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Evan Vucci / AP
Republican presidential candidate greets supporters Friday during a campaign rally in Orange City, Iowa.
ORANGE CITY, Iowa -- In his first rally since President Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for president, Mitt Romney on Friday called Obama's speech in Charlotte, N.C., "extraordinarily disappointing" and castigated Obama for not proposing how to solve joblessness.
"I read that this morning, you perhaps got the chance to do that," Romney said of the speech, suggesting he didn't watch the event live on television Thursday night.
"But if you did, perhaps like me you found it extraordinary disappointing -- surprisingly disappointing," Romney continued, adding later, "I was surprised by his address because I expected him to confront the major challenges of the last four years, which is an economy which has not produced the jobs that the American people need."
Romney made the remarks to several thousand people inside a basketball gym at Northwestern College, a small Christian liberal arts school here in conservative northwest Iowa.
Campaign officials said 2,600 people were inside the gym, and another 800 to 1000 people were inside an overflow room, which Romney visited briefly afterward.
The event came on the same day the Labor Department released a sour jobs report showing employers added 96,000 jobs in August and that more than 350,000 people had stopped looking for work.
"It’s just simply unimaginable," Romney said of the numbers. "The president said that by this time we’d be at 5.4 percent unemployment. 5.4 percent. Instead, we’re at about 8 percent."
Romney said the difference accounts for 9 million people who could be working.
Earlier Friday, Romney called the report a "hangover" after the Democrats' "party" in Charlotte.
"This is a tough time for the middle class of America," Romney told reporters on a tarmac in Sioux City. "There's almost nothing the president has done in the past three and a half, four years that gives the American people confidence that he knows what he's doing when it comes to jobs and the economy."
Before Romney took the stage here in Orange City, campaign aides tossed to the crowd blue foam gloves designed to look like baseball mitts.
A scoreboard inside the gym had been programmed to list one team as "Mitt" and the other "Romney." Scores were listed as 11 and 6, a reference to the Nov. 6 general election.
Romney was introduced by two Iowa Republicans, Gov. Terry Branstad and Rep. Steve King, who represents the 5th district here and is running for re-election.
Making an apparent pitch for Romney's conservative credentials, King told the crowd that Obama "undermines" the values of northwest Iowa "day after day after day."
"Don't doubt this man's faith. Don't doubt his conviction," King said of Romney. "Do not doubt his patriotism or his faith, and his love for Jesus Christ, our savior."
Romney later urged the crowd inside the overflow room to re-elect King.
"I wanna make sure he's in Washington when I get there so we can do the things we're promising doing," Romney said.
Leave a Comment:
Wow-553181,
The GOP has no handle on this election because they're out of gas/excuses on explaining a defense of how their economic policies from 2000-2008 didn't cause our present economic state......case closed.
Mitt and the TEA Party...they're all losers.......in 2012..
The GOP is all gas and hot air, not much else.
Just the FACTS
One if many of Romney's biggest mistakes was--- not even acknowledging our troops overseas at the RNC, nor what he plans to do in Afganistan. Obama said we would be out in 2014-- OK- y'all realise we can't just leave and go home-an that will take time- Our allies are there too, Austrailia and Britain- Prince Harry has to penance there for 4 months( per the Queen).
And Mitt said our #1 enemy ( wait for it) was Russia?? Huh, I thought we ended the cold war? Remember the UNsuccessful "bay of pigs" invasion got botched in 1961.
We don't need a man who doesn't know who our real enemy is...
Even Bush knew this- and he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed..
MrOBAMA: "We can help big factories and small businesses double their exports, and if we choose this path, we can create a million new manufacturing jobs in the next four years.
THE FACTS: Obama has claimed an increase of some 500,000 manufacturing jobs
over the past 29 months. But this is cherry picking by the president. From the
beginning of Obama's term 3 1/2 years ago, manufacturing jobs have declined by
more than 500,000, according to the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor
Statistics. Manufacturing jobs have been on a steady decline for nearly two
decades.Even though there has been a modest uptick in manufacturing jobs this
year, unless there is a major turnaround, it seems unlikely that Obama's goal of 1
million new manufacturing jobs can be reached by his target date of 2016.
Labor participation rate is back where it was in 1981, when we had a smaller
population than today.
DISASTER
Romney is just NOT smart. He can blame the President all he wants but the FACTS, once again, are on President Obama's side. He has done ALL he can without CONGRESS. They have repeatedly failed to act on behalf of the American people because they might inadvertantly show some cooperation with the President. That awful fault falls squarely on the shoulders of EVERY Republican in Congress and Romney/Ryan for going along with it. If we do anything at the polls, it should be to vote every Republican OUT and make our views known.
That doesn't explain why he didn't accomplish anything when he had Democrats controlling both houses his first 2 years in office.
It was 2010 when Congress got the majority and they started in January 2011.
It's funny that you said Romney can blame the President cuz Obama has been blaming Bushwhacher for 3.5 years.
But it only counts if it's a Republican blaming a Prez?
Republicans have a majority in the house but the democrats continue to control the Senate. Obama has liberally used executive orders to get what he wants bypassing Congress. What we have Obama owns.
