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In a way, I blame my friend Greg Sargent. In the first week in January, he noted, almost in passing, that Mitt Romney seemed to be making a lot of false claims, and someone "really should document them all." That struck me as a good idea, so I decided to tackle this on my own.
After all, I thought at the time, how hard could this be? Once a week, I'd let readers know about Romney's whoppers, which I assumed would total about a half-dozen a week, and maybe after the election, I'd do a top 20 list of my favorites. The project would be a nice little Friday-afternoon feature.
Little did I know at the time that Romney would become an ambitious prevaricator, whose rhetoric would come to define post-truth politics. Nearly 11 months after Greg Sargent's harmless suggestion, I've published 40 installments in this series, which, before today, featured 884 falsehoods. (If you include today's edition, the new total is 917 falsehoods for the year.)
I wish that were a typo. It's not.
The outcome of next week's election remains in doubt, but regardless of who wins, I suspect this will be the final edition in the series. If President Obama wins, the project will have run its course. If Romney wins, I rather doubt I'll be able to keep this going every week for four years. So, with that in mind, enjoy the 41st and probably final installment of my weekly series, chronicling Mitt's mendacity.
1. At a campaign event yesterday in Roanoke, Virginia, Romney again suggested the president is to blame for the fact that "gasoline prices" have "gone up."
This is wildly misleading. It's true that when Obama took office, gas cost about $1.81 a gallon, and it's more than double now. And how did gas prices get so low in late 2008 and early 2009? Because there was a global economic catastrophe -- gas was cheap because the economy had fallen off a cliff, and demand crawled to a stop. As the economy improved, demand went up, and the price of gas started climbing. It's Economics 101.
2. In the same speech, Romney said he should be elected in order to prevent "four more years of trillion dollar deficits in Washington."
According to the budget plan Romney endorsed, we'll have four more years of trillion dollar deficits in Washington anyway.
3. Romney added he has a "five-point plan ... that'll get this economy going."
The five-point plan -- oil drilling, trade, privatizing K-12 education, vague assertions about debt reduction, and ambiguous promises about doing nice things for small businesses -- is a rehash of Bush/Cheney promises. No credible analysis of the vague agenda has found it capable of boosting the economy.
4. At a campaign event in Doswell, Virginia, Romney said "Obamacare" is "crushing small businesses across America."
There is literally no evidence to support this claim in any way. Indeed, a a significant portion of the ongoing cost of the Affordable Care Act is to give small businesses a tax break.
5. In the same speech, Romney also argued, "The president wants to raise taxes on small business."
In reality, 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.
6. Romney also vowed, "I will not raise tax on ... middle-class America."
There's ample reason to believe the exact opposite -- independent budget analysts have concluded that once Romney slashes taxes on the wealthy, increases defense spending, increases entitlement spending, and cuts corporate tax rates, all while promising to balance the budget, he'll have no choice but to ask more from the middle class. Indeed, there's no other way for Romney to keep his other promises.
7. In a television ad, Romney claimed Obama "gutted the work requirement for welfare."
This continues to be as obvious a lie as Romney has told all year.
8. In the same ad, Romney claimed there's been "record unemployment" under Obama.
The unemployment rate topped out at 10% a few years ago, and that's not even close to being a "record."
9. The ad went on to say the rates of "women in poverty" are at their highest rates "ever."
Poverty rates were vastly worse during the last global financial crisis, the Great Depression.
10. The same ad claimed Obama financed the debt by "borrowing from China."
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.
11. In a different ad, Romney claimed to "have a plan to help the auto industry."
Asked for a copy of that plan, the Romney campaign refused to provide one.
12. The same ad suggests Jeep production is moving "to China."
This is breathtakingly dishonest.
13. Romney said on Monday he'd cancel his campaign rally in Ohio on Tuesday, out of sensitivity for the victims of Hurricane Sandy.
He held a campaign rally anyway.
14. In a radio ad this week, Romney suggested Obama saved the auto industry "for China," adding that "GM cut 15,000 American jobs" because of the president.
