishops who use this rant to...
to further their fantasies about returning to the living in the Medieval Ages.
to justice their ability to rile up right wing wacko an opportunity to show their hatred of the President
provide this deluded hypothesis as a reason to repeal HCR
use this rant as prelude to go after Rove v Wade.
You can search, like I did, the collected writings of Thomas Jefferson – some 19,000 letters and other documents – and see for yourself that he makes no mention of vaginas and abortion except for a brief discussion in Notes on the State of Virginia. Under
Query 6: Minerals (of all things!) he says:
Here is the perfect opportunity to damn abortion (and birth control) in all its manifestations but he passes right over it as a simple statement of (*gasp) fact. No religion-based prejudices here on the part of Jefferson the scientist. No condemnation of the Indians for their barbarism in slaughtering "unborn babies".
According to the
U.S. National Library of Medicine:
Abortion was frequently practiced in North America during the period from 1600 to 1900. Many tribal societies knew how to induce abortions. They used a variety of methods including the use of black root and cedar root as abortifacient agents. During the colonial period, the legality of abortion varied from colony to colony and reflected the attitude of the European country which controlled the specific colony. In the British colonies abortions were legal if they were performed prior to quickening. In the French colonies abortions were frequently performed despite the fact that they were considered to be illegal. In the Spanish and Portuguese colonies abortion was illegal. From 1776 until the mid-1800s abortion was viewed as socially unacceptable; however, abortions were not illegal in most states.
http://www.politicususa.com/abortion-religion-based-bigotry-world-facts.html
=============================================
Cardinals and Bishops,
America is a republic that practices democracy. It is not a "theocracy". How about living in the 21st century. Oh yea, and how about paying some taxes too?
I was away on a great long weekend in the Lake Placid region of the Adirondacks and missed the live, real-time coverage of the Cory Booker- Barry campaign fiasco. Luckily, I got home in time to see Shemp Mathews doing a Hillaryous blow by blow recap of it on last night’s early Wiffleball show. Shemp was so angry, even regular guest Stooges Howard Fineman and David Corn could hardly get a word in edgewise. Shemp would ask them a question and immediately start talking over them as they tried to respond. And I lost count of how many times Shemp used the word “sabotage” to describe what he thought Booker had done. Shemp was so leftuously indignant about Booker that he even did a second segment on the same subject later in the show and repeated everything. ROTFLMAO!!!!!!
You couldn’t make this stuff up if you tried!!!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Because elections cannot be decided on trivial matters, it is important that visitors to the Vine be informed of particularly pressing, if not distressing, facts about the Presidential candidates.
Former Governor Romney once drove around with his dog on the roof of his car. President Obama ate dog when he was a child. (What kid doesn't like hot dogs?)
Former Governor Romney is a Mormon and is thus responsible for everything ever uttered by Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. President Obama attended a church where the chief Minister said bad words and is thus responsible for everything ever uttered by Jeremiah Wright.
For totally over-the-top behavior, Former Governor Romney spent some time in France. That's right! France! President Obama lived in a country where the main religion is Islam. My fingers tremble as I write.
Former Governor Romney believes corporations are people, my friend. President Obama believes there are 57 states in the U.S.
A truly discerning reader can see how this will shape the thoughts, words, and deeds behind the men who would hold the office of President of the United States.
For the shallower readers, who are interested in such idiotic issues as bailing out banks that are rewarded for gambling with money entrusted to them by their depositors, here is a link. Mind you, this is four whole pages long. That's right - four pages!
http://www.thenation.com/article/153929/aig-bailout-scandal?rel=emailNation
As you can see, this link is almost two years old. So while it might seem important, you can appreciate the fact that Congress cannot possibly deal with such an issue in such a short period of time. Hey, there was never anything wrong with "too big to fail" anyway, was there? Actually, I got the tense wrong there - should have used the present tense. There's nothing wrong with "too big to fail", IS there?
Which totally explains much of the 2008 "stimulus" money going to bailout the unions in all the states.
Obama has destroyed the very business model that he needs to save his presidency. Taxes, regulations, and threats and criticisms of successful businesses have put those businesses on edge and forced them to look elsewhere to be successful.
Obama and the Democrats 'War on Success' continues.
Sounds like Powell endorsed President Obama's re-election to me!
Willard brought a water pistal - while President Obama brought a cannon! lol
Wisconsin Republican Scott Walker is Dividing America
Bombshell Video Captures Walker Admitting 'Divide and Conquer' Strategy to Take Down Unions
On Thursday night, video-taped evidence was made public supporting his opponents' contentions that the "Budget Repair" bill was about little more than breaking the unions. In the video, the Governor is seen, just before introducing the legislation in January of last year, speaking with local billionaire Diane Hendricks --- who eventually gave more money to Walker than any politician has ever received from one person in the state.
He is seen discussing his plan to "divide and conquer" public employee unions as part of his budget bill, in response to her direct questions about whether Wisconsin would ever be "completely red" and become a so-called "Right to Work" state. He went on to discuss his admiration for Indiana's Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels who, he said, was able to do away with unions "through executive order
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=9300
So tell me who is committing class fare? Not this cross eyed badger; right? Wrong!!!
Scott Walker says he wants to "divide and conquer" Wisconsin video for those who have reading comprehension problems to see.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1S_Pxw2n-U&feature=player_embedded
===============================================
I don't suppose the righties here will think this is class warfare; right?
Gov. Walker Disregards Official Jobs Data Now That It Shows Wisconsin Losing Most Jobs In The Nation
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/05/16/485201/walker-new-jobs-numbers/
In the dictionary beside the phrase "false equivalency" there should be a picture of a GOP elephant. They are the kings of false equivalency; this is just the latest example. A particularly insensitive example given Senator Schumer's religion.
Bravo to President Obama for clearly stating his case----success in the venture capitalism world is not an automatic qualification for the Presidency and I'm glad he pointed that out.
P.S. Amy---I saw that quote from Colin Powell and my thought was---what else would the President have to have done for Powell to endorse him? What on earth could he think Romney could do better than all that the President has accomplished, in the face of near-treasonour Republican opposition?
Just another lie blowing up in the Democrats face, and again an Obama surrogate lights the fuse. Just like Hilary Rosan goofing up Obama's well orchestrated lie on the nutty 'War on Women' , Booker did the same for the 'War on Bain'. The Democrats keep tripping over their (far to the) left feet. The media can only cover for this incompetence for so long before they have to report how awful the Democratic strategies are to attempt to deflect from Obama's horrid record
Remember when the GOP LOVED Colin Powell and couldn't wait to elect him President?
First Read: "private equity is a healthy part of capitalism, but leveraged buyouts don’t qualify you to be president ".
The economy is recovering under President Obama, despite the pledge from GOP congressionals to block his every attempt to do so, since the Day he was Inaugurated in 2009.
Go look at Europe, if you are in any doubt of the President's extraordinary accomplishment - and under such extreme non-cooperation from the GOP/Koch party.
Spain's unemployment is at 20%. Southern Spain is at 30%. Youth unemployment is at 50%.
Bain's activities and how Romney made money for them is far from such a critical issue as the economy -- affecting ALL Americans.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
In case you haven't noticed, the 1% are doing just fine under this President. Everybody else...?
Now, how can you explain that?
I thought you people gave up on the Wisconsin recall? Well, a year ago you people were calling it "decocracy in action" and a "bellweather" for November 2012. Now that it's not looking so hot for you it's no longer a bellweather, is it? NO. All we get from you now is how it's being "stolen" or "bought", which is apparently your pre-planned excuse for such a loss.
General Powell's goal to be wrong on just about everything continues.
And thank you for your service Colin.
Booker: “I am very upset that I am being used by the GOP this way”:
Translation, I got a call from President Obama to tell me to keep my mout shut...
I'll guess you'll need to ask Obama why his populist rhetoric and his strident views on fairness haven't translated into a better deal for the middle class. Perhaps he hangs out too much with his rich friends on Wall Street and in Hollywood?
What did Booker think was going to happen?
Obama unloads on Clown !
President Obama is just getting started on bashing and exposing Romney's faults. And he's got plenty of them. In fact he's got more faults than the San Andreas Fault. This man (Romney) is an old fashion slash and burn type thinker. If it benefits the RICH, it's good. If it benefits the POOR, get rid of it. His thinking is if the poor need it, they should get up off their lazy butts and go out and earn it. No free lunch. Need help in order to survive? To bad. Like the Auto Industry, "Let It Go Bankrupt" or in the case of the poor and needy "Let Them Die."
Is this the kind of man we want to be the President of our Country? I THINK NOT.
Obama in 2012.
Spain's unemployment is at 21%. Southern Spain is at 30%. And young folks' unemployment is at 50%.
Austerity policies have been devastating European countries.
By contrast, the US is doing extremely well. We've been recovering slowly but surely. And all the while, this giant economic mess has been brewing across the water. Austerity parties from the left and right have been voted out in Europe.
President Obama acknowledged the need to shift to economic growth and job creation on Saturday.
He told G8 leaders; "There's now an emerging consensus that more must be done to promote growth and job creation right now in the context of these fiscal and structural reforms."
Romney made obscene profits at Bain, now it's Bain in the Ass of Romney the Barber(ic).
“Obama has destroyed the very business model that he needs to save his presidency.”
Is that so? So explain to us JoAnna– if this president “has destroyed the very business model” --- why are we seeing near record profits among most fortune 500 companies? If this president is so anti business, why has the DOW increased over 4500 points (56%) since he took office? And what tax increase are you talking about? This president has signed into law more business friendly tax cuts than any president in history.
How's your job search going JAS1?
"And the RNC is holding a conference call at 9:00 am charging that Obama has rolled out “the red carpet for the Castro family.”"
Castro? Really? That's 50 years stale.
Why can't the Republicans campaign in 2012?
Because many of them have taken their companies and/or jobs off-shore. See Apple for details.
Obama's message:
so says the former junior senator and community organizer.
Obama said yesterday, "This is not a distraction, this is what this election is going to be about." (referring to Romney's Bain Capital experience. )
Let's let that settle in for a second. What I heard is Mr. Obama stating his goal to attack capitalism and make it the theme of his campaign. So if Obama is anti-capitalism, then what is he? That would make him pro-socialism?
So let's be clear Obama is pro Socialism (European variety I would have to guess) and anti-capitalism.
Romney is pro-capitalism and is a demonstrated and experienced capitalist.
Choice is clear to me. Capitalism has been America for 236 years.
Romney 2012
Powell has been a Democrat pretending to be a Republican - the only person who doesn't realize this is Powell himself
Foxconn != Apple.
Is off-shoring the reason you don't have a job?
First Thoughts: Meanwhile, a new Washington Post/ABC poll shows President Obama leading Mitt Romney by three points among registered voters, 49%-46%, though it’s within that survey’s margin of error. The poll shows the two men deadlocked on handling the economy, 47%-47%.
Well, since President has unloaded on Mittens; erstwhile Mittens had a Superpac. 1 (one) of Willard's Superpac "≠" to the millions of little people who dontated to President Obama. Likely Conclusion: More people will vote for President Obama
Poll: Voters Think Romney And Bain Were Driven By Profit, Not Job Creation
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entries/poll-voters-think-romney-bain-were-driven-by
-=============================================================-
Maybe, Willard would do better to talk about the J-0-B-S he created as governor of Masschetts; huh? That is the one and only other calling card Willard has as being a sucessful, astute busisness man.
LOL, MA ranked 47 out of the 50 states in job creation. Epic Fail!!!
Osama is dead; GM lives.
Obama/Biden 2012
Feisty, morning,
Do we want a President who has signed over to Norquist?
After Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin avoided some $67 million in taxes by renouncing his American citizenship shortly before the company made its initial public offering, Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced the "Ex-Patriot" Act. The bill would make former citizens subject to the capital gains tax on U.S. investments and bar those who renounce citizenship for tax purposes from reentering the country.
Sounds like sour grapes to me. Are the Democrats afraid that without further legislation the rich will all flee the country (much like the French are doing) and not pay their "fair share"? If this were to happen, maybe the half of the country paying no federal income tax would finally have to pay their "fair share". Think about it, if they don't, who will fund your welfare checks?
@ Matt L,
I noticed that topic too. Crazy stuff from the RNC.
BTW, what's up with Romney and RNC doing "conference calls"??
How does one get picked to be in on the conference call? Sounds like the GOP is just phoning it in, rather than getting up and going out to the people...
If Liberals Hated America We'd VOTE Republican.
Joanna - Apple has never been on shore with exception of their retail stores. Yet Democrats love Big Technology over Big Oil which has jobs here in the USA. Right Joanna?
Corporations are making profits because we have downsized or some would say right sized. Others are benefiting from globalization. Multinational companies participate in all markets and therefore, can take advantage of all markets at once. China has 9-10% growth where Europe has -2% growth. The US as 2.2% growth. India has 8% growth. And so on. The multinational company I work for will grow 6% this year, go figure. Does that make us evil or smart? If you own stock in us which would you rather have? 6% growth globally or 2% in USA only? Your answer will reveal your hypocracy or stupidity.
You continue to vilify the employers of our country. Are you a government employee by chance? A socialist?
Well Backhouse, it was Grover himself who said, the GNOP are only interested in electing a President who has enough fingers to sign whatever they put in front of him! ;o)
Ron,
As someone pointed out yesterday, if GOP/Koch/Norquist is STILL spending money & time lying about the President's birthplace and religion,
Then going after Romney at Bain Capital - is MORE THAN FAIR GAME.
Fool’s Gold,
Eduardo Saverin's decision to renounce his United States citizenship in order to avoid paying taxes on his Facebook stock was "absolutely outrageous," House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) told ABC's George Stephanopolous on "This Week."
http://www.inquisitr.com/239823/john-boehner-backs-bill-banning-eduardo-saverin-from-u-s/
FR gremlins at it again, can't get anything posted where I want it!
.
Rational (?) American-
Did you even read President Obama's statement? He said that although equity capital is a vital part of capitalism, the attributes that make you a succesful venture capitalist don't qualify you to be President of the United States.
Romney is ignoring everything else and saying that his business experience makes him better-qualified to be POTUS. Obama is accurately pointing out that there is more to being POTUS than making money for your shareholders, you represent all Americans and must do what is best for them.
Romney has shown NO ability to take one business, develop a strategy, lead it and grow it through good times and bad. If the US has an economic downturn he can't just "cash out" and move on.
It is a legitimate concern that if elected Romney would use the same tactics he used at Bain, extracting the wealth for himself and his already-wealthy supporters and leaving the rest of us "high and dry".
Dead Head - The truth hurts, doesn't it? Look at the electoral votes and start your weeping.
No, that would be Obama's doing. He continues to force global companies to make a choice of where they will set up shop, and that choice for those companies continues to be somewhere else.
One thing, First Thoughts always provides some great posts; minus, of course, the naysayers who never make the case for Mitt Romney but instead follow Willard's lead and simply diss anything President Obama and democrats have done. To me, the FR conservatives are just like Mitt and his GOP; they have no new ideas, no solutions just the same old it's Obama's (insert the name of any democrat) fault. When was the last time we heard a new idea from the right? It's been 30 years and the GOP still pushes the same failed Reagan policies as if they are new ideas--never mind those ideas left this country in a deep hole. Grover Norquist is a self-centered, greedy, and despicable excuse for a human being pushing an ideology that made sense in 1981 but even Reagan backed off it and raised taxes 11 times. Reagan and Grover's version of economic well-being (for the well off) passed the expiration date three decades ago. How much more tax relief must we the middle class give the wealthy and the highly profitable businesses before we say, ENOUGH. Mitt Romney's tax plan will add another $10.7 trillion to the debt; Ryan's plan adds $3.3 trillion to the debt. Fiscal responsibility? Saving medicare and social security by decimating both? Feed the poor by cutting aid to the poor, disabled and elderly? What a joke. The last time the GOP was remotely fiscally responsible was when Gerald Ford was President.
