(Ted Rall’s website)
__
It’s not that Romney is a liar, exactly, it’s just that he has a context-fraught relationship with the truth. Dan Amira, at NYMag‘s Daily Intel blog:
… Romney’s message was undercut in two brand-new ways today. First, the New Hampshire Union Leader reports that the indignant business-owning star of a new Romney TV ad actually received hundreds of thousands of dollars in government loans, thus lending support to Obama’s point about government’s role in helping business thrive.
And that’s not all! NBC News discovered footage of Romney making pretty much the same point as Obama in a 2002 Olympic speech — only instead of businesses, he was referring to the world’s best athletes.
“You Olympians, however, know you didn’t get here solely on your own power,” said Romney, who on Friday will attend the Opening Ceremonies of this year’s Summer Olympics. “For most of you, loving parents, sisters or brothers, encouraged your hopes, coaches guided, communities built venues in order to organize competitions. All Olympians stand on the shoulders of those who lifted them. We’ve already cheered the Olympians, let’s also cheer the parents, coaches, and communities. All right! [pumps fist].”
(As a sidebar, it is not good news for Willard that the Union Leader is sniping at him, since this “practitioner of a style of knife-and-kill journalism that went out of fashion half a century ago in the rest of the country” is so notoriously paleoconservative that it considered Pat Buchanan a little squishy on immigration and Donald Rumsfeld an undercover pacifist.)
Dave Weigel at Slate catches Romney (once again) bullshitting about his record as governor, on the hot conservative topic of the day:
… KUDLOW: As the governor of Massachusetts, you did sign legislation restricting or banning assault weapons. Did that work in Massachusetts to your satisfaction?
ROMNEY: Well, actually the law that we signed in Massachusetts was a combination of efforts both on the part of those that were for additional gun rights and those that opposed gun rights, and they came together and made some changes that provided, I think, a better environment for both, and that’s why both sides came to celebrate the signing of the bill. Where there are opportunities for people of reasonable minds to come together and find common ground, that’s the kind of legislation I like. The idea of one party jamming through something over the objection of the other tends to divide the nation, not make us a more safe and prosperous place. So if there’s common ground, why I’m always willing to have that kind of a conversation.
He was for the legislation before he was against it — or maybe it was the other way around. Dahlia Lithwick, also at Slate, discusses “The GOP’s War Against Facts“:
It’s tough times for facts in America. First Mitt Romney—interviewing for the position of president—declined to release his tax returns because, as he explained, the Obama team’s opposition research will “pick over it” and “distort and lie about them.” He isn’t actually claiming that his opponents will lie. He’s claiming he’s entitled to hide the truth because it could be used against him. As Jon Stewart put it, “You can’t release your returns, because if you do, the Democrats will be mean to you.” These are tax returns. Factual documents. No different than, say, a birth certificate. But the GOP’s argument that inconvenient facts can be withheld from public scrutiny simply because they can be used for mean purposes is a radical idea in a democracy…
In his own defense, Romney would presumably quote Alexandre Auguste Ledru-Rollin — or was that David Brooks? — “There go the people. I must follow them, for I am their leader.”
lamh35
Wow, so Romney has not even left American soil yet and he’s already pissed off a foreign dignitary. Wow, I strongly suspect that Romney is so gonna do something stupid overseas. It’s just like with NAACP speech, everyone was like there is no way Romney will do something stupid at NAACP and of course he did, even if it was something he wanted to do, it was still stupid.
So what’s anyone’s guess on when/what country R-Money will misstep in due to either his own arrogance or his usual tone-deafnessness?
Is That Your Final Answer, Mr. Romney?
Cacti
I wonder what egregious whoppers Willard will tell on foreign soil.
Hill Dweller
Romney being an inveterate liar won’t matter one bit if it doesn’t sink into the electorate’s thick heads. And every time Obama tries to point out the lies, the beltway chides him for ‘tone’.
The Republicans, at both the state and federal level, have done everything to tank the economy for the last 2 years, but it won’t matter until someone convincingly explains it to the voters.
