On last night's show, Rachel talked at some length about a subject I follow with great interest: Mitt Romney's habit of saying things that aren't true. Summarizing some of yesterday's big political headlines, Rachel explained, "Just like Mitt Romney lied in his very first ad, in a really blunt, schoolyard kind of way. They're now lying in the new ad that is about Solyndra and Mitt Romney is lying about it personally out of his face at his big campaign stunt today.
Rachel concluded, "Even in this nuts day in American politics, don't you think that candidate telling a big, blatant lie in the middle of the news cycle deserves a little follow up?"
That was a rhetorical question, of course, but the answer is obviously yes, big, blatant lies from a major party presidential nominee do deserve some little follow up. It's one of the reasons I'm glad to present the 20th installment of my weekly series, chronicling Mitt's mendacity.
1. At a campaign stop in Craig, Colorado, this week, Romney argued, "The president, when he got elected, he said, look, 'I'm going to go out and borrow $787 billion and I'll keep unemployment below 8 percent.'"
Romney says this just about every day. It's not true.
2. In the same speech, Romney said Obama can't "blame Congress" for economic problems: "Remember that he had a supermajority in both the House and the Senate in his own party for his first two years."
Putting aside the fact that the current Congress is more relevant, the truth is Democrats did not have a supermajority for the vast majority of Obama's first two years.
3. Romney also argued, "That stimulus he put in place, it didn't help private sector jobs; it helped preserve government jobs."
That's the exact opposite of reality.
4. He went on to say about Obama, "He promised when he was running for office he was going to cut the deficit in half. He's more than doubled it."
I don't know how Romney defines "double," but the deficit on Obama's first day was $1.3 trillion. Last year, it was also $1.3 trillion. This year, it's projected to be $1.1 trillion. When he says the president "more than doubled" the deficit, as he has many times, Romney's lying.
5. Romney also argued, "There was an effort to impose unions on businesses and employees that didn't want them by having quickie elections and taking away the right to a secret ballot. Do you think imposing unions where employees don't want them is helping create jobs in this country?"
Putting aside the fact that he's mischaracterizing what card-check is, Romney is making it sound as if the policy passed and is hurting the economy. It never became law.
6. Romney went on to say, "You see, when businesses have lower taxes, they're able to invest in their future, put people back to work. Do you think President Obama's tax increases will add jobs in America?"
President Obama has not increased taxes; he's lowered them. Government spending, taxes, and deficits are all lower today than when Obama took office.
7. On energy, Romney argued, "[Obama] says he's for all of the above when it comes for energy. You heard that. And yet he's made it harder to get coal out of the ground. He's made it harder to get natural gas out of the ground. He's made it harder to get oil out of the ground."
In reality, coal production is up; we have more natural gas than we know what to do with; and oil production is up. Obama's support for "all of the above" continues.
8. On spending, Romney added, "The one place we should have shut back -- or cut back -- was on government jobs."
That's the place the nation has been cutting back.
9. On his own budget plans, Romney said, "I think it's immoral for us to pass on those burdens to our kids. If I'm president, I'll go after that deficit and get America on track to a balanced budget."
That's plainly false. Romney says his plan "can't be scored," but independent budget analysts have found his agenda would make the deficit bigger, not smaller, and add trillions to the national debt.
10. Romney told Fox News this week that President Obama is waging "a personal attack campaign," adding, "He's going after me as an individual."
To date, the Romney hasn't been able to point to any examples of Obama making a personal attack against Romney unrelated to substantive issues.
11. In an attack on teachers' unions, Romney said, " Their attitude was memorably expressed by a longtime president of the American Federation of Teachers: He said, quote, 'When school children start paying union dues, that's when I'll start representing the interests of children.' "
If we're being generous, we might call a claim like this "unsubstantiated." If we're being candid, a better description would be "apocryphal nonsense."
12. Romney began arguing this week that "80 percent" of the companies Bain Capital invested in grew and created jobs.
Nice try, but no.
13. In Las Vegas, Romney told a crowd, "He came into the White House and told people not to bother to go out to Las Vegas for conventions or meetings. That sure as heck didn't help did it?"
