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Justin Sullivan / Getty Images file
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney talks with senior adviser Beth Myers aboard his campaign plane before taking off Aug. 2 in Centennial, Colo.
WASHINGTON & JANESVILLE, Wisc. -- Mitt Romney's months-long vice presidential selection process came to a close one week ago in a dining room in suburban Massachusetts, where Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, dressed casually to avoid detection during commercial flights, told Romney he would accept the GOP candidate's offer to join the ticket.
For the Romney campaign, Ryan's meeting with Romney, in the dining room of chief vetter Beth Myers last Sunday, was the result of a process that began in April, and wound through several secrecy-cloaked months without major leaks before culminating in Saturday's rollout in Virginia.
Even the rollout was an example of both a flawlessly executed bit of secrecy and stagecraft and improvisation when events did not go as the campaign planned. Myers told reporters the Romney campaign originally planned to announce the pick Friday in New Hampshire, but with Ryan attending a memorial service for the victims of a shooting at a Sikh temple in his district, the plans were changed to Saturday.
All of this information was a closely guarded secret until Saturday night, when Myers, in charge of VP vetting, offered reporters a glimpse inside the process.
The Romney campaign kept its running mate a secret until Saturday morning, a strategy that yielded big fundraising dollars. NBC's Pete Alexander reports.
The vet
“I had one directive: The candidates must be qualified to take office on day one,” Myers said of her appointment to head the VP search on April 16. “Around May 1 we created a short list.”
Throughout the process, Myers said, one thing was clear: "This was Mitt’s decision.”
Myers chose not to disclose a full list of who was considered for the No. 2 spot, but many of the names have leaked out: former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio were vetted, as were Ohio Sen. Rob Portman and Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. Portman and McDonnell received calls Friday night to inform them they were not the pick.
Myers told reporters she established a system, approved by Romney, to quietly vet candidates after asking if they were interested in the job. A team of lawyers worked with Myers in a secure room of the campaign's Boston headquarters. No copies were made of any documents, and everything was locked in a safe when the team left at night. No documents were allowed out of the room.
Romney tries to define Ryan before Democrats do
Included in the data collected by Myers and her team: congressional voting records, an exhaustive questionnaire and "several years" of tax returns -- she did not say how many. Romney has come under fire from Democrats and many in the media for his refusal to release more than two years of returns, despite reports he released several times that amount when he himself was vetted as a possible ticket-mate for John McCain in 2008.
Throughout May and June, Myers and her team pored over data, presenting information to Romney, who discussed his thinking with a small group of advisers, including the campaign manager, senior strategists and close aides. When the Romney campaign convened a retreat for top donors with major GOP figures in Utah in mid-June, Myers met with several contenders to clear up lingering issues and ask follow-up questions.
“He [Romney] talked with a lot of people,” Myers said, adding that she felt it was important to keep her own opinion to herself. “I did not share my thoughts on who I thought it should be”
The vetting of Ryan – or at least when he began to know about it -- lasted nearly six weeks. Just days before the June 5 gubernatorial recall election in the Badger State, the congressman’s staff started compiling hundreds of pages of documents to submit to the Romney campaign, such as public statements and op-ed pieces.
Ryan never let on publicly whether he was being vetted or not throughout the summer months. He always dismissed questions surrounding his VP possibilities. That, sources say, played into Ryan’s strategy: keep expectations of VP possibilities incredibly low and just be a team player.
On July 2, the day she was famously photographed in Wolfeboro, N.H., meeting with Romney on his back porch, Myers presented her boss with completed dossiers on the final candidates for him to absorb.
On Aug. 1, when Romney returned from his week-long foreign trip, he was ready to make a decision. He met with Myers in her office in Boston and placed a call to Ryan. Could they meet in person for a discussion?
The offer
By August, reporters had begun to whittle down the short list of possible candidates and to keep a close eye on the top contenders. Despite this, on Aug. 5, Ryan quietly slipped out of his home and, dressed casually and wearing a hat and sunglasses to obscure his appearance, drove to Chicago, where he boarded a flight to Hartford, Conn.
There, an unlikely emissary was waiting for him in a rented car: Myers’ 19-year-old son, Curt, who picked Ryan up and drove him from Hartford to Brookline, Mass., and his mother’s dining room, where Romney was waiting, having been driven down from Wolfeboro that morning by Secret Service agents.
Obama gets his target with pick of Ryan
Romney described the meeting to reporters traveling aboard his plane Saturday night.
"We talked about the campaign and how it would be run and talked about how we’d work together if we get the White House," Romney said. "What the relationship would be, how we’d interact and be involved in important decisions. But we talked about our families, what this meant for them, what kind of challenge it meant -- those are the topics we discussed.”
Ryan also met with a handful of top Romney staffers, and when Romney officially extended the offer to join the ticket, the seven-term congressman was thrilled, if not surprised.
"By the time we met in person I kind of knew it was going to happen, and I was very humbled," Ryan told reporters Saturday. "It was the biggest honor I’ve ever been given in my life.... I Love this country dearly, and I feel we have an opportunity to fix things once and for all."
When the shooting happened Sunday at the Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisc., Ryan handled the fallout from Massachusetts, never telling his staff exactly where he was. If it wasn’t for the unforeseen tragedy that took place in Wisconsin’s 1st District that day, Ryan’s staff likely never would have known their boss was out of state at all. He flew back that night, undetected.
The House Budget Committee chairman kept his schedule intact for the entire week leading up to the announcement including spending three days filming commercials for his congressional re-election campaign. Ryan never let out his secret to his campaign staffers, who were working 12-hour days with him on the ads. They will begin airing next month in his district – in Wisconsin, you can appear on the ballot as both a vice presidential candidate and running for a congressional seat.
Ryan spent the middle of the week traveling in northwest Wisconsin stumping for local candidates – all along knowing his life was about to change. But these long car rides gave him plenty of private time to speak with his longtime friend and chief of staff about his new role.
Escape from Wisconsin
Keeping the Romney/Ryan pairing a secret for the next week proved to be an Olympian challenge. A boomlet of support for the Ryan candidacy drew increased scrutiny, and reporters such as NBC's Alex Moe were staking out Ryan's home, chatting with the candidate and his family and keeping tabs on their movement, lest they slip away again undetected.
Myers said she thought Moe might be close to solving the mystery.
“She did a great job,” Myers said of Moe, whom Ryan likened to a family member in a recent interview. “We knew we had to be very diligent in throwing her off the scent.”
And diligent they were, moving Ryan's family undetected while he was attending the Friday memorial service. Ryan told reporters earlier in the week his family was planning a trip to Colorado, departing on Saturday, so packing seemed unremarkable.
