Early Morning Open Thread: Made in the USA
I think Willard’s kids may be just a little resentful watching him throw their inheritance down this year’s GOP Sinkhole of Fail, but perhaps the Romney Uncanny Valley affect is genetic. Per CBS News:
... At an event in New Hampshire [Friday], Romney’s adult son Matt Romney responded to a question regarding the potential release of his father’s tax returns with a joke alluding to doubts about Mr. Obama’s place of birth: “I heard someone suggest the other day that as soon as Obama releases his grades and birth certificate and sort of a long list of things, then maybe he’d do it,” he said.
Romney’s other son, Tagg Romney, jumped in to say, “That was not my dad saying that.”...
The Romney campaign in all likelihood would like to avoid wading into conspiracy theories that could chip away at the perception that Romney is a serious candidate, but Mr. Obama’s re-election campaign is already exploiting the gaffe.
In an email to supporters today about the joke, Obama for America campaign manager Jim Messina wrote, “This is how the Romney campaign thinks it’s going to win the Republican primary: by pandering to the dead-ender fringe of extremists who still question where the president was born.”
The Obama team also tweeted about the gaffe, sending its Twitter followers a link to mugs the re-election campaign is selling that poke fun at the birther issue.
Kudos to Team Obama for making a joke of these clowns. The general Media Village speculation seems to be that Romney’s shy about releasing his tax returns because he doesn’t want to give his many enemies further opportunities to point out what a low tax rate he pays on those high stacks of unearned dollars, with perhaps a soupcon of Thurston-Howell-does-not-speak-of-filthy-lucre-in-public snobbery. But I’ve seen idle rumors ranging from “He’s semi-legally offshoring millions to the Caymans” to “He’s not eager to let his fellow Mormon elders investigate whether he’s treated his religious tithing obligations as cavalierly as his obligations to the civil authorities.”...
What are the trending rumors here at the start of the year-end festivities?
December 31, 2011 6:12 am
Posted in: Assholes, Election 2012, Open Thread, Readership Capture, Republican Stupidity, Romney of the Uncanny Valley
118 Comments
118 Responses
Raven - December 31, 2011 | 6:21 am · Link
‘The future’s uncertain
and the end is always near”
j morrison
amk - December 31, 2011 | 6:22 am · Link
willard is a lying, douchebag with shriveled morals ? ... oh, wait, that’s not a rumor, that’s a fact.
bob h - December 31, 2011 | 6:24 am · Link
Presumably Obama already knows the answer via the IRS and will be delighted to string this out.
jeffreyw - December 31, 2011 | 6:24 am · Link
JPL - December 31, 2011 | 6:25 am · Link
Am I the only one not looking forward to 2012? Romney has painted himself as the common man while withholding his tax returns. Is it possible that he doesn’t want the average joe to know that they are paying higher tax returns than he is?
Raven - December 31, 2011 | 6:30 am · Link
@JPL: Hell I look forward to the next day!
Raven - December 31, 2011 | 6:33 am · Link
@jeffreyw: Good friend of mine was party to a law suit over Dazed and Confused.
jeffreyw - December 31, 2011 | 6:47 am · Link
@Raven: You can’t just leave that hangin’ there, bro.
Raven - December 31, 2011 | 6:49 am · Link
@jeffreyw: Well, the suit was “settled” and Jake and my pal cannot comment :)
WereBear - December 31, 2011 | 6:52 am · Link
My impression was that this was Romney fils actual take on the situation. As well informed as any other Fox viewer!
Seems like Romney figures 2012 is not the time to run for President as Scrooge McDuck. But he can’t keep hiding his tax returns forever AND run for President; it shows how far the “we create our own reality!” has sunk into the whole Right Wing.
PeakVT - December 31, 2011 | 6:57 am · Link
@bob h: That’s a ridiculous presumption because it would be illegal for the President or anybody else to look at an individual’s tax returns. One of the things that makes Obama a great politician is that he has the both the self-discipline not to do stupid shit (like peeking at an opponent’s tax returns) and the ability to keep those around him from doing stupid shit.
WereBear - December 31, 2011 | 7:12 am · Link
Nobody has to look at Romney’s tax returns to know there’s fuel there, waiting for a match.
