Mitt Romney recently felt comfortable lecturing journalists about, of all things, "quality control" when sharing the news with the American public.
As Ed Kilgore joked, "Now I suppose when you have already developed a reputation for towering mendacity on subjects large and small, a medium-sized lie about your views on media accuracy is as easy as changing those jeans and a lot easier than changing your entire political persona on a regular basis. But you might think at some point the man would fear being struck down by a thunderbolt right on the spot if he lectures the media -- old or new -- about 'sourcing' and 'quality control.'"
If the presumptive Republican nominee has any such fears, he's not showing it. Those looking for proof need only consider the 13th installment of my weekly series, chronicling Mitt's mendacity.
1. Romney told voters about the cost of the Affordable Care Act, "[W]e've just learned from the CBO, it's not a trillion dollars. It's more like double that.... Obamacare is massively more expensive than had been originally estimated."
That's not even close to being true.
2. On the same subject, Romney argued, "Thirty percent of employers said they are going to drop the coverage for their employees when Obamacare is installed."
Actually, no, they didn't say that at all.
3. He said he would save "about $100 billion a year" eliminating Obamacare.
That's not only absurdly untrue, it's actually backwards -- scrapping the entirety of the Affordable Care Act would add hundreds of billions of dollars to the debt.
4. Romney claimed Obama had created an "unaccountable panel, with the power to prevent Medicare from providing certain treatments."
That's simply not true.
5. Romney argues in a new fundraising letter that the numbers for unemployment, bankruptcies, and foreclosures are "soaring."
Actually, that's the exact opposite of the truth -- unemployment, bankruptcies, and foreclosures are all falling.
6. Romney claims in the same mailing that Obama stood over "the greatest job loss in modern American history."
7. Romney went on to argue, "President Obama has mortgaged our future, increased the budget by more than 20% and allowed our debt to skyrocket."
The debt has increased (thanks to Bush-era policies), but the budget hasn't increased by more than 20%.
8. Romney told voters in Philadelphia this week, "This president did not cause the recession; he just made it worse and made it longer."
There's no way around the fact that Romney's simply lying. He knows he's lying because he's also said the American economy has improved under Obama.
9 Romney argued repeatedly this week, "Women account for 92.3 percent of the jobs lost under Obama."
10 The Romney campaign and its surrogates spent all day Thursday describing Hilary Rosen as an "advisor to the Obama campaign."
Hilary Rosen is not an advisor to the Obama campaign.
11. Romney argued yesterday, "President Obama is the first president in history to openly campaign for reelection on a platform of higher taxes. He has already raised taxes on millions of Americans, but he won't stop there. He wants to raise taxes on millions more by taxing small businesses and job creators."
That's actually three lies in one paragraph.
12. On a Romney campaign conference call yesterday, a campaign spokesperson said the Obama administration needs to "stop disrespecting stay-at-home moms."
The Obama administration has never disrespected stay-at-home moms, and when pressed for evidence to back up the charge, the Romney campaign couldn't think of anything.
Paul Krugman noted this week, "Mitt Romney's campaign is setting new standards in serial dishonesty. Really. He makes Bush look like a font of truth and accuracy."
That's more than fair, though the question is no longer whether Romney has a problem telling the truth -- he clearly does -- but rather whether he'll face any electoral consequences for recklessness.
Previous editions of Chronicling Mitt's Mendacity: Vol. I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII.
Postscript: A special thanks to reader R.F. in Tampa for sending in the above image. Maddow Blog readers who also want to send us stuff can do so right here.
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Who's the last person who told Mitt "No" who's still employed. Iit's a CEO thing. What you say things are, is what things are. At least within the firm, so long as anyone wants to keep their job. \
Actual contact with reality takes place so far down the T O & E that it's never an issue in the executive suites. Either that or it's confined to specialists, like your accountants and actuaries. And whole divisions in PR and communications are working flat-out to give you a choice of realities to contact, when it's necessary.
And if it's ever really really bad, and the contact with reality-reality is no longer containable within the lower floors and rungs, why, that's why there are escape pods and golden parachutes.
