Outside a steel factory shut down by Mitt Romney's firm.
For weeks, it seemed like Democratic criticisms of Mitt Romney's controversial private-sector background were viewed as a total failure. Republicans said it showed hostility towards capitalism; some high-profile Democrats balked; and many in the media predicted a public backlash. The entire line of attack was, were told, a dud.
Those perceptions appear to be changing. Last week, for example, the New York Times reported that Romney's Bain Capital rigged the game so that he would make millions, even when his investments failed. The week before, the Washington Post discovered that Romney's team were "pioneers in the practice of shipping work from the United States" to overseas.
The Times added over the weekend that "strategists in both parties" agree that President Obama's campaign is successfully raising doubts among voters as to Romney's commitment to the middle class, and the ads are "starting to make an impact on some undecided voters."
E.J. Dionne Jr. makes a very strong case today that "Romney's Bain problem" is serious.
The Bain ads have done double-duty, specifically undermining Romney but also serving as a parable for how aspects of the current financial system hurt workers and local communities. Profits and productivity can rise even as real wages stagnate or fall, and jobs can be offshored and outsourced. The Romney campaign's response to a recent Washington Post story describing Bain's record on outsourcing -- the campaign sought to "differentiate between domestic outsourcing versus offshoring" -- sounded more like bureaucratic gobbledygook than an effective answer. Obama picked up on the story immediately, calling Romney an "outsourcing pioneer."
But can the Obama campaign turn the argument over Romney and Bain into a broader challenge to the Republican claim that the only thing government can do to spur job creation is to get out of the way? "Jobs" will remain the Romney battle cry for the rest of the campaign, but the success of the anti-Bain offensive points to an opportunity for Obama to engage in a kind of political jujitsu. He can argue that Romney's primary interest is not in job creation at all but in low-tax and deregulatory policies he would favor whether the economy was soaring or flat.
Criticisms of Romney's style of vulture capitalism resonate on multiple levels. Just at the surface, Americans are presented with a straightforward message: this guy got rich breaking up American companies and laying off American workers.
At the same time, however, the story makes Romney appear indifferent towards the middle class, incompetent when it comes to rescuing struggling communities, and ineffective as an economic leader. Complicating matters, the message resonates most with the voters Romney needs most: white working-class men in Midwestern swing states.
The conventional wisdom in May was that Obama was wasting resources and political capital on a counter-productive attack. I'm glad those assumptions are getting another look now.
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I think Bain story shows that Romney wasn't concerned about job creation, contrary to what he says. But I do think it's somewhat of a sideshow, because the main point is that his policy is to make the rich richer in the short term, and claim that is good for everybody. This is so radically wrong, and proven wrong, that to me everything else is off message. My take on the real Romney Logo: http://therepublicon.blogspot.com/2012/07/real-romney-agenda.html
I am afraid nothing matters but the 3-4-5-6 billion Sheldon Adelson and his billionaire buddies are going to spend on negative advertising. After all their total net worth is in the neighborhood of a trillion or so, even 10 or 20 billion means nothing to them.
I agree and disagree.
I think all that money and those ads will have an effect on the congressional races. It will keep the House for Republicans. But, I don't think a money bomb of ads can turn a Presidential election. People take that very seriously. And Obama will not be outspent by margins seen in places like Wisconsin. He will have a hefty sum too.
I think towards the end, when the big money guys realize that all their money can't save Romney, they will put it towards the Senate and House races exclusively. They are businessmen, afterall. It would be bad business to keep throwing money away on a loser.
I remain hopeful that the onslaught of ads by these billionaire donors will be exposed as an attempt to buy politicians and the voters will not reward them. I also hope the ads can be responded to, which will also take money.
Maybe quality (high road vs. low road) and truthfulness of the ad will be rewarded more than sheer numbers (I cite Meg Whitman again- no joy for her spending in CA).
The conventional wisdom was always stupid (as it often is), because it was decided by wealthy newscasters and pundits for whom investments are real, but wages are an abstraction.
David Corn has an interesting article at Mother Jones about Romney, Bain and a medical waste company they invested in that disposed of the remains of abortion procedures. Apparently, Bain may have tried to hide Romney's role in this investment because it would have been problematic for him in the South Carolina primary.
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/romney-bain-abortion-stericycle-sec
I cannot understand where those critics were coming from regarding this simple truth about making lots of money by leveraging to break up companies and lay off employees.
