E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSThe front page of the Des Moines Register is good news for Romney. With dueling headlines and photos – it’s a smiling Romney greeting a crowd above the headline, “Romney expresses optimism,” and next to that a skeptical-looking Obama and the headline, “Obama sharpens criticism.”
He puts “bayonets” in Virginia and New Hampshire radio ads, doubling down on his claim that the Navy is smaller now than since 1917. Here’s the script: ROMNEY: “Our Navy now is smaller than any time since 1917. The Navy said they needed 313 ships to carry out their mission; we’re now down to 285. …That’s unacceptable to me.” ANNOUNCER: “To Mitt Romney, that’s a problem. To President Obama, it’s a chance to deliver a punch line.” OBAMA: “[W]e also have fewer horses and bayonets…” ANNOUNCER: “The state of our Navy, the state of our entire U.S. military, is crucial for America. Our freedom depends on it. And so do many of our jobs, 136,000 in Virginia alone. Does President Obama know how much his defense cuts will hurt us? Sure, his flippant remarks insult Mitt Romney, but do they also expose how President Obama views the world and America’s place in it? As Commander-in-Chief, Mitt Romney will reverse Obama’s defense cuts. He will invest in our military, creating jobs, and defending our freedom.”
But Romney is wrong on the facts. The Washington Post’s Kessler writes that in 1916, there were 245 ships, and they included small warships, gunboats, and torpedo boats. Today’s boats are not only more powerful, there are more of them. “The current level of ships, 285 in fiscal 2011, is actually not even the lowest since 1916,” Kessler writes. “The historical list shows that the lowest ship force was reached during the Bush administration, when the number of ships fell to 278 in 2007. Given the change over time in the composition of the naval force, that probably is the most relevant comparison — and the trend line is up.”
And: “Romney’s pledge to build 15 more ships per year, including three submarines, also is less than meets the eye. The current Navy plan is to build 34 ships over the next four years — 10 in 2013 — including seven submarines as part of its goal to reach at least 300 ships by 2019.” Plus: “No other country in the world has a Navy or Air Force that is remotely comparable in size or power to the United States’. China just commissioned its first aircraft carrier, a refurbished old tub from Ukraine. The United States has 11 carriers, each of which is far, far more advanced than any foreign carrier on the high seas.”
And the fact checkers agree. Politifact gave Romney a “Pants on Fire” for the claim. FactCheck.org: “Romney Flunks Naval History.” FactCheck.org says there were 342 ships in 1917 when the U.S. entered WWI, but “there are more Navy ships now than during the last four years of George W. Bush’s presidency” and “it’s true that the Navy has fewer ships now than it did then — but not fewer than at “any time” since then.”
The conservative-leaning Washington Examiner endorses Romney.
USA Today editorial: “As head of the Winter Olympics organizing committee in 2002, Mitt Romney undoubtedly saw ice skaters executing double flips. Now Romney, in his bid for the White House, is attempting a similar move. … To some degree, this is par for the course in American politics, where candidates tack to their party's ideological edge to get the nomination, then shift toward the center in a bid for independent votes. Nor is the nation well-served by politicians who never change their minds, even in the face of new facts. But Romney has moved back and forth more abruptly, and on more issues, than most candidates, leaving voters to sort conviction from opportunism. Would President Romney govern as moderate Mitt from Massachusetts? Or the self-described ‘severely conservative’ Mitt from the Republican primaries? Odd as it might seem, the answer is: probably both. … In any event, the surest way for voters to reconcile Romney's debate season gyrations is to recognize that they're voting not just for a president but for a party as well.”
“Mitt Romney’s 1991 testimony in the divorce of Staples founder Tom Stemberg will be considered for public release on Thursday in open court and with television cameras rolling at Norfolk Probate and Family Court,” the Boston Globe writes. “The court on Wednesday rejected Stemberg’s request to close the hearing, siding with the Globe, which is seeking access to the impounded testimony of Romney, now the Republican nominee for president. … Gloria Allred, an attorney for Sullivan Stemberg, produced two, inch-thick volumes of testimony Romney delivered during the divorce proceedings two decades ago.”
Leave a Comment:
Carry on Myth. This for you
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcbq3v8lj11qz581wo2_500.gif
4 more 4 44
More good news for Romney.. he is winning the election!
Look at the polls! (Ignore NBC's and Time's which oversample Democrats)
We are not the English fighting the Spanish Armada any more!
Don't LOOK NOW, but it is 2012.
An ex-Navy guy friend said:
"the fleet is smaller than 100 years ago ... they can go 5 times faster, go 10+ times farther, stay out 20 times longer and have 10,000 times the fire power and defense systems than 100 years ago."
Exactly correct Backhouse! Mitt Romney and Family have done everything possible to avoid service in the military. Mitt is so ignorant about military affairs, that President Obama had to teach him that we have air craft carriers that can launch and recover airplanes are nine times more effective than the WWII carriers due to technonogy. Then, Mitt was astounded to learn that the US had vessels that were cabable of working underwater. His jaw dropped when he learned that and that their name was "submarines". Mitt of military service avoidance land known as the mormon religion, rushed home to the embrace of Ann and blurted out, you won't believe what I just learned during the debates!
I'll cut the deficit in half in my first term .
That was a good one .
No. On Day 1, I'll cut the deficit in half. I know how to cut deficits. I'll cut the deficit!!!!
I know how to create jobs! I'll create jobs!!!!
Q: How?
By creating more jobs!!!!
Obama said we have less bayonets now than in 1916?
2012 - 764,591
1916 - 449,216
If you are going to say something and be credible you should at least be right!
I almost wish Obama would win the election which ain't going to happen just to see him have to resign or be impeached because of Benghazigate & Fast & Furious!