No, Obama actually said, in reference to Wall Street recklessness, "You are not going to be able to give out these big bonuses until you pay taxpayers back. You can't get corporate jets. You can't go take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayers' dime. There's got to be some accountability and some responsibility."
14. In the same speech, Romney said "When the president proposes, as he has, raising the personal income tax rates took from 35% at the margin to 40%, it means less money for people [who own small businesses]."
In reality, Obama has cut taxes on small businesses, and raising the top income tax rate would not adversely affect small businesses, no matter how often Republicans argue to the contrary.
15. In an attack ad going after federal loan guarantees for energy companies, Romney claimed, "The Inspector General said contracts were steered to 'friends and family.'"
That's ridiculously misleading.
16. The Romney campaign argued this week that it focuses exclusively on substantive issues, regardless of passing distractions: "Every time the president trying to get off to something different like the attack of Governor Romney because of his dogs or the attack on Mrs. Romney we keep going back to what's important."
Putting aside the fact that neither Obama nor his campaign "attacked" Ann Romney, the truth is, the Romney campaign has obsessed endlessly over these side stories.
17. Romney told Fox News this week that voters are still getting to know "a new candidate like myself."
Romney has been running for president, nearly non-stop, for six years. He's anything but "new."
18. Romney told CBS News yesterday, "[D]omestically, it's hard to call what, now, 39, 40 months of unemployment above 8% a success when even he said by now, it would be in the 6% range."
That's a new twist on an old lie (see above), but it's still wrong.
The estimable Jamelle Bouie, clearly frustrated with Romney's resistance to honesty and the media's coverage of the problem, asked a fair question this week: "What does Romney need to do to receive any scrutiny for the mendacity that has defined his quest for the presidency?"
I wish I had a good answer to that question, but it's worth noting that a growing number of observers are at least noticing. Eugene Robinson explained this week, "There are those who tell the truth. There are those who distort the truth. And then there's Mitt Romney.... Not to put too fine a point on it, he lies. Quite a bit."
After compiling these last 20 installments, I'm hard pressed to disagree.
Previous editions of Chronicling Mitt's Mendacity: Vol. I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII,XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII, XIX
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I propose we all get together with our friends and families, and we each send a post card to every major news network on the same date demanding the truth be told and lies be confronted and debunked. I'd hope the sheer volume and weight of our demands would help change the direction and quality of reporting. Otherwise it may become a news story in itself and through that shed light on the lack of journalistic principle some media outlets deem acceptable today.
I was reading the Principles of Journalism @ http://www.journalism.org/resources/principles and I'm sure we'd all agree that TRMS is truly journalism. I'm not sure what some of the other media outlets call what they do.
Perhaps the Pew Research Center could help us with the message. Anybody with me?
HAHAHAHAH-5975278
1. The President said that to congress bout stimulus package.
2,2009-2011? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40927097/ns/politics-capitol_hill/t/th-congress-sworn-gop-flexes-muscles/#.T8rkfI4xXss
3. Theres no way to tell except looking at Growth of government jobs.
4 The Debt rose $4.899 trillion during the two terms of the Bush presidency. It has now gone up $4.939 trillion since President Obama took office. debt % of GDP has almost doubled though
5"there was an Effort" never said it became law
6"Do you think President Obama's tax increases will add jobs in America?" Hello romney was asking a question about future Obamas whole campaign is making owners of business pay higher taxes. Ps. Obama care did add cost to business
7 People using iPhones is higher today than it was 4 years ago. Its called massive technology improvement in coal oil and natural gas . Federal production is actually down but on private land has BOOMED.
8 an increase of 153,000 federal jobs since 2009
9. His budget can't be scored because it is IMPOSSIBLLE to predict future Jobs added by companies hiring people once romney gives companies money by lowering their taxes. PS. USA corporate tax rate is highest in world right now
10. You said "
"To date, the Romney hasn't been able to point to any examples of Obama making a personal attack against Romney unrelated to substantive issues" Im glad u get to decide what is a "substantive issues" cause i think calling him a vampire is personal
11 so y don't union teachers and President Obama support letting families choose which school to attend? forcing inner city children to go to awful school seems to be truly caring about kids? hahahah But i think Unions Love Love it.
