61 replies to this topic

[Shortpoet-GTD]

This is a companion thread to E3 wise "how rich are they guys?"

I'm inviting everyone to post links (and opinions of course) on stories about their gaffs.
Knowing the amount of gaffs I've seen so far, this thread could run into the thousands
of pages.

Santorum sticks it to military vets.
http://motherjones.c...n Article Feed)

http://firstread.msn...tinue-to-add-up

[tigerlily78]

Rick Perry insults Turkey and makes a mess for the State Department on Tuesday after suggesting the country is ruled by Islamic terrorists and questioning its NATO membership:
http://www.huffingto...1.html?ir=World

Does anyone still think this should be the guy sitting in the oval office with his finger on the big red button?

[Shortpoet-GTD]

I ran across this site, for anyone that may have forgotten how "under-educated" bushwacker was. (to put it nicely.)
https://docs.google....l5EGdJOHABK7cKw

[E3 wise]

When I am discussing elections ONLINE- I try to maintain my independent voting status by considering all side. However as a voter I am amazed by presidential and congressional politicians who think, we the voter will not find out about controversial aspects of their life.

I mean come on you are running for President of the United States for God Sakes.  Saying this I do not want it to appear I am picking on Mitt Romney or any other candidate. But tell me what you think about this story I listened to today.  Kind of helped me realize how Romney got so rich.

NPR Radio- Here and Now-90.9 WBUR Boston’s NPR- Wednesday, January 18, 2012, you can listen to the story at http://hereandnow.wb...stie-romney-tax

Why Romney Pays A 15 Percent Tax Rate

Speaking at a campaign stop in South Carolina yesterday, GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney said his tax rate  in recent years is “probably closer to 15 percent than anything,” because his “income comes overwhelmingly from investments” rather than from a salary.

Americans pay taxes on their wages and salaries and they pay a lower rate on income from investments, on dividends and capital gains.

But then there is this gray area that Mitt Romney and private equity firms take advantage of called carried interest.

Tax Treatment Of Carried Interest

“Carried interest is the way that hedge fund managers and private equity firm managers get paid when they do a deal,” Howard Gleckman of the Tax Policy Institute told Here & Now‘s Robin Young.

Gleckman says private equity firms bring in outside investors. To get in on the deals, investors pay the firms in two ways– an initial fee, and a 20 percent cut of future profits.

When the owners of private equity firms pay taxes on that compensation from the investors, they pay as if it were capital gains– so that means they are paying a top rate of no more than 15 percent.

“Ordinarily if they were paid like the rest of us in wages and salaries, they’d be paying a top rate of up to 35 percent,” he said.
Gleckman said the carried interest tax arrangement is completely legal and not uncommon.

Is Low Tax Rate Justified?

Bob McIntyre, director of Citizens for Tax Justice says carried interest is just income earned from working, and it should not be taxed differently from salary.

But supporters of the low tax rate, like Douglas Holtz-Aiken, John McCain’s former economic adviser say it’s important for capital formation, for developing new companies, that doing these investment deals is an important part of the U.S. economy and in order to do that they need high compensation.

But Gleckman points to a counter argument.

“They’re not putting their own money at risk. They’re putting someone else’s money at risk,” Gleckman said. “The idea of low capital gains taxes is you get to enjoy a low tax when you risk your own money to make an investment, that’s not what these guys are doing,” he said.

  Explanation given from Here & Now Radio Web Page

  Ordinary income: From wages, salaries and commissions. Taxed at 10 percent to 35 percent, with higher earners paying higher rates. Most Americans pay the bulk of their federal income taxes in this category.

    Investment income: From interest payments, dividends, and capital gains collected upon the sale of stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other investments owned for more than one year. Rate is 15 percent.

  Carried interest: The 20 percent share of profits that private equity firms take on investment deals. These funds are taxed as long-term capital gains, allowing managers at the firms and at hedge funds to have a large part of their income taxed at 15 percent instead of 35 percent.
From The Boston Globe And Investopedia

Shared by E3Wise

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Not only that, but he said he makes "some" money from speaking engagements but "it's not very much."
Yeah right, to him perhaps.
$300-400,00 a year just from that?
Hello?
He has no idea on how to connect with the rest of us-the working class of this country.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Caribou Barbie has endorsed newt. He said she would play a substantial role in his administration.

(a new Clint Eastwood movie- "The mean, the moronic, and the greedy.")

[E3 wise]

Ok aaa  are you serious, really, where did he say this.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

E3 wise, on 19 January 2012 - 03:06 PM, said:

Ok aaa  are you serious, really, where did he say this.

From an interview he did with Wolf Blitzer on CNN.
"It looks like Newt Gingrich is set on pandering to those "tea partiers" in South Carolina that are still fans of the
half-term Governor Sarah Palin. After Palin came close to endorsing him in the primary on Fox the previous evening,
Gingrich told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that he'd consider asking her to take "a major role in the next administration" if he's elected president.

