You would think that the 47% bandwagon is abandoned. And after Mitt Romney’s disaster where he complained that 47% of Americans are moochers… you would think the Republicans would take that bandwagon and turn it into firewood.
But you would be wrong.
The Republican governor of Maine is determined to keep the bandwagon careening down the read, and he is dogging the very people he governs. In a recent statement, Governor Paul LePage issued the lie that 47% of the citizens he governs are jobless.
With statistics provided from Maine’s own labor department, the Bangor Daily News points out that 65 percent of able-bodied Mainers are working or actively seeking work. The 35 percent remaining is composed largely of retirees, homemakers, students, and the disabled. The blue collar state is not divided between givers and takers, as the governor seems to suggest.
The 2012 election has long been in the history books, but Mitt Romney still laments some of the things he said in the campaign — like those secretly taped “47%” remarks.
In an interview with CNN airing Thursday, the Republican presidential nominee said he was “very upset” after his comments at a fundraising event about 47% of Americans who are “dependent on the government” and “believe that they are victims” came to light.
“There were a number of times that I said things like that — that didn’t come out right,” Romney told CNN’s Gloria Borger. “Now and then, things don’t come out exactly the way you want them to come out. They don’t sound the way you thought they sounded.”
Romney spent days last fall trying to explain that he wanted to help all Americans, but the damage was done by the taped remarks, which were published by Mother Jones magazine
If Mitt Romney had only kept his big mouth shut, then none of this would have happened. He thought he was in his comfort zone among his millionaire friends, and he felt safe. And that was fine. Scott Prouty, the man who taped Romney’s infamous 47% statement, did not intend to make news when he took his camera and began recording the Republican president nominee. No, Scott just wanted to take a picture with Romney after the event was over.
But some things Romney said to his millionaire friends rubbed Scott the wrong way. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with the recording. He went back and forth in his mind for a couple of weeks trying to figure out his next move.
Romney’s words however, kept ringing in his head. That 47% claim and Romney’s story about travelling to China to buy a factory that employed what we would call, slave labor. Prouty explained these two factors helped him make the decision to share his video.
“I knew where he came from” Prouty said, when asked about his initial feeling to Romney’s 47% comment. “The day-in day-out struggles of everyday Americans, that guy [Romney] has no idea and I don’t think he’ll ever have an idea.”
Prouty explained how he lost sleep for two weeks before deciding that he needed to release the tape so that “as many people hear [Romney’s] words.” He explained how he contacted James Carter through YouTube and Twitter, because of some research that Carter had done for a David Corn story on Mother Jones.
“I wanted the conversation,” Prouty said, explaining that fame was not his intention. “I wanted Mitt Romney’s words to be the absolute center of attention.” David Corn of Mother Jones put out a partial recording showing the 47% comment and the rest of the media picked up on it.
Romney opened his mouth again. Back in September Romney was forced to respond to a reporter’s question about his 47% claim. Romney called the piece a “snippet” suggesting that if the full content of the tape was heard, then his statement would make more sense to the rest of America. Prouty said that hearing Romney’s lame excuse prompted him to release the rest of the tape in its entirety to Mother Jones. “He asked for the full content” Prouty said, “so we I told David Corn to release the tape.”
Prouty, who is an Independent, said he voted for President Obama in the November election and is “proud to call him my president.” And hearing President Obama referenced the 47% in the second Presidential debate was the pinnacle.
“It was the last line of the debate and I think I was sitting at the edge of my couch waiting. I watched the first debate and there was no mention of it. There was certainly a cheer erupted in the room at the time. I was thrilled that he hit him with it when he did. It was well done.”
