OBAMA's DEBATE DEBACLE ...

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2012-10-05 10:57:22 UTC

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<A
href=3D"http://www.politicususa.com/12-lies-mitt-romneys-debate-performanc=
e-mostly-fiction.html">http://www.politicususa.com/12-lies-mitt-romneys-de=
bate-performance-mostly-fiction.html</A>
 
<DIV id=3Dtitle-box>
<H1 class=3Dentry_title>The 12 Lies That Made Mitt Romney's=

Debate Performance Pure Fiction </H1></DIV>
By:
Sarah JonesOctober 4th,
2012
  
Many viewers walked away from the debate last night
thinking Romney won. What wasn't to like? The fictional Mitt Romney of
last night wasn't going to defund education, tax the middle class to pay
for more tax cuts for the rich, and aside from his Kill Elmo reveal, his
policies weren't offensive. 
Romney was offensive, rude and arrogant (and not in a
good way), but his policies weren't the kind of crazy he's been bragging
up on the trail. He abandoned the Tea Party and the GOP last night, and
basically fashioned himself into a rough outline of Obama, policy wise.
The problem is, he was lying. That was a fictional Romney, not the
Romney we have on tape from the entire past year, or for that matter all
the way back to 1994.
So if Mitt Romney won this debate, he did it by lying
about who he is and how he plans to govern. He stood on that stage and
huffed and puffed how dare Obama claim he was going to defund education,
when we know for a fact that not only did he float that in
Massachusetts, but press overheard him at a closed door fundraiser
telling his donors that he couldn't tell us he was going to kill the
Department of Education, so he would starve it in other ways. That guy,
the guy who sneeringly explained how he couldn't tell you the truth, he
was poutraged last night when Obama called him on his sudden shape
shifting. 
Mitt Romney told outright lies about his record on
several occasions =96 at least 12 times. The day after the debate, the
brutal results of presenting a fictional Romney are starting to sink in.

To replay some of Romney's lies, OFA has released a new
web video:
 
ROMNEY LIE #1: ROMNEY SAYS HIS FIVE POINT PLAN WILL LEAD=

US TO PROSPERITY, BUT INDEPENDENT ANALYSTS SAY IT WOULD ACTUALLY HURT
THE ECONOMY
Romney: "My Plan Has Five Basic Parts. =85 I'll Restore
The Vitality That Gets America Working Again." [Romney, Denver
Presidential Debate, 10/3/12]
Senior Adviser At Moody's Analytics Mark Hopkins:
Romney's Policies "Would Do More Harm In The Short Term" And "If We
Implemented All Of His Policies, It Would Push Us Deeper Into Recession
And Make The Recovery Slower." [Greg Sargent, Washington Post,
6/7/12]
ROMNEY LIE #2: ROMNEY SAID HIS TAX PLAN WOULDN'T HURT
THE MIDDLE CLASS, BUT IT WILL RAISE TAXES ON THE MIDDLE CLASS WHILE
CUTTING THEM FOR MULTIMILLIONAIRES AND BILLIONAIRES
Romney: "I Will Not, Under Any Circumstances, Raise
Taxes On Middle-Income Families." [Denver Presidential Debate,
10/3/12]
If Romney's Tax Plan Was Paid For, Families With Kids
Who Make Less Than $200,000 Would See An Average Tax Increase Of $2,041.
[Tax Policy Center, On The Distributional Effects Of Base-Broadening
Income Tax Reform, p. 18, 8/1/12]
ROMNEY LIE #3: ROMNEY WOULDN'T REDUCE TAX CUTS FOR THE
WEALTHY =96 BUT IN FACT, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HIS PLAN DOES
Romney rolled out a whole new tax plan last night.
ROMNEY: "First of all, I don't have a $5 trillion tax cut. I don't have
a tax cut of a scale that you're talking about. My view is that we ought
to provide tax relief to people in the middle class. But I'm not going
to reduce the share of taxes paid by high-income people. High-income
people are doing just fine in this economy. They'll do fine whether
you're president or I am." [Denver Presidential Debate,
10/3/12]
If Romney's Tax Plan Was Paid For, The Top 0.1% Would
See An Average Tax Cut Of $246,652. [Tax Policy Center, On The
Distributional Effects Of Base-Broadening Income Tax Reform, p. 19,
8/1/12]
ROMNEY LIE #4: ROMNEY CLAIMS HIS TAX PLAN ISN'T LIKE
ANYTHING WE'VE TRIED BEFORE =96 BUT IT'S THE SAME TRICKLE-DOWN SCHEME
WE'VE SEEN BEFORE
ROMNEY: "My plan is not like anything that's been tried
before. My plan is to bring down rates, but also bring down deductions
and exemptions and credits at the same time so the revenue stays in, but
that we bring down rates to get more people working." [Denver
Presidential Debate, 10/3/12]
Romney: "As president, I will firmly oppose tax
increases. I will make today's low individual tax rates permanent, cut
business taxes, and make the tough calls necessary to bring spending
back in line with what we can afford. I will cap spending at 20% of GDP
by 2016, which will require between $400 billion and $500 billion in
cuts." [Romney op-ed, USA Today, 2/8/12]
Romney's 59 Point Plan: Make The Bush Tax Cuts
Permanent. "As with the marginal income tax rates, Mitt Romney will seek
to make permanent the lower tax rates for investment income put in place
by President Bush." [Romney's Plan For Jobs And Economic Growth, 9/6/11]

