Are Romney's tax dodges legal? It's impossible to say for sure, given how little he has disclosed. But tax experts note that there are plenty of red flags, including an investigation by New York prosecutors into tax abuses at Bain Capital that began on Romney's watch. "He aggressively exploits every loophole he can find," says Victor Fleischer, a professor of tax law at the University of Colorado. "He's pushing the limits of tax law beyond what many think is reasonable." Indeed, a look at Romney's finances reveals just how skilled he is at hiding his wealth – and paying a fraction of his fair share in taxes.The more I learn about this guy, the smaller he looks.
Oct 18, 2012
Doing The Laundry
From Rolling Stone Magazine, by Tim Dickinson:
Gettin' It Done - 19
Dunno what to say about this one except that you gotta know where to put your resources. So maybe I'll just shut up and let the guy work.
19. Began Asia “Pivot”: In 2011, reoriented American military and diplomatic priorities and focus from the Middle East and Europe to the Asian-Pacific region. Executed multipronged strategy of positively engaging China while reasserting U.S. leadership in the region by increasing American military presence and crafting new commercial, diplomatic, and military alliances with neighboring countries made uncomfortable by recent Chinese behavior.
Oct 17, 2012
Sounds Vaguely Important
What makes the stories in this clip different from stories we used to hear in school about Robber Barons and Company Stores and dead Union Organizers?
This just keeps sounding shittier and shittier.
This just keeps sounding shittier and shittier.
On Process
I get into it a lot sometimes - not into the process so much as into the conflict that the process is supposed to help us avoid. Which I think is kinda the point here. If more of us were able to pay more attention to what goes on and participate in making the thing work, maybe fewer of us would be gettin' fucked over so often(?)
Anyway, next time somebody starts complaining about how snarky or angry or crazed you sound when trying to talk about what should or shouldn't be happening in the world, point 'em to this little gem from Up With Chris Hayes:
Anyway, next time somebody starts complaining about how snarky or angry or crazed you sound when trying to talk about what should or shouldn't be happening in the world, point 'em to this little gem from Up With Chris Hayes:
Gettin' It Done - 20
Jim Webb led the efforts in the Senate, and he credits the White House for smoothing the way; sometimes by not doing much- or seeming not to do much. 'Cuz sometimes just staying outa the way and working the back channels is how you get things done.
This is one of those things that totally sticks in the GOP craw. A mainstay of Repub-Think is that Dems hate soldiers and all things military, and it just kills "conservatives" to consider even the remotest possibility that a Dem could do something good for veterans.
Handle the Economy = Dems
Domestic Agenda = Dems
Effective Foreign Policy = Dems
Kill Osama bin Laden = Dems
Veterans Affairs = Dems
A coupla more days like yesterday and today, and the question becomes clearer and clearer - what is it we need Repubs for again?
This is one of those things that totally sticks in the GOP craw. A mainstay of Repub-Think is that Dems hate soldiers and all things military, and it just kills "conservatives" to consider even the remotest possibility that a Dem could do something good for veterans.
20. Increased Support for Veterans: With so many soldiers coming home from Iraq and Iran with serious physical and mental health problems, yet facing long waits for services, increased 2010 Department of Veterans Affairs budget by 16 percent and 2011 budget by 10 percent. Also signed new GI bill offering $78 billion in tuition assistance over a decade, and provided multiple tax credits to encourage businesses to hire veterans.So where are we now? Lemme see.
Handle the Economy = Dems
Domestic Agenda = Dems
Effective Foreign Policy = Dems
Kill Osama bin Laden = Dems
Veterans Affairs = Dems
A coupla more days like yesterday and today, and the question becomes clearer and clearer - what is it we need Repubs for again?
The Shot Missed 'Round The World
From Democratic Underground:
My favorite question from the audience was a woman who inquired of Romney could he assure her that if elected he would be different from George W. Bush. Romney made some mealy-mouthed response, but Obama landed a punch on Romney's chin.And from the comments:
(Paraphrasing) There are differences between Mr. Romney and George W. Bush. Bush did not want to voucherize Medicare and he was better on immigration.