Dennis:
So what? That doesn't change the fact that the wealthy will find ways to avoid funding your big government agenda. Who do you think will be paying for things then? Look at Greece... that's your future.
we are one step away right now, good post!
Welcome to the global economy JAS1. It's nothing new. But by all means blame Obama for global factors.
You never did answer my question by the way, does that mean your job search isn't going well? You're unusually cranky today.
I get a huge kick out of posters acting like they're the 'wealthy' they speak of.
Feisty,
What kind of digits?
Fool’s Gold,
Greece is not my or our country’s future.
Why isn’t everyone talking about Japan going bankrupt? Their debt is over 200% of their GDP while the US debt is 100% of our GDP. Why isn’t Japan used in our conversation instead of Greece since our economic model is much closer to Japan than Greece?
Because like the US the Japanese economy and finances are strong enough that neither will fail nor go bankrupt.
http://www.minyanville.com/businessmarkets/articles/japan-earthquake-japan-debt-gdp-sovereign/3/16/2011/id/33390
I believe that debt is not good for long term economic growth but don’t forget that at the end of WWII our debt at 125% of GDP and we reduced it down 70% (to 37%) by 1980 (just 35 years). However the Romney/Ryan proposed budget adds another $6 to $10 trillion to the National Debt over the next 27 years. Under this plan, based on an unemployment rate below 4%, our National Debt would not get back to the 1980 level of 37% of GDP until 2080 at the soonest.
Wait a minute... I thought he was supposed to be a "radical, leftist, Marxist, Socialist", who is conducting a war on success??? How on earth, can he be both in the pocket of Hollywood and Wall St AND a commie?
Also, please, someone explain how venture capitalism and private equity, equate to being Commander and Chief. How does his time at Bain, give Romney the experience needed to run the country? How does it translate?
Private equity firms are part of Capitalism, but are they part of good governance???
Backhouse
Ron,
As someone pointed out yesterday, if GOP/Koch/Norquist is STILL spending money & time lying about the President's birthplace and religion,
Then going after Romney at Bain Capital - is MORE THAN FAIR GAME
After All, no one would want a President sitting in the White House who hasn't been vetted like *gasp*the Kenyan Social President Barack Hussein Obama.
In the business, savvy, job-creation, skills Willard "Myth" Romney is an empty suit.
David,
The problem is that Romney really DOES believe that (quote) "corporations are people, my friend".
As for 57 states - I thought there were only 56.
Commie? Your words, not mine. More like big government liberal.
The same way a community organizer, state senator, and absentee US senator equates to be CoC.
That's just part of Romney's stellar resume. But you already knew that.
Beverly,
Has anyone asked the United States Department of Home Security or the Pentagon,
What they think about the GOP party low, low trumpery and responsibility for the Birth Certificate game?
Now 3.5 years into the Presidency?
The gop can not whine about a damned thing. ANYTHING and EVERYTHING is fair game with the republicans agenda of dishonor. The degree of dysfunction and shame they have brought into our daily lives deserves any retribution the democrats can dish out. The leadership is destroying the party because this is their last chance at power. I have no desire to give such obviously unhonorable americans power. Anybody that would is an idiot and self polarized to the point of stupid. What does the gop have to offer everyday americans? Nothing ... from my perspective. Nothing. Just more dysfunction.
Stellar? Hah!
I hope you mopped your kitchen floor this morning because I'm about to be rolling around on it laughing.
Once upon a time the entire nation was outraged when Leona Helmsley said "only the little people pay taxes."
Now the entire Conservative Movement says it.
JAS,
So you can't answer the questions, or explain the contradiction in your posts. Got it.
"War on Success" = Your words. Explain how he can conduct a "War on Success" while simultaneously buddying up to the two most successfull groups of people in our country, Wall St and Hollywood.
I didn't ask about Obama, I asked about Romney, who you are supporting. It should be easy for you to explain how venture capital translates to good governance, since you're the one who's going to vote for it.
Ohh, another Democrat goes against Obamna:
The wheels are falling of yet another Obama propaganda scheme to lie to the voters.
Romney understands the business model and the art of compromise in getting deals done. Two things totally foreign to Obama.
JAS1,
What business model is that exactly? Small business? Auto industry? Banks?
You mean President Obama wants to regulate the JPMorgan's, the AIG's, the Bank of America's?
And how exactly is that? Corporations are recording record profits so how is Obama successful in killing businesses?
Indeed I'd like to know that too. Maybe JAS1 can enlighten us from her own extensive experience.
It's a sad day when you have to read the same political Bull$hit regurgitated from the same first poster on this vine, hurl and barf.........
John, --Leona Helmsley said "only the little people pay taxes."
The argument I got the other day, is that "America had X number of years without taxation and did just fine" Way Back When. The folks who use this argument evidently do not live as we do, in a 21st century global economy.
Isn't the french revolution a good example of a Superpower (like the US) falling from great heights due to continuous wars and tax evasion....
And the aristocracy refusing to pay taxes - and letting the middle class carry the fallout.
JAS,
But how does the business model of a private equity firm, translate to being the President. How does that model, create jobs where none exist? How does that model propose legislation and work with a partisan congress? How does that model reform taxes and trade policies? How does that model help with commanding the armed forces, foriegn policy and diplomacy? How does that model repair our infrastructure, eduacational system, healthcare system, entitlement system, and regulate Wall St???
Break that model down, and apply it to all the areas the POTUS has to focus on. Show us, why we should believe that private equity leads to capable presidents...
And what is Spain's deficit to GDP ratio - 5.3%. What is the US ratio - 10%. So basically this administration is running up debt at an unprecedented rate. This may lessen the blow in the short-term but the accumulated debt is building. Outside discretionary spending the Federal Budget is made up of 3 items. Defense, Medicare and Medicaid. They each account for around 700B which is also roughly the current revenues of the Federal government. Everything else is borrowed. The scary fact is that if it wasn't for unprecedented interest rates, the interest on our accumulated debt would be around 700B.
Still think we're looking good? We're just living on the credit card and not thinking of tomorrow.
BTW That Medicare figure will rise at 100B a year for ten years because of the Baby Boomers. So, it wil be eating up around 50% of budget by then.
I guess Romney never had to do that when he a Governor facing a legislative of the other party. I guess private equity never invests in local infrastructure projects or education. (How much did Newark schools get from Zuckerberg again?)
On the other hand the President has been such a huge success dealing with the opposition.
And I guess we shouldn't consider the fact that when he had majorities of his own party in power he signed legislation implementing an individual mandate, something he explicitly said he would not do while campaigning.
DaNoid SAID: "
"Remember when the GOP LOVED Colin Powell and couldn't wait to elect him President?"""
Yes, I do. That was back when LIBERAL ICON, Harry Belafonte and other Democrats called him an "Uncle Tom" and "house negro" for being in the Bush administration. Do YOU remember that?
Bishop Senor Willard ( I flip flop on even my name) Romney is going to get his butt handed to him in November. You betcha. And no Ann Romney it is not your turn. The American people know the republican/tea party is only looking to take care of the rich. There will be a Democratic super majority in house and President Obama will win reelection by a land slide.
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012
If Obama had a record to run on he would. Pretty much sums it up, Obama has been a total failure for over 3.5 years and his list of broken promises grows daily. But what should the country have expected for electing someone with no qualifications for the job? It wasn't as if he had any business experience anymore then any governing record. Obama was and is largely just an enigma.
Obama policies, if you can call them his policies have failed. For the most part Obama has been president in name only, outsourcing the work to Reid, Pelosi, a slew of czars, and cabinet appointees. Obama loves the perks and benefits of being president, and that is what he so desperately wants to continue. AF1, a helicopter, world travel, White House concerts and parties, and the best vacations taxpayer dollars can afford. But Obama is certainly no leader.
Obama had a catchy campaign slogan, he could read a speech, and his promises resonated with those with their hands out to the government. But not much has come to pass, and all Obama can resort to is hatred, division, class warfare, race war, and the much heralded war on women. All conjured up by a desperate Democratic Party that has failed the nation, and is seeing the party mantra wearing thin with voters.
You can fool an Obama supporter all of the time, but the rest of the nation is just not that gullible.
Obama claimed he was born in Kenya on his publisher's website from 1991 through 2007. Now he is trying to blame it on an error by a flunky at the publishing house. He claims he never even proofed his bio even though the publishing house says Obama himself was responsible for writing it.
This is a cover up that didn't quite work.
Nice try though.
Obama likes to go after Romney's Bain work (since he can't tout his own record) and was quoted this morning as saying running Bain does not qualify him to be President. Let's look at Obama's history that led him to qualify as President. He was a junior Senator from Illinois who served only 18 months. He never proposed or passed a single bit of legislation and voted "abstained" for most of his record. He wrote 2 books about himself, is a lawyer who never tried a case, and his only "job" was a community organizer (whatever that is). He sat in a church for 10 plus years and listened to the racist Rev Wright and was friends with 60's terrorist William Ayers. He admitted to smoking dope and snorting cocaine in one of his books.
His record as President, more all time record spending, no jobs, mortgage mess, more regulation, a healthcare plans most Americans didn't want (at least his plan) and now looks to go down in the Supreme Court. A foreign policy made up of apologies (how's that working) and a fiscal policy that is non-existent. He doesn't like venture capitalist but what he did with Solyndra, GM, and Chrysler and anyone else we bailed out or "invested in" is the same thing.
He gave us a justice department that supported "Fast and Furious" and a health and human services department that is trying to tell religious institutions what to do. Whether you agree with the Catholic Church on this matter is irrelevant, the Constitution is clear......HANDS OFF RELIGION.
So now he is running for reelection when he should be trying to do something to get things moving. Even his own party won't pass his budget.
So, Romney is attached to Bain Capital and Obama must also be attached to his history.
Oh, and please, stop with the Obama as the man of the people. 40k a plate to have dinner with him in Hollywood. Give me a break, he's a rich and snooty as the next politician.
To Ron Indiana who wrote:
According to
That's right, Romney was not running Bain when AMPAD bought SCM who owned the Marion, Indiana plant!
So Bain, not Romney (running for the Senate at the time) hired back 80% of the workers. I understand that you love Obama and will stretch the truth to make Romney look bad, but the truth does not support your story. You have to look at the entire story and not just part of it. As far as you calling Mormons a cult, I guess you just proved yourself a bigot.
Mike,
Everyone knows Obama was born on the planet of Thorndarp, and his Thorndarpian bretheren are coming to harvest our tears to use as drinking water.
Duh, we went over this yesterday.
If we follow the RyanRomney plan of economic and fiscal devastation:
Romney plans to add $10.7Trillion to the deficit -
Ryan plans to add $4.3Trillion to the the deficit -
We certainly WILL " be eating up around 50%" of anything we can get our hands on by then,
Like maybe Lottery Tickets.
Sarah
JAS said "Obama's war on success" - You turned it around to "war on business". Then you state gleefully that corporations profits are up, as if that's a good thing. What is it? You libs scream about corporations and their profits and then turn it around to a success for Obama? This administration does have a war on success because if you happen to get successful you will pay them half of your hard earned money if they get their way. That is a war on sucess. I just loved old Joe saying that his parents said he could go out and make a $million if he wanted to. He just forgot to mention that anyone who does will have to give him half of it.
This administration is so full of people who have ZERO experience in the business world that it shows up in their record of job creation. It is time for change in America. Hope and change FAILED!
Did anyone watch horses ass Mr. Ed last night? He was pissed the Cory Booker wouldn't come on his show. Instead he went over to get a dose of madcow, the disease that gets you spinning endlessly. Booker actually said his statements were taken out of context. It was really funny. You 5%'s that believe in MSNBC are getting funnier all the time. Keep up the late night comedy and the funny posts here on this vine.
JoAnnaSmith1 sees things very clearly- sorta like Stevie Wonder! JAS1 knows the following:
Romney has loads of baggage with Bain, mostly in part because of the continuing lie he's stated that Bain created more jobs than lost them- a myth Romney is being called on and can't answer or document. All he'd have to do is show America all of Bain's successes and failures for everyone to do simple addition or subtraction on jobs created and lost. But he won't and he can't because venture capitalism is about profits and losses, many times at the expense of the work forces in those companies! That's just the way it is! And profit for Romney was his only real goal, he couldn't have cared less about American workers while at Bain. By staying silent he hopes this truth never takes hold because he'd have no shot at the presidency if voters feel this is what he thinks about American workers.
Mittster can't just throw out how great he is at business as his only qualification for president when he has left a trail of jobless Americans behind you- people more than happy to vocalize how Romney treated American workers he says his policies would help if elected.
Holding Paul Ryan's 'budget' in high honor as he does will cost him as well with all the damage it would do to Seniors, as Ryan tries to transfer MORE wealth to his rich constituents with tax breaks for those 'job creators' (what a joke there) who have created overseas jobs, but nothing substantial here.
JoAnna1, the Party of NO has a stone cold flip-flopping loser as your candidate. Deal with it!
Backhouse
Beverly,
Has anyone asked the United States Department of Home Security or the Pentagon,
What they think about the GOP party low, low trumpery and responsibility for the Birth Certificate game?
Now 3.5 years into the Presidency?
How about that poison fingered, afterbirther, Jan Brewer and quick draw McGraw pink underwear fetish Sheriff Joe Aiapo trying to keep our President of Arizona's ballot because think think President Obama's birth certificate is a fake?
Arpaio's Hawaiian volunteer "Cold Case Posse" Obama Birther Investigation Now Includes Taxpayer Funded Detective
Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2012/05/22/arpaio-obama-birther-expedition-now-includes-taxpayer-funded-deputy/#ixzz1vcUWbS00
After Joe Arpaio’s “investigation” came out he got more than 1,200 emails” demanding he look into the president’s birth certificate
http://wonkette.com/473001/obama-may-not-make-the-arizona-ballot-for-usual-stupid-arizona-reasons/
How many digits she give to the COC?
Buy Canada at a great price, fire all the government workers, pocket their pensions, and sell all the assets to Germany at a profit.
Duh.
:)
JAS1,
I guess you could not come up with any examples of how President Obama is destroying business...all talk, no facts to support the empty talk...
We all depend on capital.
Do you have a mortgage? A car loan?
Banks provide the capital to loan that money.
Companies depend on capital firms. These are banks that loan large sums to finance businesses who cannot get government financing from Obama. Clearly this funding has been going on for a couple of hundred years and has funded things like electricity, light bulbs, telephones, oil drilling, steel mills, metals mining, food products, computers, medicine, cell phones, HD TVs and on and on. Now Obama wants to attack the practice.
He wants to discount Romney's vast experience in the capital market as being not relevant. But think about it, we need jobs. We need companies to hire people into those jobs. We need company growth to have job growth. Obama has been trying to act as a venture capitalist by picking green companies to spur this growth but that has failed. There is no other way to paint it. So Romney has 80% success as a venture capitalist and Obama has a 0% success in the same field. No wonder Obama has to discount it.
To another point, for Obama to then say that Bain Capital is Romney's only executive leadership and "its not relevant," is absurd and fails to account for Romney being a governor of Massachusetts, a mature Liberal leaning state of 6.5 million people where he crafted a healthcare law very similar to Obama's primary accomplishment, Obamacare, and Romney did it first!
Romney has an 80% success rate as a capitalist, Obama has a 0% success rate as a capitalist.
Romney created a statewide universal healthcare system, Obama copied it and federalized it.
Romney was a 1 term governor, Obama was a 1 term senator.