GM itself responded to this by saying, "We've clearly entered some parallel universe during these last few days. No amount of campaign politics at its cynical worst will diminish our record of creating jobs in the U.S. and repatriating profits back to this country."
15. The same radio spot adds, "Mitt Romney grew up in the Auto Industry. Maybe that's why the Detroit News endorsed him."
No, the Detroit News specifically called Romney's approach to the auto rescue "wrong-headed."
16. At a campaign event in Avon Lake, Ohio, Romney claimed, "[W]e're at a 30 year low in the number of new businesses that have started up."
17. In the same speech, Romney said, "In Europe ... their corporate tax rate, which used to be higher than ours is now down to 25 percent. Ours is 35 percent. So businesses that are thinking of investing are interested in going elsewhere."
This is wildly misleading, since the actual income tax paid by corporations "is one of the lowest in the world."
18. Romney went on to say, "I'm going to make sure that we finally get America on track to have a balanced budget."
No he won't. Romney's plan slashes tax rates (which makes the deficit worse, not better), increases defense and entitlement spending (which makes the deficit worse, not better), and every independent analysis reaches the same conclusion: Romney's numbers don't add up.
19. Referencing the president, Romney said, "He's cut Medicare $716 billion."
This is deeply silly. Obama strengthened the Medicare system's finances by reducing payments to insurance companies and hospitals. Benefits for seniors have been expanded, not cut.
20. Romney also argued, "[T]he president's been spending massively more than he's been taking in."
Government spending is down, not up, under President Obama.
21. Romney went on to boast, "I have a plan that'll create 12 million new jobs."
Putting aside the pesky detail that Romney doesn't actually have a specific jobs plan, the claim about 12 million jobs has been definitely proven fraudulent. His own economic advisor was forced to concede the candidate's -- and the campaign's -- talking point was based on a falsehood.
22. Romney also claimed, "I was governor of a state with a legislature that was 85 percent Democrat. I knew from the very beginning to get anything done, I had to reach across the aisle and I did."
23. At a campaign event in Tampa, Romney said, "Latin America's economy is almost as large as that of China."
That's actually not true.
24. In a speech on the economy in Ames, Iowa, Romney said Obama "doubled" the deficit.
Romney is still having trouble with the definition of "double." The deficit on Obama's first day was $1.3 trillion. Last year, it was also $1.3 trillion. This year, it's $1.08 trillion. When he says the president "doubled" the deficit, as he has many times, Romney's lying.
25. In the same speech, Romney said Obama has "proposed any solution at all" to address Medicare's finances.
Actually, Obama shored up Medicare's finances by finding $716 billion in savings, and has a long term plan through IPAB.
26. Romney went on to say the president "did not tame the spending and borrowing."
Not only did government spending go down under Obama, the deficit also went down under Obama.
27. Romney added that Obama "did not reach across the aisle."
Obama repeatedly pleaded with congressional Republicans to work on common solutions. GOP lawmakers responded by opposing every idea, including their own.
28. Romney also said the president "did not stand up to China's trade practices."
29. Romney claimed Obama has "added almost as much debt held by the public as all prior American presidents in history."
He's said this before, but it's not even close to being true.
30. Romney also argued the president "launched an onslaught of new regulations, often to the delight of the biggest banks and corporations."
Putting aside the irony of Romney suggesting Obama is beholden to corporations, there has been no regulatory onslaught.
31. Romney went on to say, "Energy prices are up in part because energy production on federal lands is down."
Nice try, but no.
32. Romney claimed, in reference to Obama, "[H]is tax plan has been calculated to destroy 700,000 jobs."
33. Romney added, "[C]utting one trillion dollars from the military will kill jobs and devastate our national defense."
Romney appears to be referring to cuts, which have not yet kicked in, and which were crafted by Romney's own party and endorsed by his own running mate.
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, XXXIII, XXXIV, XXXV, XXXVI, XXXVII, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XL
Leave a Comment:
Thanks, Steve for all the work you've done on this. Many of us have enjoyed reading it, and we'll all be glad to never see it again. Next Friday, Mitt Romney will be just some guy whom nobody likes.
Still.
