Associated Press
The total of Romney falsehoods keeps going up.
First Lady Michelle Obama delivered a beautiful speech at the Democratic National Convention this week, which was very well received. There were a few phrases in particular, though, that seemed to strike a chord.
Referencing her and President Obama's families, she said, almost in passing, "We learned about honesty and integrity -- that the truth matters, that you don't take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules, and success doesn't count unless you earn it fair and square."
Those three words -- "the truth matters" -- drew a hearty response. In context, the First Lady wasn't going after anyone in particular, and she didn't accuse anyone, even indirectly, of dishonesty. But I suspect people applauded not just because it's worthwhile maxim, but because this year, it seems clear there are some who believe the truth doesn't matter.
Consider, for example, the 33rd installment of my weekly series, chronicling Mitt's mendacity. This week's list is considerably shorter than usual because Mitt Romney spent several days out of the public eye, preparing for next month's debates. It does not include the media availability he did this morning (I haven't seen the transcript yet).
1. Mitt Romney told Fox News this week, "You know, no one in the [Democratic] convention so far has had the temerity to say that people are better off in America, because they realize it's not the case."
Actually, it is the case, and nearly every speaker at the Democratic convention has said so.
2. In the same interview, Romney said he rejects "the decision of the president to slash our military by a trillion dollars over this decade."
3. Romney went on to say "there's no question" President Obama took "work out of welfare" and "waived the work requirement in welfare."
I continue to believe this is as blatant a lie as any modern presidential candidate has told. It simply has no connection to our plane of reality, but Romney keeps repeating it.
4. Asked about the president's rescue of the American auto industry, Romney told Fox, "Well, my view from the beginning was that the auto companies needed to go through a managed bankruptcy. And ultimately, that's what the president did."
Romney can take credit for Obama's policy, or he can condemn Obama's policy, but to do both is obviously dishonest (and more than a little ridiculous).
5. In his weekly podcast, Romney boasted, "I have a plan to create 12 million new jobs."
Putting aside the pesky detail that Romney doesn't actually have a specific jobs plan, the fact remains that if we do nothing, we're on track to create 12 million new American jobs over the next four years anyway.
6. In the same podcast, Romney vowed he'll be able to "cut the deficit and put America on track to a balanced budget."
Actually, 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.
7. Romney added, "[W]e must rein in the skyrocketing cost of healthcare by repealing and replacing Obamacare."
That's plainly false, and the Romney campaign has never even tried to defend it.
8. Romney went on to say, "[L] me make this very clear -- unlike President Obama, I will not raise taxes on the middle class of America."
That's actually two falsehoods in one. First, Obama approved one of the largest middle-class tax cuts in American history. (Note to Romney: cutting taxes and raising taxes are not the same thing.) Second, there's ample evidence that Romney will raise taxes on the middle class.
9. Romney once again claimed, "President Obama began his presidency with an apology tour."
When the book is written on the biggest lies of the Romney campaign, this will be chapter one.
10. Romney added, "President Obama has thrown allies like Israel under the bus."
Officials in Israel say the opposite is true.
11. Romney also said of the president, "He abandoned our friends in Poland by walking away from our missile defense commitments."
Officials in Eastern Europe say this claim isn't true.
12. Romney added, "Does the America we want borrow a trillion dollars from China? No."
This continues to be misleading. The implication here is that U.S. debt is financed by the Chinese, but this isn't true -- China only holds about 8% of the nation's debt. No one has borrowed a trillion dollars from China; no one intends to borrow a trillion dollars from China; no one has recommended borrowing a trillion dollars from China.
13. In a speech in Cincinnati, Romney said Obama falsely promised "he was going to create more jobs."
14. In the same speech, Romney said Obama intends to "raise taxes on our best small businesses."
Obama has repeatedly cut taxes on small businesses -- by some counts, 18 times -- and if given a second term, his tax plan would have no effect on 97% of small businesses.
15. In a speech in Jacksonville, Romney claimed, "We're at a 30-year low in startups of new businesses."
16. In a speech in Lakeland, Florida, Romney said of the president, "He doubled the deficit."
Maybe Romney doesn't know what "double" means. 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.