Romney has 2 degrees from Harvard (law and business), Obama has 1 degree from Harvard (law)
Does that sum it up simple enough for you Democrats? Because everything else is spin and your Democrat leadership is brainwashing you and turning you into sheep.
This vine brought to you by the folks at MorOn.Org.
JH,
Um, really??? Where did I say any of that? Perhaps you have me confused with someone else???
Please show me where there has been any proposal to raise income taxes to 50%.
So then, answer my questions...
But how does the business model of a private equity firm, translate to being the President. How does that model, create jobs where none exist? How does that model propose legislation and work with a partisan congress? How does that model reform taxes and trade policies? How does that model help with commanding the armed forces, foriegn policy and diplomacy? How does that model repair our infrastructure, eduacational system, healthcare system, entitlement system, and regulate Wall St???
Break that model down, and apply it to all the areas the POTUS has to focus on. Show us, why we should believe that private equity leads to capable presidents...
John B., Des Moines, IA:
That was just too funny. Who knew you were such a smart venture capitalist?
Hey Barry, instead of attacking Romney, why don't you just dazzle everyone with your first term accomplishments??......oh, yeah....that's right....uh, there aren't any. Well, in that case, better let the attack continue.
"The race tightens"
Damnit I according to you people on the vine it was over..WTFO?
Here's the short and sweet of it, my friends:
According to TPM's latest polling aggregates, President Obama-284 electoral votes, Willamic Mittronic Rombot-170 electoral votes.
If the current trend continues, the President should win about 312 electoral votes after Nov. 6.
The goal should be to expand the coattails to bring solid Democratic majorities to the House and Senate.
Sorry, Teapublicans, you lose again. I'm sure John-boy Boehner has a special vintage to help drown the tears away.
Rombot.Has.Nothing.
Rational AmeriCAN,
as what? Sucking the blood out of a healthy company until there is nothing to left to suck?Do you know who (besides the companies left with unpaid bills and employees left with no jobs) pays for companies that file for bankruptcy? The taxpayer
And Romney urged Obama to base it on Romneycare - too bad for Romney that his peeps want to forget that
1 term governor that is hated by the state he governed. Romney took Mass from 10th place to 47th place in job growth. He continued the Big Dig disaster - why, you ask? Because the contractors that have been robbing the state contributed to Romney campaign. Even after a tile killed a woman, Romney pointed the fingers at others while doing nothing - and he had the responsibility to do something.
Do you know why Romney NEVER talks about his tenure as the GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS???
Good for him - I thought college was for snobs. Does that make Romney twice as big of a snob as President Obama?
Sarah-3043284
JH said:
Sarah said:
Yes Sarah, he has you confused with me
JH, how are profits (revenue - expenses) not a good thing?
Baylie,
Whew, being confused for you is one thing, but yikes, what if it had been JAS or someone?
TO: plsthink90 who wrote:
I just puked on you.
Obama/Biden 2012
Sarah,
For one it allows the President to understand how business will react to fiscal policy of our country. How does the experience of a community organizer contribute to this?
Well the Keystone Pipeline would be one...there are no jobs there now, but with the help of Romney there would be thousands...
Romney has a reputation of working with both parties to accomplish legislation. Something you can not say about Obama...
Well right now you have the highest corporate tax rate in the world, with the intention of raising the tax rate on more of its citizens. Cutting taxes would decrease the rate of corporations moving over seas, this in turn would help save jobs, and you would have someone to actually tax. George Bush cut taxes, and America benefited from record tax revenues!
Right now the armed forces are following the very plans that were laid out by the Bush Administration...as for the rest, there is nowhere to go but up.
I think wasting money right now, especially when we don't have any, on a rail program that costs billions so people can go between Las Vegas and L.A. is crazy.
We are 15th in the World, and Obama has done nothing to improve this.
Repeal the unconstitutional mess that has been put in place...and rewrite a more comprehensive program that actually addresses the cost problems like tort reform...
This is Obamas strong point, I don't think Romney is going to able to entitlement programs like Obama!
Obama does not understand the first thing about Wall Street, and even now they are talking about getting rid of Dodd Frank.
Sarah, so many people have answered the question for you, and you still don't understand it. That's on you sister, you need to stop blabbering and start listening. Who knows, maybe you'll learn something. Long odds, I know.
Sarah –
Having a success rate of 80% in judging risk is definitely an asset for a President who deals with making vital decisions for our country on a daily basis.
Successfully (by a margin of 8-2) assessing risk, viability and overall sound business practices is essential for a President, especially in trying to come up with a balanced approach to creating jobs and stimulating the economy. Knowing which industries to invest in that will yield the most jobs is an important tool for a President given our economy.
Have you ever worked in the business world? At least 70% of everything you do is about convincing others that your way is best and compromising to get something done.
His Bain experience doesn’t.
However its quite narrow-minded to only judge Romney on his Bain experience. He has experience (save for foreign policy) in all of the areas you site through his Governorship in MA. He created jobs, reformed taxes, repaired infrastructure, ran an educational system, reformed a healthcare system, regulated businesses in his state, proposed legislation and worked with a Democratic-majority quite successfully in MA. Dissecting that experience to disqualify him for President is much more intellectually honest and fair than just using his Bain experience.
It is disingenuous to attack Romney on these things by President Obama. Prior to his election, Obama had virtually no experience in business, budgeting, governing and very little experience as an elected official at the federal level and yet the public felt he was qualified. Obama is getting desperate and really grasping for straws if this is his best attack on Romney.
Obama has been a complete failure "for everybody". The poor are worse off. There are more on food stamps than ever before. The rate of Americans in poverty has increased. The middle class are worse off because there are no jobs while gasoline, health care and college costs rise. It is worse of for the job creators ( for you MSNBCers out there AKA the 1%) due to the uncertainty over taxes and regulation.
He has to go after Romney, because his economic record is even worse than Jimmy Carter's.
This president has no record to defend and no rationale for a second term.
You should really eat your own words JAS1.
Mark,
Not necesarrily. Also, considerably ambiguous of you. It may allow him to understand how PRIVATE EQUITY firms respond to fiscal policy but what about small business and all other types of businesses? Romney's only come at it, from the side of the "big guy", how will he understand what the "little guy" needs in terms of fiscal policy?
I'll explain how being a community organizer relates to being POTUS, when you tell me how being a weather girl relates to being Vice-POTUS.
Short term solution, at best. First, most of the jobs would be temporary. Second, no one knows exactly how many would be created. Third, WE WILL EVENTUALLY RUN OUT OF OIL REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY PIPELINES WE BUILD. Investing in alternatives, if done appropriately, would create an entire new field of jobs, manufacturing, research and development...
No, that's something I can't say about the douchebags in the house and senate. I haven't seen Obama do anything remotely close to the partisanship levels exhibited by those fools.
Laughable. The tax rate means nothing, when our code resembles Swiss Cheese. The rate written down, is not the rate any of the corp's here or abroad are paying.
We're only broke, because we're choosing to be broke. Raise revenues and TA DA!!! Not broke anymore. However, Romney, will do the opposite of that.
See, there's that ambiguity again. What will that look like, Mr. Romney?
That's a whole lot of generalizations, ambiguities and deflections to what Obama has/hasn't done, and nothing really concrete, and THAT'S the problem I have with Romney.
JAS,
Talk to me when you can defend your own position.
Gary first the republicans with deregulation caused a market crash and then started bleeding jobs and people started losing their homes. Then your complaint about President Obama is that after what the republicans did to our economy that our President wouldn't let our people starve?
Sadly everyday republicans prove to me they have more hate than brains.
Wow this early on, it is going to be one down and dirty campaign, Obama must be getting the reports that the unpopular aspects of what he has done is galvanizing the opposition, going to get very interesting!
You wouldn't know a job if it came up and bit you in the ass. Unfortunately you stuttering big eared jug headed idiot you aren't doing anything now and as track records go I cringe to think what the country will be like 10 years from now and 20 years from now with you in office another 4 years. Give it up Barry. Rumor has it the Muckety-Mucks in the Dem party are going to be meeting behind closed doors soon to pull the plug on the cult of personality. I can hear it now; "I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President." Deja vu anyone?
My sister, who does not keep up with politics asked me who Romney is the other day. I answered in terms I thought she would understand. "He is the Richard Gere in Pretty Woman, except at the end of the movie he does not have a change of heart about the ship building company, he guts it, makes huge profits from the real estate sales, and leaves thousands jobless and moves on to the next one. Just like Gere he ended up marrying the hooker with a heart of gold as well." A cross between that character and Gordon Gekko also was mentioned.
Romenys experience in capitalism would be extremely useful if the US was still a pure capitalist country. We have not been pure in a long time, if ever. So the point is moot in my view. One Macroeconomics class at Harvard 50 years ago does not make Romney a sure fire fixer of the economy. Neither does an understanding of how federal policies influence the private sector.
Sarah,
You do understand what a private equity firm does right? They take business in trouble restructure and make them profitable again...or they could just fail on there own with no chance of saving jobs here in the country. The president has never had any private business experience, but he is going to lead us to prosperity?
Short term solution at best? have you ever heard of the Stimulus bill? Yes, we will eventually run out of oil, but not in your life time, or that of your grandchildren...so why bankrupt America when we still need oil for the foreseeable future.
I guess this is your way of not bringing Romney and Obama into the conversation...
Your right, a good portion of the lower class pay no taxes at all, but they reap more benefits than anyone else. If tax rates does not mean anything, then by all means lower it! There is no dodging it, corporations pay more in taxes here, but by all means prove me wrong.
Revenue shrinks when you raise taxes, and it is prove when you raise taxes there are less business transactions, which means there are less instances to tax, which means less revenue. How do you propose to raise revenue?
A lot of things would be left in place, just needs to be tailored. But I think we are still finding out what is in the bill that was passed by Obama, and that's why a lot of these cases are just coming to court now. There will be more lawsuits filed as we read more of the Health-care law of Obama's comes to light... When we asked the Democrats what the Health Care bill looked like, they told us to pass it, and then we could find out...
I hope this clears things up a little Sarah...
Americans First,
This was not the fault of Republicans...The problem was the Housing crash...This was a campaign lead by Democrats in where they said that everyone deserves to own a home! This was first lead by Bill Clinton. Both Democrats and Republicans contributed to this problem, you just think it was Republicans because you heard deregulation. The only problem is that the Democrats pushed for deregulation in the housing and lending markets, and Republicans followed. Please prove me wrong...
Mark... revenues do not decrease when taxes are raised that is a theory of which you are saying one side. The idea is that their is an optimal rate and that eventually if the tax rate is too high at some point you will see a decrease in revenue. The concept is called the Laffer Curve. Could you kindly point to me where we are on that curve because many economist can't. Stop peddling it like it is a concrete argument against raising taxes.
The roles in private equity do not tie closely to that of a President. Yes one can argue Obama was not very experienced in 2008 but guess what it is 2012 and his qualificatio is four year's of presidency.
Your idea of blaming the current partianship on the President is laughable. It proves you cannot come to the middle to form an argument and shows your bias. You dont like the President, it wouldn't matter what he did. Just admit that an maybe you could be taken seriously.
Conference call? I'd call it a conspiracy, like the meeting directed by Frank Luntz on the president's inauguration day, or the gathering in Aspen with the Koch brothers, or the other conference call governors across the nation had about Occupy – It is to get everyone in a united front. If we thought the shared, repeated talking points are bad now, just wait.
One buzzword we've seen is "serious." When people started saying Paul Ryan's budget was NOT PLAUSIBLE, the GOP/TP switched from "courageous" to "serious."
I'd take you point even further. And this goes to the tiff about Booker, and that is the fallacious comparison between Birthers or Jeremiah Wright versus Romney's claim to fame as Bain. Birthers are tinfoil hat conspiracy theorists, and Jeremiah Wright would be analogous to discussing the Mormon religion.
Private equity is only on part of a very-needed discussion in this country about the capitalism we embrace, which includes FDIC-insured gambling such as hedge funds, derivatives, etc. as JP Morgan was doing, to the larger issue of austerity per Paul Ryan's budget versus economic growth and job creation. Currently only about 16% of what Wall Street/Banks do is raise funds for venture capitalism. Wall Street was originally created to for this purpose, so how did things get to this distorted, even destructive point?
The auto bail-out is a great example in which government had to provide the loans because there was NO private capital – Most notably, Bain Capital refused to help. Why? Because that's NOT what Bain does.
Dennis, Columbus, Ohio –Maybe Eduardo Saverin renounced his citizenship for nothing. Look at the stock. There is no way to monetize Facebook, which may become obsolete over time.
TNSEVOL – Agreed. Romney is everything the rightwing despises. He was a social moderate (or liberal by some measures of the far-Right) in his earlier political life when he was instrumental to creating Romenycare. But the TARP-type behavior of getting government handouts whether the Olympics or at Bain should have put him right in there with Michele Bachmann the "Welfare Queen." What needs to be overcome (if possible) is getting these facts to the low-information voters and/or those in the FOX Noise/Hate Radio Echo Chamber.
This garbage of Corporate Welfare and privatizing profit while socializing debt is what is destroying our nation. How to get the rightwing to realize it? This is the question.
This gets back to two parallel pressures per this ideology. Norquist's "rule" is that if loophole/tax credits are eliminated (primarily what Reagan did per the Dems proposal), then that revenue must be swapped with an equal amount of tax cuts. The revenue can't be used toward paying down the debt/deficits. If it's used for balancing the budget, then he classifies it as "tax hikes."
One might note that Paul Ryan's budget is a dastardly version of this. The Paul Ryan budget consists of supposed ending of loophole/tax credits – Supposed because it is so vague it can't be scored (this is one dastardly aspect of it). The supposed revenue generated from ending tax expenditures (subsidies are not tax cuts, but actually expenditures, i.e., SPENDING so this all the more dishonest) are to be used to further lower tax rates.
According to Norquist, this swap in the Ryan plan would need to be at least "break even." But in reality the swap would not be even, but rather the tax cuts would exceed the revenue thus adding to the debt/deficits even more – over 3 trillion. Furthermore, the way Paul Ryan has the additional tax cuts structured; it would benefit the rich only. So claims that everyone would benefit from lower tax rates is a LIE (the other dastardly aspect of it).
The other lie, which Paul Ryan told on Meet the Press, was that his plan was not "austerity," but rather it would prevent austerity. Paul Ryan needs to learn the definition of "austerity," which is draconian cuts in spending as a percent of GDP – In other words anything under 20-22% of GDP. His plan cuts spending well below this level – And it comes from needed investment "eating the corn seed' rather than defense spending. Paul Ryan complete dissed Gregory's question about this "starve the beast" ideology in comparison to Europe.
Romney's defense spending is even larger, so his plan would add to the debt/deficits by over 10 trillion. Once again, the recent bill passed by the Teapublican House to increase defense spending above the prior agreed-upon levels was mind-bending. Why the rightwing isn't in a tizzy over this, I'll never understand.
Akeem, for that very reason no one knowing where on the curve a country is what makes it controversial. So you will gamble with the tax rates in a time of recession? When did increasing tax rates contribute to a growing GDP for a country?
Because many of them have taken their companies and/or jobs off-shore. See Apple for details.
Get real JoAnna. companies have been leaving the US long before Preaident Obama took office. In fact -- we're seeing some companies move back to the US. So try to answer this question again -- and this time with a REAL answer. If this president “has destroyed the very business model” --- why are we seeing near record profits among most fortune 500 companies? If this president is so anti business, why has the DOW increased over 4500 points (56%) since he took office?
Sarah-3043284
THANK YOU for differentiating me from the likes of JAS1. I am still waiting for JH's explanation of how profits are a bad thing. I guess I will not hold my breath but it would be interesting to see how he spins that one.