Early Friday morning, the congressman’s trusted chief of staff, Andy Speth, arrived in his red pickup to take Ryan to the memorial service, with reporters in tow.
Ryan returned home in the early afternoon and went inside through the back as he was locked out of his side door, telling reporters who stood watching on the sidewalk he must have forgotten his keys. That would be the last time anyone saw the congressman in Janesville, because sometime after 3 p.m., he exited his home into the back yard (where reporters couldn’t see) and went into the woods.
"I grew up in those woods. The house I grew up in backs up to the house I live in, so I know those woods like the back of my hand. So it wasn’t too hard to walk through them. So I just went out my back door, went through the gully in the woods I grew up playing in. I walked past the tree that has my own tree fort I built back there," Ryan said.
Escaping via the woods isn’t something new for Ryan, either. It is a tactic the congressman has been forced to use before due to protesters in front of his house. Ryan is used to cutting through the bushes.
Waiting a couple of hundred yards on the other side: Speth, who took Ryan and his family to an airport in neighboring Illinois, where a private plane would whisk them to Virginia.
Back at the house, Ryan's sister-in-law, intentionally left behind, turned out the lights just as news was beginning to leak that Romney would announce his pick Saturday, turning the eyes of the world on the town of Janesville.
When Moe knocked on the congressman's door that night, after NBC News confirmed he would be the vice presidential nominee, no one answered. Ryan was already hundreds of miles away.
The rollout
While Ryan was on his way to meet once again with the man at the top of the ticket, Romney was busy on the phones, informing other candidates from the short list that they had not been chosen. Portman and McDonnell received calls that night and may not have been the only ones. Romney had already called Pawlenty, a tireless advocate for the nominee and a staff favorite, on Monday.
When the Ryans landed in Elizabeth City, N.C., an hour south of Norfolk, they were whisked away to a Fairfield Inn hotel -- again, by Myers' son Curt -- and met by a handful of top Romney aides. The family ate takeout from Applebee’s with Myers, and worked on speech prep. Then, Myers said, as the campaign sent out an advisory telling the world that Romney would announce his choice the next morning, Myers turned off her phone.
Ryan placed a phone call to his mother around midnight to let her know he was in fact being tapped as Romney’s right-hand man. He called his siblings the next morning just hours before he gave the biggest speech of his life.
Ryan and his family loaded into two cars for Norfolk first thing Saturday and were driven to the USS Wisconsin, the site of the announcement. The rest is history.
Leave a Comment:
Hopefully, a shark will get both of them
By picking Ryan, Romney doomed his own campaign. When seniors on SS and Medicare realize Ryan's plan for those programs they'll flee from the GOP. With a 12% approval rating Congress isn't trusted now, let along with a Romney/Ryan unholy alliance in office.
Nice try, but it's Obamacare that cuts Medicare by 700 billion. This story is old and false.
Stephanie Cutter is lying on television rt now.
cut waste from the gov't rt
mitt and people of like only pay1% tax
more b/s from the left
vote
Who cares - don't know what his strategy is but he better get one fasy -he's on his way to get blown out
Ryan is on record as wanting to privatize social security and medicare. More of the rich getting richer, and you and I footing the bill. Vote Obama and the democrats; get the teabagger-repubs OUT!
Back to basics. Where are lyin Willardo's tax returns.
Even totally braindead repuke fruitcakes have to admit that lyin Willardo would be suing Reid if the allegations were not true and showing his tax returns to prove it. He can't, because it is true. Reid really wants the lyin' Mexican Mormon Moron to sue him, so he will have to open up his tax records to the public. Brilliant move. Then off to jail for lyin Willardo. Hopefully, they will send this tax evading criminal back to jail in his birthplace in Tijuana. We don't want to pay for his jail expense here.
Jim Keatingvia
Back to basics. Where are lyin Willardo's tax returns.
Even totally braindead repuke fruitcakes have to admit that lyin Willardo would be suing Reid if the allegations were not true and showing his tax returns to prove it.
---------------------
This is very true. Why hasn't Mittens sued Harry Reid about this accusation? It would fit under the title of slander and libel..unless it is TRUE. Those on the right prattling on about Harry Reid lying about his source should ask the bigger question as to why Mitten's campaign has not sued Harry. BECAUSE CHANCES ARE, WHAT HARRY REID HAS UNCOVERED IS TRUE.
It is too bad that Harold Camping did not succeed in taking away the base of the repuke dunce party.
Harold Camping, the evangelical king, got 500,000 of these pathetic radical right wing braindead evangelical Children of the Corn zombies to give up all of their worldly possessions to go meet and stay with the man in the sky. They are so easily brainwashed.
Camping, considered the evangelical king by many because of his 50 year history of bible study, promised to take away these right wing bible nuts on the last Rapture Day on Oct 21, 2011. All of his calculations were based on "biblical facts" When it did not work, he then realized that the bible in most part is "pulp fiction".
Yet these braindead fools continue to believe that there are men and boys with wings on flying around blowing horns.
The only thing to do to cure these zombies is to send them all back to the Garden of Eden on Noah's Ark to start over again, unless of course, they fall off the end of the flat earth.
These braindead idiots would still be believing in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy, if their parents did not tell them otherwise. It is unfortunate that they don't believe their leaders, when they tell them how worthless repuke lyin Willardo, the Mexican Mormon Moron tax evader, bankrupter, draft dodger, job outsourcer and Etch A Sketch Champion is.
Many of them still believe that the earth is flat and that dinosaurs never existed. It is all a liberal conspiracy.
you just have to ask yourself what this administration has done last 4 years?higher gas prices,higher unemployment,value of dollar shrinking,lower home prices,higher taxes courtesy of health care law...........you want more?what is going to happen when this country runs out of money?look at europe.we are headed in that direction at full speed fueled by socialistic programs.wake up and vote this liar out of office...........he hasn't a clue on what to do .......except blaming all his failures on someone else..
The only reason people open overseas numbered bank accounts is to evade taxes on unreported income. It is estmated by some, that lyin Willardo, the Mexican Mormon Moron tax evader, bankrupter, draft dodger, job outsourcer and Etch a Sketch champion has hidden about 32 million in numbered accounts in the Cayman Islands and Switzerland. Unnamed workers at these banks sent this info to the IRS.
Hopefully, they will arrest this right wing criminal tax evader before the election.
This is why he won't release the last 5 years of his tax returns.