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, XX, XXI, XXII, XXIII, XXIV, XXV, XXVI, XXVII, XXVIII, XXIX, XXX, XXXI, XXXII
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What I found commendable about President Obama's speech was the high ground that he took. He knows that millions are against him, the Romney camp continues to lie and he has a long road until November. But he didn't viciously slander Romney and he spoke about the one thing that Romney has yet to put into his platform...Co-operation. Also, the Dems were able (at least) to acknowledge the good that Bush Sr. and Reagan did.
Our President was mature enough to offer the olive branch and encourage co-operation between the two parties. At least our President knows that in order for this country to succeed, both parties need to grow up and work together. What happened to the moderate Republicans? Where are the Republicans that could at least sit at the table with Democrats to do good for the country...not themselves?
These new Republicans are scary. When their convention is all about them and their achievements (few mentions of Romney or Veterans), it is something that I think we all should fear if Romney wins. Especially when a candidate seeks to re-ignite the Cold War. Russia? Really?
I am not a huge Obama fan. I can disagree with some of his policies and practices but in the end, I will not utilize hateful rhetoric towards the President. I didn't even do that to W. But this much I can say, the more Romney lies and talks, the easier it is for me to vote for Obama. Thank you so much Mitt Romney for making my choice clearer than ever.
If only there were more intelligent people like you...
"When the book is written on the biggest lies of the Romney campaign..."
Please be the one to write that book. You're doing great Steve.
Romney is an unpredictable, unprincipled and cold blooded man of power; a
calculating psychopath and pathilogical lierwho is driven by greed for power
and completely devoid of any compassion
for others. Conclusively, he is a tough Greedy force that can break all Reigning
evil from the stack, if he should come to power.
I would LOVE to hear the Romney Team's plan for how to debate Barack Obama three times on a stage in front of millions of viewers when most of what your candidate has said on the stump are 100% LIES.
Does Romney TOTALLY change his answers in front of Obama and the moderator? Does he repeat the same lies on camera so Obama can make a fool out of him?
You can wonder the country lying all you want. You can't do national debates based on lies and win the debate. Do they realize the damage that will be done to Romney's campaign when he is exposed as a liar and looses all three debates??
(How can he win when what comes out of his mouth is false, Obama remains cool and discredits every statement Romney makes?)
He looks straight at Barack Obama, then straight into the camera, and ... he lies. Then when the debate is over, the Right Wing Noise Machine (Fox, Limbaugh, ...) tells the Useful Idiots that he was telling the truth.
This can work once. I'm not sure it can work more than once, but I fear we're getting ready to find out, and I fear we're getting ready to find out just how miserably bad our media really is.
Heh heh heh
If I was Barrack Obama, I'd use:
"Shame on you, Mr. Romney"
"I'm disappointed in you, Romney"
"I don't think your Mormon associates would appreciate your corrupted conscience"
"I feel sorry for you, my friend"
"What has losing all those past political contests done to you, Mitt?"
"Mitt, you can't be serious trying to insult the nation's intellect"
"Do you really want my job that badly?"
"Tsk, tsk" (wagging one finger at Mitt)
"I now give you the title: Mitt of Make Believe!"
"Mitt, even your kid would know better than to believe you"
Part of winning a debate involves the stronger personality
Oops
Meant "World of Mitt Believe"
Heh heh heh
And by the way, you guy are awsome. Please keep it up.
THANK YOU for this service to your country
Romney said Obama intends to "raise taxes on our best small businesses."
To Romney, wealthiest=best.
Only 16 big lies this week. Obviously, Romney has been lying low. Keep up the good work, Steve!
LOL...He's not laying low enough!!
.
The one thing that I admire about President Obama's speech was his call for co-operation between the two parties. At least he knows that in order for this country to succeed, both parties need to be at the table and not for themselves or their agenda...but for the American public.
I found it funny that he (Obama) was criticized for not speaking at length about Romney. But I feel he took the high road...like a leader should. He didn't spend his speech berating or viciously attacking the Republicans. He made his speech about us. This year is not about the numbers, who is right and who is wrong. It is about us.
That is what Mitt Romney forgets. He accuses Obama for not having a plan and for failing in his promises but who in their right mind would outright promise 12 million jobs when, to be quite honest, he has nothing to do with the job sector? Furthermore, where are all of the moderate Republicans trying to save their party from these extremists? At least the old Republican party were not above trying to work together with Democrats.
The new Republican party are extremists who only believe in their agenda, not the American citizen. They always say that the left "spews hateful rhetoric." But I wonder, are they watching the same campaign I am? I agree with President Clinton when he made a reference about never seeing the Republicans having such an outright hatred towards a President in his life.