Then yet again, Romney opened his mouth earlier this month in an interview with Fox News and continued blaming President Obama. That was the moment that Scott Prouty decided to come forward and tell his story. Asked why come forward now, Prouty answered that Romney still doesn’t get it. And in his response, Prouty offered some advise for the Republican Presidential loser;
I think the guy needs to respect the will of the voters. The election wasn’t even that close. I think he needs to take personal responsibility for his campaign, take personal responsibility for the words he said. And move forward. A good start would be to go back to some of those towns that Bain Capitol shipped jobs, you know, closed down plants. If he went back to Freeport Illinois, maybe start a business. Hire some people. Create a product. Build something in America. Do something other than vulture capitalism. Do something for America other than making another million dollars for himself. I would have a lot of respect for him if he went forward that way.
In the state of North Carolina, the voters chose to go in a different direction. For the past 20-years, a Democrat had been the sitting Governor of North Carolina, but all that changed on one election night in November, 2012. The new Governor, Pat McCrory, a former Mayor of Charlotte NC., was elected as the first Republican governor since Gov. Jim Martin who served from 1985 -1993.
Since Gov. McCrory’s inauguration in January this year and his State of the State Address this month, he has already made sweeping legislative moves and overturns that directly affect thousands of North Carolinians right where it hurts most – their finances. According to Gary Anderson of the Associated Press, McCrory signed the bill making these changes in his state’s Capitol building office. The media wasn’t invited to the signing, but several of the legislators (All Republicans) who quickly shepherded the bill through the General Assembly in the first two weeks of this year’s work session, were there. (Why so Secretive?)
The bill includes an unemployment plan that repays $2.5 billion owed the federal government for jobless benefits paid since the Great Recession, by cutting maximum weekly jobless payments from $535 to $350 on new claims beginning July 1. And the maximum number of weeks for state benefits goes from 26 weeks to 12 to 20 weeks, depending on the state unemployment rate. But what’s not mentioned is that Gov. McCrory gave a $13,000 raise to his Cabinet secretaries while making these cuts.
The bill also raises state unemployment taxes, partially through the elimination of a zero-percent rate that about 30,000 businesses have received. Federal taxes will continue to rise by $21 per employee per year until the debt is repaid and a 20-percent state surcharge will continue a little while longer.
“As one of the first laws under his tenure, these cruel cuts will forever mar any legacy that Gov. McCrory hopes to leave behind,” said MaryBe McMillan with the state AFL-CIO. “Only bullies kick people while they are down. Shame on our governor and our legislature for turning their backs on unemployed workers.”
Shameful indeed.
When President Obama even mentions a minimum wage increase or the super rich paying a little more in taxes or healthcare for every American, the Republicans cringe, squirm and call it bad economics. But a Republican Governor and Republican led House comes into power, kicks the little man while he’s down and this is considered Good Policy?
One leader, led by the North Carolina Chamber, who backed the overhaul – Chamber CEO Lew Ebert – acknowledged in an interview that it was “tough medicine” for both businesses and workers, but that it would insure the system wouldn’t be in such bad shape again. (Hey Ebert, what about those who aren’t working?)
“We’re sending a strong signal. We’re getting our house in order,” he said.
Riiiigghhtttt. By destroying the little man who’s struggling to make ends meet, keep a roof over his and his family’s head, put food on the table, pay for college tuitions, buy groceries, pay a mortgage, make a car payment, etc. All of this on $350 a week? Yep, that’s a Strong Signal alright. A signal signifying what Democrats have always thought about Republicans and was confirmed by the great Mitt Romney. Does 47% ring a bell?
On the same secret recording that captured Mitt Romney disrespecting 47% of Americans calling them lazy and not able to care for themselves, Romney was also heard saying that if he was from Latino descent, he would win the Presidential election. Apparently, Latinos in his country are all living on easy street.
Well, Rosie Perez has something to say about that!
It is done by some people because they are cowards – talking bad about others behind their backs. But when those people are listening, cowards change their tune and pretend all is well. Mitt Romney said it when he thought no one was listening, but now that the word is out, Mitt Romney is trying to take back his devastating comment about the 47%.