Basically, having grown up rich, Romney doesn’t have to do anything he doesn’t like. He doesn’t want to release his tax returns; so there.
That attitude, alone (reminds me of W) should disqualify anyone from being the country’s President.
bjacques - December 31, 2011 | 7:29 am · Link
@Raven: Surely you could point us to the filed lawsuit reference…?
I seem to remember that the Five Bland Boys of Massachusetts in the Noughties were all of an age to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. They supported our foreign adventures but never found time to enlist…(h/t to the late Steve Gilliard).
lake - December 31, 2011 | 7:37 am · Link
It is all about carried interest.
Phylllis - December 31, 2011 | 7:38 am · Link
We are off to Charleston SC for some shopping, bbq, and hockey. The hockey rink is across the street from our hotel, with several alcohol-serving restaurants in walking distance, so no driving worries.
dmsilev - December 31, 2011 | 7:38 am · Link
I guess it depends on what is in the returns. If the only bombshell is that Mitt Romney is really rich and pays a really low (albeit legal) tax rate, the smart thing for him to do is to lance the boil now during the GOP primaries, when few people are paying attention and those that do are less likely to care. On the other hand, if there are …issues in his return, he has a problem.
Also, too, assuming that Romney is the nominee, expect this issue to resurface sometime around April 15th…
jeffreyw - December 31, 2011 | 7:43 am · Link
Thread needs moar sleeping kitteh.
jeffreyw - December 31, 2011 | 7:45 am · Link
Thinking it’s time for breakfast. Any requests?
Elizabelle - December 31, 2011 | 7:53 am · Link
Good morning.
Those birth certificate mugs woulda made great Christmas swag for anyone’s birther relatives. And fund “The One’s” campaign. Twofer.
For your morning rumormongering: Robert Reich predicts 2012 ticket will be Obama-Clinton, with HRC and Joe Biden job swapping.
Reich: “based on absolutely no inside information”
http://robertreich.org/post/14932718385
Raven - December 31, 2011 | 7:54 am · Link
I’m on my iPad and can ‘t figure out how to copy and paste a URL but if you google “dazed and confused lawsuit” it will come up. It ’s interesting that the day it was filed in 2010 it was all over the zep sites but nothing has been published on the “settlement”.
Schlemizel - December 31, 2011 | 7:56 am · Link
The real reason Willard does not want his returns made public is he claims 6 sister-wives as dependents.
Phylllis - December 31, 2011 | 7:58 am · Link
@jeffreyw: Cheese grits, scrambled eggs, patty sausage & biscuits.
debit - December 31, 2011 | 7:58 am · Link
@jeffreyw: I am going to The Egg and I. Think I’ll have the Mexican Omelet.
Raven - December 31, 2011 | 8:01 am · Link
What do you think about a turkey Tasso and crawfish frittata?
bmaccnm - December 31, 2011 | 8:04 am · Link
Tagg is not a goddam name for a goddam human being. It’s a name for a pet. On second thought, I wouldn’t name a dog Tagg. Maybe a goat. What the hell is wrong with people?
jeffreyw - December 31, 2011 | 8:04 am · Link
@Phylllis: Never any grits around when ya need ‘em.
@debit: Hmm… Mexican sounds good. I have fresh chorizo.
SiubhanDuinne - December 31, 2011 | 8:11 am · Link
@Raven:
Took me a while to figure it out, but just touch your finger anywhere in the URL box and you’ll get a pop-up offering options of Select/Select All/Paste. Choose Select All.
Now go to where you want to paste it, touch your finger to the screen (N.B. It doesn’t have to be the same finger, though you will want it to be), choose Paste and, as M_C would say, Wallah.
jeffreyw - December 31, 2011 | 8:11 am · Link
@Raven: Yeah, I can hear it.
SiubhanDuinne - December 31, 2011 | 8:12 am · Link
@jeffreyw:
I’m in the mood for French Toast. With real maple syrup, and perhaps a side of bacon. Can you oblige?
Elizabelle - December 31, 2011 | 8:13 am · Link
@bmaccnm:
Tagg sounds like something out of the Palin baby name generator.
Or an expensive line of motorcross accessories or sunglasses.
RE Matt Romney’s quip: instructive. Doubt the Romney clan believes the birther nonsense, but they’re pandering to the demographic that does.
