My head is exploding and there is no visible evidence. Nope. Not a bit of gray matter on the walls. Shouldn’t there be serious cleanup involved here?
What could cause this explosion? This combustion? This sharing of gray matter with my surroundings?
You might think that it is this video of Mitt Romney insulting about half of the country (47 bloomin’ percent!), by saying that
- they are “dependent” upon the government — it doesn’t matter that they have been paying into Social Security and Medicare for DECADES!
- they are essentially lazy folks, unwilling to work for a living, and
- if you’re not wealthy, well, who the hell cares about you ’cause you’re not gonna vote for Mitt anyway.
Well, certainly Mitt Romney doesn’t care about them.
Now normally, this video would get me pretty damn riled up.
But, of course, there’s more. Yes, it gets better.
You know how Mitt is always preaching about how he made it on his own? How he and Ann struggled, eating tuna and pasta. I wrote about it a couple of weeks ago. Yeah, it is so very difficult to just live off the interest and dividends from your stock portfolio, Mitt.
But did you know about George Romney? Mitt’s Daddy? The guy who gave Mitt and Ann the stock that eased Mitt and Ann’s struggle? He wasn’t always the successful businessman he became later. He wasn’t born the CEO of American Motors. Nope. He wasn’t always rich and well connected. Really! Who would have thunk it!
Still, George Romney was by all accounts 10,000 times the man his son is. He was an important member of the Moderate/Liberal Republicans that made up that impressive generation of politicians.
And do you want to know a secret? One that you won’t hear Mitt talkin’ about?
George Romney was on Welfare!
Yup! It’s true. When he was young he was a refugee from Mexico (where he was born and automatically became an American Citizen because his parents were American Citizens — but I digress.) And when he was a child, a refugee who fled back to the U.S. with his family, well, the United States Government helped him survive.
Here’s a clip of his wife saying what a good governor her husband George would be. And you know what? She was right by all accounts. He was a good man, a good governor, and would likely have made a good president.
One of the reasons he was such a good governor is that he had compassion all people. For the poor and downtrodden. Why? Well, partly because he was once poor. George Romney was once on welfare. And he understood that being poor doesn’t mean that you are lazy. That being poor doesn’t mean that you want a hand OUT but might just need a hand UP. And that’s what George Romney got from the United States Government.
So some questions for U.S. voters:
- Do you really want to elect a man President of the United States who courts the elite by denigrating the rest of us?
- Do you really want to elect a man President of the United States who pretends his father’s past didn’t happen?
- Do you really want to elect a man President of the United States who would have let his own father fail?
- Do you think these folks whom Mitt Romney has just identified and insulted will continue to cling to their guns and their religion?
- Do you really want to elect such an asshole President of the United States?
I can hear you shouting “NO!” from here.
* * *
Many thanks to my friend Lisa of Big Sheep Blog for telling me about this video. I was actually working …
FiftyFourandAHalf 
This reminds me of a line from one of my favorite movies, “An American President”. “How can you profess to love America, when you hate Americans?” (paraphrased, but you get the idea).
Thanks, Elyse!
LikeLike
Oh, I love that movie. Unabashedly — Annette Benning, Michael Douglas, Michael J. Fox. Great film! And great quote (I can’t remember the exact quote but you did get the idea and so did I).
LikeLike
Now Lorna — Queen Elizabeth’s? How about Kate Middleton’s or Michelle Obama’s. Better yet — Rifalka’s! If the fancy show horse is a fancy show girl, that is!
LikeLike
I think Mitt is going to have to pay the paparazzi A LOT of money to get some shots of Queen Elizabeth’s boobies so the easily distracted press will forget this little video-taped confession of his about what he really thinks of nearly half the people he wants to lead into self-inflicted poverty…
LikeLike
I saw the video yesterday during one of my regular stops at Mother Jones. I wasn’t surprised by it. The more disturbing thing is the smile (smirk) that never seems to leave his face. His business background that he likes to tout is really that of a leveraged buyout king, but he doesn’t like to get too specific (another of his trademarks). For those unaware of what leveraged buyout entails it means taking on debt to acquire a company, then transfer that debt to the company’s books and then dismantle or sell of the company pocketing the profit and leaving the debt for someone else to pay. Doesn’t seem like the kind of business expertise we need to streamline government so that it becomes more efficient and responsive to the needs of the many rather than just catering to the desires of the few.
LikeLike
Well said, Sandy. No, I don’t think having a CEO president worked 2000-2008 — I don’t think it will work 2012-2016, either. Not to mention the fact that this CEO is apparently management-challenged. He appears to have the worst campaign team in modern history! Or, is it the CEO himself who needs to be fired. Hmmmmmmm lemme think …
LikeLike
Oh, I wish this blog could find its way to the USA Today front page.
LikeLike
Thanks, Clinton. Maybe if you suggest it … 😉
LikeLike
I should be surprised by the video, but I’m not. I have a serious issue with someone wanting to govern a country filled with so many people he clearly despises.
LikeLike
Me, too, Speaker7. And I just have a fundamental problem with candidates who hate government, think it can do no right and no good, but who want jobs in the government nevertheless.
LikeLike
Mostly, I just want this election to end so I can go back to viewing Romney as comedy, and not being terrified by the fact that he’s taken as seriously as he is.