This should be a slam dunk, as this practice of outsourcing is regarded as model for American capitalism.
And "wow" over the Bain medical waste suekzoo1!
One thing for sure, "the people" want to know what businesses are involved in what practices (especially political action) and which politicians are pandering to them.
Another sure thing is those involved wish to hide that. Thankfully, we have a few reporting this information to "the people".
I think many if not most of the beltway media are hardwired to favor Republicans. A lot of them must be Republicans themselves, and a kind of Stockholm Syndrome probably explains the rest. Republicans always act like they're in charge, even when they're out of power, and it would be difficult for any media person to be marinated in that aura of unchallenged power without buying into it at least a little.
Mitt Romney's Record On Outsourcing Jobs And Investing Over Seas while at Bain and Tax Dodging :
http://www.barackobama.com/romney-offshore-outsourcing/
Holson Burnes outsourced production to Asia while Laying off 150 workers in South Carolina.
Gartner Group advised firms on outsourcing issues in Southeast Asia and Oceana.
Modus Media cut 200 jobs in California and opened a new facility in Guadalajara, Mexico.
SMTC eliminated 429 jobs in Denver and sent production to Chihuahua, Mexico.
Stream International opened a call center for clients to outsource customer support.
Massachusetts Department of Tranitional Assistance paid $160,000 a month to operate call centers overseas.
Romney held direct ownership of a Bermudan investment entity with over $10,000.000 in investments.
The Ann D. Romney Blind Trust held an interest in numerous investment partnerships ( value not disclosed in tax returns ).
The Ann D. Romney blind Trust held interest in Goldman Sachs Liquid Reserves Fund and others ( value not disclosed in tax returns ).
The Romney family trust held interests in Bain Capital and other funds ( value not disclosed in tax returns ).
Bank account valued at approximately $3 million according to Romney trustees.
Romney family trust held interests in Germal private equity company ( value not disclosed in tax returns ).
Romney family trust held interests in a property management company ( value not disclosed in tax returns ).
Dade Behring closed two Miami factories, affecting 850 jobs, and sent production to Europe.
Hope42012? Didn't you learn your lesson from the 'Hope and Change' from 2008?
Why are you sheeple so loyal to obama? America is in such bad shape because of his policies! I'd take a chance with almost anyone else then give this incompetent fraud another 4 years.
Why are people loyal to Obama sheeple to you while people loyal to, oh lets say, Rush Limppaw and Fux Noise are patriots ?
And speaking of incompetence and fraud, why do people like you NEVER complain about the fraud and graft in the corporate welfare system to the tune of billions of stolen tax dollars in needless subsides ??
And why do people like you NEVER complain about the fraud and graft in the Military Industrial systems to the tune of billions of stolen tax dollars ??
And why do people like you NEVER complain about the fraud and graft in the ' support diabolical Foreign Dictators to the tune of billions of stolen tax dollars ??
Trillions of America Tax Dollars have been stolen over the years by the very Robber Barons that the Republican Radicals get their money from and then do favors for in return !!
When you start bitching about these criminal activities and others by your Radical, Right-Wing, Racist, Homophobic, Women Hating Puppet Masters . . . we might possible start listening to your hateful comments about President Obama.
And by the way, if you dare, go look at this list of Republican Felons and those being investigated for crimes and felonies. There are many more recent examples of Republican Crimes and Felonies but this list give you a great idea of how NOT the Part Of Family Values The Republicans are:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/01/17/438438/-GOP-List-of-Corruption-Update-Primary-Edition
Dishonorable Mentions
Richard Curtis (Republican State Representative, La Center, Washington) Resigned.. Resigned after denying and then admitting having paid for sex with 26-year-old male waiter. Curtis, opposed a 2006 gay rights discrimination bill and a 2007 domestic partnership bill.
Ken Calvert (Republican Representative, California) Should be under investigation. Earmarked Federal funds for personal gain by buying and selling land that benefited from multiple freeways and commerical development pushed through by his position as a Representative. Ties with consulting firm of Copeland, Lowery that is currently under investigation in the Jerry Lewis scandal above.
Also. Arrested in 1993 for Soliciting a prostitute.
Don Sherwood (Former Republican Representative, Pennsylvania): Civil Suit Settlement. Settled in civil suit with former mistress accusing Sherwood of repeatedly assaulting her during their 5-year extramarital relationship. The mistress, Cynthia Ore, called police in September 2004, after locking herself in the bathroom, and accused Sherwood of choking her. No charges were filed because "Both parties have left out significant information or are not willing to discuss in detail what actually happened".