Hill Dweller
Romney being an inveterate liar won’t matter one bit if it doesn’t sink into the electorate’s thick heads. And every time Obama tries to point out the lies, the beltway chides him for ‘tone’.
The Republicans, at both the state and federal level, have done everything to tank the economy for the last 2 years, but it won’t matter until someone convincingly explains it to the voters.
pseudonymous in nc
@lamh35:
Given that Bob Carr is a member of the Australian Labor Party — admittedly, in the “Right” faction, but that just makes him the equivalent of a left-wing Democrat — well, duh.
…updated to add that the summary from whoever wrote to TPM is very good. And yeah, that would be embarrassing if Americans en masse gave a shit about other countries’ politics, and it says a lot about Rmoney’s ineptitude towards foreign affairs.
AkaDad
Obama released his tax returns and birth certificate, it’s only fair that Romney release his tax returns and blueprints.
lamh35
@pseudonymous in nc: yeah that’s exactly what the reader Josh Marshall posted about at the link said.
But gotta admit, that other than Australians, low information voters or just any random voter is not aware of Australian politics.
ETA: Someone on twitter pointed out that at the very least, this will make any leader Romney meets will think twice about discussing ANYTHING with Romney for fear that he’ll use it in mixed company and thereby cause a possible international incident.
The Dangerman
That Romney is even within shouting distance to winning makes me grieve for our country.
After he is nominated, will he release the Tax Returns? Unless there’s the equivalent of dead girl or live boy in there, no way he’s not getting the nomination if he released them right away. I don’t see how he hopes to get away with it.
Santiago
Open thread?
A whooping 15,000-word New Yorker feature on The Boss by David Remnick.
SiubhanDuinne
Aaand the winner of the Sarah Palin Memorial Word Salad Trophy IS….!
lamh35
@pseudonymous in nc: my question is why did the Foreign Minister guy request a meeting with Romney in the first place?
jl
@lamh35: Romney does not have situational awareness, unless he controls the situation, if you know what I mean ($$$$$, eh?).
Even if Romney accurately reported what the Aussie said, how did he think there would not be a denial? You go find some retired Aussie pooh bah for that kind of indirect trash talk.
Unless Mitt wants to play the conspiracy card for the wingnuts (“Of course they would deny it, ’cause the Chicago goons threatened the koalas if the Aussies didn’t back off. That’s the ticket”).
But then, that won’t work anyway, since Aussies are 1) commies, and 2) foreigners, and 3) debauchees, and 4) talk funny. Why is Mitt talking with them anyway?
A MittFail, IMHO.
MikeJ
Standing O for Ichiro. Followed by a base hit up the middle.
jurassicpork
Assclowns of the Week #91: Aurora Moronealis edition is up. I played it straight on account of the tragic subject matter.
SiubhanDuinne
Hey, could someone hire William Shatner to do dramatic readings of all of Rmoney’s speeches and statements and remarks? I would pay to watch.
scav
@SiubhanDuinne: Not salady enough for this Bulgarian Judge. Pure Waffle and simple evasion of the word yes, that is my signature and the tricky next step of opining, even retroactively, on something that apparently happened under the control of that same mysterious non-entity that ran Bain.
MikeJ
Ichiro stole second after get a hit in his first at bat for the Evil Empire, but was stranded at third, thank gopod.
Mark S.
Way late on this, but I’m actually surprised at the severity of the Penn St. punishment. They would have been better off with the death penalty.
Ash Can
Remember the reception Obama got in Europe right after he was elected? Yeah, that’s exactly what isn’t going to happen to Mitt. Wait till our pal Willard finds out the people in Europe know way, way more about us than we know about them, and that their reporters won’t simply line up to kiss his ass.
russell
no, he’s not a liar, he’s a bullshit artist, per harry frankfurt’s “on bullshit”.
if something he says is true, fine with him. if it’s false, fine with him. just as long as it gets the result he wants.
bullshit artist.
pseudonymous in nc
@lamh35:
I don’t have a problem with that during a presidential campaign. You’re in the US, you’re probably not going to be back before the election, you take the opportunity: and if anything, I think it’s better to have a minister do that kind of thing than to delegate it down to the appointed diplomatic staff in DC.