I wonder if that is where he keeps his Mexican birth certficate also
When the right wing radical cracked teanuts who got elected to congress to lower taxes and cut spending got in, the first two bills they tried to pass were to get more restrictions on abortion and have fairy tale Creationism taught in public schools. The congress had a 39% approval rating before they got in, now these repuke obstructionist dunces have led to the congress having a 14% approval rating, the worst in history.
Hopefully, the right wing dopes will wake up and vote out these criminals.
Since Romney is a Blasphemer of my Lord and Saviour Jesus ..
He could never get my vote for even dog catcher, let alone President! Most republican christians are really dumb!!!
They'd vote with the pharisees of Jesus' day to crucify HIM, the sinless Son of God!
He is eligible for salvation via Jesus, but since the Morman Jesus is really Satan (an angel of light) I don't think that Romney will ever be commended for anything in God's kingdom ..
Imagine creating your own god to worship and using the Son of God's NAME to do it ..ARROGANCE! PRIDE!
If you really feel that way about the LDS Church, you shouldn't be repeating Harry Reid's dog catcher comment. Harry is also LDS.
You can see in her eyes she is a liar, but oh how convincing of a prevaricator.
she is hot though, in a liberal sort of way thong or panties ? my guess thong
vote
Even lyin Willardo's father knew what he would be like when he grew up So he gave him his first name "Willardo" after the large movie rat. He gave him his middle name after an old baseball glove that they found in the family outhouse that was full of shxt. They shortened lyin Willardo's first name to Willard and their last name from Robberos to Romney when they smuggled little lyin Willardo over here from his birthplace in Tijuana.
He is now known by most people as Mitt Robme.
Obama's Accomplishments:
He Returned The Executive Branch
To Fiscal Responsibility After the Bush Debacle
1. Within his first week, he
signed an Executive Order ordering an audit of government contracts, and
combating waste and abuse. http://1.usa.gov/dUvbu5
2. Created the post of Chief
Performance Officer, whose job it is to make operations more efficient to save
the federal government money. http://n.pr/hcgBn1
3. On his first full day, he
froze White House salaries. http://on.msnbc.com/ewJUIx
4. He appointed the first Federal
Chief Information Officer to oversee federal IT spending. http://www.cio.gov
5. He committed to phasing out
unnecessary and outdated weapons systems. To that end, he also signed the
Democratic-sponsored Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act, which attempted to
put a stop to waste, fraud and abuse in the defense procurement and contracting
system. http://bit.ly/hOw1t1http://bit.ly/fz8GAd
6. Through an executive order, he
created the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. http://bit.ly/hwKhKa
He Improved the Economy,
Preventing a Bush Depression.
7. Pushed through and signed the
Democratic-sponsored American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, otherwise known as
“the stimulus package.” The bill passed, even though only three Republicans
voted for it. In a major departure from the previous administration, he
launched recovery.gov, a website that allows taxpayers to track spending from
the Act. http://1.usa.gov/ibiFSshttp://1.usa.gov/e3BJMk
8. The Bush-led Great Recession
was costing the economy nearly 800,000 jobs per month by the time President
Obama took office. But by the end of his first year, the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act created and sustained 2.1 million jobs and stimulated the
economy by 3.5%. http://reut.rs/i46CEE
9. Not only did he complete the
massive TARP financial and banking rescue plan, he also leaned on the banks and
others, and recovered virtually all of the bail-out money. http://1.usa.gov/eA5jVShttp://bit.ly/eCNrD6
10. He created the Making Home
Affordable home refinancing plan. http://1.usa.gov/goy6zl
11. Oversaw the creation of more
jobs in 2010 alone than Bush did in eight years. http://bit.ly/hrrnjY
12. Along with Democrats, and
almost no Republicans, implemented an auto industry rescue plan, and saved as
many as 1 million jobs. http://bit.ly/ibhpxr Many
are of the opinion that he saved the entire auto industry, and even the economy
of the entire Midwest. http://bit.ly/gj7mt5 This
resulted in GM returning to its place as the top car company in the world. http://lat.ms/zIJuQx Willard Romney, on the
other hand, advocated for the entire industry to go belly-up. http://nyti.ms/k0zp
13. Doubled funding for the
Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which is designed to improve manufacturing
efficiency. http://bit.ly/eYD4nf
14. Signed the
Democratic-sponsored Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act giving the federal
government more tools to investigate and prosecute fraud in every corner of the
financial system, and create a bipartisan Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission
to investigate the financial fraud that led to the economic meltdown. http://abcn.ws/g18Fe7
15. Signed the
Democratic-sponsored Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure
(CARD) Act, which was designed to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive
credit card practices. http://1.usa.gov/gIaNcS
16. Increased infrastructure
spending after years of neglect. http://bit.ly/f77aOw
17. Signed the
Democratic-sponsored and passed Helping Families Save Their Homes Act,
expanding on the Making Home Affordable Program to help millions of Americans
avoid preventable foreclosures. The bill also provided $2.2 billion to help
combat homelessness, and to stabilize the housing market. http://bit.ly/eEpLFn
18. Through the Worker,
Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, he and Congressional
Democrats provided tax credits to first-time home buyers, which helped the U.S.
housing market recovery. http://bit.ly/dZgXXwhttp://bit.ly/gORYfL
19. Initiated a $15 billion plan
designed to encourage increased lending to small businesses.
http://1.usa.gov/eu0u0b
20. Created business.gov, which
allows for online collaboration between small businesses and experts re
managing a business. (The program has since merged with SBA.gov.) http://www.business.gov
21. Played a lead role in getting
the G-20 Summit to commit to a $1.1 trillion deal to combat the global
financial crisis. http://nyti.ms/gHlgp5
22. Took steps to improve
minority access to capital. http://bit.ly/f9xVE7
23. Signed an Executive Order
instructing federal agencies to review all federal regulations and remove any
unnecessary and/or burdensome regulations from the books. http://1.usa.gov/Lpo5bd
24. Through the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act, saved at least 300,000 education jobs, such as teachers,
principals, librarians, and counselors that would have otherwise been lost. http://1.usa.gov/ez30Dc
25. Dismantled the Minerals
Management Service, thereby cutting ties between energy companies and the
government. http://nyti.ms/bw1MLu
26. Along with Congressional
Democrats, provided funding to states and the Department of Homeland Security
to save thousands of police and firefighter jobs from being cut during the
recession. http://bit.ly/g0IKWR
27. Used recovered TARP money to
fund programs at local housing finance agencies in California, Florida, Nevada,
Arizona and Michigan. http://on.msnbc.com/i1i8eV
28. Crafted an Executive order
establishing the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability to assist
in financial education for all Americans. http://bit.ly/eyqsNE
He Fostered Greater Transparency
and Better Government, After the Excesses of the Bush Years
29. Signed an order banning gifts
from lobbyists to anyone in the Executive Branch. http://bit.ly/fsBACN
30. Signed an order banning
anyone from working in an agency they had lobbied in previous years, and put
strict limits on lobbyists’ access to the White House. http://nyti.ms/gOrznV
31. Held the first-ever first online
town hall from the White House, and took questions from the public. http://bit.ly/gVNSgX
32. Became the first to stream
every White House event, live. http://1.usa.gov/kAgOP5
33. Established a central portal
for Americans to find service opportunities. http://www.serve.gov
34. Provided the first voluntary
disclosure of the White House Visitors Log in history. http://1.usa.gov/hQ7ttV
35. Issued an Executive Order on
Presidential Records, which restored the 30-day time frame for former
presidents to review records, and eliminated the right for the vice president
or family members of former presidents to do the reviews. Provides the public
with greater access to historic White House documents, and severely curtails
the ability to use executive privilege to shield them. http://1.usa.gov/gUetLb
36. Improved aspects of the
Freedom of Information Act, and issued new guidelines to make FOIA more open
and transparent when processing FOIA requests. http://1.usa.gov/gjrnp2
Wall Street Reforms and Consumer
Protection
37. Ordered 65 executives who
took bailout money to cut their own pay until they paid back all bailout money.
