The Right to Vote and an explanation of the facts behind my own voting choices:

To start today's Election Day blog post, I'm going to quote the words of a good friend from here in the Commonwealth.

"The school of thought that because you are informed and pay attention to what is happening in the country and the world around you means that everyone who comes to a different conclusion is not ludicrous (nor) counterproductive. Go out and vote your heart tomorrow and then accept the results, move on and respect winners, the will of the majority and the choices they made. We all deserve that and nothing less."

USA! USA! USA!

With that thought in mind on this Election Day 2012, I urge all American citizens old enough to have the right to vote to get far beyond the media filter, do your own research to make your own decision(s).  I can't stand it when people take misguided and inaccurate statements from ill-informed media or ignorant fellow citizens who parrot inaccuracies. No generalities. Just FACTs. No lame drame, Just FACTS.

One such claim that I read and hear far too often, sometimes from erroneous political ads is --  "Oh, Obama hasn't done enough.  Even former Private Equity Investor Mitt Romney made this statement (his exact words):  "Almost everything he did hurt the economy." (That sir, is a false statement, an out-right lie and a conscious effort to mislead the voters).

Well, here is a (partial) list of some of the things accomplished - with my Top 10 and then a more "complete" partial list...

1. Recovery Act to begin to pull the economy together.

2. Auto Industry support - saved millions of jobs and turned the tide that would have very likely resulted in an all-out Depression.

3. American Opportunity and Pell Grants to help students and families fund college education.

4. Signed 18 tax cuts to help small businesses.

5. Healthcare Reform, an accomplishment no other President was able to do in 100+ years.

6. Healthcare act also stopped Insurance Co's from discrimination against some policy holders; helped insure and keep policies for those with prior/existing conditions. (17 million kids benefitted)

7. Overhaul of many Federal Govt regulations to save time, money, establish policy.

8. Investment in clean energy solutions.

9. Massive Wall St and Banking reform - to benefit the consumer not the Banks. (Championed by Senate Candidate Elizabeth Warren too)

10. Tremendous record as Commander in Chief, especially to support the Vets, serviceman and their families while taking key steps to eliminate Al Queda regime to bring 9/11 terrorists to justice.

***

So ... Strong International Policy (Foreign relations) - as he "began" to build back the USA rep to the world after what was absolutely LOST from 2000-2008 ... Equal Pay (Ledbetter Act),  Consumer protection policy for the very people/corps who "broke" the economy and he fought for the Rights for Women (Reproductive healthcare issues; and so many, many more.... Please see:

1. The first bill President Obama signed was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, to help women fight back when they don't get equal pay for equal work.
2. His Recovery Act supported millions of jobs and helped to stave off a second Great Depression.
3. He pushed for and won middle class tax cuts that benefited every American worker, and saved the typical family $3,600 in taxes over the last four years.
4. President Obama rescued the auto industry, and now GM and Chrysler are healthier than they've ever been. The American auto industry has added nearly a quarter of a million jobs since June 2009—and they most likely wouldn't exist right now without President Obama's leadership.
5. He doubled funding for Pell Grants, helping to make college more affordablefor nearly 10 million families.
6. His student loan reform ended billions in subsidies to banks serving as middlemen and reinvested those savings directly in students.
7. The President established the American Opportunity Tax Credit, worth up to $10,000 over four years of college.
8. His Race to the Top Initiative helped spur nearly every state to raise academic standards.
9. His tax cuts, social-welfare programs, and economic policies lifted nearly 7 million Americans above the federal poverty line in 2010.
10. President Obama has signed 18 tax cuts for small businesses since taking office.
11. We've seen 5.2 million new private sector jobs over the last 31 months.
12. The unemployment rate is at the lowest level since President Obama took office.
13. Health care reform—passed after decades of failed attempts by every previous president—provides affordable health coverage to every American and will lower premiums by an average of $2,000 per family by 2019.
14. Obamacare expanded access to lifesaving preventive care such as cancer screenings and immunizations with no out-of-pocket costs for 54 million Americans.
15. Obamacare ends insurance discrimination against the 129 million Americans with pre-existing conditions.
16. Because of Obamacare, over 3 million more young adults have health insurance today than would if the new law hadn't passed.
17. The parents of over 17 million children with pre-existing conditions no longer have to worry that their children will be denied coverage.
18. President Obama has ordered the overhaul of federal government regulationsto make them smarter, practical, and more efficient. Just a fraction of these common-sense initiatives will help save businesses $10 billion in the next five years alone.
19. His historic investments in clean energy have helped more than double the amount of electricity we obtain from wind and solar sources and helped increase biofuel production to its highest level in history.
20. President Obama is doubling fuel efficiency standards, which will save drivers more than $8,000 at the gas pump, not to mention lessen the impact of automobiles on our environment.
21. President Obama has taken unprecedented action to address climate change, reaching historic international agreements to curb carbon emissions, and taking action here at home to reduce carbon pollution from our vehicles and promote clean energy production.
22. He has taken historic action to protect our environment—signing one of the largest expansions of protected wilderness in a generation and putting in place standards to reduce toxic air pollution that will save thousands of lives.
23. President Obama fought for and won landmark Wall Street reform that reins in the abuses that led to the financial crisis and ends the era of taxpayer bailouts and "too big to fail."
24. Wall Street reform created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the nation's first federal agency focused solely on consumer financial protection—and the Bureau is already protecting families from unfair and abusive financial practices from Wall Street banks and shadowy corners of the financial industry.
25. As part of President Obama's commitment to transparency, the White House has posted its visitor records online for the first time ever.
26. President Obama's all-of-the-above approach to energy has helped cut the United States' dependence on foreign oil to its lowest level in 20 years.
27. President Obama responsibly ended the war in Iraq.
28. He announced a plan to end the war in Afghanistan and transition security responsibility to the Afghan people.
29. President Obama sent the largest security assistance package to Israel in history and funded the Iron Dome system, which is protecting Israeli homes and schools from rocket attacks.
30. President Obama rallied the international community to implement the toughest sanctions on Iran in history.
31. Through the President's historic increases in Veterans Affairs funding, he has expanded and improved healthcare and job training access for our returningveterans.
32. President Obama negotiated the New START Treaty with Russia to reduce the number of nuclear weapons in both countries. At the same time, he also secured commitments from dozens of other countries to lock down nuclear materials.
33. His administration naturalized 11,146 military servicemembers as U.S. citizensin 2010; more than in any year since 1955.
34. President Obama set a bold new plan for the future of NASA space exploration, using the skill and ability of the private sector for short trips to the International Space Station, while building a new vehicle for exploration of distant space, and doing everything in his power to support the economy on Florida's Space Coast.
35. President Obama recognizes that tourism is one of America's largesteconomic engines; he's worked to encourage international visitors to come here, maintaining our security while keeping millions of Americans in good, paying jobs.
36. He has affirmed his personal support of marriage equality, directed the Justice Department to stop defending DOMA in federal courts, and took the practical and compassionate step of extending hospital visitation rights to same-sex partners.
37. He fought for and won the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", allowing gay and lesbian members of the military to serve openly for the first time in history.
38. When Congress failed to fix our broken immigration system, his administration did everything in its power to improve it, streamlining the legal immigration process and announcing a policy that lifts the shadow of deportation from hard working young immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.
39. Oh, and he gave the order to send troops in after Osama Bin Laden—and has decimated al Qaeda's senior leadership.

Mitt Romney & the Women of the USA ...

Women of the USA, take note!  This coming Tuesday is an important day in your life.  Be sure to vote.  I need not add another word.

and

Your Vote for Mitt to Assist Late Night Comedians Everywhere

TL: Endorses the re-election of President Barack Obama and veep Joe Biden, the election of Elizabeth Warren as Senator of Massachusetts and Joe Kennedy as Congressman to represent the 4th Congressional District of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

It's a week until Election Day 2012, so I thought it was my duty as a relatively new citizen of Massachusetts to wrack my brain to try to find just one single reason to vote for Mitt Romney and Scott Brown.

I tried and tried and tried.