Fast & Furious was started in 2006 by that administration
Once again, Mitt can't get his facts straight, does not know his history and is pretty close to out and out lying. Has anyone else heard about the big fall out that is about to happen with regards to Mitt lying about the worth of Staples so the CEO of Staples did not have to pay his ex-wife her full divorce settlement? Here is the link:
Gloria Allred, Maureen Stemberg Sullivan In Court: Judge Holds ...
www.huffingtonpost.com/.../gloria-allred-stemberg-mitt-romn
Maybe that is also one of the reasons voters in MA really, really don't like Mitt. All this time I thought it was perhaps Ole Mitt really did not reside in MA when he registered to vote, voted, ran for office and held office there (but he was absent about 2 years which is what they said saved them per our conversations with Bostonians while we were on vacation there this past summer). Sorry Mitt - still not buying what you guys are selling.
Desperate mudslinging by the Chicago thug machine..
Digging into divorce records is the standard MO of Axelrod and his minions....
Mitt Romney testfied in a divorce case as to the value of stock....how boring.
Actually, it is the standard MO of Lee Atwater and Karl Rove.
Supposedly, in that divorce hearing, Romney said that Staples was worthless at the same time that he was planning on selling his shares in Staples for a large sum of money (and did so several weeks later). If as Republicans argued, Bill Clinton deserved to be impeached for committing perjury, then Romney should not be elected president for committing perjury.
Additionally, if he is willing to lie under oath to help his friends, he would certainly be willing to lie on national tv to help himself.
Exactly correct Backhouse! Mitt Romney and Family have done everything possible to avoid service in the military. Mitt is so ignorant about military affairs, that President Obama had to teach him that we have air craft carriers that can launch and recover airplanes are nine times more effective than the WWII carriers due to technonogy. Then, Mitt was astounded to learn that the US had vessels that were cabable of working underwater. His jaw dropped when he learned that and that their name was "submarines". Mitt of military service avoidance land known as the mormon religion, rushed home to the embrace of Ann and blurted out, you won't believe what I just learned during the debates!
More lies from the lying lier!!! How can anyone believe him anymore? I swear, the only thing that man knows, is lying to make himself look better than he really is? Why can't he just tell the truth? Ooohh, i know!!! The truth would hurt his chances of buying this Presidency!!!
The Navy, Mitt? No, the Navy has more, and better technology than any other country in the world. Our Navy of today, could use half that force, and deal with any threat given them. Our Navy, all of our fighting forces, have better trained personell, and better equipment, than any country on earth! We, America, does not need more ships.
Rummey, go away, and take your PARTY of TRAITORS with you!
America needs help, not hinderance from the Right Wing Traitors! OBAMA knows, Rummey has a big nose!!!
O & JOE FOR ALL AMERICANS!!!!
I know horses! Ann has one. I'll get more horses, and I'll get them jobs!!!!
I'll put horses to work building submarines. I know how to build submarines, and I'll build them!
I have sworn to preserve and protect submarines, and I'll preserve and protect submarines!!!!
And horses.
If a horse gets pregnant while building submarines, it is God's intent.
What have we gained by four years ? Absolutely nothing. We have a President that was an activist, backed anyone who was against America, did things without the consent of the Congress and house of Representatives, has us so far in debt it wil take years to catch up, held up on giving the ok for the Navy Seals to take out Laban, and then take credit for getting him, uses Air Force One for personal reasons, joined the Wall Street bank in helping to arrange home loans to so many poor people not caring that they could not pay it, has the worst people possible on his staff, tell me, has he paid Hawaii the money owed on his trips there? And plans to bring America to it's knees. He is a multimillionaire who refuses to help his poor relatives in his homeland. He needs a full blown investigation and his cabinet along with him. He is the devil in disguise and has no sense of true patriotic feelings for the honest people who believed his lies. Wake up all you who believe in American freedom. He is a bragging, boastful hypocrit and needs brought down. His wife didn't like America before he got elected but now she is for it. If you care for our future, for our children, grandchildren, friend and country vote him out.
I will finish my rant by saying, if a majority of Americans think that this empty suit has anything at all to offer other than vaporous promises and they elect him, he damn well better fix everything.
He is totally unprepared for any phase of the job, especially foreign policy as we saw, but he has no excuse. He said he can do it, and he freaking better.
I'm hoping enough people will see that he has no convictions, no new ideas at all, and no morals so the rest of us don't have to endure his retrograde policies, but if they don't and elect this idiot, I'm holding the baggers responsible. They are the ones that won't take responsibility for themselves, but if Wrongme wins, they will have no other choice.
No excuses, and no apologies. Fix it!!!
Abraham Lincoln asked for 18,000 horses for the Army. President Reagan asked for three. What has happened to our Army? Romney appears to be a horse walking away.
Once again Romney tells the audience WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR. Virginia has ship building and lots of military because of DC so if one is going to pander to a crowd in such a place one says just what Mitt said. Reality may be quite different and probably will be, depending of course on what Grover Norquist and the Koch Brothers want Willard to do.
All the Pentagon needs is 10,000 aluminum rowboats and 20,000 horses.
Be glad Romneys running ...Go to his website Bain Capitol ..he took 36 million and turned it into 66 billion worth of capitol some 100 busineses he helped...so he got rich doing it big deal..thats thousands of jobs hes helped steel companys medical device co names u might now like Toys R U S...Dominos Pizza..Auto parts companys..Hes a creator. He gives million to charties Obama is a taker and giver of your money LIved off tax payer his whole life ....and u voted for him and he.ll get his $$$$200.000.00 dollar penttion every year and wii\ll still be paying the 4 trillion he put us in debt ...I dont no anybody that got job building a bridge or road do u...