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Subscribe to RSSGOFFSTOWN, NH -- With 10 American troops killed fighting in Afghanistan in the last two weeks alone, America’s decade-long war was front and center Monday morning during Mitt Romney’s 100th town hall as the GOP ticket was asked to weigh in by a veteran about what they would do with the “damn mess in Afghanistan.”
“I will address the American people about these issues and with regards to Afghanistan," Romney contended before a crowd of about 3,500. "I will do everything in my power to transition from our military to their military as soon as possible, bring our men and women home and do so in a way consistent with our mission which is to keep Afghanistan from being overrun by a new entity that would allow Afghanistan to be a launching point for terror again like it was on 9/11."
Romney has previously criticized Obama setting a timeline, then appeared to shift on that last month. It indicated support for the 2014 timeline, but accused the president of being for it for political reasons.
Romney said the president should be addressing the nation on a regular basis during war time but failed to mention that the President has, in fact, updated the country on affairs abroad several times, including just this past May on national television from Afghanistan.
“We will work with the Afghans to determine what support they need to accomplish two narrow security missions beyond 2014: counter-terrorism and continued training," the president told troops on May 1. "But we will not build permanent bases in this country, nor will we be patrolling its cities and mountains. That will be the job of the Afghan people."
In his first appearance in the Granite State during the 2012 cycle, presumptive GOP nominee Paul Ryan put his national security knowledge on display, as well.
“And when you give the military a specific mission and the military tells you, here is what we need to complete this mission, to keep our soldiers, sailors, airman, and Marines safe, you give them what they ask for. It is very important,” said Ryan, who went on to criticize Obama’s troop drawdown in the middle of the fighting season.
Many have raised questions around the seven-term Wisconsin congressman’s foreign-policy background since he was selected as Romney’s VP choice just 10 days ago. Although Romney has also said that listening to commanders on the ground is vital, he has also echoed support for the 2014 timeline. Ryan's statement seems at odds with that support of a timeline.
Today, Ryan not only weighed in on Afghanistan, but fielded a question on Israel and Iran too.
“It is very vital and important that the signals we send, that the leadership we provide, that we strengthen our relationship with our allies, that we improve this relationship, which has deteriorated so much under this president, so that our allies in this region are negotiating from a position of strength and not being undercut by the United States of America when they’re trying to arrive at peace,” he said noting Israel is America’s strongest allies.
The turn to foreign policy today comes as violence in Afghanistan has ticked up. The campaign has also recently taken an increasingly negative tone, with both campaigns levying charges of dishonesty in their advertising and on the stump. Today, Romney took a shot at the president for what one questioner said were dishonest attacks against Romney on his tax record.
“It seems that the first victim of an Obama campaign is the truth, and it has been – it has been sad and disappointing,” Romney told the crowd in the quad at St. Anselm’s College. “I will not raise taxes on the American people, I will not raise taxes on middle income Americans, we’re going to make sure that Americans have the money to pay their bills, we’re not going to raise taxes, that slows down growth, it kills jobs, we’re going to get this economy going, and Mr. President, stop saying something that’s not the truth.”
Romney, though, is running an ad accusing the president of wanting to get rid of work requirements in welfare, a charge that has been widely discredited. The Romney campaign has not only created one version of this ad, but three, including one just this morning.
After making this joint appearance to kick off the last full week before the Republican National Committee convention, Romney and Ryan will now campaign separately -- Romney heads to New Orleans, LA, and Ryan to Pittsburgh, PA.
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Republican collective = THE IGNORAMI
The ONLY women voting repunglikkkan are white male cross dressers!!!!
The last thing we need is to guys with ZERO foreign policy experience talking about this stuff.
If you’re arguing the point regarding anything to do with government and job creation, your wasting your breath. The government doesn’t create jobs other then jobs inside or for the government. They may create an environment that would benefit companies that hire but supply and demand create jobs. That’s right, SUPPLY AND DEMAND CREATE JOBS. If a company needs to fill a position they hire. If a business has an increase in sales, they hire. If a manufacturing company has a huge order / contract, they hire.
And let me clear something up about Mitt Romney’s claim that he gives 10% to charity. It is a mandate within the church that everyone gives 10%. If you can’t give the entire 10%, they will take what you can give but you better have a reason. If you flat out don’t give anything, the ward bishop will be knocking at your door. Trust me, I know. I’m Mormon.
Besides, that 10% is 100% tax deductable. Romney needs every deduction he can get. Why do you think he classified his dancing horse as a business and took a $70,000 loss deduction on his returns? The question we should be asking Mitt is if his dancing horse is a business, has that business generated any income?
If you plan to vote for BO & JOE ... you are part of the problem ...
.
why's that?
Because they are traitors to this Country!
Do they ever speak in specifics? I know that it is not good to tick off your allies, I know it would be a good thing to leave Afghanistan to their own devices ( when they are able ), that's very sophomoric foriegn experience. The bigger problem is to know when and how to do it to protect our own national security. Even I know this isn't a situation that can be resolved with simplistic measures.
So Ryan says, "When the military asks you for what it wants, you give it to them." Does this sum up the way Republicans pretend to control the military? Will Ryan/Romney again bow to Halliburton and BlackWater (Xe), giving them unbid contracts worth billions, coupled with repeating nation-building projects of the Bush Administration Policies, with the same advisory staff Bush/Cheney had behind them?
We already heard Romney say, "The U.S. will back anything Israel wants to do concerning Iran." Electing Ryan/Romney is a prescription for another war, more defense department spending and more ignorance of problems back home in the U.S.!
Think about this! Why do you think Republicans are pushing to get Romney and Ryan elected?