"BLITZER: A lot of us noticed last night that Sarah Palin virtually endorsed you.
She said if she lived in South Carolina, she would probably vote for you right now, which, in my mind, and I suspect in others, immediately raised the possibility if you were to get the nomination, would she be on your short list as a potential vice presidential running mate?
GINGRICH: Well, look, I don't want to suggest anything. We haven't talked about anything at all.
Governor Palin is somebody who I think was a very good reform governor. She was extraordinarily effective negotiating with big oil. She did a good job in the state of Alaska. I think she's a very articulate leader of the Tea Party conservative movement.
I was honored and delighted last night when she said if she were in South Carolina, she would vote for Newt Gingrich. I hope everybody who likes her decides she's right, and I hope they vote for me.
Certainly, she's one of the people I would call on for advice, I would ask her to consider taking a major role in the next administration if I'm president. But nothing has been discussed of any kind, and it wouldn't be appropriate to discuss it at this time."
http://crooksandliars.com/

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Sanity on the scene-intelligence "in the house."
(about 35 minutes)
http://www.c-span.or...er/10737427331/

[E3 wise]

Romney Has Up To $32M In Offshore Accounts
Accounts May Offer Tax Breaks

Read more: http://www.theboston...l#ixzz1kI3dyc7M

[tigerlily78]

E3 wise, on 23 January 2012 - 06:07 AM, said:

Romney Has Up To $32M In Offshore Accounts
Accounts May Offer Tax Breaks

Read more: http://www.theboston...l#ixzz1kI3dyc7M

So in other words, he had a good reason to sit on his tax returns and financials as long as possible into the primary run. Good gravy, Mitt is the caffeine free diet soda of the whole pack and even he is a rat.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

You don't hear much about the double standard for ole newt either-
he was screaming "impeach clinton" cause he messed around,
the whole time he was doing the
exact same thing.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

If the winter doldrums have got you down, and you need a good laugh-
type in this sentence on twitter search-some great responses.
#RomneySecretServiceCodeName

[Shortpoet-GTD]

"Last year, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul introduced a bill in Congress that would allow states to
ban contraception if they choose.
Paul's "We the People Act," which he introduced in 2004, 2005, 2009, and 2011, explicitly forbids federal courts
and the Supreme Court of the United States from ruling on the constitutionality of a variety of state and local laws. That includes, among other things, "any claim based upon the right of privacy, including any such claim related to any issue of sexual practices, orientation, or reproduction." The bill would let states write laws forbidding abortion, the use of contraceptives, or consensual gay sex, for example."
http://motherjones.c...l-birth-control

[Shortpoet-GTD]

"Does how a man treats his dog reveal his character?
More specifically, does it signal his ability to lead the free world as president of the United States?

Dogs Against Romney protested the GOP presidential hopeful ouside the Westminster dog show in New York on
Tuesday (Feb 14).
The group is angry about Mitt Romney’s treatment of his dog during a 1983 road trip.
The group was created in 2007 when a story came out about Romney putting his Irish Setter, Seamus,
in a crate strapped to the roof of his car   for a 12-hour trip from Boston to Romney’s vacation home in Ontario, Canada.

Politicker reported two of Mr. Romney’s sons had an off-record conversation with reporters where they revealed the dog
ran away when they reached their destination. Mitt's oldest son, Tagg Romney, also noticed a
"brown liquid running down the rear window.”
Mitt pulled over at a gas station, hosed off Seamus and the car, returned the dog to his rooftop crate,
and got back on the road.
Tell us: Would you vote for a candidate who put his dog on the roof of a car for 12 hours?"
http://www.hollywood...ter-show-291402

(this could be posted under-"how greedy are these folks?" but I'm posting it here instead.)

"Rick Santorum likes to brag about how he helped a poor local company fight big, bad government
regulations on greenhouse gas emissions.
Consol Energy, the company for which Santorum was a "consultant," wasn't some bare-bones local outfit—
it's one of the largest coal mining companies in the United States, and its
largest shareholder is the German utility RWE.
And Santorum wasn't doing volunteer work: He was paid quite handsomely for his services, to the tune of $142,500 from 2010 to August 2011.

Consol donated more than $73,800 to Santorum during his time as a legislator while simultaneously spending more than $1 million lobbying Congress on pollution limits, mine reclamation, worker health benefits, and tax policy, according to lobbying disclosure forms filed with the US Senate Office of Public Records.

In the most recent congressional debate over a climate bill—the one for which Santorum "volunteered" his services—Consol spent $10.24 million on lobbying, a major increase over its lobbying expenditures in previous years. Much of that money was spent to defeat legislation to cap greenhouse gas emissions.