http://huff.to/eAi9Qq
38. Along with Congressional
Democrats, pushed through and got passed Dodd-Frank, one of the largest and
most comprehensive Wall Street reforms since the Great Depression. http://bit.ly/hWCPg0http://bit.ly/geHpcD
39. Through Dodd-Frank
legislation, created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau http://1.usa.gov/j5onG
40. Through Dodd-Frank, the
Executive Branch fashioned rules that reduce the influence of speculators in
the oil market. http://bit.ly/MDnA1t
41. Fashioned rules so that banks
can no longer use YOUR money to invest in high-risk financial instruments that
work against their own customers' interests. http://bit.ly/fnTayj
42. Supported the concept of
allowing stockholders to vote on executive compensation. http://bit.ly/fnTayj
43. Endorsed and supported the
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act of 2009 that would close offshore tax
avoidance loopholes. http://bit.ly/esOdfBhttp://bit.ly/eG4DPM
44. Negotiated a deal with Swiss
banks, that now permits the US government to gain access to the records of criminals
and tax evaders. http://bit.ly/htfDgw
45. Signed the American Jobs and
Closing Tax Loopholes Act, which closed many of the loopholes that allowed
companies to send jobs overseas, and avoid paying US taxes by moving money
offshore. http://1.usa.gov/bd1RTq
46. Established a Consumer
Protection Financial Bureau designed to protect consumers from financial sector
excesses. http://bit.ly/fnTayj
47. Oversaw and then signed a
Democratic bill constituting the most sweeping food safety legislation since
the Great Depression. http://thedc.com/gxkCtP
48. Through the Fraud Enforcement
and Recovery Act, extended the False Claims Act to combat fraud by companies
and individuals using money from the TARP and Stimulus programs. http://bit.ly/SLTcSa
He Ushered Through Many Changes
That Enhanced Civil Rights and Anti-Discrimination
49. Along with Congressional
Democrats, advocated for and signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr.
Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which made it a federal crime to assault anyone
based on his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. http://bit.ly/gsMSJ7
50. Pushed through, signed and
demanded the Pentagon enact a repeal of the discriminatory “Don’t Ask Don’t
Tell” policy that forced soldiers to lie in order to be eligible to fight for
their country, and put our troops at risk by disqualifying many qualified
soldiers from helping. http://bit.ly/fdahuHhttp://bit.ly/mZV4Pz
51. Extended benefits to same-sex
partners of federal employees. http://1.usa.gov/g2RLCj
52. Appointed more openly gay
officials than anyone in history. http://bit.ly/g1lA7D
53. Appointed first openly
transgender Cabinet Official in History. http://bit.ly/58zUp7
54. Changed HUD rules to prohibit
gender and sexual orientation-based discrimination in housing bit.ly/9RxEnP
55. Changed his mind and publicly
expressed support for the right to enter into a same-sex marriage. http://bit.ly/JsiFKp
56. Issued a Presidential
Memorandum reaffirming the rights of gay couples to make medical decisions for
each other. http://1.usa.gov/aUueGT
57. Wrote and signed an Executive
Order establishing a White House Council on Women and Girls to ensure that all
Cabinet and Cabinet-level agencies evaluate the effect of their policies and
programs on women and families. http://bit.ly/e1puTkhttp://1.usa.gov/rFfqMM
58. Signed the
Democratic-sponsored Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which restored basic
protections against pay discrimination for women and other workers. This was
after the GOP blocked the bill in 2007. Only 5 Republican Senators voted for
the bill. http://bit.ly/fT3Cxg
59. Expanded funding for the
Violence Against Women Act. http://1.usa.gov/dSbI0x
60. Under his guidance, National
Labor Relations Board issued final rules that require all employers to
prominently post employees' rights where all employees or prospective employees
can see it, including websites and intranets, beginning November 2011. http://1.usa.gov/qu2EhQ
61. Advocated that United Nations
adopt a policy supporting gay rights worldwide. http://lat.ms/pQe1RS
62. Issued an order requiring
hospitals to allow visitation by same-sex couples. reut.rs/llNJek
63. Appointed Kareem Dale as the
first ever Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy. http://1.usa.gov/fi5IY0
64. Helped Democrats in Congress
pass and signed the Civil Rights History Act. http://bit.ly/th0JC8
He Made Major Improvements in
Foreign Relations and American Status Around the World
65. Visited more countries and
met with more world leaders than any previous president during his first six
months in office. http://bit.ly/hZycda
66. As he promised, he gave a
speech at a major Islamic forum in Cairo early in his administration. http://nyti.ms/dKvY4g
67. Helped to restore America's
reputation around the world as a global leader that does the "right
thing" in world affairs, at least according to the rest of the world. http://bit.ly/h743y7http://bit.ly/ho4TCr
68. Re-established and reinforced
our partnership with NATO and other allies on strategic international issues. http://1.usa.gov/e7QuDj
69. Closed a number of secret
detention facilities. http://nyti.ms/rpUc9l
70. Improved relations with
Middle East countries by appointing special envoys. http://1.usa.gov/tiGAGe
71. Pushed for military to
emphasize development of foreign language skills. http://bit.ly/AxUCLV
72. Offered $400 million to the
people living in Gaza, called on both Israel and the Palestinians to stop
inciting violence. http://bit.ly/9axfWh
73. Refused to give Israel the
green light to attack Iran over their possible nuclear program, and thus avoid
another war that Republicans wanted. http://bit.ly/xVmSZK
74. Worked with Democratic
Congress to make donations to Haiti tax deductible in 2009. http://huff.to/6YkAVY
75. Established a new U.S.-China
Strategic and Economic Dialogue. http://1.usa.gov/eX28DP
76. Issued Executive Order
blocking interference and helping to stabilize Somalia. http://1.usa.gov/hxdf8U
77. Established new, more
reasonable policies in our relations with Cuba, such as allowing
Cuban-Americans to visit their families and send money to support them. http://n.pr/hY3Kwahttp://nyti.ms/emQBde
78. Ordered the closure of the
prison at Guantanamo Bay. It was Republicans (and, unfortunately, progressive
Democrats) who prevented follow through. http://bit.ly/eW6CVF
79. Ordered a review of our
detention and interrogation policy, and prohibited the use of torture, or what
Bush called "enhanced interrogation." He ordered interrogators to
limit their actions to the Army Field manual. http://bit.ly/g6MTuC
