Mitt Romney's Florida victory speech

[JoeChalupa]

The man simply hit it out of the park, IMHO. He basically said he has the nomination in the bag and it was a positive speech and had red, white and blue written all over it.
Oh, how the tide will change after tonight. Gingrich was already toast but now he is bacon that just got burned.
Mitt has arrived.

[4>0rings]

Mitt makes my stomach turn. Epitome of 'I'll say whatever gets me elected'.

[boutons_deux]

Willard Gecko reminds me of Doonesbury cartoons depicting dubya as invisible, empty, vapid person of no substance.

[JoeChalupa]

Damn it! I am being serious. Willard is getting his groove on and tonight, IMHO, he was on message and he will begin to steam roll to the nomination.

[TheProfessor]

A little adversity for Romney may have been the best thing for him. Now he's come through it and, in part, tempered some of the criticisms that the left will be launching.

[SA210]

A phonies message full of lies is still a message, I guess.

[TDMVPDPOY]

i listened to parts of his speech, is no different to obamas first speech during his first election campaign...

why isnt he addressing the internal issues then stupid foreign policies that most americans dont give a shit about?...his playing that USA USA USA card, build up the military, dont fck with us, we the almighty country etc....fck that shit this clown is not addressing the issue of what matters to most americans, decreasing sovereign debt, jobs, education, health etc.....but he wants to build a super army, protect the values and principals of america (yeh bullshit give out in one hand, take back in the other, just look at some of the rights for the last few years thats been changing, so much for a constitution when the govt is slowly taking away the rights ppl enjoy)

[SnakeBoy]

why isnt he addressing the internal issues then stupid foreign policies that most americans dont give a shit about?...his playing that USA USA USA card, build up the military, dont fck with us, we the almighty country etc....fck that shit this clown is not addressing the issue of what matters to most americans, decreasing sovereign debt, jobs, education, health etc.....but he wants to build a super army, protect the values and principals of america (yeh bullshit give out in one hand, take back in the other, just look at some of the rights for the last few years thats been changing, so much for a constitution when the govt is slowly taking away the rights ppl enjoy)

Thanks for the summary of Ron Pauls speech.

[Nbadan]

With Mitt's win, I wonder if anyone has told the tea baggers that they have become persona non grata in the GOP.

[boutons_deux]

How Bain's Lobbying Saved Mitt Millions

Romney should think twice before setting his sights on the former speaker's lobbying-related past. That's because the ex-governor has benefited handsomely from the influence-peddling of Bain Capital, the private equity firm he cofounded in 1983. Though he's been gone from Bain for over a decade, Romney continues to rake in millions from accounts with the firm—and in 2007, he took Bain's side in a key lobbying battle with Washington—one that saved him millions of dollars.

2007, as it turns out, was something of a watershed for private equity lobbying: In that year, lobbying expenditures for the industry practically tripled. The spike was the result of an industry-wide effort to preserve a number of tax giveaways for the finance industry and its CEOs—including the carried interest rule, a tax loophole that allows Romney and other private equity mavens to reduce their taxes by millions of dollars. Carried interest refers to the commission that private equity and hedge fund executives receive for managing investors' money. Although commissions may seem like ordinary income to the rest of us, the carried interest loophole allows some money managers to claim this income as long-term capital gains, which are taxed at a rate much lower (15 percent) than the top tax rate for normal income (35 percent).

Romney was asked what he thought of the effort to close the loophole. He wasn't happy. "I want people to be able to save their money and invest in America's economy tax-free," Romney said. "I want to lower taxes. I want to lower marginal rates across the board. I want to lower taxes for corporations," he told Kudlow.

Bain was doing its part to make Romney's vision a reality. The firm spent $300,000 between August of 2007 and April of 2008 lobbying the House and Senate on bills that threatened the carried interest loophole. Along with other private equity titans like Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Apollo Management, Bain and its ilk paid lobbying shops, public relations firms, and trade groups like Ogilvy and the Private Equity Growth Capital Council an estimated $15 million between January 2009 and April 2010 to convince lawmakers to keep the loophole alive. The force of those combined lobbying efforts kept the carried interest loophole wedged open, denying the federal government some $10 billion in revenues in the process. "Everyone who has looked at this boondoggle [of carried interest] thinks it's an egregious giveaway," Jacob Hacker, the co-author (with Paul Pierson) of Winner-Take-All Politics, says. "It still lives because of the lobbying of the industry, and in particular the PEGCC."