Washington Post's Ezra Klein: "Romney Can't Explain How
His Policies Differ From That Of George W. Bush." [Ezra Klein,
Washington Post, 7/27/12]
ROMNEY LIE #5: ROMNEY'S PLAN WOULDN'T AFFECT CURRENT
SENIORS' SOCIAL SECURITY, BUT HIS TAX PLAN WOULD TAX SOCIAL SECURITY
BENEFITS
Romney Said His Plan Wouldn't Change Social Security For=

Current Retirees. Romney: "And the answer is neither the president nor I
are proposing any changes for any current retirees or near retirees,
either to Social Security or Medicare. So if you're 60 or around 60 or
older, you don't need to listen any further." [Denver Presidential
Debate, 10/3/12]
Tax Policy Center: Assuming Romney Pays For His Tax Plan=

By Cutting Deductions Would Put On The Table Provisions Like The "The
Partial Exclusion Of Social Security Benefits." [Tax Policy Center, On
The Distributional Effects Of Base-Broadening Income Tax Reform,
8/1/12]
ROMNEY LIE #6: ROMNEY SAID HIS TAX PLAN WON'T COST $5
TRILLION, BUT HIS PLAN HAS BEEN SCORED AT $5 TRILLION =96 IN ADDITION TO
THE COST OF EXTENDING THE BUSH TAX CUTS
ROMNEY: "I think first of all, let me =97 let me repeat
=97 let me repeat what I said. I'm not in favor of a $5 trillion tax
cut. That's not my plan. My plan is not to put in place any tax cut that
will add to the deficit. That's point one. So you may keep referring to
it as a $5 trillion tax cut, but that's not my plan." [Denver
Presidential Debate, 10/3/12]
Center On Budget And Policy Priorities: Romney's New Tax=

Cuts Would Cost $4.9 Trillion Over A Decade, On Top Of The Cost Of
Extending The Bush Tax Cuts. [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities,
5/21/12]
ROMNEY LIE #7: HE CLAIMED HIS PLAN WOULDN'T ADD TO THE
DEFICIT
ROMNEY: "And finally, with regards to that tax cut,
look, I'm not looking to cut massive taxes and to reduce the =97 the
revenues going to the government. My =97 my number one principle is
there'll be no tax cut that adds to the deficit. I want to underline
that =97 no tax cut that adds to the deficit." [Romney, Denver
Presidential Debate, 10/3/12]
Tax Policy Center: Romney's Tax Plan Would Drive Up The
Deficit By $480 Billion In 2015 Alone. [Tax Policy Center, The Romney
Plan (updated), 3/1/12]
ROMNEY LIE #8: ROMNEY CLAIMED THERE ARE SIX STUDIES THAT=

