What Will Their Next Dig at the President Be?

From day 1 President Barack Obama has faced discriminatory remarks and been faced with accusations about his presidency and his birth and heritage that no other president in history has had to face.  Now that habitual adulterer, Newt Ginghrich, with his shady past (draft dodger, lying corporate lobbyist, dead beat dad, banking scandal while in congress, and GOPAC sleaze ball, etc.) now says that President Obama "is not a real president."  John Sununu says the president is “absolutely lazy” and says he is “detached from his job.”  Mitt Romney is continually insinuating that the president is not an American.  Maybe I am just naive but can anyone tell me just what the president has done that makes him any less a president than any of his predecessors?

               Paul Ryan Calls the 47% "Takers"

In distancing himself from former Governor Mitt Romney's disparaging comments discing almost a half of the people in America as moochers Congressman Paul Ryan said Romney's remarks were "obviously inarticulate.... I think he would have said it differently, that’s for sure." Ryan, himself, has said "We risk hitting a tipping point in our society where we have more 'takers' than 'makers' in society, where we will have turned our safety net into a hammock that lulls able bodied people into lives of dependency and complacency." Being curious or nosey, as I often am, I decided to do an online dictionary check on the meaning of the word "taker." I have to wonder if Mr. Ryan ever thought to do the same. In the below definitions the Urban Dictionary offers three (3) definitions for a 'taker'. Of all the definitions that I found I wonder which of these would Mr. Ryan say describes what he means by the word "taker". I, particualrly, found the Urban Dictionary's 3rd definition "One who is always taking from others, similar to a mooch or chiseler. In most cases takers aren't stealing, they are just taking advantage of the hospitality of others without reciprocating or saying thanks" interesting. I also found Roget's 21st Centuryt Thesaurus, Third Edition's meaning extremely interesting. It says "Main Entry: parasite [par-uh-sahyt]. Part of Speech: noun Definition: something that exists by taking from or depending on another Synonyms: barnacle, bloodsucker, bootlicker, deadbeat, dependent, flunky, freeloader, groupie, hanger-on, idler, leech, scrounger, sponge, stooge, sucker, sycophant, taker Antonyms: blessing." So, just what does "takers" mean to you, Mr. Ryan?

American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language - NOUN: One that takes or takes up something, such as a wager or purchase

Cambridge definition: someone who accepts or wants what someone is offering.
Glossary of Legal Terms: Definition - Noun: one that takes: as
a : one that takes property by will or descent <a residuary ~>
b : one to whom a negotiable instrument is transferred.

Urban Dictionary: 1. Someone who always takes from other people and never gives back. 2. noun - someone who likes it in the backdoor usually very often. 3. One who is always taking from others, similar to a mooch or chiseler. In most cases takers aren't stealing, they are just taking advantage of the hospitality of others without reciprocating or saying thanks.

Webster's New World College Dictionary, 4th Ed. - noun: One that takes or takes up something, such as a wager or purchase.

Webster's Revised Unabridged, 1913 Edition - n. One who takes or receives; one who catches or apprehended.

World English Dictionary - a person who takes something, esp a bet, wager, or offer of purchase.
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition- Main Entry: parasite
[par-uh-sahyt]. Part of Speech: noun Definition: something that exists by taking from or depending on another Synonyms: barnacle, bloodsucker, bootlicker, deadbeat, dependent, flunky, freeloader, groupie, hanger-on, idler, leech, scrounger, sponge, stooge, sucker, sycophant, taker Antonyms: blessing.

Why Does Mitt Romney Really Want To Be President?

Does Mr. Romney want to be president so he can add another notch to his impressive resume?  Every time I try to even like this man I find myself asking that very question?  I was never a George Bush fan but I at least liked the man as a person.  He never made me think that he was less than an average human being.  Bush knew where he came from, at least.  Mitt Romney, on the other hand, really comes across to me as a rich a$$hole who really does not like people who occasionally need a little assistance to make it, looks down on those not on his financial level, hates senior citizens and anyone who is now receiving Social Security, Medicare, disability, food stamps, or any other type of annuity.  I have even questioned whether or not he even likes the people who serve in our armed forces since he is against anything that might help veterans.  Has he forgotten that his father, George Wilcken Romney, was on public assistance (welfare) at one point in his life?  Were his grandparents’ moochers or slackers?  Does he want to be president because his father tried and did not succeed (Richard Nixon won the spot but appointed Romney to the position of Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)?  Does he want the position of president in order to help his rich counterparts keep paying that 13% or less tax rates?   Every time he speaks I feel like he is looking down on those of us less fortunate than he.  The recently revealed secret tape reinforces these thoughts because the man was orating was very relaxed and speaking his true thoughts and feelings.  Lord help me if he becomes president.  At nearly 70 years of age I could find myself paying taxes again on my disability and Social Security.  One definition for condescending is "snobby: behaving toward other people in a way that shows you consider yourself socially or intellectually superior to them."  He may be a nice man to his family but I find him very condescending.

 

                   President and Mr. Romney Caught on Tape

The lines that everyone is talking about this morning are "So it's not surprising then that they get bitter, and they cling to guns or religion, or antipathy toward people who aren't like them, or anti-immigrant sentiment, or, you know, anti-trade sentiment [as] a way to explain their frustrations."   What Obama was saying is that no matter what the people he referenced thought and felt or how skeptical they were of him the volunteers were to be humble, empathetic, and open with them and to focus on the people's economic concerns because of the betrayal they felt from past administrations.  In other words he wanted those people to understand he would be president to all people.