Steve,
Your saga in documenting this reminds me of Tommy Jones character in 'Lonesome Dove' after an epic journey to bring his friend back to Texas for burial:
"I guess that will teach me to be more careful about what I promise to do"
Awesome job!
Wednesday.
I feel it will be far into December before we truly know.....
http://www.audacityofhypocrisy.com/fashion-shows/
http://obamalies.net/list-of-lies
Are these sites biased? Of course, as is this blog above. They both only look at one side of the coin. That's the point though, to look at both.
I mean, I think it's best to show both sides of the story, right? And just to let you know before I get trounced on here, I voted today, and I voted for Obama. It's just best to show both sides, then to make logical and educated opinions on who you want to vote for. That is all. When one side plasts the other side as the worst possible thing imaginable, then speak bout their side as the answer to all questions, the man with no faults, it is wrong. There are haters on both sides of the aisle, and rarely do I see people agreeing on anything, but rather going one side or the other.
I honest to God HOPE so..I'd like to see that cretin disappear into a crater SO deep it would take 150 years just to get a WHIFF of him again....
I don't 'get' where people do NOT realize this man is SEVERELY mentally ILL!!!!!!!!!! As in PSYCHOTIC!!!!!!!!!! AND a serial LIAR!
And yet, they'll vote for the cretin anyway...simply because President Obama's skin is a different color....GD sad for 2012!
Lucy, you are a representative of what I just said.
The only problem though with the "look at both sides to see what they say" philosophy is that if both sides are lying or telling a half truth you don't get the full truth simply by looking at the other side of the coin. You just get more distortion, not less. I still encourage people to do it, just like you do @nomore, but it's just a point I think needs to get re-iterated. I think sometimes people think that if they watch an hour of Fox News and then watch an hour of MSNBC they will somehow now automatically know more truth than if they had ignored both networks. Depending on the issue I'm not entirely convinced that's 100% true.
But that's really a larger complaint, at least from me, about the stupidities of modern day media. What else is new?
917 examples of Mitt's Mendacities, says it all. Thanks for not letting a single one slip by, you've been an example the rest of journalism should've followed. Attacking every fact that doesn't fit on their island as being born from a liberal bias has successfully pressured a large chunk of our supposedly free press to give Republicans free reign to lie away. Volume is all they have. Whatever facts get in the way and whoever delivers them will suffer the full wrath of the liberal bias brand. We may be surprised at how well this has worked to neutralize the objectivity of journalism, but no one should be surprised that they're going to keep it up unless more of us vote against it. Volume always works and I'm never surprised that it reaches people but it is a true disappointment that more journalists don't directly fight back against what has been a disturbingly high level of lying, because volume only works if you don't control the volume. I'm still the sort of person that doesn't like using the word liar, but I can't think of anything else that fits the bill.
The wishful thinker in me hopes that after the election journalist will feel free to get back to the facts and not be afraid of favoring a particular candidate because you're not favoring any one, if it's the facts that determine favor. But this is still only wishful thinking because I can't understand how come so many can't see that they are choosing sides by covering up one side's lies and weakening the other side's facts. It's got to be pressure from the CEOs, because I still believe journalists at their core want to fulfill their call to be great journalists. And this pressure from CEOs has to be based on their own personal special interests because it's not based on what will get them more followers. The only industry with lower approval ratings than the political press is Congress.
No matter what, it is clear after this election that Mitt Romney and the Republicans have set a new standard for lying to the public and way too many in the press have set a new standard for how much they will let them get away with. I just keep telling myself everything can change, and that includes journalists and politicians. Sorry if this seems a little harsh to both professions but keep in mind that there are still a lot of solid public servants in both of these fields. Our President, this blog, Steve Benen, Rachel and way too long a list of others to continue on with, gives me hope for a future that somehow always seems to come, even if it's a bumpy ride. So thank you to all of those, whose work makes a difference.
He'll just be someone we" used to know" as the song goes.
Steve, did you do the same for Obama? Or didn't you have enough reams of paper to write them all down? Oh yeah, I forgot, Obama always speaks the truth. You can't speak ill of your messiah. Every time I hear Obama, I believe every word he utters(shouts), then I throw up.