12 sorry it was 77% http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/johncassidy/2012/01/bain-capital-a-users-guide.html
13 UR so stupid. Obama said in a speech to USA citizens saying if your financially struggling don't go to vegas and lose all ur money. Romney said that Hurt lasvegas since its whole economy is about tourism
14. 80% of small businesses file taxes as individuals. FACT
15.so why is the FBI investigating the deal between solyndra and Obama? In fact, “nearly 200 of his biggest donors have landed plum government jobs and advisory posts, won federal contracts worth millions of dollars for their business interests or attended numerous elite White House meetings and social events, There are so many Obama and michelle obama ties to solyndra its gross.
16Hilary Rosen 36 white house visits, compared to Energy Secretary Stephen/Steve Chu visited 16 times. yea she's not on his staff? Just one example of many
17 WOW hahah running for six years now, so people should know who he and his wife r and what kind of people they? most people still haven't started paying attention to the election.but ur right everyone knows about him and his family.
18. Unemployment has been above 8% since Febuary 2009.
Wow haha
Repeating yourself
You really must be Mitt Romney!
The only thing we can hope for is the debates. The moderators better have a list of the facts when he questions both candidates. We all know Romney lies on every position he takes. The moderator "must" call Romney out for the false answers he gives and more importantly not let Romney skirt around the questions. That will be the key to the President being re-elected.
Glenn, I totally agree with you that the moderators must have the facts and must make the candidates answer the question that was asked.
And I question Romney as being a devout Mormon. It is a sin to lie in the Mormon religion as well as Christrianity. And Romney knows full well he is lying.
HAHAHAHAH-5975278
1. The President said that to congress bout stimulus package.
2,2009-2011? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40927097/ns/politics-capitol_hill/t/th-congress-sworn-gop-flexes-muscles/#.T8rkfI4xXss
3. Theres no way to tell except looking at Growth of government jobs.
4 The Debt rose $4.899 trillion during the two terms of the Bush presidency. It has now gone up $4.939 trillion since President Obama took office. debt % of GDP has almost doubled though
5"there was an Effort" never said it became law
6"Do you think President Obama's tax increases will add jobs in America?" Hello romney was asking a question about future Obamas whole campaign is making owners of business pay higher taxes. Ps. Obama care did add cost to business
7 People using iPhones is higher today than it was 4 years ago. Its called massive technology improvement in coal oil and natural gas . Federal production is actually down but on private land has BOOMED.
8 an increase of 153,000 federal jobs since 2009
9. His budget can't be scored because it is IMPOSSIBLLE to predict future Jobs added by companies hiring people once romney gives companies money by lowering their taxes. PS. USA corporate tax rate is highest in world right now
10. You said "
"To date, the Romney hasn't been able to point to any examples of Obama making a personal attack against Romney unrelated to substantive issues" Im glad u get to decide what is a "substantive issues" cause i think calling him a vampire is personal
11 so y don't union teachers and President Obama support letting families choose which school to attend? forcing inner city children to go to awful school seems to be truly caring about kids? hahahah But i think Unions Love Love it.
12 sorry it was 77% http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/johncassidy/2012/01/bain-capital-a-users-guide.html
13 UR so stupid. Obama said in a speech to USA citizens saying if your financially struggling don't go to vegas and lose all ur money. Romney said that Hurt lasvegas since its whole economy is about tourism
14. 80% of small businesses file taxes as individuals. FACT
15.so why is the FBI investigating the deal between solyndra and Obama? In fact, “nearly 200 of his biggest donors have landed plum government jobs and advisory posts, won federal contracts worth millions of dollars for their business interests or attended numerous elite White House meetings and social events, There are so many Obama and michelle obama ties to solyndra its gross.
16Hilary Rosen 36 white house visits, compared to Energy Secretary Stephen/Steve Chu visited 16 times. yea she's not on his staff? Just one example of many
17 WOW hahah running for six years now, so people should know who he and his wife r and what kind of people they? most people still haven't started paying attention to the election.but ur right everyone knows about him and his family.
18. Unemployment has been above 8% since Febuary 2009.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/chan-lowe/sfl-mitt-romney-and-trump-20120531,0,2575461.story This is an excellent commentary
i have to say - this chronicle should really be its own separate website/blog/tumblr, etc. let's keep it clean, neat, accessible, and on point. YES PLEASE.
