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The Good War

That is, for the services, the drug package contains four tablets of 160 mg of the active substance, our Medway pharmacists are available to offer you advice on many health conditions. Concierge service and underground parking, 4 ED has a profound negative impact on the more here quality of life.

More US soldiers killed themselves than died in combat in 2010.

For the second year in a row, more American soldiers—both enlisted men and women and veterans—committed suicide than were killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Excluding accidents and illness, 462 soldiers died in combat, while 468 committed suicide.

569 replies on “The Good War”

A Reagan landslide? No chance. Do you honestly think that Obama has the ghost of a chance in Texas, Alabama, either of the Dakotas, Oklahoma, Utah and so on? These states are full of right-wing racist Christian homophobes. They are not going to vote for a communist gay black muslim.

Three Fibs Mitt Romney Tells About His Business Record.
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On the campaign trail, Mitt Romney repeatedly lies about policy matters. He falsely claims that President Obama is adding regulations at a “staggering rate,” making “ the economy worse” and is constantly apologizing for America. He even claims that his tax plan is not a tax cut for the rich, when it is just that.

But according to Securities and Exchange Commission documents uncovered by the Boston Globe, TPM, and Mother Jones, Romney’s misrepresentations extend beyond partisan policy disagreements. He has lied about his main qualification for seeking the presidency: his own business record:

Here they are…

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/07/12/515403/romney-lies-business/

Correct Katielou. But check out the stack of polls at 489. Plus Mitt has had a VERY BAD couple of weeks. Bush was an idiot. Mitt is a crook and a liar.

Mitt Romney Bain Mess Shows Stonewalling Consequences.
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It takes perverse talent to turn a two-day mini-story into a major three-week distraction. But that is precisely what Mitt Romney’s campaign has done with a June 21 story in the Washington Post. As a result, they’re losing valuable media time playing defense when they should be using every waking second and news cycle to remind voters about how crappy the economy is and why President Barack Obama should be blamed for it.

First, here is what the Romney camp did wrong. They screwed up even before the Post story appeared, by stiffing the paper and not giving the reporter answers to questions about Romney and his company Bain Capital. Bain had invested in companies that were developing business in domestic outsourcing and foreign offshoring of production costs. But rather than answer, Bain issued a bland non-statement. If Romney and Bain had engaged on the story in advance, they might have been able to explain the difference between outsourcing and offshoring. They also might have been able to point out that this was a small part of the business, and an unavoidable trend that, in fact, protected many American jobs by making the American-based companies in question more efficient.

For those of you that have missed why Mitt Romney is in a lot of trouble.

Continued here…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/13/mitt-romney-bain-mess_n_1669828.html

Krugman: “Romney is in very serious trouble”
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I’ve been arguing for a while that this is a Done Deal Election — partly because I agree and partly to avoid the Left-on-Left foodfight that seems to pop up during elections. To me, that seems a total waste of a coalition-building opportunity.

Now Paul Krugman weighs in, and offers evidence. His bottom line is in my headline — “Romney is in very serious trouble.”

The Professor (my emphasis and paragraphing:

Plutocrats on Parade

Robin Wells has a very good essay on the Romney phenomenon in the Guardian. After all the whining over “class warfare”, the GOP has more or less forced an election that really is about the very rich versus everyone else — and the Romney supporters are so insulated by their wealth that they can’t even see the problem.

I would just chime in that I agree with Robin that Romney is in very serious trouble.

Think of the pattern that’s accumulating: the obfuscation over the Bain record on jobs, outsourcing, and all that, the mysterious offshore accounts (and the magical $100 million IRA), the stonewalling on past tax records, and now his insistence that he was no longer working at a company that continued to list him as CEO and pay him lots of money. …

This could be famous last words, but it looks to me as if Romney is in the process of getting defined — and his party won’t like the results.

More here…
http://www.americablog.com/2012/07/krugman-romney-is-in-very-serious.html

As CEO and President of Bain, Romney was responsible for aborted-fetus-disposal investment.
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During his tenure as CEO & President of Bain, Romney’s company invested in a business that disposes of aborted fetuses.

