We talked earlier about the return of Mitt Romney's welfare lie in a new swing-state ad, which came on the heels of Romney's auto industry lie in an Ohio ad. And it got me thinking about how long it's been since I saw an honest campaign commercial from the Republican nominee.
I went through the Romney campaign's website and YouTube channel, and found that Team Romney has unveiled six English-language television ads since the third and final debate with President Obama last week, an average of nearly one per day.
1. The day after the debate, Romney unveiled this spot, accusing the president of having gone on an "apology tour." The ad was based on a lie.
2. Romney then unveiled a minute-long spot, boasting about his plan to create "12 million new jobs." The promise has been exposed as completely fraudulent.
3. The next Romney ad accused Obama of shrinking the military to the point that our Navy is now the smallest since 1917. The claim has been exposed as ridiculous.
4. This week, Romney unveiled an ad suggesting Chrysler is moving Jeep jobs to China. It's an absurd lie.
5. Romney then launched a Pennsylvania-only ad, boasting about how much he loves coal. Romney is also on record saying he believes coal plants kill people.
6. Romney's latest spot says Obama "gutted the work requirement for welfare." That's a lie.
I'm not cherry picking the offensive ads built around falsehoods; I'm merely listing all of the ads Romney has unveiled since the third debate.
This isn't normal. It's also not healthy for our democracy. Mitt Romney -- who keeps telling reporters about how great his "momentum" is -- has reached some kind of Peak Lying moment in which he spews falsehoods at an almost uncontrollable pace.
I keep thinking of this satirical piece from The Onion.
For weeks many Beltway insiders had written off the Romney campaign as dead, saying the candidate had dug himself into too deep a hole with too little time to recover. However, with a month to go before ballots are cast, Romney has pulled even with President Obama, and the former Massachusetts governor credits his rejuvenated campaign to one, singular tactic: lying a lot.
"I'm lying a lot more, and my lies are far more egregious than they've ever been," a smiling Romney told reporters while sitting in the back of his campaign bus, adding that when faced with a choice to either lie or tell the truth, he will more than likely lie. "It's a strategy that works because when I lie, I'm essentially telling people what they want to hear, and people really like hearing things they want to hear. Even if they sort of know that nothing I'm saying is true."
On the morning of Wednesday, November 7, Romney expects people to start calling him "President Elect," forgetting all about the lies he had to tell to advance his desire for power.
But the question I'd love ask Romney is this: shouldn't the truth be enough? If Obama's presidency were such a disaster, and his policies were such a failure, shouldn't Romney be able to win fairly easy by being at least a little honest?
Update: Dana Milbank wrote today, "The fast-and-loose with Jeep points to a troubling Romney instinct: When the stakes are high, as they are for him in must-win Ohio, the truth is often the first casualty."
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Do you expect an honest answer to that question should you get to pose it, Mr. Benen?
His answer would be that he's not lying.
"Remember, it's not a lie if you believe it." - George Costanza
BP, you are SPOT ON!! Romney is a flat out a pathological(and I hate to use the word logic linked to him) liar!! I have watched this guy duck field questions from folks about his FEMA stand, auto bailout stand, etc, etc and he glazes over and goes on to the next lie. I DETEST his image, his persona, his every thread of deceitful being AND he brings up the crap about being God fearing...............well, Christ is coming and he is angry Mitzy...Lie-N-Ryan is a total waste of human flesh or should I say "Beanie" Ryan...........what a touching story. Lies and believing them..........good pin.
Mitt Romney is the most dishonest politician I have ever seen in my entire life. He seems pathologically incapable of telling the truth. The lies just flow out of his mouth daily. The Jeep-to-China lie is one of the latest in a long string of ongoing lies that cascade from his mouth like a waterfall. He has changed his position so many times on so many issues, that the only thing we know for certain about Mitt Romney is that he will abandon his past convictions and beliefs to pander to anyone who might vote for him. How can anyone vote for this flip flopping, pathological liar to become president of the United States? I have been trying to figure it out because I really don't understand how so many people who purport to care about values seem willing to readily abandon the core value of honesty. The only logical conclusion I have found so far is to deduce that the ones who will vote for Mr. Romney simply lack the mental acuity to see through the lies or they are blind sheep who follow the right wing flock without caring whether their presidential candidate has enough of a moral backbone to speak the truth and hold firm to a belief. That in reality, values don't truly matter to them - party loyalty does. They would vote for a sock puppet as long as he or she carried the conservative label. This realization makes me very sad. Apparently 40 to 50% of our electorate is capable of supporting a leader who has a long history of deception. They don't seem to care about the catastrophic consequences of electing someone who not only lacks the character to tell the truth but who willingly and knowingly deceives people. Not satisfied with his existing track record of dishonesty, Mitt Romney tells more new lies daily. Why? Because intentionally fabricating an ever growing and increasingly deceptive narrative is the most probable pathway for him to gain the power of the presidency. The big question is whether or not a majority of Americans are willing to support lying as a means of becoming president. The choice to value truthfulness when we cast our ballot says something profound about the character of the American people. I hold on to hope that a growing number of Americans in swing states authentically possess the character, intelligence and moral compass to reject the deception of Mitt Romney's lies and the immoral path he has chosen to try to become president of the most powerful nation on earth. It is imperative for us to not only reject his subversive attempt to gain power but to soundly defeat it. We must show the world that honesty and morality still matter to the vast majority of Americans. For those of you who have already voted for Barack Obama or plan to, I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart. I profoundly respect and honor your willingness to stand for truth by rejecting the dishonesty of Mitt Romney. You are the ones who inspire me and make me proud to be an American. For those of you still undecided-it is time for you make up your mind. Don't let the bad weather deter you. Your vote is very important. It will define whether truth or deception wins the hearts and minds of voters across our country. Thanks Mr. Benen for helping show voters the long and growing list of the deceptions by Mr. Romney. Now if only the MSM had the same dedication to truth telling as the folks on the Rachel Maddow Show, perhaps Romney wouldn't be polling so high.
