Sixteen years ago today, President Clinton signed his signature welfare-reform measure into law. Marking the occasion, the Romney campaign said in a statement this morning, "[D]on't expect President Obama to mark the occasion after just last month gutting the historic work requirements."
They are, of course, lying -- Obama didn't gut the work requirements. As even the Romney campaign knows, governors asked the Obama administration for some flexibility on the existing welfare law, and the White House said that'd be fine, so long as the work requirement isn't weakened. It's consistent with the policy endorsed by many Republican governors, including Romney himself, just six years ago.
What I find interesting, however, is the number of people who are picking up on Romney's shameless attempt to deceive the public. Consider these comments from Joe Scarborough yesterday:
"I've been looking for a week-and-a-half to try to figure out the basis of this welfare reform ad," Scarborough said, concluding that that the attack is "just completely false, and I'm pretty stunned."
The Associated Press this morning ran a news piece on the racially-charged smear, calling the attack "factually inaccurate," noting the campaign can't "back up" the attack, and explaining that Romney is "distorting the facts."
But Romney just doesn't give a damn. He's put out five videos repeating the attack -- three for broadcast, two for the web -- in just two weeks, and his campaign repeated the same obvious falsehood again this morning, effectively taunting reality. "Yep, I'm deliberately and repeatedly lying to the public," Romney seems to be saying . "What are you going to do about it?"
As we discussed yesterday, Romney is testing American politics, pushing past boundaries and traditional norms, raising uncomfortable questions about just what kind of man he really is.
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We already know what kind of man Mittens really is...
He is a lying, rich @sshole indifferent to the peon classes. The difference between Mittens and Steve Forbes when he ran for the presidency is that Forbes was open about his only real objective was reducing the amount of taxes that he pays.
Or, as I asked one of my republican friends who is using his Facebook page to pimp for RMoney "How many times do you have to repeat a lie before it becomes the 'truth'?"
Will the Corporately Owned Media ever question Mitt's veracity withever bringing up a false equivalency so that viewers are left with the 'both sides do it' impression?
Maybe. If Romney continues to base his entire campaign on a never-ending torrent of easily debunkable lies, as he seems intent on doing, I would hope the point comes when the larger media world simply can't go on ignoring the towering mass of lies.
I also hope for a unicorn of my very own. And not just any unicorn. One that poops diamonds.
There is an article posted on The Daily Beast Aug 7, 2012 4:45 AM EDT
"Exclusive: Brigham Young’s Great-Great-Granddaughter on Mormonism and Mitt Romney"
The article gives some possible insight into Mitt Romney and his ability to lie so easily,
because the Mormon Church seems to encourage that if you can achieve your goal.
Ms. Emmitt the Great-Great Granddaughter of Bringum Young stated “As for what pundits say is Romney's difficulty connecting with people, Emmett blames it largely on what she calls “the entitled Mormon male syndrome, where the leadership professes compassion and concern but leaves the manifestations of that to the drones.” Ms. Emmett talks about a White Horse Prophecy which Evangelicals might be interested in learning more about.
The article also talks about Ken Clark, who worked as a teacher for the LDS Church Education System (CES) for 27 years and also served as a bishop before leaving the church in 2003, tells The Daily Beast, “Lying has become an institutionalized method of administrative control with the church.” “Every Mormon grows up with the idea that it’s OK to lie if it’s for a higher cause,”
As for Ryan lying - Unless the Catholic Church no longer believes in the 10 Commandments and lying is no longer considered a sin, than Ryan needs to remember his Ten Commandments, in particular "Thou Shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor".
It's not a secret. It's called Lyin' for the Lord:
Lying for the Lord | Mormonism Research Ministry
It is also called "Milk before Meat"
This article connects "Lying for the Lord" with "Milk before Meat":
http://www.mormonwiki.org/Lying_for_the_Lord
Here's a Mormon "explaining" "Milk before Meat":
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705385135/Jerry-Johnston-Milk-before-meat.html?pg=all
Whatever its called, it is still false and misleading, but it is Romney's whole policy: "Don't tell anyone anything about what you plan to do, just let them sop on "milk"!
Romney is also "raising uncomfortable questions about just what" our press will do to expose a blatent lie--NOTHING.
Our free press has an obligation, a responsibility to do this. If they don't then millions of Americans will be basing their views/votes on wrong or misleading information, something the folks at the Fox Network know quite a bit about.
Except on Fox, they work to not only make people stupid/misinformed, they work to make people insist on being lied to (a form of indoctrination IMO), despite the evidence (the Stupid insisting on being stupid).
