E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
WASHINGTON, DC -- Mitt Romney ended his silence in the face of Democratic attacks on his career at Bain Capital, moving Wednesday to counter attacks on his private sector record and describe how they qualify him to be president.
In interviews and campaign trail appearances on Wednesday, Romney sought to push back on the scrutiny, led by President Obama, that casts Romney's time as Bain as driven by little more than the pursuit of profit, sometimes at the expense of workers.
"My whole life has been learning to lead, from my parents, to my education, to the experience I had in the private sector, to helping run the Olympics, and then of course helping guide a state. Those experiences in totality have given me an understanding of how America works and how the economy works," Romney told TIME's Mark Halperin, when asked what specifically he learned at Bain that would help him create jobs. "Twenty-five years in business, including business with other nations, competing with companies across the world, has given me an understanding of what it is that makes America a good place to grow and add jobs, and why jobs leave America –- why businesses decide to locate here, and why they decide to locate somewhere else."
"I understand, for instance, how to read a balance sheet," Romney told Halperin, in a dig at President Obama. "I happen to believe that having been in the private sector for twenty five years gives me a perspective on how jobs are created – that someone who’s never spent a day in the private sector, like President Obama, simply doesn’t understand."
Obama on Bain: 'This is what this campaign is going to be about'
The pushback followed days in which Obama and his surrogates were left virtually uncontested by Romney to make their attacks on Bain, which Romney cofounded.
The president himself called Romney's experience a central issue to the campaign, arguing that a business that stresses maximizing profits is quite different from the presidency.
Those attacks are meant at taking Romney down a notch on one of his chief advantages over Obama. Fifty-nine percent of respondents in Wednesday's NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll said Romney's business background would be either a major or minor advantage in helping improve the country's economy; the same number said the same about how it would enable Romney to bridge the federal budget deficit.
Biden: Romney no more qualified to be president than a plumber
Vice President Biden pointedly made the point on Tuesday, when he told supporters in New Hampshire that Romney's time as a CEO no more qualified him to be president than a plumber.
Today, Romney said he welcomed the focus on his record at Bain, but said he would make the president's record in office an issue of equal import.
"What is it that he’s done as the president of the United States over the last four years?" Romney said in the TIME interview. "The American people are interested in, not so much in the history of where I was at Bain Capital, or that I have understanding of the private sector, but instead, has the President made things better for the American people?"
And top Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom told reporters today the campaign would continue to compare Romney's economic experience to Obama's lack thereof.
NBC/WSJ poll: Obama, Romney locked in tight contest
"We're happy to compare Gov. Romney's record of success, both at the statehouse in Massachusetts and as a businessman for 25 years in the private sector, to the lack of real world economy experience of President Obama," Fehrnstrom said, adding that the Romney campaign welcomed any focus on the economy, even if it came with some negative elements.
"At Bain Capital, during the period of time Mitt Romney was leading that company, Bain invested in approximately 100 companies. Many of them are big brand names that you are familiar with, like Staples and Sports Authority. And some of them were struggling and some of them could not be saved. That's the nature of our free enterprise system," Fehrnstrom said. "We like the fact that the discussion is centered on jobs and the economy and we intend to continue to talk about the plight of 23 million Americans today who are faced with either no employment or they're stuck in part time jobs when what they really want is full time work."
Until today, Romney's campaign has largely used others' words of support for Bain, and the private equity business generally, to hollow out Democratic attacks. As he opened his remarks on education before the Latino Coalition, Romney gave a nod to his odd Democrat bedfellows.
"President Obama has decided to attack success," Romney said. "It’s no wonder so many of his own supporters are calling on him to stop this war on job creators."
Leave a Comment:
Romney's leadership included fleeing to France rather than serving in our military.
Romney claims his parents taught him how to lead. I have no doubt his father taught the boy how to fix their Rambler, but the leadership lesson was incredibly ineffective. If anything, Papa Romney taught his son how to look down upon and bully those you feel are inferior, and how to make money and fatten the wallet regardless of what it costs others. He learned those lessons very well. Leadership? Really? I think not.
