Mitt Romney took a gamble. Fearing defeat in Ohio, the Republican said Chrysler was poised to move Jeep production to China, a claim with no foundation in reality. After getting caught lying, Romney doubled down, turning the same bogus claim into a television ad.
Democrats are eager to make Romney pay for the bad bet. Consider Vice President Biden's remarks in Ohio yesterday.
Biden noted of Romney's mendacity, "I've served with eight presidents; I have never seen this in my public life.... Ladies and gentlemen, have they no shame? Romney will say anything, absolutely anything, to win, it seems. But he can't run from the truth."
It's not just the president's re-election campaign; news organizations that have been largely prepared to tolerate Romney's falsehoods seem troubled by the Republican's 11th-hour deception. Greg Sargent pulled together a series of press reports published today in the major Ohio dailies, all of which focused on Romney getting caught lying, including a very tough Cleveland Plain Dealer editorial: "Ohio voters know who stepped up when the auto industry was at the abyss -- and it wasn't Romney."
Greg added, "This is hardly a comprehensive look at the local coverage, but it does suggest the possibility that Romney's Jeep-to-China gamble may be backfiring."
I'd just add that, at an institutional level, this is more or less how American elections are supposed to work.
The reason national candidates have traditionally been reluctant to lie with Romney-like frequency is that there was a disincentive -- there were likely to get caught, and the resulting fallout wasn't worth the risk.
And the reason Romney lies with Romney-like frequency is because he believes we've entered a post-truth era and the disincentive has disappeared -- he can repeat falsehoods with impunity without fear of consequences. If he faces genuine pushback on the Jeep/Chrysler/China falsehood, and voters are made aware of the fact that the candidate is spewing nonsense because he doesn't trust them enough to be honest with them, it would be a step towards restoring a degree of equilibrium to the damaged discourse.
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No, he has no shame. In fact, this campaign is testing the tactic of seeing if the sheer volume of lies will overcome any effort to repudiate them. So far, it seems to be working.
It now seems that Fiat is considering taking all the American jobs back to Italy. that's the kind of thing that happens when the President decides to sell out to another country.
REALLY Shooter? Is this what your handlers told you to post? Your argument has been debunks SO MANY TIMES in the past few days that it would be ABSURD to answer you with the TRUTH now!!!!
Shooter once again taking something out of context. They are considering it only because their Fiat plants are running at 50% capacity and he is unwilling to introduce new Fiat models in the current Italian economy. No where does it state it would be a permanent move if it is made; indeed it would seem to be temporary until the market for Fiats in Europe improved. Likely there would be minimal benefit to closing plants or reducing production in the U.S. in order to make the expense of re-tooling plants in Italy for temporary production worthwhile. If he views all of the brands as one company, it would be better to not have the expense of shifting production from plants with expertise and familiarity with the product lines to plants that don't have such expertise. It is also likely he is making this statement to appease Italian officials in light of Fiat employee layoffs.
Shooter likes to post links to articles he doesn't even read. Of course, most right wing whack jobs are not intellectually curious anyway, so this isn't surprising.
If one reads the article that Shooter HAS NOT read, they would learn that the owner of FIAT made some bad mis-judgements on sales, and he now has to cut back.
It has absolutely nothing to do with Obama saving the auto industry, the same auto industry that Mitt R-Momney would have let fail, causing an all out depression.
Perhaps if American entrepreneurs had stepped up to the plate, Fiat wouldn't have had the opportunity to buy the company in the first place.
But the article you quote shows that it's Chrysler sales that are keeping the company afloat, while performance in Europe, due to austerity measures similar to those proposed by Romney, have been dragging the company down.
The CEO may be considering moving those jobs, but he would be an idiot to think that American consumers would buy the cars knowing they were imports.
Again, it's the moronic austerity policies that conservatives love that is creating all the problems for Fiat.
Fox News Bots are everywhere. I'm surprised "shooter" didn't mention Benghazi 14 times in his original post....
and its the Chrysler name thats the big thing here Fiat just dont have the name recognition and reliability.
FIAT Fix It Again Tony
so they are not about to toss in their redeeming name value here in the market that means a lot to them at this point.
Got trolls? Click the exclamation point at the end of his/her post and select, "Ignore This Author".
That's awesome! I just 'ignored' Shooter...my day has gotten so much better now, thanks Marko56!
I've been ignoring shooter for months. It's a much nicer place without him.
Better late than never, the Dumbs should concentrate on calling out the sheer volume of lies but of course, they could not all be uttered nor accounted for from here till election day. There are too many!
