President Obama's re-election campaign unveiled a new television ad yesterday, targeting Mitt Romney for having shipped jobs abroad. "[A]s a corporate raider," the ad says, "he shipped jobs to China and Mexico. As governor, he did the same thing: Outsourcing state jobs to India."
Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler was unkind in his analysis: "On just about every level, this ad is misleading, unfair and untrue." Kessler gave the ad "Four Pinocchios" -- a rating reserved the most brazen and offensive political falsehoods.
Just 14 hours later, the Washington Post published a very different piece, making clear that the message of Obama's ad was accurate after all.
Mitt Romney's financial company, Bain Capital, invested in a series of firms that specialized in relocating jobs done by American workers to new facilities in low-wage countries like China and India.
During the nearly 15 years that Romney was actively involved in running Bain, a private equity firm that he founded, it owned companies that were pioneers in the practice of shipping work from the United States to overseas call centers and factories making computer components, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Kessler may want to take back some of those Pinocchios.
More important, though, is what a story like this tells us about Romney's policies and approach to business.
We've known all along that there's a disconnect between Romney's experience and his policy goals -- he has a background in maximizing profits for his investors, not creating jobs and/or acting to improve the public good. There's nothing necessarily wrong with the former, except to note that it has nothing to do with the latter.
And that's what makes today's report documenting Romney's work moving jobs out of the U.S. so important: it's a reminder of just how little his private-sector background applies to sound government policy.
Romney would have voters believe criticism of his vulture-capital firm is somehow evidence of hostility towards capitalism, but this morning, that leaves the Republican in the untenable position of saying profits are more important than people, and investors are more important than American jobs.
This one's going to leave a mark.
Leave a Comment:
if i wanted an honest and objective evaluation of whatever this administration was up to, i'd take 'fox and friends' over glen kessler in a heartbeat.
"honest and objective evaluation"--I think that's the furthest thing from their minds. You obviously didn't see them chatting about US using drones to spy on farmers. Drivel.
Drones spying on farmers... what?
@ReservoirAngel It was the lunatic right's meme a week or so back. Under Clinton is was "black helicopters." Under Obama it's "drones"!
Well at least it isn't just "a list of people they've supposedly had killed" that the right is recycling from the Clinton days.
You'd think they'd be able to come up with something more original.
Hi Jim,
I took your comment to show that your opinion of Glen Kessler is even lower that your opinion of "Fox and
FiendsFriends" which my guess is pretty low.By the way, ever notice how much difference that letter "r" makes in the word "friend"?
I think I saw some pink and purple elephants flying overhead in my neighborhood.Nevermind, it was just Dumbo the White Elephant. Yes, I'm back to parables.
Jim, yer'comment's goofy.How's things in Goofyville today?
Oh! Sarcasm!! It took me a minute to get it.
Jim, please disregard my previous comment becuz' I just realized I have no idea whom...Glen Kessler is.
Is Kessler one of those who "evaluates" claims for PolitiFact? His accuracy level is about as high.
If you check with securities and exchange commission you will find that Kessler (whoever he is) was being factual. Romney has invested in Chinese companies that specialize on taking jobs from American Companies - http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/bain-capital-mitt-romney-outsourcing-china-global-tech
If you fear for this country we can not keep bringing a knife to a gunfight .
The right wing money machine is out to destroy Obama with lies .
There is enough truth out there that we can disprove every one of those lies and show that Willard is a two faced lying sack of Shmiitt
Leave a mark? Only if the media reports on it. The Obama campaign will certainly try and make an issue out of it, but it's Friday, and with the Supreme Court expected to rule on health care early next week it's more likely that the story will be forgotten by the media.
Why not give them something to think about over the weekend. If they can handle anymore thought processing. Romneys' hair is singed and I do believe I saw smoke coming out of Issa's nose. Are they imploding from fact and truth overload. They are probably going to work on their new lies journal. And why weren't all of Romneys' campaign contributors invited to his candlelight dinner? There are still some Republican Middle Class voters out there, they would like an invite.Oh, yeah, they're not quite rich enough to belong to this non-gentlemans' Club.
Either Glenn Kessler isn't a very good fact checker, or he is raising the bar himself for what deserves four Pinocchios.
And this is his plan for jobs in USA? What does he want us to do move to these countries?
Yes - "self-deport", even if we are citizens
I'll try levitating my way there. Ommm...not working.
"Business experience" means a lot of different things.
I could see a person, with the following list of business accomplishments, as President:
Mitt Romney says he has business experience, but I see no evidence that he has any of the accomplishments and skills listed above. Being able to make money for investors does not, in my humble opinion, count.
President Obama himself put it best a while back where he said that being the President isn't just about turning a profit for your investors, it's about doing what's best for every citizen in the United States.
I just don't get the "I want to help people" vibe from Romney. He wants to make money, which is why his focus is on the economy. Unfortunately for him, the things he's said he wants to do will not make money, they'll lose it. He wants to repeal Obamacare, which economists have said would add billions to the deficit. He wants to give the rich even more tax cuts, so they pay even less taxes than they do now. That won't put money into the government, it'll take it away. And of course, he wants to increase military and defence spending... as if the military is the area where America is lacking.