80. Ordered all secret detention
facilities in Eastern Europe and elsewhere to be closed. http://bbc.in/h6N9ax
81. Released the Bush torture
memos. http://bit.ly/hWJ5z0
82. On his second day in office,
he signed a detailed Executive Order that banned torture, reversed all Bush
torture policies, and put the United States in compliance with the Geneva
Convention. http://1.usa.gov/dL6Zvehttp://nyti.ms/hzWWys
83. In response to the emerging
"Arab Spring," he created a Rapid Response fund, to assist emerging
democracies with foreign aid, debt relief, technical assistance and investment
packages in order to show that the United States stands with them. http://bit.ly/zfmGv9
84. Passed the Iran Sanctions
Act, to prevent war, and to encourage Iran to give up their nuclear program. http://1.usa.gov/wLtNjb
85. Ended the Iraq War. http://tgr.ph/ru0tyS
86. Authorized and oversaw a
secret mission by SEAL Team Six to rescue two hostages held by Somali pirates. http://bit.ly/y8c9Fz
He Took a More Realistic Approach
to “Defense”
87. Created a comprehensive new
strategy for dealing with the international nuclear threat. http://1.usa.gov/gDX1nE
88. Authorized a $1.4 billion
reduction in Star Wars program in 2010. http://1.usa.gov/gLFZl2
89. Restarted nuclear
nonproliferation talks and built up the nuclear inspection
infrastructure/protocols to where they had been before Bush. http://lat.ms/gkcl3i
90. Signed and pushed through
ratification a new SALT Treaty. http://bit.ly/f3JVtw
91. Negotiated and signed a new
START Treaty that will last until at least 2021. http://1.usa.gov/cI1bC4
92. Through the Defense
Authorization Act, reversed the Bush Administration and committed to no
permanent military bases in Iraq. http://bit.ly/hk73OJ
93. Developed first comprehensive
strategy with regard to Afghanistan and Pakistan designed to facilitate the
defeat of al Qaeda and the withdrawal of most troops, as well as the rebuilding
of Afghanistan. http://wapo.st/ee4Xcs
94. Returned our focus to
Afghanistan, stabilized the country, and began the process of withdrawing our
troops from the country. http://bit.ly/lNXUna
95. Negotiated a deal with Afghan
government, to withdraw troops and military support, while assisting in
rebuilding and modernizing of the country. http://bit.ly/K362an
96. Took steps to severely weaken
al Qaeda and limited their ability to terrorize the world. http://yhoo.it/n5lXs6
97. Negotiated and signed a
nuclear nonproliferation treaty with India. http://1.usa.gov/aHp0Cn
98. Took decisive action to use
NATO to limit the slaughter of innocents in Libya, so that the Libyan people
could topple a despotic government and determine their own fate. http://aje.me/qAh4Sj
His Administration Treated
Soldiers and Veterans with Respect That Was Missing Previously
99. Along with Congressional
Democrats, not only reauthorized families of fallen soldiers to be able to
visit when the body arrives at Dover AFB, but also provided funding for it.
Ended the media blackout on coverage of the return of fallen soldiers. http://nyti.ms/glqN66http://bbc.in/gWSSkA
100. Funded Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) with an extra $1.4 billion to improve veterans’ services.
http://1.usa.gov/huhqfo
101. Provided active combat
troops with better body armor. http://bit.ly/hzSv2h
102. Created Joint Virtual
Lifetime Electronic Record program for military personnel, in order to improve
the quality of their medical care. http://1.usa.gov/f4yaxW
103. Put an end to the Bush-era
stop-loss policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan beyond their enlistment
date. (personal note: my son will be in harm’s way for six fewer months with
Obama as president, so you know I love this one.) http://nyti.ms/e2YQ7Q
104. Along with Congressional
Democrats, supported and signed Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and
Transparency Act, which made more money available to enable better medical care
for veterans. http://1.usa.gov/fN4ur1
105. Along with Congressional
Democrats, ushered through largest spending increase in 30 years for Department
of Veterans Affairs, with money to go to improved medical facilities, and to
assist states in acquiring or constructing state nursing homes and extended
care facilities. http://1.usa.gov/gY8O3x
106. Created the Green Vet
Initiative, which provided special funding to the Labor Department to provide
veterans with training in green jobs. http://bit.ly/epwUQY
107. Initiated and signed a
recruitment and employment plan to get more veterans into government jobs. http://bit.ly/b48coi
108. Oversaw a $4.6 billion
expansion of the Veterans Administration budget to pay for more mental health
professionals. http://bit.ly/gjzTxX
109. Signed the Military Spouses
Residency Relief Act, which ensures that spouses of military personnel who are
forced to move because their spouse is posted for military duty will be able to
avoid state taxes in their temporary residence. http://bit.ly/1Gh0NX
He Refocused the Federal
Government on Education
110. Repeatedly increased funding
for student financial aid, and at the same time cut the banks completely out of
the process. http://bit.ly/gYWd30http://bit.ly/e9c7Drhttp://bit.ly/eEzTNq
111. Reformed student loan
program, to make it possible for students to refinance at a lower rate. http://nyti.ms/dMvHOt
112. Through the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act , invested heavily in elementary, secondary and
post-secondary education. http://1.usa.gov/gGRIAr
113. Created the Race to the Top
program, which encouraged states to come up with effective school reforms and
rewards the best of them. http://bit.ly/NHtZ7L
114. Oversaw major expansion of
broadband availability in K-12 schools nationwide http://bit.ly/fNDcj3
,
115. Oversaw major expansion in
school construction. http://bit.ly/fYwNrV
116. Also through the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act, he put $5 billion into early education,
including Head Start. http://1.usa.gov/tzT2Rr
117. Signed the
Democratic-sponsored Post-9/11 GI Bill, also known as GI Bill 2.0 http://bit.ly/hPhG7J
118. Oversaw expansion of the
Pell Grants program, to expand opportunity for low income students to go to
college. http://bit.ly/hI6tXz
119. Along with Democratic
Congress, passed and signed Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which
provided an extra $12.2 billion in funds. http://1.usa.gov/dQvtUe
He Pushed Through Improvements in
National Safety and Security
120. Restored federal agencies
such as FEMA to the point that they have been able to manage a huge number of
natural disasters successfully. http://bit.ly/h8Xj7z
121. Authorized Navy SEALS to