I consider Obama's response a true verbal assault on Romney, because in my opinion, there is nothing worse than being compared to George W. Bush and pale in that comparison. What a heck of an insult, but executed so beautifully.
I absolutely loved it.
Sam
I have been here for 10 years, and I came here ranting and raving about George W. Bush. There is no one I despise more. And for Obama to compare Romney to Bush, with Bush coming off better, was simply priceless. I wish I knew where to write that woman to thank her for that question....
C'mon, Willard
Have you actually reached the point where you don't even know when you're lying?
About that "Binder Full Of Women":
(hat tip = Balloon Juice)
About that "Binder Full Of Women":
CROWLEY: Governor Romney, pay equity for women?
ROMNEY: Thank you. An important topic, and one which I learned a great deal about, particularly as I was serving as governor of my state, because I had the chance to pull together a cabinet and all the applicants seemed to be men.
And I -- and I went to my staff, and I said, "How come all the people for these jobs are -- are all men." They said, "Well, these are the people that have the qualifications." And I said, "Well, gosh, can't we -- can't we find some -- some women that are also qualified?"
And -- and so we -- we took a concerted effort to go out and find women who had backgrounds that could be qualified to become members of our cabinet.
I went to a number of women's groups and said, "Can you help us find folks," and they brought us whole binders full of women.
I was proud of the fact that after I staffed my Cabinet and my senior staff, that the University of New York in Albany did a survey of all 50 states, and concluded that mine had more women in senior leadership positions than any other state in America.Now one of the reasons I was able to get so many good women to be part of that team was because of our recruiting effort.
Not a true story.
What actually happened was that in 2002 -- prior to the election, not even knowing yet whether it would be a Republican or Democratic administration -- a bipartisan group of women in Massachusetts formed MassGAP to address the problem of few women in senior leadership positions in state government. There were more than 40 organizations involved with the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus (also bipartisan) as the lead sponsor.Read the whole thing from The Phoenix.
(hat tip = Balloon Juice)
The Benghazi Gaffe
Willard stepped on his dick again at the "debate" last night when he tried to pull a gotcha on Obama regarding what the administration did or didn't say about the attack on our consulate in Benghazi; and/or when they did or didn't say it, and/or what actual words they used, and/or in what combination, and/or whatever the fuck he thinks he can get away with.
It's kind of a standard play for Repubs. Whenever you're on the inside of The Bubble, you say whatever crazy shit you know the Party Faithful wanna hear, and then when you venture outside The Bubble, you can "correct the record" or you can say your comments were "taken out of context" etc etc; and sometimes you can just flat out lie.
If he says something to the Press Poodles (outside The Bubble) intended to make himself seem "moderate and non-threatening and mainstream", he can completely reverse himself once he's back inside The Bubble, knowing the rubes will either be unaware of what he said "out there", or totally understand that it's OK to lie to those Lamestream Media Assholes cuz they're a buncha evil Libruls, and we all know what's REALLY goin' on. Wink wink nudge nudge say no more.
And Willard knows it works in both directions. All you hafta do is change the phrasing a little. It's what makes the Etch-A-Sketch imagery so dead-on.
I thought it was kinda interesting though that the Repubs ran into a bit of a major snag as they went after the Benghazi thing. When they got to the part of the story that was all about what a horrible mess Obama made of providing security for places like the Benghazi Consulate, they suddenly remembered that a certain member of the Republican Majority in The US House of Representatives (a guy who happens to be the Veep Nominee, and who continues to pose for really stoopid photo ops btw) voted in favor of cutting $128 Million from Obama's request for Embassy Security.
It's kind of a standard play for Repubs. Whenever you're on the inside of The Bubble, you say whatever crazy shit you know the Party Faithful wanna hear, and then when you venture outside The Bubble, you can "correct the record" or you can say your comments were "taken out of context" etc etc; and sometimes you can just flat out lie.
If he says something to the Press Poodles (outside The Bubble) intended to make himself seem "moderate and non-threatening and mainstream", he can completely reverse himself once he's back inside The Bubble, knowing the rubes will either be unaware of what he said "out there", or totally understand that it's OK to lie to those Lamestream Media Assholes cuz they're a buncha evil Libruls, and we all know what's REALLY goin' on. Wink wink nudge nudge say no more.