Left? Hateful rhetoric? Look, you don't have to agree with the President but at least have respect for the title and the office. The more the "New" Republicans and Mitt Romney lie and speak, the easier it is for me to vote for Obama. Thank you Mitt Romney...through your lies and boorish rhetoric, you lost my vote.
--Obama 2012
AMEN. Thank you for articulating the exact words I said today about the hatred these people spew. I am truly frightened by what I hear coming from these supposed leaders in the GOP. A sociopath and narcissist throw back at you the exact thing they are doing. They will warn you of who they are by spewing the exact thing they are doing against someone they are trying to beat or bully. It is scary stuff. I've never been so frightened about an election. I am baffled how you could watch both the of these conventions and both sets of speeches and still even consider voting for the GOP. NO ONE is 100% bad, and at some point people want positivity and hope. Dwelling in the negativity and hatred has to get old.
I just want to say. I live in Florida. Zephyrhills, Florida small country town. I could not find a job for the last four years down here in my profession. What is my profession you ask? Well Im in the Real Estate Title Insurance profession down here. I search and examine Real Estate Titles on propertys being sold and/or mortgage. 3 months ago I found a website where I jobs in the Real Estate Market. Not just title examiners but everything. Closers examiners searchers typists paralegals and we are busy folks. So let me just say. It most certainly is better than 4 years ago. And Im making enough money to help my family and live quite comfortably. The Real Estate market is coming back and that tells me that it is getting better and these folks down here are not just refinancing they are buying and selling homes down here. So I dont know who Mitt Romney thinks he is kidding it is so obvious that he is in no way fit to be our President.
President Barack Obama wants to give you a hug
Do you accept?
I forgot to say that I am a 58 year old woman born and raised down here. It is getting better people IT IS!!
Hey guys, love the post but please check #12. The "8%" link you provided states that China owns over $1.16 trillion of US debt (as of 2011).
That would be about 8%.
We need a "Whistle When He Lies" campaign. Dozens of people at every Romney event to whistle everytime he lies. Not being disruptive, just whistling at every lie. Eventually the media would cover it and give more exposure to his lies. And Romney is fragile - it would make him apoplectic before long.
This is a good idea.
MITT ROMNEY ALSO TOLD THE TRUTH....
Please understand that what smeone says can be judged according to the accuracy of the reflection of the event for what it depicts. But there is something waaay more important than that.. everything everyone says is a "pointer" to the "type" of perso they are and the "type" of relationship they have with you.
By "type" i am not illudung to some simple descriptive characterization like "romney is a born liar". Because a characterization like that does NOT account for the relationship that romney has with you and the rest of the world that both you and him are a part of.
Sigmund Freud always insisted that there is truth in everything. But Sigmund was not a sociologist - his focus was on the net of one's personality relative to any society that one was involved with - and that there were enough traits and operations of a person such that all those nameable traits were in common with all people in all social settings.
But... big but... at the same time - as true as that is - we are also a product of that social environment and as much as we depend on that environment we are neither independent of it or complete in our ability to master it. Essentially this means that Sigmund's naming convention of maladies as tied to a causation presumes the causation is "relatively" inconsequential in defference of the fact that as much as we are a part and product of our social environment- we are as much a bundle of maladies that our operating environment dictates.
What does this have to do with Mitt Romney? It means that what is true about what he said "IS" that reflection of what "IS" about mitt and his operating environment that includes "YOU". And as relative as that operting environment may be - it is definitive and inclusive of you such that YOU + HIM + the operating environment that he wants to place you into, is what counts.
This style of epidemiology that Freud mentions for causation is more relaevant when you include that environment as an equal partner to the person and which can be explained by "TYPING".
Thus.... as much of a liar, compulsive or otherwise, as mitt may be,
in the context of the operating environment including yourself and him, and without having a specific word for the "typecast", what is your role in how mitt romney feeds? Andi dont mean just food because in todays operating environment - specifically - you cannot simply pick bananas and coconuts.
The truth is what mitt romney said is that reflection of his feeding machine. If you want to "type" that out, simply look at the spectrum of the relationship, identify the scenarios that accoount for the world of scenarios and then parse them such that there are no overlaps. Sound complicated? yes. But.... the simplicty of this lies within the complexity. It is the combination of simplicites that create the complexity. Keep It Simple S.......
