1. Romney paid a lower tax rate than many middle-class Americans: Romney’s returns reveal that he paid an effective tax rate of 13.9 percent, lower even than the low rate of 15 percent he estimated he paid last week. While this is far less than what many middle-class Americans pay, it’s also well below what wealthy people pay. The average effective tax rate for someone in Romney’s income bracket is 25 percent.
2. Romney makes more in a day than the average American makes in a year, and becomes a 1 percenter every week: As Bloomberg News notes, “In 2008, according to the IRS, the median adjusted gross income was $33,048, whichRomney made in less than a day. Reaching the top 1 percent of taxpayers required $380,354 in adjusted gross income, about Romney’s earnings in a week.”
3. Romney paid almost nothing in payroll taxes: Romney contributed just .1 percent of his income to Social Security and Medicare in 2010 via the payroll tax because the tax is only assessed on earned wages, but all of Romney’s incomecame from investments. Most working Americans pay 7.65 percent.
4. Romney has accounts in countries notorious for tax dodging: By now, it’s well known by now that Romney invests in funds based in the Cayman Islands, but Romney’s returns were “crammed with information about foreign holdings” and reveal that he held accounts in Switzerland and Luxembourg, countries famous for hiding money thanks their low taxes and strict banking secrecy laws. Aides said he closed his Swiss account in 2010 because it might have been “politically embarrassing.”
5. Romney and Gingrich’s tax plans would slash Romney’s taxes: Romney already pays less than many middle class Americans, but under his proposed tax plan, his rates would be slashed in half. Meanwhile, under challenger Newt Gingrich’s plan, Romney would pay almost nothing, since Gingrich has proposed cutting the capital gains tax rate to zero and Romney earns almost all of his money from investments.
6. Romney needs four lawyers, including the former IRS commissioner to defend his tax plan: Romney’s campaign held a conference call with reporters this morning to defend and explain his tax returns, and apparently felt the need to have former IRS Commissioner Fred Goldberg, along with three other top lawyers and his campaign communications director to explain the returns. At one point, the call had to be interrupted so officials could confer with mega accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Another small revelation from Romney’s returns is that while Romney said his speaking fees amounted to “not very much” in terms of income, he actually made $111,000 in speaking fees in 2011 and $529,000 in 2010, as Politico’s Ken Vogel points out.
The Book On Mitt Romney: Here is John McCain’s Entire Opposition Research File
A document found online by BuzzFeed appears to be John McCain’s entire, 200-page opposition research file — or “book” — on Mitt Romney from 2008, the year they were bitter rivals. Segments of the book have been posted on RedState.com, but this the first time the document has been shared for public consumption in its entirety.
You can find this on Scribd.com by clicking »>HERE«<.
Clayton Holton of Granite Staters for Medical Marijuana asks Gov. Mitt Romney if he will have seriously ill patients like himself arrested for using medical marijuana with their doctor’s approval. Gov. Romney doesn’t answer the question and turns his back on Clayton.
You’ve seen it before in 1983’s National Lampoon’s Vacation. Aunt Edna’s beloved yappy dog, Dinky, gets tied to the back bumper of the car as they quickly loaded the car in hopes to get to Walley World as fast as they can, and to dump Aunt Edna off with her son, Normy.
In all the madness, Clark forgets to untie Dinky from the car’s back bumper. Clark forgets to untie Dinky. Forgets.. Even if subconsciously Clark wanted it to happen, he forgot.
Which brings me to Mitt Romney. Mitt Romney seems to be pretty precise, even if his version of precise is not telling everything. It appears that his precise means stating certain facts without bringing light to other important facts. A perfect example is this transcript (from ABC news) of the argument between Romney and Glen Johnson during a media meeting.
Romney: “Did you hear what I said? Did you hear what I said Glen?”
Johnson: ”That you don’t have lobbyists running your campaign.”
Romney: ”I said I don’t have lobbyists running my campaign and he’s not running my campaign.”
Johnson: ”He’s one of your senior advisors.”
Romney began to argue that his campaign manager is Beth Myers, not Ron Kaufman.
Romney: “Beth Myers has been on the plane with me and Beth Myers is running my campaign.”
Johnson: “So Ron is just window dressing? He’s just a potted plant on your plane?”
Johnson pressed Romney about whether Kaufman had ever been in a debate strategy session.
So you see, Romney doesn’t believe he’s lying to the People. He probably just sees it as withholding information. Important information if you ask me. Especially from a person that is running for President. He claims that he doesn’t take money from lobbyists but he’s taken the most out of all the GOP candidates, 61 registered lobbyists and five lobbyist-linked political action committees contributed $137,650 to Romney’s campaign between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2011. He even has a top lobbyist, Ron Kaufman, as a Senior Adviser!
