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"Soshulizm!"

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Elections 2012
Posted on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 03:39:03 PM EST
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There are a lot of people in government who help us and allow us to have an economy that works and allow entrepenuers and business leaders of various kinds to start businesses and create jobs. We all recognize that. That's an important thing.

Who said that? Why W. Mitt Romney hisself -- TODAY.

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    "Soshulizm!" | 39 comments (39 topical)

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    Sometimes Mitt the Sane (5.00 / 4) (#1)
    by ruffian on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 04:04:13 PM EST
    Makes a brief appearance. Enjoy it while it lasts.

    Which one shows up to work (none / 0) (#2)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 04:09:42 PM EST
    everyday as President?

    Parent
    Neither (5.00 / 4) (#3)
    by CoralGables on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 04:29:20 PM EST
    He'll lose the election.

    Parent
    I actually think the sane one would show up (5.00 / 2) (#13)
    by ruffian on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 06:16:06 PM EST
    most days, except when it was time to appoint judges or sign batsh*t crazy legislation enacted by the GOP House and Senate. But IMO it is a moot point since I think Obama will win.

    Parent
    on a related note (5.00 / 2) (#5)
    by desmoinesdem on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 04:47:09 PM EST
    Here's Buck McKeon, the Republican chair of the House Armed Services Committee:

    Many analysts predict Congress will just delay the [defense] cuts, given deep disagreements over spending and taxes. It's possible a lame-duck session could even agree to kick the can to the next Congress.

    But that's unacceptable to McKeon, who says that defense companies are already cutting back on spending and beginning layoffs for fear of lost contracts. He argues Congress must take action before the lame duck, and companies like Lockheed Martin have underlined his warnings by threatening mass layoffs in November.

    When we're talking about the defense budget, everyone acknowledges that government spending creates/saves private sector jobs. But in the GOP mind, that principle doesn't apply to non-defense domestic discretionary spending. Hence the "job-killing stimulus," etc.

    Yup. (none / 0) (#14)
    by ruffian on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 06:21:16 PM EST
    And the major defense companies have a policy of 90 day notice of layoffs, so they would have to notify people in October if they were going to lose their jobs in January. Hence the pre-election pressure.

    Parent
    This just makes me (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 04:53:01 PM EST
    want the election to be over and the sooner the better. I really don't care what either Obama or Mitt said.

    When Elizabeth Warren made her (5.00 / 5) (#11)
    by Anne on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 05:50:20 PM EST
    comments about the important role our government support structure plays in the ability of business to grow and flourish, she made so much sense, so simply, and it resonated with the people.

    Which is why everyone from Obama to Romney is picking up on it and shaping it to fit the rest of the message they want to deliver.

    Warren provided a blueprint for what should be a solid and eminently sell-able Democratic plan and approach to governance and leadership; I'm not worried that Romney is morphing into a socialist, but I have no confidence that, notwithstanding Obama's remarks today, he believes in that concept as much as he sees it as just another tool for winning an election.

    I saw (5.00 / 4) (#18)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 07:04:02 PM EST
    Obama's statement mostly as his inability to speak "off the cuff". It's been a continual problem for him.

    Warren apparently has the ability to speak about issues. Frankly I think the ability to speak about this kind of stuff means that she actually believes it whereas Obama just does not have any political beliefs IMO.

    Parent

    Since we're talking about context, ... (5.00 / 1) (#26)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 09:20:37 PM EST
    ... let me please contribute by providing the video of Ms. Warren's remarks, to which you were referring.

    Parent
    Obama completely blew his (none / 0) (#27)
    by gyrfalcon on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 11:59:56 PM EST
    attempt to replicate what Warren said so eloquently and forcefully.  I thought it was frankly embarrassing.  It was painfully obvious he'd sort of half-memorized the line, and when push came to shove, couldn't find the words to articulate it properly.

    Still, I'm happy he tried, and morbidly fascinated by the right's quite deliberate misreading of it.  I hope the American voters aren't so stupid. Despite the stumble in getting it out, his meaning was perfectly clear.

    Parent

    When I heard it (none / 0) (#28)
    by lilburro on Thu Jul 19, 2012 at 12:57:36 AM EST
    it didn't sound so terrible to me, but it also didn't sound quite as good as when Warren said it.