(Obama met with both Brown and Cameron in London in early 2008 when he was a candidate: admittedly, he wasn’t running against an incumbent, but foreign countries have to do a lot of contingency planning around the will of the American electorate.)
jl
” Romney making pretty much the same point as Obama in a 2002 Olympic speech ”
Doesn’t count. Olympic Athletes are high class help, entertainers, if you will. Somewhere between Rafalca and the Galtian wealth creators, but closer to the former. And treated as well, at least while they are training.
I rate Anne’s uncivil comment as technically true but situationalwaise, false. I give it five wooden legs full of moonshine, and three bananas Foster (with the peels) on the jl political truthiness spinometer scale (patent pending)
kay
The sleazy NAACP tactic and the Australia lie (or exaggeration, whatever) are similiar.
In both cases he supposedly went to speak to a group of people (or one person) and then immediately used the NAACP and the Australian as political fodder to boast in front of his donors. He doesn’t even try to hide this. He has so little regard for both the NAACP and the Australian he spoke to he makes a public show out of being disrespectful and untrustworthy.
Romney’s a dick. He can’t be trusted. People are simply vehicles to advance his own aspirations, to be used for self-promotion.
I know he’s got Wall Street, and a couple of cable channels, and all that secret campaign cash but I still feel the essential hollowness and fundamental inauthenticity of this person will come through over the remaining months.
Mike in NC
What utter bullshit, but so typical of this slimy, phoney bastard.
Mark S.
Ichiro’s career stats aren’t that great. His batting average has generally been good, but he gets so few walks his OBP isn’t good at all. His OPS throughout his career has barely been over the league average. I don’t think this is a good trade for the Yankees.
El Cid
__
This is true.
According to most contemporaneous accounts, Zeus had to ally with Cronus’ father, Sky, in order to fight the Titan who bore him.
jl
@El Cid: Cronus did help himself to the kids, though.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_Devouring_His_Son
maya
So, is Rmoney going to compare lineage with the queen? Must she kowtow or just curtsey before him?
Roy G.
“The Olympics are people, my friend.”
mai naem
My guess is that the Obama people know whats in the tax returns and I would be willing to guess any presidential incumbent in office knows what’s in their opponent’s taxes – don’t care which party. The info is right there within relatively easy reach, it would be campaign malpractice not to look(and yes I know it’s illegal but I would bet it would be difficult to prove.)
Also too, I know it’s not a nice thing to say but I am sick and tired of Jennifer Ghawri’s(sp?) brother already. He’s
going to turn into the Mark Klaas(sp?)/Fred Goldman of mass murder cases.
kay
I hope someone is looking into the specifics of Romney’s Olympic claims. If it’s anything like the “job Creator” myth he repeated for 6 months unchallenged, the whole story may fall apart after a week of focused fact-finding by the Obama campaign.
jl
” My guess is that the Obama people know whats in the tax returns and I would be willing to guess any presidential incumbent in office knows what’s in their opponent’s taxes – don’t care which party…. it’s illegal but…. ”
I think more likely that somebody on 2008 McCain VP vet squad leaked very discreetly. Seems like a lot of dislike for Romney from those who came across him in the past.
SiubhanDuinne
@mai naem: All the TeeVee tragedy porn turns me right off.
shoutingattherain
Ichiro traded to the Yankees. This just couldn’t happen.
Another stop on the road to Suck.
SiubhanDuinne
@mai naem: meant to add, but FYWP wouldn’t let me back in to edit: Dont you just know the brother is going to have a quickie book out about his sister? Published in time for Christmas, on the remainder tables in January. Not in any way trying to diminish his very real loss but you know it’s going to happen. Because it always does.
pluege
It’s not that Romney is a liar, exactly,
no.it is that romney is a pathological liar.
jl
Interesting TPM post on Bob Carr.
TPM Editor’s Blog
Is That Your Final Answer, Mr. Romney?