Romney is a closeted psychopath. That's how he became wealthy.
Projection, both conscious and unconscious, is key to understanding the right-wing brain in action. They have no shame because all their lies lead to a cash handout, and the cash assuages the guilt.
Mitt needs to realize that he can not legislate to only the people who vote for him....
If he can acctually pull of winning this election, he is going to have the most miserable 4 years of his life trying to fend off the wolves that know he is a world famous LIAR!!!
Why not. That's exactly what Bush/Cheney did.
Except that HE--MITT--won't be the miserable one--WE WILL!!! (Uh..WOULD, except that we know better AND we're keeping track of our voting machines this time, unlike with Bush...!
Ah yes, the Etch-a-Sketch twins.
Groucho Marx must have been thinking about BOTH Romney AND Santorum
when he once said: “these are my principles - If you don’t like the, I have others.”
And to quote the Grateful Dead:"What a long, strange road its been...".
The American Right's continued inability since 2007 to produce any potential candidate who isn't either a liar, stupid or bat-@!$%# crazy has led me to believe that they are either unable to find anyone who isn't or that you need to be in order to embrace the dark side that IS currently the American Conservative Movement.
It's a result of any representative form of government, and voting by humans.
Take the stupid and the points. The stupid doesn't always win, but it always covers the spread.
It has a lot to do with Fox News and Clear Channel Radio. The right wing politicians know they can tell the most outrageous lies and those institutions will back them up. Whats worse it's only been the last few years that a couple of liberal outlets have surfaced to contradict them in any mainstream fashion.
Mitt is however particularly dishonest. I keep straining to see if his tongue is forked. I wonder if he believes his magic underwear makes his lies sound true to those in earshot? HA
Sorry, Mike! That comment was meant for Hugh Zass.
From the movie Say anything..Mitt Romney's song should be That'll never be me
President Mitt Romney:
That'll never be me, That'll never be me, Never be me, No-No never, never,ever and don't you ever THINK IT.
Beg to differ on one item...
Romney argues in a new fundraising letter that the numbers for unemployment, bankruptcies, and foreclosures are "soaring."
Mittens is not lying! He is just (probably accurately) predicting what will happen if he becomes president.
I'm reading your book,"drift" now and its good. For years I have wondered if the U.S. companies who shifted gears after the attack on Pearl Harbor to make guns, tanks, fighting ships,ammo and various and sundry other military supplies simply remained so after that war ended. These companies may be the reason we've had so many wars since WWII. Is there any way to count the number of military suppliers who remained so after the war was won?
You broke the code . It is big Bidness ...just go here to Defense Technology International , a publication of McGraw Hill (same boys who do your schoolbooks)
http://www.zinio.com/reader.jsp?issue=416217256
A Nieman Marcus catalog for the arms dealers . Check the ads - Big toys for Big boys
Actually, what you ask about didn't happen. Car companies went back to making automobiles and trucks, shifting production away from tanks, field artillery and other weapons. The dockyards that were cranking our a couple of aircraft carriers or cruisers a week returned to making frieghters and tankers for commercial use (yes, America actually had a shipbuilding industry at one time). Companies that made munitions returned to making toasters and refrigerators and frying pans.
About the only companies that continued to make military equipment were aircraft manufacturers - Boeing, Douglas, Lockheed, Convair, Consolidated, etc. But in the case of the big three (Boeing, Douglas, Lockheed), most of their production turned to commercial aircraft design and production. Boeing used a tanker it produced as the prototype for the Stratcruiser (the first airliner with two decks) while Douglas churned out the DC-4, DC-6 and DC-7 all through the 1940s and 1950, and Lockheed (under Howard Hughes ownership) built the most beautiful commercial airplane ever, the Constellation.
Name another product that after you buy it, you intentionally destroy it. And have to go buy a replacement. Which you then proceed to-.
Food? ;-)
Clay pigeons.
Fireworks.
Archery butts.