Mitt Romney on the other hand in his May 2012 fund raising speech to a group of fund raisers says, "There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That, that’s an entitlement.   And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what…These are people who pay no income tax... my job is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives…. The president has been a disappointment. He told you he’d keep unemployment below 8 percent. Hasn’t been below eight percent since. Fifty percent of kids coming out of school can’t get a job. Fifty percent."

First of all about three fourth of those Mr. Romney referred to are senior citizens like me who receive Social Security or other benefits.  When we worked we paid payroll taxes and pay federal income taxes now on money that we earn over specific amounts.  Child tax credits and taxes beneficial to people who make less than $20,000 a year also fall in that category.  But the most identifying thing about Mr. Romney's comments is the fact that what he is saying is that he's not planning to be president for me; he's only planning to be president for the wealthy.  He is saying that I, a senior citizen, don't matter and he really does not care a damn about me because according to him 'I am lazy, a dead beat, a moocher who contributes little to society, an entitlement victim, a free-loader parasite, a slacker, have no fortitude and am a characterless victim who sits around waiting for the government to give me something.'  Governor Romney cannot relate to the middle class and poor people of America who need affordable health care, government assistance at times in our lives, or food stamps because we can't afford to eat otherwise.

Now both of these speeches contain disparaging remarks but there is a difference in the intent.  President Obama was encouraging volunteers to not ignore anyone based upon their beliefs and thoughts.  Mr. Romney, on the other hand, seems to make his speeches according to whatever crowd he happens to be addressing.  That in itself is not a problem.  The problem - MITT ROMNEY IS NOT THE MAN TO LEAD AMERICA AT THIS TIME.  He simply does not get what the average American family needs to survive because he has never had to live the life that middle class and poor people live.  In his book if you are not privileged YOU JUST DON'T MATTER!!!!!  Therefore when he says "My job is not to worry about those people" to the people funding his campaign HE ACTUALLY MEANS JUST THAT!!!!!  People, if you fail to exercise your right to vote; if you elect to by-pass that voting booth in November; if you allow yourself to be intimidated into not casting your vote; this man may actually be the next president of the United States of America.  So, call your neighbor; beg someone for a ride to the poll; but do whatever you have to do to get there.  You must make that important choice and cast your vote.

                 Who do you really relate to, Mr. Romney?

Ok, Governor, I give you credit you can relate - In your own words (or your associates):

1. To Blacks, "I understand how difficult it can be for an African-American in today’s society. In fact, I can relate to black people very well indeed. My ancestors once owned slaves, and it is in my lineage to work closely with the black community. However, just because they were freed over a century ago doesn’t mean they can now be freeloaders. They need to be told to work hard, and the incentives just aren’t there for them anymore. When I’m president I plan to work closely with the black community to bring a sense of pride and work ethic back into view for them." (Prattville, Alabama, March 2012)

2. To Asians, "And they work in these huge factories, they made various uh, small appliances. And uh, as we were walking through this facility, seeing them work, the number of hours they worked per day, the pitance they earned, living in dormitories with uh, with little bathrooms at the end of maybe 10, 10 room, rooms. And the rooms they have 12 girls per room.

"Three bunk beds on top of each other. You’ve seen, you’ve seen them? (Oh…yeah, yeah!) And, and, and around this factory was a fence, a huge fence with barbed wire and guard towers. And, and, we said gosh! I can’t believe that you, you know, keep these girls in! They said, no, no, no. This is to keep other people from coming in." (Bain using Chinese slave labor, anyone?)

3. "Let's not kid ourselves about just how cheap offshore labor really is. We not only pay substantially less per hour, we also avoid the costs we would incur if these workers immigrated here. We don't pay for their medical expenses when they show up in the emergency room without insurance. We don't pay for their pension costs if they don't save for retirement. We don't pay for their children's public education. Nor do we pay for their out-of-wedlock children, their unemployment benefits and workers' compensation, their slip and fall torts, their wear and tear on our public infrastructure, and the cost of their drunk driving, drug use and other crimes. We outsource pollution, its adverse effects on our health, and its clean-up costs. Neither the employees nor their employers are here to vote and seek political handouts." (Your Bain partner, Ed Conard, in his book, writing about how you used out-sourcing )

4. To Latinos, "For those that come here illegally the idea of giving them in state tuition credits or other special benefits I find to be the contrary to the idea of the nation of law," (Sioux City, Iowa, December 2011)

"The way that we have in this society is to say, look, people who have come here legally would, under my plan, be given a transition period and the opportunity during that transition period to work here, but when that transition period was over, they would no longer have the documentation to allow them to work in this country. At that point, they can decide whether to remain or whether to return home and to apply for legal residency in the United States, get in line with everybody else. And I know people think but that's not fair to those that have come here illegally." (CBS interview, January 2012)

5. To the Gay and Lesbian community: "I would, unlike this president, defend the Defense of Marriage Act. I would also propose and promote once again an amendment to the Constitution to define marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman." (January 2012)

