What is there to hide?
Is it possible that Mitt Romney may not have paid taxes for 10 years?
The Huffington Post is reporting that, according to Senator Harry Reid, Mitt Romney may not have paid any taxes for ten years and that may be the reason why Romney has only released one complete year of taxes.
According a Bain investor, Reid charged, Romney didn’t pay any taxes for 10 years.
Saying he had “no problem with somebody being really, really wealthy,” Reid sat up in his chair a bit before stirring the pot further. A month or so ago, he said, a person who had invested with Bain Capital called his office.
“Harry, he didn’t pay any taxes for 10 years,” Reid recounted the person as saying.
“He didn’t pay taxes for 10 years! Now, do I know that that’s true? Well, I’m not certain,” said Reid. “But obviously he can’t release those tax returns. How would it look?
If this is true, it’s no wonder Romney wouldn’t want to release his tax returns. It’s kind of hard to relate to middle America if you don’t pay any taxes at all.
Mitt Romney campaign: “Kiss my ass. Show some respect.”
Mitt Romney’s traveling Press Secretary Rick Gorka cursed at frustrated reporters today after they questioned Mitt Romney in a public plaza near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw, CNN reports:
As Romney made his way to his vehicle, reporters attempted to shout questions to the candidate. The former Massachusetts governor, who has answered only three questions from his traveling press corps during a week-long overseas trip, ignored the queries.
CNN’s transcript:
NN: “Governor Romney are you concerned about some of the mishaps of your trip?
NYT: “Governor Romney do you have a statement for the Palestinians?
Washington Post: “What about your gaffes?
NYT: “Governor Romney do you feel that your gaffes have overshadowed your foreign trip?”
CNN: “Governor Romney just a few questions sir, you haven’t taken but three questions on this trip from the press!
Gorka: “Show some respect”
NYT: “We haven’t had another chance to ask a question…”
Gorka: “Kiss my ass. This is a Holy site for the Polish people. Show some respect.”
Shortly thereafter, Gorka told Politico reporter Jonathan Martin to “shove it.”
Mitt Romney’s distortions made clear
Excellent ad showing how Mitt Romney will say and twist anything to get elected.
Mitt Romney’s UK trip now #RomneyShambles
So, Mitt Romney “International Statesman?”…
Mitt Romney – no love in London
Mitt Romney is not making a very good showing on the world stage as he is currently traveling to London, then on to Poland and Israel.
Mitt made quite the splash when he suggested that perhaps London wasn’t prepared for the Olympic Games, which start tomorrow:
“You know, it’s hard to know just how well it will turn out. There are a few things that were disconcerting, the stories about the private security firm not having enough people, supposed strike of the immigration and customs officials, that obviously is not something which is encouraging,” he said in an interview with NBC’s Brian Williams. He later tried to clarify his remarks, saying he was “delighted with the prospects of a highly successful Olympic Games.”
But the damage had been done, and it wasn’t long before Prime Minister Cameron gave a back-hand to Romney’s tenure as chief executive of the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics: “We are holding an Olympic Games in one of the busiest, most active, bustling cities anywhere in the world. Of course it’s easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere.”
Then, today, London Mayor Boris Johnson brought up the Romney comment again in front of a massive crowd: “There are some people who are coming from around the world who don’t yet know about all the preparations we’ve done to get London ready in the last seven years. There’s a guy called Mitt Romney who wants to know whether we are ready. Are we ready?”
Go going Mittens.
British Prime Minister David Cameron on marriage equality
CNN reports that British Prime Minister David Cameron held a special dinner for LGBT activists at his official residence, and made remarks that reaffirmed his much-publicized support for marriage equality — just one day before meeting with Mitt Romney.
“I think marriage is a great institution – I think it helps people to commit, it helps people to say that they’re going to care and love for another person,” Cameron said at the dinner. “It helps people to put aside their selfish interests and think of the union that they’re forming. It’s something I feel passionately about and I think if it’s good enough for straight people like me, it’s good enough for everybody and that’s why we should have gay marriage and we will legislate for it.”
Cameron has also argued that conservative ideology inherently supports marriage equality, saying last October, “Conservatives believe in the ties that bind us; that society is stronger when we make vows to each other and support each other. So I don’t support gay marriage despite being a Conservative. I support gay marriage because I’m a Conservative.”
I’m wondering if Mitt Romney will now question if Cameron is a true conservative…?
Via Towleroad
2012 Presidential debate formats & dates announced
The Commission on Presidential Debates announced dates, times, locations and formats of this election cycles debates. They will be as follows:
First presidential debate (October 3, 2012, University of Denver, Denver, CO)
The debate will focus on domestic policy and be divided into six time segments of approximately 15 minutes each on topics to be selected by the moderator and announced several weeks before the debate. The moderator will open each segment with a question, after which each candidate will have two minutes to respond. The moderator will use the balance of the time in the segment for a discussion of the topic.
Vice presidential debate (October 11, 2012, Centre College, Danville, KY)
The debate will cover both foreign and domestic topics and be divided into nine time segments of approximately 10 minutes each. The moderator will ask an opening question, after which each candidate will have two minutes to respond. The moderator will use the balance of the time in the segment for a discussion of the question.
Second presidential debate (October 16, 2012, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY)
The second presidential debate will take the form of a town meeting, in which citizens will ask questions of the candidates on foreign and domestic issues. Candidates each will have two minutes to respond, and an additional minute for the moderator to facilitate a discussion. The town meeting participants will be undecided voters selected by the Gallup Organization.
Third presidential debate (October 22, Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL)
The format for the debate will be identical to the first presidential debate and will focus on foreign policy.
All debates will be moderated by a single individual and will take place from 9:00-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time. There will be no opening statements and two-minute closing statements in all the debates. In all the debates except town meeting, the CPD recommends that the candidates be seated at a table with the moderator. Moderators will be selected and announced in August.
Mitt Romney wrongly claims Colorado shooter illegally obtained weapons
Mitt Romney gets it wrong – again.
Earlier today, Mitt claimed that alleged gunman in the Aurora, Colorado massacare, James Holmes, illegally obtained his weapons, when in fact Holmes legally purchased the firearms through various national gun chains.
According to a transcript of an interview that will air Wednesday night on NBC Nightly News, the presidential candidate said “it was illegal for him to have many of those [weapons] already,” and suggested that stronger gun laws would not have prevented the tragedy. Instead, Romney claimed that the way to deal with such senseless violence is by “changing the heart of the American people”:
ROMNEY: Well this person shouldn’t have had any kind of weapons and bombs and other devices and it was illegal for him to have many of those things already. But he had them. And so we can sometimes hope that just changing the law will make all bad things go away. It won’t. Changing the heart of the American people may well be what’s essential, to improve the lots of the American people.
In fact, 24-year-old Holmes legally purchased every firearm, bullet, and piece of tactical gear that he used for the attack, according to local law enforcement. He bought most of it over the Internet. The laws of the US made it all possible and legal.
Via ThinkProgress
Campaign ad: “Mitt Romney’s Gold”
A bit cheeky, but at least it’s done with a bit of humor in the tone of the ad. This election cycle has needed some humor for a while…