And Willard knows it works in both directions. All you hafta do is change the phrasing a little. It's what makes the Etch-A-Sketch imagery so dead-on.
I thought it was kinda interesting though that the Repubs ran into a bit of a major snag as they went after the Benghazi thing. When they got to the part of the story that was all about what a horrible mess Obama made of providing security for places like the Benghazi Consulate, they suddenly remembered that a certain member of the Republican Majority in The US House of Representatives (a guy who happens to be the Veep Nominee, and who continues to pose for really stoopid photo ops btw) voted in favor of cutting $128 Million from Obama's request for Embassy Security.
It is predictable and not unreasonable for Republican nominee Mitt Romney to make an issue of the level of security at the diplomatic post. But he and his supporters are also walking a thin line, because Republicans – including Romney’s running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan – have voted to cut security funding in the budget. (Buffalo News)Oops.
Here In Post-Racial America
And while you're at it, tell me all about how the Democrats do exactly the same thing. Point me to the websites that mock Romney for anything he can't do anything about. Show me.
Oct 16, 2012
Confirming
..what we already knew - but just to be sure:
David Stockman on WIllard's "talents":
David Stockman on WIllard's "talents":
Except Mitt Romney was not a businessman; he was a master financial speculator who bought, sold, flipped, and stripped businesses. He did not build enterprises the old-fashioned way—out of inspiration, perspiration, and a long slog in the free market fostering a new product, service, or process of production. Instead, he spent his 15 years raising debt in prodigious amounts on Wall Street so that Bain could purchase the pots and pans and castoffs of corporate America, leverage them to the hilt, gussy them up as reborn “roll-ups,” and then deliver them back to Wall Street for resale—the faster the better.
The Tax Plan Explained
It's simple, really - just go to the site below and click on the button.
Romney's Tax Plan
hat tip = Democratic Underground
Romney's Tax Plan
hat tip = Democratic Underground
Gettin' It Done - 21
In some ways, violence is violence. And it doesn't matter if you're dropping bombs from 50,000 feet, or launching air-to-ground missiles from unmanned drones, or damaging the prospects of school kids by depriving them of healthcare or food or opportunity or whatever.
One way or another, we're waging war against the Iranian people. War is always about the people. We can comfort ourselves by saying we're doing these things because the Iranian government is mistreating its citizens, but the effect - the intent, in my opinion - is that we're making things hard on the people in order to move them to change their government.
What I really don't think anybody needs is for Romney to put the NeoCons back in charge, which is exactly what he'll do, given what we know about his Foreign Policy team. eg: I've seen way too much of Dan Senor lately, and it's just astounding to me that this guy even has a job now. Senor is the fucking genius who kept telling us in about 2004 or 2005 that things were going just peachy in Iraq.
Let these pricks in the door again and we're right back in the shit.
One way or another, we're waging war against the Iranian people. War is always about the people. We can comfort ourselves by saying we're doing these things because the Iranian government is mistreating its citizens, but the effect - the intent, in my opinion - is that we're making things hard on the people in order to move them to change their government.
21. Tightened Sanctions on Iran: In effort to deter Iran’s nuclear program, signed Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act (2010) to punish firms and individuals who aid Iran’s petroleum sector. In late 2011 and early 2012, coordinated with other major Western powers to impose sanctions aimed at Iran’s banks and with Japan, South Korea, and China to shift their oil purchases away from Iran.The problem is that I don't know what else we're supposed to do. There is, of course, an awful lot going on that we don't see, but while sanctions are risky, they're at least a bit less risky than goin' all Stoopid Cowboy on 'em and just shootin' the place up.
What I really don't think anybody needs is for Romney to put the NeoCons back in charge, which is exactly what he'll do, given what we know about his Foreign Policy team. eg: I've seen way too much of Dan Senor lately, and it's just astounding to me that this guy even has a job now. Senor is the fucking genius who kept telling us in about 2004 or 2005 that things were going just peachy in Iraq.
Let these pricks in the door again and we're right back in the shit.
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