6. To women: "I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. I have since the time that my mom took that position when she ran in 1970 as a US Senate candidate. I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years, that we should sustain and support it, and I sustain and support that law, and the right of a woman to make that choice. And my personal beliefs, like the personal beliefs of other people, should not be brought into a political campaign. Too much has been written about religion in this race. I’m proud of my religious heritage. I’m proud of the values it has taught me, but if you want to know my position on issues, ask me, and I’ll tell you. I think the low point of this race was when my opponent and their family decided to make religion an issue in this campaign– brought it out, attacked me for it. I think that’s a mistake, I think the time has passed for that. John Kennedy was the one who fought that battle, but that battle lives for all of us of all faiths." (Massachusetts 1994)

"But while the nation remains so divided over abortion, I believe that the states, through the democratic process, should determine their own abortion laws and not have them dictated by judicial mandate." (Massachusetts 2005)

"Probably from a political standpoint and a personal standpoint, the greatest mistake was when I first ran for office, being deeply opposed to abortion but saying, "I support the current law," which was pro-choice and effectively a pro-choice position. That was just wrong. And when I became a governor and faced a life-and-death decision as a governor, I came down on the side of life. That was a mistake before that." (August 2007)

"People have had a chance to look at my record and look what I've said. I believe people understand that I'm firmly pro-life. I will support justices who believe in following the Constitution and not legislating from the bench. And I believe in the sanctity of life from the very beginning until the very end." (June 2011)

"I was always personally opposed to abortion, as I think almost everyone in this nation is. And the question for me was, what is the role of government? And it was quite theoretical and philosophical to consider what the role of government should be in this regard, and I felt that the Supreme Court had spoken and that government shouldn’t be involved and let people make their own decision. That all made a lot of sense to me. Then I became governor and the theoretical became reality. A bill came to my desk which related to the preservation of life. I recognized that I simply could not be part of an effort that would cause the destruction of human lift. And I didn’t hide from that change of heart. I recognize it’s a change. Every piece of legislation which came to my desk in the coming years as the governor, I came down on the side of preserving the sanctity of life." (December 2011)

"Planned Parenthood, we're gonna get rid of that. The subsidy for Amtrak, I would eliminate that. The National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, both excellent programs, but we can't afford to borrow money to pay for these things." (CNN interview, March 2012)

"As Governor of Massachusetts, I chose a woman Lt. Governor, a woman chief of staff, half of my cabinet and senior officials were women, and in business, I mentored and supported great women leaders who went on to run great companies." (RNC, August 2012)

7. To working class Americans: "What is needed in our country today is not complicated or profound. It doesn't take a special government commission to tell us what America needs. What America needs is jobs. Lots of jobs…You know there's something wrong with the kind of job he's done as president when the best feeling you had, was the day you voted for him…" (RNC, August 2012)

8. On "you didn’t build that": "You Olympians, however, know you didn't get here solely on your own power...For most of you, loving parents, sisters or brothers, encouraged your hopes, coaches guided, communities built venues in order to organize competitions. All Olympians stand on the shoulders of those who lifted them. We’ve already cheered the Olympians; let’s also cheer the parents, coaches, and communities. All right!" (Winter Olympic opening ceremonies, 2012)

Relating the old "it takes a village" argument to business President Obama’s said "If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business -- you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen…The point is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together."

You have said this "Well, just read the whole speech. I found the speech even more disconcerting than just that particular line. The context is worse than the quote. The context, he says, you know, you think you’ve been successful because you’re smart, but he says a lot of people are smart. You think you’ve been successful because you work hard, a lot of people work hard. This is an ideology which says hey, we’re all the same here, we ought to take from all and give to one another and that achievement, individual initiative and risk-taking and success are not to be rewarded as they have in the past. It’s a very strange and in some respects foreign to the American experience type of philosophy. We have always been a nation that has celebrated success of various kinds. The kid that gets the honor roll, the individual worker that gets a promotion, the person that gets a better job. And in fact, the person that builds a business. And by the way, if you have a business and you started it, you did build it. And you deserve credit for that. It was not built for you by government. And by the way, we pay for government. Government doesn’t come free. The people who begin enterprises, the people who work in enterprises, they’re the ones paying for government. So his whole philosophy is an upside-down philosophy that does not comport with the American experience. And if we want to get people working again–and that’s my priority–if we want to get people working again, we have to celebrate success and achievement and not demonize it and denigrate the people who have worked hard, who are smart, who have made the kinds of investments to build a brighter future." (July 2012)

9. On the economy: "I wish President Obama had succeeded, because I want America to succeed…"The time has come for us to put the disappointments of the last four years behind us." (RNC, August 2012)

10. On balancing the budget: "The right way to balance a budget really has two prongs...One is to do those things that encourage the growth of the economy. So, you do things to get small businesses growing and adding-adding jobs. But you also go through and say which of those things that you should take out of the budget that are no longer essential. The easiest for me to knock out is Obamacare. It's about $100 billion a year. We simply can't afford it. But there are other subsidies that I think you're going to find that we take out." (August 201)

11. On Obama: "He calls his accomplishment "historic" — in this he is correct, although not for the reason he intends. Rather, it is an historic usurpation of the legislative process — he unleashed the nuclear option, enlisted not a single Republican vote in either chamber, bribed reluctant members of his own party, paid-off his union backers, scapegoated insurers, and justified his act with patently fraudulent accounting. What Barack Obama has ushered into the American political landscape is not good for our country; in the words of an ancient maxim, ‘what starts twisted, ends twisted. His health-care bill is unhealthy for America. It raises taxes, slashes the more private side of Medicare, installs price controls, and puts a new federal bureaucracy in charge of health care. It will create a new entitlement even as the ones we already have are bankrupt. For these reasons and more, the act should be repealed. That campaign begins today." (National Review, March 2011)