Engbers.. look at the bright side; the weight should be just falling off of you!
Thank you, Steve, it has been amazing to see this list each week - and then compare it to the lack of attention and/or denial in other outlets - thank you for your research, tenacity and humor - all contribute to the value of this project - with gratitude....
OMG...will have to spend the weekend reading the rest..I knew Myth has lied a LOT, but seriously? When people ask so why are you voting for Obama/Biden I say because I trust them, both of them. When I ask why are you voting for Myth..they say things like well Obama is a Muslim, he's black, he wasn't born here, brainwash easily? I am proud to say I voted Obama/Biden, twice!
Amen, amen, amen my brother
I assume you meant you voted Obama twice- in two different elections, right? Don't want the Right-wingers throwing around accusations of voter fraud, do we? ;)
From #3: "I trust them, both of them"
Question: Can I trust Mitt Romney?
Let me think about that.
First of all, Romney is an ELFF. That is, he’s evasive, he lies, and he flip-flops.
Romney has a habit of being evasive. He’s evasive about his record as governor of Massachusetts. He’s evasive about his record at Bain Capital. He’s evasive about his income tax returns. He’s evasive about his alternative to ObamaCare. He’s evasive about his plan to create jobs. He’s evasive about his plan to cut taxes and balance our budget. For the past three weeks, he has refused to answer questions from reporters. And so on. Romney obviously has a lot to hide. How can I trust someone who is hiding so much from us?
Romney has a habit of lying. He lied when he said that Obama apologized for America. He lied when he said that Obama has made our economy worse. He lied about Obama’s “you didn’t build that” statement. He lied when he said that ObamaCare guts Medicare. He lied when he said that Obama eliminated the work requirement for welfare. He lied when he said that Jeep was moving American jobs to China. He lied about his willingness to work with Democrats when he was governor. And so on. How can I trust a liar?
Romney has a habit of flip-flopping. During this campaign, he’s been on both sides of almost every issue, and he’ll say anything to appease the audience that he’s trying to win over. Before the first debate, he was severely conservative; but now he’s trying to act like a moderate. Before the first debate, he demeaned teachers (as well as police, fire fighters, and other government workers); but during the first debate, he tried to act like he supported teachers. Before the last debate, he was extremely bellicose toward Iran; but during the last debate, he acted like he would focus on sanctions, and not war. Before Sandy, he said that he was going to de-fund FEMA; but now he says he’ll fund FEMA. When he was behind closed doors with a bunch of wealthy donors, he demeaned 47% of Americans; after he was caught demeaning the 47%, he’s now trying to act like he cares about the 100%. And so on. Romney flip-flops so much that I don’t know what he believes. How can I trust someone when I don’t what he believes?
In addition to his ELFFishness, I see a number of other “trust” problems with Romney.
Romney supports “voter suppression” laws, and “voter intimidation” tactics, that could affect millions of American voters. How can I trust someone who is anti-democracy?
Romney chose Paul Ryan as his running mate. Ryan wants to cut taxes for the wealthy; and he wants to pay for those tax cuts by reducing safety nets for the poor and the middle class. Ryan wants to turn Medicare into a voucher program. And Ryan wants to privatize Social Security. How can I trust someone who chose a plutocratic extremist to be a heartbeat away from the presidency?
Romney wants to re-implement Bush’s economic policies; de-regulate and cut taxes for the wealthy; in other words, re-distribute power and wealth from bottom to the top. Romney wants to re-implement Bush’s foreign policies; a large number of Romney’s foreign policy advisors worked for Bush. And Romney wants to re-implement Bush’s energy policies; allow big corporations to dictate our energy policies, in order to maximize their profits. How can I trust someone who wants to take us back to the Bush years?
Romney claims that, because of his experience at Bain Capital, he knows how to create jobs. However, the focus of Bain Capital was NOT to create jobs; it was to create WEALTH for their clients and for Bain Capital. And that wealth was often created at the expense of workers; often by reducing their pay and benefits; often by eliminating their jobs; and often by moving their jobs to China. How can I trust someone with “job creation” skills like that?
