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Subscribe to RSSThe presidential race heated up as Mitt Romney continued his assault of President Obama's record in Florida, saying that a 7.8 percent unemployment rate is nothing to celebrate. NBC's Ron Mott reports.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – Mitt Romney concluded a three-day Florida campaign swing with one of his largest crowds of the campaign season packing a town square to hear his retooled stump speech, which now highlights the sometimes-rigid candidate's personal side.
"Now I’m optimistic – I want you to know that great days are ahead," Romney said Sunday before more than 10,000 supporters. "I know something about great human beings in this country. It’s that that gives me the confidence that our future will be so bright, because I’ve seen how Americans respond to challenge – and even to tragedy."
Romney then repeated three tales of courage in the face of death and tragedy that he debuted days ago in this critical battleground state.
The stories, told in succession, have quickly become a staple of Romney's stump speech and are designed to highlight the candidate's personal compassion.
One story even makes note of Romney's time as a pastor of a Massachusetts ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – a period once all but off limits for Romney, who rarely spoke of his Mormon religion in the early months of the campaign.
“I was serving as a pastor in my congregation at church and the – young fellow in our ward named David Oparowski, his parents from Medford, Massachusetts – his dad a firefighter, his mom a stay at home mom. They raised their two sons. But at age 14, David contracted leukemia and became very, very ill," Romney said. "It was clear that there was no good conclusion to this leukemia."
Romney ends the story of David's untimely death with a recitation of the phrase: "Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose," borrowed from the NBC’s high school football drama, "Friday Night Lights." That phrase, with the "can't lose" removed, also appeared in a campaign fundraising email from Ann Romney on Sunday.
The former Massachusetts governor also hit all five points of his economic plan. He also noted that his plan would protect Medicare for current seniors and reform it for the future.
Given the heated battle for the senior vote here in Florida, the Obama campaign quickly fired back on Medicare reform.
"Mitt Romney would turn Medicare into a voucher program and increase costs for retirees by more than $6,000,” Obama campaign spokesperson Lis Smith said in a statement. “The truth hurts – especially for the middle class families who would suffer under Romney’s policies.”
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To put Romney and Ryan on the same ideological path as Palin and Bachmann should scare the bejeeesus out of everyone with a brain for how low expectations of our party leadership have fallen.
Some facts about Paul Ryan (the woman hater)
Supported Allowing Emergency Rooms to Deny Emergency Abortion Where the Woman is Likely to Die Without It.
Sponsored Legislation For Forced Ultrasounds. Congressman Ryan co-sponsored the so-called “Ultrasound Informed Consent Act” (H.R.3805, 112th Cong. § 2 – in 2012) requiring a woman to undergo a forced ultrasound even if not medically necessary before receiving abortion services, and even if against the woman’s will.
Sponsored Legislation and Voted to Defund Planned Parenthood.
Voted Repeatedly to Deny Military Women Access to Abortion, Even if They Pay for It Themselves.
Congressman Ryan has said repeatedly that he is against ALL abortions, even in cases of rape and incest, or where the Mother’s life is at risk. In July, 2010, he told the Weekly Standard, a Conservative publication, “I’m as pro-life as a person gets.
Wants to Overturn Roe v. Wade. Congressman Ryan strongly favors overturning Roe v. Wade. In his own words, he has compared the decision (which guaranteed a woman’s right to choose and have control over her own reproductive health) to the Dred Scott Decision (the 1857 Supreme Court decision that allowed slavery to continue at that time).
According to NARAL, “During his time in the House, Rep. Ryan has cast 59 votes on abortion and other reproductive rights issues. All of these votes were anti-choice.
Church and state is what they want..to have such laws
fascism is coming in the name of god...look at Romney.and the whole tea party
Shake hands with Mitty boy....count your fingers....
Mitt and Ryan.
The Dynamic Dual.
Betcha Mitt's got an "Alfred" for those caddies.
Flipper Mitt definitely won on style,nothing on substance...a
Obama is a complete failure. Only terrorists, idiots, and crackheads will be voting for him.
Is this a considered opinion of American politics from a German perspective?
Be careful...
he has my vote
Goodnight all. It's been fun busting the rightwingextremistrepublicanpartybarnstormers.
Sorry, didn't mean to curse.
church and state..will issue in the mark of the beast people...these crazy evangelicals in office is what they want..the voters don't even see it.its the tea party..God is a good thing..in my house i will worship the lord...the tea party..you will worship the lord.new laws in the future
Obama's old plan: spend, spend, spend.
Obama's new plan: tax, tax, tax.
your a German ..you don't pay USA taxes
Romneys plan... Say anything to get elected. Never provide any details of future plans, stay flexible on issues until next polls come out, meet weekly with million dollar contributors, smile as we send out troops into another war in the next two years to boost the job market.
@Gem,
Hitler's plan:
Spend, spend, spend auf der Autobahn.
Actually worked out well for a while.
If you saved 5 Deutschmarks a week for a year, you could buy a Volkswagen and go for a nice drive.