Charlie-1915998
I asked her the same quation but she convienently ignored it. The only time she responds to your post is when you misspell something - that's all she's got.
Dennis, Columbus, Ohio -- Agreed that anyone who compares the US to Greece is a fool (Fools Gold). And Romney leads the pack of fools on this. It's a red meat talking point (lie) and nothing more.
This gets back to the need to have real discussions in our nation about our system of capitalism, and what direction it should go. Greece is NOTHING like the US, and even the EU is nothing like our system. Greece is a small, long-time troubled country with only one thing in common -- people weren't paying their damn taxes, especially the rich. The low-information rightwingers fall for this lie, because the issue is too complex for their feeble minds.
The EU is only a little more than a decade old. They did not set-up FDIC-insurance and other policies for the Euro. Germany has led the way with austerity. Some argue the need to allow inflation is an issue too. However, we will see Germany and the EU along with World Bank/IMF organizations begin stimulus programs, finally.
If the rightwing had the IQ level to look at the actual numbers, they would see that the US and Europe have gone up and down parallel to one another, but began to diverge at the time that President Obama/Dems initiated the stimulus. The US than began recovery, while Europe double-dipped into recession.
This is why Romney is such a loser, aside from being a plutocrat caught in a Cold War time warp, the whole private equity mentality is precisely what is wrong with our economy. There is a clear choice -- sanity versus insanity, with the Teapublicans being completely insane!
Because of corporate right sizing. Revenues - expenses = profits. Expenses is another word for employees...having fewer employees makes for less expenses. Now you work your employees that you do have twice as hard, and they won't quit because they fear having to look for a job in this economy...It's an employers market...
Is there a comparison of the two? One has earned everything, and one has been given everything. I will let you decide who you want as President. These are the policies they will drive. Work for a living or become a ward of the state you choose.
True Parrot, I think this has more to do with currency manipulation than anything else. We can manipulate our currency at will, they can not.
Akeem, I believe that after 4 years Obama will have "0" years experience.
Mark L-464288 -- Unlike you, I will not resort to ad hominem name-calling, but rather I will provide substance for my case. Manipulation of currency is what China does, so it's not clear the point you're trying to make about the EU and the Euro. Germany most certainly could allow inflation.
Right now money is cheap for the US, and if the Feds were just printing money than we would see more inflation. Once again, what's your point?
Well both what Romney said and what Obama said may be extreme but the difference is that Obama spoke the truth while Romney just lies and lies.
Feisty - not sure you will see this post, long after yours. You were restored; if you have time, please read. I provide this information hoping that you and others here read. The real hope is that discussions suddenly include facts, suggestions, information that is helpful to readers, etc. Anything other than name calling - on both sides. Newspaper investigations...
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-01-13/gingrich-bain-super-pac/52543872/1
Well, this joker candidate has nothing to offer, so, away with it.
Next!
Exactly. Americans don't want a businessman for president. They want a leader, a rule-maker, a guide to prosperity. It's fine that Romney made millions of dollars. That's okay; I'd like to do that someday. The problem is that he isn't the job creator that he claims to be. It is very dubious that he created a net profit of tens of thousands of jobs (much less 100,000), and even Republicans have to admit that Romney didn't mean to create jobs. Some may have been created along the way, but that was not the intention. Few businessmen attempt to create jobs; most just want to get a return on their investments.
That is also true. Let's say hypothetically that Romney's plans will succeed, that it will cause an economic boom, and that the deficit won't hurt the economy. The problem is that the economy will eventually come crashing down, be it 2 years from now or 20. The decades-old Republican policies of supply-side economics and Friedman economics have proven to be unsustainable. They may cause an artificial boom early on, but that growth will lead to problems like deregulation and income inequality that will eventually explode like it did in 2008. The free market isn't as reliable and trusting as we wish it could be.
Alright Mitt, you doggone son-of-a-bitch, I'll tell you what the REAL attack on free enterprise is coming from. It's from YOU and your party. Obama has proven to be one of the most compromising presidents that we've ever have. He is, in some cases (healthcare, for example), to the right of Bill Clinton. Criticizing businesses for making reckless deals that end up screwing the entire nation is not anti-capitalism; it's actually pro. This president was the guy that saved millions of jobs and thousands of businesses (the big banks included) from possible collapse and ruin; he's created millions of jobs, and has led the past two years with economic growth and job creation in the private sector. Obama's policies SAVED the capitalist economy in America, and has succeeded. You would screw the nation, and our capitalist system. And tell me this; is the control of our economy by bankers, big investors, and the top 1% part of the so-called "free market???" Is the control of our government by the wealthiest Americans part of the "free market???" Is it????
OBAMA BIDEN 2012
We are not in a recession. We are in a recovery, anemic as it is. Technically, raising taxes doesn't contribute to a growing GDP per se, it can if it is used for, let's say, building a highway system, or fixing infrastructure, or investing in education reform. That would increase GDP over the long-term. Had we reformed education, GDP in 2009 and 2010 would have been far higher than it actually was. And personally, I think we are too far to the left on the Laffer curve. We've been cutting taxes a lot, and I think it's time to dial it back to a more reasonable rate, maybe peak rates during the Clinton administration.
OBAMA BIDEN 2012
Sarah & Bayllie - JAS has nothing of value to contribute. She says the same things over and over again. Perhaps we should just ignore her. By the time I get through a thread where she is on a rant, I need to take a walk or my head will surely explode.
If none of these fools on the right think we should call out Romney on his "accomplishments" at Bain, perhaps we should spend some time on his record as Gov of MA, or how he single-handily saved the Olympics, etc. There are so many angles from which to comment.
Well done Freshiee, you give me hope. Bless you.
Since when is Mitt's personal performance as a venture capitalist the whole free-market system? Is he saying he has been pulling the strings of the market all along, that he is, in fact, the free market? BTW - turns out that being able to organize disparate people and work on behalf of the whole community are excellent qualifications for President. Finding companies to mine for profit after being Daddy-handled through Harvard Business School? Maybe not so much.
I have no particular affection for mealy-mouthed Obama, though I voted for him in 2008 (Sarah Palin a heartbeat away from the Presidency? Just push the button and get it over with!).
I will vote for Obama this fall because Romney is either the creepiest guy in the Beta house, the kind of character who you can imagine staging a homoerotic hazing prank that turned fatal, only to have his rich daddy pay off the victim's family... or else he's spoiled, clueless, witlessly cruel to his dog, and so dull that if you lay him sideways and drape a blanket over him, he could be mistaken for a couch.
So let's cut to the chase: Even before Dubya's dry-drunk rush to two disorganized, unwinnable wars, and aside from his dumb rich kid allegiance to Big Oil and the international outlaws on Wall Street, this economic mess has been on its way at least since Gramps Reagan started dismantling monopoly laws and deregulating banks.
And not one President since St. Ron has done anything to alter this impending train wreck, though in 1980, when he was running against Reagan for the Republican candidacy, Bush the Elder described Ronnie's fiscal policies as "voodoo economics."
In the aftermath of Reagan, Old Bush himself continued down Ron Road and put us into a recession. Clinton initiated trade policies that were great for fast profit, but bound to encourage corporations to seek out overseas slave labor. He nonetheless managed to leave us with a surplus, which Li'l' Bush and his oil/Halliburton/Jesus cronies promptly squandered in the Middle East, graveyard of hope and possibly the devil's biggest joke on the Western world.
So it's not about individual candidates who will ride in on a white horse to save the day. No administration, in four years or eight years, can clean up all the wreckage from the orgy of near-sighted spending and stupidity that the U. S. has enjoyed for so many decades.
For most of us Obama voters, I suspect it comes down to the fact that Obama and his people have no pea-brained obsession with the activity within other people's underwear, and generally come across as calmer, or at least better-mannered than the demagogues currently favored by the GOP, which doesn't even really like the comparatively secular Romney.
On both sides, our political candidates are for sale. We live in a capitalist society, and while our 2012 version is sleazy and broken, it's definitely preferable to any ideology that results in collective farming, mass graves, or state-imposed religion (that's aimed right at you, Tea Party jihadists, because the only difference between you and radical Muslims is gut size).
What should we vote for, assuming that we can be colorblind (apparently a bigger assumption than we'd like to believe about our exceptional selves)? Me, I'll settle for the one who's nicer to his dog, and seems to know more words. You really can't ask much more, not these days.
Obama/Biden 2012.
Melissa, outstanding description of how we got to this sorry state as well as why it will be so difficult to get us back out of the mess we've spent 30+ years creating.
Gee, I was just sitting here thinking about how badly Romney lost 5 Million votes, Can't see anyway they can ever Win unless they CHEAT or Stand outside the Voting booths with a GUN & MASK ... LOL
Obama Unloads on the GOP
President Obama has shown the Republican Party that they are obsolete. It's funny in a sort of way that a culture of darkness has been dismantled by a culture light. Now that the Republican Party has decided to stand for everything they are supposedly against, let the party begin.
Ramney Fires Blanks!
Now that the big TAX and SPEND Ramney is the leader of the small GUVMENT Conservatives, we can begin to tax the poor and increase the wealth of the wealthy.
Romney is looking for Magic with his Flip Flopping Super PAC BS !
Obsolete? Are you implying that capitalism is obsolete? Then what would you replace it with LouisJ, socialism? Is that your plan? 65% taxes and "free" everything? That's your plan! Good luck with the descend-ency of our once great nation.
"The problem with socialism is you eventually run out of other people's money." M. Thatcher.
Rational, no, it's the GOP itself that is obsolete not just for their economic ideas who have been proven a failure but their 20th century backward thinking. They're still stuck in the 20th century, right around 1981. Shoot, Mitt Romney thinks Russia is our #1 geo-political enemy, he said so himself. Yep, "back in the USSR". The world has changed but the GOP refuses to change except to go backward.
LouisJ
Obama Unloads on the GOP
Ramney Fires Blanks!
You and Feisty are too feisty and ROFL funny this morning.
Welcome back;
Louis, you got a lot of splaining to do.
You can not take off anymore time; O-Kaaay?
I need you about when the topic of Zimmerman getting his ass kicked comes up to add your flair amongst all the suppostions.
George Zimmerman Got His Butt Kicked by Trayvon Martin...and Yes, He Still Deserves to be in Prison
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/05/16/1092220/-George-Zimmerman-Got-His-Butt-Kicked-by-Trayvon-Martin-and-Yes-He-Still-Deserves-to-be-in-Prison
What - "George Zimmerman got his butt kicked by Trayvon Martin"
The racist Bev spouts this like its a great accomplishment and she is proud of Obama's Son the Thug.
Trayvon Martin got what he deserved and will save us hundreds of thousands of dollars in the future.
Why you ask - we all know that Obama's Son Trayvon would be in and out of the prison system if his life of crime had not ended so justly.
Woah. That was the darkest thing I've read here in a long time.
Ruken-
I agree. How could someone seriously post something so deranged. At best, a tragic accident that an unarmed young man was killed while walking home committing no crime. At worst, an untrained cop-wannabe with no badge or authority disobeyed police orders and instigated a fatal confrontation.
Either way, a young man's life is over. NOBODY deserves that.
I agree Ruken.
"Obama unloads on Romney"
Wow. I guess Obama really is the first gay president.
Yeah, it's a shame that Travoyn's first lesson in consequences had to be a fatal one. Oh well, one less thug.
The President is gay, black youths are assumed to be thugs, poor people are freeloaders...
A preview of your future overlords should the GOP control all 3 branches of government after November.
Ruken
Woah. That was the darkest thing I've read here in a long time
I thought it was too funny especially since I never belived Zimmerman anyhow.
@ TNSEVOL
Ruken-
I agree. How could someone seriously post something so deranged. At best, a tragic accident that an unarmed young man was killed while walking home committing no crime. At worst, an untrained cop-wannabe with no badge or authority disobeyed police orders and instigated a fatal confrontation.
TNSEVOL
Zimmerman is NOT a Neighborhood Watch volunter.
There are about 22,000 registered watch groups nationwide, and Zimmerman was not part of a registered group, which police were not aware of at the time of Martin's killing, said Chris Tutko, the director of the National Neighborhood Watch program.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/trayvon-martin-arrest-now-abc-reveals-crucial-phone/story?id=15959017&page=2
FBI Considering Hate Crime Charges Against George Zimmerman
http://news.yahoo.com/fbi-considering-hate-crime-charges-against-george-zimmerman-232300357.html;_ylt=A2KJ3CRZdbdPvUcA3WnQtDMD
George Zimmerman's 2005 Myspace page, unearthed by the Miami Herald on Wednesday, suggests Trayvon Martin's shooter had a history of racial profiling.
Zimmerman's lawyer, Mark O'Mara, confirmed that the page—registered under the username "onlytobekingagain"—was real.
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/george-zimmerman-myspace-page-trayvon-martin-shooter-called-180717152.html;_ylt=A2KJ3Cf9c7dPyz0AWXTQtDMD
George Zimmerman racist remarks includes a reference, particularly about Mexicans, to his former girlfriend as a "ex ho" (jeez, we hope she never looked back!).
LISTEN:
His profile states: "I dont miss driving around scared to hit mexicans walkin on the side of the street, soft ass wanna be thugs messin with peoples cars when they aint around (what are you provin, that you can dent a car when no ones watchin) dont make you a man in my book. Workin 96 hours to get a decent pay check, gettin knifes pulled on you by every mexican you run into!"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/18/trayvon-martin-george-zimmerman-evidence_n_1528268.html
=========================================================================
This case is crazy.
As a life long Republican l say Mitt Romney is not the person we need as President of the United States.
No Beverly in Chicago...the darkest thing is this black kid at night with his face covered attacking a neighborhood watch representative. Being from Chicago no one cares what you believe. On the religious freedom / contraception issue...Notre Dame is getting what it deserves after asking Mr Obama to speak at a graduation ceremony. How is that not a church state issue?
davidwestafa and Damage - you are two very sick people. I hope you get help before you continue to embarrass those close to you with your vitriol and disgusting lack of intelligence. It's a sad day when you have to have people like you supporting a murderer and spouting your ignorance.
See here is the problem with the right. Too extreme. They love their fear tactics. Maybe the idea of Corporate control, with unregulated, no accountability capitalism has proved itself obsolete. Maybe we need to roll the clock back to pre-Nixon capitalism. Back when the Glass-Steagall Act was still in effect. Back before we had outsourced all of our jobs. But you can continue your extremist rant that if we want corporations to be held accountable for their actions we want socialism or communism. I find it funny that righty wants to throw that term around but yet supports outsourcing to a communist (China) country. All in the name of profit.
" The thrust of Obama’s argument: Romney isn’t qualified to be president." Thanks for that one, I needed a good laugh today.
I can see why the President said that, he's living the life of someone that isn't qualified actually running the country. My oh my the results have been impressive.
Let's check the candidate's credentials:
Candidate Romney: Long corporate career running businesses and making them profitable or selling their parts for his company's profit, successfully ran the organization committee that made the Salt Lake city olympics a success, ran the state of Massachusetts for 4 years- turning a $3 billion deficit into a $2 billion rainy day fund, cutting government operating costs, creating jobs, and lowering taxes in the process.
Candidate Obama(what he was elected on): Lecturer/Senior Lecturer (Univ. Chicago) 1992-2004, Associate Attorney 1993-2004, State Senator 1997-2004, US Senator 2005-2008.
Highlights: As State Senator Obama voted "present" 130 times. From the NYT, "Among those, Mr. Obama did not vote yes or no on a bill that would allow certain victims of sexual crimes to petition judges to seal court records relating to their cases. He also voted present on a bill to impose stricter standards for evidence a judge is permitted to consider in imposing a criminal sentence. On the sex crime bill, Mr. Obama cast the lone present vote in a 58-to-0 vote.(58-0-1)"
As US Senator Obama voted with his party 96% of the time, and missed voting on 38% of bills before Congress while he was Senator because he was running for President(2007-2008) and couldn't afford to spend his time in DC doing his job.