Funny how you simplify everything. Democrats are unable to pass anything in the Senate due to Republican filibuster. If it was a simple majority vote in the Senate, the House would still stand by their principle message of "just say no". But they forget Nancy Regan said this to children. Even with two years of Republican obstruction, President Obama produced significant acomplishments the only way he could. Please, I implore Republicans to ask their elected officials to compromise (not a 4 letter word)
Willard does understand disappontment: his loss to Ted Kennedy, his loss to John McCain,and one term Gov. in MA. Gov. Patrick put Willard's stewardship in MA. in perspective, another Bush administration. Willard Romney is a Vulture Capitalist, not Job Creator. Picking business bones clean, and discarding the employees and companies with tons of debt is not job creation. He creates disappointment for the employees of Bain's acquitions with failure and outsourced American jobs.
Hey Mitt, I'll tell you what's "extraordinarily disappointing"; your pitifully pathetic lack of math aptitude and lack of integrity.
You're going around the country telling anyone who'll listen that Pres Obama is to blame for a $5k drop in median income. DA!!! What the heck do you think happens to median income when millions of high and/or good paying jobs are lost??? Lost because of the crap your buddy Pres Bush started and handed off to Pres Obama. I'm one of them; I was 60 at the time, an expert in my field with 12+ yrs of service and making almost $100k/yr plus bonus's in a "right to work state". They replaced me with someone making far, far less??? Now I'm on unemployment which is about to run out.
There are millions of stories like mine; expert, high/decent income employees losing their jobs; that if replaced, were replaced by much lower paid replacements.
So you do the math Mr. Genius; what do you think happens to median income when zillions of $$ in compensation suddenly disappears??? It's simple math Mitt, it drives the average household income down, down, down - way down. The Bush authored financial crisis fell right into the hands of what many company's wanted to happen; compensation as a lower % of revenue.
And you want us to believe you have the intellect and the integrity to be our next president. It won't happen! You're intentionally distorting the facts for yours and your party's political and personal gain. You cannot and should not be trusted - ever.
I suppose the choice is between the man who took the helm when America was loosing over 700 thousand jobs a month and bringing us back to 4 million plus jobs in 3 and 1/2 years.
Or the man who has a record of destroying jobs, that says he likes to fire people and comes from the party that filabustered several jobs bills.
Choice doesn't seem that hard to me.
Michael,
Republicans thinking people are too stupid to understand the obvious remains to be what makes the GOP look stupid............
The inversely proportional reciprocal of economic stupidity.......and the GOP remains the denominator....No matter what they say. When a Political leader is under "fire" of criticism....you look at his/her record.....not what they're saying........
Sorry... Mr Bush is not running in this election. If he was he would lose.
Normally, you win or lose on your OWN record. Not onwhat the previous president did.
Ging,
You don't get it...Bush's policies ARE RUNNING this election and we reject those failed policies! Trickle Down has never worked, and never will.
Wake up!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ging,
Republican economic policies of Coporate tax cuts/Financial deregulation/unfunded wars from 2000-2008 have put us "squarely" where we are economically, today. You can attach George Bush's face to those policies or the GOP Party policies, generally speaking. Either way.....it isn't Democratic Party economic policies according to Mathematics and history putting us where we are economically, now. Don't let the GOP help us look stupid........because we're not. It is they who are stupid. As we shall see on November 6, 2012.
Yes Ging I agree, President Obama has a record to run on. Even with all of the treasonist obstruction by the GOP he has still had a great deal of success.
Romney also has a record, a record of flip flopping, destroying jobs, hiding money off shore and "liking to fire people". He has even warned us that if he is elected he will give the rich another 10 percent rate cut. Since he admitedly only paid 13 percent this tax cut will have him paying 3 percent.
The GOP expects us to believe what they tell us when our common sense tells us something else. If tax cuts to the wealthy created jobs we should be rolling in jobs. Shouldn't we?
Look Romeny and Ryan are not going to do @!$%# about this ecomonomic. If the can bring back jobs the outsourced, they will have to pay there fair share of tax, i don't see these guys doing it. Any man that thinks about themselves and not their country is not to be trusted. There's something under Mitt sleeves that I do not trust this guy. A man who reigion believes that black people were mandated by GOd, and its the reason why the are black? Can you beleive we are letting him head the GOP for president? And the gOP that is not important issues, but the going after women for abortion, meh please. If America allow MIt an Ryan this country will crumble...mark my word. We will have to deal with the arabs, which he knows nothing about them and man wo insulted our closes ally when he went to the olympic, showing his strength out foreign policy. Can you beleive the fool
4.3 million jobs created in 3 1/2 years. Just imagine how many he could have created if he had had one bit of help or support from the republicans.
Yeah, Obama's been a huge success! We haven't had this kind of success out of a president since Carter!
Give him 4 more, you morons.
VikVega,
Only an Idiot would compare Carter to Obama. Their Presidential accomplishments and/or mistakes are very different from each other. And, for the record, Obama has almost no mistakes. Except, perhaps, one or two small ones (thinking GOP would cooperate/negotiate and Gitmo). This having been said....your viewpoint isn't one.....it's just a GOP talking point based on a wish/spin....not facts. Maybe you had better submit it to Santa Claus for your Christmas wish list. Only the uninformed are Morons....like you.