In the end, mitt romney wants to feed on you. you are his target. your are his intended victim. his easiest real job is to simply ratinalize and explain away the damage he does to all after he gets through feeding on you.
So if we tell Mitt "We will love you if you admit your mistakes and tell the truth"
Mitt will follow through
But I have seen people take advantage of "forgivers"
Much easier to manipulate your "prey" if the "prey" ceases to fight back
Collection of all 33 editions, downloadable as an ebook.
http://readlists.com/3bc093f6/
I'm a leftist. A socialist, in fact, and I wouldn't be opposed to America becoming a communist nation, truth be told. However, I'm also a pragmatist, and I know that America will pretty much never be communist or socialist in my lifetime.
When Romney announced his candidacy, I thought "you know, I wouldn't vote for him over Obama, but I might have voted for him over a crappier democrat." But, now? Nah. I really dislike Romney in a personal way.
Not only are his policies (the ones we actually know anything about, which are very few) terrible, but he's just a piece of sh!t. A liar, a prevaricator, a douche. Who would vote for him? I just don't understand why anyone likes him at all.
I can't wait for this campaign to be over so that he quietly rides off into the sunset, to take his place on the Isle of Misfit Candidates.
capitalism works for business
socialism works for people
i can prove it
BREAKING: Romney explodes in flames and firemen unable to put out flames. Apparently, Mitt was speaking when his pants burst into flames and the firemen were unable to keep him from continuing to speak. The added fuel caused flames to totally engulf him.
Good news everyone. Romney escapes injury as he was fully covered in Ryan juice, a protection developed by Ayn Rand and shared by Paul Ryan.
oh! you must be talking about "trickle down"!! all i can say is, i do not want to be TRICKLED!
New Rule: All candidates should be hooked up to polygraphs during debates.
I respects Mitt Romney success but it's only base on money. If you take that away from him who is he ? He only has the money because of working for Bain Capital and having a swiss bank account I have been known about swiss bank accounts even I could do that . What else can he offer besides economic plan the current president could get America back to work if congress would work together. This election will be stolen by the tea party and it's all about power
Willard didn't lie about his intent to create 12 million new jobs; the interviewer simply didn't ask him in which country these jobs would be created. Most likely, China.
I have a very very serious question:- Is it too extreme to believe
the Republican leaders in the Private business sector are, and or have
been actively delaying hiring, or even posting needed jobs till after
this presidential election. As republican party leaders have championed
obstructing job creation, has this mandate or mindset been conveyed and
received by Republicans in the private sector. As an engineer with an
intimate knowledge in the Oil, and Mineral Resource industry, and it's
needs,..every international company is those sectors are searching and
have thousands of job listings, for skilled and unskilled work Why hasn't similar America based companies done the same. There is an active "mad dash" to secure resuorces in th ground.
Point 16: Is Mr. Romney, the businessman, may be confused by deficit vs. debt?
Did anyone else catch what Ann Romney said during her speech about her & Mitt's early days of their marriage where she said that her & Mitt ate off of a fold down ironing board. Really? His father owned GM and was a Governor. Her father owned his own business and was a mayor, and we're supposed to believe they couldn't scrape enough money together to buy a table at a thrift store? come on?
Michelle would eat Ann alive
on the part where Willard said he would have liked to see the auto industry go through a 'managed bankruptcy', we know from his history at Bain what that entails. Give the high level exec diamond entrusted platnium parachutes, which would be funded by a raiding of the companies portion of workers retirement plans, and force them to pay double for benefits while slashing what those increased premiums pay for.
maybe after a few months, they would in bad enough shape for his minions at bain (that he isnt still telling what to do) to work their magic and do a LBO of one of them, give the execs who didnt take the first round of platnium 'chutes a second chance, raid whats left of valuable assets, force a dividend payment to the new owners, and leave it to rot like he has close to 1/3 of the businesses he 'saved'
It amazes me that the only source the Republicans can site comes from FOX news. Doesn't that say something about them only tuning into and reciting their "facts" as truth from one source... One single station for a one Single mind. There are so many other news outlets that cover both sides of the fence, but if any of those "other stations" point out that a "Right-fact" is actually a "wrong-(fact)" that media source is a left lying Obama loving liberal. (like that is a bad thing!) The blinders they wear boggles my mind!