Leadership and priorities. That's what counts, right?
Good post, l agree ! #2.16
that is some of the most racist things i have seen here in a long time when talking about the young man that lost his life for being black on a (pick a day of the week) that is just the kind of mofo that will have all kinds of minorities infultrate your family and enrich your name for generations to come. Fortunate for your family.. the food will taste much better than what they are use to eating today... May you live forever to experience it all!
No, but the form of capitalism that the GOP has been propagating for the past 30 years is obsolete; it's been obsolete since the day it was implemented. The theory of limited government overview, lax regulations, bloated financial institutions, the mingling of business and state, massive economic inequality, and tax cuts for the wealthy while spending cuts for the little guy has failed. It is obsolete; reminds me of the laissez-faire proponents in the early twentieth century who protested against the New Deal, which helped lead America to a recovery, as did World War II. Laissez-faire economics had its chance over the past 30 years, and it failed. No longer can we rely on the economy to regulate itself. It's like saying that a young children will teach himself not to eat so much candy. It pains me to see how many people are actually buying into this supply-side crap.
OBAMA BIDEN 2012
DEATH TO SUPPLY-SIDE ECONOMICS 2012
The Teabagger's social positions are from the Dark Ages, their economics are from the Gilded Age at the turn of the 20th century, and their foreign policy is from the neocon Bush Doctrine -- with exception of Romney who is still in the Cold War era. These far-Rightwingers are stuck in a time warp any way you cut it, and if Romney and Teapublicans are allowed any victory in 2012, they will take our country back...as in backward.
Romney may be from another planet -- Aircraft? The trees are the right height?
Freshiee's a Socialist. Thanks for coming clean.
Geesh...Talk about intellectually bankrupt posts.
Well, to be honest I am not a socialist. I don't want to show disrespect to the socialists, so I will admit that I am not one of them. To be exact, I would be what people in Europe would call a "social democrat," yet I prefer to be called a progressive liberal with social democrat leanings. It actually feels good to come clean. I'll assume it will feel the same way for you, rational, when you admit that you are a right-wing supply side plutocrat.
OBAMA BIDEN 2012
Mitt Romney’s claim that 100,000 auto jobs have been lost under Obama
Posted by Glenn Kesslerat 06:00 AM ET, 05/18/2012
“We were able to help create over 100,000 jobs. On the president’s watch, about 100,000 jobs were lost in the auto industry and auto dealers and auto manufacturers, so he’s hardly one to point a finger.”
— Mitt Romney, interview on Hot Air, May 16, 2011
The 100,000 jobs is back! The presumptive GOP nominee all but stopped mentioning he created 100,000 in the private sector after we declared in January that claim was untenable and unproven. The biggest problem is that Romney is counting all the jobs added by companies long after he had left the leadership of Bain Capital — and even after Bain’s investment in the companies had ended.
In the Hot Air interview, Romney even made this claim while at the same time arguing that a recent Obama campaign commercial slamming the job losses at a particular Bain investment was unfair because “the steel factory closed down two years after I left Bain Capital. I was no longer there, so that’s hardly something which is on my watch.” (Technically, Romney had not completely extricated himself from Bain but that’s another story.)
The logic there escapes us. Romney appears to be saying it is okay to count jobs created after he left Bain, but it’s not okay to count jobs lost after he left Bain.
As we have said, Romney “certainly has a good story to tell about knowing how to manage a business, spotting opportunities and understanding high finance.” But if he wants to wall off companies that failed after he stopped managing Bain, he also has to stop counting jobs created after he left Bain.
So Romney gets a “repeat offender” award — our crack graphics staff is still developing the icon — for once again saying he created 100,000 jobs. But let’s also look at his claim that 100,000 jobs were lost in the auto industry “on the president’s watch.” That’s a new one.
The Facts
The Romney campaign often cites Bureau of Labor Statistics to make its case that the number of overall jobs has declined in Obama’s presidency, so that’s the first place we looked.
The BLS data show that much of the decline in auto industry employment took place in 2008, before Obama became president. Just in 2008, some 254,000 jobs disappeared in vehicle and vehicle parts manufacturing and 211,000 at vehicle dealerships. The numbers are equally grim if you just look at auto manufacturing and dealerships.
But since January 2009, when Obama took office, overall there has been an increase in jobs. The number of jobs hit a low point in November 2009, but then it has slowly inched upward so that Obama can point to the auto industry and says there has been a net gain.
In vehicle and vehicle parts manufacturing, the total number of jobs has increased by 73,000. For dealers, the gain has been nearly 30,000. So, all told, that’s more than 100,000 — instead of a decrease of 100,000 as Romney claims.
These are useful statistics, but we have trouble getting past the BLS data, especially when on other occasions, Romney has used “watch” to refer to the entire Obama presidency. Here are two examples—one recent, one near the start of his campaign:
“Under this president’s watch, more Americans have lost their jobs than during any other period since the Depression.”
— Mitt Romney, April 3, 2012
“President Obama has stood watch over the greatest job loss in modern American history, and that, my friends, is one inconvenient truth that will haunt this president throughout history.”
— Mitt Romney, Feb. 11, 2011
So we really believe we have to evaluate his statement against the record of Obama’s presidency.
The Pinocchio Test
Romney’s remarks make little sense. Not only is his claim of creating 100,000 jobs at Bain untenable, but also his assertion that 100,000 jobs have been lost in the auto industry “on the president’s watch” does not add up.
Yes, there were some painful cuts in the auto industry at the start of Obama’s presidency, largely because tough choices had to be made. One could argue whether those choices were necessary or effective, but the bottom line is clear: No matter how you slice it, jobs overall have grown substantially in the auto industry under Obama. In fact, it is one of the bright spots of today’s economy.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/mitt-romneys-claim-that-100000-auto-jobs-have-been-lost-under-obama/2012/05/17/gIQA9wYMXU_blog.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Old Willard seems to think that this is the Hootin’ Hollar Tall Tale and General All Around Lyin’ contest instead of a Presidential race. So he thinks that stacking up all this Bullshirt fast and deep is just going to overwhelm his opponent.
And you know something for some of you’ll Yahoo’s it’s going to work. Some of you’ll are so eat up with Obama Derangement Syndrome that I’m just waiting for Old Willard to tell you the sun ain’t going to come up one morning and you’ll are just going to pull the covers up over your head and not bother to go to work.
And repeat it Lord yes. I’ll bet I could debunk this Bushra every other day from now to the Election and one of you’ll Yahoo’s would be right up here on the off days repeating it like it was the Gospel.
Seems to me that you’ll are working on this Theory:
Once an absurdity is accepted as truth, it will seem truer the more absurd it is shown to be. ~Robert Brault
Now that might win you First Prize down in Hootin’ Holler but I have a sneaking hunch that it isn’t going to amount to much when it comes to getting elected President.
Remember when Obama LIED and said he was going to shut down GITMO within a year after his inauguration...just so you lefties would vote for him?
Remember when he ROUTINELY lied and said there were "46million" AMERICANS without health care. Then we found out he was including ILLEGAL ALIENS in that number?
The 3 tenets of the GNOP - Lies, more lies and more darn Lies.....
GNOP Facts don't matter - "THEY CAN"T HANDLE THE TRUTH!"
Is that why the GOP voted for a measure preventing Obama from shutting it down?
Inform yourself better.
Yes...I also recall the GOP collectively fudging their undies when he said he'd do that. Why not just admit that we continue to deny rights that are guaranteed by The Constitution and just be happy that all those nasty-wasty alleged terrorists are tucked safely away in Cuba?
We have a brand new prison in NW IL sitting empty!
The town begged for the detainees to be moved there... it was the NIMBY/GNOP who threw up the roadblocks...
If I had a quarter for everytime I see the Guantanamo BS thrown out, I would be a very wealthy woman!
This Flip Flopper Romney couldn't polish President Obama's shoes !
Ruken: You're blaming the Republicans? Did President Obama not have both houses of congress to pass that legislation in his first two years in the White House? That left him with on year to spare.
Did I stutter?
Well, let's see- wasn't HCR supposed to provide, well, healthcare?
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/228699-hhs-inks-20m-contract-with-pr-firm-to-tout-preventive-benefits
So, $20million to tell people an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Sounds like Obama logic. Kind of like the Obama logic that led him to (finally!), conclude that businesses exist to (gasp!), Create Profit!!!!
Eight year olds running lemonade stands understand that-what took Obama so long?
Now, there are non-profits out there; in fact, the Catholic Church, among others, run some. Not-for-profit hospitals, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, schools- all non-profit making enterprises that liberals call "companies".
If I ever had a question about how badly educated about economics liberals were, you've answered in the last couple of days.
November cannot come soon enough.
Yea nojo, preventative health-care doesn't save money or anything.
Romney said "let it (the Auto Industry) go bankrupt".
The President SAVED at least a million jobs in the auto and related industries - by STANDING UP for the Auto Industry and ignoring the ME-ME-ME chorus.
If Romney is still trying to rewrite this one, he is a very sick man.
No. Actually, a very small window for the Senate
You're blaming the Republicans? Did President Obama not have both houses of congress to pass that legislation in his first two years in the White House?
Atticus:
Remember where you are? You're on Newsvine, the truth is irrelevant here.
You settle for 'truths'. I settle for facts.
Do you know the difference?
Enjoy what little time you have left here... ya little re-reg you! lol
Hey Ruken, enlighten me.
What is the difference between the Truth and Facts?
This ought to be good.
You settle for 'truths'. I settle for facts.
Do you know the difference?
I know that the truth is, you haven't presented any facts.
Did President Obama not have both houses of congress to pass that legislation in his first two years in the White House?
No he did not. He had the House for two years but not the Senate. The Senate can and will cause bottle necks.
Once again, settling for 'truths'.
But let's talk facts: how many accounts have you re-registered just to post here?
Damage123
Remember when Obama LIED and said he was going to shut down GITMO within a year after his inauguration...just so you lefties would vote for him?
Brain Damage123
Remember, the President can not close anything if the scary ass Teabaggers and republicans coupled with weak kneed Democrats in the House who control the purse strings don't put it on the President's desk????
The “truth” is repeating a line of what someone said while the “fact” is repeating the full statement so the context is revealed.
Oh Ruken, now you are worried about accounts? Answer my question.
That's Feisty and Cynthia's domain. In fact they obsess over it . I happen to know that Cynthias Point actually tracks down people who re-reg and keeps a running list for her own review.
Imagine, poring through the threads of Newsvine, looking for people who , GASP, may have re-registered.
It is funny, though, that that seems to be the on ly COH rule they have a problem with, because they break most of the rest of them here on a daily basis.
The hypocrisy of Willard Mitt Romney never ceases to amaze; he truly speaks with Forked Tongue. On one hand, Mitt blames President Obama for the loss of auto industry jobs and on the other hand, Mitt claims President Obama followed his advice about the auto industry loans (please ignore Mitt's "let Detroit go bankrupt" op ed because he didn't really mean it). Seriously, anyone with a few brain cells should be able to figure out that Mitt Romney is a pathological liar; worse, he tries to steal the successes of job creation while lampooning the jobs lost prior to Obama becoming President and those lost jobs which came during his watch but were a direct result of Bush/Cheney/GOP Great Recession.
Romney's biggest problem is that he can't run on his Governor's record, too much liberal baggage there so he has nothing to offer voters except his Bain Capital experience and that experience of creating wealth does not translate to creating jobs for everyone else. Any jobs created by Bain were accidental tourists which happened despite the vulture-venture capitalist Romney's penchant for short-term gains not long-term vision for sustainability. In 1994 when Romney ran against Ted Kennedy, Bain Capital was the big reason why Romney lost. One would think that in the 18 years since that campaign, he would have figured out that running on his Bain record might not be a good idea or at least, he would have figured out how to respond to the inevitable criticism of it. Leadership skills? Nope, no way, because in 18 years, he still has no answer for the Bain critics.
Blue Collar mad. Oh he mad.
Good Lord, where did you folks go to school and how do you make it through the day?
truth
/truθ/ Show Spelled[trooth] Show IPA
noun, plural truths /truðz, truθs/ Show Spelled[trooth z, trooths] Show IPA.
1.
the true or actual state of a matter: He tried to find out the truth.
2.
conformity with fact or reality; verity: the truth of a statement
fact
/fækt/ Show Spelled[fakt] Show IPA
noun
1.
something that actually exists; reality; truth: Your fears have no basis in fact.
Dictionary.com
UW: Madison, graduated Sigma Cum Laude in CprE.
Badger, Badger, Badger, Badger...
Yeah, Ruken. Sure you did.
Sigma Cum Laude.
I think you mean Summa Cum Laude, but I guess when something isn't true, it can't be a fact know can it?
Holy cow!
Fact: President Obama did have House and Senate and could have gotten GITMO closed.
Now, let's hear the lefties come back and bash me because they can't dispute this, OR they will try to bring up some other irrellavent issue to try to twist the conversation, or just collapse my post.... that is another fact!
Whatever you say, because you never have grammatical errors when attempting to multitask. I'll be sure to double check my posts from here on out to appease the itty-bitty internet troll out of Detroit.
What type of job do you have Blue Collar Auto?
Grammatical errors? Are you freakin kidding me?
You didn't misspell the word dude, you made one up! SIGMA Cum Laude????HAHAHAHA
It suck to get caught lying doesn't it?
Especially when you went on and on and on about the truth and facts for half of this thread.
Now take your imaginary degree to your imaginary bar and hang out with your imaginary friends.
Making up a degree....what a loser.
Yes, I must be freakin kidding you. Everyone knows grammatical errors never occur on the internet. Never.
Perhaps you could describe the feeling to me.
Sure! I'll be sure to do that after work.
I assume you'll be heading to the bar as soon as you're done trolling internet sites.
Oh irony, your name is Blue Collar Auto.
White Collar 10 - Puken 0 - Dang dude, Sigma Cum Laude? Did you get that confused with your fraternity? Ooohhh, U Wisconsin, what was the entrance exam, fogging up a mirror? See Puken when you always post smart-a$$ comments and then you write something so completely dumb, it's time to go find another place to post your crap and lies. Typical Madison liberal...you were probably one of those dopes throwing garbage at the state cap too right. Complete tool.
I'm not a WI liberal. I'm a MN independent. But I guess people never go to universities out of state.
Please try again. Your anger amuses me.
TO: Damage123 who wrote:
Lied? Republicans are the biggest liars in the world, and they NEVER stop lying.
Your post is NOT impressive. Now Republicans, THEY tell some really big impressive lies!
Remember when George "Curveball" Bush lied us into War in Iraq, and Bush took control of the world's second largest oil fields and didn't give the American People even a ONE PENNY discount in the cost of oil and gas but instead we are being forced to foot the entire bill for Republicans' BIG FAT LIE! Check the "Ryan Plan" and you'll see exactly who will be paying taxes, and who won't!
Republicans are portraying the American Workers as "evil and greedy" while Republicans view mega-millionaires as the "victims"!
Republicans just sicken me.
Obama/Biden 2012
Republicanism is sustained, only when the people do not give proper consideration to It's presentments of proportional things, and the probability of effectuality of those things on their well being.
Politifact.com "Close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center – Promise Broken"
Obama announces changes to Guantanamo detention policy
Updated: Wednesday, March 9th, 2011 | By Robert Farley
On March 7, 2011, President Barack Obama signed an executive order making a number of changes to policies regarding those detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In a reversal of his previous policy, the order resumes military trials for Gitmo detainees. It also establishes a "periodic review" process for for long-held Guantanamo detainees who have not been charged, convicted or designated for transfer, "but must continue to be detained because they 'in effect, remain at war with the United States,'" according to a White House fact-sheet.