I've come to the conclusion that these 40 to 50% of the electorate either: a) are low-information; b) are low-IQ; c) hate librul demoncrats more than deceivers; d) are willing to overlook the challengers lies based on the incumbent's skin pigmentation; e) a combination of all of the above.
See my post at 10.1 for a link to a video of other Republicans calling Romney a liar (before he was nominated, of course).
I'm a little disappointed no one seems to have gotten my "Seinfeld" reference in post 1.
One problem is that righties get all their info/"news" from Fox et. al. and there is not any mention of these lies anywhere.. surprise surprise (NOT). So most probably don't have a clue of the extent of Romney's lies.
Second issue is that a bunch of them are probably racist and don't care who is in the WH as long as the president is white.
We're living in a sick nation and I haven't a clue as to what it would take to correct things. When 1/2 the country is not getting accurate information, then we're pretty well screwed.
Brewer, I believe a high percentage of those folks have been prepped, systematically groomed to only trust the RW media for information.
I am aware that people are kind of hard wired in some direction, but it has gone to highest levels of partisanship.
I got the Seinfeld reference, though.
These lyrics come to mind by Bacon-...
"If you think I'm lying, why do you ask me questions
Do you think I'd lie, about lying to you..."
Of course he'd lie. He knows the truth won't get him elected. If people really knew his agenda...if he was honest about it people would never ever vote for him...period.
Good one !
It was true then its true today:
Here is what Roosevelt says in the clip, which turns out to be from a speech he gave in Syracuse in late September 1936:
Let me warn you and let me warn the nation against the smooth evasion that says "Of course we believe these things. We believe in Social Security. We believe in work for the unemployed. We believe in saving homes. Cross our hears and hope to die! We believe in all these things
"But we do not like the way the present administration is doing them. Just turn them over to us. We will do all of them. We will do more of them. We will do them better. And most important of all, the doing of them will not cost anybody anything!"
The video of Roosevelt given the speech really is better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3RHnKYNvx8
Brewer Patriot: Tee Hee! but true of those low information voters.
Romney hasn't lied once. If he had the press would be reporting it. Wouldn't they?
The problem here is the mainstream media has too much invested in the horse race and not enough invested in the truth to give a damn about Mitt's continual lying. Present company excepted, they just don't call him on it all that much.
Bingo. You are correct, sir.
Hopefully this week the MSM will pick it up a bit and call out his lies.
If you believe they will, I've got some nice bridges to sell you, one at either end of the country.
Hopefully this week the MSM will pick it up a bit and call out his lies.
The sun will rise in the west first.
It's far too late for the mainstream media to save their reputation in regards to this election, but you'd think they'd want to start trying before it was over. Yes both sides engage in spin, but if you completely ignore pointing out the difference in the degree of spin and when spin becomes lies, you're not being equal, you’re massively choosing sides. You're making the guy who is lying all over the place look better, at the same time you're making the guy who isn't, look worse. This election is like weighing in for prize fight and when Mitt Romney steps on the scales he's coming in at 463 lbs. compared to Pres. Obama at 98 lbs., but the ref says they both made weight at 185 lbs. Even when you go to the fact checking sites it seems like there's about an equal amount of fact checking on both sides but when you actually read them, the degree of fact checking isn't even close. If you're going to couples counseling it is important to acknowledge both partners roles in the issues but if you actually want to solve things you have to deal in reality and acknowledge when one person in the process has lied to you countless times in far more serious ways than the other person who on a few occasions has shaded things in their favor.
The Navy ad is honest. Either include "ridiculous" in your premise, or give credit where it's due.
