Andrew Sullivan: Romney's Got Nothing

[babylonsister]

http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/07/romneys-got-nothing.html


Romney's Got Nothing
Andrew Sullivan

snip//


My italics. He had "no role with regards to" Bain Capital after February 1999 (a very broad statement) - except for being the CEO, and repeatedly returning to Massachusetts for board meetings of Bain-owned companies, which he "attended by telephone if I could not return".

A false SEC filing is a serious offense; to say so is not disgusting. So is potential perjury in 2002 when Romney detailed his continued involvement in Bain-owned enterprises in the period he retained the CEO title and now says he had nothing whatsoever to do with Bain. The SEC filing rules apply to everyone - except, it seems, to Romney, and his well-paid legal and accounting team. They may have so internalized this immunity from any accountability that Romney may indeed genuinely feel disgusted by being called to follow the normal rules, or called out on logical inconsistencies.

I'm getting the feeling that Romney thinks he is above the level of accountability required in a presidential candidate or even in an average ethical businessman. He seems genuinely offended to be directly challenged with facts - which he still won't address or rebut in detail. So he simply huffs and puffs and uses words like "disgusting" for a perfectly valid charge in the big boy world of presidential politics.

This does not seem to me to be like a candidate ready for prime time.

[pnwmom]

1. K & R.

[roguevalley]

7. thanks for this, babylonsister and may I say ...

HOLY GOD! 240,000+ POSTS! BRAVO! That is a full time job.

[grasswire]

2. Romney uses the Bush 41 model when responding

Remember?

Bush would get huffy, and snooty. Then Bar would step in and chastise those who would dare to criticize or ask questions.

[MustBeTheBooz]

9. Yes!

And it was "disgusting" politics then!

You're the candidate! Just answer the question! Be honest! Why is that so hard?

Must the booze.

[sandyshoes17]

3. He thinks he's above any responsibility

To ride around in a State Trooper uniform and not be afraid of being caught, or not caring because he is above everyone and can do what he likes. There is something very wrong with this man.

[xtraxritical]

28. I think he will be taking responsibility for the SEC filings, they got him cold. See for yourself..

Here's the actual filings...

http://sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1429909/000118143108045134/0001181431-08-045134-index.htm

[enough]

4. A humdinger. (nt)

[JDPriestly]

5. There are no qualified, reasonably attractive Republican contenders.

Never were. No possibles.

Either their English is horrible or they are without personality or their economic theories make no sense or they are clearly corrupt and then there is McConnell, Boehner, and the even more hateful bunch in Congress. All of the fairly normal people have been chased out of the running. Gingrich? A has-been who did not treat his wives very well. Michelle Bachmann of the crazy eyes? Huntsman -- might have sold to independents and Democrats but no one knows him and the Republican base would find him far to dull and normal. And besides, ambassador to China? Any tie to China would be a problem.

Honestly, it's a pitiful bunch. There just aren't any possibilities. Haven't been for years. GWBush was a terrible choice.

[FiveGoodMen]

6. "GWBush was a terrible choice"

For America, yes.

For those plutocrats that backed him, no.

[Jessy169]

8. No room for sanity in the Republican Party

Since the religious right took over the Republican Party and legions of other kooks followed, reason has become treason and lies have become facts. No Republican politician dares to step out of line or hint at compromise for fear of reprisal. There is something very pathological about the Republican Party today, and Mitt is the perfect face for all the dysfunctionality.

[Iggy]

22. 999!!!!

FREE cheese pizza for everyone! now excuse me while I get a BJ from this attractive....

[Rosanna Lopez]

10. Good for Andrew Sullivan

Good to see someone in the media calling Romney out, since John King, David Gergen and Anderson Cooper certainly aren't willing to do it on CNN.