SiubhanDuinne - December 31, 2011 | 8:15 am · Link
@Phylllis: Have fun. I love Charleston. Should be fun on NY Eve.
jeffreyw - December 31, 2011 | 8:15 am · Link
@Raven: No turkey but true turkey and I shall put pork before it. Also.
jeffreyw - December 31, 2011 | 8:17 am · Link
@SiubhanDuinne: I can do Mrs Butterworth Lite. And a whole side of bacon? I can rustle up a few rashers… LOL
Southern Beale - December 31, 2011 | 8:17 am · Link
Mitt & Sons memory hole:
And RV tour of Iowa to elect his dad, at a time when we were engaged in 2 wars. That’s service, all right!
The hubris of our ownership class, it’s just stunning. At least pretend you give a fuck about someone besides yourself.
bmaccnm - December 31, 2011 | 8:18 am · Link
@Elizabelle: Tripp and Trakk and Tagg and Trapp and Twinkk…
Elizabelle - December 31, 2011 | 8:19 am · Link
Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt song for today.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.co.....-song.html
Raven - December 31, 2011 | 8:20 am · Link
I don’t eat the red meat and my homemade turkey Tasso gets good ratings so I’ll run wit dat.
Phylllis - December 31, 2011 | 8:24 am · Link
@jeffreyw: For all your grits needs. I can heartily recommend all their other products as well.
JPL - December 31, 2011 | 8:30 am · Link
@Elizabelle: That was so cute. I loved 500 days of summer and would love to see the two of them in another movie.
Elizabelle - December 31, 2011 | 8:34 am · Link
@JPL:
Never saw it.
Hadn’t realized Zooey Deschanel was the girl from “Elf”. Saw it for the second time this Christmas. It was still fresh. Will Ferrell can be so good.
Did anyone see Ferrell’s “Everything Must Go”? Small indie film, relatively serious. Very good. Was in Redboxes a few months back.
Cat Lady - December 31, 2011 | 8:40 am · Link
There’s just something about grown men saying “my dad” in public, instead of referring them to father, that’s a tell for me. They’re over-bred, or over-reared or something that implies that they’re not fully grown up, and too dependent. That family skeezes me out like cotton candy does. I’m from a loving family, so it’s not envy.
catclub - December 31, 2011 | 8:43 am · Link
@Elizabelle: Tag Heuer. Expensive watches.
Probably the source of the name.
Amir Khalid - December 31, 2011 | 8:47 am · Link
@jeffreyw:
RossInDetroit - December 31, 2011 | 8:51 am · Link
@Elizabelle:
Hey, cut that out. Zooey Deschanel is so adorable I have to avert my eyes lest I lust in my heart and dishonor my sacred vows ‘n stuff.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a startlingly good young actor that I can’t wait to see grow into bigger roles. ‘Brick’ should have been a lightweight novelty but he gave it depth and value.
amk - December 31, 2011 | 8:53 am · Link
Happy and Successful New Year, BJ’ers.
Phylllis - December 31, 2011 | 8:55 am · Link
@SiubhanDuinne: Thanks. We’re sticking to North Charleston tonight, which is enuf rock & roll for us middle-aged farts. I’m sure we’ll head downtown tomorrow morning for breakfast. Teh magnetic draw can’t be fought.
Ken - December 31, 2011 | 8:55 am · Link
It’s probably the tax rate issue; but sheltering income from the government and misreporting to the church are also possible. Even Schlemizel @20’s speculation about polygamy could be happening.
However, as we’ve been told again and again, to any news professional the important thing is not whether any of these rumors (or the one about the abortion clinics) are true; it’s why so many people are talking about them. That’s the story, right?
SiubhanDuinne - December 31, 2011 | 8:58 am · Link
@jeffreyw:
LOL, meant to say bacon on the side. Couple of strips is plenty!
I’ll pass on Mrs. B. Lite, thanks. If that’s all ya got around the house, I’m happy with butter and a touch of powdered sugar.
Thanks. Never mean to treat you like a restaurant :-)
A Conservative Teacher - December 31, 2011 | 8:59 am · Link
Obama’s brother made a birther remark too, I heard…. the only problem with tracking it down is that Obama has dozens of half-brothers living in other nations, because his dad had multiple wives because that’s what was okay in other nations. I can’t believe that Romney’s son tried to make a joke about Obama not being fully American!