Just as non Mormons can be "baptized" retroactively (after they die), so can "truth" be amended. So, it doesn't matter what one's position was, it only counts now what it is. Admittedly, this takes theological training to do with ease but this is easier than you think for the humbuggery believers who just make stuff up.
Same folks who can define away pregancy by rape as unlikely due to a reference in a 13th Century legal text can make up whatever they need at the moment.
And the saddest part is we will still be subjected to ...
Romney Campaign says (lie of the day)...Democrats disagree please stay tuned for an update on the latest Lindsay Lohan car crash
Lorr: So true! And just because Romney tithes 10% doesn't make him godly. And I love that Ryan's former priest denounced him: “You can’t tell somebody that in 10 years your economic situation is going to be just wonderful because meanwhile your kids may starve to death.” I don't know about the Mormon faith (what you wrote is intriguing), but the gospel is crystal clear and Ryan knows better.
Hmmm,here is a quote from the right wing heroine Ayn Rand that they seem to ignore--
“People think that a liar gains a victory over his victim. What I’ve learned is that a lie is an act of self-abdication, because one surrenders one’s reality to the person to whom one lies, making that person one’s master, condemning oneself from then on to faking the sort of reality that person’s view requires to be faked…The man who lies to the world, is the world’s slave from then on…There are no white lies, there is only the blackest of destruction, and a white lie is the blackest of all.”
― Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged
Perhaps this explains the lies-
“History is a set of lies agreed upon.”
― Napoleon Bonaparte
It is clear that Romney does not want to talk about the economy. His campaign has been underway for more than a year, but he has found every excuse not to talk about the economy. Economists have been calling for his budget numbers and specific details of his proposals, but he has refused to comply.
He and his staff use the economy as a shield, saying they want to talk about the economy as a way of avoiding talking about his tax returns, his time at Bain, his record as governor, his off-shore accounts, his past policy positions, his current policy positions or any other issue.
Every time this ad appears, its intended aim is to re-establish a racial division among white voters who may perceive the beneficiaries of welfare to be black. Remember: Reagan used the 'welfare Queen' slander to distance whites from poor blacks quite successfully. The Rovian playbook is repeating a page from that disastrous past. Rmoney's message is simply a Randian 'self reliance' divisionary jab. Instead of owning up to this blatant racism, Rmoney and Ryan will continue to perpetuate its lies, especially into the targeted audience of the new suburban poor who will suddenly 'discover' a convenient scapegoat for their misery. This message is part of a GOTP overall message that includes Akin's lies and hatred for the poor, for schoolchildren, for women. All part of the ridiculous Right's divide and conquer strategy.
I am stunned I say,stunned! Not that Mitt lied but that he failed to supply us with a source of ill repute that we could spin into a crazy delusional supportive "proof" of his claim.
We have to go back to the Clinton boom days when we have a balance budget, a surplus, an opportunity to become millionaires overnight & achieve the American dream. Mitt Romney will be that next Bill Clinton, he will bring us to that promise land overflowing with milk and honey but we have to give him a chance.
Cindy, bless your heart, he was given a chance in 2008, and he lost to McCain.
Inquiring minds want to know :
Cindy , parody troll or the real deal?
I'm a Disenchanted Clinton Democrat and I'm very for real. I'll vote for Hillary over Romney if she's running but I just don't think President Obama could bring us back to the Clinton heydays when there was so much prosperity...money was falling on trees.
Clinton raised taxes and Romney will not despite the fact that most of the debt was incurred by the last Republican president with tax cuts and two wars that were unfunded. There is no reason to believe that Romney will do anything different than Bush which means more unfunded tax cuts. Obama cannot do anything with Republicans obstructing an sort of change in tax policies and jobs bills. And if Romney faces a Dem House and/or Senate, he is not going to get what he wants in the budget.
I've been wondering that myself.
I do not understand where you are gathering a conclusion that Romney is anything similar to that of Clinton. None of Romney's policies mirror that of Clinton's policies. Additionally you are exaggerating conditions under President Clinton and are narrowing down the very many factors that were at play during Clinton's presidency. You have no reason to assume that another technological bubble or other bubble will pop up during Romney's presidency.
There were articles several months ago about the Republican Party purposely trying to divide the Democratic Party votes by setting the "Clintonites" against Obama. You see that it shows up in just about every one of Cindy's posts. She obviously isn't a Clintonite so she's just a pawn doing the dirty work of the Republican party.