BusinessInsider:

As “Chairman, CEO, and President” of Bain, he damn well would have remained responsible for these decisions. In which case, saying he had “left” and implying that he had no involvement or responsibility whatsoever is highly misleading.

The CEO of a car company may not have input into the decision of what specific cars the company makes or where it makes them (though he or she obviously could if s/he wanted), but this CEO is unequivocally responsible for these decisions.

Similarly, if Romney was CEO of Bain at the time it made the Stericycle decision, as well as the company layoffs and other unpleasant facts that Candidate Romney would like to disown, he certainly was responsible for these decisions.

So, enough with walking a fine line rhetorically.

That should discourage a lot of Christians from voting. As long as it gets out in the media.

Continued here…

http://www.americablog.com/2012/07/as-ceo-and-president-of-bain-romney-was.html

Has Anything Changed in the Presidential Race?
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There were also polls out in Maine and New Mexico, states that sometimes get talked up as battlegrounds, but really aren’t. The model already had Mr. Obama ahead by 14 points and by 12 points in those states.
Mr. Obama should be pleased with Wednesday’s polls in one sense. The polls no more than match the model’s expectations. But the model has Mr. Obama a little bit ahead in the national race, putting him up by around two points in the popular vote over Mr. Romney and projecting him to 294 electoral votes to Mr. Romney’s 244.

Chances of Obama winning 67.7% Chances of Romney winning 32.3%. All that information looks pretty good to me.

http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/11/july-11-has-anything-changed-in-the-presidential-race/

Chris B,

Of course Obama is in a better position. But Nate Silver’s model is currently predicting 294 to 244, a much closer election than Obama v McCain. The polls are close and they have not moved much since the start of the campaign. I personally think that Obama should get over 300 – I am more optimistic about this election than I was about the last one, actually, mainly because last time I thought it was possible that Obama could lose while this time I do not think he can.

Obama Ad ‘Firms’ Slams Romney’s Jobs Record, Overseas Accounts.
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Mitt Romney insists that he stepped down from his private equity firm years earlier than federal records indicate, but President Barack Obama is more than a little skeptical and says his Republican rival has much to explain.

Obama campaign advisers said the president, during a second straight day in tightly contested Virginia, planned to remind voters on Saturday of the discrepancies between Securities and Exchange Commission filings and Romney’s recollection of his role at Boston-based Bain Capital.

Obama was focusing on a state that he won in 2008, a first for a Democratic nominee since 1964, and on an issue that Romney says diverts attention from struggling economy.

Savage video..

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/14/obama-ad-firms-slams-romn_n_1673112.html

At the start of June i had Obama on 303 EV’s with more a possibility.

6 weeks on i have Obama winning the same map as 08 minus Indiana and Nebraska’s 1 divided vote.

That means 347 EV’s for Obama.

Romney really is a poor candidate in a poor Party.

Obama is well liked, and even though people have more doubts and a little disappointment in his performance, they will give him his 8 years.

Judge Roberts handed him some cred in the minds of Independants with the Health ruling, and i don’t think they’re ready to reward the Party of Dubya again just yet.

So, 347 for the Muslim, pinko, poofter lovin’ Commo and a must watch night of Fox News hysterics to look forward to.

521 HarryH “The Party of Dubya” Expect the voters to be reminded of that during October. According to polls. Most Americans still blame Bush for a lot of their problems. That’s why I have George Bush the Worst President Ever signature on The Huffington Post.

When will the “Remember Tricky Dicky”” Adverts come out? 🙂

The Obama campaign has accused Romney of being the most secretive candidate “since Richard Nixon,” noting he has not released more than a year of tax returns or a list of his campaign bundlers. Romney has asked voters to take him at his word that SEC filings listing him at the top of the Bain hierarchy were formalities and did not tie him to the company’s decision-making.