The new policy was viewed by many media outlets as an acknowledgment by the administration that it could not keep Obama's campaign promise to close the Guantanamo facility.
And as the politifact website states, when it rates a promise broken, it doesn't seek to determine whether the promise was a lie, or whether the broken promise was the fault of the President. Their explanation makes it clear that Congress refused to fund the closing of Gitmo, but at the end of the day it was indeed a broken promise. Regardless of true intention or best efforts by the President.
Enjoy what little time you have left here... ya little re-reg you! lol
Is this really the extent of your life? If it is, your life is pretty sad.
You didn't misspell the word dude, you made one up! SIGMA Cum Laude????HAHAHAHA
BTW, White Collar Auto owned you on this thread Ruken. Hillarious!
I'll tell you what's really sad.
Somone who has been banned from Newsvine repeatedly, who cannot accept their punishment, who feels the rules do not apply to them & their pitiful attempts sneak back in...
Now tell me whose life is sad? lol
If anyone needs to get a life - it would be YOU little buddy! ;o)
Tickity tock...
TO: Bill-2910238 who wrote:
Do you think anybody gives a crap about "Gitmo" when Republicans are conniving to steal my retirement money, raise my taxes, lower my wages, deny me quality affordable health care, and then call mega-millionaires the "victims"!
You've got Republicans who have sat around for 3-1/2 years doing NOTHING but collecting a paycheck and who have NOT created even ONE single job, nor would they, and you expect for"who" to care about "Gitmo"!
Obama/Biden 2012
Somone who has been banned from Newsvine repeatedly, who cannot accept their punishment, who feels the rules do not apply to them & their pitiful attempts sneak back in...
Your omniscience would be impressive if I had actually ever been banned. Who exactly do you think I am? Whoever he is, I think I might have liked him. I'm busy right now, but I will be back tomorrow.
Bill, typically of conservative posters, you have quoted a small portion of the article to try and prove your point.
Upon reading the entire article, a different picture emerges. World pressures, congressional intransigence, difficulties in finding a place to try and house the detainees at Guantanamo. The President may have made mistakes and failed on promises, but he has not been the only one.
What would you do with the prisoners at Guantanamo?
Oh noes! My life is ruined! Because I care a bunch what Blue Collar Auto thinks.
The only thing hilarious, are the internet re-reg trolls who think I give a damn.
I see our FR Conservatives are once again confusing facts with "truth" as defined by Fox News and Right wing talk radio.
Oh Ruken, now you want me to believe you have a job?
Dude, you need to put down the shovel.
True fact (or factual truth):
Don't worry Blue Collar Auto, I could care less what you believe. It doesn't change the facts. :)
It must just burn you up that I'm more successful in life.
It must just burn you up that I'm more successful in life.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAH!
Thanks Buddy. I needed that.
You're welcome Blue Collar Auto. Clearly, you need all that you can get.
Because when you make low pay and live in a dump called a city, you have to look for humor in the small things, right?
So Ruken are you saying you are a 1% since you make so much money and are so successful. Gotta love it....
Independent Redneck Va. -- Romney can't take credit for the jobs that already existed before Bain came in to do their raiding, any more than the jobs after they left the company to die. The bottom line is private equity firms do NOT have "job creation" in their job description. Anyone who falls for this BS has no business voting. Inform yourself with facts rightwingers if you're going to vote, because voting is not just a privilege--It's a responsibility.
Do No Harm -- Obama/Biden - 2012!
Right. Venture Capitalists SOMETIMES create jobs but that's not their goal. Their goal is to do whatever it takes to make as much money as they can for the investors, and do it quickly so they can move on to the next project. Five years is about the longest time frame they're interested in, 2-3 is more common.
I worked for a place that was owned by a venture capital firm, it was among the most painful work experiences in my career. EVERYTHING was geared toward creating the appearance of rapidly increasing value in order to entice people to take the thing off their hands We couldn't replace worn out equipment because additional debt would make it less likely to find a buyer. We couldn't properly maintain the worn out equipment because that would detract from the monthly P&L. We couldn't position ourselves for upcoming changes in the economy because EVERYTHING was measured on a month-by-month basis and it was unacceptable to not have all the graphs moving constantly upward to the right.
The end result of the? Hundreds of people lost their jobs...but the investment group has done very well. That's the only thing that really matters.
Ramneys Extremist Ties are going Extreme
Now that the racists ads have been stamped momentarily, they are back at the storyboards writing up the next racist assault on black America. Have no doubt that the Birthers will be knee deep in Racist Ads.
Poll Schmolls!
Have to love how the polls are daily during a time that they mean jack squat. Once the debates are over and the dust settles from the SHELLACKING President Obama delivers, we'll see a bloodied and bewildered Ramney stumble to the podium to deliver his farewell speech. LMBO. Oh it's going to be fun watching Ramney trip over his tongue. Pure comedy!
United We Stand, Divided They Fall.
I do trust these polls, although polls this early are largely irrelevant. That said, if both men are split 47-47 on the economy, Rmoney can't win with numbers like those.
Obama shows to be everything Romney is not, a leader !
You don't understand where the polling is done. With 47-47 Romney wins big in the electoral college.
Of course, you will have no problem giving us a source to back up this claim.
Cause the problem with your fairy tale is every map I have seen so far, has Willard losing... BIG TIME!
Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL
Once the debates are over and the dust settles from the SHELLACKING President Obama delivers, we'll see a bloodied and bewildered Romney stumble to the podium to deliver his farewell speech. LMBO. Oh it's going to be fun watching Romney trip over his tongue. Pure comedy!
Feisty
Louis J is crazy. He has me LMBO off.
And you know it; Louis. Rob-me is too twisted to walk straight. Every day his LIES morph into another dimension.
Worst, he and his camp huddle up to etch-a- sketch another twisted LIE in a few mintues or they dodge the media.
Amen to that!
Anyone seen my friend Colorado-Man?
I'm waiting for him to back up his bull@!$%#...
Where did you scurry off to little buddy?
Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL
Anyone seen my friend Colorado-Man?
I'm waiting for him to back up his bull@!$%#...
Where did you scurry off to little buddy?
Probably to find another username.
LMAO!
This place is absolutely crawling with them these days...
"Once the debates are over and the dust settles from the SHELLACKING President Obama delivers..."
Will bho be allowed a teleprompter, with axlerod in his front pocket, to make it at least close to even? I've watched this "ivy league" educated fool (i.e. result of affirmative action...) verbally stumble in front of the cameras EVERY time he doesn't have a teleprompter! This should be interesting, in the very least, to see bho attempt to debate without someone holding his well manicured hand...LMAO!!! Have a great day you silly liberals!!!
This will not, however, stop the GOP from pursuing the myth that the HHS policy on oral contraceptives is an attack on Freedom of Religion for Catholics.
Tell me...where in the policy does it state that Catholics will be FORCED to use contraception?
OK so they tried to force the Catholic institutions to provide oral contraception AND abortion pills until they got shiz for it (even Chris Matthews). Right? So they then said that the insurance companies would pay for it. Right?
Question: Where do you think the insurance companies will get the money to pay for all this?
Answer: Next year when they up-rate the Catholic institutions' insurance premiums.
Another question: Who will REALLY be paying for the oral contraception for these religious institutions? Be honest!
Look, this isn't about whether you can deny contraceptives to the church secretary. This is about forcing NON-Catholics who work for nominally secular enterprises like hospitals to do without contraception. This is about IMPOSING THE CHURCH'S RELIGIOUS VIEWS ON NON-CATHOLICS, not infringing on the religious freedom of the Catholic church.
You are ignoring the point of the contraception provision issue. Does that make you ignorant?
This is about the basic right of an organization or a company or a corporation to offer what they want in health care benefits or any benefit package. The federal government has NO RIGHT to mandate what any organization can or can not voluntarily offer. For God's sake where will it end?????
Why not, Ben. The government has regulated the insurance industry for GENERATIONS...now all at once that's off limits? Is it because now that corporations have full personhood we can't deny their rights?
What the He11 - I cant get my condoms from church?
Where will I have to go to get my free condoms and abortion pills?
They should force the churches to pass them around in the plate they pass around every sunday.
The altar boys will be thankful.
I wonder if the churches providing health insurance are happy to pay for the babies born as a result of not covering contraception?? I also wonder if they cover Viagra, as most insurance companies do. If so, that seems hypocritical. It's OK to make it easier to have sex but not protect against the risks of sex. It also seems like an anti-woman stance to me--how could it not?
@ Bethie from Texas #5.8: Agree. It's a male dominance stance. When it comes to women, and their reproductive ability, men know best. Arrogant, abusive, hypocritical, and gender debasing.
Thanks, Mac. Just another reason I tend to vote for Democrats. . .including President Obama!
Obama/Biden 2012
LA TIMES Just Announced: According to Antoa Bleeks, under spokesperson for the Obama White House, "The administration is considering proposing a tax on entertainment entities and entertainers approaching a 75% tax rate. The tax would include actors, producers, and major and minor studios". Bleeks continued "in addition, we are seriously considering increasing the taxes on the music industry close to an 85% tax rate."
When ask why this action was being considered Bleeks replied " the entertainment industry is a great source of tax revenue as the participants are unfairly paid extremely high amounts of money that can be used in other places in our economy."
The new tax could drastically increase the total revenue into government coffers. Tom Cruse, for example, who grossed $36 million for his contribution to the most recent Mission Impossible franchise film. Under the current tax code Cruise paid $12,600,000 in taxes. Under the proposed entertainment industry tax Cruise would have paid $27 million dollars allowing Cruise to keep $9 million.
Bleeks continued "at last weeks George Clooney event, the President asked several of the guests if they were willing to pay taxes at the 75% rate and most responded with a heart felt "yes" to the President."
Dan Rather was at the Clooney event and his statement was best of all. Said Rather " this story reminds me of a letter I once had fabricated for an anti-George W. Bush story I reported on until I was found out by a 15 year-old"
Well a man can dream... Right?
Funny...I couldn't find anything close to that story. Got a link or is this just more s*** you folks are making up?
Did you read the Dan Rather Quote? It was made up. Maybe you also missed the last thing I said too.
How about a disclaimer saying this is a work of fiction? I know it should be obvious but someone will take it seriously.
Yep, posted it too late.....
Little Atticus thought his work was brilliant enough, he's been comment spamming it all night!
Psssst... it sucked the first time - repeating a half a dozen times doesn't magically make it more important!
One thing the radical right republicans are great at is, lying.
Eh....
@ Job1#6.5: Agree. Also many homosexuals in denial, and too damn much all around bad pathology.
As we enter the general election season it's time for the MSM to admit something once and for all...their penchant for false equivalence simply isn't working and is fundamentally dishonest. Yesterday on First Read we were debating if it's "appropriate" to bring Bain Capital into the campaign...at the same time we're actually giving attention to people who believe President Barack Obama wasn't born in the United States but "aren't Birthers."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/lets-just-say-it-the-republicans-are-the-problem/2012/04/27/gIQAxCVUlT_story.html
John B.
Yup, the GOP moves from extreme, to scorn, to dismissive in every stance they take. And it changes daily.
When you read some of their outlier followers on the nightime threads, they are a desperate, hateful lot.
It's time for Romney to take a DNA test ?
So you still have to present both sides of an argument even if one side has no facts?
I see it every day in my local paper, they switched to "Opposing Viewpoints" in their editorial section, they print one Conservative columnist and one Liberal columnist every day. Most of the time the Liberal columnists discuss some relevant political or social issue, while the Conservative columnists almost always attack the President using distortions and lies.
Exactly my point. The Conservative Movement has completely abandoned the world of verifiable facts, let alone science. Those things are irrelevant now, only the story they wish to tell matters. As someone stated elsewhere on this page "I know the truth." The only problem is, what Conservatives "know" as "truth" is rarely backed by what everyone else would consider "facts."
John B, terrific article and comment.
I've heard a good number of media types make the false equivalency claim about partisan gridlock as both partisans being equally to blame. Not true, the GOP has become so obstructive and destructive in their legislation and demands, that democrats will consistently vote NAY to block the ridiculous legislation or proposals coming from the GOP. Since the country was founded, liberals have remained pretty steady with slight shifts to more liberal then back to center left but conservatives have simply shifted further and further right especially since Reagan pointed them in that direction and they just kept going.
Jody,
Good point. The Republicans in the House pass a "jobs" bill, load it with a bunch of reforms to whatever they disagree with, then claim the Senate isn't doing anything when it doesn't pass.
Democrates have offered several times to develop a bi-partisan compromise on entitlement reform, the Republicans REFUSE to compromise on tax reform.
The "both parties are to blame' argument doesn't hold water, or as they say in Tennessee - "that dog won't hunt".
Least its worth a laught. LMAO
Obama is sure full of it - he needs to "unload" somewhere
Bo The Dog: I'm glad to see you're ok and that the "Flip-Flopper In Chief", I mean...um...The "Evolver In Chief" hasn't eaten you too. Take care.
At least Obama would never tie you to the top of his car for a long road trip!!
Bethie - Lets Try It.
You can tie me to the hood of your car and I will Eat You.
Actually, nevermind, you would probably enjoy it to much!
I don't really see how the dog reference is relevant, but it is very difficult to compare the actions of a 9 year old in Indonesia where dog meat is either a delicacy or part of the local diet to the actions of a 36 year old adult in the United States who ties his family dog to the roof of a car for several hours. Not very comparable. It's like comparing a 17 year old for smoking some weed to a 45 year old shooting some heroin and taking some PCP.
OBAMA BIDEN 2012
American Greed. Last week we learned that Eduardo Saverin, co-founder of Facebook, decided he no longer wants to be an American citizen. He renounced his US citizenship to avoid paying taxes on his multi-billions. Saverin was welcomed to the US, received his education here and it was in this country that his multi-billion haul was possible because he and Mark Zuckerberg thought outside the box. Saverin is so grateful to the USA that he now wants to renounce being a citizen because greed outweighs any obligation or responsibility to the country that gave him every opportunity and helped him become a young billionaire.
Mitt Romney has no plans to renounce his citizenship nor do other wealthy US citizens born here who stash their cash off-shore to avoid taxes on their multi-millions/billions but they, too, feel it is better to avoid paying taxes than it is to give back to the country that made them who they are, that allowed them the opportunity to earn millions. Taxpayers most likely paid to educate them, built the roads and streets they travelled on, picked up their garbage, removed the snow and took care of the parks in which they played as youngsters.
It is legal for Mitt Romney and those like him to send their millions on vacation in the Cayman Islands or to Switzerland but one wonders what it says about those people. They claim to love their country, they claim how grateful they are to live here, to have the opportunities the US provides them yet avoiding paying additional taxes is the way they express their love of country, their appreciation.
How can we respect people like Saverin who, having taken advantage of all this great country offers, now say thanks but no thanks, I don't need the US, I've got mine and I intend to keep every penny of it. Greed, self-centered greed.
How can we respect people like Mitt Romney, how can we consider electing Mitt Romney to be President when he says the same thing: I've got mine and I intend to keep every penny of it. To heck with the needs of the country, never mind the poor, the disabled, the elderly; never mind the crumbling infrastructure neglected for 30 years. I've got mine and I intend to keep it. How can anyone trust Mitt Romney who thinks so little of this country which gave him every opportunity that he prefers hiding his millions for himself and his family. Greed, self-centered greed.