"His $716 billion cut to Medicare to finance Obamacare will both hurt today's seniors, and depress innovation - and jobs - in medicine." (August 2012)

12. On welfare reform: "President Obama now wants to strip the established work requirements from welfare…The success of bipartisan welfare reform, passed under President Clinton, has rested on the obligation of work. The president’s action is completely misdirected. Work is a dignified endeavor, and the linkage of work and welfare is essential to prevent welfare from becoming a way of life." (Houston, Texas, July 2012)

"I hope you understand President Obama in just the last few days has tried to reverse that accomplishment by taking the work requirement out of welfare. That is wrong. If I’m president, I’ll put work back in welfare…We will end the culture of dependency and restore a culture of good hard work." (Chicago, Illinois, August 2012)

You made the above statements when addressing a group of your supporters throughout the history of your attempts to seek election to public office – some of which you have had success attaining (governorship), and at various other times in life. So I say to this:

It has been said that the first (government-recognized) slave owner in America was a Black man. True or false I can’t say because I am not a great historian. History has shown that there were black people enslaved in Africa by other Blacks. But think of this, African-Americans were stolen from their native lands and brought to what is now America and force to provide free labor to help your family become the "entitled" American that you feel you are now. Your presidential running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan, supports a plan to have people who receive unemployment work for free while they receive that unemployment. When you think of the fact that unemployment benefits are meager compared to the salary the person were be receiving before being fired or laid off, could this be a form of slavery? (By the way, can you spell O U T S O U R C I N G?) After such a program as this would provide cost-free labor to the one employing them.

Your views seem to change as it becomes politically convenient, wouldn’t you say? Your comments to the Olympians sounds almost like "You didn't build that," don't you think? Seems to me that your business was built on someone's shoulder. And the tax shelters that you took advantage of, were they something that you came up with? Oh no, that is the workings of "GOVERNMENT," I think. But it could be because of the subsidies you were able to take advantage of. And, oh yes, you have no problem with women in the work force but the "federal government" should make her decisions for her when it comes to her body. Do you NOT UNDERSTAND that in getting rid of Planned Parenthood means getting rid of the preventive health care more than three million people rely on for cancer screenings every year, birth control, and other preventive care for medical conditions that are specific to women? The man you have chosen to be your vice president, Paul Ryan, well, he staunchly believes that a woman should ‘absolutely’ have no say in what happens to her body in the case of rape or incest. We know where he stands on the issue. He put it in writing when he collaborated with congressman Todd Akin. Yet you both had no problem throwing Mr. Akin under the bus when he expressed his honest, and true, views on the issue of abortion. Hypocrisy? I definitely think so.

You may have started your company but you had some help doing so. Someone was your secretary or assistant. Certainly the"10 people" you started with were not all owners. As you yourself have put it young Chinese women worked for Bain for pittance wages so your company could make money in America. Your partner writes in his book how your company outsourced work and paid cheap wages. So, putting facts together – YOU DIDN’T BUILD THAT, SIR. IT TOOK MANY PEOPLE TO "BUILD THAT." And, to begin it all your family used slaves which cost them some corn meal and a wooden shack but cost the slaves many aches and pains, much humiliation and indignation so your family could survive. So don’t try to tell me that you BUILT THAT WITH YOUR OWN HANDS. You, sir, did not build that. Did you take the president’s comments out of context? Ask your conscious, and take a look in the mirror, sir. The answer is there but will you recognize it? I admit that there have been those who have promoted advertisements on the president’s behalf that are misleading but straight out lying? Well – let your conscious be your guide. Think about this while you are looking in that mirror. Outsourcing has a huge negative effect on the American economy. Unemployment is increased by outsourcing and that causes people to have to resort to such programs as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) also known as food stamps; increased crisis, energy, heating, and cooling assistance; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); general relief assistance; Medical Assistance (Medicaid/FAMIS/SLH), etc.

Congressman Paul Ryan (after being selected as the vice presidential candidate): "Mitt Romney doesn’t want you to know the disturbing truth about his record as governor…But the facts are clear. Gov. Romney embraced the legalization of same-sex marriage, he imposed anti-business carbon-emission limits, and he championed efforts to limit Second Amendment rights. This isn’t the record of strong family values and small government ideals that our country needs to get back on the road to prosperity—this is a record of ruin." (Iowa State Fair, August 2012) Now, why would you select someone who is so critical of your record as your running mate?

When you ran for governor of Massachusetts you promised more jobs, less debt, and smaller government. The people in the State of Massachusetts got the following. They were the 47th of the 50 states in job creations; taxes and fees were increased over $75 million, annually; long-term debt was increased to over $2.6 billion; manufacturing jobs decline at twice the rate of the nation's; as wages were going up throughout the country they were falling in Massachusetts; and, you left the state with both a debt and a deficit when you left office. Why should we believe that the Romney economic forecast (which we have yet to hear a plan) would work any better for the country when you couldn’t make it work at the state level? You are quick to point out that the president had no experience in running a business and that is the reason he has failed at the economic affairs of the country. Well, Mr. Romney, you had experience running a business but had a very poor outcome as governor of the State of Massachusetts. And, oh yes, you say the reason for the disappointing outcome of your governorship was because you inherited a bad situation. Well, sir, the president inherited a disastrous situation when he took office in January 2009. You say "let’s hold politicians accountable." Shouldn’t you be held accountable for misleading statements and outright lies? And, oh my, how ironic it is that on the night President Barack Obama was inaugurated your running mate met with a few other members of the Republican Party and vowed not to allow him to succeed in any kind of way. (He has not broken that vow,) Yet, you both now criticize what he has not done for the economy. Sure there may be a few areas that he could have been more forceful but when your party resisted every overture, don’t you think that you are a bit hypocritical?