Ba-ZOW!
Although this nation sure doesn't love it's veterans as presidents.
That's sort of sad.
an 'understanding' of how it works coupled with a disdain for those who haven't bootstrapped 'Romney Style' is hardly a favorable mix in my estimation;
but hey, I'm quirky that a way.
Debbie, So what's your point, Clinton didn't serve, neither did Obama and neither did Joe Biden. Clinton went to Europe and demonstrated against the Vietnam War. Joe Biden received 5 student deferments. BTW, since when did joining the service become a requirement for leadership?
It's not, but it seems turnabout is fair play. The GOP has spouted that same line for years!
Their first obstacle in defeating Kerry was to figure out a way to discredit his combat record. They did it with some well paid liars. That says a lot about this party.
Not only did he hide out in the south of France in order to avoid Vietnam, he did so AFTER demonstrating in FAVOR of the draft. He knew he wouldn't have to serve, he was rich, people of his caste don't have to follow the same rules.
Google it.
Typical chickenhawk.
Yes, and how the right never let us forget it. Not so big of deal now, hypocrite.
The difference is that Clinton always opposed the war and went on record in a tough LIVE no holds barred interview with Ted Kopple and explained his views.
Bill Clinton stood on his record and his princples.
Romney...not so much!
I am glad Clinton protested the Vietnam war. In the end, who was for it? My father, a WWII combat veteran of the European theater, couldn't figure out why even discharged soldiers joined in on the protests. He came from a family that was Republican from the time the party started. One night in 1968 he floored me when he said, "I really don't know what we are doing in Vietnam? What do we hope to get out of it all?" He voted for Nixon's first term because he said he would get us out, and then voted against Nixon for his slow exit from Vietnam and for his carpet bombing of North Vietnam. He never voted Republican again. He was proud of his service in WWII, but from that point on was dead set against our nation going to war. He was the first registered Democrat in our family.
I am not happy with Romney's saber rattling. I do not want my kids to go to war in Iran or North Korea. That was one of the biggest reasons for voting against bush twice. No more chicken hawks!
Again, you really want this debate. So the candidate who claimed running an election organization was applicable experience for the Presidency, is now claiming that being a CEO is not relevant. Give me a break.
I'll buy the values argument, I may not agree with it but it can be argued. But to claim the experience of being CEO is not relevant does not pass the laugh test. And it's even more laughable when you compare it to Barack Obamas' thin resume of 2008.
You want to trot out all those legislative achievements again? The list that ran into the hundreds for a 2 year junior Senator. There was that bill with Richard Lugar, then there was the one......
Actually, the president has a very fine resume. Read his bio, and not on fox. Look to a reputable source for once! Cut the "community organizer" jazz. It doesn't work anymore.
I would love to watch Mitt take on Ted Kopple! Mitt doesn't have the guts.
and how did it work for George W. Bush?
That's all they got, Wayne. They know Romney's a loser and really hate the guy because he's pretending to be a conservative, when he's really a moderate (or a RINO as the teabags call them). But anything to get rid of that Muslim ni--er in the White House. Really despicable when you think about it.
One point missed in all this is that there is a difference in being a CEO of firm that trades in companies as opposed to being a CEO of a company that manufactures a product. In other words one who pushes paper (reading a balance sheet which any high school senior can do) as opposed to one who has a background in manufacturing operations. Which Romney does NOT! He is absolutely clueless about American Manufacturing.
We need more engineers, researchers, scientists, NOT more MBA's with special connections to the levers of power.
Those who design things, invent things and create things are limited in earning potential compared to those who handle the money. My grandfather worked for an arcitectural firm that brought all of the business to the company's door, yet he was paid a fraction of those who handled the money. My sister does the same thing, and the customers beat a path to their door for her skills, and guess who gets the money.
Romney made his money from the misfortune of others. He made his money by destroying, not building, and building is always a lot tougher, isn't it?
So what your saying Wayne is that Mitt Romney is nothing more than an overpriced pawnbroker. No insult to pawnbrokers intended.