The voters of this country who put the Republican party as the majority in the House, are to blame for that 8% unemployment rate. They didn't give the President and the Democratic majority enough time to make the necessary changes. Why are people always in a rush, why do people insist on having results immediately? Things take time.
By the people, for the people, the Republican party are not for the people, they have yet to take responsibility for the financial meltdown. They have yet to take responsibility or they have yet to held accountable for causing millions to lose their job, their homes, while others ended homeless.
Question would be, when will the voters of this country hold the republican party accountable for the mess they made to millions of American citizens? Since when does a political party need a majority to work for the people?
In my opinion, the Democrats work for the people, while the Republicans, to make the most profits, work for corporate America.
Those questions are my questions too Edward.......I don't know why any voter would want to give the Republicans another shot at us considering THEY did this to our economy.
See post #184.
Bull@!$%#. Mormons DO NOT bleieve that Jesus Christ was the saviour. They beleive he was simply one of many prophets . Most christian chruches refer to Mormonism as a cult until it came to getting Willard in the White House. Just more of Romney's desperate blather.
Tom-394522,
Mormons are also required to "hand over" 10% of their income to the Mormon Church (Tithing). So, Mitt's claim of donating generously to charity is actually required of him by his own religion while providing tax shelter benefits. If he was to get in office (which he won't), the Mormon morons would own the country and take 10% of it's worth...if not more. From Polygamy to Religious finances.....they are a secretive cult. And I don't trust secretive religious fanatics in our Government.
tony,
You didn't mention Mormons believe God is on a planet, the head of the church speaks directly to God, twelve apostles are alive, they wear majic underwear and somewhere out there exists a few golden plates.
For those evangelical christians out there; you need to understand that Mormons reject the idea of immaculate conception which is what your religion is absolutely based on. Since religion matters so much to evangelicals, why in the world would you support a candidate that is committed to the Mormon Church??? Mormons are not christian, and that is a fact (hard to swallow)
Um, excuse me. Don't you "holier-than-thou" liberals PRIDE yourselves on your fantastic "tolerance"? I haven't seen much of it from you. And isn't Saint Harry Reid ALSO a Mormon?
Dont know what religion Reid is, dont care. I am not religious, I just wanted to point out to evangelicals what Romney is, that is all. Liberals never think of themselves as "holier than thou". Liberal's dont think about just themselves, liberals fight for what is best for everyone. Yes Liberals are tolerant, it seems absurd to me that there are people in this country still hold resentment for not only blacks, but also for Hispanics, and also resent Islam. It is 2012, time to get with the times, gay's are people too, women want their right to choose for themselves, birth control is not evil. If those beliefs are Liberal, then I am proud to be Liberal.
If you don't care that Harry Reid is Mormon also, then why does it matter to you that Romney is Mormon?
Then Why should anyone care what religion Romney is? If it does not matter what someones beliefs are then why the slanderous commonts against Mormons?
Because Romney might get to appoint another old rich white male to the Supreme Court...........that is the difference.
Why are you prejudiced against rich old white males, Kathryn? If a vacancy opens up, couldn't President Obama appoint a rich old white male, too?
I could care less about any body's religion, that is not a concern of mine. Obama is not Muslim, but if he was it should not matter period. Romney is Mormon, I could care less. Evangelicals do care about others religious choices, even care about the fact that some people choose no religion.
Slander is the stating untruths, what I stated is the truth. I did not say this to attack Romney, he has enough things (truthful things) that I hold against him. I simply wanted to point out that evangelicals support Romney, even though his religion has ridiculous tenants, that is all. that is the entirety of my comments. Romney should not be President, not because he is a Mormon, but because he is a Republican.
She must be. Funny thing though dont appointees have to be "cleared" before taking position?
Well, do black evangelicals also support Obama? Because he got like 95% of the black vote last election, and I would be willing to bet you that more than 5% of blacks are evangelicals.
You brought up Romney's religion, not me. If it doesn't matter to you, why even bother talking about it?
Maybe they just like to slam Mormons? Who's next Buddhists? Wonder if you state that someone's Magic Underwear is not slanderous?
No Roc, probably Catholics.
Would Catholics have special undies as they say about Mormons?
If Catholics have Special Undies then Would not Biden be wearing a pair also?
One month of job report says very little. But what about the last 30 months of job reports. Each and every one of the last 30 months we have seen increases in private sector job growth, continued reduction in the unemployment rate, stock market rise each month. But wait, It takes 7 years for an olive tree to produce olives, and we need an orchard. President Obama has laid the foundation, and he needs to keep his job so "we" can build on it. It will be disastrous if the Republicans get elected; they will dismantle all of President Obama's accomplishments and send our "company" (er-country) back into the abyss. Even with the Republican obstructions, President Obama has accomplished a great deal. Osama bin Laden is dead and GM is alive, the war in Iraq is over, college students have more help and lower interest on their loans, manufacturing is making a comeback, oil imports are down, we are seeing improvements in public education, (not enough room to list all accomplishments).
Let us remember; 28 years of Republican Presidents = 24 million private sector jobs while in 24 years of Democrat Presidents = 42 million private sector jobs. I think I will go with the Democrats.