I thought about the fact he was (is) a successful private equity investor and he has done a great job for his partners at Bain, making zillions and zillions of dollars. That's cool.  Capitalism is the American way. Unless, of course, your name is Elizabeth Warren and you are running against the Commonwealth's real soccer Mom, Scott Brown, who debunks Warren for the very thing he praises Romney for during his campaign stops in rural Massachusetts where the bard coat and pick-up gather votes to cancel those from Boston, Brookline, Cambridge and the more democratic confines.

Then, I found a reason. I identified the one single reason and it was to elect Romney so he could fuel the Late Night comedians and their posse of comedic writers with potent material for the next four years. Romney might even rival former President George W. Bush in terms of providing unintentional comedy relief to a nation of stressed out adults.

Here is his new campaign slogan:

Comedy is the Best Medicine wrote Reader's Digest and Mitt's the man for Late Night.

Here's a compilation reel of a few gems.

Or:

Amazon Product Reviews and Binders Full of Women

Amazon has a pocket-full of miracles and binders full of women.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

262 of 267 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars

Too small for women October 17, 2012

By daveyclayton

As an intern on the Romney 2012 election campaign, I was tasked with procuring binders for Governor Romney. While these binders are well made, attractive and reasonably priced, and while I'm sure they would make an excellent choice for those wishing to store written or printed documentation in a secure and easily accessible manner, they are unfortunately too small to put women in.

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166 of 172 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars

No women in it October 17, 2012

By Moi

On CNN, some guy named "Mitt" said that binders were full of women. Being lonely and single I bought several of these binders and had them shipped overnight. While they are quality binders, I was dismayed to find no women in any of the dozen binders I ordered. I will be returning them.

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139 of 144 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars

Limited Size for Women October 17, 2012

By Robin H.

This product might be sufficient for smaller projects, but I was looking for a binder that could be made "full of women." My project is aimed at improving women's historically lower employment and pay in the U.S. and an information program on TV last night featured a handsome salesman who suggested that binders was the way to go. I see you carry other, much larger binders and will check those out right away.

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Oh, Mitt - We need the FACTS, Not a FAX.

There's only one possible explanation.  When Mitt Romney is asked for the FACTS, he must think someone is asking him to send a FAX. The guy just doesn't compute.

It might be his ability to perform? It might spur from the day he stabbed his buddy in the back and hit on the other girl who eventually, thankfully, romantically, I guess, became his bride.  How nice. But, he must've missed math the day they taught math class. Or, maybe, calling upon his corporate background and wealth management resume, he simply knows how to cook the books.

DC: Washington Monument (T. Peter Lyons)

So after the POTUS stuck to the facts, abided by the so-called rules of a Presidential Debate where Jim Lehrer "let 'em play" like the old days of Earl Strom, Jake O'Donnell and Jack Madden, we were left to hear all the pundits claim victory for Mr. Romney, the former Governor of Massachusetts who instituted universal healthcare in the Commonwealth, seconds after the spin-room flacks hit the airwaves.

Long have I thought that the former Governor ...  Mr. Romney ... Mitt to his friends, family and followers ... has a tendency to omit (oh-Mitt?) the facts. He carves up a story, the studies or the analysis of the real economy to fit his pre-conceived notion for what he (honestly, I'm sure) hopes, prays, believes MIGHT occur. He overlooks specifics and has chosen not to make his plans public until after the election?

Problem-o! None of it adds up and - worse than that - our recent history a.k.a - The Bush presidency - proves the mathematics don't work.  They don't compuete in any way,  by any study - except in Sean Hannity's warped mind, may he be placed in a padded room and rest in peace.

Here's the scoop:

without raising taxes on the middle class. Those rate reductions would cost $5 trillion, according to the analysis, and Obama characterized Romney's plan as a $5 trillion tax cut during the debate. That statement that has drawn fire from conservatives who note that Romney has also proposed closing loopholes and ending deductions in the tax code, and the Romney campaign is currently running a television ad accusing Obama of misrepresenting Romney's plan by using the $5 trillion figure.
Romney adviser Ed Gillespie, appearing on "This Week," repeated Romney's debate claim that six other studies back up his contention that he can pay for the tax cuts without eliminating benefits for the middle class. As reported everywhere, however, three of the so-called studies are blog posts or opinion columns, and others say that Romney would have to eliminate perks for those making $100,000 a year in order to pay for his plan. Romney, meanwhile, supports extending the Bush-era tax cuts for those who make over $250,000 a year, which means he would have to raise taxes on people making between $100,000 and $250,000 while explicitly maintaining tax breaks for people making more than $250,000.>

So, where does this fall?