Yes and Obama's military experience to the US includes killing the demented Osama bin Laden cowering in his 2 room 'prison'... give me a break!
And I have to chuckle at Obama's tepid attacks on Bain... when he bailed out GM a few years ago they closed several hundred dealerships so the company could survive! Isn't this exactly what Bain has done? More hypocrisy from Barry I think!
Wayne,
It's well documented that Obama held nothing more significant than being a community organizer. And that's straight from his own published resume (if that's what you call it...).
If Bain Capitol has an 80% success rate of the companies that it takes over, simple math says 20% of the take overs are failures...
Romney knows how to make money for himself and his buddies at the expense of many other hard working folks that are now out of work, lost their retirements and many lost their homes... 20% is a large number of unemployed...
Also as Governor, 47 in jobs is kind of way down at the bottom of the list... Out of 50 states...
Terry,
And so how does California wager with a Demcratic governor and legislature? I live in Ca., and all Brown is proposing is a tax hike, and promoting the hell out of a multi-billion dollar high speed rail line to nowhere... I'm quite certain that California is 50th out 50...
Simple math would tell you that if it wasn't for Bain pouring capital into already struggling companies, that number would be MUCH MUCH higher! You can go ahead and cite all the poor people that lost their jobs, but the reality is that they would have lost their jobs anyways due to the companies lack of performance. And gee..why don't you do a case study on the success of companies that Bain managed? Having an 80% success rate fares much better than Obama has been doing.
According to Romney, the only time government should help with education is if you serve in the military. Oh, and that doesn't apply to his sons, just your sons.
JK1963 -- Being a Community Organizer--along with studying constitutional law, etc. is much better preparation for public service compared to corporate raider. Come on! Romney hasn't read a history book since he was a lad. Why, "lad" is how they talked back then.
True,
That is the BIG difference between us. You would rather have someone who has just read books and not actually contributed anything and never worked a "real" job. Romney, has created jobs, much to the contrary of the liberal speak. The Democrats would rather look at the few failures but simply forgot (or ignore) the companies that prospoered under Bain Capital. That is a whole lot more important than someone who "thinks" he knows the answer.
Let's see, Willard doesn't want to talk about his time at Bain Capital, or about his record as Governor of MA.
Pet tips & haircutting are also off the table!
What does Willard want to talk about other then President Obama?
Man, if he can't get through a softball interview with the likes of Mark Halperin, he's in deep trouble!
Bring on the debates! lol
Willard will do to the country what he did to his blind teacher, run him right into a wall.
Right on Al!
Then he sits back & snickers about it... real funny stuff... eh?
Where has Romney said he doesn't want to talk about Bain or being Governor?
Sure, he understands that there are a lot of Americans, such as yourself, that don't have the intellectual capacity to understand anything more than slogans or what can fit on a bumper sticker ... such as Hope and Change, but most Americans get it and will understand.
No they aren't. Only libs lap that crap up.
Do you really think Americans are more concerned about some doggie on the roof 25 years ago or 5 trillion in new job killing debt?
What does Obama want to talk about ... the evil rich, dogs on the roof, haircuts and titty twisters, the Supremes, Congress, ATMs, tsnaumis, evil oil companies ... basically anything other than "President" Obama's record, huh?
What part did he not handle ... or did you not read the article because it was longer than a bumper sticker?
Obama loses 40% of the DEMOCRAT VOTE to "Uncommitted", a "felon in prison" and a no name Wolf in Clinton's state and you cheer ... "Bring on the debates! lol"
Yep lol ...
Willard used a lot of words saying nothing and still gave no indication of his policies other than blah, blah Obama, blah, blah
Chilled,
Funniest part is, they believe this is a winning strategy for winning over Indy's! lmao!
Looks like you didn't read the article, Bob. He says nothing and offers nothing except criticism on Obama. Now, to my way of thinking, I would be shouting from the highest mountain top on what I was aiming to do that will make it better. He offers to return to the Bush policies that put into this mess that we're trying to crawl out of. Why in god's creation do we want to go back there?
Deflection is a skill set for Willard, Feisty..