LikeLike
I think this clip, and the other one I saw this morning (where he says about the Israeli/Palestinian situation that he would just kick the can down the road) will keep folks from taking Mitt too terribly seriously.
That and tomorrow’s gaffes, whatever they may ultimately be.
LikeLike
Can you say ‘true colors?’ This is the real Romney, telling his 1%’er cronies how her really feels when he thinks ‘our half’ isn’t listening. Thank you for sharing!
LikeLike
You’re absolutely right — that is exactly what he thinks of us. Because he will never need Medicare or Social security — but I bet he won’t say no, either. That’s cause we are going to save those programs!
LikeLike
He is a jackanapes.
Took a break from the platform comparisons, but must get back at it.
LikeLike
You have such a way with words, Val!
I’m looking forward to your next installment!
LikeLike
As soon as I heard this story I thought “Elyse is going to have a blast” so thank you Lisa for letting her know.
These guys are seriously their own worst enemy! If Mitt went out on the trail with THIS story, he would have a much better chance…so, therefore NO I will not be voting for this ass. Let him go back to his job as a mannequin for Brooks Brothers.
No doubt his father is spinning in his grave!!
LikeLike
Now wait just a minute, Tops. I did this alone. With no help from the government or from Lisa. Oh, wait, I got help? Sorry. I misspoke ;).
Yes, Mitt might appear human if he told his father’s hardships rather than his triumphs. It is an inspiring story — literally rags to riches.
Mitt should listen to Elizabeth Warren (who was more eloquent than Obama when she said this:
LikeLike
My mom turned me on to Elizabeth, she is her biggest fan and we don’t even live in her state. She made, as she says, “a little contribution” to her campaign because she believes she can make a difference. I sure hope so.
LikeLike
Yesterday’s polls have EW pulling ahead. Lets keep our fingers crossed.
I donated and I don’t live in MA either! She is just so inspiring!
LikeLike
Personally, I’m speechless. That’s why I handed this off into your very capable hands. Thanks : )
LikeLike
Lisa, when you sent this video to me, I couldn’t watch it and I nearly went crazy. Because I knew it had to be good. You did not disappoint, Lisa. Thanks!
I am watching “Morning Joe” where Joe Scarborough is trying to come up with a scenario whereby Mitt will win. Joe is dreaming.
Time to focus on the House and Senate!
Thanks again, Lisa. I hadn’t figured out a way to bring in George’s welfare history until I saw this.
LikeLike
Oh, don’t thank me – thank Mitt : )
LikeLike
sometimes the apple falls really, really, really, really far from the tree.
LikeLike
In this case, the apple is full of worms. Especially at its core!
LikeLike
Very frustrating. Romney also pointed out that these people didn’t pay income tax, even though he doesn’t pay income tax either.
LikeLike
Yes, Thurston Howell Romney doesn’t pay income tax either. And as they say he was born on 3rd base. But this guy pretends he is the only on on the team — and he is wrong.
Once again, I go back to the point of why folks who don’t believe in the good possibilities of government want to join it.
LikeLike
Put my one and only (in my life) bumper sticker on the back of my Prius yesterday… Love>Fear. Doesn’t that just say it all.
LikeLike
That does say it all, PW. It is all about what kind of country we want to live in. Are we a society that helps people up or one that kicks them when they’re down?
I think we’ll all sleep better at night if we follow our better angels.
LikeLike
And, of course, Paul Ryan’s family got wealthy through public-funded contracts, and then his grandmother (I believe?) got government funding to go to school and help raise him for a while. That’s scattershot – so fact-check me, but, essentially, everything the Ryan’s have is because of public funding.
LikeLike
What? Ryan didn’t “build that”? I am shocked, shocked. I recall reading that his mother was on Social Security when Ryan’s dad died and that he got government loans for college (at a time when it was possible to ultimately pay those loans off — what an idea!)
The thing that gets me most about Ryan though, is that he is one of these anti-government guys who has spent his entire career working in the government! What does that say about a person’s strength of character? Umm. Let me answer that. It says he is a total f’ing hypocrite.
LikeLike
Elyse – one of the things that makes me despair is the faiilure of liberals and campaigns to make that very point – Ryan has ONLY had government jobs. That’s fine, but it should absolutely mute his crude judgements of others. A little humility might be appropriate.
Limbaugh was once on welfare too by the way.
LikeLike
Humility? In a Republican? Now that would be shocking.
As shocking as finding out that that repulsive drug addict was once on welfare…. These people have no shame. Not a bit.
LikeLike
I don’t want to vote for a guy whose father, perfectly able-bodied, GOT welfare, when I (with chronic headaches AND a bad hip) get laughed out of every attempt to get ANY kind of aid! Well, that, and I wouldn’t vote for a guy who needs his head wrapped in duct tape to stop him saying stupid crap every time he opens his mouth. But that’s a horse of a different colour. (Oh, crap, I shouldn’t have mentioned horses! 😉 )
LikeLike
Well, John, you just aren’t well enough connected. It doesn’t matter what you NEED. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done with the rest of your life. It doesn’t matter. Clearly you are lazy and undeserving.
Mitt Romney really is a horse’s ass. Sorry to mention the horses again. Perhaps if Rifalka steps on you you can sue ….
LikeLike