NYT editorial: Mitt Romney’s Complaints

[highplainsdem]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/16/opinion/mitt-romneys-complaints.html

After three days of Mitt Romney complaining about attacks on his record at Bain Capital, it’s clear that President Obama has nothing to apologize for. If Mr. Romney doesn’t want to provide real answers to the questions about his career, he had better develop a thicker skin.

Mr. Romney’s descriptions of when he left Bain have been erratic and self-serving. In 2002, when he needed to show he was still a Massachusetts resident, he denied he had quit in 1999, saying he had taken a leave of absence to run the Olympics committee. A series of documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Committee show that Bain certainly didn’t describe him as absent after 1999.

-snip-

Mr. Obama’s campaign aides did go too far, perhaps, in suggesting Mr. Romney may have legal problems over this issue. But Mr. Obama’s criticism is fair. Mr. Romney has persistently refused to tell voters about his finances. Even now it is not clear how much money he has made from Bain in the 13 (or 10) years since he left the company.

The right way to respond to Mr. Obama is to release his tax returns from that period, or open up Bain documents. But Mr. Romney told CNN he would not release more than the one year’s return he has already released and the one for 2011 when it is finished. “That’s all that’s necessary for people to understand something about my finances,” he said. It’s not even close.

[progressivebydesign]

1. Zing! Truly, will people really vote for a guy that doesn't release more than one tax return?

I know that there is the hate-Obama voters, the Mormon voters, and the Hedge fund managers, but other than that... I think that Rmoney is already unlikable and seems underhanded, the ONE thing that guy needs is trust. And he's not exactly garnering that.

His arrogance TELLING voters that they have all they need, is going to be his undoing. What a pompous ass.

[RobertEarl]

3. Well, he is right

His releasing just a few year's records will tell voters all they need to know: He is hiding something awful!

[Sherman A1]

22. Precisely

He is applying for the job of President of the United States, I am a voter & the employer, I think I will decide just what information I need the applicant to provide, not the other way around.

[rufus dog]

2. Drip

Drip, Drip, Drip, Drip, Drip, Drip, Drip, Drip, Drip.

He is losing control of the situation very quickly.

[XemaSab]

4. That implies that he ever had control

To me it's more like he's going down the river towards the waterfall.

With every passing inch, his chances of getting control get more and more unlikely.

[rufus dog]

6. I would think many luke warm supporters are concerned

I sure as hell would be if he was the Democratic candidate.

An issue that was brought up multiple times in the primaries from a candidate who was on his second run for Presidency and his doesn't have any prepared response, would make me strongly question his ability to handle any crisis.

In my work we have contingency plans for software go live dates, hell most of the time it is partial B.S., but we have the plan prepared so when the client starts getting nervous 30 to 60 days prior to go live we can sit down and go through the plan and put the client at ease.

[amandabeech]

5. Yes, because there's no good way out of this mess.

The best he can hope for is that the jobs picture plunges after Labor Day.

[young_at_heart]

7. “That’s all that’s necessary for people"

This sounds awfully arrogant---something Donald Trump would say!

[rocktivity]

8. "Mr. Obama's campaign aides did go too far, perhaps, in suggesting Mr. Romney may

Last edited Mon Jul 16, 2012, 01:48 PM - Edit history (1)

have legal problems. But Mr. Obama’s criticism is fair."

"Perhaps?" "Suggesting?" "May?" Yet you comfortably state without a shred of doubt that "Mr. Obama’s criticism is fair"? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black, NY Times. I'll give you the same advice I've been giving Romney: Those statements can't be true simultaneously.

P.S. That's PRESIDENT Obama to you.


rocktivity

[SunSeeker]

12. The NY Times just can't shake its false equivalence tick.

That line stuck in my craw as well. Seriously, NYT, is it not a felony? Then how is it "going too far" to suggest Romney may have legal problems? Sheesh, it's like that can't factually state that Romney is a liar unless they disparage the Dems too.

[JDPriestly]

20. I wonder whether the author of that oped piece asked a Times lawyer

whether the statement that Romney could have legal problems is all that untrue. I would like to know what an expert on this might say.

[tblue]

9. Take a page out of the Repub Playbook: NEVER APOLOGIZE.

Ignore them and soldier on. That is all.

[Cali_Democrat]

10. K&R

[AynRandCollectedSS]

11. TRANSLATION:

"All the years before that I wasn't running for POTUS so I was doing all kinds of super shady shit I'm not doing now."

What an ASS!!!! This is incredibly fun to watch though.

[Flatpicker]

25. actually

"All the years before that I wasn't running for POTUS so I was doing all kinds of super shady shit I'm not doing now."

And plan on doing again as soon as I can get away with it.
If Elected President, I will retroactively legalize any shady dealings I have done in the past while opening up the era of the "New Robber Barrons".

[Quantess]

13. Obama campaign didn't go too far, from my perspective

The suggestion he committed a felony by lying to the SEC was just a tactic to make everyone look closer. It's clear he was accurate on the SEC documents, and did not appear to commit a felony that way.

[Cali_Democrat]

16. Not necessarily true. It appears Romney has committed a felony either way

Remember, if the SEC documents are true then the FEC disclosure form is false. If the FEC disclosure form is true, then the SEC documents are false.

The the SEC documents say he was still in charge of Bain. The FEC disclosure form says he retired in 1999. Both signed by Romney, but both can't be true.

If he's telling the truth on one, he's lying on the other. Either way, it appears Romney has committed a felony by lying on one of those forms.

[Quantess]

19. Obviously he's a liar.

That should be obvious to everyone.

The consequences of submitting false info to the SEC are a bit harsher, if I am understanding that correctly. I doubt he will ever be charged with a felony, but here's to hoping.

[magical thyme]

26. in which case, he apparently lied on the FEC forms and committed a felony that way

(you know, the 2011 FEC forms that state he ended involvement with Bain in 1999 when he "retroactively" retired).

[DallasNE]

14. Hey, FactCheck.Org -- Smoke This In Your Pipe

Look what happens when you inspect the available data rather than take the word of Mitt Romney at face value. Ed Gillespie inartfully attempted to explain it away by saying that Romney resigned in 2003 retroactively to 1999 (did he retroactively return his pay for those years as well?).

[Curmudgeoness]

23. I saw that "retroactive" comment too....

exactly how do you do that?

I quit, and by the way, I decided to quit 4 years ago, so there!

[DCKit]

17. I think Mittens has gone all Manopausal.

It was either buy a sensible sports car, or run for pResident.

Unfortunately for U.S......

[magical thyme]

27. MANopausal?

You owe me a new keyboard!

[Tarheel_Dem]

18. K&R

[ehrnst]

21. The same folks demanding the release of Obama's college term papers....

Are silent on this.

[Angry Dragon]

24. Willard gets scarier everyday