4 more for 44, 4 more for Pelosi/Reid,
Hillary 2016
Romney 1040
We have also seen record-breaking numbers of people simply quit trying to find a job. Employment participation rate is the lowest in decades. The number of jobs being "created" are not even enough to keep up with the flow of people entering the workforce for the first time.
Your deceptions at trying to convince people that Obama is going to win base on an old political beliefs that people will vote for some just because they think he will win and people like to support winners is obsolete.
Its the information age and responsibe people are informed. They know because they want to know, that when a man makes our government unstable from his poor judgement and bad decision making like Obama has done, he's one and done. Only the uniformed support a loser.
Late breaking news--President Obama has announced a shift in his campaign.
"From here on out, I will be running my reelection campaign differently than what I have done previously. I will now be running on my record. Let the Party of No be forewarned."
President Obama's records:
Record deficits--the highest for any President.
Record debt--added the most in the shortest period of time than any President in history.
Record unemployment--43 consecutive months and counting of 8%+.
Record number of Americans on foodstamps--1 in 7.
Record number of federal agents killed because of this Administration's Justice Dept. scheme to run guns to Mexico. Maybe the Justice Dept. can get a pass on this--after all, it was too busy filing a record number of lawsuits against U.S. states to properly oversee Fast & Furious.
The only credit rating downgrade in our history has occurred under this Administration.
Record number of bondholders and non-union Delphi workers shafted because of the Administration's chicanery during the GM bankruptcy/bailout.
And before the Republicans try to tell you differently, I had NO idea what kind of deficits we were running before I was elected President. Otherwise I NEVER would have promised to reduce the deficit by half in my first term. Nancy and Harry kept me out of the loop on all of that. I was just a Senator and mainly voted "present".
Deficits happen when Presidents have to bail out the economy caused by past Presidents (BUSH)!
Record deficits---due to record losses of up to 800,000 jobs per month occur, due to the last President (BUSH)
Record unemployment---what we get when we elected George Bush to unfund 2 wars, unfunded defense department spending, fix MedicAid part D, while not funding it, giving unfunded tax breaks to millionaires, while deregulating the banks with Republicans Graham-Ruddman bills allowing them to gamble with our home mortgages and lose! Jobs lost during the months before Obama could get a recovery Bill passed in Congress cannot be charged against Obama, but you righties want to include the 800,000 jobs lost a month to Obama when they were a direct result of BUSH POLICIES!
How can we blame Obama for the States laying off all the teachers, firemen, policemen, and state workers, while Obama has given us 30 straight months of private sector job creations of over 4.7 Million new jobs, saving GM in the process!
When no one can buy products sitting in warehouses (because Republican Policy crashed our economy) there are more starving kids needing foodstamps now. How can Republicans blame that on Obama? Should he have decided it would look better on his resume' to let them starve?
One border agent killed in Arizona (where else?!) in a sting operation created by Republicans, during the Bush Administration, that continued until our new Attorney General found out about it and shut it down! Not one Republican has been even questioned so far...Only the Attorney General has been sent to court nine times, who inherited the program and may not have known it was even active!
The Credit downgrade of America, caused by Republican refusal to pass a budget, foorcing the US to go into credit default, unless we again passed the temporary tax breaks for the rich?
Romney would have let GM fail and all the millions of workers who make parts for GM vehicles. George Bush did nothing to save the GM plant that closed when he was still President that Lying Ryan is trying to blame on Obama!
Everybody had to lose a little in the GM bail-out. The stockholders and the Delphi workers just happened to be the ones to lose a little more, similar to all of us Americans, who lost our 401k savings, while Eric Cantor, who bet against the Stock Market, because he refused to help it, made millions when the Banks failed.
Why don't you attack Eric Cantor for that?
Why don't you attack Republicans for being so stupid, while Romney has the same advisors behind him that Bush did!
Why don't you attack Republicans who promise to roll back all the new Obama bank regulations, and commodities speculation laws, that keep the price of gas as low as possible, considerring the bottleneck is not the amount of oil we pump out of the ground, which Obama increased four times over Bush since in office, but restricted by Republican Puppetmaster Refiners (KOCH BROTHERS), who refuse to fix, upgrade, or build more refineries, slowing the trickle of oil products to levels that force the world to compete for the trickles?
Mikehataway, you are just a troll, endorsed by Republicans, to spread lies wordsmithed by the Rush Limbaughs, Glenn Becks, FOX NEWS anchors, CNN agitators, Koch Brother's foundations like Americans for Prosperity (*cough*), and ROMNEY ENTERPRISE ZONE slaves in China who want to keep their jobs there!
That's a new approach, Blame Bush!
We have run deficits-of over a trillion dollars-every year of Obama's term. The "bail-out happened over 3 years ago.
The housing crises started with Clinton. Barney Frank and Chris Dodd were major players in that fiasco. Wars don't result in unemployment, in fact, they result in more employment. Medicare Part D--why didn't the Dems fund it when they had control of Congress from 2006-2010?
Fast & Furious happened on THIS Administration's watch.