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2012/07/is_that_youre_final_answer_mr_romney.php
Here is the wiki article on Bob Carr
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Carr_(Australian_politician)
Hard to believe a lefty like Carr would knowingly give Romney campaign ammunition, or such an experienced politician would do so unwittingly.
Was Carr talking all egghead to Mitt, and Mitt misunderstood? Carr BSing around to hurt Romney? I mean if I were a liberal US politician and I had a talk with a politically reanimated John Howard, and thought I got some campaign nugget from him, I would think it over a little before I went bragging about it, wouldn’t you?
Or maybe Mitt got involved in one of his exaggerations?
JC
Mendacity, mendacity, mendacity. And yet, people will still vote for this liar, and conversatives will vote for him, even though, they clearly see he is a hollow, multiple-choice Mitt, who has nothing in common with the ‘ordinary conservative’ that they put up as ideal. This ‘hidden liberal’.
Also, since people are talking about baseball here – what are the odds on Alex Rodriguez getting his groove back?
Since the beginning of his injuries two years ago, he is a completely different player. Will he come back to a 30 HR hitter? Any more information on the severity, bounceback ability of the type of injuries he seems to have been suffering?
It used to be he was a lock to pass Barry Bonds – I’m not so sure anymore.
NotMax
Just further evidence to add to an already sky-high pile that he is the Calzone Candidate.
Come the GOP convention, keep the ol’ eyes peeled for accidentally broadcast shots of a curtain off the side of the stage with someone obviously behind it manipulating levers and valves.
PeakVT
@mai naem: Maybe Yusanto can comment on how hard (or easy) it would be to try to peek at Romney’s IRS file.
amk
How ‘exactly’ mitt is not a liar ? What further proof do you need to call him a liar ‘exactly’?
Piss poor analysis on your part, AL.
NotMax
@pluege
And a mugwump.
A political term ripe for revival.
danielx
Let’s see, years of Rovian attack politics and then Tea Party birther conspiracy theories. It would be hilarious to watch Republicans pissing and moaning about Democrats being mean to them, except for – well, yes, it is hilarious. However…
If the Marquis can make the case that his tax returns are nobody’s business except his, then he probably deserves to win, either because his opponents are completely inept (unlikely) or because a substantial number of American voters are stupid enough to fall for this nonsense. In either case, what would happen to both opponents and idiot voters would be well deserved – the only problem being that a lot of other people would get dragged down right along with them.
Bnut
The death of Sally Ride got me thinking today. Do we have any legitimate main stream heroes anymore? Adventurers, scientists, statesmen, leaders, etc? Is there a single person we can all look to, regardless of faith or political persuasion and recognize their significance? I would posit perhaps someone like Neil deGrasse Tyson or Stephen Hawking are the closest we have.
Mike G
Rmoney is overseas?
Visiting his bank accounts, or evangelizing for Mormon converts?
NotMax
@danielx
And if what you posit comes to pass, it is not that big a leap for the mutation from “my tax returns are nobody’s business” to “My income is nobody’s business, including the IRS, so they can go pound sand. Keep the government’s grasping claws out of my wallet.” to become the rallying cry.
Taxation with representation recast as an evil.
mai naem
@SiubhanDuinne: I was looking through some Life/Time old photos of Anne Frank. There’s an old picture of Anne Frank with her neighborhood friends – about 6-8 girls. Most of these girls survived the Holocaust and almost all of them had as women written books about their connection to Anne Frank and were giving speeches(probably paid) about their Holocaust experiences. Anyway, I guess Jennifer Ghawari’s brother won’t be the first to profit from a connection to a murder victim.
VincentN
@amk:
I can’t tell if you’re being snarky or if you completely missed the fact that AL was being snarky since you left out the second and rather important part of the sentence you quoted…
mdblanche
Just saw the “Firms” ad on Colbert. I don’t know if it was on nationally, but I do live in a deep blue state and the Obama ads I’ve been seeing here and there on cable are the first presidential campaign ads I’ve ever seen around here.
mai naem
@Mike G: Actually Mitt Romney is going to Kenya with Orly Titz, Joe Arpaio and the Donald looking for the authentic birth certificate of that Kenyan sosuhlist commie pinko homosexual lover Barack Obama.