successfully secure the release of a US captain held by Somali pirates and
increased patrols off the Somali coast. http://nyti.ms/efBO7B
122. Has repeatedly beefed up
border security http://bit.ly/mMYB4i
123. Ordered and oversaw the Navy
SEALS operation that killed Osama bin Laden. http://bit.ly/jChpgw
Science, Technology and Health
Care
124. Created a Presidential
Memorandum to restore scientific integrity in government decision-making. http://1.usa.gov/g2SDuw
125. Opened up process for
fast-tracking patent approval for green energy projects. http://bit.ly/j0KV2U
126. Eliminated Bush-era
restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, and provided increased federal
support for biomedical and stem cell research. http://bit.ly/h36SSOhttp://ti.me/edezge
127. Through the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act, committed more federal funding, about $18
billion, to support non-defense science and research labs. http://nyti.ms/fTs9t7
128. Signed Democratic-sponsored
Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, the first comprehensive attempt to
improve the lives of Americans living with paralysis. http://bit.ly/fOi2rb
129. Expanded the Nurse-Family
Partnership program, which provides home visits by trained registered nurses to
low-income expectant mothers and their families, to cover more first-time
mothers. http://bit.ly/jRRRJc
130. Obama EPA reversed research
ethics standards which allowed humans to be used as "guinea pigs" in
tests of the effects of chemicals, to comply with numerous codes of medical
ethics. http://bit.ly/bKgqdS
131. Conducted a cyberspace
policy review. http://1.usa.gov/gmbdvC
132. Provided financial support
for private sector space programs. http://bit.ly/fn8ucr
133. Oversaw enhanced earth
mapping, to provide valuable data for agricultural, educational, scientific,
and government use. http://bit.ly/dNTRyP
134. Along with Democrats in
Congress, ushered through and signed a bill authorizing FDA to regulate
tobacco. http://on.msnbc.com/fiKViB
As a result, the FDA has Ordered Tobacco Companies to Disclose Cigarette
Ingredients and banned sale of cigarettes falsely labeled as “light.”
135. Through American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act, provided $500 million for Health Professions Training
Programs. http://bit.ly/ecQSgA
136. Increased funding for
community-based prevention programs. http://bit.ly/frMPG3
137. Oversaw a 50% decrease in
cost of prescription drugs for seniors. http://bit.ly/e5b1iqhttp://1.usa.gov/fVNkt9
138. Eliminated the Bush-era
practice of forbidding Medicare from negotiating with drug companies on price. http://bit.ly/fOkG5b
139. Two weeks after taking
office, signed Democratic-sponsored Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization
Act, which increased the number of children covered by health insurance by 4
million. http://bit.ly/fDEzGv
140. Urged Congress to
investigate Anthem Blue Cross for raising premiums 39% without explanation.
Democratic Rep. Waxman responded by launching a probe, and Anthem Blue Cross
put increase on hold for two months. http://yhoo.it/e8Tj9C
141. Ushered through and signed
Affordable Care Act, which expanded health insurance coverage to at least 30
million more people, ended many common insurance company practices that are often
detrimental to those with coverage. He also established healthcare.gov, so that
taxpayers could keep up with developments. http://www.healthcare.gov/
142. Through ACA, allowed
children to be covered under their parents’ policy until they turned 26. http://nyti.ms/fNB26V
143. Through the ACA, provided
tax breaks to allow 3.5 million small business to provide health insurance to
their employees, and 29 million people will receive tax breaks to help them
afford health insurance. http://nyti.ms/fNB26V
144. Through the ACA, expanded
Medicaid to those making up to 133% of the federal poverty level. http://nyti.ms/ekMWpo
145. Through the ACA, health
insurance companies now have to disclose how much of your premium actually goes
to pay for patient care. http://nyti.ms/fNB26V
146. Provisions in the ACA have
already resulted in Medicare costs actually declining slightly this fiscal
year, for the first time in many years, according to the Congressional Budget
Office. The increase in 2011 was 4%, which is very low compared to the average
12% annual inflation rate during previous 40 years. http://1.usa.gov/oMxpTh
He Took Steps to Strengthen the
Middle Class and Families, and to Fight Poverty
147. Worked to provide
affordable, high-quality child care to working families. http://bit.ly/fNfidS
148. Cracked down on companies
that were previously denying sick pay, vacation and health insurance, and
Social Security and Medicare tax payments through abuse of the employee
classification of independent contractor. http://nyti.ms/fOGLcj
149. Through the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act , cut taxes for 95% of America's working
families. http://bit.ly/eSEI4F
150. Tax rates for average
working families are the lowest since 1950. http://bit.ly/f74pD8
151. Extended and fully funded
the patch for the Alternative Minimum Tax for 10 years. http://bit.ly/eFeSdP
152. Extended discounted COBRA
health coverage for the unemployed from 9 months to 15 months, and he’s
extended unemployment benefits several times. http://aol.it/evtVxDhttp://nyti.ms/emrqKJhttp://bit.ly/hOtIpghttp://bit.ly/fTT7kz
153. Provided a $20 billion
increase for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps). http://nyti.ms/gfLqyM
154. Signed an Executive Order
that established the White House Office of Urban Affairs. http://wapo.st/eWECA8
He Took Concrete Steps to Improve
Our Environment and Address Our Energy Needs
155. Fast-tracked regulations to
allow states to enact fuel efficiency standards that exceeded federal
standards. http://nyti.ms/e8e94x
156. Fast-tracked increased fuel
economy standards for vehicles beginning with the 2011 model year. It was the
first time such standards had been increased in a decade. http://politi.co/hiaPKM
157. Oversaw establishment of an
Energy Partnership for the Americas, to create more markets for American-made
biofuels and green energy technologies. http://bit.ly/lZp73y
158. Obama EPA reversed a
Bush-era decision to allow the largest mountaintop removal project in US
history. http://bit.ly/lP3yEL
159. Ordered the Department of
Energy to implement more aggressive efficiency standards for common household
appliances. http://1.usa.gov/g3MTbu
160. Ordered energy plants to
prepare to produce at least 15% of all energy through renewable resources like
wind and solar, by 2021. http://reut.rs/fV155p
(As you can see, Republicans are trying hard to kill it.)