Agreed!
America needs to see that though Mitt claims to be a man of faith, he spews lies every time he opens his mouth. He'd sell us all down the river if it enhanced his bank account (and/or that of his "investors"). Bad juju. God is not smiling about this guy. We should be VERY WARY of a presidential candidate who is a compulsive liar.
I am surprised there is not more flak about this "religion versus lying" jazz. Creepy! I look forward to seeing some pushback ads by the Obama campaign.
Show me a politician who doesnt lie and I will run down the las vegs strip naked. We could do this to evey poltician and come up with just as many lies if not more. This is nothing knew they all do it. One of my all time favorites is old slick Willies (I never had sex with that women). My 2nd favorite was (I didnt inhale).
Apart from characterizing the Obama campaign's activities as "attacks", does Romney expect people to believe that even though he is running for office that he and his past record are off limits? Or that Obama is doing something wrong by campaigning against him? Or by campaigning at all? Republicans like to insist to the media that all attention should be focused on the horrific shortcomings they allege in their Democratic opponents while they should be left alone as though they were innocent bystanders, but Romney seems to be aiming this at the general public.
This should be interesting. Republicans have already convinced their supporters that the system is broken because Democrats sometimes win elections. Will they now convince them that it's a problem that Democrats even campaign? I think what they're going for is an America in which democracy is a hollow sham, and everyone is supposed to believe that would be democracy working as it should.
The highest bidder, Intrudedupon, seems to be the Koch brothers and their "got their money working for Stalin and Hitler" fortune.
Google grandpa Koch shaking hands with Stalin. Or Ilsa Koch and her human skin lamp shades.
ROMNIFICATON.ORG Having difficulty staying on top of the Romney campaign’s latest lies? Check out Romnification.org, a new website devoted to Mitt Romney’s lies, as the banner says, “Built With Romniverous Lies.” Among the nifty features is a Mittionary with important definitions, like “Romnification: Noun; A state of having lied for the purpose of damaging an opponent or falsely claiming credit for an achievement to illicitly elevate one's status. Based on the verb, to Romnify, as in "Mitt is known to Romnify about facts concerning Barrack Obama." Romnification occurs in three degrees, similar to felonies, first, second and third degree Romnification. Synonyms: aspersion, character assassination, defamation, denigration, lie, malicious, smear, vituperation. Usage: "Mitt is especially prone to Romnification!" Each lie is rated on a scale of Mitts, 1, 2 and 3. Check it out. http://www.romnification.org
It is all going to come down to the debates and if the moderators let Romney get away with it. The moderators better have all the facts right in front of them. When Romney lies on a question the moderator needs to confront Romney on the fact and that he is not telling the truth. And when Romney starts to skirt around the question asked or change the subject the moderators really need to let the public know what is truth and what is not. They just can't let Romney go on and on and on so hopefully the viewer will forget what the question was to begin with. They moderators really need to be in charge of the debates and that goes for both Romney and Obama but I have a feeling they will not nearly have the false answers that Romney will give. Romney is as good as they get when changing the subject when caught lying. I've studied him long enough to know.
Check these two links out! http://theobamacrat.com/2012/05/08/the-complete-list-of-lies-by-willard-mitt-romney/ http://jackjodell53.wordpress.com/2012/05/31/mitt-romneys-lies-roundup-for-may-2012/
I am really confussed are we only 1.3 trillion in debt? I thought the debt ticker said it was more like 15 trillion.
I jsut checked it again at brillion .com. The debt clock says 15 trillion, so where are we getting 1.3 trillion? Almost 16 trillion, it increases 3.96 biilion per day. So in 30 days another trillion will be added, thats 1 trillion per month.
Ok just checked again In 2009 Obama plans to slash the budget to 533 billion. Ok 2 times 533 billion is how much? Oh that would be over 1 trillion so maybe these were the stats old Willard was refer to.
My calculator wouldnt go that high so my math was a little off it would almost 120 billion per moth.