    I hope they continue with it, although maybe they won't based on the backlash.  Yet I have to think, considering the flack my friends in the public sector (teachers, folks working for universities, etc.) have endured in the past year or two about government workers bleeding the economy, blah blah blah, they could get real traction there.  These people are being spat upon day in and day out by conservatives and they are essential to the functioning of our society.  Probably everyone knows or has a friend of a friend who is employed in the public sector.  Standing up for them and getting them excited to vote would be a winning strategy.  So says I.

    Parent

    Preamble (2.75 / 4) (#7)
    by Eddpsair on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 05:03:43 PM EST
    Come on host.... How about a little intellectual honesty.  He said that as a preamble to return to attacking the previous comments of President Obama.  We can feel free to agree or disagree withneither side because the entire argument by both men is a matter of degree...  :-). So the position is almost totaly subjective.  

    But let's put quotes out contextually, please.  

    Either side can argue the moral high ground here and the argument is simply a matter of belief, like the "chicken or egg" coming first.  

    Uh huh. (5.00 / 4) (#9)
    by shoephone on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 05:41:23 PM EST
    If you actually DID watch the video of the town hall, you'd know that what Romney said didn't make the case against Obama at all. It only reinforced the fact that government does, indeed, help create and strengthen businesses with generous tax breaks, such as for technology companies -- like Apple and Microsoft -- and funding special projects, like building special highway access roads for companies like Boeing. With taxpayer dollars. That's right. Your tax dollars help businesses, including multi-billion dollar businesses, flourish and make profits.

    In more simple terms (for the sake of intellecutal honesty): Romney made a hypocritical a$$ of himself in front of Gawd and everyone. And I invite him to do it every day from now until November! It's one of those things that's sad and entertaining at the same time.

    Parent

    That is the right wing line. (none / 0) (#31)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Thu Jul 19, 2012 at 08:25:01 AM EST
    .

    It only reinforced the fact that government does, indeed, help create and strengthen businesses with generous tax breaks, such as for technology companies -- like Apple and Microsoft...

    Low taxes allow companies to grow!  Whoda thunk it?

    .

    Parent

    You know nobody argues with that, right? (5.00 / 1) (#32)
    by sj on Thu Jul 19, 2012 at 09:41:59 AM EST
    Low taxes allow companies to grow!  Whoda thunk it?
    But you also know that "companies" does not equal "economy", right?  And it absolutely does not equal the local economy.


    Parent
    The economy is (2.00 / 1) (#33)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Thu Jul 19, 2012 at 10:45:48 AM EST

    pretty much the sum of all of those companies.  

    Parent
    Right... (none / 0) (#35)
    by sj on Thu Jul 19, 2012 at 10:53:43 AM EST
    and the economy has nothing to do with municipalities and state governments granting those tax breaks.  And the economy has nothing to do with the segments of the population that are employed in the state and local governments.  And the economy has nothing to do with the population who may or may not get a living wage from those companies that get the tax breaks.  Who may or may not even have a full time job with those companies.  Who may or may not have jobs at all.  The economy is just a little ring around the rosie with companies that get tax breaks.  

    Ashes, ashes, all fall down.

    Parent

    teachers don't buy clothes (5.00 / 1) (#37)
    by CST on Thu Jul 19, 2012 at 10:56:01 AM EST
    or go out to eat, or spend money on electronics.

    Didn't you know that?

    Parent

    Teachers (none / 0) (#38)
    by jbindc on Thu Jul 19, 2012 at 11:38:41 AM EST
    Aren't counted as part of the GDP.  Maybe that's where he got confused.

    Parent
    Actually Obama does argue with that (none / 0) (#34)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Thu Jul 19, 2012 at 10:48:34 AM EST

    He feels companies grow faster if the feds instead of the companies spend more of the company's earnings.

    .

    Parent

    You really haven't been paying (none / 0) (#36)
    by sj on Thu Jul 19, 2012 at 10:55:09 AM EST
    attention have you? Must be counting the money you've saved from those tax breaks.

    Parent
    The problem with your theory (5.00 / 2) (#39)
    by shoephone on Thu Jul 19, 2012 at 11:55:22 AM EST
    and the whole wacko GOP lust for low taxes is not the jobs -- it's the obscene profits made by those companies that AREN'T PAYING TAXES like every one else has to, by producing LOW-WAGE jobs performed by unskilled workers.