Amir Khalid - December 31, 2011 | 9:01 am · Link
@Elizabelle:
There’s no real reason to replace a solid performer like Joe Biden on the ticket unless he wants out of the VP job. And Hillary has already said that Secretary of State will be her last job in public office, so that’s the prediction refuted even before Reich put it up. I’m wondering what led Reich to this speculation.
bmaccnm - December 31, 2011 | 9:01 am · Link
@A Conservative Teacher: D minus. You have to articulate your concerns for the reader to understand your point. See me during office hours.
RossInDetroit - December 31, 2011 | 9:03 am · Link
@Ken:
The income number alone is poison to his campaign. Being seen as the 0.10%-er in the race would cost enough votes to hurt badly. It’s worth it to Mitt to stand the criticism for hiding his returns just to avoid that.
Info on tax rates and charitable contributions is just gravy.
Amir Khalid - December 31, 2011 | 9:06 am · Link
Before I forget:
Selamat Tahun Baru kepada semua tukang komen di Balloon Juice dan semua yang tersayang, termasuk anjing dan kucing sekali.
(Translation available upon request.)
The Tim Channel - December 31, 2011 | 9:12 am · Link
The bit about the Mormon tithing is an excellent bit of anti-Mormon agitprop. If people studied the roots of Mormonism, and the extreme intolerance of the Mormons as neighbors, Romney wouldn’t stand a chance. As it is, he’s as close to a theocratic controlled politician as Bush. Granted that Bush got his high counsel from God via Ted Haggard, and Romney will get his from the high holies in Mormon land.
Enjoy.
Elizabelle - December 31, 2011 | 9:13 am · Link
@Amir Khalid:
The need to fill blogspace? An innate feeling that Obama just cannot win an election all by himself? (Oh, wait …)
otto - December 31, 2011 | 9:14 am · Link
@A Conservative Teacher: Dozens, eh? That seems like a big number. I mean, I can see that you want that to seem like a big number.
Guess what? I’ve got a brother and a sister whom I have never met, and who I don’t have any way to meet.
I guess that disqualifies me as a politician now.
The best part is that you think the birther thing is a joke. It’s a racist trumpet blast.
The cherry on top is that Romney got his ass handed to him with an actual joke- not merely a signal to your racist base that, yes, the Romney clan can go birther, too.
JPL - December 31, 2011 | 9:20 am · Link
@Amir Khalid: Happy New Year!
The Tim Channel - December 31, 2011 | 9:21 am · Link
I picture most of Utah as living like the underground survivors in the epic early Don Johnson movie, A Boy and His Dog.
Enjoy.
Phylllis - December 31, 2011 | 9:22 am · Link
@Amir Khalid: I imagine it’s something like this: Laissez les bon temps rouler, y’all.
Svensker - December 31, 2011 | 9:23 am · Link
@Amir Khalid:
Especially the anjing dan kucing. At least they don’t troll!
Happy New Year to you, too.
kay - December 31, 2011 | 9:25 am · Link
Clumsy.
Good to see the Romney children inherited their father’s grace and ease with “off the cuff” remarks.
They’re such cowards. If they’re going to dogwhistle on command, the least they could is own it.
I’m starting to think that’s Romney’s core vulnerability. He’s a coward. That’s where all the weasel behavior stems from.
He runs from his own attack ads, he runs from his past positions, and he runs from his tax returns.
Amir Khalid - December 31, 2011 | 9:28 am · Link
@Phylllis:
Actually, it’s:
Happy New Year to all commentors at Balloon Juice and all their loved ones, including teh puppehs and kittehs also too.
A Humble Lurker - December 31, 2011 | 9:35 am · Link
@jeffreyw:
Japanese honey toast?
Seriously, Google that shit. Looks so good.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q) - December 31, 2011 | 9:35 am · Link
@Amir Khalid: The two puppehs here and I wish you and Bianca a Happy New Year as well.
And of course, Django, Layla and I wish all of Balloon Juice a very Happy New Year. Mr. Q would do so as well, were he awake.
Mustang Bobby - December 31, 2011 | 9:42 am · Link
Over at my place, I’m up with my annual review of the predictions I made for the year ending and the one coming up, including going out on a limb and giving Obama a narrow win for re-election and the Tigers making it to the World Series.