161. Oversaw the creation of an
initiative that converts old factories and manufacturing centers into new clean
technology centers. http://bit.ly/mjnq2R
162. Bypassed Republican
opposition in Congress and ordered EPA to begin regulating and measuring carbon
emissions. http://bit.ly/froaP5
163. Obama EPA ruled that CO2 is
a pollutant. http://bit.ly/iQTSNN
164. Oversaw doubling federal
spending on clean energy research. http://bit.ly/iN0sCE
165. Pushed through a tax credit
to help people buy plug-in hybrid cars. http://bit.ly/j8UP5Y
166. Created a program to develop
renewable energy projects on the waters of our Outer Continental Shelf that
will produce electricity from wind, wave, and ocean currents. http://1.usa.gov/fgfRWq
167. Reengaged in the climate
change and greenhouse gas emissions agreements talks, and proposed one himself.
He also addressed the U.N. Climate Change Conference, officially reversing the
Bush era stance that climate change was a “hoax.” http://bit.ly/dX6Vj3http://bit.ly/fE2PxKhttp://nyti.ms/hfeqvv
168. Fully supported the initial
phase of the creation of a legally-binding treaty to reduce mercury emissions
worldwide. http://bit.ly/eJ6QOO
169. Required states to provide
incentives to utilities to reduce their energy consumption. http://bit.ly/lBhk7P
170. Following the neglect of
Bush’s eight year reign, he reengaged in a number of treaties and agreements
designed to protect the Antarctic. http://bit.ly/fzQUFO
171. Created tax write-offs for
purchases of hybrid automobiles, and later he and Democrats morphed that
program into one that includes electric cars. http://bit.ly/glCukV
172. Mandated that federal
government fleet purchases be for fuel-efficient American vehicles, and
encouraged that federal agencies support experimental, fuel-efficient vehicles.
http://bit.ly/h5KZqyhttp://1.usa.gov/fLWq5chttp://1.usa.gov/hmUSbk
173. Oversaw and pushed through
amendment to the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 authorizing advances from Oil Spill
Liability Trust Fund for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. http://1.usa.gov/yTRYVo
174. Actively tried to amend the
Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to eliminate the liability limits for those companies
responsible for large oil spills. http://nyti.ms/bxjDi3
175. Initiated Criminal and Civil
inquiries into the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. http://nyti.ms/bVuB7a
176. Through his EPA, he asserted
federal legal supremacy, and barred Texas from authorizing new refinery permits
on its own. http://bit.ly/ww8eMd
177. Strengthened the Endangered
Species Act. http://bit.ly/hscjsH
178. Obama EPA improved boiler
safety standards to improve air quality, and save 6500 lives per year. http://bit.ly/jYH7nt
179. Through the EPA, attempted
to take steps to severely limit the use of antibiotics in livestock feed, to
increase their efficacy in humans. http://bit.ly/fBuWd2
180. Increased funding for
National Parks and Forests by 10% http://bit.ly/fbJPjY
181. Announced greatly improved
commercial fuel efficiency standards. http://1.usa.gov/oQiC1K
182. Announced a huge increase in
average fuel economy standards from 27.5mpg in 2010 to 35.5mpg starting in 2016
and 54.5 starting in 2025 http://1.usa.gov/qtghsW
But That's Not All...
183. Expanded trade agreements to
include stricter labor and environmental agreements such as NAFTA. http://bit.ly/etznpY
184. Oversaw funding of the
design of a new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History, which
is scheduled to open on the National Mall in 2015. He protected the funding
during the recent budget negotiations. http://on.fb.me/fD0EVOhttp://bit.ly/ff5Luv
185. Oversaw and passed increased
funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, thank God! http://bit.ly/dFb8qF
186. Nominated Sonia Sotomayor
and Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. Sotomayor is the first Hispanic Justice
in the court’s history, and the women represent only the third and fourth women
to serve on the court, out of a total of 112 justices. http://huff.to/eOChg6http://bit.ly/i02wgP
187. Appointed the most diverse
Cabinet in history, including more women than any other incoming president. http://bit.ly/dX6vNB
188. Eliminated federal funding
for abstinence-only education, and rescinded the global gag rule. http://bit.ly/eCFAI1http://bit.ly/f92drF
189. Loosened the rules and
allowed the 14 states that legalized medical marijuana to regulate themselves
without federal interference. http://huff.to/eQfa7j
190. Signed national service
legislation, increasing funding for national service groups, including triple
the size of the Americorps program. http://bit.ly/idgQH5
191. Signed an Executive Order
that will speed up deployment of a more comprehensive broadband infrastructure.
http://1.usa.gov/M7rVpe
192. Signed an Executive Order
creating jobs immediately by instructing them to reduce the time needed for
review and permitting of infrastructure projects. http://1.usa.gov/GHxaYt
193. Signed a bill that provided
$4.3 billion in additional assistance to 9/11 first responders. http://bit.ly/o7cWYS
And Did You Know?
194. Despite the
characterizations of some, Obama’s success rate in winning congressional votes
on issues was an unprecedented 96.7% for his first year in office. Though he is
often cited as superior to Obama, President Lyndon Johnson’s success rate in
1965 was only 93%.
He had a Democratic lead Senate and Congress - big deal! With that, anyone could have been successful. But, instead of dealing with the economy, he passed his own agenda and signed a bunch of bills that mean nothing (job's bill huh!) and we're suffering for it - you just wasted a lot of time and space.
JS what did O failure do that HELPED ??? most of your post is SMOKE .
do not stay stuck on stupid
This country is clearly on the wrong track. Even those on obamas handout wagon know that.
Paul Ryan knows more about the US econonmy than anyone in the world ( with the possible exception of Ron Paul).
Too bad that Jerry Sandusky was convicted.
Too bad that he was convicted. I was hoping that he would not be sentenced before the right wing cracked teanut convention. If lyin Willardo, the Mexican Mormon Moron tax evader, bankrupter and Etch A Sketch champion did not win in the first round, that maybe they could bring back Herman (9Kampf) Cain-the dress slitherer to be the nominee. Then he could select Jerry Sandusky for vice president. Sandusky could get the votes of the right wing gay pedophile rapist catholic priests who would look up to him for guidance.