NotMax
@Bnut
Always uncomfortable with the appellation “hero.”
Role models (would put Hawking into that category) are ever present.
Aung San Suu Kyi
Nelson Mandela
Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger
the anonymous, lone Chinese fellow facing down the tanks at Tiananmen Square
amk
mitt, the liar.
Bago
@Cacti: You have to understand, when no one around you tells you “no”, you can go off the rails.
Yutsano
@PeakVT: Any tax return other than your own? Sure. If you can convince someone at the IRS to break confidentiality law and essentially steal the information. And that gets watched VERY carefully. Every time I access a case I have to put up a good reason why I did. Or else it’s immediate termination and possible (almost certain) arrest.
Mnemosyne
@PeakVT:
As others have said, it probably wasn’t necessary to get the information from the IRS. All you need is one senior McCain staffer who doesn’t like Romney and you’ve got the whole file straight from them.
jenn
@Mnemosyne: Yeah, the only way I could see the Obama campaign having Mitt’s tax returns is if the McCain campaign leaked them. The Obama campaign’s way too smart to cross that line, and frankly, what McCain senior campaign staffer DID like Romney?! I can’t think of any, anyway!
Triassic Sands
Remember these words when (and if) the GOP takes control of both houses of congress in January. Watch how sensitive the Republicans are to the wishes of Democrats, and be amazed by the way in which Romney chastises his own party for their legislative thuggery.
Randy P
@AkaDad: Not good enough. I want to see source code.
That was an excellent line, by the way. I plan to steal it.
Red Right Hand
MSNBC news crawl just now:
“Sally Ride, first woman to fly in space, dies at age of 61”
Has anyone broken the news to the family of Valentina Tereshkova? Not to mention Svetlana Savitskaya?
Good grief. We all love Sally, but has David Barton been appointed Secretary of the Department of American Exceptionalism?
Randy P
@Ash Can: Hell, Obama was getting that reception months before the election. I passed through Switzerland in August and picked up a magazine where the cover photo was a big smiling Obama and the caption “American’s Next President (probably)”.
NotMax
@Red Right Hand
See the piece about Barton’s Jefferson book being voted (by historians) as least credible history book in print?
O’Reilly’s book clocked in at #4 least credible.
different-church-lady
Oh my goodness, you’re just precious!
different-church-lady
@Red Right Hand: Do you really expect 17 year old interns to know history?
different-church-lady
@SiubhanDuinne: Conan would probably do it if he still had a TV show.
Wait, what?
debit
@amk: I’m not saying you can’t read, exactly, it’s just that you can’t seem to comprehend full sentences.
Jesus, it’s a riff on the old, “I’m not saying your mother is a whore. It’s just that she has sex with other people for money.” How stupid are you?
different-church-lady
I’m not sure why anyone needs to see the actual tax returns to know that they say “Unusually wealthy person takes advantage of gamed tax laws in a way that would make a normal taxpayer’s jaw drop.”
What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us? (formerly MarkJ)
I can’t help but think that if a Democratic candidate were running a campaign this inept our liberal media would be pointing and laughing more. I mean seriously, these are bush league mistakes.
Haydnseek
@Bnut: Tyson or Hawking? Yes, in a country that valued intelligence, but not the USA. Here, it’s all Kardashian, all the time. We don’t aspire to greatness, we aspire to celebrity, and the path of least resistance to achieve it. I really like your question, and wish I had a response worthy of it. I’m not really that cynical, just a realist with an attitude that I hope will improve as the day progresses.
Catsy
@The Dangerman:
I still maintain there’s a better-than-even chance that Romney took advantage of IRS amnesty for offshore bank accounts.
There would be no spinning that. While the 27%ers might be on board with tax evasion, it would make him absolutely radioactive to the vast majority of Americans. He’d be facing a mutiny in his own party.