Biden should "Double down" at his next speech. Don't just point out this lie, go on to say "Romney will say anything..." and then point out some of his most egregious lies. "He says we're cutting $716B in Medicare - that's a lie. He wants you to think we're cutting benefits, but we're cutting payments to providers. He says we're taking out the work requirement for welfare - that's a lie. We're allowing the states, as they've requested to have more flexibility so long as they don't affect the work requirement." Etc. It's time for them to be called out on the lies and what will be telling is to see if they put out a statement to refute such a speech. If they don't say anything it will confirm the lies and if they try to repudiate it they would be lying again and draw further attention to the lies. If the LSM actually covered such a speech they might even have to report on Romney's lies.
and the lastest
Romney will not appoint justices who will repeal Roe v Wade
Norm Coleman in Cleveland
Until recently, I had thought that Mitt Romney had drifted to the .1% right in order to win the Republican nomination for president. As more and more information comes out about him, I now believe that he is probably, at minimum, a co-developer of the .1%'s strategy. In the last days of the election, he is saying anything he thinks will help him win, but his refusal to take down the ad endorsing Mourdock after the "pregnancy from rape" comment means that he is sticking with the Rove "divide and conquer" strategy, i.e. if you divide enough groups against each other, as they did in 2010 on immigration, abortion, gay rights, etc., then those who side with you on those issues will vote for the Republican candidates because they support the candidates on the issue(s) that brought them out to the polls.
Mitt Romney is the proud "outsourcer in chief." He is part of the movement that resulted in the Midwestern industrial states, being called the "Rust Belt." No, the evidence is compelling that Mitt is part of the Dick Cheney-Antonin Scalia-Koch Brothers-Karl Rove-Grover Norquist-Rupert Murdock-Dick Armey-etc. cabal to control the United States for their own sick, greedy, corrupt gain. One clear sign of Mitt's place in the cabal is the large number of media outlets that Bain Capital owns and the progamming on its "talk radio" stations that feature, almost exclusively, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.
The mistake that Romney (and, unfortunately, many progressives) makes is to believe that the people are too stupid or uninformed to realize what the election is all about. But Romney is wrong. The people do not fall for the "etch-a-sketch" strategy. It is true that "you can fool all of the people some of the time", at least, you can fool a majority of the people who vote in certain election races, as happened in 2010. And "you can fool some of the people all of the time," as is the case with some who listen only to Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, etc. But "you cannot fool all of the people, all of the people all of the time."
The evidence is mounting that the American people understand what is at stake in this election and will correct the mistakes of the 2010 election on November 6.
the only shame they have is they didn't lie more and bigger for longer!
but then again they might have been thinking they be called out about so much out right crap by now.
Zombie Mitt: I don't want your brains, just your vote.
Used to be, you went to the Orpheum, paid a quarter, and saw the newsreel (news real) of the Marines shootin' the Japanese on Iwo Jima. Then the picture show came on. John Wayne, shootin' Japanese on Iwo Jima.
Now you got your TeeVee, and the "news" is 'he said/she said', and the "Reality" shows are about as 'real' as John Wayne in a Marine Corps uniform. And the 'fiction' is George Clooney films like "Good Night and Good Luck", or "Argo".
It is no wonder that Americans are confused by Romney's lies.
I am fearful. Never underestimate the power of the "low information" voter. As I travel around Houston suburbs, I am amazed at the number of Romney yard signs. Even had a former Marine tell me he was looking forward to "Victory Day," meaning the removal of President Obama from office. These folks are not voting "for" Romney, but against Obama. I am at a complete loss of how to combat such profound ignorance.
I live in Redneckistan Central Florida and also am confounded by the Rmoney signs on the single wides and hovels around town.
I think it boils down to My grand pappy and my pappy voted Republican ...and by extension they only watch Faux nooze and listen to AM radio
Faux derangement to the max
Voting for Mitt is shooting your foot completely off because you don't like the color of your sock.
I live in Redneckistan Southwest Florida and I am just as confounded to see Rmoney signs on the single wides (I mean a double wide I could understand - not) or bumper stickers on pickup trucks.
It can't only be attributed to Fauz nooze - for example - I have a coworker who says she is undecided and I point out what's at stake, the lies from Rmoney and the 47% comment - she says it was taken out of context! Obviously she never saw the entire video, but to dismiss it as an out of context statement is absurd. I'll keep trying to persuade her, but I'm thinking that people like her are simply delusional - they can't come to grips with a presidential candidate being a psychopath - the conclusion they would have to reach in light of the sheer volume of lies, multiple positions, callousness and cravenness - so they dismiss all of that and fall for the false equivalencies and would rather believe he's being quoted out of context than to believe how, in context, evil the Romney/Republican agenda truly is.
The word cult comes to mind ...they are taught not to trust anything outside the bubble ...Oh you can't trust ANYTHING in the Librul MSM ....stick with Fox News we're Fair and Balanced .