We hear people lamenting what has gone wrong in the US, why are we so divided; why can't people and both parties put aside their difference and solve our problems. We educate them, provide opportunity to become the best they can be. A good part of the answer to the musings is simple: greed, self-centered greed. I've got mine and I intend to keep every penny of it, I earned it, it's all mine; not just at the multi-million/billion level but also those who earn far less. Never mind the taxpayers funded my education, never mind the taxpayers pick up my garbage, keep my neighborhood park a safe and fun place for my children and me, pave the streets and remove the snow, provide fire and police protection to keep me and my family safe.
Never mind all that, I've got mine and I intend to keep every penny of it--it's mine, I earned it! Greed, self-centered greed.
Good Morning Jody,
I see we are on the same page!
This country is being inundated with Gordon Gecko wannabe's!
We see now where once they make their bazillions, they can't spit on their citizenship fast enough!
It's well past time we just say NO to GREED!
Great post, Jody. A question I've been asking myself lately is "how much is enough?" Apparently 85% of a billion dollars is not enough for Mr. Saverin as he is willing to give up his citizenship to keep the 15% he would have paid in capital gains taxes. For Mitt Romney, paying 14% on his income of $20 million per year is apparently too much---he wants to cut that rate even further. Meanwhile, I watch my retirement account every day because I hope that it is enough to combine with my Social Security so that I can retire in comfort (not luxury) in a few years. And I know there are people who will never be able to retire and who hardly get by today. I guess it is all a matter of perspective but I find it hard to see how Mitt can relate to mine.
the President said:
MR. President, how about running the government as efficiently as a business? What about not spending more than what the country is making? What about creating more jobs so that you can bring in more revenues because of more people paying taxes and not increasing taxes for more people. Government has become a business!!!!
The only great thing that you can brag about is being the President in office that got OSAMA.
To those lol (left of left) folks out there, you can go ahead and find all the misspelled words you want. It does not bother me.
the President said:
MR. President, how about running the government as efficiently as a business? What about not spending more than what the country is making? What about creating more jobs so that you can bring in more revenues because of more people paying taxes and not increasing taxes for more people. Government has become a business!!!!
The only great thing that you can brag about is being the President in office that got OSAMA.
To those lol (left of left) folks out there, you can go ahead and find all the misspelled words you want. It does not bother me.
I find it hard to believe a word YOU say. Yes Republicans, and Romney, believe in less taxes. You're being dishonest when you say we want to keep all of it. You're being dishonest when you say we don't want to help our fellow man. You're being dishonest when you say we don't want to help the disabled, poor, and elderly. This is all false. We do want to help when they actually need it.
We want government to spend responsibly before we pay more in taxes.
Mitt also gave 15% of his income to charity. So don't say he does not care.
What charity? The Mormon Church? Taking away programs from the poor, the elderly, the children is not exactly flag-raising proof of caring for fellow Americans. Tax breaks for the "Job Creators" are a joke.
Atticus,
If that is true then why are almost all the efforts of Romney and the Republican party concentrated on reducing taxes instead of cutting spending? Cut the capital gains tax, eliminate the estate tax, lower corporate tax rates.... take away so-called "entitlement reform" and they spend no time cutting spending.
I don't see the same effort in trying to reduce military spending and make them more efficient. Where are the efforts to evaluate weapons programs, like the East Coast missile defense system that the Pentagon says we dont need? Or retiring aircraft carriers the Navy says we don/t need?
All I see is a concentrated effort to increase their wealth and reduce their taxes, and yet no matter how low their rates get it is never enough. The answer is ALWAYS "cut taxes".
Whatever happened to wealthy people like Rockefeller?
"I believe in the supreme worth of the individual and in his right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty. I believe that the law was made for man and not man for the law; that government is the servant of the people and not their master. I believe in the dignity of labor, whether with head or hand; that the world owes no man a living but that it owes every man an opportunity to make a living. I believe that thrift is essential to well ordered living and that economy is a prime requisite of a sound financial structure, whether in government, business or personal affairs. I believe that truth and justice are fundamental to an enduring social order. I believe in the sacredness of a promise, that a man's word should be as good as his bond; that character — not wealth or power or position — is of supreme worth." John D. Rockefeller
Responding to Steeler Fan comment in reponse to Jody
Actually taxes on that are not treated as capital gains but as normal income, so difference is a lot more than 15%. When you cash in stoclk options the difference between your option price and the market value is treated as salary. This is why the AMT is so insidious for people that cash in options, but then hold the stock. Say you bought 1,000 shares of FB with your $1 a share option at the opening at $38 but hold the stock until next year and it's at $7. You still have to pay the taxes on $37,000.00 you gained at your original purchase but you can't sell it for enough to cover taxes. I can't tell you how many people I've seen stuck with that. You also have to cover the Medicare portion required on salary in addition to the straight salary tax.
HEY! What the hell happened to the whole "Romney Is A Bully And A Gay Basher Because He Cut Some Kid's Hair 47 Years Ago Who LAter Turned Out To Be Gay" whinefest????? Jeez. A couple weeks ago you people made it seem like it was the most important issue out there and a real test of Mitt Romney's qualifications to be President. What happened? Did you realize that you all are just full of s**t and that the common-sense public really doesn't think it's important?
By the way, Rush LImbaugh is STILL on the air with higher ratings than ever. Did you all fail at that too or just forget? You people need some Ritalin. Or maybe real lives.
Concern Citizen, government is NOT a business, it is a NOT-for-profit; it is democracy. To suggest that government should be run the same as capitalist private industry is missing a true understanding of what government is. Our government supports private industry through public education, roads, bridges, fire and police and each of us has an obligation to participate for the betterment of all; those public schools, roads and bridges provide educated employees, provide a means for private business to transport goods and services to buyers. The role of government is not interchangeable with the role of private industry. Government provides a collective service to a social and civilized society; we pay taxes to support democracy and support those services.
Also, Concern, why don't you ask the republican party which took a budget surplus and turned it into a deficit within 8 months of Bush taking office and with the Bush/GOP's first round of tax cuts? Were you outraged then about a balanced budget or only outraged now because a democrat is in the White House, therefore, balanced budgets are good because..... Reagan, Bush and Bush increased the debt 333% compared to democratic presidents 81%. So spare us the faux deficit and debt outrage; better yet, educate yourself on the facts. We may disagree on ideology but facts are facts no matter which side of the aisle one sits; recognizing the difference seems to be lacking in the conservative DNA.
P.S. Really don't care how you spell anything, we all misspell words--generally, though, we correct it before reposting the same comment--but last I checked, candidates aren't "vented". Well, come to think of it Mitt Romney is a well-ventilated and oiled weathervane so maybe that was a good choice for Romney after all.
Oh! all mighty Jody of Iowa. Spoken as a true elites Liberal. You are not a Democrat. I was a Democrat who then became an Independent. And yes we pay taxes to support a Democracy but not to have them spent on stupid ventures like Solindra and the many Vacations that all Presidents take. Specially this one when the majority of the civilized society is suffering.
Spare me your condescending speech. lol
It is so you to call me uneducated since I'm a Black/Hispanic/Woman. But of course how can you know that. " Those who think above others are truelly beneath humanity" see if you can find who said that?
My biggest fear with Romney is he will loot the treasury and sell off the peoples assets ..like his history has been with the company's he took over ...all the pension funds were taken and the people left with nothing
You got the quote wrong...
"White mans greed runs a world in need"
You do realize that the Republican mantra of "lower taxes" is driving this country to the poorhouse, right??? The Bush tax cuts cost us $3.8 trillion over 10 years, and Romney/Ryan's tax cuts will add trillions more to the deficit. And if you Republicans don't want to keep all of it, why do you keep advocate for large tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans???
Well, you have a very weird way of showing it. If you really wanted to help your fellow man, why are you cutting hundreds of billions of dollars from programs like food stamps, education, and Medicaid??? Don't you realize that programs like food stamps actually keep people out of poverty, allowing them to pay taxes?????
Well, we were spending responsibly before Bush destroyed our fiscal house and when the recession hit. And Ryan and Romney will increase fiscal irresponsibility, what with their expensive and useless tax cuts and defense increases. And we've already cut $2.2 trillion from the budget. Ever heard of compromise??? You know, where each side gives a little to reach a common goal?? And remember how the wealthiest Americans are paying less in taxes proportionately now than during the 1990s????
OBAMA BIDEN 2012
NO MORE TAX CUTS 2012
Sling away my Marxist friend. You are one and done.
Dr Al, like to throw names at people who don't agree with you? Maybe you should be addressed then as Dr. Nazi Lanning. Don't throw stones at people if you can't take em'. I sincerly doubt that Jody is your friend. After all Marxists hate Nazi's.
To: 60's veteran who wrote:
Hey 60's veteran, after spending time on this Web site, we who do not think like you, have learned from you. Please change the John Wayne picture, he was a true Republican. Congrats on being a veteran.
Concerned:
What makes you think 60's veteran is not a republican who is sick and tired of the name calling?
Wait a minute! Just saw entry #12 (below) - please ignore my comment (above).
Thank you 60's Veteran. You're right, I don't like Nazis and Dr Alfred is wrong, I am not a marxist--that old republican talking point has been thrown at liberals since the early 20th century. I just happen to think it is UNAMERICAN to hide millions/billions to avoid paying a fair share of taxes to the country that made it possible for them to earn their millions and billions. I also think it is an ungrateful person who was welcomed to this country, educated in this country to renounce citizenship out of the greedy need to avoid taxes.
Personally, I have no respect for Saverin or Romney (and those like him), not because I envy their wealth; I don't care how much money they have but I have no respect because I find both to be morally bankrupt.
Concern Citizen, guess what, that true republican John Wayne also told Ronald Reagan to stop repeating lies and exaggerating. The John Wayne GOP no longer exists; he certainly wouldn't recognize what passes for conservative thinking today and neither would Ronald Reagan.
I tell you it's soooo nice to have an extreme right wing capitalist like obama as president. We have a chance to save lots and lots in the space program now. It's because of elon musk's space x rocket. It's because of obama's pushing the free market and capitalism. Now it's into space. A few years ago it was in autos. Gm & chrysler were worthless but now are producing lots & lots of cars. It's the free market. Before that medical care. Finally, our medical costs will be aligned competitively with the rest of the world. Especially with china who has nearly zero cost for medical care.
Give em' HELL Barry, the one percenter Mutt Romney will be packing his bags in November to flee the political scene. Maybe he'll go to Switzerland and visit his money. The Republicans and Romney still don't get it, they haven't done a DAMN thing to help this country and the voters [regardless of those phony polls] will make the decision to go FORWARD with the Deomcrats & Obama, instead of reverse with the Republicans and Romney. Even the first letter in their names indicate their direction, R.
Hey... maybe he'll take Michele 'Swiss Miss" Bachmann with him!
Switzerland will sound pretty good after 4 more years of Obama!!
Better start packing right away then...
Feisty,
After her Swiss citizenship became public knowledge she renounced it.
At least that is what she says.
BTW, she barely made it on the state delegate list for the national convention. A Paul supporter conceded so her name would be included. She also was" way too busy "to even show up for the MN state GOP convention.
Actually, President Obama has a GREAT record and the facts back this up.
Borrowed From:
Charlie-1915998
“Facts Republicans Hate:
Also, there is a lot more, or pages more of the good accomplishments for our Nation that our President Obama has achieved.
Job1,
And where did you get that information? Charlie?????? Back them up with facts as you tell others.
Yeah, I heard that!
Damn, I was so looking forward to hearing Marus "yodle ay he ho"!
Concerned Citizen-
Uh, those are facts. It's kinda hard to back up facts with facts. All of the numbers are easily verifiable and don't require any specific links to find.
Check out any financial page for the Dow Jones number, GM profits, overall corporate profits, GDP, etc.; check out the Bureau of Labor Statistics website for the job numbers.
I think most major news sites covered the Iraq War and Osama Bin Laden thing......
It's all public record and easy to look up. Gosh, I love the facts.
Job1, TNSEVOL, don't forget that Concern Citizen is the conservative who a couple weeks ago asked posters to provide her with information she didn't have time to Google; she was too busy at work to use Google to look it up herself....never mind, she had time to post but no time to research on her own.
Jody, girlfriend, I happen to hold a real job and on my brakes like now I post what I feel. You and your court of elites are constantly writing and writing and insulting. Please forgive my laziness, it's just that I want to keep my JOB and pay my taxes for the 99%. Do you and Job1 have one?
Concern, you are not my girlfriend, you are a FR poster; in order to be a girlfriend, you must know me personally and I you, and that is not the case. It does so happen that I am personally acquainted with a good number of liberal posters whom I am friends with; we have met each other and that constitutes being a "friend". You demand others do your research for you claiming that you do not have time because you work yet taking time to post that you do not have time and asking others to do your research for you. You're the one who said that a couple weeks ago and you imply it here again. For someone who is too busy at work, it seems you spend a large amount of time on FR. Nothing wrong with that because many others do find the time to do their jobs and post on FR and I say that's great; but they also find the time to do their own research instead of asking others to do it for them. That was hardly an insult. An insult is calling Feisty, Beisty; an insult is calling someone a derogatory name, an insult is inflammatory and offensive language. My comment merely reminded others that you once again demanded they provide facts without ever bothering to look them up for yourself. That's just the truth. You might also recall that I spent a great deal of time a couple weeks ago answering and responding to your questions or things you said you didn't understand.
FYI, it just so happens that I am retired now having worked full time since I was 19 starting as a clerk, going to college at night, and working my way to management positions in a well-respected San Diego, CA, corporation. I paid taxes all those years, bought my own home, and continue to pay taxes now. I live a very pleasant life and enjoy politics. I also come here to annoy folks like you who are so quick to claim they have been insulted yet are equally quick to insult those with whom they disagree.
I also have a job.
Well Jody, you just proved my point. Retired, and an elites from the way that you just replied. One thing you are correct about is that I have become sarcastic after I have noticed how you folks treat anyone that does not have your idealism. I surely hope that I have made your day by showing me how superior you are to me.
Guess what, I have been working since I was 12, and I work for a New York Corporation, Im married, have two Boys now. One is Autistic and I did have a girl borned with a Heart disorder. Did choose not to abort and it was a blessing. You can say that I do know about Health Care.
My Husband and I have never asked the Government for a penny. Oh yes we own a house and do live a happy life. So why do we dislike each other? Could it be Ideologies?
Unlike you I do have to go back to work.
Busy week ahead.
Dr. Alfred Lanning banned, rereg of multiple accounter ren-755775.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming. I'm off to one of my may jobs! ;-)
"And where did you get that information? Charlie??????"
Do a little research.
DOW 8000 in Jan 2008 up to 12500 today
http://stockcharts.com/freecharts/historical/djia1900.html
Job losses per month in Jan. 2008 vs today
http://money.cnn.com/2009/02/06/news/economy/jobs_january/
Job gains last month
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/21/us-usa-economy-forecasts-idUSBRE84K05620120521
I've done 3 for you. Are you doubting Bin Laden is dead too??
Romney complains of character assassination by those that would discuss Bain Capital’s performance. Mitt Romney’s moral and ethical behavior, that is the definition of character, is of his own making. This is true for each of us. One’s campaigning for an elected office invites the delving into that character, but campaigning for President of the United States guarantees an unmatched level of scrutiny. Much of Romney’s private life, because of his father’s wealth, has been spent removed from public viewing. The same is true of his business life. He now wants the support of the voting public. They want to know what they are going to be getting.
What is known of Romney’s public life doesn’t exactly instill a person with confidence about his character. His flip-flopping on important issues is unparalleled and legendary. It is significant to note that his stated positions, without fail, pandered to the leanings of those being addressed gaining him political favor. This character flaw was self-inflicted demanding closer scrutiny. Romney’s own attempt to take credit for the US Auto industry bailout was a current event world-class lie. Once again it was of Romney’s own doing. Romney did the bullying, and his guilt-ridden classmates recall it in painful detail. It is Romney that can’t recall it. Romney put the dog on top of his car. It got sick and defecated. Romney took the dog down, washed his car off and did it to the dog again. Romney ran the most negative primary campaign in Republican election history. These things are all true and undisputed. They were all done by Romney himself. They are a part of his character and his own doing, but the only one who assassinated it was Mitt Romney. He would just have soon none of this had come into the light.