Is it because Romney and Ryan are smart and want to restore America, while they both are against infrastructure repairs?
Is it because Ryan/Romney want to increase benefits for the Middle Class by repealing ObamaRomneyCare, Medicare, Medicaid? What is their alternative to ObamaRomneyCare...Trust Me, I'll fix it?
Is it because of their patriotic duty, while neither one served in the military? Is it because of their greed, that makes the Republican Party giddy with desire? Trust me, I paid a lot in taxes!
Is it because Romney/Ryan follow the wants of ALEC legislation, bringing us "Stand your Ground" laws and "Voter ID" laws (voter suppression)?
Is it because Romney/Ryan want to deregulate the banks, so the banks can gamble with our home mortgages again?
Is it because Ryan/Romney are for personhood, with criminal penalties for any doctor who provides contraceptives, or abortion services?
Is it because they enjoy our starving children, who will lose an additional 32 billion in Food Stamps, if the Romney/Ryan Plan is adopted?
Is it because Romney/Ryan Republicans refuse to repeal tax breaks for companies who ship American jobs overseas? They just did it again last week in the House of Republicans unrepresentatives.
Is it because Ryan and Romney promise the Tea Party whatever they want, no matter what core values Ryan and Romney have had in the past, making them look like flip flopping fish?
Is it because Romney/Ryan will do anything for more riches and prestige, including selling our countrysides to the church and foreign investors? Mormons already own more than 50 per cent of all ranchlands in the U.S. and 80 per cent of all foreclosed properties are now boupurchased by the billionaires and their consortiums, which will not result in lower rents for the public.
Is it because Romney and Ryan stand for "free speech", while using free speech rights to spend millions, maybe billions of dollars on "false allegations" against Obama?
Is this why the Koch brothers, Sheldon Adelson, Grover Norquist, Rush Limbaugh, FOX's Roger Ailes and Rupert Murdoch, The Chamber of Commerce, the NRA, the Chinese Trade Commission, ALEC, AT&T, BESTBUY, BAIN, GE, DELL, MONSANTO, BP, Xe, Halliburton, are willing to spend billions to defeat Obama?
Is this why Republicans push puppets who will do "anything they say" upon our nation, striving to turn us into a third world country, with wages competitive with slave labor China?
Repuppetry Party. Same as it ever was. Republicans do not elect representatives of "the people". They elect representatives of the 1 per cent or those who are subservient!
And now I will be shouted down by 10 Republicans paid to make my comments slip off the current page into the vapors of historical data that Republicans are too lazy to scroll back and view, and count on all of you to be the same as them.
You DIDN't Kill "Bin Laden" Obama. You Traitor!!!
Vote Romney
I like it that Paul Ryan is now referring to President Obama’s
speeches of the past because down the line when the Democrats start going to
back to his speeches, as they will, he then cannot call foul and say it’s gutter politics. We know that the
Democrats have some gold mines that they are sitting on waiting to unleash at
the appropriate time.
You know because the Republican party wrote the playbook.
Mitt Romney on war?? Seriously???
Mitt Romney BOUGHT 4 deferments to avoid Vietnam, When those deferments
ran out he FLED the USA and spent the remainder of the war in France under
the protection of the Mormon hierarchy.
Now he thinks he is qualified to be CiC of the US Military?????
If ANY VET or member of the Military votes for this traitor their NUTS!!!
Yeah, Obama wins on this issue. At least Bush had Cheney to run the war. I don't trust either on the Romney/Ryan ticket. Another pre fab war waiting to happen.
Romney how much money did you make off on investments of US jobs going overseas, You are what the foriegn 3rd world countries need, a go between for the CEOs of Amrican owned companies using child labor over seas with filthy @!$%# houses, no sanitation, sweat shops working 18 hour days made to live at their working stations with 1 hour of school a day. Let America compete with that.
I would like to hear a plan from Romney and Ryan about Afganistan. For centuries country after country has invaded Afganistan with exactly the same results we are having. Clearly, all of these other people and countries had no idea what they were doing and history has been waiting for two U.S. politicians to show the way.
This WHOLE PROTECT and SUPPORT the DEFENSE SPENDING is an ENTITLEMENT, and on top of it a FREELOADING SCAM by the the REPUKES AND TEA-SHYSTERS.
More PROTECTIONS to the TOP SCAM ARTIST INDUSTRIES. KICK BACKS on $1000.00 HAMMERS and TOILET SEATS !!!! The money turns around and FILLS these SLUGS CAMPAGN POCKETS and already wealthy SCAM ARTIST of POLITICIANS !!
Are AMERICANS that stupid. The media pointed out as an example, That COLLEGE EDUCATED GRADS who are unable to FIND JOBS are FREELOADING and signing on in the military so that they can make more than $50 k and all the perks and benefits given (HEALTH, RETIREMENT, HOUSING, PAY-OFF DEPTS ETC). If that is not ENTITLEMENTS? can someone explain? HELLO ROMPPY AND RUINOUS RYAN any DECEPTIVE ANSWER WILL DO !!!!!
And AMERICANS STILL TAKE IT UP THE ASS! as if it is OK. Go figure if anyone is doing their HOMEWORK !!
What really ticks me off is how disrespectful Romney is toward the city of Chicago in his attack ads on President Obama! Chicago is a fine city populated by hard-working Americans, and whether that populace has a republican or democrat voter majority does not matter. I will never elect a President that would be so disrespectful to millions of American citizens. Maybe Mittens forgot that minorites vote nowadays. Can't ignore them urban areas Mittens. By the way, you can keep your party the hell out of Chicago Mittens!