Romney’s actions at Bain Capital show that he is willing to eliminate American jobs in order to increase his income. How can I trust someone who puts personal gain over the welfare of American workers?
Romney has put millions of his dollars into foreign bank accounts. These actions benefit him, but do not benefit our economy. How can I trust someone who puts personal gain over the welfare of the American economy?
Kennedy said: Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. Romney’s economic policy is this: Take as much as possible FROM America; and give back as little as possible TO America. I know that Romney would improve the economy for the wealthy. But how can I trust him to improve the economy for the poor and the middle class?
I could go on and on, but I will only say one more thing. Romney says that if he’s elected president, he’ll get tough on China. To see if you can trust him on that, Google “Freeport Illinois Bain Capital”.
Good post RedStone, but I think Beth meant both Obama and Biden, not Obama and Rmoney.
- “Good post RedStone,”
Thanks Sandyc. I appreciate that.
- “but I think Beth meant both Obama and Biden, not Obama and Rmoney”
I DID understand that Beth meant both Obama and Biden, and NOT Obama and Romney.
Beth made a statement about trusting Obama and Biden, and I wanted to respond to it with a statement about NOT trusting Romney and Ryan.
I can see where my initial statement could be misleading.
I should have started with “why are you voting for Obama/Biden I say because I trust them”. That would have made it more clear as to where I was coming from.
I wish we could modify our posts. I would change my initial statement, and I would change my “from bottom to the top” statement to “from the bottom to the top”.
How I wish we could too, I have really wished that of my posts at times.
I didn't mean to criticize. But I liked what you wrote.
I really enjoyed this series, especially in the beginning, and I hope there is no need to continue to even have to even think of the sad amoral creature going by the name of Mitt Romney after this coming Tuesday.
I have to say that this exercise has come to define a seriously depressing and dangerous period in not only American history and its future, but also the world's.
I've never been so pessimistic about the character of my fellow American citizens and the country itself simply because of Mitt Romney and the last two years of bald-faced lying. The fact that this could have happened and was allowed to happen has exposed the American press, the American people, and America itself to be much, much less than I thought it was.
I still can't believe it happened, and though I'm not a religious person, I'll pray that President Obama wins this coming Tuesday.
I truly am sad.
What he/she said. I'm still perplexed, though, because I did think that Romney was a religious person, even if I didn't really understand his religion. Does Mormonism permit or promote such bald-faced lying? What do other Mormons think of how the Mittster is acquitting himself and representing his fellow Mormons? I still can't believe that he got his hand smacked by the car companies--what would his father say?!
Mormontology, like Scientology and most other cults, allows the believer to lie "for the greater good."
Fasaha Traylor, Google "Lying for the Lord" It will show you a few things about Mormonism and lying.
Krugman's blog post today references this post by Rick Perlstein in which he not only name checks this series, but puts forward the proposition that this is nothing new. It's the same old con game that has been played on the base since Goldwater ran. And it's a money making goldmine!
The most annoying thing is that Mr. Romney gets away with not having any interviews and avoids confrontation about his lies. It is funny that he blocked his governor office elevator from access to any confrontation... We definitely have a duck and cover candidate!
Hoperfully, we won't have a duck and cover president.
I have to say I do believe Myth does not think he is lying...in his own little mind he truly believes he is telling the truth. He is an idiot. I'm sorry and I don't like using that name..but it kinda covers it.
I am a Christian and I ask myself who gave all the Christians the power of judgment.I believe that is Gods and only Gods. Why do we Christians feel we should be voting according to what we think the bible says,remember it was written by man and is being interpret by man. NOT GOD! Can we be so ignorant that we pass moral judgement on hear-say, on religion, color? Remember Mormons say they believe in God; but they also say Jesus was a prophet, as was Josephet Smith? I hope America in the mishap of Mitt becomes president are ready to enbrace his lies.
I believe there was one Friday when this post didn't appear. Will there be a legend some day of "Mendacity Chronicles: The Lost Episode"?
I hope so!!! something else to look forward to!!
No weeks have been missed. One week the article posted early.
All of that stuff is 100% true...if you live in "rightwingland"
In Mitt's defense, aren't some of those falsehoods just continuous repetitions of claims that have already been debunked?