Trust us , Like Mitt and his taxes
Yes Sick-n-e-t, the only lie being told is from the librul MSM - not Mitt's mouth. Even Chrysler is lying about it's own intentions. That's always been the fall back when facts seems to collide with the obscene distortions and lies being told by the Republicans. Unfortunately, it's very successful down here in Tejas (and apparently Florida).
VOTE
I live right where you do. The Democrats are not even running anything close to a full slate in this election. As long as the number of D's voting continues to be so low, it will never change. Remember, we have non-partisan Mayoral and partisan Judicial elections, so we get Annise and Sharon Keller.
We have to change this
Brewer Patriot
IMO gop voters refuse to admit who they are voting for , because they really can not justify it when you put it under a microscope , so they claim INDEPENDENT/UNDECIDED status voter to avoid that , I would never go off on a gop voter any way ( unless they ask for it ) ...The 47% tag line is a standard gop talking point , till election time that is , so to suggest this is OUT OF CONTEXT for the gop is ridiculous ...
But working class people can not defend such statements in real time , they really do believe the 47% BS , it all comes down to who they believe romney is talking about , it is THOSE PEOPLE over there , because it could never be them romney and the gop are referring to , when actually THEY are the ones the gop are talking about ....GOP PROPAGANDA SUCCEEDS ONCE AGAIN
It's the T-shirt the guy had at a Republican rally a couple weeks ago: "Put The White Back In The White House."
That is what it is all about with these people.
This is definitely what you'd call a "scorched earth" campaign.
If this is how he runs his campaign, imagine how he will run this nation. Scorched earth, indeed.
Romney feel shame? He's really really rich. He can buy minions to feel his shame for him (his campaign), and once he's in the White House, a nation of shame when it's too late to Take Back Your Vote, and a planet of shame that yes, the US will be led by a Bush replica yet again.
This will be a huge net loss for Romney. The folks in the rust belt are not as dumb as Romney would like them to be, and most folks inclined to support Romney now have another staggering lie to try to overlook.
I live in NE Ohio which is usually blue. However, the red is creeping up from the south. There are an awful lot of Romney signs in my neighborhood, even in front of businesses. Let me tell you, ignorance is alive and well here.
Just remember, Sign's dont Vote
This is another example of how corporations aren't people. If Chrysler was a person, it would have complained about Romney's lies by now. But corporations need nudging.
Hey, MSNBC reporters, have you talked to Chrysler people about this episode?
Chrysler has spoken. The last thing they want is to be accused of is abandoning the United States.
Aha! As you say.
It's a topic in a new post in this very blog.
The most disgusting is using the Iacocca endorsement in the ad to suggest that a former Chrysler CEO ( who was ironically bailed out by the government) confirms these words. The sneaky lies are the worst....because they rely on an ill-informed public.
Listen to the rally audience's reaction to the claims and stories Mr. Romney tells them...they buy it hook line and sinker!! They need at least one well informed audience member to yell "You lie!"... then maybe they won't replay the disinformation Mr. Romney is selling to media outlets!
The last people that tried to call them out on the lies were forcefully escorted from the premises. It happens at all his rallies. Only card carrying repugs allowed.
I have been hoping that people are going to wake from this fog of gullibility. It's like that children's story of the Emperor's New Clothes. People, especially the overly partisan AND the overly PC media, have been buying into the story that Romney has been spinning and weaving. Even when his lies have been blatant, they report his words like they were chiseled on tablets. No questioning, no refuting, just mirroring them back. It's about time we all cried out that he's got no clothes!!!
Isn't it right about now when Shooter comes in and say's something snarky about the Vice President being dimwitted? Or is this lie just too much for even the most ardent wingnut to deflect?
He's waiting for his handlers to think up a comment for him to post.
You nailed it, oncearepublican. Completely, perfectly nailed it.
Is it that he "believes we've entered a post-truth era and the disincentive has disappeared -- he can repeat falsehoods with impunity without fear of consequences" or is it that, in a post-Citizens United era, he believes that right wing super PAC money and the right wing echo chamber can just create a new reality? In that case, does it really matter how many non-right wing media outlets call him out on his lies? The right wing will just flood the electorate with so much money via ads that a new reality will take hold.
After all, we have seen this before. A disreputable right wing outlet publishes a demonstrably false report. A right wing politician then goes public and says, "I read this report where...." giving credence to the initially false claim where there is no credence to be had. That bounces around the right wing as truth -- I mean, if you read something, it MUST be true, right? This pattern gives them an essence of plausible deniability. Romney can claim he's just repeating a report he read -- it's not a lie he cooked up.
The problem to me is: most people in Ohio know this is false. The ones who are likely to believe it are Romney's alleged base. Which begs the question: why is Romney still trying to shore up his base this close to the election?
Let us hope that the GOP faith in the BIG LIE will soon be shattered.
