The Romney/Ryan campaign won some plaudits yesterday for agreeing to scrap its scheduled events as Hurricane Sandy battered the East coast. It turns out, however, there may have been some fine print.
Yesterday, the Republican team said it had canceled today's campaign event in Ohio. Mitt Romney was set to headline a "victory rally" at a specific venue in Dayton, alongside specific celebrity guests, but out of sensitivity, the event was scrapped.
Instead, Romney will appear at the exact same venue at the exact same time with the exact same celebrity guests, but it will be billed as a "storm relief event." What about yesterday's promise about cancellations? A Republican official said Romney/Ryan hadn't broken its word because, technically, this is "not a campaign event per se."
Hmm. The badge for today's "storm relief event" says "victory rally"; the sign on the door described the event as a "campaign rally"; they're playing the campaign warm-up songs for the audience; and before the "storm relief event" could begin, campaign officials showed the official campaign video on Romney's awesomeness.
But don't worry, it's "not a campaign event per se."
Those who praised Romney/Ryan for their restraint in the face of a national disaster yesterday may want to rethink the acclaim.
Leave a Comment:
This is Mitt, so can you really be surprised that he lied? I mean seriously? Mitt will say two lines about the Hurricane. Which will still be two more lines than he'll mention Vets. And the only two lines that wont need to be fact checked afterwards.
Romney surrogate: "Come hell or high water, our campaign events will go on as planned." (at least, that's what I imagine they'd say. ;) )
News flash: Romney lies.
In other breaking news, hurricanes always bring rain with them.
"News flash: Romney lies."
I wanna show you something. It's my shocked face.
If he hadn't then FOX wouldn't have had anything new, and everything would have all been about Obama and FEMA...
No, not only about Obama and FEMA. At some point they'll be trotting out some evangelist stating that this storm is God's punishment for gay marriage and abortion. I wonder why the good Christians in this country didn't pray this thing out to sea. Hm, maybe it was headed out to see and they steered it toward some blue states?
You missed it, BP. The requisite loony preacher proclaiming the storm as god's punishment for abortion and gays happened yesterday.
They already have a preacher saying this is because of gays and people wanting marriage equality and all the rest. http://now.msn.com/john-mcternan-blames-hurricane-sandy-on-gay-people-as-well-as-obama-and-romney It didn't take long for the bugnuts to some out.
This is the problem - these "so called" religious leaders have reinvented God and made him into an Angry, Vengeful, Non-forgiving God and this brings them comfort? Why in God's Name do they want people to fear him rather than love him? To the Non-Loony Religious Leaders where the HELL are you? Why are you not speaking out against this type of fear mongering?
lyin ryan, murdoch, and akin declare hurricane Sandy a " gift from God" to all the cities in the storm's path! Robme endorses this announcement!
Lorr
They didn't reinvent him. They just focus more on the angry, vengeful god of the Old Testament.
The thing that gets me is, if you call yourself a Christian, shouldn't your focus be on Christ's teachings? That is, after all, the basis of the religion, is it not? And, didn't many of those teachings refute the Old Testament?
Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. People will pick and choose whatever they can find to support whatever or whoever they want to hate.
A point that is usually overlooked; the Old Testament is a bastardization of the Torah, the Jewish book of law. oops. That one will get me hurt...
Which reminds me of one of my favorite quotes: "I would live in a world of Christ-like humans, but not one full of Christians, may God forgive me.” (Kate Horsley, Confessions of a Pagan Nun.)
I shouldn't be surprised, I guess, but I am disappointed. Not so much in Romney--he's been remarkably consistent in his inconsistency. It makes me sadder still that people will come out in droves to this ridiculous "storm relief event" and nobody will call him on the sleaziness of what he's doing. Ohio, please tell me you know better. That kind of sums up my feelings about the Romney-Ryan campaign as a whole, actually--it's not so much what the two of them are doing/proposing as the massive public support they're getting for it.
Leave it to Romney to try to turn another tragedy into votes for him. There are a lot of Ohioans who know better, but they are not attending Romney events.
libgal- You know Ohio and I hope they know enough of what you know, to turn Ohio Blue.
we are surprised by ANOTHER LIE?
Nope, he is such a liar, he wouldn't know the truth even if it came up and bit his arse!
Heres something we learn today about what the "Poll Watchers will do,
guess what THEY ARE ALSO GOING TO LIE!
