Mitt Romney and the Utah Olympics? Anything on this that can take him down?

[MyUncle]

Full disclosure I love the Olympics, always have, always will.

That said, I was not paying close attention to the Utah games - I had moved to Hawaii the year before was in the midst of a crazy job, young family, new place to live etc. I kind of missed them.

Is there something we can hang on Romney with those games? His big claims are Governor, Bain and the Olympics. The first two are not going well for him, I want to pile on and make it 3 for 3.

Any help?

[TlalocW]

1. Once, during a confusing meeting

He drank caffeinated coffee! Bum bum bummmmmmmm!

I got nothin'.

TlalocW

[enough]

2. There is that amazing video of him explaining to some Olympic committee that he knows how to

"leverage" money by getting all the federal dollars that are miraculously available for this. It's truly superb. Free money from the government, and lots of it. I assume the Obama campaign is saving it for later on, maybe October. It's devastating. Sorry I don't know where I saw it, but it was in the context of beating Romney. Perhaps it was going around during the primaries.

[braddy]

3. I don't have an easy talking point,

but it was an all Mormon situation, which means that a high ranking Stake President (Romney) a Mormon State, and government, and mostly Mormon crooks, and a Mormon Prophet to pull strings and threaten excommunication, may have given Mitt a helping hand in a ready made situation for looking brilliant.

Also the video of him bragging about all the federal dollars that he used to solve it dumps cold water on his story.

[beac]

4. He commissioned pro-America pins for it and

had them made in China:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014112639

[liberalmuse]

5. All I know...

Having lived in Utah at the time, is that Romney was involved in an Olympic scandal and was raked through the coals in the Mormon newspapers (SL Trib, Deseret News). Unfortunately, I don't know the details other than he was involved in some pretty shady deals - after all, he is a very shady character without an ounce of scruples. I'd advose Googling it for the details. IMHO, he is the most despicable Republican candidate so far in my lifetime. If you think Republicans have a bottom of the barrel as far as POS to run as candidates, you will be sorely disillusioned. He wasn't very well regarded in 2002-2003 in SLC, but the Mormons will support their own, no matter what - through child rape and animal abuse - which should come as no surprise. Most religions will defend the worst amongst them to the death - it's what they do. The Republicans and other institutions of this dubious ilk will always support their own.

[Common Sense Party]

10. You're 180-degrees wrong. Romney was NOT involved in an Olympic scandal.

He came in AFTER the scandals and supposedly cleaned house and got the budgets back on track--which, of course, means he squeezed the U.S. taxpayer for every billion he could and he got his corporate fatcat buddies to pony up. In Utah he is revered as the "savior" of the 2002 Olympics.

[ThoughtCriminal]

6. The Religious Fundies had a hissie fit about free condoms

given to athletes. I doubt it connects to Romney at all though.

[struggle4progress]

7. Salt Lake City Olympics earmarks a double-edged sword for Romney

By Michael Isikoff, NBC News

Mitt Romney oversaw a wide-ranging lobbying campaign to snare tens of millions of dollars in federal earmarks for the Salt Lake City Olympic Games at a time critics were charging the games had become a prime example of out-of-control “pork barrel” spending, according to Senate lobbying records ...

... Romney has portrayed himself as an uncompromising fiscal conservative and criticized Santorum for being a “strong defender” of federal earmarks. “Look, I’m in favor of a ban on earmarks,” Romney said during a recent interview on Sean Hannity’s television show. “I think spending in Washington is out of control.”

But Senate lobbying records show that the Salt Lake City Olympics Committee under Romney spent $3.5 million employing five lobbying firms in addition to its own in-house lobbying shop. Among their goals: winning federal earmarks that included $60 million for "perimeter" security; $15.8 million for "international sporting competitions"; $3 million for an extension of a Salt Lake City light rail project; as well as millions more for communications equipment, sewer projects and other programs aimed at supporting the Olympics ...

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/18/10444876-salt-lake-city-olympics-earmarks-a-double-edged-sword-for-romney?lite

[enough]

8. Here's an DNC ad from February that deals with some of this:

http://thehill.com/video/campaign/211355-new-dnc-ad-hits-romney-over-olympics-leadership

I'm sure we'll be hearing about this as time goes on.

[graywarrior]

9. More luck investigating the Big Dig in Boston.

[Wellstone ruled]

11. George Bush cut a U.S. Taxpayer Check for about 3.5 billion make this look good on his watch

Don't forget about the ties between the Bushees and the Mormons. Long history of crooked deals and land thefts.

[dimbear]

12. Serious question. Anybody get prosecuted for all the bribery stuff?

If not, shouldn't Mittens have done something?

[MyUncle]

13. Keep it coming all.

Sometimes DU needs to lead the various Dems of Power to the emotional hot buttons and the TRUTH.

All hands on deck, bring the ammunition, pile on, bring it.

[yellowcanine]

14. Other than the fact that he used the Federal teat to spend lots of money?

No, nothing there. Move on.