U.S. Ambassador murdered by terrorists, just a 'bump in the road' according to Obama.
Reichstag fire.
gem he could have got his own protection...he is an ambassador...do all government employees need to call obama first for everything?
I live in Port St. Lucie Fl. Went to Mr. Mitt's royalty appearance. First, I did not see 10,000 people there. Why, Port St. Lucie died due to over construction for the flippers in 2005/6.
Don't be fooled by this new makeover of Romney. He's still the same flip-flopper, job killer, liar and servant of the rich he was before the debate. This is the same Romney who, in the debate, portrayed himself as getting along with Dems in Massachusetts. Yet he was highly partisan. He ignored Statehouse Dems with a few episodes of charm, as he vetoed their efforts and "excised budget line items a remarkable 844 times" per Michael Wines. Plus, in the second year of his term, he sought to get rid of Dem legislators, per Michael Wines, by spending $3 million of his parties money and using a political strategist, Michal Murphy, to help defeat these same legislators. In addition, he never reduced the unemployment rate by more than a percentage point in four years, as Massachusetts retained the ranking of the 47th state in job growth. And as to Massachusetts schools being #1, that wasn't due to Romney but to Governor Weld who reformed the state schools 10 years before Romney took office.
Obama spent more in 3.5 years than Bush spent in 8, and the U.S. economy is trashed.
tax beaks bailed out banks..2 wars.. Obamahad to borrow money to pay that back..yes that's why we are in this mess..gem Bush..
What the heck, time for one more...Goodnight:)
Mitt Romney’s great healthcare plan…LIE.
Who is Jonathan Gruber…???
Jonathan Gruber, economics professor at MIT, was actually the designer of MA’s healthcare plan, not Mitt Romney.
Bigger lie…Actually Senator Kennedy was the muscle behind the MA healthcare plan, not Mitt Romney, and it could not have been achieved without his negotiations and influence.
But wait, it gets better…
… it was a government bailout. It was a result of Mitt Romney’s failed healthcare plan.
It was funded by your federal dollars., and is still being funded by your federal dollars, via subsidiaries.
The only reason MA has the healthcare plan that it does, is because MA’s healthcare was in dire straights, under Mitt Romney’s leadership.
Wait for it…
… it was paid for with 385 million dollars of federal money.
That’s right, your money.
Then they insured absolutely anyone they could find, with Medicare. Why…?
Because the federal dollars would match Medicare. That’s right, your money.
But wait, it gets even better…
Right now, federal Medicaid dollars continue to pay for both children and adults, for up to 300% of the poverty line in MA.
Have you figured it out yet…?
Yes, the entire State of Massachusetts is on FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE…!!!
Just speculating here…I wonder if the entire state of MA knows it falls in that 47% area…?
But this will never work for the rest of the country…
Here’s why…
He wants to provide insurance for the rest of the country another way.
He wants to cap the Medicaid dollars at whatever the state received last year, add 1%, and then let us on our own to fend for ourselves. Or in his own words “manage your poor the way you think best”.
You must understand people…that’s a cut to Medicaid to the tune of more than 600 billion dollars. This differs greatly from the generous deal that MA got.
He opposes giving money for healthcare at the federal level, and also refuses to give it at the state level.
That, on top of Romney’s reportable care act (Romney care) pushes Medicaid cuts to well above 1 trillion dollars.
Why is this important…?
It means that the rest of the states will not have the generous benefits that Massachusetts had.
This means that he will be “pulling up the ladder” so no other state can achieve healthcare the way MA has.
Under Romney’s plan, there is no way to achieve universal healthcare.
Indeed, if Medicare is cut, even the current healthcare plan in Massachusetts will not survive.
The only reason Massachusetts healthcare plan has continued to survive, is from a generous waiver, first from the Bush administration, and yes, wait for it…
…then from the Obama administration, for billions and billions of dollars.
Massachusetts…your own worst enemy…? Yes !
Mitt’s cut to Medicare will put the burden of healthcare solely on the state’s tax-payer dollars.
They can not afford that, and the healthcare plan will wither away.
Furthermore, the Romney care plan, will cut Medicaid by 700 billion dollars.
More facts…By the year 2022 ( only ten years down the road ), Obama care will have 33 million more people under health care coverage.
Romney care will have 18 million fewer Americans with health care coverage.
These are all facts contributed by Jonathan Gruber, the designer of Romney’s MA healthcare plan.
Source:#49309012
Talk to the Hand
Fisty says:
Talk to the hand: I know you never ever did anything as a teen that you regret now. Thank you miss holier than thou. What a joke. Going back to that old frigging story. Extremely pathetic. But we have grown to expect nothing else from you and your ever praising minions. Oh no you right wing nut jobs would never bring up anyones past would you. I mean like say the birther issue or School records. NOOOO way you all would never bring up a video you all found from when the President was in college or the 2007 video or the reverand wright issue, No not you two faces bigot facist racist nut jobs, who put a morman up to be the leader of the free world. Sorry ole boy but thar dog don't hunt!!! Even if you all have mastered the art of Lying with a forked tongue, So no to you and your cult morman leader!!! Ps don't get your holy panies in a wad!