OK, that's not much of a defense, but you know what they say about pigs and lipstick.
if you tell a lie, it's a lie whether everyone knows it's a lie or not. so telling it again is lying again, even if more people know you told it already.
mitt's counting on the concept that people voting for him already don't care that he's lying, and people who don't know he's lying might vote for him because of what the lie pretends is true.
it might be time to create a separate country for people who would go along with that plan, and exile them to it. there should be room on the continental shelf for them all.
Unfortunately, if lies are repeated often enough with sufficient fervor, the masses begin to belive the lies.
@Kathy- yes! Polygamists are master manipulators....enter Charles Manson
@ Blair- already have forms for application for work VISA to Canada should the hand basket arrive...won't have to exile me, I will go willingly and not fight a civil war of outright elitist oppression against fellow countrymen.
Sorry @totall1965 we here in Canada will be locking the borders come election night - :)
918 Falsehoods, Mr. Benen.
I present as evidence:
The SPRAY-ON TAN!
PS Write a book, or it didn't happen.
I noticed how white Mitt's hands looked in the above photo, then I looked at how brown Mitt's face looks...pancake make-up for the cameras maybe?
Rumour had it, he was spray tanned to look more, um, familiar to the audience. (Univision)
If that is true, he is even worse than I thought. That's really horrible.
Univision is popular in Oompa Loompaland?
I see its still 3 days and a wake up and Mitt is threshing America if he is not elected his party will wreck the economy.
Hell we known that for 4 years already, but sadly i am betting they will double down on the wrecking of America, and the rebirth of an whole new ugly hateful place.
"Vote for us or we'll shoot the kid (country)!" That's certainly "patriotic" isn't it?
"threshing America"
Threatening America!
well the GOP Greed Over Patriotism.
There are many reasons why I don't want to see Romney elected. The many egregious falsehoods you've documented in your 41-part series highlight one of the many dangers of his winning: we can't allow Mitt's approach to this election to become a template for future campaigns.
This kind of nonsense has to stop now. We need presidential campaigns that frame debates on important issues through the lens of FACTS. At the very least, candidates owe us consistent, honest positions on key issues so that we can evaluate their readiness for office.
Romney's campaign has been an affront to democracy and an insult to the (unfortunately already too low) intelligence of the American people.
We the People cannot reward what the right has done to undermine free elections surrounded by a world wishing for same.
We the People, not corporations the people, cannot reward Citizen's United and the purchase of our presidency by Big Money.
We the People cannot reward a scorched earth campaign platform built on nothing but lies and hating the other guy.
We the People cannot reward disrespectful non-transparency of candidates who are applying for the job of President of our United States of America.
We the People cannot reward a resume consisting of nothing more than "It's Our Turn" and "Anyone But ...." for the highest seat in our land.
We the People cannot reward Mitt Romney with votes from the very citizens he has insulted, disregarded, and written off.
It's our governement, and We the People will speak.
Love it. We the people still hold the reigns in our votes.
Give him till Tuesday and he may yet hit 1000!
I think that Mitt enjoys being the bad boy. This is his way of getting attention and pretending to be the alpha male (just as he pretended to share the same foreign policy ideas as President Obama in the third debate). He's a phony baloney, and proudly wears that tainted badge.
He is the rich bratty bully he has always been. The smirky grin and batting eyelashes (I envision this expression when he was a child manipulating his mother from getting in trouble 'but mamma?! Blink, blink, blink, smile' ---he knows he is lying and the expression is that of "wow, they are all really buying this!"
Has anyone else noticed lately, not only is he beady eyes and smirky, but now he is smacking his lips every time he talks?!! what is that?
I've heard that oral smacking is a subconscious breast-feeding fixation...don't know if that's true or not.
MAMA...Tea bag tea bag...
Re: gas prices
I'm shocked republicans never tried to take to credit for bringing prices down from the summer 2008 level of +$4 to under $2 in barely 6 months.
All they had to do was destroy the economy.
Heh. And the thing that makes the line about gas prices even more dishonest is that gas prices still haven't gotten as high as their peak under the Bush Administration, before the crash.