Saving GM? By screwing legitimate bondholders and non-union Delphi workers? And I bet that GM will file bankruptcy again before we ever recoup our money. The stock price would have to go up about 2 and a 1/2 times what it is now.
Credit downgrade? The GOP has passed a budget in the House. Has the Democratic Senate? Heck, the Dems wouldn't even pass a budget during the last year of Bush because they didn't want to have to explain their votes.
Refineries are not being built because of "green" people hollering about them. The refineries we have can handle more production. But they need the oil to do it.
But you just keep your head in the sand. 2010 was just a beginning. Better look out! No President has ever been re-elected with the economic numbers Obama has.
Bush did not include the cost of the wars, or any of the unfunded programs in his budgets, while Obama does. If you look at the Bush statistics (lies) they will give you a false base to compare to Obama's statistics! If you tread through the actual losses under George Bush, with the same advisory team BUsh relied upon, that Romney now relies upon, you will see that Bush, and the direct aftermath of Bush into the first few months of the Obama administration cost our economy more than thirteen trillion in losses!
Obama has been able to keep our country afloat for less than 3.5 trillion.......Bush will go down in history as the most extravagent President who hurt the U.S. more than any other President in the history of this country!
And Republican trolls, who blame Obama for the fact that the majority party in the House of Representatives (*cough--Republicans*) refused to pass a budget, caused our credit rating to dip, unless the Bush temporary tax breaks for the rich were continued, resulting in the job losses Republicans want to blame on Obama, are just pretzels, with no concept of "Arithmetic!"
Every cent of debt from 2 unjust wars and the Bush tax breaks for the rich which are still on going are Bushs debt. Oh and the unpaid for prescription coverage. This is all on going debt the republicans are responsible for. Oh and they crashed the economy on their watch. So both stimulus's are their debt as well. So add it all up. You can not just pretend it did not happen and say its Obamas fault. It is just not rational or factual. Our country would be in much better shape if Bush was never born. And he did not keep us safe, we had intelligence before 9/11 he and his administration chose to ignore it. Then they made up all that WMD crap lied to congress went to war causing the deaths of 100,000,s of people. Then when they were found out, they tried to punish the whistleblower by outing his CIA operative wife who was working aginst WMD. Rove and Cheney skated and Scooter was convicted then pardoned by Bush. So remember all you republican haters, you idiots blew it, you screwed up the economy of the whole world. And now you act like all of that never happened. Then of course you lost the election because of your epic failure. Now you savage Obama because he is not fixing the economy you destroyed fast enough, all the while obstructing any legislation that would help the economy. So you threw the American people under the bus for the last time. Obama will win and Romney will spend the rest of his life getting richer on the money he screwed all the little people and the tax payers out of. There is no god.
That is what I think Romney is hiding.........doesn't want us to see how much he made from the economy crashing .......while the rest of us were seeing our nest eggs disappear. Shall we just call him what he is?
One of the greedy FAT CATS
Hey Jack, did the Democrats, in control of both the House and Senate in 2007 and 2008, include the wars? Or the Medicare Part D? You know--the Congress--the only people authorized to spend money? Or was that just my imagination?
So what your point?
Mike do you even understand what really happened with Fast & Furious? It happened as a result of the gun laws already in place. That border patrolman died because it is legal to buy all the guns you want. Period.
Mike,
At least the Democrats supported President Bush and never once called him unpatriotic, never once called him foriegn, never once stated he belonged to a religion he did not, never once questioned where he was born. At least Democrats worked with Republicans to get things done. The Democrats did not obstruct, they compromised. This, at least, we can say about Democrats. The war in Iraq was wrong, the war in Afghanistan was mismanaged, the refusal to look or to see what was happening on wall street was wrong. All these wrongs were wrong for both parties, but at least the Democrats did not stand by the principle of "no matter what" compromise with a President of the other party will not happen.
Shall we back up to Vietnam?
President Obama is an inspiration to millions. I think he is the best President to sit in the Oval office since Kennedy. He will go down in history along side of Washington, Lincoln, FDR and Kennedy. He is truly a fine President. No grumblings, none of the lies told by Republicans will ever get me to feel any different about President Obama. He gets my vote, he will get every one of my family's votes, he will get more votes than Romney, he will be President for four more years!
#184
I agree, we have 18 voters in my family, two of them brand new.....all for President Obama. We know what is going on and who did it ......
Thank you
Romney said he wasn't going to watch the speech. But he has an opinion about something he didn't watch?
And didn't he also promise caviar in every pot for the poor?
Show us your taxes, buffoon.
IF you read the article, it CLEARLY stated that Romney read the speech the next morning. So now you have an opinion on something that you either didn't read or didn't comprehend.
Romney has shown the taxes he is required to. If you think for one second that the IRS, under the direction of this current Administration, hasn't looked long and hard at Romney's taxes, you are either lying or a fool.
Shovel Ready Jobs? Or are they tied up in Arbitration? Like the IRS lets anybody get away with NOT paying taxes?
Roc---not enough union workers still around even WILLING to do a "shovel-ready" job!
Now they will blame Gov. Walker?
but even the IRS cannot release private information on anyones taxes......I want to see them and I want to know how much he has stashed off shore.
