BRIDGE BRIEFING: Lyin' Ryan
Ryan Lied About A Wisconsin Plant That Closed In 2008
Janesville Gazette: “Obama Wasn’t President When The Plant Closed.” According to the Janesville Gazette, “Rep. Paul Ryan took an example from his hometown Aug. 16 when discussing energy policy in Ohio. Some have questioned his facts. Ryan told the Ohio audience that the Janesville General Motors plant closed in 2009, and he said President Barack Obama’s policies were, in part, to blame. Obama wasn’t president when the plant closed. Production ended in December 2008.” [Janesville Gazette, 8/28/12] Washington Post: Despite Careful Wording, Ryan Implication Inaccurate Because Plant “Largely Closed In December 2008.” According to the Washington Post, “In his acceptance speech, GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan appeared to suggest that President Obama was responsible for the closing of a GM plant in Ryan’s home town of Janesville, Wis. Obama gave his speech in February 2008, and he did say those words. But Ryan’s phrasing, referring to the fact the plant did not last another year, certainly suggests it was shut down in 2009, when Obama was president. Ryan, in fact, issued a news release in June 2008, urging GM to keep the plant open after the automaker announced it would close it. The plant was largely closed in December 2008 when production of General Motors SUVs ceased — before Obama was sworn in. A small crew of about 100 workers completed a contract for production of medium-duty trucks for Isuzu Motors, a contract that ended in April 2009. Note that Ryan called the plant ‘locked up’ rather than ‘shut down.’ That’s because the plant has not been completely shut down; it remains on ‘standby’ and could reopen if GM production reaches the right level, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.” [Washington Post, 8/30/12]Abel Maldonado's $3 Million Bogus Tax Write-Offs
IRS Claimed Agro-Jal Owed Over $3 Million In Deficient Taxes In 2006 And 2007 Due Partially To Wrongful Deductions. According to a U.S. Tax Court petition filed by Agro-Jal in July 2010, the IRS alleged that the company underpaid its taxes by over $3 million in 2006 and 2007, largely due to tax deductions that the IRS disallowed following an audit. Specifically, the IRS claimed that Agro Jal owed a $1,115,440 deficiency for 2006 and $2,172,800 in 2007 [Agro-Jal Farming Enterprises Inc. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Docket No. 15103-10, Petition, filed 7/2/10] IRS: Agro-Jal Had Pattern Of Deducting Expenses For Properties Unrelated To Business. According to the Form 886-A provided by the IRS to Agro-Jal, the company had established a pattern of wrongfully deducting expenses unrelated to its actual business. These deductions included expenses for repairs and improvements at Maldonado’s home, the home of his brother and sister, and his mother’s home. The IRS alleged the properties were owned by Tri-M, a separate company set up by the Maldonado family, and were not owned or directly utilized by Agro-Jal. The IRS alleged: “It has been well documented that the taxpayer has a pattern of deducting expenses that pertain to real property which it does not own, lease, or conduct any company business of any kind.” [Agro-Jal Farming Enterprises Inc. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Docket No. 15103-10, Petition, Exhibit A, filed 7/2/10]
VIDEO: Paul Ryan's 'Legitimate' Problem
Paul Ryan and Todd Akin are one and the same in limiting access to abortion -- even in cases of…
Paul Ryan Failed To Disclose Investments On Ethics Forms
Vice-presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan's tax returns contained investments he failed to disclose on his Congressional financial disclosures. His tax returns reveal the amount of profit or loss, but we still don't know the value of the underlying investment.
Ryan’s Tax Returns Reported Investment In TLS Partners LLC – But Did Not Disclose It In Personal Financial Disclose Forms
Ryan Did Not Disclose Any Stake In TLS Partners In His Personal Financial| Year | Investment Name | Income Profit |
| 2011 | TLS Partners, LLC |
-$75 |
| 2010 | TLS Partners, LLC |
-$103 |
| Total: |
-$178 |
|
Ryan’s Tax Returns Reported Investment In Oil And Natural Gas Exploration Business, LongFellow Energy LP – But Did Not Disclose It In Personal Financial Disclosure Forms
Ryan Did Not Disclose Any Stake In Longfellow Energy LP In His Congressional Personal | Year | Investment Name | Income Profit |
| 2011 | Longfellow Energy, LP |
$6 |
| 2010 | Longfellow Energy, LP |
$158 |
| Total: |
$164 |
|
Ryan Failed to Disclose Role with Family Real Estate Partnership
Ryan Did Not List Position With Ryan Family Real Estate Limited Partnership On Congressional FinancialVIDEO: Watch Mandel Argue with a Video Tape
After grabbing an American Bridge tracker’s camera in an elevator, Josh Mandel has repeatedly attempted to accuse our tracker of initiating contact. The only problem is, witnesses and a video recording of the incident tell a very different story. Despite clear proof to the contrary, Mandel continues to inexplicably lie every chance he gets. But he can't shove the truth into a corner.
NEW VIDEO: Josh Mandel, The No-Show Treasurer
WASHINGTON - On the heels of a report yesterday showing that Josh Mandel has skipped every meeting in his first year in office of eight boards on which he sits, American Bridge today is releasing a new video entitled “Josh Mandel, the No-Show Treasurer.” In Mandel’s second year in office, he has attended a grand total of seven Board of Deposit meetings, which he only started attending after the AP noted his absence. He has still not attended a single meeting of any of the other seven boards.