Now, let’s talk about Obamacare and wanting the president to succeed. You said "I want liberal policies to fail. I want him to fail in trying to put in place a health care plan that takes away the private sector from health care." Why would you want to put this burden on the poor and working class Americans? I am a poor, retired on-disability, senior, why should I pay a company that has a main goal of making a fat profit to pay my medical bills which would allow them to garner a maximum profit for top executives, etc.? This will allow me to receive the absolute best medical care, how? Pray tell me how does Obamacare differ from Romneycare? Fact is Medicare is strengthened by the Affordable Care Act and that $716 billion cuts waste and fraud not the care that I receive. The plan that you and your running mate want to put in place turns Medicare into a voucher program and will cost me more. And, it has the same $716 billion cut. Time for some truths, don’t you think?

May I remind you that in 2005 you asked the federal government for a waiver which would allow people to remain on welfare for an indefinite period of time. What the president has put into play does not in any way end the work requirements of welfare. Rather, it gives states the authority to seek the waiver that you asked for but does not unilaterally stop the welfare work requirement. The state requesting such a waiver must present a plan that provides for a ‘more efficient or effective means to promote employment and submit a plan that evaluates performance measures.’

Please tell me why do we want to start another war? Because it surely sounded like you wanted to go to war with Iran and Russia in your acceptance speech. If you are elected president will we end up in another war in the middle east or with China or Russia. Your bending and dishonest bending of the facts does nothing to encourage me to cast a vote for you if I was of a mind not to vote for the president. Instead it leads me to think that you neither have the core strength nor the necessary principals we need to lead this country.

No sir, I don’t think anyone has ever asked to see your birth certificate. Why? Because you are one of the "REAL Americans," right? And I am sure you have never been stopped by a policeman for 'driving while black.' You have never been required to present papers to prove that you belonged anywhere either. Slaves had to present papers and most recently Latinos have had to present papers to prove that they were legal or risk being deported. You probably were never stopped and asked to prove that you were a citizen while you were standing in your own front yard, either. Well, Mr. Romney, African-Americans, Asians, and Latinos have had to suffer these humiliations at one time or another. And, by the way, you have not been assumed to be a terrorist have you? I guess not because you don’t appear to be of Arab descent. I could ask a few more questions on proving you ‘belong’ here in America but I will stop here because I know you feel no prejudicial injustices exist in America. So when you say that no one asked to see your birth certificate you are saying that you are one of the "true Americans." I have no doubts that everyone who matters to you has heard everything that have had to say on immigration, "self-deportation," welfare, entitlements for seniors and the poor, who makes the decision what I am allowed to do with something so personal as my body, and who "belongs" in the White House.

Did I by some mere chance misquote or distort any of the words that came directly from your mouth? I THINK NOT.

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What African Americans Expected of Barack Hussein Obama II!

During the 2008 election season I heard many African Americans making reference to how great their lives were going to be if he wonthe election. Well, he won the election. After November 2008, I heard them saying how their lives were going to change because the new president was Black was going to make the world a much greater place for African Americans to prosper, be successful, and become richer than they had ever been before. Realistic thinking? No, I think not, but there are those who actually expected President Obama to move into the White House and change their lives overnight. None of these people stopped to think of the fact that the president does not make laws. Congress enacts laws. True, the president does have a certain amount of powers to sign some things into law with the stroke of a pen. But if there is little or no cooperation from those in congress to cross the aisle and work for a consensus the president can do nothing except to keep trying. So, now, some African Americans have become disillusioned with President Obama. They feel that he has betrayed them. Why? Their expectations were much higher than his capabilities. Let's give the man credit for all that he tried to do. Many things that he tried we are not even aware of. The reason for that being the fact that we don't pay attention to what is actually in the news or stop to listen to all the facts. We rely on what others are saying so we hear all the negative stuff and we believe just about everything that we hear. If we happen to hear someone on the radio or television say that the president has not kept his promise to perform a certain act that he promised to fulfill we believe it. Hell, there are some African Americans who even believe that the president is not an American. I was told point blankly prior to the 2008 election by someone close to me in no uncertain words, "I'm not voting for him because he was born in Africa." She proudly announced after the election that she had voted for Senator John McCain. Now, this was a member of my family. There was nothing that I could say to her that convinced her that the president was born in Hawaii which to the best of my knowledge is a part of the United States of America. Yet, she chose to believe the naysayers. This same relative still firmly believes that. Now, she is complaining that the president has not done enough for Black people. So I asked her just recently what she had expected the president to do. Although her answer was not a total shock to me it did start me to thinking that maybe there were others who felt the same as she did. One lady in her 70s told me that he had messed up her Medicare with "that health care stuff" and no matter how much I tried to explain to her how the Affordable Care Act would help her she just would have none of it. Why was this? To paraphrase her words, ‘I spent 6 months with a group who showed me where he was going to make it harder for me. We even went to the White House and they explained too. And that White Congressman that is the head up there even said that was how it would work.’ I spoke with this woman for about 15 minutes on this and she firmly believes that I did not know what I was talking about and the congressman knew what he was talking about because he is a congressman. She also said, "I voted for him then but you can bet I ain't voting for him now." I respectfully walked away from her and then laughed at the rigid absurdity of how she was thinking. Others have said, "I lost my job and the president hasn't done anything to help me get another one." Okay, lying in bed until 10:00 am in the morning and then getting on the telephone looking for a job hasn't gotten you another job; riding around in your car looking cool hasn't gotten you a job; not taking a genuine job that has been offered to you at less pay than you were making before hasn’t gotten you a job; and your refusal to take advantage of any idea to retrain for something else hasn't gotten you a job either. So, how is that the president's fault. The president has tried to get a jobs bill passed but congress has bucked him. So, what would you have the president do about that?

