The only real talent Mitt Romney seems to have is the ability to be eloquently dishonest; so today I’m introducing the “Well Manicured Thumbs Down”. The ratings will run 1 to 5; white lie to bold-faced lie, with a special Tumblin’Thumb rating for those Romney statements that change according to political expediency.
Under the issue Human Capital on the Romney website we have Lie Number 1:
“The federal government has been pouring money into retraining programs. In fiscal year 2009, the sum total was $18 billion for 47 separate employment and job training programs administered by nine different federal agencies. Seven of the 47 programs account for three-fourths of the spending, but all except 3 of the 47 programs overlap with at least one other program.”
What the Romney camp intentionally implies here is that the President is responsible for the total number of programs and costs; a lie by omission, but a lie none the less. The fact is, the figures for 2009 in the above paragraph include $13 billion and 44 programs established prior to 2003.
On Romney’s Tax page we find Lie Number 2:
“…before President Obama exploded the size of the federal government, our existing tax rates were more or less adequate to pay for the government we needed.”
Excuse me? Is Mitt confusing the U.S. with one of the other countries that hold his money? Does this look like tax rates were covering government expenses “adequately” before Obama was elected? -
On the Romney campaign’s “Values” page we find Lie Number 3:
”Mitt Romney is pro-life…almost all Americans recognize that abortion is a problem.”
From the “Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts Candidate Questionnaire 2002“:
1. Do you support the substance of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade? YES
2. Do you support state funding of abortion services through Medicaid for low-income women? YES
(A copy of the original questionnaire including Romney’s signature can be found here.)
2002 Video – Romney gets a little testy over being questioned on his pro-choice stance:
http://youtu.be/kijwc1DTuM0
Yes Mitt we know, you’ve “changed your mind”. Oh, and by the way just FYI: “the number of Americans who support banning abortion altogether is just 20% and falling, while the overall rates for those who support abortion rights in some or all instances has been fairly steady for the last decade.”
In Mitt Romney’s address to the NAACP, where he was booed by the way, he gives us Lie Number 4:
As Ben Adler at The Nation points out:
“It is a demonstrable fact that Romney’s economic policies—cutting taxes on the rich and cutting spending on programs that aid the poor—is designed to help the rich get even richer…read today’s analysis of Romney’s tax plans from Wall Street veteran Henry Blodget.”
I am crediting Mitt Romney with one truth today; in this video he admits he doesn’t care what voters think:
http://youtu.be/QVTbR36J0eY
Stay tuned for more of our “Well Manicured Thumbs Down” ratings.
View All
™ 2006-2013 ©