Comrade Rich - December 31, 2011 | 9:52 am · Link
@Schlemizel:
Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to!
Kilkee - December 31, 2011 | 9:59 am · Link
@Amir Khalid: Indonesian? Sunda?
Amir Khalid - December 31, 2011 | 10:07 am · Link
@Kilkee:
Malay. (I’m Malaysian myself.) But Bahasa Indonesia and Bahasa Malaysia are actually the same language with regional differences.
Jay C - December 31, 2011 | 10:23 am · Link
Myself, I think it’s unlikely that there are many, if any, “shocking revelations” in Mitt Romney’s tax returns: one would imagine that a Master-Of-The-Universe High-Finance Honcho like the Mittster is reputed to be would be able to game the tax system to be able to, at least look on-the-level*.
I think it’s more the embarrassment factor: Romney has been running around the country putting on the Just Plain Mitt act for the
rubesfolks Out There In The Heartland: and, not-so-coincidentally talking down President Obama for being “out of touch”, etc: the last thing I think he wants at this point is a blatant public reminder of how much scratch he really has. Not till after he has the GOP nomination, anyway.*of course, there may be a “shock” discoverable from Romney’s 1040: if he’s dumb enough to make it that obvious, it’s just another reason to insure he should only get to the White House by buying (7) tour tickets….
dead existentialist - December 31, 2011 | 10:30 am · Link
@SiubhanDuinne:
Sweet! I will always hear this when 4chan uses the term.
Kilkee - December 31, 2011 | 10:30 am · Link
@Amir Khalid: Thanks. My son speaks about 10 languages, including a couple he picked up as an exchange student in Bandung.
Linda Featheringill - December 31, 2011 | 10:32 am · Link
@Amir Khalid: #53
Google came through:
Happy New Year to all the artisans in the Balloon Juice comments and all your loved ones, including dogs and cats at all.
[Google is not aware of “also, too.”]
Selamat Tahun Baru to you too!
And I wish you good health for the coming year. If that isn’t possible, may you have several helpings of wickedly wonderful fun. :-)
HRA - December 31, 2011 | 10:44 am · Link
May you all have a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
This is where I come to when I turn on my pc at home or at work. You have enlightened me, amused me and sometimes irritated me, too. Thank you all.
Cacti - December 31, 2011 | 10:55 am · Link
Here’s a photo of the offending Romney sprog
He’s got that self-satisfied rich kid smirk down cold.
SRW1 - December 31, 2011 | 10:59 am · Link
On the other hand, dad managing to elevate the Romney dynasty into presidential ranks might pay off for the family long term. Cf Kennedy and in particular Bush.
Happy New Year for the Snarktariat at BJ. Keep ‘em coming in 2012.
Canuckistani Tom - December 31, 2011 | 11:05 am · Link
@Cat Lady:
Sorry, but I’m going to disagree with you on this.
‘Father’ is a title that can be earned with a one night stand. ‘Dad’ is a title that has to be earned through years of hard work, care and love.
SBJules - December 31, 2011 | 11:07 am · Link
@The Tim Channel:
Did you know that Romney’s father was born in Mexico? Yes,Romney’s grandfather went to Mexico with all his wives when polygamy was outlawed in Utah(the 1890s.
shortstop - December 31, 2011 | 11:07 am · Link
I received an email from Mr. Barack Hussein Obama this morning with the ghetto subject line of “Hey.” I feel certain that a white American president would have said “Hello” or “Good day” or even “Happy seventh day of Christmas.” How long do we have to put up with this guy declassing the office of the presidency?
Cacti - December 31, 2011 | 11:07 am · Link
Also too, does anyone else find it more than a little unsightly that a 40-year old man would walk back his offensive remark with “My bad”?
Man-child alert.
Ben Cisco (mobile) - December 31, 2011 | 11:08 am · Link
Winding up the year before heading back to work next week.
Thanks for being a refuge from the unabashed stupidity of our current political situation, as well as a shield against the Ferengi media. May the Prophets guide you all.
Davis X. Machina - December 31, 2011 | 11:12 am · Link
@shortstop: Rejected first draft had ‘Yo…’. Count your blessings.
shortstop - December 31, 2011 | 11:12 am · Link
@Cacti: A hopelessly dated man-child, in fact. I wonder if he also says, “Talk to the hand,” “Sweet!” and “That’s off the hook!”