Apples and oranges, sir.
It is actually a lie; the Navy was smaller during the Bush Administration. In addition, it's wildly misleading -- if it did not intend to equate "smaller" with "less powerful," the statement wouldn't be of any significance at all.
If you had a clue what you were talking about when you use the term "apples and oranges," you would be comparing the capabilities of a 1917 warship with the capabilities of a 2012 warship. But that would involve you actually having a brain, which you cannot do and be a Republican.
The fact is that five Arleigh Burke destroyers could take out the entire 1917 Navy in one fight in under 30 minutes, without ever coming into range of any of the weapons used by the 1917 Navy.
And what navy would you be worried about? The rusting hulks in Murmansk and Vladivostok? The coastal forces of China? The PT boats of Iran? The facts are that all the other advanced navies that have any capability (and all combined do not have the capability of the US Navy) are our allies. When you leave WackoWorld, you ignorant asswipe, you don't get to keep making up your "facts." You have to use real facts.
As with everything else you Republican morons believe, this is the standard issue Faux Snooze bullshhitt.
But thanks again for the demonstration of how ignorant ignorance has to be to flunk the IQ test low enough to be one of you scum.
The Faux believers are so determined to be right, they've thrown away any power of reason they were born with. It does come down to childishness: "You sunk my battleship!"
If you keep ignoring reality and wasting trillions on military equipment we don't need and the military doesn't want, the only thing you will achieve is bloating the military-industrial complex at the expense of our military's effectiveness.
Keep in mind that the bloating of the military-industrial complex also comes at the expense of social programs (you know, the ones we can't afford to "borrow from China" for, while we build ships we don't need).
@Williamjacobs- Maybe Benen has changed it since you made this post, but where exactly in this statement are you getting that he said it was "dishonest." He already said it was ridiculous. If this a post-fact change OK good catch on you. But if he said this before you posted then you do realize you misread the statement, yes?
As to everyone else: I do not think this person was justifying the idea that a smaller Navy equates to a weaker Navy OR justifying the idea that Romney's attack is based on sound reasoning. Technically speaking our Navy today does have less ships than our Navy did in 1917. That's the problem with a factual statement: it's just a piece of data that can be manipulated to say whatever you want it to say. Like, for instance, let's say that it's a fact that there are less oranges today than there were in 1970. I could, as a blanket statement, tell you that "under Barack Obama we've seen a decline in the orange population to the lowest rate since 1970." Would this be factually untrue? No. But would it be a completely ludicrous claim? Yes.
@williamjacobs, you have to stop and recognize that it's not honest to make a claim that can be proven to be false. It is not true to say we have the smallest Navy since 1917. It is true that it is smaller, but that's not the ads claim. Therefore, it is dishonest.
if you choose to be pedantic, yes the Navy ship count is equal to WW1 levels. As the President pointed out, you don't need as many ships when the majority are aircraft carriers. Your point, sir, is moot.
Mitt imagines himself as powerful like Lord Voldemort, but on a good day approaches Lucius Malfoy for cravenness and deceit and in pr1vate sucks up to those with real money like he is Peter Pettegrew.
Hear, Hear!
Once more unto the breech!!
That is so funny. Tell the truth? Really?
Nixon told the Republicans how to win: "Go Negative Early."
This is only a continuation of the same strategy. If the President were to use that strategy the conservative controlled media would be all over him, but because the owners of big media are generally conservative, you'll rarely hear about Republicans unless they are beyond contempt. (Akin and Mourdoch come to mind and they are almost off the radar a week before the election)
Steve, how about an addendum to the post that links the ads the President has authorized since the last debate? I'd like to see this website say as much about the President as it does about Romney. He has enough name recognition and photo ops. Let's talk more and show more about President Obama's character and policies, which have far more facts, honor, and substance than anything the Romney campaign puts out.
I wish Obama and his campaign cn just compare Nixon and Mitt in one ad and run it through all key swing states. Also put an emphasis in one of their ads saying that if you vote for Romney your getting a Bush 3.0.
Mitt Romney's 2012 Presidential Campaign is not a healthy venture, and it is certainly unhealthy to all democracies everywhere!
A no good lying SOB is not what I want for a president! -Kevo
I wonder if on the 6th if he will just declare himself president and insist that the election was taken out of context
Dragoon, that actually made me snort out loud!
Can't they at least use that video where Rmoney says one thing, then immediately says the opposite?