I might call this section of the debate to your attention:

PRIVATE EQUITY INVESTOR ROMNEY - (early on) - "First of all, I don't have a $5 trillion tax cut. I don't have a tax cut of a scale that you're talking about. My view is that we ought to provide tax relief to people in the middle class. But I'm not going to reduce the share of taxes paid by high-income people. High-income people are doing just fine in this economy. They'll do fine whether you're president or I am. The people who are having the hard time right now are middle-income Americans. Under the president's policies, middle-income Americans have been buried. They're just being crushed. Middle-income Americans have seen their income come down by $4,300. This is a -- this is a tax in and of itself. I'll call it the economy tax. It's been crushing."

PRESIDENT OBAMA: (countering) - "Now, four years ago, when I stood on this stage, I said that I would cut taxes for middle-class families. And that's exactly what I did. We cut taxes for middle-class families by about $3,600.

"And the reason is, because I believe that we do best when the middle class is doing well. And by giving them those tax cuts, they had a little more money in their pocket, and so maybe they can buy a new car. They are certainly in a better position to weather the extraordinary recession that we went through. They can buy a computer for their kid who's going off to college, which means they're spending more money, businesses have more customers, businesses make more profits, and then hire more workers.

Now, Governor Romney's proposal that he has been promoting for 18 months calls for a $5 trillion tax cut, on top of $2 trillion of additional spending for our military. And he is saying that he is going to pay for it by closing loopholes and deductions. The problem is that he's been asked over 100 times how you would close those deductions and loopholes, and he hasn't been able to identify them.

But I'm going to make an important point here, Jim.

When you add up all the loopholes and deductions that upper-income individuals can -- are currently taking advantage of, you take those all away, you don't come close to paying for $5 trillion in tax cuts and $2 trillion in additional military spending.

FORMER BAIN & ASSOCIATES CEO ROMNEY: (attempting to counter) - "Well, but -- but virtually -- virtually everything he just said about my tax plan is inaccurate."

What I've said is I won't put in place a tax cut that adds to the deficit. That's part one. So there's no economist that can say Mitt Romney's tax plan adds $5 trillion if I say I will not add to the deficit with my tax plan.

Number two, I will not reduce the share paid by high-income individuals. I know that you and your running mate keep saying that and I know it's a popular thing to say with a lot of people, but it's just not the case.

OBAMA - (countering and making sense to any reasonable and educated person) - "Well, for 18 months he's been running on this tax plan. And now, five weeks before the election, he's saying that his big, bold idea is, "Never mind."

And the fact is that if you are lowering the rates the way you described, Governor, then it is not possible to come up with enough deductions and loopholes that only affect high-income individuals to avoid either raising the deficit or burdening the middle class. It's -- it's math. It's arithmetic.

Now, Governor Romney and I do share a deep interest in encouraging small-business growth. So at the same time that my tax plan has already lowered taxes for 98 percent of families, I also lowered taxes for small businesses 18 times. And what I want to do is continue the tax rates -- the tax cuts that we put into place for small businesses and families.

But I have said that for incomes over $250,000 a year, that we should go back to the rates that we had when Bill Clinton was president, when we created 23 million new jobs, went from deficit to surplus, and created a whole lot of millionaires to boot. And the reason this is important is because by doing that, we cannot only reduce the deficit, we cannot only encourage job growth through small businesses, but we're also able to make the investments that are necessary in education or in energy.

And we do have a difference, though, when it comes to definitions of small business. Under -- under my plan, 97 percent of small businesses would not see their income taxes go up. Governor Romney says, well, those top 3 percent, they're the job creators, they'd be burdened.

But under Governor Romney's definition, there are a whole bunch of millionaires and billionaires who are small businesses. Donald Trump is a small business. Now, I know Donald Trump doesn't like to think of himself as small anything, but -- but that's how you define small businesses if you're getting business income.