Here is one article I found on it - there were better articles on some of the rightwing blogs but I don't have time to search for them.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/15/barack-obama-bill-clinton_n_1518980.html
@Once
Thank you very much I was unaware of this. I was equally confused because I thought Clinton was an evil Democrat? Did not I just argue against Shooter about Clinton not being a rapist and murderer? Now suddenly we like him? I cannot understand this.
It is OK to dislike Democratic policies, but the dislike must come about on the basis of actual policies either being proposed or that have passed. I can't, for the life of me, understand this attitude of attacking people on the basis not of what has ACTUALLY happened, but on the basis of what one believes MIGHT happen in some potential future. It's just so mind blowing. How do two individuals discuss politics and find solutions when neither are living in the same reality?
Well, I for one am pleasantly surprised that AP and Scarborough both pointed out its blatant falseness. That may be a first. Along with Joe Scarborough saying that he was tired of his party (the GOP) being the party of "the stupid."
wlliard romlie has invented a new level of hypocrisy.
I wonder, will Joe end up like Chris Matthews, a former cheerleader for the GOP who will be painfully disappointed by the mendacity of his supposed party?
oh and have fun watching "The Mormon Candidate" a BBC documentary. The word "mendacity" is used :) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9djYmyumHKs
Romney must live in a fantasyland where he thinks money grows on trees and it is financially easy to start a business or go to school. Just cause Romney has grown up with a silver spoon in his mouth doesn’t mean everybody has had it that good. Looking at how Romney states things, it is doubtful that he has done anything really well for anybody, except for his self-gratification and self gain which includes his so-called religious authority.
I think the majority will figure that out, after all most people are just now starting to pay attention. As a confirmed political junkie we,ve known that from the very beginning. Being the best of a very bad lot is not much to brag about. He really hasn't learned how to do this, doubt he ever will. Example: Campaigning in New Hamshire last week he made mention of their taxes & actually remarked if he lived there he could save even more.
Amazing. Half the electorate is satisfied with electing a brazen liar who doesn't give a damn whether he's truthful or not to the voters, let alone the fact that he is deferring details regarding about everything he stands for, his core values (this week at least) until after he's elected. Un. Be. Leiv. Able.
I'm certainly glad to see from the comments today that I am not the only one who hates being knee-deep in the muck of Mittens Mendacity that is flowing at a higher rate today than usual (or is it just that my tolerance for his crap is now non-existent?).
You're not a disenchanted Clinton Democrat Cindy, you're a dumbass Stepford bimbo. Go join your hero Lady Rothschild, the champion trophy wife.
Romney is a desperate man.
Anytime someone mentions the word welfare, there are those who believe people are getting "their" money. Their hard earned tax dollars are supporting those who don't want to work. Romney is pandering to the ignorant and prejudice and what makes this worse is the fact we're in such hard economic times. No surprise how low he'll go.
I keep saying it and I'll say it again....LEONA HELMSLEY WAS IMPRISONED FOR TAX EVATION. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ROMNEY TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT?
forgot....
Don't you love the wife, Ann, defenseively saying, "we give 10% to CHARITY!"
Yes Ann, charity to the MORMAN CHURCH which is tax deductable!!!
Thats the things about the tax returns,
If Romney released his fileings the Church would find the Romney's have been shorting them.
Also heard on NPR that those of us who make less money actually donate a higher percentage of our incomes to charity. But that's another story.
If what I discovered in a memoir written in Hartwick NY many years ago (I wish I still had the book) was true, Joseph Smith worked on a local farm before he went to Palmyra. It was there he found the mystical tablets. It was claimed in the book that in Cooperstown, nearby, the first paperback book press was situated, and someone living in the farm house had written a book that failed and buried the plates in the field.
The whole church could be built on a lie. But if God uses even fools and sinners for his own purposes, some good has come out of it hopefully. My litmus test is always "how does it improve the lives of the people. Is it in a way the loving father of Jesus would want?
Surpressing and abusing women is so old testament.
Hmmm. Right wing extremist political party that's openly contemptuous of democracy trying to win power by inciting and inflaming racial tension with slickly packaged and produced lies and media campaigns. Seems like I've heard of others who did that, but I just can't quite put my finger on who or when . . . Hmm . . . hmmm ...
Ew!, ew!,..., I know. Call on me.
So I went over to the HSS.GOV site and read (part(s)) of the memorandum, Section 1115 re section 402 re section 407 (where the work requirement is defined) re section 401 (did I miss any?). No wonder Faux "News" is confused, referencing sections and subsections and cross referencing and sections linking to other sections, too much for their poor collective mind(s) to comprehend.