Romney recently told Fox News that the rigors of the campaign was responsible for his 47% statement, where he said at a private fundraiser with his fellow millionaires that half of Americans are lazy and depend on government for their very existence. And a day after Romney’s words went public, he again repeated his position that 47% of the nation are moochers!
On multiple occasions, Romney promised to “carry that message” about the losers who are these 47%. But on October 4th, after realizing that his statement was having negative impacts on his campaign, Romney broke out the etch-a-sketch and tried to erase everything. In his interview on Fox, Romney said;
Well, clearly in a campaign with hundreds if not thousands of speeches and question and answer sessions, now and then you’re going to say something that doesn’t come out right. In this case, I said something that’s just completely wrong.
But the Obama Campaign is having none of it. They’ve seen this scenario before – the flip-flop method Mitt Romney has made famous. And they’ve created this video to hold Romney accountable for the flips he’s flop!
In February, I sounded the warning.Twice. But, evidently, there are still people out there who either haven’t heard the news or don’t want to believe it.
The Republican Party is headed for a terrible crash that will weaken its influence and lead to a reassessment of its platform and direction. We’re already seeing the evidence, from Mitt Romney‘s comments on the 47% and his contention that Palestinians don’t want peace, to Todd Akin’s ignorant rant about rape victims and all of the other far right conspiracy theories about Obama being a Muslim, a socialist and unqualified to be president because he’s not a citizen. These ideas have not gone away, nor have they been submerged for the good of the Romney/Ryan ticket.
Now the GOP is running a campaign that says that they have the solutions to our nation’s problems. But why should we trust them? They’ve been wrong on every major issue over the past four years.
This is a political party without defining principles other than irrational celebration of the individual at the expense of the community and a misplaced sense of right and wrong. It can’t end well, and it won’t.
In an effort to change the topic, Fox News and the Romney campaign are trying to highlight a small snippet of a 1998 speech by Barack Obama. The part of the speech they are focusing on shows Mr. Obama saying,”I actually believe in redistribution.” But like any propaganda machine, Fox News and the Romney campaign refused to show the full context of Mr. Obama’s speech.
The part of the clip these Republicans conveniently left out shows Mr. Obama doing something they claim they agree with – praising competition, the free market and making government more efficient. In a calculated move, Republicans knew that showing the full context of what Mr. Obama said in 1998 would soften the effect they’re trying to portray to their audience – that President Obama is trying to take from the rich and give to the poor – so that context was intentionally left out.
NBC however, is bringing the full context to light and here it is.
I think the trick is figuring out how do we structure government systems that pool resources and hence facilitate some redistribution because I actually believe in redistribution, at least at a certain level to make sure that everybody’s got a shot. How do we pool resources at the same time as we decentralize delivery systems in ways that both foster competition, can work in the marketplace, and can foster innovation at the local level and can be tailored to particular communities.
NBC reports. The video circulated by Republicans, which has used as fodder for an attack on Obama, includes a longer reflection by Obama about talking about how government action can be effective. But the clip has been cut short after the word “shot;” Obama’s words about competition, the marketplace and innovation are omitted from the clip.
Romney has nonetheless seized upon this clip as his campaign looks to regain its footing after the release of a surreptitiously-recorded video of the GOP presidential nominee speaking at a private fundraiser in May. Romney’s campaign has been bogged down in criticism from conservatives and Democrats alike since the release of the clip, in which Romney talks about how he couldn’t count on the support of 47 percent of Americans, since they pay no taxes, and are “dependent” on government.
After showing his true colors in what he thought was a private gathering with his millionaire friends, where Mitt Romney expressed that 47% of Americans consider themselves “victims” who depend on the government for food, clothing and shelter and lack the ambition to “take care of themselves,” Mitt Romney is now changing his tune and he is hoping the American people are too slow to notice.
At an appearance on a Spanish network on Univision, the Republican presidential nominee is now quoting another number – 100%
“My campaign is about the 100% of America,” he said.