More here…
http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/07/why-the-timing-of-mitt-romneys-bain-exit-matters-a-guide.php?ref=fpa

Judges Seem Ready To Mess With Texas’ Voter ID Law.
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A panel of three federal judges in D.C. posed skeptical questions on Friday about Texas’ voter ID law during closing arguments in a trial about whether the measure is discriminatory.

The panel of federal judges — George W. Bush appointee Rosemary M. Collyer, Clinton appointee David S. Tatel and Obama appointee Robert L. Wilkins — hopes to issue a ruling on the case in “quick order,” according to Collyer, who expressed doubts about the findings of Texas’ experts in the case.

John Hughes, a lawyer for Texas, argued in his closing arguments that people who want to vote already have an ID or can easily get it. Hughes argued that if the state’s voter ID law really disenfranchised anyone the D.C. “courtroom would be filled” with Texans who couldn’t obtain voter ID.

In one of the more awkward exchanges, Hughes offered a semi-defense of literacy tests after one judge said that the reason literacy tests were racist years ago was because of inequalities in the education system. The judge asked if it was Texas’ theory that there would be a problem with literacy tests today. Setting aside other laws banning literacy tests and poll taxes, Hughes said he did not believe a literacy test would violate Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.

The Republicans wouldn’t be trying to stop losing a Texas senate seat illegally would they?????

Texas will eventually turn blue in the senate by a Latino influx. How long it will take is the question. Obama could help it along after the next election. With more people from Washington moving into the north of Virginia and liberals moving into North Carolina (from the IT Industry). Will we see three southern states turn permanently blue in the senate?????

More here…
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/07/texas_voter_id_trial_closing_arguments.php?ref=fpnewsfeed

Romney isn’t a liar, he is just economical with the truth.
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Brad DeLong nails the idiotic attempt to claim Mitt isn’t lying when he claims to have retired from Bain in 1999:

It would be very unusual for somebody to have the titles of not just “CEO” but “President”, “Chairman of the Board” and be “sole stockholder” and to have no responsibilities whatsoever. In fact, I defy Glenn Kessler to come up with any example of anybody anywhere–save for Mitt Romney–who has been characterized to the SEC as “sole stockholder, chairman of the board, chief executive officer, and president” and also claimed to have no responsibilities whatsoever and to have merely been a passive investor.

He’s not a liar! He’s just a very naughty boy!

More here…
http://www.americablog.com/2012/07/romney-isnt-liar-he-is-just-economical.html

Mitt Romney Bain Capital Document Lists Him As ‘Managing Member’ In 2002.
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Add another document to the pile of evidence contradicting Mitt Romney’s continued insistence that he ended his active role with Bain Capital in early 1999, part of his long-running effort to avoid responsibility for the company’s activity, related to outsourcing and bankruptcies, during the years that followed.

A corporate document filed with the state of Massachusetts in December 2002 — a month after Romney was elected governor — lists him as one of two managing members of Bain Capital Investors, LLC “authorized to execute, acknowledge, deliver and record any recordable instrument purporting to affect an interest in real property, whether to be recorded with a Registry of Deeds or with a District Office of the Land Court.”

In August 2011, Romney told federal authorities, as part of the financial disclosure process, that he “retired from Bain Capital on February 11, 1999 to head the Salt Lake Organizing Committee [for the 2002 Winter Olympics]. Since February 11, 1999, Mr. Romney has not had any active role with any Bain Capital entity and has not been involved in the operations of any Bain Capital entity in any way.”

Bain Capital Investors is a Bain Capital entity.

More here..
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/15/mitt-romney-bain-capital_n_1674209.html

Hey folks 🙂

Melbourne by-election coming up.

What are the thoughts?

Its pretty sad to see the ALP going nuclear on the Greens.

Its probably reached the stage where I’m giving serious thought to preferencing the ALP being the Libs.

Although at the ALP’s current rate, I might need to still support them just so they don’t get wiped out Qld style!