I used to think that "big corporations controlling the government" was just a set-up for a generic Dystopian science fiction story, but now...
ReservoirAngel... love your list, but it isn't based on a vibe. It's based on what republicans have said they'll do. Romney wants the Ryan budget, after all. Dismantling Medicare, too.
We're already suffering from republican stagnation. If it were any other time in our history in a depression/recession, we'd be creating more public sector jobs, not gutting them. Yes, their goal is to make Obama a one-term President, but they're also accomplishing their goals of privatizing education and services.
ReservedAngel, Romneys' so-called people are Corporations they are his people. This is who he is talking to, he is not talking to you or me or anyone other than the 1%. Those people he refers to are taking this Country down they are selling us out, literally. They are buying Hawaiian islands. His people are planning a 3 hour tour for the rest of us. Thurston Howell has gotten off his little island and now he wants to buy them all.And you thought Ginger was stupid.
I always feel whenever a Republican talks about Obama and the budget that they're really just saying "Obama didn't clear up our mess quick enough, so vote us back in."
And when you look at that message, it makes absolutely no sense and anyone saying it deserves to be slapped. It's just sad that so many people buy into it. Mostly because so many people think the debt and the economy is Obama's fault.
Seem's as though Romney was in on the ground floor of shipping American job's overseas.And now he say's he know's how to create job's?WHERE? He shipped job's overseas just as he shipped his money offshore to avoid paying taxe's.His etch a scetch is getting a hell of a workout.He keep's trying to tell the American people he is something that he certainly is not.He's a pathological liar and a tax cheater.This guy is supposed to care about the middle class of this country?The only thing he care's about is protecting the wealthy, corporate intrest's and his "five son's"inheritance.Oh yes and the prestige of the office of POTUS.
I guess he wants jobs where he keeps his money. Overseas.
Romney is Wall St. and The big Corporations, Banks last hope.
"...profits are more important than people, and investors are more important than American jobs."
And that IS the salient point! And as President Obama explained "being President of this country means that you are everyone's President" not just that of the 1%! I get it Mittens you feel as though it is "your turn" however, just like John McCain - you are so NOT READY for "leadership" of US! Just go to one of your homes and sit down!
Fire the GOP in November!
I wonder if King Rmoney Pinnochios' job outsourcing will ever be discussed on Primetime news. Trying to make this election close is too risky for the Middle Class and the poor of our country. The media and the journalist need to nail this egotistical man, who doesn't have a clue ,with all of his Mendacitys and lies. When are they gonna start going after this Devil in disguise? I hope sooner or later, too many children ae going hungry because of the resistance of The Republican Party to do anything to help The American People through this depression. Their sitting on their hands waiting for something that isn't going to occur. Meanwhile, back on the farm. Our Country can't afford to wait. There is a time and a place for everything. Now is neither the time or the place to play politics.
Angel The big six ... control everything. They need a horse race they get a horse race .
http://www.fastcodesign.com/1665600/infographic-of-the-day-the-mega-companies-behind-90-of-media
Read it and weep . You have no choice.
Incidentally, that 6:30 news reader . His pay is 5 million plus .
Who's team do you think he is on ?
God help us. And he will he's still watching the show. His eye is not only on us it is on the entire Universe's. A lot of mess to clean up, alot of lives to heal. Lord, give us the time and strength to fix this mess. The truth always prevails.
Bank Accounts? ...hidden overseas.
American Jobs? ...moved overseas.
That Romney, he sure is a patriot, now, isn't he?
Kessler? The guy who said saying the Ryan budget would end Medicare was a "pants on fire" lie because Ryan called his plan to replace a non-profit, dedicated tax supported single payer system with a continually shrinking voucher that could be used to buy unregulated, private, for-profit insurance that doesn't exist "Medicare"? Kessler? The guy who dug in his heels and stubbornly insisted he was right when a Nobel prize winning economist pointed out that this was like calling a person who said sticking a Mercedes logo onto a tricycle didn't make the trike a Mercedes a "pants on fire liar?"
Yeah, he'll totally pull back now that his own paper has demonstrated he'll do anything to avoid acknowledging that that there's a massive mendacity gap between the two parties.
Voted up. a million times up. Thanks Steve.
Romney's thought with an evil smirk while rubbing hands..."I will create jobs but you will have to migrate to china/india to apply for one." money money moneyyyy hehehehehe...
If you're familiar with Kessler, you know that's not happening.
Romney's thought, with an evil smirk while rubbing he's hands, "I will create jobs but you will have to migrate to china/india to apply for one, hehehehehe money money moneyyyyyy
Maybe he thinks if everyone who needs a job leaves the country, America will get back on the 'right track'. He said he'd bring unemployment down, maybe his method of doing that is just to herd all the jobless folks off to other countries.
Wouldn't surprise me, really. I'm amazed some crazy Tea Partier (I refuse to call them Teabaggers, that act is too dignified to be associated with them) in Congress hasn't tried to introduce a bill doing just that.
Romney's an animated, bio morphic, Chamber of Commerce mannequin. He's a figment of Wall Street's imagination.
No more than a pebble in a pond does. It'll vanish without a trace in the storm of disinformation.