At a campaign stop in Ohio last week, Mitt Romney, unprompted, accidentally told the truth. The Republican candidate conceded that President Obama "did not" raise taxes "in his first four years."
In a new attack ad, however, Romney says the opposite.
For those who can't watch clips online, here's the script: "Who will raise taxes on the middle class? Barack Obama and the liberals already have. To pay for government-run healthcare, you'll pay higher taxes and more for your medicine. And their plan includes a trillion dollars in higher taxes. Even on the middle class. Mitt Romney and common-sense conservatives will cut taxes on the middle class. And they'll close loopholes for millionaires. Obama and his liberal allies? We can't afford four more years."
Over the course of 30 seconds, we see an image of the president and Nancy Pelosi three times -- suggesting those in Republican focus groups reacted negatively to the former House Speaker. It also struck me as amusing that Romney is now eager to say he'll "close loopholes for millionaires," as if his agenda isn't tilted heavily towards his fellow elites.
On the substance, the notion that the Affordable Care Act is "government-run healthcare" is a blatant lie, and the idea that it's a middle-class tax increase is ridiculously untrue. Indeed, the entire crux of the policy argument here is simply incoherent, especially when one realizes Obama's national policy mirrors Romney's Massachusetts law.
But even if one puts all of that aside, there's still the small matter of Romney vs. Romney. Seven days ago, the GOP candidate was certain Obama didn't raise taxes. Today, he's certain Obama did raise taxes.
Does Romney not remember his own rhetoric, or does he assume voters just aren't paying attention?
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Romney ad's should come with an FCC disclaimer to verify claims before forming an opinion. Otherwise, like Fox News, there is a dangerous precedent that the content can make you stupid.
like that truth in advertising thing?
To steal one of what I believe is Romney's Reagan Zingers " Here they go again"
This is like watching a child pick the pedals off a flower, instead of he loves me, he loves me not it is: He raised taxes, He did not raise taxes, He raised taxes, He did not raise taxes. Time to grow up Romney and Ryan and own your lies.
I'm Mitt Rmoney and I'm full of bullshet
Look at the original clip of Romney saying Obama did not raise taxes, and then look at Ryans face while he said that, it's priceless. Then look at Romney trying to get that Romney/Ryan chant going, Ryans face is even funnier. We should invent a drinking game...
And once again that "librul media bias" is spewing forth such disinformation to the American voters that of course no one is going to believe what the President/reality says.
I've read four articles about this ad and Mr. Benen is the only one who has pointed out this Romney lie.
Thanks, Steve for doing your job as a journalist.
The MSM really want to push a Romney comeback narrative. I'll bet the articles have already written.
They're just doing their part to help create it.
Rollo, you would win that bet that the repubs already have their articles written.
"I thought Romney clearly won that debate. He looked confident,
- his answers were sharp and he appeared more presidential than Obama."
-- Bill Kristol, reviewing next Wednesday's debate
"It wasn't even close - not even close. Romney clearly won that debate.
Obama was flailing for answers - the president didn't have a good night."
-- O'Reilly, reviewing next Wednesday's debate
"Romney clearly won that first debate. Obama embarrassed himself.
Obama seemed tentative and meek, while Romney was calm and presidential."
-- Hannity, reviewing next Wednesday's debate
"Romney by a mile - and our post-debate polls show exactly that."
-- Lou Dobbs, reviewing next Wednesday's debate
" I half-expected Monica to come out and blow Obama."
-- the vulgar Pigboy, being the giant dick that he always is
From Bartcop.com. http://www.bartcop.com/2945.htm
What have these Republicans done? Well that is just too obvious, they set up that illusion that they were wise and generous Christians. Republicans fed the people that they were helping them and as it was foretold they are really power cravers, hypocrites, arrogant, greedy, corrupt, and deceivers. These Republicans, extremists of hatred, and the extreme wealthy have been called out by the light as the worst of our very human nature. People foolishly side with these deceivers, because they are blind and ignorant about the situation. People have been led astray from the true teachings of Jesus. It has now become so obvious of the Republican, extremist of hatred, and extreme wealthy’s wrongful agenda. If anything as was said earlier you can too easily avoid confusion by following the very statements of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas at earlychristianwritings.com to see the real truth. In addition, the many other Gospels about Jesus where people talked about their experiences with Jesus. Jesus was for everybody’s freedom, rights, choices, etc as we are all God’s children and he did say what he liked and disliked.
This is a signal that this will be one of the many lies told by Romney during the debate.
If I were Obama, I'd read Romney quote from a week ago, word for word.
a bit off topic but the Voter ID law in Pennsylvania has been stopped, so far.
Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson has ruled that Pennsylvanians will not be required to show ID to vote this year. Simpson is postponing Pennsylvania’s tough new voter identification requirement, ordering that it not be enforced in the presidential election. Today’s ruling comes five weeks before the election. An appeal is possible. The 6-month-old law requires each voter to show a valid photo ID.