Mitt Romney’s campaign has been training poll watchers in Wisconsin with highly misleading — and sometimes downright false — information about voters’ rights.
Documents from a recent Romney poll watcher training obtained by ThinkProgress contain several misleading or untrue claims about the rights of Wisconsin voters. A source passed along the following packet of documents, which was distributed to volunteers at a Romney campaign training in Racine on October 25th. In total, six such trainings were held across the state in the past two weeks.
One blatant falsehood occurs on page 5 of the training packet, which informed poll watchers that any “person [who] has been convicted of treason, a felony, or bribery” isn’t eligible to vote. This is not true. Once a Wisconsin voter who has been convicted of a felony completes his or her sentence, that person is once again eligible to vote.
The training also encouraged volunteers to deceive election workers and the public about who they were associated with. On page 3 of the packet, Romney poll workers were instructed to hide their affiliation with the campaign and told to sign in at the polls as a “concerned citizen” instead. As Kristina Sesek, Romney’s legal counsel who just graduated from Marquette Law School last year, explained, “We’re going to have you sign in this election cycle as a ‘concerned citizen.’ We’re just trying to alleviate some of the animosity of being a Republican observer up front.”
This packet could cause major problems if Republican observers across the state try to enforce such wrong and misleading information on Election Day. Even if they simply slow the voting process down, this could discourage voters waiting in line and drive drown turnout.
Here are four misleading or incorrect pieces of information disbursed by the Romney campaign:
CLAIM: Any “person [who] has been convicted of treason, a felony, or bribery” isn’t eligible to vote. (Page 5)
FACT: Once a person who has been convicted of a felony completes his or her sentence, including probation and fines, that person is eligible to vote.
CLAIM: Page 8 lists 10 items as “The ONLY Acceptable Forms of “Proof of Residency”.
FACT: The list used is incomplete. There are many other documents people can use to prove residency that are not included, such as letters from public schools, student loan papers, correspondence with a Native American tribe in Wisconsin, vehicle registration, and food stamp correspondances. In addition, the list fails to mention that homeless voters may use an affidavit from a public or private social service agency as proof of residency.
CLAIM: “If a handicapped voter is unable to come into the polls to vote, an assistant can deliver the ballot to the voter if the CEI verifies the elector’s proof of residency.” (Page 10)
FACT: Under Wisconsin law, the CEI (Chief Election Inspector) does not have to verify proof of residency so long as the voter is registered.
CLAIM: “Election Observers should not assist [voters].” (Page 10)
FACT: A voter can ask for assistance from anyone, including a poll watcher, so long as the voter initiates the request and does not engage in electioneering.
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/10/30/1106961/romney-wisconsin-poll-watchers/
Voters in WI, OH, Penn, NC, VA and FLA need to be on the look out for these " true the vote" THUGS and ALERT the poll manager, call the police, the FBI and the local NEWS services. IF you observe ANY of these thugs, I would suggest you intervene and get the police and FBI involved. Trying to intimidate or thwart voting is still a FEDERAL offense. Please Rachel show and all MSNBC shows, publish phone numbers and advice as to how to help the elderly , college students and minorities who are being targeted by this voter intimidation . DO NOT LET the rethugs STEAL this election!
The liberal media will call him out on this lie, just like the others.
and like all the other times no one, not already voting for Obama, will hear or care
Why are the major news outlets like CNN reporting that Romney has cancelled all campaign events when clearly he hasn't....
Because they're the Cretins' News Network, in case you hadn't noticed.
CNN has become Fox News Jr.
I thought I was the only one that felt this way....My pastor brought it to my attention. But no matter what they throw at President O, he still comes out smelling like roses...soooo Mitt really feels so small right now...Even Chris Chrisitie is praises the President...For it Mitt because you ain't it...
CNN is trying to be non-partisan and 'balance' their reporting. But how do you counter the enormous number of lies that Romney's campaign puts out without the appearance of being biased. And this is the 'brilliance' (if you can call it that) of the Republicans 'truth-be-damned' strategy - overwhelm the electorate with lies and flip-flops so that it becomes impossible to distinguish the truth. Romney was the chosen Republican candidate, exactly for this reason, he is practiced at executing this strategy.