Conservative Pundits Wonder If Romney’s Hiding Something In Unreleased Tax Returns.
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It’s a bad sign for Mitt Romney when conservatives begin to question why the presumptive Republican nominee won’t release more of his tax returns. But on Sunday, that’s what happened. Conservative analysts joined Democrats in wondering whether Romney is just being impolitic in not releasing several years worth of returns — or whether he’s trying to hide something.

Democrats have been calling on Mitt Romney to release more than one year of his tax returns with a series of web videos and public statements. So far, he has released his 2010 returns and an estimate of his 2011 returns.

To politicos across the ideological spectrum, Romney’s unwillingness to release anything beyond these two years raises the question: if it’s worth the bad press to keep the tax returns private, they must contain something worse.

“The cost of not releasing the returns are clear,” said conservative columnist George Will, on ABC’s “This Week.” “Therefore, he must have calculated that there are higher costs in releasing them.”

On the ABC roundtable, Republican strategist Matthew Dowd had a similar take.

“There’s obviously something there, because if there was nothing there, he would say, ‘Have at it,’” Dowd said. “So there’s obviously something there that compromises what he said in the past about something.”

Continuing the downhill spiral.
More here..
http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/07/conservative-romney-taxes-returns-hiding-something.php?ref=fpa

Gday asanque,

Labor have long ago lost my vote, but I could never preference the Tories before Labor.

I could imagine the brainiacs in the NSW Right laughing at that and chortling “Haha we don’t need these Lefties, they’ll always preference us anyways”.

What they fail to comprehend though is that they may get the Preference but they have lost a friend.

And look at them now, wallowing and stumbling around trying to get traction……but they are increasingly friendless.

Politics is about winning hearts and minds and spreading the word.

Mitt Romney Bain Capital Filings Link Him To Politically Problematic Companies After 1999.
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The question over when Mitt Romney officially left Bain Capital is obscuring a more substantive debate that relates to the presidential campaign.

The presumptive Republican nominee insists he never signed off on the business decisions related to outsourcing that turned the private equity firm into a political lightning rod. But neither he nor his campaign have said whether he agrees with those decisions, even if he was powerless over them when they were made. The Huffington Post asked top Romney adviser Kevin Madden this very question Monday morning during an appearance on MSNBC and received the following response:

More of the Terrible Troubles of Mitt Romney here… 🙂

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/16/mitt-romney-bain-capital_n_1677133.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/16/mitt-romney-bain-capital_n_1677133.html

From The HP comments.
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I’ve posted two long comments today about Romney in which I point out that he probably suffers from Na(rciss)istic Per(sonality) Diso(rder), a.k.a. N P D. Both times, it took a long, long time for my comment to get posted. What gives?

Asking if Romney sufffers from N P D is a very valid question, especially when you look up the term and read what the symptoms are! One of the common symptoms is for a person to continually contradict themselves.

I’m wondering if my reference to Romney shoving his sons’ faces into butter had anything to do with it. By the way, his sons recently went on a talk show and said that Romney enjoyed pr(anking) them by sho(ving) their faces into butter.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/16/mitt-romney-bain-capital_n_1677133.html

Inside The Investigation Of Leading Republican Money Man Sheldon Adelson.
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by Matt Isaacs, Lowell Bergman and Stephen Engelberg July 16, 2012, 11:30 a.m.

This story was co-published with PBS’ “Frontline.”

A decade ago gambling magnate and leading Republican donor Sheldon Adelson looked at a desolate spit of land in Macau and imagined a glittering strip of casinos, hotels and malls.

Where competitors saw obstacles, including Macau’s hostility to outsiders and historic links to Chinese organized crime, Adelson envisaged a chance to make billions.

Adelson pushed his chips to the center of the table, keeping his nerve even as his company teetered on the brink of bankruptcy in late 2008.

The Macau bet paid off, propelling Adelson into the ranks of the mega-rich and underwriting his role as the largest Republican donor in the 2012 campaign, providing tens of millions of dollars to Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney and other GOP causes.

Republicans tied into a corruption investigation coming up to an election? It doesn’t get any better than that!