Look, my fellow brothers and sisters, Barack Hussein Obama II, is the president. He has to be president for all people - NOT JUST YOU, the African American! He is the President of the United States of American and he just happens to be a Black man. The laws that he signs into effect must be a law that applies to every single American and that law must give every single American the same benefits that it would give you. Stop listening to all the negative things about what the president hasn't done and open your ears up. Listen to the things that he has done that are putting this country on the path to rebound from the worse recession that this country has seen in a very, very long time. No president facing as much opposition as he has could have done a much better job than he has done. But if you think that Governor Mitt Romney and Congressman Paul Ryan are going to make your life any better than it is now, go ahead and vote for them. BUT DON'T START BITCHIN' AND MOANIN' WHEN THE REALITY CHECK SETS IN! Keep in mind, however, that neither of them has had to suffer your hardships during the current economic crisis. In the meantime, get up tomorrow morning before daybreak and hit the pavement and accept whatever job is offered to you. Believe it or not there are some jobs out there but you - YES YOU – must make the effort to get them. It may not be what you earned that college degree in, or have experience for, but the job is there. So what if you have to clean a toilet today in order to earn a paycheck. So what if you have to sling hamburgers today to earn that paycheck. So what if you have mow someone's lawn to earn that paycheck. President Obama did not cause you to lose your job but he has been credited with the high unemployment rate.

It is time for African Americans to take a reality check on what the real facts are. Wake up, brother. Wake up, sister. The economy was in very, very bad shape when President Obama took that Oath of Office in January of 2009. Yes, he made a lot of promises while campaigning in 2008 but the reality of life is that he found a much worse condition in the country's state of affairs when he began the job we elected him to do. So, many of those promises have not been met. Some may never be met unless there is more cooperation between the members of congress and him. The man has been fighting an uphill battle every day since. GIVE HIM THE CHANCE TO COMPLETE THE JOB WE ELECTED HIM TO DO!!!! STOP LISTENING TO ALL THE LIES AND BS THAT IS BEING HANDED TO YOU!!!!!! Hear the real facts and pay attention to them. I am an African American woman in my 60s and - HELL YES - I'm voting for Barack Hussein Obama II, again.

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What is Governor Mitt Romney’s Economic Plan for America?

Governor Romney eloquently criticizes President Obama for America’s current unemployment and economic situation.  I find that absurd, insulting, hypocritical, and arrogant.  Here is a man who has made millions of dollars taking over companies, laying off or firing people, and outsourcing the jobs those people formerly held to places like China and India just so he could get richer.  To use President Bill Clinton’s words at the Democratic National Convention, “It takes some brass to attack a guy for doing what you did.”  Now President Obama has not outsourced any jobs that I am aware of nor has he lain any person off or fired anyone for the purpose of enriching his own personal financial gains.  Yes, we have an unemployment problem in the nation right now but is the president guilty of “causing” that?  The president has stated, "We lost 4 million jobs before I was sworn in; 750,000 the month I was sworn in; 600,000, the month after that; 600,000 the month after that. So most of the jobs that we lost were lost before the economic policies we put in place had any effect."  Is this a true fact?  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ records it is right on the money – between December, 2007 and January, 2009 (a 13 month period and a month prior to the stimulus enactment) the United States lost 4.4 million jobs.  Romney has told reporters on more than one occasion, “China has taken Americans’ jobs.”  Did he have some lapse of memory?  Mr. Romney outsourced jobs to China and other countries.  Ed Conard, Mr. Romney’s Bain partner, writes in his book about how the company used outsourcing.  According to Mr. Conard "Let's not kid ourselves about just how cheap offshore labor really is. We not only pay substantially less per hour, we also avoid the costs we would incur if these workers immigrated here. We don't pay for their medical expenses when they show up in the emergency room without insurance. We don't pay for their pension costs if they don't save for retirement. We don't pay for their children's public education. Nor do we pay for their out-of-wedlock children, their unemployment benefits and workers' compensation, their slip and fall torts, their wear and tear on our public infrastructure, and the cost of their drunk driving, drug use and other crimes. We outsource pollution, its adverse effects on our health, and its clean-up costs. Neither the employees nor their employers are here to vote and seek political handouts."  Mr. Romney claims that he created 100,000 jobs when working with Bain Capital.  Fact or fiction I don’t know.  In 1994, when he challenged the late Senator Ted Kennedy for a seat in the U. S. Senate that figure was 10,000 jobs.  If the 100,000 figure is correct then the question then becomes one of what kinds of jobs were created – jobs paying minimum wages which keeps the poor at poverty levels or jobs that people could actually make a living wage at?  Bain kept no records of how many jobs it actually created that I have been able to ascertain.  So, who contributed to the unemployment the economy is now dealing with?  Mitt Romney or Barack Obama?  President Obama took the Oath of Office in January, 2009.  The number of jobs lost declined from 700,000 when took office through May, 2012.  The reason unemployment rose in May of 2012 and has fluctuated since that time as new jobs were created or fewer people filed for unemployment benefits.  Had the president and congress reached a consensus on the jobs program, would it have helped?  I, personally, can’t say.  But in my opinion it most assuredly would not have hurt the economy as much as this stalemate is hurting.  Would Mr. Romney have been more successful than the president in getting the bill passed?  Perhaps the Republican members of congress would have granted him that honor rather than obstruct it.