All the media outlets want a close race, even if there isn't one. The "closer" the race, the more viewers. For them, it isn't about being fair or balanced, it is about making money...therefor viewers. I honestly believe that the media tries to shape the day's events to push people to indecision, uncertainty, and doubt even fear all with the intent to have them keep watching.
And why are the major news outlets like CNN NOT reporting on libya and that whole mess. Effin' Obama watched men die in the situation room. He gave orders to stand own. Hmmm...and you are more concern weather Mitt holds a victory rally?
Consistent with the theme of his whole candidacy: "All bull@!$%#, all the time."
I think we can conclude that Mitt's determination to have a campaign event come what may gives the lie to Mitt's campaign team's claim to be leading the race right now.
Mind you Mitt's pretty good at giving the lie to things, particularly audiences...
duplicate deleted
LOL The irony is that only a loser would campaign during an ongoing disaster like this. Obviously the Romney campaign can read the numbers, or they would stand down.
Just like only a loser would turn an international tragedy into a blatantly dishonest political attack while the events were actually occurring.
Libya volume 2.
This is sooo sad, but unfortunately typical of Romney.
When I look at how Chris Christie is responding to the storm, I realize, that although I completely disagree with his "politics", the country would probably be "safe" in his hands - he would put politics aside and do what is best for the country when absolutely necessary.
This is NOT something anyone could ever say about Mitt!!!
I will say that I am also no fan of his, but I was COMPLETELY surprised by Chris Christie's praise of the President, FEMA, and the preparations/collaborations being made by the Federal government. It was as if he forgot he was a republican yesterday. He showed genuine concern for the people of his state, and spoke plainly to try and express the dangers at hand.
Before you go overboard with Moby Chris - he can see as well as anyone else that the Mormon moron is circling the bowl. He has his eye on 2016.
President Obama and Chris Christie have put politics aside and both are showing that they are TRUE AMERICANS first and foremost, unlike Romney who cannot quit being a parasite!
He should be rewarded for acting like this ... No kidding. Mitt's entire mindset is of Discipliner in Chief. He will teach The Help that he is in charge, and The Help will do as he says or there will be consequences. The way around this to make the bell ring only when one does something right.
Is anyone surprised? Just business as usual for Rmoney. Turd.
We do not use the word 'turd' enough. I'm for this as it completely sums up my feelings of distaste for Romney and his lying ways.
T.U.R.D. is the abreviation for: Total Unamerican Romney Dishonesty
T.U.R.D. lol. My favorite rebuke is: NOT THE CAPTAIN AMERICA WAY, people!
In my mind, the yardstick for determining whether something is a campaign event or not is this: Would the person, in this case Romney, be doing this exact thing if he were NOT a candidate?
I think we know the answer to that.
Romney is a lying, self-serving schmuck who thinks he deserves to play by different rules than anyone else. Ohio, you know better than to vote for this guy. He'll make his appearance seem like it's a plea to help the hurricane victims, but he's really schlepping for votes. You can help the hurricane victims without going through Mitt. In fact, he'll probably take a cut of anything donated at his event.
"In my mind, the yardstick for determining whether something is a campaign event or not is this: Would the person, in this case Romney, be doing this exact thing if he were NOT a candidate?"
THIS.
When I read that Romney campaign buses would be transformed into "relief" buses, handing out bottles of water, etc. it was clear that this was an(other) attempt to politicize a national tragedy. Because we all know that if he wasn't trying to get elected there's no way he'd be out there trying to help folks out of the goodness of his heart.
Handing out bottles of water to Ohio residents?? Kind of like washing already clean dishes?
Well,they re-package and re-market their candidate three times a day,no surprise they can do the same with their events.
You know, now is not the time for all of this bulls**t. If even a DOLLAR is raised for all of the people who went through all of this devastation, it is worth it. So it is time to get off all of our high horses, put aside our differences and help the people who need help. Either physically or with donations.
Right just ignore everything else and say your doing it for the country, typical GOP cover up. Really does the country need more robme lies. He could have sent the money without torturing poor citizens by speaking or even better yet gave up some of his own money to charity for storm relief but no not robme.
Oh give me a friggin break!!! Yep, Romney is saying that if you have any "extra money" to give it to the Red Cross but do you REALLY think THAT is the reason for the "event"????