From 1998 to 2006, private equity and investment firms spent $3 million a year lobbying Congress, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Bain got into the game in 2007, registering with prominent Washington lobbying firms Public Strategies, Inc. and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. To date, Bain has paid some $3 million to these firms to make sure corporate taxes stay low and CEOs remain fat and happy.

http://motherjones.com/politics/2012/01/bain-lobbying-saved-mitt-romney-millions

=========

The Rich Are Different From You And Me. They corrupt Congress to protect and increase their wealth and their power to corrupt.

[JoeChalupa]

Willard will now receive Secret Service protection which he'll relish in.

[cheguevara]

I would agree with the premise of this thread except he didn't beat anyone.

The GOP candidates beat themselves and were also beat by the media. Not to mention Mittens had to spend 16 million dollars in 1 state :lol

Now let's take a look, Florida has 50 delegates, that's $300,000 per delegate :lol

If ppl don't start warming up to Mittens, we could see him spending over $300 million just to advance and then get a beatdown by the $1 billion dollar negro :lmao

[TDMVPDPOY]

someone needs to explain to me why does the campaign costs fkn money, when all these idiots are on annual taxpayer salaries in their state? this is fcked up with the all money they get from donations and not spending a dollar, what happens to it? funnel to offschore accounts?

[cheguevara]

They cannot just take that money and spend it on buying a house or boat. But they can pretty much expense everything while they "campaign". That is why Pizza Man Cain had to be dragged kicking and screming out of the race, he was having a good time.

After they are out of the race, they can either donate it to charity or keep it for future elections.

But those totals also account for Super PACS. you gonna have to google that shit...

[boutons_deux]

Rich Patrons Are Major Source of Romney’s Cash

Millions of dollars came from financial industry executives, including Mr. Romney’s former colleagues at Bain Capital, who contributed a total of $750,000; senior executives at Goldman Sachs, who contributed $385,000; and some of the most prominent and politically active Republicans in the hedge fund world, three of whom gave $1 million each: Robert Mercer of Renaissance Technologies; Paul Singer of Elliott Management, and Julian Robertson of Tiger Management.

Harlan Crow, the Texas construction magnate, gave $300,000 personally and through his company. William Koch, whose brothers Charles and David are among the country’s most prominent backers of conservative causes, gave $1 million personally or through Oxbow Carbon, the energy company he founded. Members of the Walton family, founders of the Walmart chain, gave over $200,000, while Bob Perry — a wealthy home builder who has long been the top patron of Mr. Romney’s erstwhile rival, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas — chipped in $500,000 in early December.

But as Mr. Romney sailed to an overwhelming victory in Florida’s primary on Tuesday night, fund-raising documents filed by President Obama showed the kind of financial juggernaut he will face if he becomes his party’s nominee: Mr. Obama reported raising a total of $140 million in 2011, far eclipsing the $57 million Mr. Romney raised for his campaign for the year.

Over all, the leading Republican independent expenditure groups raised more than four times as much money as their Democratic counterparts in the first phase of the 2012 campaign, underscoring the intense thirst of major Republican donors to turn Mr. Obama out of the White House and win control of the Senate next year. The two biggest Republican independent expenditure groups, American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS, raised a total of $51 million through Dec. 31. Restore Our Future and super PACs backing Mr. Gingrich and Mr. Perry raised roughly $38 million more.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/01/us/politics/campaign-finance-reports-show-super-pac-donors.html?_r=2&hp

The American Corporatocracy at work, owning or trying to own the Exec, Legislative, and SCOTUS. There's no stopping it.

[Winehole23]

They cannot just take that money and spend it on buying a house or boat. But they can pretty much expense everything while they "campaign". That is why Pizza Man Cain had to be dragged kicking and screming out of the race, he was having a good time.Pizza man withdrew of his own accord. He lacked the $$$ and the political organization to continue. Plus he couldn't fade the heat. Cain wilted under the media heat lamp.

[Winehole23]

In Herman Cain's case the run for president was more a ruse to sell books than anything else. I feel sorry for his supporters.

[elbamba]

someone needs to explain to me why does the campaign costs fkn money, when all these idiots are on annual taxpayer salaries in their state? this is fcked up with the all money they get from donations and not spending a dollar, what happens to it? funnel to offschore accounts?

Neither Romney, Santorum or Gingrich are collecting salaries from the states. Only Paul and Obama have tax payer funded jobs at the moment. Huntsman and Cain were not in government jobs either during their run at the presidency.