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q) - December 31, 2011 | 11:12 am · Link
@Cacti: He’s 40? Angel H. Moroni on melba toast, that ain’t right. it would be unseemly were he 30, but at 40 it’s actually just icky.
shortstop - December 31, 2011 | 11:13 am · Link
@Davis X. Machina: Either way, he wrote it while his bare feet were on the WH furniture.
Edited to remove the implication that he writes with his toes.
shortstop - December 31, 2011 | 11:17 am · Link
@kay: From your lips to the DNC admakers’ ears.
The third baseman now refers to him as “That Awkward Man.” Last night he had to expand it to “That Awkward Family.” Does any of those “kids” have a job? (Wealth management doesn’t count in this assessment.)
jrg - December 31, 2011 | 11:21 am · Link
Let’s forget about the fact that Obama was president of the Harvard Law Review for a second… What the fuck is this trash-talking about his “grades” about?
Republicans voted for a dumb ass in 2008 precisely because she was a dumb ass, and therefore not an “elitist”. Now they want to manufacture a dust-up about “grades”?
Astounding. The GOP base, collectively, has the cognitive ability of a tape worm. No wonder Romney thinks he can brazenly lie to them and not pay a price.
Snarki, child of Loki - December 31, 2011 | 11:22 am · Link
Yeah, I bet there’s some nasty poison in those tax returns…extra wives, offshoring assets, child support payments, payments to hit-men, etc, etc.
Why, just like Palin’s medical records in 2008, the new GOP standard is “it’s all CLASSIFIED, DAMMIT!”. Couldn’t let anyone know about Palin’s teenage abortions, after all.
And our in-the-bag-for-the-GOP press will let ‘em get away with it. Again.
Roger Moore - December 31, 2011 | 11:24 am · Link
@Amir Khalid:
Happy new year to you and your pets, too.
shortstop - December 31, 2011 | 11:26 am · Link
@jrg: It’s appalling, but it’s about racism, not about wanting a “non-elitist.” 1) They truly believe that a black guy couldn’t have gotten into a top school on his own merit, and 2) They have no fucking idea what the Harvard Law Review is, much less what’s required to obtain the presidency of it.
This is the same old low-forehead crowd that appears regularly on YouTube to ungrammatically vouch for the mental superiority of whites. They’re so ignorant they don’t even know what they don’t know.
boss bitch - December 31, 2011 | 11:26 am · Link
@JPL:
Romney is trying to paint himself as the common but I don’t know where you get the idea that anyone’s buying it.
Cacti - December 31, 2011 | 11:27 am · Link
@shortstop:
As I’ve mentioned before, is there any evidence that any male in the Romney family has ever served their country in any meaningful way?
Mitt was a bored rich guy who thought that the title POTUS would look good next to his name. His ideas are the same warmed over Reagan crap that’s run the country into the toilet for 99 percent of the population, but paid off handsomely for the over-privileged bracket.
Mitt’s Grand-pere fled to Mexico to avoid US anti-polygamy laws. His father didn’t serve in WWII. Mitt avoided Vietnam service. None of his 5 able-bodied sons have served in the wars they’re such fans of.
They all made time to spend multiple years as Mormon missionaries though, and spread the good word of Joseph Smith far and wide.
Country seems to come in a distant third place after Church, and Republican Party.
Mnemosyne - December 31, 2011 | 11:28 am · Link
@jrg:
It’s not-so-secret code for “affirmative action,” which is in itself not-so-secret code for “The sheriff is a ni-”
boss bitch - December 31, 2011 | 11:29 am · Link
@Elizabelle:
Robert Reich is an idiot and there are other idiots with a mic spouting the same nonsense. None of these people should be taken seriously ever again.
Roger Moore - December 31, 2011 | 11:29 am · Link
@Amir Khalid:
Well, you know what they say about a language being a dialect with an army and a navy. I’m inclined to believe a slight modification to that one: a language is a dialect with a civil service enforcing its use in official communications and legal documents.