And EXACTLY WHAT is going to be said at that "event"????? You think Romney is going to pass up a chance to throw a knife when the President is tied up elsewhere? That would definitely be out of character for Romney and we all know that!! The one thing Romney has never been accused of is having any sense of ethics.
If you aren't smart enough to figure out that just "renaming" an event doesn't change its character, you probably aren't smart enough to be posting here!!
Thanks for the daily demonstration of what someone stupid enough to pass the IQ test low enough to be one of you fools looks like. Go back to wanking yourself in your alternate reality, where the fact you're a drooling moron isn't so obvious.
I would be leary of going to the "relief event" and giving money there. I will give through the Red Cross and KNOW that my money is going where it needs to go, not some politician's pocket.
Where the hell is his check to the Red Cross?
Isn't the very nature of the statement means that the event is "by itself" (per se) a campaign event? Therefore, the rally is just what it is...a Rally! (oh and if you want to help out victims of Sandy...bring a can of beans). I don't think they're lying (per se) just trying to spin the truth about what kind of event it is. It is (and always was going to be) a CAMPAIGN EVENT. The fact that pool reporters and others thought it may be a sympathetic outreach to the victims of Sandy are too myopic to realize the event was always just a rally.
Yesterday, he was at an event, and said "Our thoughts and prayers go out to those in the path of the storm."
WILD applause ensued. Of course, it was the choir doing the cheering.
And that makes me wonder, on a bigger scale: Why does he ONLY "preach to the choir"? He already has their votes. . .
Because he knows the "choir" loathes him. The only reason they back him is to "Put a White in the White House."
Awww, c'mon, now...give Mitt a break.
After all, he did do a shout out for the American Red Cross, and asked for folks to donate.
;)
Check out the time that Obama's page refer
enced the Red Cross, then check out when Romney did....not only is the guy a total photo op loser, but the action came the day after the Obama camp had done so with little political haymaking. Perhaps we ought to dress Mitt in an apron, surround him with claen dishes to wash, and shave a some time off how long it took him to get to the "event"....
The idea that the president is somehow noble for DOING HIS JOB, and Romney is not, because he's doing what he considers to be HIS job right now, is asinine. Romney will no doubt raise a LOT of money for the Red Cross, which should be the only thing that matters if it helps those affected by the storm, so what's the big deal? Lets talk about lies, shall we? When ALL Major media outlets start doing some serious investigating reporting about the events of Benghazi, and start calling (As Bob Woodward called for) for an INDEPENDENT investigation of the incident, then perhaps we will take your freaking out over a a "broken promise" by the Romney campaign more seriously. Until then, anything written about Romney is just yellow journalism. You're days of fooling the American public are numbered.
Oh shut up.It's just another peek into the dishonesty of Romney.
They are ALL liars. Problem is the media focuses on one. The Federal Government is closed today...that's helpful for anyone calling in for help...isn't it.
So you think the federal government is pretending to help people today because they are closed? Like any other state or municipal government, it's closed for non-essential personnel. Essential personnel, like those needed to aid victims of Hurricane Sandy, will be present. You think they haven't thought of that?
Yes, I would like to know all of the facts about Bengazi too. However, I find it interesting that apparently all of the conservatives were "a-ok" with being lied to about WMDs in Iraq. And wasn't there an issue with 9/11/2001? Hmmmm ... Conservatives don't like having a memory.
MOST of the government, not all. FEMA is still open.
The federal government is closed meaning administrative and the like, NOT emergency and national guard. Lean how the government work before spouting a dumb opinion.
There is no 'Events at Bengazi'...it is what it is...slow gathering of intelligence in a dangerous country...all of which could have been avoided if the freshman congress people from the teahadist fringe of the repugnican party had not voted down the funding for the state department,and specifically the embassies...You want an investigation? Investigate that...or better ,the sedition act...Considering that all of the currently seated repugnicans signed the treasonous Norquist pledge...in violation of their sacred sworn oath of office....After President Obama wins This election...Then We will begin investigating and hopefully moving on to trials for treason!
Glad beat me to it: the federal government isn't closed, but there are several administrative buildings that are closed.
But I enjoy the fact that you believe you know the true truth of Benghazi while simultaneously claiming that there isn't enough information about it. Tell us what is the true truth of the truth truth that you've truly trued about Benghazi? I'd like to know.