Romney the CEO of Bain Capital doesn’t want his business life scrutinized. Romney does not want his tax returns scrutinized. Romney doesn’t want his off-shore bank accounts scrutinized. He would rather we take his word that they reflect a good moral character. The problem for Mitt Romney; some of what is known of his Bain business dealings suggest that he would also list them as character assassinations. Just maybe Romney killed his character a long time ago.
"Romney complains of character assassination by those that would discuss Bain Capital’s performance."
Romney seems to forget about the character assassination he did on his Republican opponent in the primary. He's just another in the long line of Republican hypocrites acting like a victim.
Michael McManus, terrific comment.
Romney wants to be president yet doesn't want his experience scrutinized and refuses to release his tax returns. We hear the right demanding President Obama's grades from Harvard, well, why aren't they demanding Romney's grades from Harvard. Romney has yet to explain his plan for the country beyond generalities and attacks on President Obama's policies. As a voter, I want to hear Romney tell me specifics about his ideas; to list his goals beyond saying he will create jobs which is hypocrisy itself, since the GOP and Romney claim government can't create jobs while at the same time Romney and the GOP criticize President Obama for not creating enough jobs. We already know that tax cuts for the wealthy and for big business does NOT create jobs, it just creates wealth for those who already have it.
We can look at Obama's 2008 campaign and see a long list of goals, a clearly outlined vision for the future; many he has passed already and some remain stuck in a gridlocked Congress but we knew what his plans and his goals were. When will Mitt Romney really tell us what his vision is, what his plan is, what his goals are?
GOP stands for Gridlock On Purpose
The polls are tied on the economy. If unemployment and gasoline prices continue to go down, how long do you think the polls will remain tied?
It is interesting that the Wall Street Journal poll shows most Americans are smart enough to see through the Republicans attempts to place entire blame for the economy on President Obama. When asked who was responsible for the economic situation, the response was a convincing 49% to 34% in favor of George W. Those who love Mitt and his Magic Underpants are in for a rude awakening as 2012 rolls along and the economy continues to recover.
Once again Chuck, not a discouraging word for Mitt. Doesn't anyone else get the fact that Chuck Todd is a Romney tool? I am really surprised that people do not say that.
I would say you are having a overdose of bad tea Rob, rotten teabags can get you very sick !
Damage... Who gives a crap about Gitmo. Hardly a swing issue in anyone's mind. You bring up some stupid issue and ignore the real ones. If he had put a ton of energy in that issue you would've chastised him for not addressing the economy and jobs. Nice try, though...
Anyway, Romney will be taken school and beaten like a red headed step child. He is woefully not up to task to play with the big dogs. He needs to stay with loval politics and he struggled with that...
The best part is, he brings up an issue it's clear he doesn't know much about.
When Congress refuses to let Gitmo close, it's suddenly Obama's fault apparently.
Which party voted to prevent moving the detainees from GITMO to Illinois: Democrats 220-26, Republicans 9-160. Liberals love to say that Republicans voted to stop Obama from keeping his promise, but it was his own party!
Obama's "harsh" attack according to the disciples of False Equivalency at First Read:
Oh, mercy me! What a horrible thing to say about Romney, whose job in the private sector was, in fact, to make a lot of money for investors. But I'm sure in a Romney presidency, his job would still be about making a lot of money for investors -- the investors being the corporations and crackpot billionaires who bought his services with their mega-buck donations to Romney's campaign and super-PACs.
Yeah.. who paid for the Hypocrite-in-Chief's 50,000.00/plate dinners? Homeless people?
proudamericanveteranYeah..
To wingnuts like you "hypocrisy" is just another nasty name to call the president. You're obviously too stupid to actually comprehend the meaning of the word. And your imbecilic name-calling does not to counter the fact that Romney's only job in the private sector was to make a lot of money for investors.
If We Liberals Hated America We'd VOTE Republican!
If discussing a candidates work history is off limits why do we hear a constant whine from our friends on hte right about Obama's having been a community organizer? And while we're at it, could someone explain why having skill sets that enable ones ability to bring people of diverse backgrounds and ideology together to confront and resolve issues is a bad thing for a public servant. If anything, I would thing we could use a person that can see all sides and facilitate a strong unity of effort focused on a common goal.
So yeah, I think a comparison of the two candidates that includes their personal vocation to be both relavant and significant. And given a choice between an individual that focused on maximizing the human potential vs. the guy that focused on the profit potential I'll take the former every time.
campdog
Bingo. But the media not only uses false equivalencies to excuse extremist outrages by Republicans. The media also uses double standards. Romney's record should be a matter of public discussion has suddenly become an issue, but the media has never made a big deal out of Republican attacks on Obama's work history. The media gushed over Sarah Palin's snide remarks about "community organizers" in 2008, but suddenly they view with alarm attempts to call Romney to account.
obama talking about qualifications to be president? ROTFLMAO. After three years in the job obama still isn't qualified to be a postal worker let alone President.
Al this must be tough on Michelle. She has had to go two whole months without a lavish vacation.
President Obama has taken to attacking GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney over his tenure as CEO of Bain Capital and the private equity firms track record of job creation or lack thereof. The administration wants to paint these types of firms and Romney’s connections to them as being detrimental to the middle class of America.
There’s only one problem. The President’s very own party has no problem with taking political contributions from Bain Capital. In fact during the last three election cycles, Bain employees have given the Democratic party more than double what they gave to the GOP.
Democratic candidates and party committees have received $1.2 million from Bain, the vast majority of that money came from senior executives.
Republican candidates and party committees raised over $480,000 from those same executives during that same time period.
The President himself has received more than $80,000 from employees of the firm dating back to the beginning of 2007, including $27,500 during the first three quarters of 2011.
“[Democrats are] going to have a difficult time explaining why they’re padding their war chest with contributions from the same executives that they’re accusing of hurting jobs,” said Brian Walsh, a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
The donations were reported to the Federal Election Commission and culled in a database created by the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan group that tracks federal campaign spending.
Obama does not accept donations directly from lobbyists, but he does from Wall Street executives. , campaign finance records also show that Democrats collect more money from Wall Street than the GOP does.
just a little light reading for everyone to enjoy..happy Tuesday to all
Read the article, not just the headline, and you will see how inaccurate your entire post is. You spent the whole time countering an argument that President Obama never made!
Obama NEVER said anything negative about private equity firms, he just stated correctly that being a succesful venture capitalist does not qualify you for the presidency.
If you are going to argue with the point Obama made, your first step should be to understand what he said and not distort his statements.
he did say but you can not judge a man in claiming that the corporation he worked for forced people out of their jobs while taking money from the very same company
I am in no way attempting to distort what the President has stated, just making a simple statement that the very people who are chastising Mitt and Bain for what they did have no issue in taking their money which was obtained through the very actions that Mitt and the rest of bain did
VH Navy -
I did not read anything in Obama's statement that said he had an issue with what Romney did at Bain, or that those forms were detrimental to the middle class. Obama pointed out correctly that those actions are completely different from what a President has to do and do not qualify Romney to be President.
Romney points to Bain as proof that he knows how to create jobs, Obama is factually pointing out that that wasn't always the case and the job of a private equity firm is to create wealth for it's investors not create jobs.
If Bain executives are contributing to Obama's campaign, doesn't that say alot about Romney? Doesn't it tell you that his co-workers don't trust him? Doesn't it tell you that they know something about the man that you refuse to see?
How do you suppose Mitt views this back stabbing by the people he worked with and with whom he made millions.
This is much more a condemnation of Mitt than it is of Obama. But good try, and thanks for playing. Loser.
They play both side as ou well know.
When Hussein Zero "unloads," it is nothing more than a shadow of a "Mouse with a Microphone." Nothing magnified, Equals NOTHING! Start Packing Failure!
Please mark this date on your calendar: Jan 20, 2013, President Obama's 2nd Inauguration. It will be on TV for you to watch. Romney will be watching on TV too.
There you go again. Obama will be unemployed and homeless in January, he might have a tv tho.
Republican Dictionary
Liberal -- Anyone who disagrees with or says something bad about a republican
Reform -- Eliminate
Jobs Bill -- Tax cuts for the rich
Burdensome Regulation -- Anything that costs a company one cent or prevents them from making one cent even if making that one cent costs someone else a dollar
Lazy -- The people the GOP put out of work
Moocher -- People on medicaid because they don't get health insurance through work and private insurance costs more than they make
Hard Work - Sitting in an office counting the money you didn't pay the workers
Heavy Lifting.-- Pushing the "on" button on the machine and leaving
The Republican Philosophy:
-The rich have our best interests at heart; and the poor are out to ruin us.
-Bankers, Hedge-fund managers and CEOs do 'work'; union laborers, truck drivers, police officers and teachers don't.
-CEO salaries and benefits (worth millions) are shining examples of capitalism and a free-market at work; union workers’ benefits and pay are too high.
-Government has too much power in the workplace; but not enough in the doctor’s office. Government should also be able to listen to your conversations, track your library books, and know what goes on in your bedroom.
-You need a government-issued ID to vote; but not to buy a gun.
-Government should place restrictions on what a woman and her doctor decide; but no restrictions on who can buy guns, how many, or what kind.
-Welfare and food stamps are a major problem; tax evasion schemes are the American way.
-Freedom is worth fighting for; but people who disagree with me have too much.
-Regulations kill jobs; they don’t save lives or protect our natural resources.
May I propose an amendment? Freedom is worth SOMEONE ELSE fighting for!
TO: TNSEVOL who wrote:
Got got it all right, and not one Republican has come along to dispute it!
Obama/Biden 2012
Apparently all the lib mantra's do eventually become 'truth' to some people.
I'll just quote obumer himself:
'A year from now, I think people are going to see that we're starting to make some progress. If I don't have this done in three years, then there's going to be a one-term proposition.
Time's up.........................
It's about time POTUS came out swinging!!!!!!! I've been voting since 1972, and this pres. has done more to pull this country up by it's boot straps then any other POTUS to date!!!! Anyone with a reasonable mind knows this,,,,,It's no use trying to convince the trolls because they are just to far gone,,,,However, if this progress is to continue, we need to support our pres. by removing the ones standing in his way come this november,,,,,,
Vote a straight democatic ticket for all our sakes!!!
It's about time POTUS came out swinging!!!!!!! I've been voting since 1972, and this pres. has done more to pull this country up by it's boot straps then any other POTUS to date!!!! Anyone with a reasonable mind knows this,,,,,It's no use trying to convince the trolls because they are just to far gone,,,,However, if this progress is to continue, we need to support our pres. by removing the ones standing in his way come this november,,,,,,
Vote a straight democatic ticket for all our sakes!!!
You are obviously a friggin retard - straight up. I can't for the life of me figure out where your brain got the idea that the jackass in office has done more than any other president since your voting started in 1972.
Get a clue - Reagan was the best and he didn't take any sh|T. This "POTUS" apologies to another country, a terrorist based country, and makes us all look like subordinates.
And yet the repub party is fleeing from the Reagan legacy because it is now too liberal.
What progress are you talking about? The mounting debt? Now that's progress. Obama is a failure and stands in our way of becoming a great country again that we will be again once he goes back to what he does best, selling magazines in a unorganized community.
"What progress are you talking about?"
This progress --
Job losses per month in January 2008: 700,000
Job gains last month: 120,000
25 straight months of private sector gob growth
GDP growth in 2008: negative 6%
GDP growth last year 2.9%
Dow Jones Average in January 2008: Under 8000
Dow Jones Average today: 12,600+
Record domestic oil production
GM – all time record profits
Near record corporate profits across the board
Osama Bin Laden --- dead
Iraq war --- over
Ha Ha Ha... Keep drinking the kool aid. $5 trillion in debt, credit rating lowered, unemployment over 8%, 45 million Americans on food stamps, and the list goes on....
14 trillion in debt
Spent more money we don't have than all presidents combined.
Bin bama dead because of Bush policies. I 3rd grader would of gave the order to kill him.
Should of followed the lib rule book and gave him a fair trial.
More American's on food stamps than anytime in history.
Played more rounds of golf in 3.5 years than Bush did in 8. So much so, Michael Moore felt inclined to make a movie about it.
Where is Michael Moore now? Not a word.
All the 'green' failures.
Do Solyndra, EnerDel, Beacon Power Corp among others ring any kind of bell in your head? Billions in tax payers' money wasted paying big bonuses, laying off AMERICANS and closing their doors.
The list does go on and on....
Failure.
Failure.
Failure.
It's amazing what people will believe
You do realize that according to the Tax Policy Center, Obama's plans would decrease the deficit by $2 trillion. So I would assume that the debt would rise to $20 trillion by 2020 (using the $7 trillion assumption if the Bush tax cuts are extended), and maybe once we get reforms in taxes and entitlements the debt will go down. As for Romney, his plans would add $5 trillion to the deficit, making our debt roughly $25 trillion, which would be far above GDP assuming that the average annual growth rate is 3%. Essentially total debt (including inter-government debt) would be 119% of GDP under Romney in 2020, while total debt under Obama would be approximately 84%, according to my calculations based on the US debt clock. Probably false, but it gives you an idea of how each of these two candidates would take this country fiscally. So Romney's position that he will cut, cap, and balance the budget is faulty at best. Can't wait to see the debates about the deficit between the two candidates!!!
OBAMA BIDEN 2012
That would be PRESIDENT Obama and CANDIDATE Romney. Love 'em or hate 'em, Obama is still (and will always be) a President.
Romney will be president in January, obama will be a has-been, one and done and worst president ever like Carter.
worst president ever like Carter.
Mac -- we only have one "worst president ever" and his name is George W. Bush.
remember it was and his Republican Congress who brought us two unfunded wars, two unfunded tax cuts, a massive, unfunded, new entitlement, the largest expansion of government since LBJ, the largest increase in energy prices in any 8 year period in our history, along with a net loss of jobs over 8 years all while turning the largest surplus of all times into the largest deficit of all times and leaving office with the worst economy since the depressions.
If Bush was worst ever than what does that make obumer? That is laughable. The economy is worst it's been since the great depression and the debt is the largest in history in only 3.5 years. How many years does this fool need? 8, 10, maybe 20? Ya just can't keep blaming Bush for everything. Since Bush got us obumer then that means obumer is Bush's fault too. A lib can never take personal responsibility and never will. It's always someone elses fault. This is a obumer economy and it sucks.
this is funny @!$%#. You guys call GOP hypocrites?? That is like the pot calling the kettle black. It is ok to rip apart a GOP canidate, but talk bad about our super Prez we have, and we are racists!! That cracks me up!!
Just defending himself against attack dogs like Rubio. As we saw if Karl Rove his way we all lose.
you can spin it anyway you want, but it is what it is!!
Plsthnik90: the problem is, when the GOPers attack they use everything from race to sexual innuendo, to filthy language, to church attendance....even attack the First Lady. There is nothing the GOP will not stoop to, but, God Forbid, any mention Ms Romney? Then we would be having a War on Women, right?
Exactly right plsthink90. MSNBC carries Obama's kool aid/water. The fact that Fiesty Redhead always is on top of the comments just shows what a joke they are. They are just giving Lib's a place to bash anyone who opposes Obama. Fact is that both parties have screwed us. We have a deep recession and they all think its time to change everything about America they made us great.
like I said, keep spinning it. I think we know the real haters.