In fact, thanks to PolitiFact, (who recently found Romney’s claim ”I don’t have lobbyists running my campaign” to be false) here’s a list of some other Lobbyists involved in Romney’s campaign.
- Kaufman, a senior adviser to Romney, is chairman of Dutko Worldwide, which has lobbied for American Pacific Corp., American Trans Air, Amgen, AT&T; – and that’s just some of the As.
- Ben Ginsberg, the campaign’s national counsel, is a partner in the firm Patton Boggs, a large lobbying firm that has represented Kaiser Aluminum, Lucent Technologies, the Venetian Casino Resort and many others. His bio on the firm’s Web site boasts that “Mr. Ginsberg represents a variety of clients on Capitol Hill on a wide range of issues including appropriations, trade, broadcasting and health care.”
- Cardenas is chairman of the Romney Hispanic Steering Committee, a finance co-chairman for the campaign and a frequent spokesman for Romney. He is a partner in Tew Cardenas, a lobbying firm with offices in Washington, Miami and Tallahassee. Records show he has lobbied for Progress Energy, Bell South, the Florida Association of Realtors and the Recreational Fishing Alliance, among others. His Web site boasts that “He has been named as one of Washington, D.C.’s top lobbyists by The Hill newspaper.”
- Comstock, an adviser and frequent spokeswoman for the Romney campaign, is a founding partner of Comstock Corallo, which has lobbied for the Hearst Corp. and the National Association of Broadcasters.
- Vin Weber, the Romney campaign’s policy chairman, is considered one of Washington’s premier lobbyists. He is chief executive of Clark & Weinstock, which has represented Microsoft, Pfizer, Texas Instruments, General Electric and many others.
So by now you’re asking, “What does Aunt Edna and Dinky really have to do with Mitt Romney strapping his family dog onto the roof of his station wagon in a dog carrier?”
Well, remember how Clark Griswold forgot about Dinky? How poor little Dinky was dragged possibly for miles while Clark kept driving down the road with only his own intentions in mind.
Meet Seamus. Seamus took a ride in a dog carrier on the top of Mitt Romney’s white station wagon in 1983 as the Romney family took a trip to Canada. Romney must have cared about the dog as he even built a windshield for the dog carrier!
During the trip, Mitt had a plan. That plan mapped out mileage and stops with family in mind. One story even implies that the dog’s needs were overlooked as “He would be making predetermined stops for gas, and that was it.”
During the ride, Seamus emptied his bowels on the roof of the car. The results ended up dripping down the back window of the station wagon where Tagg Romney, the oldest son, witnessed the event with a yell of “GROSS!” Mitt Romney did exactly what should have been done. He immediately pulled into a gas station to hose off the car. Well, the car and Seamus. He then promptly put the dog back into the carrier on the roof of the car and drove on.
What can actually be taken from this story? Clark Griswold forgot about tying Dinky to the bumper. Romney deliberately put Seamus on the roof even after hosing him down from defecating on the roof.
When Romney is on a mission, he’ll do anything to anyone to accomplish it. Which means he’ll gladly tell half truths (my grandmother used to say that half truths are actually known lies) and leave loyal friends (Seamus) out in the cold wind with wet clothes.
What are the possibilities that Romney would leave his loyal constituents out in the cold wind if he makes it to the Presidential Elections? Or listen to all those Lobbyists that aren’t biting at his elbows or haven’t donated time and money to his campaign?
-Rev Denn
Not choosing sides but this video does very well to show the true nature behind Mitt Romney.
“Did you hear what I said? I said I don’t have lobbyists running my campaign… He’s not running my campaign.. He’s an advisor.” - Mitt Romney on how he doesn’t have a lobbyist running his campaign but he does have a top advisor, Ron Kaufman, who works for a major lobbying firm.
”I don’t have lobbyists at my elbows” - Mitt Romney. Except for the 61 registered lobbyists and five lobbyist-linked political action committees contributed $137,650 to Romney’s campaign between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2011. The former Massachusetts governor raised more money from lobbyists during this period than all of his competitors combined.
Hat’s off to Glen Johnson of the AP. We need more reporters out there calling the bluffs of these politicians and cutting through the jargon they use to confuse people.
(Reuters) - Mitt Romney spent nearly $100,000 in state funds to replace computers in his office at the end of his term as governor of Massachusetts in 2007 as part of an unprecedented effort to keep his records secret, Reuters has learned.
the extreme right wing is going to persecute homosexuals on a whole new level if they have power after the 2012 Election. Homosexuals and supporters of marriage equality will be intimidated, interrogated, and stripped of their right to speak freely. The religious right wing has been allowed to push their un-American and unconstitutional agenda for far too long. Americans must push back. If we continue to do nothing, we could all be persecuted by this fanatical group.