By the same line of reasoning: how can you even begin to make the assumption that the money raised will go to help the Red Cross? Normally speaking I would be OK with campaigns using money to help the Red Cross, but what evidence leads you to believe that is the intention of the campaign? Did you just say that you have to investigate and have facts to prove your reasoning? So, as I said by this reasoning, that means you're presuming help, but by your own logic you don't have a reason to presume as much. Good to know
Thanks for the daily demonstration of what sort of a fooking moron believes Romoney's bullshhitt, you drooling idiot.
It's funny everyone assumes I'm a Romney supporter. I'm not. I have no love for his smarmy ways. I simply don't find this to be an issue, and I don't think the federal government needs to be closed today, when there is much going on in the nation. I can't give you any truths about Benghazi because we haven't been given any. Regardless of party lines, that story needs to be told, and I don't understand why the President and his supporters aren't yammering for it to BE told, so he can move past it. Clearly there is more to the story, by his own admission. Unless He has something to hide, why not just open it up, and get it out there, so it's NOT an election issue. I don't understand people like all of you who are so full of venom, instead of passion for the country.
Tres
The Federal Government IS NOT closed - many of the office buildings are closed in DC because there is just no way for Federal employees to get to work - the Metro is closed, bus and train lines are closed - and there is VERY LITTLE parking around Federal buildings.
The Federal Government has offices all over the country, not just in Washington DC and all of those offices ARE open. In addition, look at OPM's site. Federal workers are telecommuting with essential employees going into their office buildings.
http://www.opm.gov/status/index.aspx
As usual, you can believe whatever your little mind tells you about Benghazi!!
h
Funny how a story made up in robmes mind and repeated by Fox news and the rest of the drooling right wing nut cases out there is somehow a big cover up by the White House yet not one of them can give any reason for a cover up. Here is a clue when GWB pulled troops out of Afghanistan to invade Iraq it was because Saddam was good buddies with OBL and Saddam was going to use WMD's so he had to be stopped. When no WMD's were found GWB said well Saddam was an evil man who killed his people so he needed to be taken out before he did anymore killings. And the slobbering Mitt wits ran around whining that Saddam buried the WMD's in the deep desert sand until they found out that WMD's couldn't handle that type of mistreatment. So GWB came back and said we are giving Iraqis their freedom, see that is a real cover up, believing that a movie protest might have terrorists in the crowd is not a cover up it is a reality of that region of the world where anything could set them off including a Fox news fake outrage story. Oh and just who are the people stupid enough to believe Fox news why none other then right wing Mitt wits and third world countries where government covers up everything.
Tresmauvaise, campaigning on Day 2, under the guise of fundraising for a natural disaster, his job or the moment (after stating that he would suspend and wouldn't campaign at least momentarily)? You want to talk about Benghazi (Bush when it was WMDs in Iraq)? yellow journalism? Why don't YOU try being serious and come off of Romney's teat.
Well, obviously he means victory against Sandy, not Obama.
Of course, there are two things that the Romney campaign could do that would actually help: donate funds, or send volunteers. Will he put his money where his mouth is? I'm guessing not.
Romney sold his soul a long time ago...is ANYONE surprised that he would do this while they are still recovering the bodies along the east coast? This man has nothing, nothing - he's a sociopath. If he hadn't spent his time "harvesting" companies, he would have found himself alongside Ted Bundy.
Who didn't know this was going to be the case when they cancelled it? Seriously, who didn't know that?
I could understand the president cancelling campaign events. He's got a job to do. I couldn't understand why Romney said he would cancel anything. Running for president has been his job for like six years or something. What else is he going to do?
TYPO: in the first line, you say "would," but you mean "won"...
So, what makes it a relief effort? Are they collecting food and clothing? Are they donating money? Atleast when Clinton and Biden campaigned there, they called it a campaign event, nothing more.
They are just getting in the way, as the storm is causing flooding and such in Ohio right now and it looks like they will just get in the way and divert first responders from helping people.
And there's more....Check the Rawstory out for a Fox news host complaining that Romney wasn't getting equal opportunity to benefit from coverage of the storm.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/10/30/christie-praises-obama-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-romney-photo-op/
Hurricanes have a notoriously liberal bias.
priceless, absolutely priceless
Gotta hand it to Christie: when he's good, he's really very good.
Where is the "relief" he raises today going? They're waiting for their check, so let us all know how much and when they can expect it.