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ThinkProgress skewers Willard’s out-of-context, but “not out of bounds” ad attacking President Obama.
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Steve Benen, Washington Monthly, thinks Romney’s offering “a hint of what’s to come“:
… Romney, in other words, is choosing to mislead voters and hoping they don’t know the difference.
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The same ad, by the way, expresses concern for “record foreclosures,” which is a bizarre line for the Republican to take — he’s the one who recently demanded, “Don’t try to stop the foreclosure process. Let it run its course and hit the bottom.”
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In the larger context, how much more deception can Romney try to get away with before he develops a reputation as a candidate with an honesty problem? Last week, an MIT economist who worked with Romney said the former governor is “just lying” about health care policy. The same week, Romney was caught lying about the makeup of the last Congress, and also got caught lying about a quote from the president…
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Over the course of a campaign, it stands to reason a candidate who speaks all the time is going to make some mistakes. He or she will invariably also make occasional claims that aren’t supported by the facts. But it seems as if Mitt Romney, when he’s not wildly flip-flopping or avoiding taking firm positions on controversial issues, is frequently just flat-out lying. These aren’t minor slip-ups; these are examples of a candidate who looks more like a con man than a leader.
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Richard Adams, liveblogging Tuesday’s GOP Furn Polcie Debate for the Guardian:
10.03pm: Now Rick Santorum says he would also make his first presidential trip to Israel. Too late Rick, Willy Mittard Romney beat you to it.
9:44pm: Romney says of 25-year illegal immigrants, “that’s the extreme example”. So will you throw them out, asks Wolf. “I’m not going to draw lines on who gets to stay and who gets to go,” replies Romney and retreats into blather about sealing the border.
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Once again Mitt doesn’t want to be pinned down to actual things, like his first name. Mitt? Willard? Who knows, he just doesn’t want to be pinned down.
8.12pm: Mitt Romney says: “I’m Mitt Romney and yes Wolf that is my first name.” No it’s not! Mitt Romney’s first name is in fact Willard. Flip-flop! His first of the night.
Per all British media imports, let’s modify that a bit for American viewers: Millard “Witt” Romney. (Trimmer. Prevaricator. Liar.) And if it reminds key low-information ‘independent’ voters of that Tinsley guy’s crappy cartoon, all the better.
Zifnab
I’m never quite sure if I’m happy that Democrats don’t resort to the same cheap and underhanded tactics utilized by the GOP. The “liberal” media told me that Romney’s ads aren’t a big deal because “both sides do it”. So, among rank-and-file voters, would anyone even notice if Dems got more sleazy in their political trickery?
peach flavored shampoo
Well, there ya go. Libbrul elitist from a school with Romney’s first name in it? Sounds elitist and schooly. And clearly gay.
Hunter Gathers
I’ve been told several times that once in office, Mittens will be able to provide the stimulus the country desperately needs, as he’s a patriot, or something. Which is the dumbest thing I’ve ever fucking heard. Anybody who thinks Mittens will do anything not sanctioned be the teabaggers is dumber than a bag of hammers, and should get over the fact that Obama will not call you for advice.
redshirt
What does it matter if a Republican lies? No one – other than fellow Republicans, maybe – will call him on it or hold him accountable, and any attempt to do so would just be spun as a smear by that LIBERAL MEDIA.
It’s a nice game they’ve set up.
Jennifer
Willard’s only core principle is that Willard should be president.
HRA
It’s also to keep his name up front in the media and the internet. It will, alas, continue since this was the plan.
Jennifer
@Zifnab: Yes, because the media would hammer them on it 24/7.
Punchy
This guy waffles more than Eggo. Hedges more than Barclay. Fences more than East Germany. Flops worse than Ishtar.
S. cerevisiae
I have been goading a conservative friend saying they will be stuck with Multiple-Choice Mitt. Now I feel a little sorry for him (only a little).
cat48
You know, this idiot is worse than Bush, really. You catch him lying & he doesn’t even give a fuck. “So??”, he replies!
He’s more ruthless than Al Davis. Just Win Baby! can be taken too far.
Even the local NH station raked him over the coals for this. If the media is always pointing out your ads (second in a row), are deceitful & not accurate, how is that helpful to a Campaign? Not everyone hates Obama enough to think this egregious behavior is acceptable and ok b/c it’s about the Kenyan.
Morzer
Willard Mitt or Walter Mitty. Hard to tell the difference, sometimes*.
* i.e. roughly 24 of the available hours in a day.
Jennifer
I really think the answer to the GOP’s 2012 dilemma is to build a life-size talking Ken doll, which can be programmed to say only teabagger-approved talking points. Romney without all the pesky Mormonism.
Dork
@Jennifer: John McCain wants a royalty payment for you mentioning his schtick.
Napoleon
I forget where I read this this morning but I guess Mitt even lied about his real first name last night by saying something like “I am Mitt Romney and yes that is my real first name”.
Joshua Norton
Mittens needs something stronger than Pepto to cure his liar-rhea.
Villago Delenda Est
Darth Cheney should sue for trademark infringement. “So??” is his dismissive catchphrase!
dan
“Hello,” he lied.
JCT
The “best” part is the Romney campaign’s “defense” — Obama “said those words”. Oh, OK then.
He is completely without a soul or any sense of shame. It’s pretty remarkable.
chopper
i love the fact that mitt’s reputation as a sleazy used-car salesman is only going to intensify over time. the 3/4 of the GOP that hates his guts hasn’t even got the engine warmed up yet.