And that kind of approach, I believe, will not grow our economy, because the only way to pay for it without either burdening the middle class or blowing up our deficit is to make drastic cuts in things like education, making sure that we are continuing to invest in basic science and research, all the things that are helping America grow. And I think that would be a mistake.

Jim, I -- you may want to move onto another topic, but I -- I would just say this to the American people. 

If you believe that we can cut taxes by $5 trillion and add $2 trillion in additional spending that the military is not asking for, $7 trillion -- just to give you a sense, over 10 years, that's more than our entire defense budget -- and you think that by closing loopholes and deductions for the well-to-do, somehow you will not end up picking up the tab, then Governor Romney's plan may work for you.

But I think math, common sense, and our history shows us that's not a recipe for job growth. Look, we've tried this. We've tried both approaches. The approach that Governor Romney's talking about is the same sales pitch that was made in 2001 and 2003, and we ended up with the slowest job growth in 50 years, we ended up moving from surplus to deficits, and it all culminated in the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

Bill Clinton tried the approach that I'm talking about. We created 23 million new jobs. We went from deficit to surplus. And businesses did very well. So, in some ways, we've got some data on which approach is more likely to create jobs and opportunity for Americans and I believe that the economy works best when middle-class families are getting tax breaks so that they've got some money in their pockets, and those of us who have done extraordinarily well because of this magnificent country that we live in, that we can afford to do a little bit more to make sure we're not blowing up the deficit."

BAIN OFFSHORE INVESTOR ROMNEY: (at his low point of the entire campaign) - "Jim, the president began this segment, so I think I get the last word." ... All right. Well, but he gets the first word of that segment. I get the last word (inaudible) I hope. Let me just make this comment.

I think first of all, let me -- let me repeat -- let me repeat what I said. I'm not in favor of a $5 trillion tax cut. That's not my plan. My plan is not to put in place any tax cut that will add to the deficit. That's point one.

So you may keep referring to it as a $5 trillion tax cut, but that's not my plan.

Number two, let's look at history. My plan is not like anything that's been tried before. My plan is to bring down rates, but also bring down deductions and exemptions and credits at the same time so the revenue stays in, but that we bring down rates to get more people working."

***

TERRY LYONS: "So what do I think?  EXACTLY, what is the plan that will not add to the deficit, Mr. Romney?  Can I see the details of that plan before the election, please?  I think I have the right to ask that simple question and get a complete answer - maybe even a plan with a timeline and numbers on your campaign site before I vote, eh?  (If it's there, please send the URL).

Personally, after loking for days and days, I still can't find any details to Mr. Romney's "plan that's is not like anything tried before."  And, being in the toughest of financial times, certainly the toughest of our lifetime (not that of the Greatest Generation, who will really get screwed by Mr. Romney's so-called "plan") - I am NOT sure I'd like to try a plan that hasn't been tried before?

Maybe you'd like to roll the dice with a plan that looks an awful lot like what Mr. Bush did to us, before he rode off to the Texas sunset leaving the biggest mess in American history on the deak at the Oval office - (and, oh yeah, Obama was supposed to clean that up in four years with a Speaker of the House who won't give him the time of day).

By the way, I can't find his healthcare plan, either - other than "I'll leave it to the States" (where the USA is 1-for-49 ... that's .020 for you batting average or FT % guys).

So, now?

Who won this debate?

What are the FACTS?  Did anyone in the country of ours take a math class?  Ever?

Please be sure to vote.

Anticipation of a Great Debate ...

The first debate of the 2012 USA Presidential campaign is upon us.  Oh, my goodness, the time has come, like a Carly Simon song for a ketchup commercial.  The an-an-an-tic-ipation, it's making me wait!

Will it be as good as Ali vs. Frazier? Army vs. Navy? Lakers vs the Celtics? 

Maybe not.

Like a hit song stuck in the cortex... a.k.a. an ear worm ..  the only vision I have in mind when I think of President Obama debating against Mitt Romney is this:

Don't Back Down from ... The Truth

President Bill Clinton delivering the truth:

Every Which Way But Loose (Screw)?

This needs no introduction.

It is the worst on-stage performance since Richard Gere at The Concert for New York City. However, this was planned and staged. Yes, someone actually placed a chair on the stage for Philo Beddou himself. 