It is no secret that Obama wants to raise taxes on the rich. Yes Obama talked trash aboiut going to vegas I remember that well. The mayor was quit upset with Obama for that one. So Rachel you might be nickpicking here a little. You actualy told a flat out lie the other night when you said the women make less than men. Fact is I worked with a lady doing the same job and she mad 10 bucks an hr more than me. Fact of the matter is that sometimes women make more than men. You said women made less, that is a flat out lie. Now you may have been refering to the average, but Mitt was oviously refering to Obama saying he would cut the deficit to 533 billion by 2013. 1.3 trillion is double that 533 billion. So it really sounds like your the pot calling the kettle black.
1. The President said that to congress bout stimulus package.
2,2009-2011? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40927097/ns/politics-capitol_hill/t/th-congress-sworn-gop-flexes-muscles/#.T8rkfI4xXss
3. Theres no way to tell except looking at Growth of government jobs.
4 The Debt rose $4.899 trillion during the two terms of the Bush presidency. It has now gone up $4.939 trillion since President Obama took office. debt % of GDP has almost doubled though
5"there was an Effort" never said it became law
6"Do you think President Obama's tax increases will add jobs in America?" Hello romney was asking a question about future Obamas whole campaign is making owners of business pay higher taxes. Ps. Obama care did add cost to business
7 People using iPhones is higher today than it was 4 years ago. Its called massive technology improvement in coal oil and natural gas . Federal production is actually down but on private land has BOOMED.
8 an increase of 153,000 federal jobs since 2009
9. His budget can't be scored because it is IMPOSSIBLLE to predict future Jobs added by companies hiring people once romney gives companies money by lowering their taxes. PS. USA corporate tax rate is highest in world right now
10. You said "
"To date, the Romney hasn't been able to point to any examples of Obama making a personal attack against Romney unrelated to substantive issues" Im glad u get to decide what is a "substantive issues" cause i think calling him a vampire is personal
11 so y don't union teachers and President Obama support letting families choose which school to attend? forcing inner city children to go to awful school seems to be truly caring about kids? hahahah But i think Unions Love Love it.
12 sorry it was 77% http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/johncassidy/2012/01/bain-capital-a-users-guide.html
13 UR so stupid. Obama said in a speech to USA citizens saying if your financially struggling don't go to vegas and lose all ur money. Romney said that Hurt lasvegas since its whole economy is about tourism
14. 80% of small businesses file taxes as individuals. FACT
15.so why is the FBI investigating the deal between solyndra and Obama? In fact, “nearly 200 of his biggest donors have landed plum government jobs and advisory posts, won federal contracts worth millions of dollars for their business interests or attended numerous elite White House meetings and social events, There are so many Obama and michelle obama ties to solyndra its gross.
16Hilary Rosen 36 white house visits, compared to Energy Secretary Stephen/Steve Chu visited 16 times. yea she's not on his staff? Just one example of many
17 WOW hahah running for six years now, so people should know who he and his wife r and what kind of people they? most people still haven't started paying attention to the election.but ur right everyone knows about him and his family.
18. Unemployment has been above 8% since Febuary 2009.
FACTS you should use them
Just two things I dislike about Romney: His face!
Could we please have this HAHAHAHAH-5975278 cretin fired out of a cannon?
BAIN CAPITAL OWNS CONSERVATIVE TALK RADIO SYNDICATE CLEAR CHANNEL:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/05/26/1095014/-Bain-Capital-and-Mitt-Romney-s-Best-Kept-Secret-Clear-Channel-Radio
'Romney also argued, "There was an effort to impose unions on businesses and employees that didn't want them by having quickie elections and taking away the right to a secret ballot. Do you think imposing unions where employees don't want them is helping create jobs in this country?"'
'Putting aside the fact that he's mischaracterizing what card-check is, Romney is making it sound as if the policy passed and is hurting the economy. It never became law.'
Romney never said it became law. He said there was an effort to get it. Nothing in his remarks implies the policy passed. Who exactly is mischaracterizing here?
I could see that Romney was trying to "Swiftboat" his way into the White HOuse, but I had no idea just how often he's been lying until I read this list.
We can only hope that the Obama campaign can make good use of these to paint this fake Mormon (where does it say that it's OK to lie?) as the pathological liar that he is.