CAIN/SANDUSKY in 2012. The true repuke family values candidates. Who cares what they did in the past, they are both against abortion, that is all that counts to the braindead dopes that vote for the repukes.
"It is not true that all conservative people are stupid; it is true, however, that most stupid people are conservative." - John Stuart Mill, 1806-1873
Here are examples of your good Christian people and how the right wing nuts try to brainwash you to get your vote.
The repukes need someone exciting and different, someone like Mark Sanford, the former Governor of South Carolina, who cheated on his wife by going to Argentina to see his soul mate. He told his wife that she should not mind because Jesus said it was okay to do it. Or maybe the head of the Westboro Baptist Church who protests at dead soldiers funerals that they deserved to die, or maybe Senator John Ensign of Nevada, who screwed one of his best friends wives. Then apologized and paid them both off not to say anything about the affair. The he seduced her again. Or maybe you mean "Toe Tappper" in the toilet stall, Senator Larry Craig, who wanted to have sex with someone in a public restroom toilet. This Craig duped his evangelical nutcase followers by telling them that he was a god fearing man. So he tapped the foot of the guy in the next stall several times. Unfortunately for Craig, the guy was an undercover officer and he got arrested. Now we have another evangelical rapist. Dale Richardson, who is a pastor or priest in SC who was supposedly cured by Jesus, has been arrested for raping 3 women. I guess Jesus gave him the wong message.
Or should we look forward to the current Governor of Alabama who said he would not help anyone who is not Christian.
Of course we can't leave out Herman (9Kamph) Cain, the dress slitherer. He claims he never did anything wrong. Another lyin Willardo, the Mexican Mormon Moron tax evader, bankrupter, draft dodger, job outsourcer and Etch A Sketch Champion.. And how can we forget Clarence Thomas, the womanizer, who the repukes put on the supreme court, despite Anita Hill taking a lie detector test saying she was telling the truth.
However, I think the best repuke candidate with excellent morals is Arnie Schwarzenegger. He jumps anyone he can.
remnant-1841412
Most republican Christians are really dumb!!! REALLY?
that's not very nice to say an I might add false remycant
but stick with it will carry you 4ward
November 6th 2012 will be your wake up call
You will have some tea to believe in lol
Vote R&R
Does R&R stand for Robber 1 and Robber 2?
Thank god there's some intelligence discussion now. I was beginning to think there were only the paid off Romney folks taking over. Disagreeing is fine but not the awful hatred and lying is doing no one any good , not even the racist.
If you like Romney, then say something good about Romney instead of beating a dead horse.
Obama 2012
Lyin Willardo the Mexican Mormon Moron tax evader, bankrupter, draft dodger, job oursourcer and Etch A Sketch champion proved what a dunce he is when opening his mouth overseas. After the moron criticized the olympic preparations in Britain, the British newspapers wrote what most sane people in the U.S already know-"How could any American vote for such an oaf for president".
Time to rise up and vote out the radical right wing cracked teapots and their oil, insurance and defense contractor owners. At least the people saw the light and realized how idiotic "Juiced Up" Sharron Angle and The Flying Witch Christine O'Donnell, Joe Smith from Alaska and several others were and did not vote them in. Hopefully, people saw what the real helicopter gunship pilot Sarah Palin is and will never allow her to hold any public office. The idiots who voted for these nutcases did not learn from Bush Bin Lyin and his criminal gang- led by President Cheney, what the republicans are really about. They outed two republican CIA agents, who wanted to tell the truth that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Bush Bin Lyin's bosses the oil companies and defense contractors got wealthy as our society was being brought down. These guys destroyed Iraq and then had to rebuild it using tax payer dollars. At least they got Delay. Scooter Libby was the fall guy for the CIA agents outing. Don't forget the criminal gang's trickle down economics where the money trickled down into their bosses pockets instead of creating jobs. That is why we were losing over 700,000 jobs a month before Obama took over.
I guess we will have to set up our own militia to deal with Michelle (never tells the truth) Bachmann and her "armed and dangerous" followers"
I expected the VP candidate to be from Calcutta.
No...but if elected, they will be outsourcing the U.S. Government there.
I can see Romney[who has no morals]renting a confessional ,dressing as a Priest and commanding Ryan not to say anything until the Tax cheat and money hiding Robme gets to speak his approval. This is going to be the best COMEDY EVER.A devout Catholic and a MORMON CULT trying to keep honest in a political fight.To help the ECONOMY I am going to buy a nice new EASY CHAIR and sit in front of the TV as much as I can to watch these two try to cover up Romneys penchant for BLOOPERS.HE is the King of that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the Mexican Mormon Moron tax evader
This prevarication is getting really old an worn to a frazzle
do you have any proof of any thing contained in this part of your statement
or are you just trying to huff an puff an blow the little piggies house down put up or you know pipe down Jim.
vote R&R
ConvenietDope. You have keep attacking the moron for what he is, until it sinks into the heads of repuke idiots like you He is Mexican. He is a Mormon and He is a Moron. He proved that in England. He is a tax evader, as he has hidden numbered accounts in the Cayman islands and Switzerland, he is a bankrupter, as is well proven, he is a draft dodger as is well proven, he is a job outsourcer as is well proven and by his own campaign manager's words, he is an Etch A Sketch Champion.
So you see you pathetic repuke cracked teanut dope, it is all true.
If Mitt the twit was man enough to release his tax returns we wouldn't have to guess what is so bad he won't release them.
What is the R&R, Rich and Ruthless? Ryan the man who would cut care for our wounded veterans for bigger tax cuts for himself. Is that what you call a patriotic American? Because none of the rest of us do.
VOTE FOR SANITY...VOTE FOR A DEMOCRAT 2012
The quality of the pick is best gauged by the reactions of the fringe left. The usual suspects hate Ryan for the same reasons Obama does, he exposes Obama as an intellectual poser. Frankly, Ryan owns Obama and the left knows it and is scared to death of this pick which is why they were writing articles all week about why Pawlenty or Portman would make a good choice. So yes, America has now has a clear choice to save this country or continue down the path ruin the Obama presidency has set as course.
Wow, You really believe we are all scared to death of Ryan, the new Cheney clone?
What scares me is that the republican party no longer believes in democracy and is suppressing the vote as the only way they can win. Then there are people actually voting against the right to vote with the republicans while claiming to believe in the constitution. Now that is scary.
This path the republicans don't want to continue is 29 months of job growth after the republicans broke our country.
DEFEND THE RIGHT TO VOTE...VOTE FOR A DEMOCRAT 2012