CALLED HIS PLAN REVENUE NEUTRAL BUT FACT CHECKERS SAY HE'S FLAT
WRONG
Romney: "Now, you cite a study, there's 6 other studies
that looked at the study described and say it's completely wrong."
[Denver Presidential Debate, 10/3/12]
Washington Post's Glenn Kessler: "Romney Has Countered
That "Six Other Studies" Have Found That The Plan Can Be Revenue
Neutral, But He's Wrong About That." Those studies actually do not
provide much evidence that Romney's proposal =97 as sketchy as it is =97
would be revenue neutral without making unrealistic assumptions. [Glenn
Kessler, Washington Post, 10/3/12]
ROMNEY LIE #9: ROMNEY ARGUED THAT HIS PLAN WOULDN'T CUT
EDUCATION, BUT IT COULD MEAN A CUT OF MORE THAN $115 BILLION OVER THE
NEXT DECADE
Romney: "All Right, I'm Not Going To Cut Education
Funding. I Don't Have Any Plan To Cut Education Funding And =97 And
Grants That Go To People Going To College." [Denver Presidential Debate,
10/3/12]
If Cuts Were Applied Across The Board, Ryan's Budget
Would Cut "The Department Of Education =85 By More Than $115 Billion
Over A Decade=85 The Department of Education would be cut by more than
$115 billion over a decade." [Jeff Zients, Acting Director of the Office
of Management and Budget, <A class=3Dautohyperlink
title=3Dhttp://WH.gov href=3D"http://wh.gov/" rel=3Dnofollow
target=3D_blank>WH.gov</A>,
3/21/12]
ROMNEY LIE #10: HE CLAIMS HIS ENERGY PLAN WILL MAKE
NORTH AMERICA ENERGY INDEPENDENT, BUT IT'S TOO DEPENDENT ON OIL AND
DRILLING
Romney: "I Want To Get America And North America Energy
Independent So We Can Create Those Jobs." "And, by the way, I like coal.
I'm going to make sure we can continue to burn clean coal. People in the
coal industry feel like it's getting crushed by your policies. I want to
get America and North America energy independent so we can create those
jobs." [Mitt Romney, First Presidential Debate, 10/3/12]
Romney's Energy Plan "Is Basically All About Oil, Coal
And Gas." "No sooner had Mitt Romney released his long-awaited energy
policy Aug. 23 than a small army of reporters and pundits started
drilling into the details and coming up with barely a kilowatt of vision
or substance. The plan is basically all about oil, coal and gas." [K
Kaufmann, Desert Sun, 9/1/12]
Associated Press Fact Check: Romney Opposes Curbs On
Energy Demand =96 Namely Higher Mileage Standard =96 But "Independent
Energy Analysts Say Supply And Demand Both Have To Be In The Equation
For Energy Independence To Be Achieved." "Romney's steps include deficit
cuts that he has not spelled out, and a march toward energy independence
that past presidents have promised but not delivered. Unlike Obama, he
does not support curbs on demand; namely the much higher mileage
standards that are coming into effect. Romney proposes boosting
supplies, with freer access to development of oil, gas, coal and more.
Independent energy analysts say supply and demand both have to be in the
equation for energy independence to be achieved." [Fact Check,
Associated Press, 8/31/12]
ROMNEY LIE #11: ROMNEY'S PLAN WILL "DEAL" WITH PEOPLE
WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS, BUT HE'D REPEAL OBAMACARE AND IT'S
PROTECTIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS, LETTING INSURANCE
COMPANIES DISCRIMINATE
Romney Said His Plan "Deals With People With
Pre-Existing Conditions." ROMNEY: "And with regards to health care, you
had remarkable details with regards to my pre-existing condition plan.
You obviously studied up on =97 on my plan. In fact, I do have a plan
that deals with people with pre-existing conditions. That's part of my
health care plan. And what we did in Massachusetts is a model for the
nation state by state. And I said that at that time." [Denver
Presidential Debate, 10/3/12]
Romney Suggested Uninsured People With Pre-Existing
Conditions Should Not Be Able To Get Health Insurance on Jay Leno: "We
Can't Play The Game Like That." Jay: "So you would make the law stand
for children and people with pre-existing conditions?" Romney: "People
with pre-existing conditions, as long as they have been insured before,
they are going to be able to continue to have insurance." Leno: "Suppose
they haven't been insured." Romney: "Well, if they, if they are 45 years
old and they show up and say I want insurance because I have heart
disease, it's like, Hey guys. We can't play the game like that. You've
got to get insurance when you are well and then if you get ill, you are
going to be covered." [Romney, Tonight Show With Jay Leno,
3/27/12]
Romney In Discussing What He Would Replace Obamacare
With: "People With Pre-Existing Conditions, As Long As They Have Been
Insured Before, They Are Going To Be Able To Continue To Have
Insurance." [Romney, Tonight Show With Jay Leno, 3/27/12]
New York Magazine's Jonathan Chait: "In Other Words,
It's Not True. Romney Doesn't Have A Plan, Or Even A Vague Outline Of A
Plan, To Cover People With Preexisting Conditions." [Jonathan Chait, New
York Magazine, 9/10/12]
New York Daily News Headline: "Mitt Romney: Insurance
Companies Should Be Allowed To Deny Coverage For Pre-Existing
Conditions." [New York Daily News, 6/14/12]
ROMNEY LIE #12: ROMNEY CLAIMED HE WAS A BIPARTISAN
GOVERNOR, BUT IN REALITY HE BARELY TOOK THE TIME WORK WITH DEMOCRATS IN
THE LEGISLATURE
Romney At Denver Debate: "I Had The Great Experience =96=