...but can we talk about cookie-gate or trees or lakes or 10K bets?
Taking "our" country back to the 1800! Tea anyone?
Many of them are big brand names that you are familiar with, like Staples and Sports Authority.
Oooooh. I'm so impressed. Mitt Romney invested Bain's money in an office product company and an athletic clothing department store. Ooooooh, just think what he'll do for America.
(that's sarcasm.)
BIG BOX STORES..With high paying retail jobs right Mitt? Selling goods mostly made in CHINA!
Come on Torpedo - everyone can raise a family of 4 on $8.50 an hour... right?
Some American dream...
Romney is an empty suit at best.
Bob - Mitt couldn't debate Bo - the Obama's dog - without having someone feed him info which he would invariably screw up. If this is the best the GOP has - blow up the party and start over! You should be mortified to say THIS is the best the GOP has to offer!
No sanity whatsoever in the GOP!
Cory Booker is not alone...
On MSNBC former venture capitalist Sen. Mark Warner D-Va. admitted Bain Capital was "very successful" & "did what they were supposed to do."
Dem former Governor Ed Rendell also dared the wrath of David Axelrod...
Obama is in trouble with his over-the-top Bain attacks.
You're right. Corey isn't...since the next day he came out full-force against Romney and opted into Obama's attacks on old Mitt.
Romney is a terrible, bad, greedy, lying, cheating and all around completely messed up person.
To have Romney elected President would be a bigger disaster to the United States than the Great Depression.
Yup, they sure did make a lot of money for Willard and the investors!..Money...Only for Willard and the investors while they destroyed the lives of the employees in those companies.
Guess that means that Willard and the investors will make even more money with Willard as CIC!
Yes, it did what it was supposed to do...
...MAKE MONEY!!!
That is the goal of all business...make money...but it is not the goal, however, to create jobs.
Well then Bob, maybe we will have to rely on what Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman and Rick Perry said about Willard and Bain.
Bob in VA -
Nice job with the cherry-picking, but you left out this part:
"Asked whether Bain “practiced good or bad ethics,” Warner said, “I think Bain Capital was a very successful business. I think they got a good return for their investors. That is what they were supposed to do.” Republicans quickly seized on the comment, blasting it out to their press list.
But Warner then elaborated on his point in a way that could undercut Romney’s campaign message.
“I think when you’re in public life, though, what you’ve got is a different time horizon,” Warner said. “The notion that everything in government is exactly the same way that it is in business, they’re different time horizons when you’ve got to invest for the long haul, when you’ve got to actually do the kind of early stage investing, whether in preschool, whether its in K-12, whether it’s in infrastructure that don’t pay back quarter to quarter.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/virginia-politics/post/mark-warner-bain-capital-both-a-successful-business-and-valid-topic-of-debate/2012/05/22/gIQAQ00AiU_blog.html
Who was some of the other leading democrats that said Obama should lay off the Bain crap:
Former Obama Economic Adviser Steve Rattner
Former Rep Harold Ford
Former Gov Ed Rendell
Senator Mark Warner (made a fortune as a venture capitalist)
Why don't the democrats talk about Romney's time as governor of Mass, maybe they can't find anything to talk about.
I would think an incumbent would want to run on his record instead of running against his opponent's private business practices. But then when you don't have a record, even after 3.5 yrs, you have to shoot from the hip or like we used to say throw sh!t against the wall and see if some of its sticks,or words to that effect.
Right sfcet! Romney gets a pass and the democrats allow him to define the issues. Democrats are free to disagree amongst themselves as opposed to republicans who march in goosestep with each other. I get it now.
Former Gov. John Sununu (R-N.H.), a top surrogate for Mitt Romney, said Romney's record at Bain Capital is fair game in the campaign,
Republican Texas Governor Rick Perry: “Now, I have no doubt Mitt Romney was worried about pink slips — whether he was going to have enough of them to hand out because his company, Bain Capital, of all the jobs that they killed”
Republican former House Speaker Newt Gingrich: “If Governor Romney would like to give back all the money he’s earned from bankrupting companies and laying off employees over his years, then I would be glad to then listen to him”
Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman told The Daily Caller that he believes attacking Mitt Romney for laying off workers as head of Bain Capital is fair game.