Greenhouse gas regulation wasn't the only area where Santorum's legislative agenda mirrored Consol's top lobbying priorities. In 2006,
Santorum authored a provision for a tax bill that would have created a tax credit for "synfuel," which included
coal bed methane, as Greenwire reported at the time. Synthfuel is made by drilling into coal seams to extract methane, a form of natural gas, and Consol is a "leading producer" of the product.

"He certainly racked up one of the most anti-environmental records in Congress in his time there," says Navin Nayak."
http://motherjones.c...um-coal-buddies

[tigerlily78]

Shortpoet-GTD, on 16 February 2012 - 05:11 AM, said:

"Does how a man treats his dog reveal his character?
More specifically, does it signal his ability to lead the free world as president of the United States?

Dogs Against Romney protested the GOP presidential hopeful ouside the Westminster dog show in New York on
Tuesday (Feb 14).
The group is angry about Mitt Romney’s treatment of his dog during a 1983 road trip.
The group was created in 2007 when a story came out about Romney putting his Irish Setter, Seamus,
in a crate strapped to the roof of his car   for a 12-hour trip from Boston to Romney’s vacation home in Ontario, Canada.

Politicker reported two of Mr. Romney’s sons had an off-record conversation with reporters where they revealed the dog
ran away when they reached their destination. Mitt's oldest son, Tagg Romney, also noticed a
"brown liquid running down the rear window.”
Mitt pulled over at a gas station, hosed off Seamus and the car, returned the dog to his rooftop crate,
and got back on the road.

After reading this story, I really felt as though Mitt could make amends is to let someone tie HIM to the top of the car and take a road trip to Canada. It really illuminates a lack of critical thinking skills in my mind. Just how did he think a dog would enjoy riding ON TOP of the car for hours?

[Shortpoet-GTD]

He must have thought the dog was a birth control salemen.

[E3 wise]

Today if you put a dog in a crate on top of your car you would be charged with animal neglect and cruelty.  Makes me think, if this guy is that much of a *%&*%$ hen he probably is just a dumb about other things also.

On the subject of Santorum, well he goes around expounding on his moral superiority, how about someone remind him that according to his religious beliefs man is suppose to be a steward of the planet, (nope missed that one) and loving your neighbor, (oops missed that one too) instead he demonizing every group who does not agree with his view of utopia.

How about we talk about the thing that got him in his last election for senator in his home state.  Using 78,000 a year of state money to send his 6 kids to private school while he only resided in the state for 6 weeks a year. All of a sudden that’s all forgotten.

Let’s get to the meat here- all these guys say they will get rid of the EPA, Department of Education, Department of Energy, Department of Interior, Clean Water & Air, Health Care and so on.  Translation-Screw all of you, helps my rich friends and oh by the way I should be your President- Little wonder opinion polls rate these guys lower than lawyers.  Ooops sorry no offense to any lawyers.

Throw all the 2012 Republican candidates into a viper pit, they walked across and never got bit, know why PROFESSIONAL  COURTESY !    How stupid are these guys? Wreck the economy, send money to the top 1% and then say well it’s all Obama’s fault we spent 2 Trillion dollars on two unfunded wars, hay hay hay, breaks for the rich, save Wall Street but well screw you average American, lose your homes, well to bad, got no job, well your just lazy, got no food, who cares, kids need health care, sorry no time got to vote myself another raise and spend your money to my lobby buddies, oh and the environment well that’s just liberals trying to destroy our country.

Sorry ranting again, honestly I am hoping for the old cold war scenario of MAD Mutually Assured Destruction, let them tear each other to pieces, cause that’s all they are good for mud slinging and money grubbing.

As an independent voter,I am with Mitts dog, I am going to run away too.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Great rant; especially-
"Throw all the 2012 Republican candidates into a viper pit, they walked across and never got bit, know why
PROFESSIONAL COURTESY ! "

[E3 wise]

How can you call for the elimination of the Department of Education for our children but still take advantage of the money federal and state government’s pay for schools.  Instead of paying for private schools for his children this is how former Senator Santorum used state money to pay for his kid’s education.  Once again how stupid do they think we are, one rule for them and another for everyone else.

School District Spent $100G on Santorum's Kids

A suburban Pittsburgh school district is reviewing whether it should be paying U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum's (search) children to use its Internet-based school, since the Pennsylvania senator and his family live in Virginia.
The Penn Hills district (search) has spent $100,000 educating the Republican's children since 2001-02, said Erin Vecchio, a school board member who requested the review.  She also is head of the local Democratic committee.
"I'm concerned because [he is] taking away from my kid.  That $100,000 ... could be going to my kids, a computer, or something," said Vecchio, who has three children enrolled in Penn Hills schools.