Mitt Romney's Hidden Agenda
WASHINGTON, DC -- Admittedly afraid of how voters will react to his ideas, Mitt Romney has a bad habit of teasing his policy proposals before refusing to show voters the details. First, Romney told told the Washington Examiner that he had an immigration plan that he hadn't unveiled -- that was over 100 days ago. Next, he gave a widely panned "major" policy address at Ford Field in Detroit to unveil his new tax plan, only he never actually released the details of the plan in question. And finally, while speaking with the Weekly Standard, Romney flat-out admitted he was keeping secrets from voters because he was afraid his ideas would be unpopular. The Standard wrote: "But Romney, ever cautious, is reluctant to get specific about the programs he would like to kill. He did this in his bid for the Senate 18 years ago and remembers the political ramifications."
Read more after the jump.
Plain Dealer: Even In An Age Of Fact-Check Journalism, The Political Whopper Lives
On March 24, 2012, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported:
Josh Mandel's already casual relationship with the truth took a turn toward outright estrangement this month. [...] PolitiFact Ohio already had done the "grunt work" and found that the examples cited by Mandel's campaign failed to back up his claim, hence the Pants on Fire rating. Right or wrong, Mandel vowed to repeat the assertion "again and again" and said he sees no downside.
Tim Johnson Calls Iraq And Afghanistan "Senseless, Silly Wars"
Johnson: War on Terror is "silly."
POLITICO: Santorum Mailer Highlights Limbaugh Praise
On March 13, 2012, POLITICO reported:
Limbaugh, who has been at the center of the last month's political firestorm over contraception, is quoted saying: "I know that if Rick Santorum were elected president, I wouldn't have one doubt any day what he would be fighting for, not one. And it would be great if he could get there."
Huffington Post: Josh Mandel Senate Campaign Aides Block Democratic Trackers
On March 9, 2012, the Huffington Post reported:
When Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel (R) formally kicked off his Senate campaign earlier this month, a scuffle in the back of the room drew attention away from him. A Mandel aide was using his hands, body, head and hair to block a state Democratic Party employee from filming Mandel as he spoke and gladhanded around the room. The practice of taping opponents' public comments, known as tracking, is common but some in Ohio said Mandel's campaign is the "most aggressive" in blocking it.
Dear Rush … Love, Mitt
Two years ago today, during an interview with NewsMax, Mitt Romney admitted he finds it "hard to disagree with Rush Limbaugh on topics." Given what we've seen from Romney over the past couple weeks, it's obvious he was telling the truth. To commemorate the two-year anniversary of the Romney/Limbaugh love-fest, we've created two digital greeting cards "to" Rush "from" Mitt. Check them out in the extended entry.
TPM: Romney Backer Ted Nugent Has History Of Extreme, Violent Political Rhetoric
On March 2, 2012, Talking Points Memo reported:
Romney hasn’t shied away from controversial endorsements this cycle — he accepted Donald Trump’s seal of approval, who led a birther revival last year. One of his 2008 campaign officials, Joe Arpaio, become an embarrassment for Republican officials this week when he held a press conference outlining his own theory that Obama’s birth certificate is a fraud (he has not endorsed a candidate in 2012). But Nugent’s allusions to violence likely put him in a league of his own.
NY Times: Santorum Makes Case For Religion In Public Sphere
On February 26, 2012, the New York Times reported:
But the crowd initially booed Mr. Romney, who occasionally struck a discordant note, as when he approached a group of fans wearing plastic ponchos. “I like those fancy raincoats you bought,” he said. “Really sprung for the big bucks.” And when asked if he was a fan of the sport, he mentioned that “I have some great friends who are Nascar team owners.”
TPM: Joe The Plumber’s Campaign: ‘Rich Iott Is Not A Nazi’
On February 23, 2012, Talking Points Memo reported:
In an interview with TPM, Wurzelbacher’s deputy campaign director Phil Christofanelli vigorously defended Iott as a job-creating businessman who has helped the Toledo area — and denied the legitimacy of any negative associations. “He has a whole collection, it’s one of the thing he does. I don’t know all the costumes he does, but he has a whole wardrobe of different army costumes,” said Christofanelli, also adding, “Joe has actually seen his collection, I understand.”
TPM: Joe The Plumber Touts Endorsement Of Rich The Nazi Reenactor
On February 23, 2012, Talking Points Memo reported:
Joe “The Plumber” Wurzelbacher, who gained fame during the 2008 campaign when he met Barack Obama and subsequently campaigned for John McCain, is the likely Republican nominee for the House this year in his deep-blue Ohio district. This week he trotted out the endorsement of Rich Iott, who gained fame in 2010 when it was discovered he enjoys spending his weekends dressed up like a Nazi.