BRIDGE BRIEF: The Truth About Romney & The Auto Rescue
ROMNEY SAID GOVERNMENT SUPPORT TO AUTO INDUSTRY WAS FINE AFTER A MANAGED BANKRUPTCY
Romney Said He Would Have Been “Fine” With Government Support To The Auto Industry But Only After A Managed Bankruptcy. According to The Detroit News, “[During an interview] Romney said Democrats are ‘distorting’ his record on the auto bailout, whose government-imposed conditions included filing bankruptcy. ‘If they needed help coming out of bankruptcy and government support, that was fine, but I was not in favor of the government writing billions of dollars in checks prior to them going into bankruptcy,’ he said.” [Detroit News, 06/05/12]ROMNEY OPPOSED GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT IN THE AUTO INDUSTRY
Romney Believed Things In Detroit Would Be Better Without Intervention. According to a Detroit News op-ed, Romney wrote “The president tells us that without his intervention things in Detroit would be worse. I believe that without his intervention things there would be better.” [Detroit News, 2/14/12] Romney Wrote That One Of The Agendas For A Free And Strong America Was To “Get The Government Out Of General Motors.” According to “No Apology” Mitt Romney wrote that one of the agendas for a free and strong America was to “Get the government out of General Motors—and other private companies.” [“No Apology” 2011 Pg. 318] Romney Believed Automakers Should Have Had Private Bankruptcy Without Federal Aid. According to the Associated Press, “Romney told a diner at the Senate Coney Island restaurant Thursday morning that the automakers should have gone through a private bankruptcy without the federal aid. The businessman and former Massachusetts governor says he believes ‘in the process of law’ rather than bailouts.” [Fox News, Associated Press, 6/9/11 ]MEMO: Josh Mandel FBI Investigation
When Josh Mandel became Ohio’s Treasurer barely a year ago, he was entrusted to act as a responsible steward of the state’s funds. Mandel quickly violated that trust by failing to fulfill the responsibilities of his job so he could campaign for a Senate seat instead. Mandel has also acted irresponsibly by flouting campaign finance rules. Questionable contributions made to his Senate campaign by employees of Suarez Corporation are now under investigation by the FBI. The suspicious nature of the donations was raised by the press to Mandel last year, as it was noted how unusual it was for multiple employees (and their spouses) of the same company, many whom have never before given to federal campaigns, to each make maximum donations to the same candidates. Yet Mandel refused to investigate the donations, and returned them only after the press reported on the existence of an FBI investigation. And though he has now returned $105,000 in tainted donations, Mandel has yet to come clean. He refuses to identify when he became aware of the FBI investigation, how he learned of the investigation, and how long he waited before returning the donations. This is to say nothing of whether he knew that the contributions were illegal before they were made, and still chose to accept them anyway. With the FBI investigating these contributions to Mandel’s campaign, Ohio voters are asking the same question: what is Josh Mandel hiding?
Tell Mitt Romney: Fire "The Donald"
Donald Trump and his birther conspiracies just helped Mitt Romney raise more than $2 million at a fundraiser in Las Vegas. Even by Vegas standards, that’s an awfully big pay off -- but every single dollar Romney raised is tainted with the dishonesty and bigotry of Trump’s lies. It’s hard to imagine a worse gamble, and it’s time for Mitt Romney to put his love of firing people into action. Join us in calling for Mitt Romney to fire The Donald.
Everything Richard Mourdock’s Website Said About Dick Lugar
It was reported yesterday that Indiana State Treasurer and Senate candidate Richard Mourdock was in the process of scrubbing his website of mentions of Senator Dick Lugar, the primary fight, and contrast pieces highlighting his policy differences with the incumbent. Unwilling to let Mourdock tack to the center after claiming his extreme conservatism, American Bridge 21st Century is making available to the public an archive of everything Mourdock published on his campaign website regarding Senator Lugar. Check it out after the jump.
