01 August 2012

Mitt Romney: tax evader, family ruiner, what next?

While the campaign is getting more and more heated, the "do and don't do" envelope of moral and legal limits of what is possible to say about your opponent seems to be getting more and more flexible.

So, the example below joins many others:

Saying he had "no problem with somebody being really, really wealthy," Reid sat up in his chair a bit before stirring the pot further. A month or so ago, he said, a person who had invested with Bain Capital called his office.

"Harry, he didn't pay any taxes for 10 years," Reid recounted the person as saying.
That a senior politician and public figure behaves like a gossip column writer should be, probably, taken by us in our stride.

Just like the following story:
A 40-year-old Tennessee man accused of domestic assault allegedly became enraged when he saw a picture of a strange man on his girlfriend's Facebook page and suspected she was planning an affair - he apparently didn't recognize presidential hopeful Mitt Romney.

Lowell Turpin, 40, "angrily demanded to know who the male was," according to a police report cited by the Knoxville News Sentinel.

When she told him, he allegedly grabbed her laptop and smashed it into a wall, then punched her, the police report says.
There is a difference between the two protagonists of these stories, though. The second one remains in the nick, for now at least. The first one is getting more and more press.

I fully expect to hear how young Romney led a gang of notorious cattle rustlers. According to one of Mr. Reid's friends.

And this is the way it goes.

29 comments:

KatieNorcross said...

When you have nothing to really run on, when you're President and all you can say is that I gave you a monstrosity known as Healthcare, when all you're President and the economy is sinking faster than the Titanic then your only tactic left is smearing your opponent.

Dick Stanley said...

I heard that Harry Reid is a pederast. Now I admit it may be just a rumor. But, really, it's time for Reid to address this burning issue: Does he or does he not seek out little boys for erotic experiences? Inquiring minds want to know, Harry.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

So far the polls show he is in the lead...

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Now that's an excellent question.

shaun downey said...

I can't speak for Romney's trip to Israel but he was an embarrassment in the UK

Rob Miller said...

No, he wasn't. It was the UK's press and politicians who embarrassed themselves:

http://joshuapundit.blogspot.com/2012/07/mitt-and-brits-open-letter-to-uk.html

SnoopyTheGoon said...

I would try to stay in the middle between you and Rob, by saying that whatever were Romney gaffes, they were vastly overblown by the press.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

That too, but there were gaffes on both sides. Instead of trying to pass over them (as the British press would have done for Obama), the press got their undies in total disorder.

man said...

I'm pretty sure we are left trying to choose the lesser of two evils. I'm not sure I can handle much more of Obama's change so I guess I'll have to settle with religious wingnuts driving policy for a few years. I'm not sure the economy and foreign policy can handle much more of the other guy. I do find it rather curious that's Reid's random source and investor at Bain Capitol would know so much about tax avoidance and share that information with Mr. Reid for free... I wonder what type of transaction occurred there... Also, how did an investor know so much about Mr. Romney's taxes for the last ten years and why is the information important now? Hmm...

man said...

This of course is the unfortunate reality of a Democratic Republic... You see any one can vote in such a society regardless of their ethics, education, or motivations. The joys of the real world.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Exactly. And why the info became so handy right now for Mr. Reid.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

No one said that democracy is perfect, it is just that there is no other replacement, unless you count the glorious communist society... but we have already been there.

Dick Stanley said...

Reid is a thief and the dominant Democrat media is ignoring it.


http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/147904/

Dick Stanley said...

What's the old line? Democracy is the worst system in the world. Except for all the others.

Dick Stanley said...

Which polls? Depends on which ones and how you read them. Obozo's lead is razor-thin even in the polls that favor him, some of which are notoriously Democrat-weighted. One poll I saw on Drudge says Romney is 20 points ahead among white voters and white voters, ahem, are the majority.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

I remember seeing one a few days ago. Fox or somewhere...

SnoopyTheGoon said...

That is the one.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Thank goodness for the elections. Lots of stuff gets out in the open...

Stan said...

Ah, but Romney can show that Reid is a complete liar so easily. He just has to show his tax returns.

Stan

Stan said...

I am a compulsive poll watcher. The national poll is meaningless. I don't even bother to look at it. The election will be decided in the following states.
Ohio
Virginia
North Carolina
Florida
Colorado
Nevada
New Hamphire
Iowa

As the polls look now, Obama is ahead in all of those states except North Carolina. It is very close in Virginia and Florida, but Romney has to win Virginia, Ohio, Florida, and North Carolina to have a shot. I'm not saying that it won't happen, but if the election were held today, Obama would win regardless of who won the national vote count.
Stan

Dick Stanley said...

Let's see Reid's tax returns. Then, maybe, we can find out how he has $10 million in assets on a measly $193,000 annual income.

Dick Stanley said...

Yep, that's the narrative. Doesn't make it true, of course. OTOH, if people really want four more years of high unemployment and higher taxes, Obozo is their man.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

I am not sure this is the way, Stan. What will come next? Say Reid claims that Romney is impotent. What does Romney show then?

There are procedures re suspected tax evaders Reid should follow, if his claims are true. He doesn't, it looks like.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

I can only bow to your knowledge, Stan, myself being ignorant of America's elections structure...

Stan said...

I would agree with you, but releasing years of tax returns for a candidate is very common and traditional; showing an erection is not.
Although I recognize Reid is being used as an attack dog, the calculus to me is very simple. Romney believes that releasing his taxes would be more damaging than not. The use of Reid is a brilliant move for Obama. It is like a long heavy weight boxing match where one of the boxers has been able to bring someone in for a few rounds to take some of the blows. Romney is now in a full scale battle with Reid, Obama is on the sideline campaigning for president.

Stan

Stan said...

Its not really a question of narrative, its a question of electoral votes. There are states that are locks for Romney and there are states that are locks for Obama. Unfortunately for Romney, Obama has more electoral votes locked in. Romney has to take away states that are leaning towards Obama (Ohio and one other leaner), and the true tossup states of Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida. If Romney did win Ohio, Virgina, North Carolina, and Florida, he would still have to win one of the other leaners (Iowa would probably be his best shot). I have heard some commentators put the large electoral state of Pennsylvania into the leaning or even the tossup mix. I see no reason for this as Pennsylvania has a long history of voting democratic, and Obama is substantially ahead in the Polls there.
The night is young, as they say and any event can have a giant impact on things, so it is certainly not over.
Election polls are kind of a hobby for me, I try to be dispassionate in my analysis. I am not arguing for or against any candidate here, just giving the math.

Stan

Stan said...

Its an excellent question if I were someone voting for senator in Nevada. Whether I think Reid is a pederast is not important, as I will never have the opportunity to vote for him (or against him). Romney on the other hand is running for president.
Reid is irrelevant. Romney has fallen into a clever (probably unethical) trap laid by the Democrats.
I say "probably unethical" because my gut feeling is that Reid is lying about the anonymous caller.

Stan

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Yeah, I wouldn't argue with the fact that Obamateam isn't an easy nut to crack.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

So let's wait for the next move of one of the sides. If Obama decides to take the tax issue further, its' his call now.