It Didn't Seem Like It At The Time =96 Of Being Elected In A State Where
My Legislature Was 87 Percent Democrat [...] I Figured Out From Day One
I Had To Get Along And I Had To Work Across The Aisle." LEHRER: "Many of
the legislative functions of the federal government right now are in a
state of paralysis as a result of partisan gridlock. If elected, in your
case, if re-elected, in your case, what would you do about that?
Governor?" ROMNEY: "Jim, I had the great experience =97 it didn't seem
like it at the time =97 of being elected in a state where my legislature
was 87 percent Democrat. And that meant I figured out from day one I had
to get along and I had to work across the aisle to get anything done."
[Romney, Denver Presidential Debate, 10/3/12]
"Some Democratic lawmakers accused Romney of being
aloof, unapproachable and not much interested in working with them to
build the kind of friendships and alliances that are needed to help pass
legislation. They say Romney's legislative agenda on big issues like
transportation and higher education fizzled as a result." [Associated
Press, 8/2/12]
As Governor, Romney Had A Style Marked By "Disinterest
In Bipartisan Collaboration." "Romney's ability to wield the bully
pulpit circumventing inflexible lawmakers and appealing directly to the
public was a hallmark of his tenure, and it hints at the CEO style of
leadership that he might bring to the White House. The flip side of that
style is Romney's relative disinterest in bipartisan collaboration, a
practice that's already rare in Washington." [National Journal,
11/10/11]
He furnished the Massachusetts press corps, always
looking for conflict, with a running narrative of combat. That was a
departure from the collegiality of Romney's GOP predecessors. [National
Journal, 11/10/11]
"Gov. Mitt Romney makes his official exit today, taking
the traditional 'lone walk' down the State House steps a day early so as
not to run into Deval Patrick's inauguration ceremony. That act is
symbolic in two ways: He leaves as a loner with his own personal agenda,
who never became a full member of Massachusetts' governing class, and
he's leaving before his term is officially finished, though months after
he turned his attention away from the Bay State in pursuit of national
office=85Some had potential, but Romney failed to do the political work
required to bring them to fruition. Romney never established a solid
working relationship with legislative leaders. And while he is a good
speaker and effective on the stump, he leaves the Massachusetts
Republican Party weaker than ever=85Too often, though, Romney has
appeared more interested in picking the right fights than in building
coalitions to solve problems." [Editorial, MetroWest Daily News,
1/3/07]
As Governor, Romney Commandeered One Of The
Massachusetts Statehouse Elevators, Barring The Public, Lawmakers And
Reporters From Using It. "Veteran lawmakers complained about lack of
access to Romney, a perception that wasn't helped by his decision to
commandeer one of the Statehouse elevators, barring the public,
lawmakers and reporters from using it during his four-year term. The
elevator became a symbol of his aloofness. (It was reopened to the
public after he left.)" [Associated Press, 2/4/12]
"During Romney's four years as governor, the troopers
reserved one of the two elevators outside the Corner Office solely for
Romney's use. They also erected velvet ropes in front of his office,
allowing only those approved to enter." [Boston Globe,
2/3/12]
So yes, Mitt might have "won" the debate, only to lose
the public's trust. When the dust settles, Romney's dozen flat-out
falsehoods topped off by his manic, hyper body and voice will be the
only thing remaining from his debate performance. Conservatives are
gloating this morning, but the joke is on them. Romney "won" a debate
last night by pretending not to be who he is and stabbing them in the
back. 
Obama was the same man he always is, and while that
might bore the pundits and even the voters, when we think about who we
would rather have leading this nation in times of crisis, it's the cool,
calm guy. The one who doesn't lie to us as a course of business. We know
who he is and what he stands for. No one can say that about Romney
without being made a fool of the next day. </html>