There is no question that under Mr. Romney’s helm Bain Capital did create some jobs.  The question is just how many and what were they?  The other question is how many of those were replacement jobs to replace the ones that were destroyed and outsourced?   In 2011 Bain Capital’s investment professionals and support staff counted at more than 100 individuals.  So, Mr. Romney, SHOW ME THE FACTS.  Did you create 100,000 jobs or 10,000 jobs?   Now he has a great plan to create more jobs here in America.  What does he plan to do?  Rebuild the companies he destroyed and put the people who lost jobs because of his actions back in them?   He insists that he “left Bain Capital in 1999” but let’s look at some of the history here:

- In 1984 Mitt Romney takes over leadership of Bain Capital.

-In 1986 Bain invested in Staples.  Mr. Romney claims to have created 100,000 jobs through the company.  What he leaves out is this.  Because Staples took business from local stores people shifted from those stores to lower paying jobs ($8-10 per hour) with Staples.  This caused the local stores problems forcing them to close leaving Staples an open field to play in.  Today, Staples only has around 90,000 employees.  Did he really create 100,000 jobs?

-In 1999 Mitt Romney officially left the reins of Bain Capital to head up the Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Or did he?  Does he still get the credit and the blame for Bain Capital’s activities after that?  What was Romney’s connection with Bain after 1999?

-February, 1999, according to SEC records Mr. Romney is the sole stockholder, chairman of the board, CEO, and the president of Bain Capital.

- July 13, 2000, SEC filings excerpts,

“Bain Capital Investors VI, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Bain Investors VI"), is the sole general Partner of Bain Partners VI.  Mr. W. Mitt Romney is the sole shareholder, sole director, Chief Executive Officer and President of Bain Investors VI and thus is the controlling person of Bain Investors VI.  The executive officers of Bain Investors VI are set forth on Schedule A hereto.

“Bain Capital Partners VI, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership…Mr. W. Mitt Romney is the sole shareholder…  The executive officers of Bain Investors VI are set forth on Schedule B hereto.

“…The principal business address of W. Mitt Romney and each of the executive officers of Bain Investors VI and Bain Capital are set forth on Schedules A and B respectively…

“…The principal occupation of Mr. W. Mitt Romney and each of the executive officers of Bain Investors VI is set forth on Schedule A hereto…

“…     (d)  None of the Reporting Persons, Bain Partners VI, Bain Investors VI or its executive officers, W. Mitt Romney, or Bain Capital or its executive officers, has, during the last five years, been convicted in a criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations or similar misdemeanors).

“(e)  None of the Reporting Persons, Bain Partners VI, Bain Investors VI or its executive officers, W. Mitt Romney, or Bain Capital or its executive officers, has, during the last five years, been a party to a civil proceeding of a judicial or administrative body of competent jurisdiction and as a result of such proceeding was or is subject to a judgment, decree or final order enjoining future violations of, or prohibiting or mandating activities subject to, federal or state securities laws or finding any violation with respect to such laws.

“(f)  Each of Fund VI, Bain Partners VI, Bain Investors VI, the BCIP Entities, and Bain Capital is organized under the laws of the State of Delaware.  Mr. W. Mitt Romney and each of the executive officers of Bain Investors VI, and the executive officers of Bain Capital is a citizen of the United States.

“… Mr. W. Mitt Romney, in his capacity as sole shareholder of Bain Investors VI and Bain Capital, may be deemed to share voting and dispositive power with respect to the 3,612,122 shares held by the Reporting Persons by virtue of their membership in Samantha Investors.  The filing of this statement by Mr. W. Mitt Romney shall not be construed as an admission that he is, for the purpose of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act, the beneficial owner of such shares held by the Reporting Persons.

“BAIN CAPITAL FUND VI, L.P., By Mark E. Nunnelly, Managing Director, BCIP ASSOCIATES II, BCIP ASSOCIATES II-B, BCIP ASSOCIATES II-C, BCIP TRUST ASSOCIATES II, BCIP TRUST ASSOCIATES II-B, By Bain Capital, Inc., their Managing Partner and PEP INVESTMENTS PTY, LTD., By Bain Capital, Inc., its attorney-in-fact By Mark E. Nunnelly, Managing Director.

“… SIGNATURES … SCHEDULE A EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF BAIN CAPITAL INVESTORS VI, INC... W. Mitt Romney, Chief Executive Officer, President and Managing Director, Two Copley Place, Boston, MA 02116,” et als.  SCHEDULE B EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF BAIN CAPITAL INVESTORS VI, INC... W. Mitt Romney, Chief Executive Officer, President and Managing Director, Two Copley Place, Boston, MA 02116, et als.” 