Massachusetts ranked 47th among the 50 states in job creation while Willard was governor.
Torpedo,
Or perhaps bribe and twist the arm of every Democrat to get them on board with Obamacare, right?
"Shake it up!" Just give it a little shake and the screen is blanked out and voila we can start over. Etch-A-Sketch it's a wonderful thing.
47th in job creation as a governor, millions in government aid for the Salt Lake City Olympics and a job cremator as a vulture capitalist. Now that success you can run on!
x
Job growth increased at a 1.3 percent rate during Romney's term, ranking Massachusetts 47th out of 50 states in that statistic during that time, in absolute terms.[18][35]
In relative terms, however, Massachusetts added 51,362 jobs during Romney's tenure, while its population grew by 26,500 residents during that same period.[36][37] Massachusetts therefore added two jobs for every resident gained.
The state's unemployment rate fell during the same period, from 5.6 to 4.7 percent !
Obama should be envious of that unemployment rate!
Feisty - Romney can't talk about those things. His speech writers haven't written those speeches yet. Stay tuned!.
The Bain question is just what Romney wants. It distracts from his plans, if elected, to install Paul Ryan's "budget" which increases deficits and beggars the underclasses irreparably. The future is what we should focus on, not the past. Care to speculate on our relationships with Europe, Russia, Iran if he can install the foreign affairs team from Bush's term that are now advising him in the campaign? Forget speak softly, it'll be just the BIG stick.
What politician wants to talk about things that are not complimentary to him? The good poliician is one who can stand the heat and stays in the kitchen and who cooks up the best he can in stirring his own pot while throwing food at his opponent but expecting food to be returned. It looks like Mr. Romney will have egg on his face or, better yet, get a pie in his face early in November. He wants to throw the food at his opponent (out back of the kitchen of course) and whines like a stuck pig when food is lobbed in his direction. What a hypocrit and coward Willard is.
Look in the mirror, Romney. It's greedy fu-ks like you that are the cause.
Mit forgets that President has run the Biggest Nation in the entire world, the USA! Now let's talk Mit. Learning to lead from my parents, to my education, my experience in business fits a lot of Americans backgrounds. A lot of Americans have an understanding of what it takes to create jobs in this country watching the Do Nothing Congress Push Against its citizens failing to build roads, bridges that are crumbling and did not pass inspection that would put people back to work, with the stroke of a vote and a pin, but that means putting the American people first.
Specifics, Specifics, Mit, he continues to talk broadly but can't five us specifics. Mit says he "lead" MA! He certainly did into "No Job Creation" with the worst record of any Governor other than those below him ranking number number 50.
Ok Mit, in GOvernment what was MA's Job creation record? After all that the closest skill-set to the potential Presidency
Mit, how about Health Care, excuse me "Romney Care?" can you exlan it to us and tell us how the people of MA are handlign it now and just how are they doing with Romney Care?
Mit, you have no foreign policy experience so we can only judge you by what you say in the Media, Russia is our worst enemy correct, my, my, that's frightening, please get up to date on foreign affairs, even ordinary americans knwo this is not true
Mit the Olympics how much money did the government and other investors make? Oh, but you and your group don't believe in Government Handouts
Mit how much did the Goverment oh excuse me Taxpayers invest in every Private Investment you made in those companies that went Bankrupt. Oh, but that's strange because you dont' believe in GOvernment Handouts
Mit, how much did you invest in those failing companies that went bankrupt, how much did you walk away with in dollars Millions when the companies went bankrupt?
What was the stability of those companies when you took them over?
How many employees lost their jobs, pensions, health care
How much of the Government's investment did they recieve for their Return On Investment?
How many millions of dollard did our government get stuck with including their initial investment in thos bankrupt companies,
How many millions in pensions did our Taxpayers get struck with for those employees who lost their jobs and retirement?
