Election 2012

[Lamplighter]

Are you in the "middle class" ?
It all depends on how you define your words...

Associated Press
STEVE PEOPLES
9/14/12

BOSTON (AP) — Mitt Romney is promising to reduce taxes on middle-income Americans.

But how does he define "middle-income"?
The Republican presidential nominee defined it as income of $200,000 to $250,000 a year.
Romney commented during an interview broadcast Friday on ABC's "Good Morning America."

The Census Bureau reported this week that the median household income
— the midpoint for the nation — is just over $50,000.

The definition of "middle income" or the "middle class" is politically charged.
Both presidential candidates are fighting to win over working-class voters.
President Barack Obama has defined "middle class" as income up to $250,000 a year.
Obama wants to extend Bush-era tax cuts for those making less than $250,000.
Romney wants to extend the tax cuts for everyone.

[Happy Monkey]

I'm all for pointing and laughing at Romney, but I suspect that he meant that the maximum income for "middle class" was about $200000 or $250000, not that the range went from $200000 to $250000.

eta:
Though I don't know how to parse this:

"Is $100,000 middle income?" Stephanopoulos asked.
"No, middle income is $200,000 to $250,000 and less," Romney responded.

$100000 is less, but he still said "No".

Pointing and laughing has been reapproved.

[Spexxvet]

..

[Spexxvet]

...

[Cyber Wolf]

Well to be fair, and not an endorsement for Mitt, but just because he did it doesn't mean he liked it. People do stuff out of necessity, perceived or real, even though they may not like it. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a visit to my ophthalmologist but glaucoma runs in the family so I go regularly. But I hates it. So much.

[Griff]

NYT/CBS poll has good news for Obama. It looks like any bump from the RNC has already been absorbed.

[Griff]

The Bain "bailout" story is interesting. It wasn't tax dollars but rather FDIC money. I'm more interested in this fitting the Romney pattern of getting fat on misappropriated borrowed money.

ABC NewsIn 1990, Romney led the restructuring of Bain & Company, from which Bain Capital spun off in the 1980s. Bain & Company developed problems after the partners drained $200 million of borrowed money from the firm.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was involved in the loan restructuring since it assumed the Bank of New England, to which Bain & Company owed $38 million. The Boston Globe reported in 1994 that the FDIC agreed to lower the amount owed by $10 million, but the FDIC, a government agency, notably does not utilize taxpayer funding and instead is financed through deposit insurance payments, which negates Biden’s claim that the restructuring cost taxpayers millions of dollars.

[Lamplighter]

Yes, it's always done "legally"...

[xoxoxoBruce]

True, Biden was wrong, but Federal money or FDIC, the cost eventually gets passed on to we the people. Same as a corporation's largess to a politician or a worthy charity, the cost eventually comes back to us.

[Griff]

word.

[Lamplighter]

Buzzfeed
9/15/12
Rick Santorum Says "Smart People Will Never Be On Our Side"

[Happy Monkey]

Ironically demonstrating a high-water mark of his own intelligence.

[Lamplighter]

This video is credited for a time after Mitt was the GOP nominee.

The Washington Post
Philip Rucker,
9/17/12


Leaked videos show Romney dismissing Obama supporters as entitled ‘victims’

LOS ANGELES — Mitt Romney was dealt a new distraction when a video surfaced
Monday that shows him dismissing President Obama’s supporters as “victims”
who take no responsibility for their livelihoods and who think they are entitled to government handouts.

In the video, published by Mother Jones magazine, the Republican presidential nominee
tells a private audience of campaign donors that the backers will vote for Obama
“no matter what” and that he does not “worry about those people.”
<snip>
He added that his job “is not to worry about those people.
I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”
<snip>

The reporter for Mother Jones says (on TV) there will be more video footage coming...

[BigV]

More footage?

Here ya go.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/...ate-fundraiser

[BigV]

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

Buzzfeed
9/15/12
Rick Santorum Says "Smart People Will Never Be On Our Side"

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

Ironically demonstrating a high-water mark of his own intelligence.

Yes, but he was speaking sarcastically. There are smart conservatives. I don't consider Santorum one of them, but taking his words out of context is just as bad as anyone else doing it "I like to fire people" (actually true in Romney's case) or "you didn't build that" from Obama, not actually what he said.