DEBATE PREP: American Bridge Releases 25 Issue Briefs on Romney’s Record
American Bridge today released 25 policy-based research briefings laying out the truth about Gov. Mitt Romney’s record. Romney recently expressed his concern that President Obama will “say things that aren’t true” in their upcoming debate. It takes some brass for Mitt to make that statement, considering his own history of mendacity.
American Bridge's Questions For Mitt Romney
This year, American Bridge was hoping we’d get the call to host one of the presidential debates. Unfortunately, though admittedly unsurprisingly, that wasn’t the case. While we’re still holding out hope that Candy Crowley will use our best “this or that” submission, these are the questions we would have asked Mitt Wednesday night. (And be sure to click through to our Bridge Briefs to see the answers Mitt wouldn’t have given.) 1) Studies indicate your plan to block grant Medicaid would result in 14-27 million people losing health care insurance, half of them children. Do you think the American people would prefer health care for children or tax cuts for millionaires? 2) What did you mean when you said immigrants come here “looking for a free deal?” Would you veto legislation that offers a path to citizenship for individuals brought here as children and who have proven their commitment to American ideals by completing college or serving in the US military? 3) What did you mean when you said you were open to private sector competition in veterans’ health care? 4) Why would a Romney presidency be different than a Romney governorship, when Massachusetts lagged behind other states in job creation, ranking 47th out of 50? 5) As governor, why did you veto funding for breast and cervical cancer treatment and prevention? 6) Twice in the last 15 years - when the tech bubble burst and the recent Wall Street crisis - many people lost everything they had in the stock market. Do you still support private accounts for Social Security that would subject people’s savings to those fluctuations, and what would you propose so that people who did lose everything didn’t starve? 7) What specific tax breaks and loopholes would you eliminate to make your tax cuts for the wealthy revenue-neutral, and would these be applied to middle- and working-class families? See more questions after the jump.
BRIDGE BRIEFING: Romney And LGBT Issues
Romney Promised Not To Fight Against Same Sex Marriage But Did Anyway
In 2002, Romney Told Log Cabin Republicans He Would Not “Champion” A Fight Against The Massachusetts Ruling On Same Sex Marriage. According to the New York Times, “Mitt Romney seemed comfortable as a group of gay Republicans quizzed him over breakfast one morning in 2002. Running for governor of Massachusetts, he was at a gay bar in Boston to court members of Log Cabin Republicans. Mr. Romney explained to the group that his perspective on gay rights had been largely shaped by his experience in the private sector, where, he said, discrimination was frowned upon. When the discussion turned to a court case on same-sex marriage that was then wending its way through the state’s judicial system, he said he believed that marriage should be limited to the union of a man and a woman. But, according to several people present, he promised to obey the courts’ ultimate ruling and not champion a fight on either side of the issue. ‘I’ll keep my head low,’ he said, making a bobbing motion with his head like a boxer, one participant recalled.” [New York Times, 9/8/07]- Romney’s Deputy Political Director Confirmed Romney Promised Log Cabin Republicans He Would Not Champion A Fight Against Same Sex Marriage. According to the New York Times, “Calling Mr. Romney a flip-flopper on gay rights would be overly simplistic, Mr. Spampinato said. But he conceded that his old boss had promised the Log Cabin members that he would not champion a fight against same-sex marriage. ‘It’s definitely a shift in political priorities and strategy,’ he said.[New York Times, 9/8/07]
BRIDGE BRIEFING: Mitt Romney On Osama bin Laden
Romney Said It Was “Not Worth Moving Heaven And Earth” To Capture Osama Bin Laden Because America Would See An “Insignificant” Increase In Safety After His Capture. In an interview with Liz Sidoti of The Associated Press, Romney said, “the country would be safer by only ‘a small percentage’ and would see ‘a very insignificant increase in safety’ if al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was caught because another terrorist would rise to power. ‘It’s not worth moving heaven and earth spending billions of dollars just trying to catch one person,’ Romney said. Instead, he said he supports a broader strategy to defeat the Islamic jihad movement.” [The Associated Press, 4/26/07] Romney Attacked Obama For Promising Unilateral Action Against Al Qaeda Targets in Pakistan. Accoridng to Retuers, “Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney criticized Democrat Barack Obama on Friday for vowing to strike al Qaeda targets inside Pakistan if necessary as the Obama camp issued a strident defense of his plan. What had been an internecine foreign policy battle between rival Democrats Obama, an Illinois senator, and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, spilled into the Republican arena in the heavily contested state of Iowa. ‘I do not concur in the words of Barack Obama in a plan to enter an ally of ours... I don’t think those kinds of comments help in this effort to draw more friends to our effort,’ Romney told reporters on the campaign trail. Obama on Wednesday said if elected president in November 2008 he would be willing to launch military strikes against al Qaeda targets inside Pakistan with or without the approval of the Pakistani government of President Pervez Musharraf. ‘If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won’t act, we will,’ Obama said.” [Reuters, 8/4/07] Romney Said Using U.S. Troops In Pakistan Was Not “Civilized.” According to the Associated Press, “Romney spoke at a luncheon meeting of young Republicans in Des Moines and later with reporters who asked for his reaction to Obama’s comments. In a speech this week, the senator from Illinois issued a warning to Pakistani leaders that if they didn’t do a better job of rooting out terrorists who use that country as a sanctuary, the U.S. might intervene with force. Instead of issuing threats, the U.S. should work with nations to root out extremist forces which may exist, Romney said. ‘We want as a civilized world to participate with other nations in this civilized effort to help those nations reject the extreme within them,’ Romney said. ‘That doesn’t mean that our troops are going to go all over the world.’” [Associated Press, 8/3/07]