More here…

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/16/sheldon-adelson_n_1676571.html

529 – hey there asanque…
Labor is doing itself no favours attacking the Greens – just proving once again how out of touch they are. Preferncing fucking Family First ahead of us – again – and risking another gobshite like Fielding gaining power federally is totally stupid and looks desperate.
Cathy Oke is an impressive, genuine woman who will be a fantastic rep for the Melbourne electorate in the Lower House – don’t hesitate in giving her your vote.
And fuck Labor. They’re finished.

The more Romney obfuscates the more the questions build up.

35 questions Romney has to answer.

During times of crisis it is often a smart strategy to give virtually unlimited access to the media in order to push out your message aggressively and satisfy reporter curiosity so that the issue can be pushed off the front burner. John McCain famously did this well earlier in his career when dealing with his own Keating Five controversies.

Unfortunately for the Romney Campaign, the slew of TV interviews did little to satisfy the media. In times of crisis, a strong candidate will come up with answers that satisfy the basic questions surrounding the controversy and will make people want to move on to another subject. Romney, however, could not seem to come up with basic messages that resolved the controversies. Many of his answers seemed evasive or overly legalistic. The biggest problem for Romney is that all of his interviews have only increased the questions that political observers, voters and the media have regarding the subject of Bain Capital.
Specifically, Romney is going to have to answer the following 35 questions before this issue subsides:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/tjwalker/2012/07/14/35-questions-mitt-romney-must-answer-about-bain-capital-before-the-issue-can-go-away/

Obama Campaign Goes For The Jugular On Romney’s Taxes (VIDEO).
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Democrats have entered the go-for-the-jugular stage of the presidential race, with President Barack Obama’s campaign, the Democratic National Committee and an allied opposition research group all releasing videos today attacking Mitt Romney for his refusal to release more tax returns.

The videos are distinct. The Obama campaign clip will air on television in Pennsylvania, where Mitt Romney is campaigning today. The DNC’s version craftily uses Sarah Palin to suggest that John McCain was so nervous about Romney’s taxes that he made a historic roll of the dice with his running mate pick in 2008. The video put together by America Bridge 21st Century is a sharp edit job of all the prominent GOP officials and pundits who have begun groaning about Romney’s handling of the matter.

The Democrats might have stuffed up the mid terms. But they are not making the same mistake again. The videos are devastating!
And its still over 3 months to go!

More here….
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/17/obama-romney-taxes_n_1678254.html

540 Gaffhook Its interesting to note the Facebook, Twitter and g+ links. At this time they are 15,817 2,246 and 102. That is by far the biggest I have ever seen. Especially in such a short time. It will make that article very searchable in Google. As well as very important. So add you Facebook Twitter and g+

chris
It may get to where Romney has so much baggage that they will ditch him at their convention and select Jeb Bush straight off the floor.

Would Obi be ready for a switcheroo.

Erin Burnett To Romney: Release Your Tax Returns Unless You’re ‘Stupid’ (VIDEO).
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CNN’s Erin Burnett called on Monday for Mitt Romney to release more of his tax returns.

Speaking on her show “Outfront,” the host said that the only reasons not to do so were evasiveness or stupidity.

Romney has released his 2010 tax return, but has steadfastly refused to release any more of them. This has led to calls even from conservative corners for him to more fully disclose his tax dealings. Columnist George Will, for instance, said on Sunday that it was high time for him to do so.

“If something’s going to come out, get it out in a hurry,” referencing the idea that Romney sees political peril in the contents of his returns.

More here..
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/17/erin-burnett-romney-tax-returns-stupid_n_1679027.html

Good to see the big banks in US and UK have learnt exactly nothing (watching 7:30 tonight)
must say I think Obi could have manned up on this one 🙁

Don Draper, “Mad Men’s” master of media and perception, said it best: “If you don’t like what is being said, then change the conversation.”
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Questions surrounding Mitt Romney’s relationship with Bain Capital and his personal finances have spurred a feeding frenzy in the press, drowning out almost all other campaign news over the last week. Not surprisingly, Romney and his surrogates have seized on a wide range of issues to try and steer the topic to something, anything other than Bain — with mixed results.