If he cheated on his taxes does one actually think the IRS would just let him Off? If the IRS charged him on tax evasion would not that make the news?
Kathryn, what business is it of yours what Romney's tax returns look like? If there was any wrongdoing, do you REALLY believe that some ging-ho Democratic IRS agent wouldn't be all over it like white on rice? Now if you say you want to reform the tax codes, I understand. But if someone takes advantage of the present tax code (and don't we all?) what is wrong with that?
The tax code needs to be changed. The only one to state this fact is President Obama. The current tax code favors the rich, and so in order to avoid the working class from grumbling, it gives them refundable credits. Over the last 30 years, the system has been rigged, rigged against the working class, rigged in favor of the ubber-rich. Republicans claim to be fiscally conservative, then they propose yet another 5 trillion tax cut. The Republicans answer to surpluses is a tax cut, the Republicans answer to deficits is a tax cut. The Republicans answer to bank and wall street manipulations is to reduce regulations. I don't know about anyone else out there, but it seems to me the answer to debt and deficit would be to find revenue. The answer to avoiding another wall street caused economic collapse is to regulate them.
Where can revenue be found? From the Congress-controlling wealthy and Congress-controlling corporations. The Congress should pass a tax code that taxes all income the same. In other words, a hedge fund manager should pay the same in taxes as a sole-proprietor. Workers and sole-proprietors have to pay social security and medicare taxes on every dollar they earn. They also have to pay income tax on their adjusted gross income! Why do "investors" not have to pay these taxes on what they earn? Why is their income taxed at a lower rate than workers and sole-proprietors?
mikehataway,
As a candidate for president, Romney's tax returns are our business, we have a right to know whether a man who could be president may be guilty felonies, or other crimes which cause his character to be challenged
Even if the IRS is aware Romney's tax returns are suspect they are not going to make waves in the middle of a presidential election, but since the IRS can go back 7 years, you can bet they are looking at Romney's tax returns hard
Rigged? As in written into law by both the GOP and Democrats? And is it also rigged in favor of the almost 50% that pay NO federal income tax? And is it rigged in favor of people who actually get a "refund" of MORE than they ever paid in?
Mike,
Did you read my entire post? The tax law need to be changed. Oh and by the way, I would rather be making enough money to afford to pay income tax than be in the 50% low income level unable to pay income tax. The rigging to have refundable tax credits is simply in place to keep the working class from revolting against a rigged system. Investors should pay the same tax rate, income and FICA, as the landscaper, same as the barber, same as the restaurant owner, same as the car salesman, same as the construction worker, same as the McDonald's cashier. Will Romney make that change? Will any Republican make that change?
huffingtonpost.com 8-6-2012
Mitt Romney said he would have been unable to host the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, had it not been for the "enormous spending and services of the federal government."
The words, uttered by Romney in 2002, are in direct contrast to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee's relentless attacks on President Barack Obama over his "you didn't build that" comments.
Romney and Republicans have spent the last month knocking Obama as government-obsessed and for crediting Washington with the success of small businesses. But by the former Massachusetts governor's own admission, it was only with the government's support that he was able to pull off the Olympics he so often heralds as one of his career's greatest accomplishments.
"Without question, we simply could not host Games in Salt Lake if it were not for the enormous spending and services of the federal government," Romney had said in a 2001 testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee during a hearing around cooperation between federal, state, local and private agencies for the Salt Lake City Olympics.
"When I came to the Games two years ago, following the revelations of bid impropriety, there was nothing which caused greater anxiety than whether or not we could count on this critical federal support," he said, before thanking both the Clinton and Bush administrations for being involved with his committee's planning efforts "every step of the way."
According to Romney at the time, former President George W. Bush specifically included Olympic items in the budget he submitted to Congress.
The testimony doesn't just contradict Romney's current position on the role of federal spending -- it also underscores the outside help he received in orchestrating the 2002 Olympics. Throughout Romney's candidacy, his campaign and affiliates have used the event to tout Romney as an "Olympics Savior." Pro-Romney super PAC Restore Our Future placed a $7.2 million ad buy centered on his Olympics success, featuring Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi in one of its ads reflecting on how Romney brought her "a sense of hope."
Missing from the ad, and Romney's own telling of the story, is how that hope for the 2002 Olympics was also restored through $342 million in direct federal funding and an additional $1.1 billion in indirect financing from Washington.
When do Romney and Co. start telling the truth?
Hasn't the federal government always contributed to the Olympics? Seems to me I remember President Obama himself taking a little flight on Air Force One to tout Chicago as a host site for the Olympics. Surely you remember that!
"You didn't build that" refers to businesses, not the Olympics. Sure, every business uses something provided by the government, be it roads, railways, ports, utilities, schools, etc. The thing is that those business owners have already PAID taxes to help provide those very things that everyone uses.
WOW, how weird is Mike's post.
Willard "saves" the Olympics, with more federal money than every Olympics held in the US combined ever and who knows from who corporate donations and shady deals and attempted shady deals we don't know about since he destroyed all the records (a Willard habit, see end of term of governor of MA)and mike compares it to the American contingent that traveled to make the presentation to the IOC as a finalist city.
LOL.