At the five minute mark, it's painful.

At the 11-minute mark, the stage directors and RNC (empty) suits must've been committing (Dirty) Hari-Kari.

See for yourself.  And, ask yourself, your spouse, your neighbor. Are you gonna vote for the guys responsible for this dead act and the sham that was the Republican National Convention? (John Boehner and bar room brawls, Chris Christie and his self promotion at the cost of valuable time for his party's candidate?)  I guess Snooki wasn't available.

Classic .. The Palin Reflective Pool

Must watch:

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

 

This is the United States Calling ...

Camelot in 2012

By LARRY CAMELOT

HELLO: United States Olympic Committee, may I help you?

Yes. Hi, I'm an intern from the office of the presidential campaign of Mitt Romney, may I speak with Mr. Sandusky, please? 

US: Patrick Sandusky?

MITT-TERN: Is there another?

US: Well, um, yes, but PATRICK Sandusky works here.  He's the head of communications for the USOC.

MITT-TERN: Yes. That's the guy.  May I speak with Mr. Sandusky, please?

US: Well, he's a pretty busy man.  The London Olympics are about to begin and Mr. Sandusky...

MITT-TERN: I know, I know, he's very busy, but I'm calling on behalf of Mitt Romney, the presumed republican candidate for the office of the President of the United States. Mr. Romney is a busy man, too, and he is trying to become the President of the United States. Indirectly, Mr. Romney could become Mr. Sandusky's boss.

US: Good point, but, I'm here in London and the people around here have a very different opinion.

MITT-TERN: Well, I know. That's why I'm calling.

US: Are you in London?

MITT-TERN: No. I'm just an intern. Mr. Romney's in London, though.

US: Oh yes, we know. He's made quite a name for himself with our colleagues over at the London 2012 Organizing Committee, and, with the British press, God Save the Queen.

MITT-TERN: Well, I know, that's why I'm calling.

US: You see, your candidate, your presumed candidate - and I do stress presumed - decided to undermine the efforts of the entire London Olympics on the day before the Games were about to begin with the Opening Ceremonies. In one fell swoop, he managed to un-do about four years of painstaking preparations, millions of hours of hard work and he thoroughly and unabashedly embarrassed the entire nation.  He was asked a simple question in a television interview -- over here, they call it, the telly - and he began an unnecessary rant about the lack of qualified security officers, then he started in on ticket sales issues, And, then ...

MITT-TERN: I know, I know, that's why I'm calling.

US: Hold on, now, your candidate is trying to beef-up his resume on the foreign relations side but he proceeded to second-guess one of our closest and longest standing allies? On the nightly news?

MITT-TERN: Yes, yes. he did. I know. I'm calling to get the emails and phone numbers of some of the media people over there in London.  We need to contact them with a new statement.

US: You mean, Romney wants you to call up or email the media to cover up his mistake?

MITT-TERN: Oh, no, we wouldn't want to use the word cover-up, that's too strong.  How about back track?  Or, better yet, we'll clarify what Mr. Romney actually meant to say. Cover-up reminds people of President Nixon, one of the great Republican Party Presidents, along with President George W. Bush, uhh.

US: You mean during his live, on-camera interview, they might've mis-quoted him?  We have the tapes, here, and most - make that all - of the London tabloids have already called seeking apologies from the State Department or at least the Olympic Committee.  It's late over here, you know?  It's well past deadline.  They still have deadlines here in London because they actually have newspapers that people read.  They sell dozens of them, all day and night.  Your man is on most of the covers of all of those broadsheets and tabloids tomorrow, you know?  And, since you brought up President "W" - he was quite the darling of the British media, you know. I think they're looking for a new foil, and your man stepped right into his tea and crumpets.

MITT-TERN: Oh no.

US: Oh yes. On the Olympics, he's quoted as saying, "It's hard to know just how well it will turn out.  There were a few things that were disconcerting." He said that on camera to NBC News, then, he went on to talk about the bane of all event organizers, the hated (psst) SECURITY ISSUES, then, he speculated about a proposed customs strike that never materialized.  The guy has no clue! Even when he went to apologize today, he said something to the head of the organizing committee that really pissed him off.  Let me get it for you, hold on."