Minorities (especially black people)
With Romney as President, leave your rights in your head. Because they will only be a dream. And the revised Jim Crow laws will make certain of that.
Women
With Romney as President get used to big government spying into your uterus
Hispanics
With Romney as President be ready to show your papers. Because this Country will be a police state and you will be the target.
White men
With Romney as President be ready to raise another man’s baby, possibly by a black man. Your wife, daughter or loved one gets raped and becomes pregnant, by law she will be forced to have the baby.
Girls
With Romney as President you'd better make peace with God. Because some of you will die giving birth. Because your bodies will not be mature enough to carry a baby to term. And with the constant reminder of the father, you will be traumatized for life coming in and out of therapy, especially if the father was also your rapist.
Lets see.....
Romney / Ryan - Business genius / Economics genius
Obama / Biden - money squanderer / imbecile
Tough decision lol
tax beaks bailed out banks..2 wars.. Obamahad to borrow money to pay that back..yes that's why we are in this mess..gem Bush..lol
jimmy in philly
GermanGem
Yep, 27 Lies in 38 minutes is a Big win?
Tell that to Big Bird, Bert and Ernie and the Cookie Monster.
As far as I am concerned that debate just galvanized something America already knew. Mitt is still capable of Lying right to your face and then expect you to believe him as if something magical just happened.
Oh, I liked how he picked on the Old Guy Moderator too and threatened to fire him. If you don't think America didn't pick up on that then you underestimate the intelligence of the American People.
So what Obama may have been in a fog that day thinking about his anniversary with his wife, but Mitts Behavior is nothing to be proud of.
He ain't the President yet so he should shut his Pie Hole before he threatens the Old Moderator guy again.
Romney is even more of a Scumbag in my book after this shameful in your face performance to all of America on National T.V.!
He didn't win that debate, he just reinforced to America what a true Scumbag he is!
@Gem,
Let's see...
Adolph Hitler business genius war genius
Winston Churchill drunk Stoopid
Didn't work out so well for you then. Won't work out so well for you now.
NAZI = National Socialist Workers' Party
Obama = Socialist
Only difference between Hitler and Obama is that Hitler made everybody work.
not the rich Germans
Rich folks are doing fine under Obama's watch. Their personal wealth has gone up almost %14. Middle class folks however have seen their personal wealth go down %30.
Median incomes under Bush went up $5,000. Median incomes under Obama have gone down $5,000.
GermanGem-- OF COURSE the rich are "doing fine", they are still basking in the two HUGE TAX CUTS given to them by that IDIOT DUBYA. My husband and I are STRICTLY middle class, and we haven't seen our "personal wealth" go down at all! In fact our I.R.A.'s and my husband's 401k have TRIPLED IN VALUE over the past 3&1/2 years. We haven't seen our incomes decline either, so I don't know where you are getting your information, but it is clearly INNACURATE. It is in fact an, HISTORICALLY PROVEN TRUTH, that "median incomes" have only "been in decline" when there is a REPUBLICAN in the White House.
Good to see Mitt abandoning the TP and getting back to his own beliefs. I guess Ryan will have to reel in the rightwing TP radicals on his own.
Obama to defense contractors regarding lay-off notices:
Don't obey the law and when you get sued the American taxpayers will pay for your legal expenses.
thats always been the case?
Halliburton and Lockheed Martin is praying for a Romney/Ryan ticket.
They will be guaranteed to stay in the black.
When will Obama stop the blame game and take responsibility?
tax breaks bailed out banks..2 wars.. Obama had to borrow money to pay that back..yes that's why we are in this mess..gem Bush..
Wrong Elvis. Obama's crazy spending and unemployment are why we are in this mess.
I WAS IMPRESSED WITH ROMNEY.
I was impressed with how he was able to dodge the questions and avoid giving specifics.
It must be from all those years of being a Corporate w h o r e.
Federal unemployment claim extensions were stopped last month. Obama is so clever lol.
obama stops that now?
Yes Elvis. Those people affected will have to apply for welfare now, unless they have a secret stash of money somewhere.
It is about time they were stopped with unemployment decreasing as it is and all.
Don't be fooled by the new makeover of Romney. He's still the same flip-flopper, liar, job killer, supporter of the rich and the one who disdains the 47%. He's the same one who, in the debate, portrayed himself as this great person who worked with the Dems in the state legislature. Not so! 844 times he vetoed the Dems initiatives, though they overrode most of his vetoes. And, per Michael Wines, in the second year of his term, he sought to oust them out of their seats with the use of $3 million from Republican coffers and a political strategist to plan the ouster. In addition, under Romney, "unemployment dropped less than a percentage point in four years" per Michael Wines too. As to his taking credit for state schools of Massachusetts being #1, not so. Yes, Massachusetts school are ranked #1. But this is due to Governor Weld who established school reform 10 years before Romney took office.
yeah he was just telling a joke ....he knew the camera was there