Scorching the earth tends to sterilize , the Romnification of the ordinary into a narrative is larded with a generally profound embrace of ancient diseases . The Romnifications tend to glorify the trip back to the pre renaissance political landscape of "Might Makes Divine Right" with little qualification . The reminiscence of those heady times of authorities embrace of superstition , plague , burning witches , etc , and all the good accomplished by finger pointing , trial by implication , and of course the only way to bind the abused together , endless war .
Romnification seems to feel that Global warming and Climate Change are trivial matters . The idea of employing a Scorched Earth as motivation against the traditional enemies of , "Because I said so" , will be resisted after Romney accepts credit for employing it . This then will find itself on the heels of a school yard taunting of "He did too" and "He did Not" . Some time after lunch is where the gymnastic abilities of both mental faculties and official coordination to flip , tumble , and flop , will be exercised to the point of heroics , and the ability to acknowledge an understanding of what Romnification means in an understandable , repeatable content , will be made into a demonstrable article of faith .
Only a mystic could responsibly grab hold of the Protean eel soup of Romnifications scorched , unglobally , earth fight with previous and future Romnifications .
Bon appétit !
It really surprises me that Romney is neck and neck with Obama in polls after all the lies by Romney. Are Romney's supporters under a demonic spell or just plainly dumb?
In its heart of hearts (I absolutely despise that term*) it is racism's old stupid ugly head once again! Look at who they're supporting; A MORMON!!! That is how far this usually fervently "Christian" nation is willing to go, after 4 years of maniacally supporting the obstructionists in Congress.
A moonie pathological liar for president! We will all pay dearly for this should it ever see the light of day.
It's obviously black magic.
Once a lie is out there, it takes on a life of its own. The Romney campaign knows that. All the electorate has to do is see it on TV or the Internet, and then they believe it regardless of whatever evidence against it is produced afterward.
Mitt Romney and Ohio State Republican’s campaigning on the American auto industry is a joke. The Republican Congress asked William Ford to take a $ 1 dollar a year salary during the Congressional hearing for the auto loan, while this year, they campaign on suggesting rolling back Mr. Ford’s Bush tax cuts could make or break his company as a job creator. (These are the leaders campaigning to claim the wealthiest people’s and companies rights?)
Give me an administration, Democratic, who would consider supporting a new wage regulation to increase wages for all workers from companies that have increased profit, quarter after quarter, similar to the United Auto Workers bonuses. Give me a Congress who would support putting businesses quarterly profit increases on workers pay stubs, and after 5 or 6 quarters, require employers to share a small percentage of their sustained quarterly profit with their employees to bring wages back up in the country. (After all, that wage policy would protect business owners who do not make consecutive sustained profit from having to participate financially, and the additional money workers would spend could help the economy.)
That would make some businesses who can afford to pay their employees more, but do not, pay what they can afford to pay, so that some business owners Bush tax cut money is not just sitting in their personal savings account doing nothing for the economy.
To keep businesses honest about their quarterly profit, we could even allow businesses of all sizes showing a profit to list their quarterly increases on Wall Street to keep a closer eye on new regional and local investment opportunities. Small businesses could have an option to list their supplier’s increases to sustain and help their cost instead of their own. That could open up local investment opportunities for people who want to support their local businesses.
Only from a Democratic Administration and Congress could such a thing possibly happen.
Romney and his GOP camapigners need to answer this question: Why would Chrysler which just reported a US $800 million profit, want to export Jeep production to China? The huge profits is the result of a US automaker hiring US workers producing a superior product that is in great demand all over the world. especially China ! He should complement Chrysler and the Jeep workers in their US plants for this remarkable turnaround instead of brandishing Chrysler - and trying to scare auto employees - with an utterly false claim and misleading ad just for the sake of winning votes in Ohio which is a crucial state in his desparate quest to win the presidency. Romney lacks honour, honesty and integrity . Is he morally fit to be the next US President ? I cant understand how he can command 47 percent of the votes in Ohio and about half the US popular votes, based on the latest polls. Is Obama such a bad President that US voters - or half of them - sees Ronmey as the lesser of two evils? American politics is simply amazing and somewhat nausating !
As I understand this, Romney said "let Detroit go bankrupt" in hopes that it would be a controlled bankruptcy and somebody would come along and invest in the industry--thus saving it.
Is there a chance that the person that wanted to save the auto industry with a huge investment is named Mitt Romney? A wealthy Michigan-born businessman wanted to save the car companies but was beaten to it by the government.
That's why Mitt is against it. He doesn't like the fact that has succeeded and he wanted to be the one to do it.
Eh, it's just a thought...
Anyone wanna buy some Joe Walsh for Congress signs? They'll be available November 7th.... It seems I have a garage full.....: )
only if they are for president and say
"You Can Tune a Piano But You Can'tTuna fish"
and is from Cleveland. :-)