Romney also tried to put a different spin on what he said about the 47%. He explained;
“I know that I’m not going to get 100% of the vote and my campaign will focus on those people we think we can bring in to support, but this is a campaign about helping people who need help.”
ABC News noted Romney stressed the number three times in the first 10 minutes of the candidates forum.
Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid took to the Senate floor today and renewed his call for Mitt Romney to release his taxes. Using Romney’s own words that 47% of Americans pay no taxes, Reid said;
“For all we know, Mitt Romney could be one of those who have paid no federal income tax,” he said. “Thousands of families making more than $1 million pay nothing in federal income taxes each year. Is Mitt Romney among those?”
“We’ll never know,” Reid concluded, “since he refuses to release tax returns from the years before he was running for president.”
Peggy Noonan, another respected voice in the Republican establishment is using that voice to let her party know that Mitt Romney isn’t working. Noonan voiced her opinion on the Romney debacle that is his campaign, and his recent statement that 47% of Americans are moochers.
“My goodness,” Peggy wrote in the Wall Street Journal, “that’s a lot of people who won’t vote for you. You wonder how he gets up in the morning.” Ms Noonan continued;
Republicans are going to have to right this thing. They have to stabilize it.
It’s time to admit the Romney campaign is an incompetent one. It’s not big, it’s not brave, it’s not thoughtfully tackling great issues. It’s always been too small for the moment. All the activists, party supporters and big donors should be pushing for change. People want to focus on who at the top is least constructive and most responsible. Fine, but Mitt Romney is no puppet: He chooses who to listen to. An intervention is in order. “Mitt, this isn’t working.”
Mrs Noonan has joined a long list of Republicans who are voicing their displeasure in Romney’s loosing efforts to win the White House. Scott Brown and Linda McMahon recently distanced themselves from Romney, and last week, other Republicans including radio personality Laura Ingraham did the same.
It is now left to see if Romney’s billionaire supporters who were actively trying to purchase the White House for their candidate continue throwing money at the flawed candidate.
Really, all that’s missing is the thorny crown. Mitt Romney all but threw himself under the bus this past week as he attempted to show his conservative bona-fides. The problem is that right-wing Mitt hasn’t quite reconciled with moderate Mitt. The result is a political dissonance not seen since Sarah Palin looked out her front window and saw Russia. It’s embarrassing, and it’s going to cost Romney the election.
Of course, I’m not talking about the 53% of Americans he identified by omission as hard-working people who take not a whit of government money, including Social Security, public pensions or tax credits. These people built it by themselves and if it wasn’t for those Cheatin’ Chinese, we’d be out of the economic doldrums and on our way towards prosperity.
What I’d like to know is why the 53% aren’t showing up in polls for Romney? In the latest national polls, Romney has 45, 43, 46, 45, 46 and 47 (in a Rasmussen poll where he actually leads Obama by two) percent of the vote. The latest NBC/WSJ poll has him losing by 50-45%. If the 47% are in the tank for Obama, that should leave plenty of room for a majority in Romney’s corner. It isn’t happening yet. And time is running out quickly.
What Mitt’s comments about the moochers who support Obama and his disastrous ruminations on the violence in the Middle East have done is to divert precious moments away from his central attacks on the president’s economic record. And Medicare (does anybody remember Medicare? This is an election about Medicare.) And the deficit. And any other substantive issue that Romney/Ryan believed was going to win them the hearts and minds of American voters with valid picture ID’s everywhere. The Republicans have lost days in the maelström of media-driven narratives and have tripped over their own tongues. And all Obama has had to do is to get out of the way, gracefully, and let them fail.
This election is by no means over. The first debate is October 3, and that presents Mitt the absolute last chance to reset himself and present his arguments to the electorate. The problem is that research shows that the debates do more to solidify the state of the race as it exists prior to the debates than they actually change minds. Plus, many people are just now tuning in to the election and they could decide that Obama has had his chance and he didn’t deliver. Stranger things have happened.
But even stranger things have already happened in this campaign. And they’ve all happened to Mitt.
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