Year: 2012

Categories
Mitt Romney Politics

Romney’s Family Trust Fund Violated Romney’s Pledge To Republican Party

WASHINGTON — Presidential candidate Mitt Romney promised in 2007 he would shed any investments that conflicted with Republican positions on hot-button domestic and foreign policy issues. But Romney’s family trusts kept some of those holdings and repeatedly bought new ones until 2010, when they were finally sold off for more than $3 million, according to a detailed review of Romney’s financial records by The Associated Press.

Recently disclosed tax returns for three family trust funds for Romney, his wife, Ann, and their adult children show scores of trades in companies whose business operations are inconsistent with Republican Party stances that Romney favors on Iran, China, stem cell research, abortion and other issues.

A Romney campaign spokeswoman, Andrea Saul, said the former Massachusetts governor has no control over the investments made by his blind trust, but the trustee has tried to manage the trades “in a manner consistent with Gov. Romney’s publicly expressed positions.”

The continual trading between 2006 and 2010 raises questions about why the investments continued for three years, even after Romney said in 2007 that the trust would sell off any conflicted holdings. Those trades came during a period when Romney has sought to convince voters of his conservative Republican values. The trades also raise questions about whether any of the transactions were vetted for possible conflicts or political perception before they were made.

“Financially, these would seem to be completely legitimate investments,” said Thomas B. Cooke, a professor of business law at Georgetown University and former president of the National Society of Tax Professionals. “But for someone running for president, there’s also a smell test.”

Romney’s spokeswoman would not respond to questions about the timing or vetting of his investments in his blind trust. She said, however, that the lawyer running the trust occasionally makes adjustments in holdings with Romney’s positions in mind.

Categories
Mitt Romney paying taxes Politics taxes

Top Reid Aide Calls Romney’s People “Cowards” And “Henchmen”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s chief of staff fired back at Mitt Romney’s supporters, calling them “henchmen” and “cowards” for their attacks on the top Democrat.

Reid claims he has a “credible source” who told him Romney has not paid taxes in 10 years, which the GOP presidential nominee says is untrue. The Republican presidential candidate has demanded Reid, D-Nev., to “put up or shut up.”

The name-calling rose when Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus called Reid a “dirty liar” on Sunday.

“They’re a bunch of cowards, and they’re avoiding the issue,” David Krone, Reid’s chief of staff, told Politico. “Lindsey Graham, Reince Priebus — they’re a bunch of henchmen for Romney, and they’re all reading off the same talking points. They couldn’t hold a candle to Harry Reid.”

Categories
Mitt Romney Politics

New Book Details President Obama’s Strong Disdain For Mitt Romney

The book titled Obama’s Last Stand by Glenn Thrush said that in the beginning of the 2012 campaign season, the President was neutral in his feelings for Mitt Romney – the eventual Republican candidate. But as time went on, Mr. Obama “quickly developed a genuine disdain” for his Republican challenger.

From the book:

“One factor made the 2012 grind bearable and at times even fun for Obama: he began campaign preparations feeling neutral about Romney, but like the former governor’s GOP opponents in 2008 and 2012, he quickly developed a genuine disdain for the main. That scorn stoked Obama’s competitive fire, got his head in the game, which came as a relief to some Obama aides who had seen his interest flag when he didn’t feel motivated to crush the opposition. Obama, a person close to him told me, didn’t even feel this strongly about conservative, combative House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, the Hill Republican he disliked the most. At least Cantor stood for something, he’d say.”

“When he talked about Romney, aides picked up a level of anger he never had for Clinton or McCain, even after Sarah Palin was picked as his running mate. ‘There was a baseline of respect for John McCain. The president always thought he was an honorable man and a war hero,’ said a longtime Obama adviser. ‘That doesn’t hold true for Romney. He was no goddamned war hero.'”