Rush Limbaugh (Conservative Radio Talk Show Host): Plea Bargain. Charged with "doctor shopping" to obtain prescription pain medication. Limbaugh surrendered to authorities after a warrant was issued for his arrest. Prosecutors agreed to drop the charge if Limbaugh paid $30,000 to help offset investigation costs, complete a drug addiction treatment with his physician and submit to random drug testing.
Bill O'Reilly (Conservative Fox News Talk Show Host): Civil Suit Settlement. Settled a civil suit for sexual harrassment. Former O'Reilly factor producer Mackris filed a sexual harassment suit, complaining that O'Reilly had made numerous references to "phone sex, vibrators, threesomes, masturbation, the loss of his virginity, and other sexual fantasies".
"The Timesadded over the weekend that "strategists in both parties" agree that President Obama's campaign is successfully raising doubts among voters as to Romney's commitment to the middle class, and the ads are 'starting to make an impact on some undecided voters'."
If there's one things that is absolutely clear, it's that Mitt Romney has never had, does not now have, nor ever will have a "commitment to the middle class." He has no idea what middle class life is like. His only small concern for workers is in their role as tools to enhance the wealth of those at the top.
Why anybody who cares at all about the plight of working class folks would be undecided at this point completely escapes me. For anyone wanting to see a middle class revival in this country, there's only one choice in this election. And it isn't Romney.
This whole attitude of coddling the "job creators" because apparently if we're not super-nice to rich people they'll stop hiring folks is really starting to annoy me.
These people, the leaders of these big corporations... they're not concerned with creating jobs. They're concerned with creating wealth, and the sooner people realise that those two goals are not the same thing, the better.
And once again, it shows that the people who bleat the loudest about the "free market" either have no idea how it works, or are just lying and using it as a cudgel to promote their ideology. In the real world, if a CEO refused to add jobs when demand required it just because his feelings were hurt, the real free market would result in competitors who were not crybabies taking that business that could have been his.
Add in revelations in Mother Jones today that Romney made millions investing in a medical waste disposal firm that made big bucks disposing of aborted fetuses, and it looks like all that crap Romney spouted defending his mendacity about what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander is becoming prophetic as Bain Capital cooks his goose.
Romney's campaign is based on convincing the middle class that his business experience, which involves merely selfish interest and an imaginary Invisible Hand -- where he showed little concern for the middle class and in which he won whether the companies he was involved in or not succeeded or failed --, prepared him to be President whose job is to be concerned with the entire country and the interests of the lower and middle class.
If Obama can't win that one...
Even the low-information voters understand that "vulture capitalism" isn't what they want for America. Mittens and his PR personnel can spin it whichever way they want to, but, Americans understand that the slash&burn "capitalism" being touted by them is NOT what's good for putting Americans back to work!
DREAM ON!
I think the video ads showing people hurt by Bain and Romney have been very effective. I hope the President and those on our side will continue to create these kinds of ads.
Here are a few. Please share with others:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TLatxTzVE4w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=A1cWIwxoZR4
Bain Capitol bought out business's that were failing, They injected money into them, Changed the management team and had over 80 % success rate in saving these companies..... Remember these were business's that were going to go out of business. Bain was a huge success. Ask companies like Home Depot, StarBucks, Office Depot, Staples, Etc, Etc, Etc.
Bain created and saved a lot more jobs then obama ever did and it didn't waste almost 1 TRILLION dollars in taxpayer money!
It's funny that the CEO of GE, Jeffery Emmelt is on obama's jobs panel. What a hoot. He is one of the worst offenders.
I have personal experience, I worked for Marquette Medical Systems, a GREAT company, on the Fortune 500 top 100 companies to work for list. GE bought the company, sent all production to China and fired the vast majority of its American workers.
If the choice is between obama and Romney, I have to pick Romney every time
Paid agent of the Romney campaign, then?
Actually a lot more open mined then brainwashed idiots like you! Why would you vote for obama after the disaster of the last four years?
And he can do lame insults, too! Paid by the word? It's robbery! I'd like to speak to your supervisor. Now. You're not very good at your job. Your grammar is crap, your punctuation is worse than Arnold Rimmer's, and you don't understand what to capitalize and when. There are certain professional standards to maintain if you want to make it as a pro-level right-wing tr0ll, and you don't even half come up to scratch. Pull it together or get lost.