Cacti - December 31, 2011 | 11:35 am · Link
@shortstop:
Considering that the Law Review is an official academic publication of the school, there is usually a minimum academic requirement along the lines of 3.00 GPA or top 25% of class standing for membership.
shortstop - December 31, 2011 | 11:36 am · Link
@Cacti: Also too, what kind of asshole thinks a public service record consisting solely of one failed term as governor (not running again because his 30 percent approval rating made him toast in his own state) followed by six years of nothing but presidential campaigning is good positioning for the presidency? I know I’m just repeating the obvious here, but I am so freaking sick of the Romneys, Whitmans, Fiorinas, Perots, Trumps, Hulls, Ryans (these last two are local), etc. deciding they’re bored and need statewide or national office as the next thing on their resumes. More often than not, they’ve been disasters in business, too, which would be enough to shame a normal, non-entitled person into not expecting to obtain public office.
The arrogance really fries me.
jrg - December 31, 2011 | 11:39 am · Link
@Mnemosyne: I’m no fan of race-based AA, either… And I’m not entirely sure it’s all racism on the GOP side. Remember, they voted for Bush over Gore because long words and moderately difficult concepts sound pompous and faggy.
I’m sure some racism is involved. It’s hard not to see that in much of the opposition to Obama… But I still think they would support the dumber of two white candidates. Being a drooling, anti-intellectual hick is how they identify each other as members of the same tribe.
Cacti - December 31, 2011 | 11:43 am · Link
@shortstop:
And for me, the arrogance just jumps off the page in that head shot of Romney-fils from TPM.
It’s the Dubya smirk. The smug facial expression that comes from knowing that no matter how badly he effs-up in life, he’ll never suffer for it. Paying a price for mistakes is for poor people.
Mike in NC - December 31, 2011 | 11:55 am · Link
John Travolta did a lot of magazine ads for those watches. Coincidentally, John Travolta is also a prominent member of a cult.
Roger Moore - December 31, 2011 | 11:58 am · Link
@shortstop:
Sure, but the Republicans believe that government failure is inevitable anyway (and probably a good thing), so why should it be embarrassing to have a bunch of failures running for office? Once you realize that they don’t mind it when the government fails atrociously- except, perhaps, for losing wars- a lot of Republican pathologies make more sense.
Emma - December 31, 2011 | 11:58 am · Link
If it works the same way as it does where I work, joining the law review requires a combination of (a)good grades (b)a good performance in a writing competition (c)some other kind of distinction in your first or second years. In some cases, if you are considered especially good, and I mean especially (top 7% of your class or better) you can be offered a “walk-on.”
Comrade Coffin - December 31, 2011 | 12:11 pm · Link
@Amir Khalid: When I was growing up in Obamaland (Indonesia), we used to sing (to the tune of “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”)
Selamat Hari Natal,Selamat Hari Natal
Selamat Hari Natal, Dan Tahun Baru
Nellcote - December 31, 2011 | 12:17 pm · Link
I wish the media would stop accepting the “it was a joke” defnse. It wasn’t a “joke” until the asshole got called out on Twitter for the remark.
RalfW - December 31, 2011 | 12:25 pm · Link
@Amir Khalid:
A desire to move on to actual New Years eve fun?
I think Reich is a decent commentator, but they all have to phone in an item now and then. This week is rife with warmed over crap.
I appreciate that he says “based on absolutely no inside information.” Far better than a serving of butthurt from some NYT writer who thinks Obama snubbed her and Congress at cocktail parties.
RalfW - December 31, 2011 | 12:32 pm · Link
@shortstop:
Five years and a few days.
Five loooong years of Obama treating the Presidency as something worth doing well, for the nation rather than for party. Five loooooong years of troll anguish. Five glorious years of right wing dog whistles and skeeging along in the right hand ditch of irrelevance.
And then, as these things happen, we’ll probably get a GOPer back in the White House to choke on pretzels and go to bed at 9pm.
(I know, pie for breakfast. Always a bad idea…)
Maude - December 31, 2011 | 12:36 pm · Link
@Amir Khalid:
Happy New Year. I hope all of your injuries have healed. May you and your pets have a peaceful new year.
And, Happy New Year to AWSP. And Lady Smudge.
Judas Escargot - December 31, 2011 | 12:50 pm · Link
@Cacti:
That’s pretty much the whole GOP base now, innit?