You should add the claim that 92.3 percent of Jobs lost were from women. This is totally not true. The total number lost were far more in men, as I explain here: http://therepublicon.blogspot.com/2012/04/why-calling-liar-is-critical-to.html
Just finished listening Romney speaking at the NRA conference. He just said America wants a President who will speak the truth to them....how ironic.
The NRA are serial liars. They themselves probably love Romney since their noses are all probably the same length - extra long.
Believe me when I say I will not be voting for Mr. Romney, not because I don't like where he stands on issues but because I don't know where he stands on issues. It's all well and good to say one thing in a primary and another in the actual election but where does that leave us the electorate. All politians exagerate/lie/spin and as long as you don't only get your news from one source (not mentioning any names here :) ) the truth will come out, but not knowing what your president believes in that's a problem.
Now that Romney has just spoken at NRA, I think you need to add another page to XIII.
Reader R.F. in Tampa, I LOVE YOU. That image is awesome. :D
I am beyond disgusted...(you would have THOUGHT it would have happened earlier)...but this latest group makes me, makes me...oh lord...
Mitt Romney lecturing anyone about "quality control" is like the Pope lecturing on birth control and sex education. If you don't know what it is all about, keep your mouth shut!
Mitt Romney seem to be The Private Dancer that Tina Turner sing's about.
I'm your private dancer dancing for money do what you want me to do. etc.
It's clear the Republicans are planning a campaign of pure disinformation. When you can't win on substance, lie. Lets face it their only policy, less taxes for the wealthy and less regulations, crashed this country and the world economy hard and they're trying their hardest not only to keep those policies going but they want to get their guys back in so they can double down so they have to deceive everyone.
Well we could try fighting fire with fire. I say Mittins' isn't releasing his long form tax returns because he was actually born in Kenya! HA!
The question is not whether Ann Romney has worked a day in her life but whether her husband ever worked a day in his life.
EPIC WIN for the picture this week.
and once again, thank you for this service.
You really need to apologize to John Cusack for putting Mittens' head on him.
my thoughts exactly
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If Mittens wasn't a Mormon, I'd swear he was an active alcoholic. They are about the only people I've ever seen who will lie when the truth would have served them better.
Do conservative voter opinions slosh back and forth with the same instability as Mitt Romney's or are any of them starting to get uncomfortable with the many faces of this man?
Do any conservative voters actually notice the lies, this muddy-the-water kind of campaigning that should be abhorrent to the moral crowds but seem to be far more acceptable than having a black man in the White House.
Mitt is just one man with unfortunately, his faults in full view of the public. Those who vote for him however are a considerable group of people who while refusing to compromise with any liberal policies, seem fully able to set aside their personal morals, their consciences, and/or select points of the 10 Commandments just to vote conservative, no matter how repugnant said conservative is. It happened with Bush and is happening again with Romney.
Do conservative voters really find this man acceptable enough to even claim as their conservative candidate? It defies logic.
I suppose it's OK for a "devout" Mormon to lie ? I guess that Hebrew Commandment about bearing false witness doesn't apply to Mormons ?
Love this series. How about a companion series on Obama? You could start with the Post Fact Checker on Obama's claiming him and Reagan are like blood brothers when it comes to fair taxation.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/president-obama-quoting-reagan-out-of-context/2012/04/11/gIQAaOsZBT_blog.html
Oh, and dig that photo! Love those quirky characters. I think the blonde chick has the hots for Mr. Big!
Just realized that comment could be taken to mean Obama lies like Mitt.
No no no! Not my intention.
What I wanted to communicate was: how about a little balance? Mitt may be the king of lies, but that makes it all the more frustrating when Obama lies too.
How about some examples? Such as, has Obama ever lied about what his first name is, as Romney has done? That's pretty much the baseline for me: have you got anything that pointlessly idiotic on Obama? I doubt that you do, but I'm willing to be gobsmacked.
What a lying sack of Mitt.
Aw, dang. I've always loved that movie. How can I ever unsee Willard's head on John Cusack's body in that iconic scene?? OH, MY EYES!! MY EYES!! AAARRRGGGH!!
That said, the pic is still hilarious and spot on.