Categories
Mitt Romney Politics

Queen of Porn Endorses King Of Outsourcing

Jenna has finally made her preference known. The most anticipated endorsement of this election season happened this week, as the Queen of Porn gave her blessings to the King of Outsourcing, Mitt Romney.

In releasing her statement, Jenna explained that the reason she endorsed Mr. Romney is because Republican presidents have a history of looking out for the interests of the rich over that of the poor – already she’s off message, but she speaks the truth!

The Huffington Post reports:

With an estimated net worth of $30 million and a resume that includes 160 films, Jameson ranks as one of the porn industry’s wealthiest players.

Jameson’s endorsement may come as a surprise to the few people who have kept track of her political leanings. Her decision to back Romney doesn’t exactly mesh with her prior campaigns for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals — perhaps she’s unaware of the Seamus Romney fiasco — and public support for Hillary Clintonin 2008.

Thanks to @SgBz for the brilliant caption used in this piece:

Categories
Politics weekly address

President Obama Name Names In Celebrating Olympians

President Obama congratulates all of the American athletes competing in the Olympics and Paralympics this summer. These men and women have inspired us all with their hard work, determination, and their indomitable spirit as they present the best of America to the rest of the world. The President tells our Olympic and Paralympic competitors that the American people could not be prouder of them, and thanks them for reminding us that we are one people, and by working together we can achieve great things.

Categories
Mitt Romney Politics

According To Mitt Romney, His Own Words Are Just “Poppycock!”

Politics is a brutal sport, especially when the politician cannot be truthful about anything. That is the unfortunate place Mitt Romney has found himself in, and the political sport is devouring his very being.

Take for example one of Romney’s favorite attack lines on President Obama, that the “policies of the president have made the economy worse.” That claim is red meat for his base and Romney never miss an opportunity to feed it to them. But when politics is factored into the equation, we see Romney for who he truly is: a sad little man who will do and say anything to be president.

This is what Romney said in 2004 when Democrats said President Bush made the economy worse. Take it away Mr. Romney:

“The people of America recognize that the slowdown in jobs that occurred during the early years of the Bush administration were the result of a perfect storm. And an effort by one candidate to somehow say ‘Oh, this recession and the slowdown in jobs was the result of somehow this president magically being elected…’ people in America just dismiss that as being poppycock. And they recognize it as that.”

So by your own words, Mr. Romney, we the people are dismissing your candidacy as “poppycock.”

Categories
Politics

John Boehner: I Can’t Believe The President Is Talking To The Middle Class

John Boehner had to get something off his chest, so he went to his friendly neighborhood propaganda machine called Fox News Radio and expressed his frustrations at President Obama for doing the unimaginable – talking about middle class issues.

When Boehner was asked about the president’s belief that economic stability comes from the middle class out and not from the top down, Boehner exploded!

“Sometimes I have to catch my breath and slow down because the rhetoric in this campaign is just so over the top. And that’s because the president’s policies have failed. Listen — 93% of Americans believe they’re a part of the middle class. That’s why you hear the president talk about the middle class every day, because he’s talking to 93% of the American people. But the president has never created a job. He’s never even had a real job for Christ’s sake.”

The Maddow Blog found Boehner’s response interesting; “For the record, Obama has been an attorney, a community organizer working with churches in communities hit by factory closings, a law professor, a state lawmaker, a federal lawmaker, and the president of the United States during a time of multiple crises. I’m curious, which of these jobs does Boehner consider fake?

I’m also struck by the notion that Boehner thinks Obama is too focused on the middle class — a complaint Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) also levied last week. Since when did Republicans decide “talking about the middle class every day” is a bad thing?

Boehner really should catch his breath, slow down, and consider the fact that the rhetoric in this campaign is just so over the top. Then, once he’s regained his composure, he should also realize it’s unbecoming of a Speaker of the House to lose his cool and make attacks like “he’s never even had a real job for Christ’s sake.”