Wife got me one of those mugs for xmas, BTW. Made sure it was on the piano for all the relatives to see. Heh.
Happy New Year, all. Took a whole week off from everything, incl. politics, but 2012 looms. Joy.
shortstop - December 31, 2011 | 12:54 pm · Link
@RalfW: Attention, sailors. High winds have pushed the snark detectors awry.
@Judas Escargot: TTB wore the t-shirt in Utah earlier this fall. A couple of times I was mildly concerned that we would be shot.
Elizabelle - December 31, 2011 | 1:16 pm · Link
@RalfW:
This was worth checking the thread for.
So true.
Julia Grey - December 31, 2011 | 1:33 pm · Link
Well, there’s common and then there’s “common,” you know. There appears to be a kind of ground-in mental grime that no amount of money can clean out of even the most privileged family.
There are thousands of “upper class” people with no class whatsoever. Tagg is one of them.
ruemara - December 31, 2011 | 1:56 pm · Link
@Amir Khalid: Amir, can you help me? I need a quote or something written in arabic for a friend of mine who is getting married. I want to create 2 pieces of art that say something like a blessing for their engagement and then for the wedding, something that blesses them for future success and happiness. But I want to take the arabic letters and typeset it into the shape of a western style bride and groom (since they are americans). Since I can’t buy a cool gift, I figures I can use some skills for them and they must be sick of cookies and jewelry by now.
Amir Khalid - December 31, 2011 | 2:14 pm · Link
@ruemara:
I wish I could help you, really I do. But that’s well beyond my extremely limited Arabic. Sorry. Is there a Middle Eastern community in your town where you might be able to find someone to help?
Kane - December 31, 2011 | 2:23 pm · Link
Even if you write it off as a dumb joke, the level of privilege and entitlement one must feel they have to be comfortable enough to say such a thing in front of complete strangers is amazing. This isn’t a teenage kid blurting out the first thought that comes to mind, this is a 40 year old Harvard educated attorney.
Kane - December 31, 2011 | 2:27 pm · Link
Release the records or not, it’s a win-win for Democrats either way.
If he refuses to release his tax returns, then it underscores his record of an unwilingness to be open and transparent with the American people, and it highlights once again the inconvenient story about missing hard drives. If he refuses to release his tax returns, the question will continue to be raised throughout the campaign.
If he does release his tax returns, then the records will show that he is worth about a quarter-billion dollars, and that he makes the bulk of his income from dividends, interest, and capital gains, which means he pays taxes at a much lower rate than working families. And equally important, he intends to pursue tax policies as president that would keep this advantage for people like him in place.
Also, his retirement package from Bain Captial continues to provide him with millions of dollars each year. Thus, every business over the course of more than a decade that Bain has dismantled, every layoff, every firing, every job outsourced overseas, Romney has profited from. Let him explain that to the American voters.
Nutella - December 31, 2011 | 5:30 pm · Link
Speculation about Tagg Romney’s name resolved by Wikipedia: Tagg is short for Taggart. As in Dagny Taggart.
Yes, Mitt is such a shithead that he named his oldest son after a character in an Ayn Rand novel.
And Mitt’s dad was not only Mexican, born in Mexico to a family of American outlaws who had gone there to avoid prosecution, but he (George Romney, the one born in Mexico) had the gall to run for president even though he was not born in the US and therefore not qualified to be president. George did grow up in the US after he and his family crossed the Rio Grande and lived on welfare in Texas for a time to get back on their feet.
Really, Romney’s campaign should be much better at Hispanic outreach based on shared history.
Nancy Irving - January 1, 2012 | 12:31 am · Link
@bob h: I doubt that. Presidents’ messing with the IRS in order to harass individuals is very dirty pool. Nixon is the premier example. Whatever your beefs with BHO, he is squeaky-clean on this kind of issue.
Nancy Irving - January 1, 2012 | 12:35 am · Link
If Romney is smart (and he is), he’ll release the returns immediately after he’s nominated. If he’s not nominated, he won’t have to do it. If he is nominated, he’ll get the embarrassment out of the way as soon as possible.
He’s a Mormon, not a moron. :)
Nancy Irving - January 1, 2012 | 12:51 am · Link
Tagg’s real mother is Mitt’s second wife, Sarah Palin. Thus the name.