I just Tweeted the link to Andrew's column, not that I spend a lot of time on Twitter or have a lot of followers. . .

https://twitter.com/RosannaLopez101/status/223973985661100032

[steve2470]

11. k&r nt

[maddiemom]

12. I certainly don't support Romney, the empty suit...

But not to split hairs, if he earned ONLY $100,000 in 1992, he wasn't actually doing any work for Bain. This would be pocket change for a CEO in a similar company. I'm sure he doesn't think of it as any more than a stipend. It 's probably not even anything he considered at the time he was involved with the Olympics. Check in at a board meeting once in a while? Sure, but was he being paid? Something he probably didn't even think about, or notice the $100,000.

[Samantha]

13. I believe I read that does not include a "return" on his investments

And that latter part is the key.

Sam

[mary195149]

14. That's not necessarily true,

I believe it was on Lawrence O'Donnell Show last night, that it was at least $100,000, but the pay could of actually been in the millions.
If you look at the form, that states the pay, it does says minimum of $100,000.

[NYC Liberal]

15. I believe the form said "$100,000+"

[mary195149]

16. I believe you are right.

But we won't know the real amount of pay unless he releases his tax returns. And we know that's not going to happen.

[wilt the stilt]

26. no it was at least $100,000 n/t

[Rosanna Lopez]

17. It isn't the money that's the main issue

It's the constant lying, evasion, secrecy, coverups and contradictory statements.

It demonstrates a lack of character and a lack of honesty.

[muriel_volestrangler]

19. Yeah - he seemed to have had a consistent line up to 2002, anyway

which was that he held the chairman, president and CEO positions, and worked part-time there, having a say in investment and major personnel decisions, but spent a lot of his time on the Olympics; he got paid something for this work, but perhaps not as much as when he was full-time. Which, if the rest of the company was OK with that, would be fine.

But at some time since, he's decided something happened at Bain between 1999 and 2002 from which he needs to distance himself. And so he's now lying about what he did in that period.

[magical thyme]

20. that's true at the moment

but the moment he releases his tax returns and we see the money, I'm willing to bet the money *also* becomes a major issue. The income from Bain between 1999 and 2002 proving his ties and lies. The taxes he paid. The taxes he didn't pay. The reality of the various and sundry loopholes he uses.

And whatever else it is he is trying so desperately to hide.

[BREMPRO]

18. it's another "kick in the gut" for Romney!

hate that stupid bully phrase, but somehow it seems to fit his current situation lol!!

[Iggy]

21. We've Know This for Years:

GOP'ers are cheaters and liars.

again, the fact this is a close race says wayyyy more about the character of the people supporting
Rmoney than it does Rmoney himself

[bucolic_frolic]

23. What's Mitt Afraid Of?

He's afraid of releasing his tax returns. And he knows it, and now
everyone else does too.

Mitt is hiding his sorry greedy privileged life from all Americans.

There must be a reason.

What's Mitt Romney Afraid Of?

What's Mitt Romney Afraid Of?

What's Mitt Romney Afraid Of?

Go tell it on the mountain! Repeat it again and again.

[PATRICK]

24. Like any citizen

Romney is entitled not to incriminate himself. He can take the fifth, stonewall finacial disclosure. But when he made those public statements and claims he opened the door to criminal prosecution and that does not matter for someone who would be POTUS???

Evidence locked away is not speculative or conspiracy to those who barred from it. The evidence one way or another exists and many public statements and claims made about it do reflect the willingness of Romney to let the public know the basis of his claim.

The principles he invokes at the line drawn in the self-incrimination sand are noble but trivial if he hopes to gain the presidency. The evidence, the public must suspect, weighs heavily as a bigger problem in itself than those unconvincing weak tea principles.

A bigger deal than a birth certificate at least. Maybe we should "forge" some likely versions of the Bain info withheld information and disseminate those to the denied public.

[66 dmhlt]

25. Sullivan has been doing a MASTERFUL job of detailing Baingate

[Wellstone ruled]

27. The real story is

how anyone whom questions Willard the Rat about any of his dealings,are attacked immediate and harshly. Typical Rove and company response. Remember who is behind the curtain. Same old sh*t just a new day. Media won't challenge this Turkey,for fear of a Dan Rather moment. Friggen cowards.