[elbamba]

The man simply hit it out of the park, IMHO. He basically said he has the nomination in the bag and it was a positive speech and had red, white and blue written all over it.
Oh, how the tide will change after tonight. Gingrich was already toast but now he is bacon that just got burned.
Mitt has arrived.

I that the speech was fine. Romney needs to lay out an agressive agenda for his first 6 months in office now. Rhetoric will always be present in politics and its great for the early primaries, but if he wants to be the frontrunner, he needs to show us what we are really voting for. I would lay out an agenda for my first 180 days in office if I were Romney within the next two weeks. (Before the next debate)

[cheguevara]

Pizza man withdrew of his own accord. He lacked the $$$ and the political organization to continue. Plus he couldn't fade the heat. Cain wilted under the media heat lamp.

LOL right. Every other day a new hoe came out against him. Right, he did it kicking and screaming with the Media's guns pointed at him.

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

I would agree with the premise of this thread except he didn't beat anyone.

The GOP candidates beat themselves and were also beat by the media. Not to mention Mittens had to spend 16 million dollars in 1 state :lol

Now let's take a look, Florida has 50 delegates, that's $300,000 per delegate :lol

If ppl don't start warming up to Mittens, we could see him spending over $300 million just to advance and then get a beatdown by the $1 billion dollar negro :lmao
For whatever reason cheg's political forum posts always crack me up :lmao

[cheguevara]

cause its the truf nigga

[Winehole23]

Neither Romney, Santorum or Gingrich are collecting salaries from the states.All surely accrued benefits while in office that will pay off someday.

Also Fannie and Freddie made Newt Gingrich the world's best paid historian, not too long ago.

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

It's also amazing how winning Iowa makes a candidate way more relevant than he ever woulda been. There's no fuckin way Santorum is still in the race if he doesn't surprisingly win Iowa, it's like how Mike Huckabee went from being a dark horse to a top 3 candidate just because he won Iowa.

[Winehole23]

LOL right. Every other day a new hoe came out against him. Right, he did it kicking and screaming with the Media's guns pointed at him.Other candidates were able to brave it out longer. Some of them are still braving it out despite the multitude of media guns pointed at them. Herman Cain wilted.

[cheguevara]

Other candidates were able to brave it out longer. Some of them are still braving it out despite the multitude of media guns pointed at them. Herman Cain wilted.

I didn't see any other candidate being accussed of sexual misconduct and even assault by multiple sources.

truth is nobody in the GOP leadership wanted the black man to represent them. They pulled out the black man's kryptonite early on to make him dissapear. Ain't no kryptonite to a black man like a blonde white woman

[Winehole23]

that's not the media's fault. that's Herman Cain's fault. he should've kept his hands to himself, or on his wife instead.

[cheguevara]

Herman Cain drops out and the accussers dissappear. What happen to the harrassment suits?? They also dissappeared.

[Winehole23]

all dropped? got a link on that?

[cheguevara]

dropped? not sure but they dissapeared from the airwaves. What happened to the press conferences their lawyer had daily?

[Winehole23]

no longer necessary

[cheguevara]

chicken vs. egg problem

[Winehole23]

Cain's difficulty remembering the settlements isn't a chicken/egg dilemma. Had difficulty telling a straight tale, tbh.

The accusations against him may have been scurrilous, but the way Cain handled them did not reflect well on him.

[elbamba]

All surely accrued benefits while in office that will pay off someday.

Also Fannie and Freddie made Newt Gingrich the world's best paid historian, not too long ago.

agreed.

[Winehole23]

(burp)

[Th'Pusher]

In Herman Cain's case the run for president was more a ruse to sell books than anything else. I feel sorry for his supporters.

The cracka for Cain?

[Winehole23]

sure, why not? Yoni's confidence in Cain was as misplaced as anyone else's. Maybe even more.

[cheguevara]

I liked Cain as a human being and gentleman. Yeah he fucked a few hoes on the side, so did JFK and Clinton. I just didn't like his as president.

Then again how the fuck W got to be president defies all logic and reason IMO.

Nevermind, just remembered Dubya had Bush Sr., Rove and the neocons behind him. Cain had the guy that smoked the cigarrette and crackas for Cain.

[JohnnyMarzetti]

Now Mitt is going after Bachman's endorsement like that means anything.

[Wild Cobra]

Now Mitt is going after Bachman's endorsement like that means anything.
Maybe he needs to screw interns to get more votes. It sure helped Clinton's popularity!

[4>0rings]

Now Mitt is going after Bachman's endorsement like that means anything.
It makes sense in that he's trying to shore up the conservative vote since he's deemed a moderate.