    Microsoft escapes billions of dollars of taxation every year because it licenses companies in states like Nevada, which have no business tax. Plus it outsources like he[[, to India, China, and Bangladesh, just like Apple does. (Slave labor.) The companies reap billions in profits, the CEO's make millions in bonuses and none of it comes back to U.S. or state coffers in the form of revenue.

    Boeing got billions in tax breaks from Washington State to build the 787, but then the company told the technologically skilled union engineers and machinists to go f*ck themselves, and outsourced the manufacturing to Italy -- whose inexperienced workforce produced dangerously faulty wings - and South Carolina -- whose unskilled non-union workforce messed up its portion of the airliner.

    Result? All those parts had to be re-manufactured THE RIGHT WAY back here in Everett, WA, which cost the company twice as much and took twice as long. Stupid, Stupid Boeing. Meanwhile, the people of Washington are still paying Boeing's B&O taxes and are literally paying for the lobbyist Boeing uses to squeeze even more tax breaks out of the state. Workers lose, tax paying citizens lose. And corporations continue to raid government coffers and whine about how hard it is to run a business.

    Maybe you should know what you're talking about before you spout off that wacko GOP drivel.

    Low taxes, low wages, and unskilled non-union workers produce crap. When will the wackos ever learn?

    Parent

    Hahahahahahahahahaha (5.00 / 11) (#20)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 07:18:58 PM EST
    "let's put quotes out contextually,"

    Tell that to Romney.

    Parent

    Okay, I'll play. (5.00 / 5) (#24)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 08:56:47 PM EST
    Here are some rather choice remarks, and the context in which they were delivered:

    Mitt Romney, responding to criticism from PETA that he had once put the family's Irish setter in a carrier and strapped it to the roof of his car for a 12-hour road trip (Fox News, 2007):

    "PETA is not happy that my dog likes fresh air."

    Mitt Romney, responding to criticism from Fox News' Chris Wallace a question that he had once put the family's Irish setter in a carrier and strapped it to the roof of his car for a 12-hour road trip (Fox News, 2008):
    "This is a completely airtight kennel, mounted on the top of our car, he climbed up there regularly, he enjoyed himself, he was in a kennel at home a great deal of the time as well, we loved the dog, it was where he was comfortable and we had five kids inside my car, and he would've liked it a lot better in his kennel than he would have inside."

    Mitt Romney, responding to a suggestion that taxes should be raised on corporations as part of balancing the budget, while campaigning in Des Moines, IA (August 2011):
    "Corporations are people, my friend -- of course they are. Everything corporations earn ultimately goes to the people. Where do you think it goes? Whose pockets? Whose pockets? People's pockets. Human beings, my friend."

    Mitt Romney, responding to Texas Gov. Rick Perry's accusation that his family used a yard service company which employed undocumented immigrants (a company which he later fired), during a GOP presidential debate (October 2011):
    "So we went to the company, and we said, 'Look, you can't have any illegals working on our property. I'm running for office, for Pete's sake, I can't have illegals.'"

    Mitt Romney, on the campaign trail in Manchester, NH (January 2012):
    "I believe in an America where millions of Americans believe in an America that's the America millions of Americans believe in. That's the America I love!"

    Mitt Romney, talking to some African-American children at a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day parade (January 2012):
    "Who let the dogs out? Who, who."

    Mitt Romney, talking about the $374,000 in speaking fees he earned in one year, per his personal financial disclosure (January 2012):
    "I get speaker's fees from time to time, but not very much."

    Mitt Romney, whose net worth is approximately $250 million, speaking to unemployed workers in Florida (January 2012):
    "I should tell my story. I'm also unemployed."

    Mitt Romney, on the campaign trail in Florida, speaking about his proposal for immigration reform (January 2012):
    "The answer is self-deportation, which is people decide they can do better by going home."

    Mitt Romney, speaking to the Washington Post on the subject of regulatory reform of the financial industry (January 23, 2012):
    "Now, the banks aren't bad people. They're just overwhelmed right now. They're overwhelmed with a lot of things. One is a lot of homes coming in right now that are in foreclosure or in trouble and the other is with a massive new pile of regulations."