Mit, exactly how many years had these employees been working for those bankrupt companies, how many years in pension had they earned when you came to town?
Finally Mitt exactly how much did those employees loose in pension benefits when you left their companies in bankruptcy?
Mit wer are told those employees who lost their jobs some after as much as 30 years received 2 cent on the dollar for their pension, and that pension was paid for by us the American Taxpayers correct?
Last, Mitt why didn't you and your investors take some of those millions and protect those families you put out in the streets some 60 years old who worked for these companies for 30 years
Mit any regrets?
Oh are we sooooo happy to see another moniker from the bowwows on here. I thought there was no such thing as a stupid question, but you disprove that old saying many times over. Your questions show your sheer ignorance about business just like the rest of the LWNDogs on here.
Nice Post sandielove...Sadly we'll never see anyone on FOX much less MSNBC ask Mr. Romney those questions...Comon Chuck and the rest of the first read gang how bout it!
Chucky isn't using that unique access he brags about... that's for sure!
Really Ben(with lotsa meaningless numbers just like his posts)....I run a very successful operation that services the Aerospace, Medical device, automotive, electronics and pharmaceutical manufacturing. I have over a million dollars worth of capital equipment in my lab..And Pray tell..what is your background? Paper pushing like Spanky? Know how to read a balance sheet? Do you know the difference between a caliper and a micrometer. Do you know what ISO 9001:2008 is?
I thought not..Just another RWNJ!
TorpedoYou - you mean Ben ISN'T Spanky?????
The only person ignorant about business issues on this site appears to be Ben. Is that surprising anyone?
Willard, show your Tax Returns...or do you keep them with your money, off shore?
What is he afraid of?
eye2eye - could we just keep Mitts offshore?
@ SeekingSanity,
I like that idea, didn't Willard say something about the Moon?
So Mitt, what is the big secret - what did you learn? I can answer that - get my accountants together to make a business plan that makes me the most profit without regard to patriotism, the community or the workers. The mini-mill steel industry as it developed in the '80's is a good example. A new technology was developed that could cheaply and efficiently convert scrap steel. There were tons of cheap scrap steel available after a century of producing steel products in this country. Investors saw the opportunity to by pass the old integrated steel mills. They didn't need the large expanses of land, access to water and rail transportation, or access to large stocks of coal. Able to plan from the ground floor up, they also saw that they could locate in rural counties with cheaper (and non-union labor traditions) and avoid the EPA clean air regs of the older industrial corridors. In the end, the owners made huge profits and captured a large segment of the industry (until scrap metal prices rose). The workers have done OK, but there are now far fewer steel workers. Oh, and I forget, the mini-mills also shopped for the best tax incentives before locating their plants. It's a great model. But how does that apply nationally without "crony capitalism?" And how do we avoid simply cannibalizing old towns and higher wage labor forces? It's interesting that the owners of these mini-mills are both rabid right to work advocates and rabid Romney donors.
Romney showed his leadership skills from the very first at Bain. When asked to start the new venture, he had so much faith in himself that he negotiated a deal that provided for him to return to the parent company (with raises from his prior salary) in the event that Bain failed.
.
Any objective analysis of the state of affairs indicates that the USA has improved since Bush left office. So yes Mitt, things have become better since Obama took office.
As for your leadership.....you are a Bully. You misrepresent the facts and lie or play ignorant when you are confronted with your own documented words and performance record.
@ Steeler Fan,
Mittens is afraid of the truth, hide everything, show nothing.
When Barack Obama was inaugurated, Republicans announced their intention to make him fail. Now they brag that they have succeeded, Obama has failed, and the economy they fought so hard to make fail under Obama is also in deep trouble. They have yet to admit that their MISSION ACCOMPLISHED banner under which they dance, is a farce emblazoned on their ship, the Titanic. The captain will be in charge for four more years, come Hell, high water, or Republican obstruction, and is safely on the bridge of the ship of state.
The voters had better make sure to remove all the lifeboats from Titanic and escape their doom. Let's all go fishing together and enjoy the rescue.