Silence ...

US: Oh yeah, all the reports say he met with the Prime Minister, not the head of the organizing committee, that guy's too busy. Romney is quoted as saying, "Of course there will be errors from time-to-time" but they'll be over-shadowed by inspiring performances. So, even in his "back-track" he totally blew it.

MITT-TERN: I know, I know, but can I JUST speak with Mr. Sandusky?

US: Well, Patrick Sandusky is on another line, right now, can I put you through to his voice-mail?  He checks it often, and it works great, except when the mailbox is full, like this past Friday, Saturday, Sunday, when your Romney candidate caused this stir, this semi-international incident of the most ridiculous proportions, especially for someone who is already so weak at foreign relations.  

MITT-TERN: Now, wait, that's not fair.  Mr. Romney is a good man.  He's helped many nations by taking decent paying American jobs and while he worked with his old company, Bain, he bought-out companies, then directed them to out-source those jobs to places like India.  Millions of Americans lost their jobs, but they need those jobs in India, you know, it's one of the burgeoning world powers, just the way China was a few years back. Mr. Romney catches quite a bit of flack for that portion of his life, when he started Bain, made hundreds of millions of dollars that he's been living off from off-shore accounts he's invested in heavily for the past decade or so, while he avoids paying high income taxes and tools around in politics.

US: Really? I thought he had some type of Olympic Games experience?

MITT-TERN: Well, he did, but that's another story. You know, he was the Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts when they began a universal healthcare initiative on his watch.  He was quite proud of it until all his Republican colleagues started to criticize President Obama for trying to do the same thing, you know?  And, while we're on that topic, I saw where the Opening Ceremonies paid quite a tribute to Great Britain's (National Health System) NHS, they had a lot of nurses out there, along with Peter Pan, Mary Poppins and even Paul McCartney!

US: Well, that's not here nor there, because those Republican friends of your man, Romney, keep voting down the healthcare bill, then when it passed, they keep trying to repeal it, even though the Supreme Court made a ruling that's it's certainly constitutional. Then they tried some word-smithing, the way you are trying now, with this “Mitt-Flip,” and some guy named Boehner who always cries when he gets emotional said it was a TAX!”  Can you believe that? You think those guys don’t think the American public can tell when they are lying right through their teeth, trying to manipulate the truth, then pointing fingers all over the place. Even when the Supreme Court rules, they try to reverse it, always trying to make things stand still, always stagnant, stuck in the same old place without trying to fix things their predecessors screwed up from 2001 until 2008.

MITT-TERN: Well, now. If that's what you say? You didn't have to bring the United States Supreme Court into the issue, now did you?

US: So, well, Mr. Sandusky's line is free now, let me see if I can connect you.

MITT-TERN: Thanks.

Silence...

US: Oh, sorry, he's stepped away from his desk and he said something about Mitt Romney making him sick.  Can I connect you to his voice mail?

Concord Monitor ...

The Concord Monitor took a stand on my guy, O-Mitt.

Here's a short piece of the editorial:

If you were building a Republican presidential candidate from a kit, imagine what pieces you might use: an athletic build, ramrod posture, Reaganesque hair, a charismatic speaking style and a crisp dark suit. You'd add a beautiful wife and family, a wildly successful business career and just enough executive government experience. You'd pour in some old GOP bromides - spending cuts and lower taxes - plus some new positions for 2008: anti-immigrant rhetoric and a focus on faith.

Add it all up and you get Mitt Romney, a disquieting figure who sure looks like the next president and most surely must be stopped.

Romney's main business experience is as a management consultant, a field in which smart, fast-moving specialists often advise corporations on how to reinvent themselves. His memoir is called Turnaround - the story of his successful rescue of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City - but the most stunning turnaround he has engineered is his own political career.

If you followed only his tenure as governor of Massachusetts, you might imagine Romney as a pragmatic moderate with liberal positions on numerous social issues and an ability to work well with Democrats. If you followed only his campaign for president, you'd swear he was a red-meat conservative, pandering to the religious right, whatever the cost. Pay attention to both, and you're left to wonder if there's anything at all at his core.

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