For more on this story:
http://newsletters.pennlive.com/t?ctl=4417440:B262CC7A0E456AD8E9190506BF259ABED0FCD6CB80D0514E&
Don't worry folks, it's just campaigning. After the election, Mitt will be a thoughtful forthright guy with fair and equitable domestic policies and a calm diplomatic hand in foreign relations...
Now that we've had a good laugh, I meant Obama.
Below the "$1 trillion in new taxes" claim, there's a citation of the Congressional Budget Office. I wonder what study they're miscategorizing there? I like to see where these lies come from- they're usually not simply fabricated from whole cloth.
Except for this election cycle, Jurgan, where the lies do seem to be fabricated from whole cloth. Take the lie about giving waivers on the welfare requirement for work. Look up any fact checker you choose, and they all point out this is false.
I also note in this ad the part about health insurance and medication costing more due to the Afforable Care Act. I just got information for the renewal period on insurance through my employer. According to that, my particular medical insurance will lower co-pays for medication from $20 to $10 due to the ACA, and my premiums, for the first time in 12 years will not increase because of money returned to my employer. Don't know how everyone else fared, but that's my personal experience on paying more for medicine. Which, BTW, makes yet another lie Romney has told the American people.
Hiking taxes? That's part of the sequester, which the GOP and the Dems agreed to. If it kicks in that may well force congress to finally do part of its job. That remains to be seen, but it's not due to the ACA. It's due to obstructionism and just plain ignoring the needs of the very people that elected these clowns to represent us.
Gee, I thought the Supreme Court ruled Obama Care was a tax but what the what's another 2.7 Trillion dollars in unfunded liabilities.
The SC ruled that under the ACA, if a person who could afford health insurance didn't buy any under the mandate, then the resulting penalty they would pay would be considered a tax, because it would be levied as either a reduction in their refund or an increase in their taxes due.
Try to learn some facts instead of posting garbage.
The only way Romney could win the GOP nomination was to denounce everything he had done as Mass. governor. He lied about his own record throughout the primaries and lying about Obama's record now comes quite naturally for him. Romney tell the truth?!? His slogan should be "Romney/Ryan! We don't need no stinkin' truth!".
I guess you also believe in the tooth fairy.
The truth is this is the slowest economic recovery since World War II. The truth is $820 billion in stimulas didn't work. The truth is a video did not result in the death ofStevens. The Truth is Fast and Furious was not a continuation of Wide Receiver. The truth is imagration reform was not done by the administration the first two years when Democrats controled the House, Senate and White House. The truth is oil production on federal lands decreased.
Your concept of "truth" sounds as if it comes directly from Faux News.
The truth is that Obama inherited an economy that was in worse shape than any since the early 1930s, including an auto industry on the brink of extinction and a banking system that would have collapsed without Obama's help.
The truth is that the stimulus created or saved millions of jobs, according to the CBO. (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/68965.html)
The truth is that Obama and the State Department long ago acknowledged that the video wasn't the problem. Early on, they questioned the readiness of some in the crowd to promote violence. It's also true that most Libyan citizens recognize the contribution of the U. S. toward the overthrow of their former repressive government.
The truth is that the Dems "controlled Congress" (if you count Lieberman, Nelson, and Lincoln as real Dems) for 61 days, not two years.
The truth is that oil production has increased significantly under Obama. You can see Jim Cramer's interview with the CEO of HollyFrontier Corporation, an oil refiner, at http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000113865&play=1.
The truth is that few right wingers want to acknowledge the truth.
We've already seen what Romney and Ryan think of the truth. Apparently not much.
The truth is you're still posting things on the internetz and you and I would otherwise be in a soup line had we not had the stimulus.
Les - what an appropriate name.
Maybe he really does have Alzhiemer's. He has always lied but now he can't seem to remember his lies. Next he will be asking reporters "Well what did I say before...yeah that's what I'm saying.".
It seems republicans are reading Benen's posts to see what they need to change or do next eh.
We needed a plan that would save more than millions of jobs isn't enough. With an unemployment rate of 8.1% and 16 million unemployed I would say the stimulas didn't work very well. The economic recovery began before the stimulas even came in. Refineries do not dill for oil, drilling in the public sector increased which resulted in the increase.
If the Demos controlled the Senate for only 61 days hiow was health care passed. It takes 60 votes to pass a bill in the Senate. What are you smoking?
On the 16th of Sept. tha ambassador to the UN went on 5 TV stations blaming the Video. On Sept 20 Obama went on Univision and was blaming the video.
It's nice to want to help people in need. A debt of 16 trillion and 120 Trillion in unfunded liabilities says we spent more than we can afford. Your share as a taxpayer is over 1 Million dollars. I don't have a million dollars lying around, do you?
Trollop, if you have a jobyou don't experience the recession as a person who's unemployed. These so called passionate people what to continue doing the same thing while expecting different results.
Trollop, I have my own business the stimulas did nothing for me. In fact my business has expanded. It had nothing to do with the stimulas. A new product brought to the market.