Changing the subject is a hallmark of a flailing campaign. Republicans routinely accuse Obama of doing the exact same thing when he focuses on Bain instead of the weak economic reports. But the attacks floated by the Romney team this week — some old, some new — are impressive for their sheer magnitude and speed.

Here’s a rough list of alternative issues the Romney campaign has dangled in front of the press since Thursday, when Romney’s SEC filings became the dominant campaign story.

Has anyone noticed that someone has stepped in quicksand?

More here..
http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/07/romney-bain-subject-change.php?ref=fpa

more information comes to light as other court cases connected with the inquiry progress.

The existence of an email of “enormous significance” written by a News International (NI) executive that refers to the phone hacking of a “well-known individual” has emerged in the high court, in a hearing to discuss the progress of civil claims against the publisher of the News of the World.

Mr Justice Vos said the email was “sent by an executive whose identity you know” – but the author’s name, the precise content of the message, and who it was discussing remain confidential for legal reasons. But that did not stop lawyers representing hacking victims from asserting the importance of the communication………………………………..
He joked that if Sherborne had had access to the inboxes, he would have put the email at the “top of the pile” of evidence, while “they [Linklaters] would put it somewhere near the bottom”.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/jul/18/phone-hacking-email-news-international?CMP=twt_gu

Good to see all the old crew still active 🙂

Just to clarify, Family First always gets last spot for me.

And when I talk of preferencing ALP or Libs, I’m talking about second last spot! (subject to any other conservative crazies)

I moved out of the Melbourne zone after last election so unfortunately one less vote for the Greens.

555 Katielou! –
so great… Brought tears to my eyes- of laughter,
and another Ecky memory.

and I just do love that Omar – even in legoland
xx

Ann Romney: We’ve Given ‘All You People Need To Know’ About Family Finances.
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Mitt Romney’s wife is reinforcing her husband’s refusal to make public several years of tax returns, telling ABC News “we’ve given all you people need to know” about the family’s finances.

“You know, you should really look at where Mitt has led his life, and where he’s been financially,” she said in her interview with Robin Roberts. “He’s a very generous person. We give 10 percent of our income to our church every year. Do you think that is the kind of person that is trying to hide things, or do things? No. He is so good about it. Then, when he was governor of Massachusetts, didn’t take a salary in the four years.”

Almost 50,000 comments on The Huffington Post and 1,000 Tweets!

More here…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/19/ann-romney_n_1685735.html

The other day Costello was being interviewed out the front and the camera swung around showing houses I used to see out the front when I was a kid. Brings back memories. Talk about conflicting emotions with the interview!

Mitt Romney Brought Bain Capital With Him To The Olympics.
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When Mitt Romney transitioned from working full-time at Bain Capital to running the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, he did not fully leave the private equity firm. That’s not just because he continued to sign documents and take a salary, or because he described himself as Bain’s CEO on the Olympics’ website, but because he brought with him Bain’s personnel, ethos and, most importantly, its clients.

Romney leaned heavily on Bain to turn the 2002 Olympic committee into a success. Several officials who worked with him said his extensive business network proved critical. But the continued Bain ties came with a price, as Romney opened himself up to criticism that he used the Olympics to assist colleagues and build a foundation for a future political career.

More here…

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/19/mitt-romney-bain-olympics_n_1686873.html

Romney tax-mania grows.
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What’s odd is that Romney doesn’t seem to realize that he’s already lost this battle. It’s only a question of time, and his returns will be released. But by dragging it out, he’s inflicting maximum damage, and that doesn’t even include what may, or may not, be damaging in the returns themselves.

First, the Boston Globe reports on the ever-growing number of Republicans calling on Romney to release his returns. Keep in mind that the Republicans are like sheep to the slaughter – they always line up dutifully, all in unison, on any and every issue. Yet on this one, they’re falling apart at the seams. That’s an indication of how bad this has gotten for Romney,

More here…
http://www.americablog.com/2012/07/romney-tax-mania-grows.html

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