Redshift
@JCT:
ThinkProgress put together a nice reel that is completely honest by Mitt’s standards, of Romney saying things like “I want to raise your taxes,” and “America is not an exceptional country.”
It has the added bonus that, unlike the Obama statement quoting the McCain campaign that they dishonestly edited, Mitt has a sneering and condescending tone in all of them.
cat48
General Stuck
Mitt the Git, and your standard GOP pro life values
turn your plowshares into swords, baby jeevus approved.
S. cerevisiae
No matter how they slice it Mitt comes off as the smarmy rich bastard in your high school class who’s dad laid off your dad. I really think he can’t get around that.
sukabi
Thank doG the English language is being fully embraced once again… was getting so fed up with all the ‘mis-spokes’, ‘gaffes’, ‘waffles’, ect… SO REFRESHING TO HEAR A LIE CALLED A LIE.
gene108
@Jennifer:
I personally think they should go with Zombie Reagan.
Schlemizel
I don’t see what the problem is – even the librule NY Times and DC Post tell me Democrats lie, Republicans occasionally misspeak or have a gaffe but they never lie.
Mitt is the classical empty suit that appears in politics all the time. Typically they run for Congress in a safe district and say exactly what the district wants to hear but they have no beliefs of their own. The Republicans have been so dominate for so long that they are loaded with these types. Mitt has the problem that he said what was necessary to win in MA and now has to be against all of that – but his beliefs have not changed one bit because he has none other than advancing Mitt.
woodyNYC
I happened to see a lower third on CNN reading “Democrats say Romney’s ad misrepresents Obama’s words”. Democrats say. They are worse than useless.
Cliff in NH
Don’t forget that when he announced he was running he opened with a lie about Obama:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=auTTvgeN294Y
Liars Lie, it’s all they know how to do.
Cris (without an H)
Man I hate campaign season advertising. The US Chamber has already started in on Jon Tester (D-MarkosHatesMe) with ludicrous bullshit ads, and CrossroadsGPS employs a confusing multiple negative with “Tester voted against preventing Obama’s EPA from regulating Montana farmers’ dust” (which is false in several ways). Am I going to have to subscribe to Netflix to avoid this shit?
Gromitt Gunn
While I do so enjoy the nickname Multiple-Choice Mitt, perhaps a throwback to the Clinton years would resonate with the Bubba demographic. I propose Slick Willard.
trollhattan
@Cris (without an H):
One benefit of living in an uncontested state (Commie Calif) is the utter lack of Republican presidential primary campaigning, although they do loves them some fundraising. e.g.,
http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/11/texas-governor-rick-perry-private-fundraiser-sacramento.html
My New Hampshire brother, OTOH….
karen marie
@cat48: Now you’re confusing me.
DFH no.6
The FSM probably does not love us enough to give us one of the truly clownish figures running for the Republican nomination (that would be all the rest besides Huntsman) as Obama’s opponent next year.
Even with the shitty economy, Obama would most likely stomp any of them – Perry, Bachmann, Cain, Gingrich, Paul, or Santorum.
Republican voters (which includes registered Republicans as well as over half of so-called “Independents” who just happen to always vote Republican) will still vote in lockstep no matter who the Republican nominee is. Which puts the floor for the Republican candidate’s share of the general election vote at not under 40%.
What would keep that from even approaching 50% is any of the insane clown posse running as the Republican candidate, because that would scare enough of the true “swing” independents, along with many conservative Democrats who might otherwise vote for a Republican for president.
Willard’s another thing altogether.
We may recognize him as a prevaricating, flip-flopping, “uncanny”, empty suit, but the media will instead present him as solid presidential material with the business experience and savvy the nation so desperately needs in these trying economic times.
Enough of the true “swing” independents and conservative Democrats will believe that presentation to make Obama’s victory over Romney a very difficult – even uphill – struggle.
Because of the economy and the media, full stop.
Jennifer
Personally, I’m pulling for a Gingrich candidacy, because out of all of them, I think it will bother him the most to lose to a black man.
xian
@gene108: why not Cheney?
Nutella
@Redshift:
I’d like to see MoveOn or ActBlue or someone start a collection for money to run that ThinkProgress ad on television in New Hampshire. That would get it out past the left blogosphere echo chamber.
mclaren
Yes, of course Mitt Romney is a liar. So is Barack Obama.
Here’s Barack Obama deriding individual mandates for health insurance during his campaign.
Later, of course, Barack Obama turned around and supported indivdidual mandates for health insurance.
Barack Obama promised to close Gitmo and end military commission trials 3 years ago:
Now Obama is holding military commission trials, trials so rigged and grotesquely unjust that the chief prosecutor assigned to conduct those military commission trials resigned in protest. In fact, 7 former Guantanamo Bay government prosecutors have resigned in disgust over the unethical and dishonest and grossly unfair and unconstitutional star-chamber show trial kangaroo courts being run there.
Gitmo is still open.
“Guantanamo is a ‘law-free zone’ claims fromer chief prosecutor at camp in extraordinary attack,” Meghan Keneally, UK Daily Mail.
Barack Obama has lied and lied and lied and lied and lied. He promised hope and change. Instead, he’s now standing by while muggers with badges brutalize and beat peaceful citizens for non-violently protesting the theft of their life savings by Wall Street crooks.
Mitt Romney is a rattler. He advertises his danger. Barack Obama is coral snake. You don’t know he’s poisonous until his fangs bite, and by then it’s too late.