    Mitt Romney, during a roundtable discussion with Florida business owners struggling in that state's hobbled housing market (January 24, 2012):
    "In this case, it's because of the banks. Well, the banks aren't bad people. They're just overwhelmed right now. The banks are scared to death, of course," he said. "They're feeling the same thing that you're feeling. And so they just want to pretend that all this is just going to get paid some day."

    Mitt Romney, answering a question from a CNN reporter about cuts to human services and health care across the country (February 7, 2012):
    "I'm not concerned about the very poor. There is a safety net there. If it needs repair, I will fix it."

    Mitt Romney, on the campaign trail in Michigan (February 2012):
    "I love this state. The trees are the right height."

    Mitt Romney, on the campaign trail in Missouri (March 13, 2012);
    "Planned Parenhood, we're going to get rid of that."

    John Stewart, mocking Mitt Romney's claim that he had no say in Bain Capital's business decisions after February 11, 1999, even though he had still signed off on many of them after that date as the firm's CEO (July 16, 2012):
    "I was just the guy with the smoke-screenish yet still legal title of CEO and managing director who was paid at least $100,000 a year to do what according to me, Mitt Romney, was nothing. And that's the kind of common sense business experience I hope to bring to the White House."


    Parent
    By preamble... (2.00 / 3) (#8)
    by Eddpsair on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 05:17:32 PM EST
    By preamble, I mean there was a "...but..." and then Gov Romney moved on to his central point about the President's previous comments.

    Thanks.  :-)

    Parent

    So you're saying that ... (5.00 / 3) (#23)
    by Yman on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 08:56:41 PM EST
    ... taking his comments out-of-context is misleading.

    Heh.

    Parent

    It is? (5.00 / 2) (#25)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 09:14:05 PM EST
    Heavens to murgatroid! Who knew?
    ;-D

    Parent
    Funny (none / 0) (#4)
    by lilburro on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 04:30:29 PM EST
    he's right but it seems a little politically ill-timed for him to say so, right?

    Why do you say that? (5.00 / 4) (#10)
    by Peter G on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 05:44:04 PM EST
    Just because it is 180 degrees opposite to what he said yesterday?

    Parent
    Maybe they can go with (5.00 / 1) (#29)
    by lilburro on Thu Jul 19, 2012 at 12:59:47 AM EST
    why have one President when you can have two.  Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

    Parent
    Strawman argument. (2.00 / 2) (#12)
    by Gandydancer on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 06:14:51 PM EST
    Romney's not libertarian. I wish he was. But there's no contradiction in the quote to his usual position.

    Parent
    Romney has a "usual" position?" (5.00 / 8) (#15)
    by Anne on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 06:21:34 PM EST
    Is there a "Sell By" date or a "Use By" date on it?

    Parent
    He retires them (5.00 / 12) (#16)
    by CoralGables on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 06:59:10 PM EST
    retroactively

    Parent
    CG, I almost spit wine on the screen... (5.00 / 2) (#22)
    by Anne on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 07:44:41 PM EST
    thanks for that - I needed the laugh!

    Parent
    The markings are pretty much... (none / 0) (#17)
    by Gandydancer on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 07:01:28 PM EST
    ...the same as on Obama's: "His lips are moving. He's a politician."

    Parent
    How about ... (none / 0) (#21)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 07:30:01 PM EST
    Gandymander: "His lips are moving. He's a politician."

    ... putting some, you know, actual thought into your response, rather than glibly offering up some shopworn punchline?

    I mean, how exactly is what Romney said today consistent with his previous position?

    Parent

    Why would a glib and thoughtless... (none / 0) (#30)
    by Gandydancer on Thu Jul 19, 2012 at 05:22:42 AM EST
    ...response to what I'd written inspire a 2nd thoughtful comment?

    There's nothing in the words Bit Tent quotes that contradicts any previous position Romney's expressed. Only in your fever dreams does Romney deny that there are a lot of people in government who do worthwhile things. -I- think the number is now insignificant compared to the damage now being done, but that's me, not Romney.

    Parent

    "His usual position" - which ... (5.00 / 1) (#19)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 07:05:13 PM EST
    ... is to say that Mitt Romney is, to quote my late grandmother, "all meringue and no filling."

    Good luck with voting for that.

    Parent

    "Soshulizm!" | 39 comments (39 topical)

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