BRIDGE BRIEFING: Mitt Romney & Higher Education
Romney Does Not Care About College Affordability
Romney Said “College Is Not Right For Everybody.” According to Fox News, during an interview on “Hannity,” Romney was asked by Sean Hannity: “Do you think that it’s in everybody’s best interest to get a degree or are people better off going to specialized schools to become a mechanic or an electrician or a plumber? What do you think?” Romney replied “Not everybody is going to go to college, of course. And people have different courses in their life they want to pursue. College is not right for everybody. Some folks have other ambitions and want to go in different directions. So, we want people to have freedom in this country and opportunity to pursue their happiness and the way they think.” [Fox News, 2/28/12] Romney Suggested Students Facing Rising Tuition Costs Should Get A Scholarship Or Join The Military. According to a New York Times op-ed, “There wasn’t a word about the variety of government loan programs… There wasn’t a word urging colleges to hold down tuition increases… And there wasn’t a word about Pell Grants, in case the student’s family had a low enough income to qualify… Instead, the advice was pretty brutal: if you can’t afford college, look around for a scholarship (good luck with that), try to graduate in less than four years, or join the military if you want a free education.” [New York Times, 3/5/12]Supports Paul Ryan’s Plan Cutting Pell Grants For 1 Million Students
Romney Supported Federal Budget Cutting Pell Grants By 25 Percent. According to New York Times, “That may be because Mr. Romney supports the House Republican budget, which would cut Pell Grants by 25 percent or more at a time when they are needed more than ever.” [New York Times, 03/05/12]BRIDGE BRIEFING: Mitt Romney & K-12 Education
Romney Believes Smaller Class Sizes Are Harmful
Romney Thought Efforts To Reduce Classroom Size “May Actually Hurt Education More Than It Helps.” According to his book “No Apology” Romney wrote, “In The United States, then, the effort to reduce classroom size may actually hurt education more than it helps.” [Romney, No Apology, Pg. 216]Gary Miller “Comments” On His Record
After raw footage of Gary Miller campaign ad outtakes surfaced on the internet, American Bridge decided to have a little fun at his expense. Check out Miller “reacting” to questions about his ethical lapses and shady real estate deals.
MEMO: What you need to know about Deb Fischer
Thanks to the more than $250,000 investment from billionaire Joe Rickett’s super PAC, Deb Fischer won a surprising last-person-standing victory in Nebraska’s Republican senate primary. But now Nebraskans are left wondering: who is their Republican nominee? As an untested, unknown, unscrutinized candidate, Deb Fischer didn’t “win” on Tuesday, her opponents lost. But now that she will be the Republican standard bearer in the most high profile race in the state, her record, votes, and positions will be thoroughly vetted by voters. While no means exhaustive, below is a quick primer on what you need to know about Deb Fischer.
MOTHER'S DAY MEMO: Romney's Record On Issues Important To Women And Families
As families across the country celebrate Mother’s Day and honor the women in their life, it is also a good opportunity to reflect on the policies that allow women to pursue equal pay for equal work, protect women and families from violence, and help to prevent serious illnesses. Unfortunately for women and their families, Mitt Romney has consistently advocated against these policies. With the Republican Party consistently advocating an anti-women agenda, they have found the perfect standard bearer in Mitt Romney.
MEMO: Richard Mourdock’s Extreme Record
Let’s be clear about one thing regarding Richard Mourdock’s win over Dick Lugar tonight in the Indiana Republican Senate primary: Richard Mourdock did not win; Dick Lugar lost. Assuredly, Lugar’s precipitous drop in the final weeks was propelled by his stumbles over the residency issue. But Lugar’s vulnerability stemmed from being identified as one of the Tea Party’s top targets of the 2012 election cycle. Lugar will have been felled by the same extreme fringe of the Republican Party that took down several pragmatic Republican candidates in 2010. These extremists found a mouthpiece in State Treasurer Richard Mourdock and are nominating a candidate who is well outside the mainstream of Indiana voters.
The Republican primary has been a referendum on Lugar, not an endorsement of Richard Mourdock. As Hoosiers across the state learn more about Mourdock, they will realize that his soft-spoken demeanor belies a fervent, extreme view of politics and governance that would hurt Indiana’s middle class families, students, veterans, women, seniors, and farmers.BACKGROUND ON RICHARD MOURDOCK’S EXTREMISM
Mourdock Said Auto Bailout Was Illegal. According to a Mourdock Editorial in the South Bend Tribune, “By any traditional legal analysis, fundamental elements of the Obama administration’s Chrysler bankruptcy plan were illegal. It turned 200 years of U.S. bankruptcy law on its head by awarding more value to a select group of unsecured creditors than to secured creditors. Others are apparently willing to tolerate the violation of federal bankruptcy laws simply because they liked the result: It helped their friends. But most Americans, including the Hoosier retirees who had their property stolen away, see such picking and choosing by the federal government as fundamentally un-American.” [Mourdock Editorial, South Bend Tribune, 10/9/10]