Categories
Mitt Romney Politics

President’s New Ad – If Romney Pays Less, You’ll Pay More

The American people deserves to know all there is to know about the candidates running for President. But the Republican nominee, Mitt Willard Romney, is still trying to hold out, hoping against all hopes that his tax issues would just go away. But not if Team Obama has anything to do with it.

The President’s re-election campaign has come out with another ad explaining to middle class Americans what it will mean if Mitt Romney and his billionaire friends get another tax cut – “… you pay more!”

Categories
Politics

President Obama Over 50% in New Polls

A few new polls over the past couple of days continue to indicate a close race nationally and an increasing lead for president Obama in many of the key swing states. Mitt Romney has had a rocky week stemming from his overseas trip, where gaffes, not policy, became the main story.

The main headline poll from today comes courtesy of Quinnipiac/The New York Times/CBS News and shows Obama with leads in Florida (51-45%), Ohio (50-44%), and Pennsylvania (53-42%). The poll was of likely voters and was conducted during the last week of July.

On balance, the poll results are good news for the Obama campaign, which has faced rather dismal economic numbers and the president’s negative approval ratings. Most Americans polled also say that the country is on the wrong track.

So why is Obama still ahead? Much has been made of the likeability factor and the political ads that the Obama campaign has been running in the swing states that are savaging Romney’s business experience and his decision not to release more than two year of tax returns. These are not necessarily the kinds of issues that win or lose elections, but they are successful tools in defining an opponent who has not yet defined himself. Once the conventions are over and the real campaigning starts, the side issues will probably fade and Romney’s disparaging of the London Olympics will go the way of his wife’s Cadillacs and the size of trees in Michigan. Obama will have to defend an economy that is barely growing and a growing sense that perhaps the United States needs a new direction.

This poll’s party breakdown is solid in Florida, slightly favors Democrats in Ohio and undercounts Democrats in Pennsylvania, so the Ohio numbers might be overstated, but the other state figures are probably as reliable as a 95% confidence rate can establish.

For example, Q/NYT/CBS has party affiliation in Florida as D 42/R 36/I 20 while the latest figures from Florida show a D 41/R 36/I 23. Pretty good.

In Ohio, the poll has D 42/R 35/I 20 while the actual breakdown is D 36/R 37/I 27, so there’s a bit of a Democratic overstatement.

In Pennsylvania, the poll has D 46/R 40/I 11 and the actual voter registration shows D 51/R 37/I 12. This undercounts Democrats and overcounts Republicans, meaning that if Romney wants to win here, he’ll need a more concerted effort. It’s not out of the question, but time is of the essence.

In all three states, Barack Obama’s favorable ratings are in the low 50’s, while Romney’s are in the high 30s and low 40s. Florida and Pennsylvania voters say that their state’s economy is getting worse, while Ohio voters say theirs is getting better (which it is, statistically).

The complete results are here.

Another poll, this time out of Michigan (EPIC-MRA for the Detroit Free Press), shows the president ahead of Romney by 48-42%, a result that is in line with other pollsters, notably Rasmussen, and seems to suggest that Michigan will stay blue this year. As is the case with most state polls, the fact that Obama is running at under 50% in a reelection year has to concern him, especially since he’s been running hard on his saving Detroit’s automobile industry. The issue with this poll is that it doesn’t have any breakdowns associated with it, so it’s difficult to assess how accurate the methods and results are. That it mirrors other recent Michigan polls is helpful, but it would be nice to see some internal numbers.

The best news for Romney comes from Arizona, where a new PPP Poll has him ahead 52-41%, and a Rasmussen Poll of Missouri showing Mitt with a 50-44% lead.

We are fast approaching events which will have more profound effects on the race, with Romney’s Vice Presidential pick, the GOP Convention later this month and the Democratic Convention in September. It will be interesting to see how these affect the race. I suspect that Romney will gain enough of a bounce to make the swing states more competitive.