-The SEC records also show Mr. Romney as the sole stockholder, chairman of the board, CEO, and the president of Bain Capital in 2001 and 2002.  I find it hard to believe that as the man at the top of the chain Mr. Romney had no say in how the company operated during that time.

-in 2002 Romney finalized a 10-year severance agreement with Bain.  The terms of that agreement have not been disclosed and it expired, supposedly, in 2009. 

-In his 2003 in his Massachusetts disclosure forms Romney states that he owned a hundred percent of Bain Capital in 2002 and that he earned more than $100,000 in addition to his investments for the years of 2001 and 2002.

In 2002 Mr. Romney testified in a Massachusetts court that he had, in fact, made trips between Boston and Salt Lake City on a frequent basis during the first 6 months of 1999 for board meetings of Staples Office Supply in his bid to thwart challenges to his residency status as a resident of the state.  When testifying before Massachusetts State Ballot Law Commission Romney state that he had just taken “a leave of absence” from Bain but had not departed.  His former associates have said that he also met with Bain partners as well.  Again I ask, did Romney really leave Bain in February of 1999 and does he get the credit and the blame for Bain Capital’s activities after that? 

Example:  In 1993 Bain becomes the major shareholder in GS Technologies in Kansas City.  Less than 10 years later after hiring inexperienced managers who skimped on safety and maintenance equipment and caused spiking labor costs the company went bankrupt and reemerged as Steel Dynamics.  750 People lost jobs, employees were denied promised severance pay and health insurance, pensions were cut by $400 per month, and the government had to bail out the company's pension plan to the tune of $44 million.  Employees were offered the opportunity to purchase health insurance through the company’s plan at costs that amounted for some higher than their actual pension.  AND, the company would not pay for any part of that insurance.

In 2006 Bain became a partner in Hospital Corporation of America (HCA).  In 2008 HCA changed its emergency room (ER) billing codes, put more pressure on doctors to increase profits, and began to show an increase in the number of patients requiring more services making Medicare costs soar.  HCA's earnings increased almost $100 million in the first quarter of 2009 alone.  HCA began to refuse to treat patients without urgent conditions unless they could pay for it in advance forcing people to go elsewhere for treatment.  This began a trend among other hospitals to adopt the same rules.  HCA continues to buy out hospitals.  Could this be part of those high costs that are part of the problem with Medicare and Medicaid?  Okay, so this was after Mr. Romney supposedly left Bain.  BUT, he still reaps benefits from Bain Capital as part of his retirement, resignation, leaving, or however you may want to say it.  Blind trust withstanding.  In 2012 Governor Romney is still receiving income from Bain through a blind trust held by his wife, Anne.  That blind trust is managed by Mr. Romney’s personal attorney and still makes investments, including a $10 million investment in a wealth management company founded by one of the Romney’s sons.  So, active involvement or not the Romneys still receive income in some form or fashion from Bain Capital.

Fact, fiction or fallacy, which is it?

It is a matter of record that Mr. Romney and Bain Capital invested in many companies, including such successes as Staples, Domino’s Pizza, Sealy, Brookstone, The Sports Authority, Burger King, Burlington Coat Factory, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Toys "R" Us.  Bain Capital also owns Clear Channel and Premiere Radio Networks (a company that syndicates the radio shows of such agitators as Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and Sean Hannity) and is a partner in MSNBC.   (The president’s staunchest critics at MSNBC do have the common sense to think before they speak.)   Let’s not forget that there are many companies that Bain took over which were not such successes as well.  But it does appear that many of those failed, downsized, or bankrupted investments garnered Bain’s investors huge amounts of income which were converted to capital gains for tax purposes rather than be reported as ordinary income in order to avoid paying their fair share of income and Medicare taxes at the same time that many small businesses were paying higher amounts.  And it is also a matter of record that even as those companies failed and many people were losing their job Romney and Bain were still making money from their investments in the companies they were leaving in shambles.

Mr. Romney says that the president should take responsibility for where the economy stands right now but does he assume responsibility for what happened to the companies he helped to revamp that went into bankruptcy while he still held the senior most position at Bain Capital, Inc., whether in an active or inactive capacity?

Mr. Romney and Congressman Paul Ryan, along with those who insist (through their implied carefully worded underlying messages) that Mr. Obama does not belong in “their” White House want us to think America and the economy is dying.  The truth as I see it is that our economy is not where we would like it to be but it is in recovery and on a positive path to full recovery.  What Romney and Ryan are not saying is that there are factors beyond the control of the president (even if it was Mitt Romney) that slows the growth of the economy.  Mr. Romney needs to understand that America is not another company for him to take control of, revamp, destroy livelihoods, and outsource jobs.  If Mr. Romney were so fortunate as to become president would he walk away leaving it as broken as he left the State of Massachusetts?  Fact is, Romney and his Bain associates pocketed enormous fortunes while working class stiffs lost their jobs.  So, what will the working class, poor, middle class, seniors, and our children and grandchildren lose should Mitt Romney luck out and makes his move to the White House an actual fact?  Think about it, people.  YOU DO HAVE A CHOICE.  Make the right one.  VOTE, people, JUST VOTE! And vote for the poor; vote for our children; vote for our senior citizens; vote for education; and vote for jobs.  Don’t be misled by the rhetoric of lies being purported that the economy is not getting better.