Truth matters not to Republicans, past behaviors mean nothing to Republicans, there is a giant etcha sketch that can erase all the lies and then allow them to retroactively become a resident of Mass. after filing tax returns stating being a Utah resident, retroactively retire from Baine, sign into law health care reform that has penalties for those who can afford health insurance while refusing to carry. Romney has walked back from just about every position and flip flopped after flip flopping over and over again. President Obama stood firm and resolute on his health care law despite all the criticisms. President Obama stood firm on his decision to kill bin laden. How will a President Romney decide about anything since he cannot hold firm on whatever he supported in the past? How can anyone have confidence in Romney to make the tough calls necessary for a President, when the only thing he held strong on is his religious cult? Once a President makes a decision, that decision cannot be retroactively changed, and Presidential decisions affect 320 million people.
Romney registered as a lobbyist to get money for the Olympics from the government. He brought in over $1 billion from the government, which was a record for any Olympics.
Per huffingtonpost.com: "Romney wasn't just the head of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee. Romney was also a registered lobbyist for the organization, Utah state records show.
Romney last worked as a lobbyist on Dec. 31, 2000, according to a spokesman for the state lieutenant governor, who oversees the registry."
Yes, I do remember President Obama trying to get the Olympics in the US. But Romney and his advocates have tried to spin his story to make it look like he turned the Olympics around all on his own. He did no such thing. He was the head of a "Committee" not the solo. He had over a billion dollars in help from the tax payers of this country. And last I looked all tax payers help provide roads, railways, etc. Oh and some of the people Romney has dragged out to indignantly state they built their own businesses have been proven to have taken government loans to get their businesses started or keep it going and have taken government contracts for their goods. They built their businesses, but the government gave them a hand and the tax payers helped and continue to help with the roads to their businesses, the ports for their goods, utilities, etc.
John Hynanshy, Biden's personal friend received Gov. money to sell Porches in the Ukraine. How does that benefit our economy? Selling foreign cars in a foreign country?
roc, Romney has stated repeatedly that he saved the Olympics. He didn't do it alone. He fails to state that he registered as a lobbyist to obtain over a billion dollars from the government to do so (a record amount of tax payer money) and that he was the chairman of a committee, he wasn't doing it solo. I don't know what reference to the loan to someone selling cars in the Ukraine has to do with what I said about Romney except that it is just another "look over here, don't look at Romney" effort. On the face of it, I do not agree that someone selling cars in the Ukraine should have government money to do so, but I don't know all the facts so there may be some benefit. If not, it is wrong. However, if that's the game you want to play, I have just one more word for you .... Halliburton.
A comparison?
The Obama's supporters claim they are informed about what Obama is doing and that why they support him.
Lets see how much they know.
In what month and year did Obama sign a Bill into law that if you attended a protest, or a strike, or a political rally you could end up being arrested for committing a felony?
Thats Scary, Voters, voting for someone and not knowing what the candidates policy is? Write in Elmer Fudd then?
January, 2012. Its in the Congressional Record if you're interested.
Why does everybody blame President Obama for the job numbers, is he suppose to have a magic wand that will create jobs. Why not put the blame where it belongs - when President Obama took office, the clowns: McConnell, Boehner, Cantor and the rest of the idiots wanted to make sure that President Obama would be a one term president. They refuse to sign the job bills put forward by our President, as far as I am concern this would be classified as treason for the way they treat President Obama. Again, unless you are rich, rich and have a job and health care, you people have no worries. All the clowns cared about was their own money and health care and screw the people out there who need to make a living.
I read in the business section that the jobs numbers are one thing no president can effect. Not President Obama and not Mitt romney.....what Romney can do with the help of his Wall Street buddies is to put us in another bubble and take what little we have left........I'm stickin with O&Joe.
Wouldnt most of those bills be for creating government workers who more than likely are Forced to join a union and payed for with money the government does not have?
yoliescott,
By engaging in obstructionist acts to prevent the president from easing the suffering of Americans, republicans did commit treason against the American people......And they must not be rewarded for such treasonous acts.
Oh get off that "one-term" bs!! It is the goal of any opposition political party to make the incumbent anything a one-termer. If that isn't true, then please just provide the list of all the Democrats who lined up to ensure GWB his second term. Until that happens, you are just blowing smoke!
Seems to me that the only 2 Democrats reelected in recent memory were FDR and Clinton. Wow......I guess that means those mean old Republicans were plotting against the Dems all along! LOL!
Mikehatawaway,
WE will not get off the one term statement. We will be relentless reminding the American voters that is the stance the Republicans held firm on for the past 3 1/2 years. It was a mistake to not compromise on anything. It is still a mistake to not do anything, anything at all that could possibly improve the economy and create jobs. We will be relentless reminding voters that the problems with the economy, the low jobs numbers, unfunded wars, and Republican policies going back 30 years is not the fault of President Obama. We will be relentless in reminding voters that the path forward is not to take the path backwards. We will be relentless in reminding voters that President Obama has a credible plan that will sow the seeds for prosperity for all. We will be relentless in reminding voters that the Republican approaches will only sow seeds for the wealthy, and will only sow seeds to change our country from being a democracy to a plutocracy. We will not relent and we will not be fooled by the lies and hyprocacy.