Daily Kos calls it "Romney debates himself"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPgfzknYd20
part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZfXvFAeHVo
Here's another video for you - everyone should send this link and the ones above to any undecided voters out there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByzxFQSlyDA&feature=watch-vrec
Yea, it looks like that smaller hot spot over the middle of the USA might have been the start of some real severe conditions from Global Warming. I was worried about that. As a recommendation, concrete dome homes do provide good safety from severe weather conditions or re-enforced walls really help too. But regardless, how safe we make our homes, we do have to really seriously think about changing before things can even get close back to normal or better. Global Warming will continue to get worse, until you reach an ultimate tipping point and spells a major disaster that will be nearly impossible to even recover from. You look at a planet like Venus and you know with such amounts of carbon dioxide on the planet no one could ever live there with such extreme temperatures or care to say even breathe. As I said earlier also, God and/or Jesus doesn’t really want to hurt anybody and if anything you get a situation of protecting people and warnings about some bad things. God and/or Jesus is about love, compassion, understanding, truth, caring, sharing, and all the other good things about love.
"When the
stakes are highcampaign is running anywhere, the truth isoftenALWAYS the first casualty."Fixed it.
I have been aware of presidential campaigns since Eisenhower's re-election, and a participant in every one since JFK. I worked 10 years in professional politics. I have never, ever, seen a campaign that is worse than this one, and that includes Nixon's CREEP campaign in 1972, where little Imps of Satan like Rove got their start.
All I can say is that it sounds like Mitt is too penny pinching to come up with something new.
Not quite if Romney can turn it into huge profits for himself and his fellow bums he will definitely do it.
I wonder if Steve is planning something special for the final installment of the Mendacity Chronicles this Friday.
I tried something like that for the end of the Bush Administration but it wound up being the size of a Tolstoy novel
Rachel has done a great job of exposing Romney's lies during the lead-up to becoming governor. His residency issue was all over the place, then his claims were proved to be a lie. You are what you do, and what you have done.
and are still doing, with vigor
Yup. So right.
I love reading this site and the comments. I have to "google" a few things and use my dictionary which means I am learning something new. :) Unlike Faux news. :(
MaddowBlog: site for the educated.
Coal...really????
Yes, there is a coal heritage, but the Knox mine disaster in N.E. PA basically killed most anthracite mining in that region about 50 years ago...so in that swing section of the state "loving coal" doesn't really mean anything.
Fracking is where it's at now...and how come their's gas in water now...
UPDATE: Romney is holding a paper drive today but only accepting copies of those newspapers that have endorsed him.
UPDATE: The Red Cross filed a restraining order against Romney dumping any more cans of cream corn and spam in their parking lot.
(Nah... I made the second one up).
reminds me of a country prosecutor i knew years ago. when getting ready to try a case, he'd solemnly tell the police officers, "now, i don't want you guys lying, 'less it helps us."
Okay, I've written about 5 MSNBC programs, several Obama supporting newspapers, the Obama Campaign Headquarters and I've heard 0 from any. The subject was written about on The Nation by Greg Palast on Oct 17,2012 and The Daily Kos on Oct. 26 as well as several other internet sites. The title of the first: "Mitt Romney's Bailout Bonanza" and the second: " Delphi Auto (Mitt Romney's investment) buys factories in China after firing 25 k. US workers". A vulture hedge fund began buying up company's old debt (Singer and Romney and wife Ann etc) and Romney and Ann made up to 15.3 million or more. Is there some big, dark secret that's going on that the mainstream media can't talk about this? It seems to me that this would be a pretty big October surprise if someone in the mainstream media had the >>>> to publish/talk about it.
If you administered truth serum to him first, he'd probably say something like, "Obama's Presidency hasn't been all that bad, but it's standing between me and the Oval Office. So I've really got no choice but to lie about it. It's working for me, and nothing else is. So that's the way we're playing this game."
Thumbs way way up!
The only thing we know for sure about MittWitt is that he is male........but wait, his handlers may rebutt that tomorrow.....
Well, he does appear to be male, but that appearance may not be accurate or currently viable.
He's not a mensch.
before I read the post, I knew that the answer was that the ads were ALL LIES.
I'm surprised we haven't seen stories like this appearing in Karl Rove ads or in the right wing media:
Hurricane Sandy An al-Qaeda Weather Cell
Romney Blames Obama’s Failure To Protect America From Terrorism
A video on the Internet today claiming to be from the terrorist organization al-Qaeda said the weather cell that spawned hurricane Sandy was one of theirs. In the video they said:
“We finally succeeded in shutting down the New York City Financial District. This is the realization of a goal we have had for decades, and is a blow to Western Imperialism.”
Meanwhile, as campaigning resumed in the presidential race, the Romney campaign charged that this blatant al-Qaeda attack, which devastated much of the American Northeast, is a prime example of how Obama is soft on terrorism and hates the American people and our way of life.
Pretty much what I've been thinking for weeks... if Obama's record is so bad, per Romney's claims, then why has his entire campaign strategy been based on exploding out-of-context snippets from things Obama's said into alternate, nefarious meanings, misrepresentations and lies.