Geeeeeeeezzzzzzzz, you REALLY have an AFFINITY for the Koolaid tonite? Is it spiked!
Romney batted .780 at Bains making it one of the most successful Private Equity Firms in history. Such an impressive record for anyone; it is unbelievable that team obama believe that they can score points against Romney with Bain. How desperate are they? LOL
I think that Dr. Adrian Rogers said it best... quote.. "YOU CANNOT LEGISLATE THE POOR INTO FREEDOM BY LEGISLATING THE RICH OUT OF FREEDOM. WHAT ONE PERSON RECEIVES WITHOUT WORKING FOR, ANOTHER PERSON MUST WORK FOR WITHOUT RECEIVING. THE GOVERNMENT CANNOT GIVE TO ANYBODY ANYTHING THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT FIRST TAKE FROM SOMEBODY ELSE. WHEN HALF OF THE PEOPLE GET THE IDEA THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE TO WORK BECAUSE THE OTHER HALF IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THEM, AND WHEN THE OTHER HALF GETS THE IDEA THAT IT DOES NO GOOD TO WORK BECAUSE SOMEBODY ELSE IS GOING TO GET WHAT THEY WORK FOR, THAT MY DEAR FRIEND IS ABOUT THE END OF ANY NATION. YOU CANNOT MULTIPLY THE WEALTH BY DIVIDING IT." end quote.. Can one of you please enlighten me as to how many poor people employ others to enable them to become wealthier than their employer? Everyone cannot be wealthy or there would be no laborers and laborers in a good trade can make their wealth.. have you hired a plumber lately? The problem seems to be that regardless of the amount of income a "poor person" makes that they do not have the knowledge, probably through no fault of their own, to save and invest their incomes to multiply their wealth. Some are fortunate enough to learn how to grow their wealth while others squander their new-found incomes. i.e. how many lottery winners retain and multiply their winnings or how many athletes and movie stars with fantastic incomes end up bankrupt? We are sadly becoming a welfare nation and the work ethics have changed from "I can only expect a return on the effort I am willing to put forth as no one owes me a living" to "the government owes me a living or, as I have been told several times... I didn't ask to be born" It is time for we Americans to wake up before the government controls us as the are progressively doing. If you want to live in a socialist country or a communist country where the wealth is divided (in theory only) then there are plenty of countries that can accommodate your desires. As for me, I was born to a poor family, worked jobs and hours that most young people will not even consider now, and nope I am not rich I only live comfortably and only on the money that I have made over my lifetime without any handouts. And yep, I had to learn money management on my own as my folks were just post depression laborers. Wouldn't it be great if money management was taught in our high schools so we could learn at an early age how to handle our finances and achieve for ourselves what we are now being told to envy of others who have acquired wealth? Don't envy success, apply yourself to become successful, anything worth having is worth working for if you really want it, and yes it requires a lot of sacrifices but isn't the end result worth it? As to who should be president... it is my opinion that the last 3.5 years should show us what the next 4 years will be like if Obama is reelected. Never before has a president blamed everyone but himself for our problems especially so far into his own administration. And how are we regarded by other nations now? Would Russia or China or even the smaller countries such as Iran dared to rattle their swords at us and laugh at our sanctions that are supposed to bring them to their knees? We need someone to lead, not to bow to other nations and not to try to put our economy on the same playing field as other countries, who by the way are headed towards the same disasters as Greece unless they can get their acts together. Will Romney be the best president... maybe not, he is not a Reagan or an Eisenhower... but of the two we know what we have lived through since 2008 so at least Romney gives us a chance to do better. It is time to quit attacking success... why doesn't anyone criticize Steve Jobs and Apple since none of your cherished ipads are manufactured here and they are now paying the Chinese in their own currency rather than our dollars.. oh and incidentally they are holding billions offshore as is G.E.to avoid U.S. taxes so where is our outrage over them? I think we are in the midst of a wake up call for our continued freedom which concerns me more for my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren since I am older than dirt and have limited years left to enjoy what was once the strongest and greatest nation on earth.
well said, G Hill.
and you fools beleive this? LOL!