Please DO write a book. Have it ready as a stocking stuffer for the holidays next year. I'll put it right alongside my little book of bushisms. Oh wait. Maybe I shouldn't. They were harmless though entertaining malapropisms. This is a whole different thing. Moral collapse, I'd say.
Worse than Bush, but the "yellow cake from Niger" was a doozie for which we paid and paid and paid … dearly.
The folks around Rmoney on foreign policy should make everyone very, very queasy…
Romney calculated that if they can tell a lie 100 times for every one time that somebody in the media calls him out on it, then he'll win more votes than he loses.
I'd like to think that Steve Benen's hard work contributed to turning that calculation into a miscalculation. Either way, I appreciate Steve's efforts.
917 falsehoods gives Romney too much credit for creativity. At most, a few dozen lies have been repeated over and over. That makes him an unapologetic liar rather than a particularly cunning one.
Steve - you thought you were working on a "top 20" list and now it sounds more like you have the basis for a book. Perhaps The Faking of the (Would-Be) President 2012, or something along those lines?
Get Enraged and Engaged:
Mooch the Vote 2012!
;-)
it could be expanded to include the whoppers told by McCain and Palin in 2008, and maybe a survey of prevarications by Congressional and State candidates receiving RNC moneys.
put the whole right-wing conspiracy out into the light. i doubt it sparkles when that happens.
Add a few of the less-than truths from conservative tv, talk radio, and some christian stations...oh, never mind. If Steve is writing all that, he'll never have time to post here.
I hope that after Tuesday we can send Mitt's mendacity packing.
I'll tell you what--you can put together a book after the election. And Willard will go down in history as the lyingest candidate that ever was!
I'd rather history forget this farce...
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" - George Santayana
"A lie can be halfway around the world before the truth gets its shoelaces tied." -- Mark Twain.
It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.
-Joseph Goebbels
What a long, strange trip it's been...
Thanks Steve. Now you can do what normal Americans do on Friday afternoons - lolligag at work and plan for an evening of liver abuse.
It's getting just too hard to read this stuff now. Each lie told over and over - it's depressing, made more so by the fact that this election is so close. Sigh.
On a related note, at a campaign rally in Virginia Beach yesterday, Willard was briefly interrupted by a member of the audience who held up a sign reading "End Climate Silence" and yelling out "What about climate? That's what caused the superstorm!" Naturally, the protester (?) was shouted down by the standard-issue chant of "U S A! U S A!" and hustled out by security...
Get Enraged and Engaged:
Mooch the Vote 2012!
;-)
I saw someone ripped his poster from his hands too...what about free speech? They are under his spell..maybe that is the beady eye blinking and smirking and lip smacking...it is hypnotizing them....
I hate the smacking too.
Yeah, I saw the man tear the sign out of his hands, too. I thought what authority did he have and perhaps he should be informed that you might get arrested for taking someone else's property and damaging it. If he had pushed the person, maybe assault.
Their authoritarian attitude needs to be called out for what it is. Anti-freedom.
yep..what about that 80-y/o women in Mass who ripped down the Obama poster with the Hitler stache..she got arrested, so why was this guy allowed to rip the poster right out of this guy's hands?? Probably cuz they are Myth's bullies. I wish he would come close to where I live..I would go to one of his rallies just to make some noise against him. Or maybe even ask him some questions...we know that will shut him up.
Thanks Sandy..didn't want to feel like I was the only one he was annoying with his little quirks. Pray he is gone and out of site by next Wednesday!
What is really chilling about Romney's lies is that Hitler came to power on a wave of lies.
Along with this great project, please consider putting together a video with MR on split screens saying the exact opposite for each issue he has flip-flopped on. It would make a great set to commemorate this election.
It really is discouraging to think that Mitt spews these lies over and over and over and ends up believing them. Worse yet - his followers believe them too. Do people not read or listen or are they just so against President Obama that they'll lie right along with their candidate? How very, very sad....
This is so sad because he has alot of people believing these lies!!! I voted the First day of voting in Ohio. Vote Vote Vote !!! We have the power !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!