I guess they missed this:
Giving the states more autonomy and the ability to customize their administration and implementation of their programs (libertarian) but only if the states changes make changes which result in a more efficient and functional program (should be every ones goal) to meet the work goals is somehow a bad thing??
The only way the work requirement could be rescinded is if each particular state redefined "work" as "sitting on your ass".
So who Faux Opine should be attacking is 50 State Governments for redefining "work" as sittng around jerking off. Oh, wait .....
The sad truth is that TV is nothing more than a giant billboard - an opportunity to sell, sell, sell oh, and SELL something. Any show on TV, whether it's title includes the word "news" is a platform to sell, sell, sell and is, therefore, subject to ratings. The higher the ratings, the higher the charge to advertisers for selling, selling, selling.
As long as ratings is what drives what we are shown on TV, we will be subject to being able to view only what gets the highest ratings among those folks who watch TV constantly and who also happen to have Nielson boxes on their TV.
Media buyers insist that their clients must, must, and MUST reach the demographic 19-45 y.o. males. If your show is not first among that demographic, then media buyers pay less for the seconds of advertising on behalf of their clients. This particular demographic category is over-broad and includes a large section of young males who do not watch TV on TV or by appointment which is EXACTLY why media buyers insist on it. It is next to impossible to capture that demographic and with a news/politics show? As we say in the NE forgedaboudit!
This is our system. It is broken. Everyone knows it; no one wants to fix it. In the meantime, we get crap, crap and more CRAP and anything with substance fades away. Why is this? Because it's all about major corporations, CEO salaries & bonuses, shareholders, dividends which is to say MONEY.
Our entire world revolves around Money and Greed because there is never enough. If shareholders receive a 50% ROI this quarter, they expect 75% next Q, and 100% the next and ever increasing amounts. If a CEO delivers, the BOD delivers ever increasing salaries, bonuses, stock options, and then it "trickles down" the ladder stopping at a paltry bonus for middle management and lay offs for You People who work for a salary . . . . crap like Faux
NewsLies.OK, got that off my chest!
Damn good bro.
Instead of just issuing a statement that the Press Corpse can ignore, President Clinton needs to hold a press conference and call out Romney by name as a liar and then explain the truth. That would get on the TV news.
Sometimes I wonder... I suspect a lot of people would never go to such excesses in deception and so they would find it very hard to believe that others can do so. Perhaps this is why people are slow to react to the lies.
I once had to deal with someone who misrepresented my beliefs directly to me and wouldn't let me correct them. I knew they were lying because if anyone was an authority on what I believed, it was me. This person did it calmly, rationally and actually was very happy, because they felt they were "winning" the argument. At the time, I realized no one would ever believe me if I told them what happened, because this kind of lying would be unthinkable for most people. I know until I saw this, I would never have believed this person was capable of such deception with such calculation. Intellectually we know people can lie, but it is very different when you see it done skillfully right in front of you.
Romney's deception definitely exceeds expectations, which makes it harder to grasp. I wish he would stop; however if he continues as blatantly, then a growing number of people and hopefully media outlets will realize that these are not aberrations in behavior but a pattern. Perhaps the tide will turn, but it will have to get worse, before people take action to make things better.
In terms of giving Romney a chance... If your daughter had a fiance who told boldfaced, brazen lies repeatedly, even when caught--if she asked you for your advice--would you tell her to marry such a fiance? If the fiance won't even give her accurate information so she can make the hard decisions, because all that matters is that he gets what he wants? Do you think he'd really be looking out for her in the future when the stakes are even higher? Will it be better if there are children to look out for as well?
Granted marriage isn't like a presidency, even if a presidency lasts longer than some marriages.
Suppose you have a doctor who misrepresents what your options are, perhaps because they think (ahem) they know best. Perhaps they won't tell you the details of your treatment until you're in the operating room, because you might not like what they have in mind, or you might want to pursue another treatment plan. Would you still want that doctor in matters of your well being?
Or is it more like... look the doctor's wealthy and they must be wealthy for a good reason. Give them a chance.
The thing is... if based on such blatant lying as Romney's, you wouldn't even pick such a person for a significant other or a doctor or an adviser, why would you want them as president? Would you even want them as an employee? Could you trust them to keep you properly informed so you can make sure your area is working properly? Would you give such a person your life savings to invest? Would you trust them with Social Security or Medicare knowing that they have no qualms about lying to you about the realities of what they are doing?
"I am not a crook."
"I didn't know we were selling arms to Iran and giving money to the Contras."
"I was not in the loop."
"John Kerry is a coward who lied about his war record."
"John McCain fathered a black child."
Lies work. Facts don't win elections. Sorry.