Register your comments at www.facebook.com/WhereDemocracyLives and on Twitter @rigrundfest

Categories
Politics

Obama Leads in Three Swing States- Has Double Digit Lead in Pennsylvania

Some good news from the pollsters for Team Obama Wednesday a.m.: The president currently leads in three swing states, including a double-digit lead in Pennsylvania.

According to a poll by Quinnipiac, CBS News, and the New York Times, Obama is ahead in Ohio and Florida by six percentage points, and is polling 53 percent to 42 percent in Pennsylvania against Mitt Romney. But a note of caution: the poll surveyed a significantly larger number of Democrats than Republicans, which, as the Washington Post notes, could be giving Obama more of a lead than he actually has in those states.

It also looks like the poll might indicate a gap in strength of support between the two candidates, too. As CBS explains, Obama’s supporters in all three states are more likely to “strongly favor” the president in November, while Romney is more likely to take in supporters primarily motivated by their dislike for Obama. In Pennsylvania, for instance, 22 percent of Romney supporters are motivated by their dislike of the other contender, while only 7 percent of Obama’s supporters say the same.

Categories
Healthcare ObamaCare women benefits

Beginning Today, More Health Benefits For Women Goes Into Effect Thanks To ObamaCare

More life saving health care benefits for women goes into effect today, thanks to ObamaCare. But have no fear women of America, if Mitt Romney gets his way and is elected as your next president, he’s promised to repeal this monstrous law that is saving the lives of many Americans, reducing our long-term deficit and contributing overall to a healthier nation.

How dare Mr. Obama sign such a law into effect!?

Beginning today, comprehensive preventive care coverage for women goes into effect as part of the latest rollout of reforms under the Affordable Care Act. Under the law, almost all new or renewed private health care plans issued after Aug. 1 must cover comprehensive women’s preventive services with no cost sharing, or co-payments.

One local health care practitioner believes the elimination of a co-pay requirement for preventive care is an important shift toward healthier outcomes that will decrease the number and cost of chronic illnesses.

“We have seen there are many women who don’t come in for an appointment because of a $10 to $25 co-pay,” said Margot Kingston, a women’s health nurse practitioner who works at the Families First Health and Support Center in Portsmouth and at Harbour Women’s Health. “More women need routine health care but they don’t get it because they can’t afford the co-payment. No woman should die of cervical cancer because they can’t afford a checkup.”

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in 2011 an estimated 20.4 million American women with private health insurance gained expanded no-cost sharing preventive services, including mammograms, cervical cancer screenings, prenatal care, flu and pneumonia shots, and regular well-baby and well-child visits. DHHS estimates that more than 253,000 women in New Hampshire on private insurance plans are now covered by the expanded preventive care provisions. By 2014, all Americans with private insurance will have a wide range of no co-pay, preventive care services as part of their basic coverage.

This new expansion of preventive services with no cost-sharing will cover so-called well-woman visits, which include contraceptive services and screening for gestational diabetes, domestic violence and sexually transmitted infections.

Categories
Politics

President Obama Contributes $5,000 To His Own Campaign

Yes folks, things are really that bad. In the past, president Obama spoke of Romney’s ability to out raise him and warned supporters that he could actually lose in November if Romney is able to spend uncontested amounts on television ads.

Now, President Obama is putting his own money into his campaign, trying to keep pace with the handful of Billionaires buying our Democracy for Mitt Romney.

President Obama has contributed $5,000 to his own presidential campaign.

In an e-mail today to supporters, Obama wrote, “yesterday, I made my first donation to support this campaign,” though he did not reveal the amount.

The amount: $5,000, according to the campaign.

Obama again warned backers about the prospect of a massive Republican spending advantage in the fall race against Mitt Romney.

Wrote the president: “On its own, what I gave won’t be enough to surmount the unprecedented fundraising we’ve seen on the other side, both from our opponent’s campaign and from the outside groups and special interests supporting him.”

Exit mobile version