Wait, Willard is criticizing President Obama's speech? You're kidding! I thought he didn't watch it. That is what he said, anyway. Guess you can't believe anything, er everything Willard says.
Kind of strange for him to criticize the President, who not only mentions and reveres our troops, but has done more for them and veterans than any other president, ever. But I digress.
Willard never mentioned the war, or the troops, during his speech. Hell, the war and the troops weren't mentioned at all during the entire RNC convention.
Friday, September 7, 2012, on FOX News, Willard Mitt Romney explained his reasons for not mentioning U.S. troops in his nomination to be President and Commander in Chief acceptance speech and the reason he regrets not mentioning them.
Apparently, he believes the military, which is an institution, is the same as the troops, who are human beings. And he only regrets it because the media, including FOX News, won't shut up about it.
FOX News' BRETT BAIER: To hear several speakers in Charlotte, they were essentially saying that you don’t care about the U.S. military because you didn’t mention U.S. troops and the war in Afghanistan in your nomination acceptance speech. Do you regret opening up this line of attack, now a recurring attack, by leaving out that issue in the speech.
WILLARD MITT ROMNEY: I only regret you’re repeating it day in and day out. When you give a speech you don’t go through a laundry list, you talk about the things that you think are important and I described in my speech, my commitment to a strong military unlike the president’s decision to cut our military. And I didn’t use the word troops, I used the word military. I think they refer to the same thing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tVPscytI3DI
Didnt he read the speech?
What year did George Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleeza Rice decide it was ok to conspire with AT&T to spy on every word we said, every word we typed, and frighten us with the threat of a mushroom cloud from Iraq?
And then as a follow up, when did the Bush Administration also authorize torture that goes against our Geneva Convention Accord agreements in the Hague, keeping George Bush and Cheney from travelling around the world, with the fear they may get arrested and tried for torture?
King said, "do not doubt Romney's patriotism or love of Jesus Christ, our savior"
fact check, Mormons do not consider Jesus Christ the savior, but a prophet
Mormonism in a nutshell:
It was founded by Joseph Smith in the 1800’s who claimed as a young boy he read the Bible and prayed to find out what church was “true.” He said God, known as Heavenly Father, appeared to him and told him not to join any churches because they were teaching “incorrect doctrines.” So, he formed the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints (LDS) who believed:
- Plural Marriage (a man must have more than one wife to attain the highest degree of heaven) (Romney’s father was born to a polygamist father on a commune in Mexico. Maybe we should ask to see Romney’s birth certificate too.)
- The black race is not entitled to hold God's priesthood because Dark skin is a curse from God, the result of “our sin” (this doctrine was not abandoned until 1978). (This explains all those white faces in Utah)
Who still believe:
- Mormonism is the only “true” religion and members should not pray to Jesus, nor try to feel a personal relationship with him. (And Christian’s support this guy?)
- God lives on a planet near the star Kolob and the sun receives its light from Kolob. (Can it be seen by the Hubble telescope?)
- The Garden of Eden was in Missouri. (Missouri??)
All humanity before the Great Flood lived in the western hemisphere. The Ark
transported Noah and the other survivors to the eastern hemisphere. (Science?
Who needs science? Will Texas have to change its school books again? Will we?)
- Mormons are to avoid traveling on water, because Satan rules the waters. Missionaries are prohibited from swimming and taking “tub” baths. (Thank their “Heavenly Father” for showers!)
- Polygamy is still allowed in heaven where men can still have more than one wife. (Where’s the equality for women who want more than one husband?)
Members are expected to:
- Donate at least 10% of their income to the church (tithing) but never give members an accounting of how this money is spent, or how much the church receives, or anything at all about its financial condition; church finances are kept secret. (Like Romney’s tax returns.)
- Be unquestioningly obedient to church authorities in whatever they might tell you to do. "Follow the Brethren" is the slogan, and it means to follow without doubt or question. (What will LDS authorities tell Romney to do with the USA?)
- Fulfill the role of the Mormon woman which is to be a wife and mother and to obey and honor her “priest” husband (or father). (Including incest or rape by an “ex? ” And, ladies, good-bye birth control because we need more Mormons….lots more!)
- Not to read any material which is "not faith-promoting," that is, which may be critical or questioning of the church or its leaders, or which might place the church or its leaders in an unfavorable light. (You mean, like a cult?)
Romney has dark secrets about his religion and his finances that he refuses to reveal, but wants you to trust him!
Just because a religion differs from your beliefs they are wrong? Lets hear what you have to say about Jewish Faith, Amish, Islam, Hindu, Buddhists, Muslim etc. etc.
Romney wont be allowed to read what you just wrote.
Its the republicans who are running on religion to get votes. This is the point.
So its kinda funny they are now overlooking Romneys Mormonism. They really do not care about religion its all about money and power.
Money and Power? Hmm What was Kerry's net worth when he was a Democratic Candidate for President? A Dreaded 1%er? Okay then but not now?
I can just imagine what we will get sitting on the Supreme court with a choice made by Morman Romney and Catholic Ryan......they drag their religion behind them every day.
What if it was Hindu and a Buddhist? Showing a little bigotry there because of ones faith?
Biden's Faith?