My attempt to live-blog Mitt on Meet the Press was stymied by computer problems and emergencies. But here is the tape-delayed, much-clamored-for quick synopsis of Mitt fending off the cotton balls lobbed at him by David Gregory. It is noteworthy that Mitt rarely does "unfriendly/liberal" media appearances.
This is probably why:
When you give a speech you don’t go through a laundry list, you talk about the things that you think are important and I described in my speech, my commitment to a strong military unlike the president’s decision to cut our military. And I didn’t use the word troops, I used the word military. I think they refer to the same thing.
Oops, that was a Fox News interview. Oh well.
Certainly he should be grilled and not allowed to get away with his lies on "Meet The Press". Oh, I forgot: David Gregory is in charge of that show now.
The first-half segment was Mitt and Ann sitting next to a fawning and smiling-so-hard-it-hurts Gregory, on a couch on Mitt's "campaign" bus.
Behind Mitt's head for the entire segment was a prominently-placed sign that read:
"Jontos Con Romney".
Gosh, what could they have been thinking with that obvious touch?
The first thing Mitt noted was that now that the RNC is over, he is in better standing because now people know him.
Huge glaring softball lobbed to Mitt, as he is allowed to claim that Obama put the auto industry into bankruptcy, exactly as Mitt himself would have done, but the American people don't realize that Obama's plan for the auto industry also involved a bankruptcy. Of course, Mitt was allowed to claim that he would have saved the taxpayers billions because he would not have bailed them out.
Gregory never followed up with anything. Not a challenge that these were in fact loans nee bailouts, and certainly nothing about the fact that no private financing was even available at that time and that govt had to supply the financing. (If there is one business Mitt knows, it is private financing, and thus Gregory and others MUST hold Mitt to a higher standard of honesty and factual information on this subject.)
Instead of following up on Mitt's claim about the auto industry, Gregory hiked the tough trail and turned the question to Ann, for the feel-good-family-man part of the interview (a total waste of very valuable time, in my opinion. The guy is a candidate for president on Meet The Press, and every minute of the lousy 30 he granted Gregory is vital.)
Ann waxed on about nothing worth a damn, but it is noteworthy that she drew her MS like a gun within literally 30 seconds of beginning her first answer, in response to a question about her disconnect with regular folks.
Mitt again mocked Obama "slowing the rise of the tides", and changing the climate of the planet.
Mitt then claimed that he, as a Mormon, is among the most persecuted peoples in the country. (He said this to answer a question about how he relates to the common folk, the oppressed, etc).
(At this point I was thinking that Entertainment Tonight would've been tougher on him.)
Mitt then was asked about his tax plan, and the only concrete thing he really offered was that the rich will apparently not have their taxes lowered, but rather only their tax rates. But by closing some of their loopholes, their taxes paid will stay the same.
He then claimed that he will lower middle class tax rates, by lowering their capital gains tax rates?????? I know, I don't understand that one either...
Mitt claimed several times that 5 studies: 2 Ivy Leaguers, and one from the conservative AEI, claim his tax plan makes sense and will do as Mitt claims it will.
Of course, Gregory never challenged these studies in any way, or asked Mitt about the Mortgage Interest/Closing costs deduction, or which loopholes will be closed!
Gregory again and again lets Mitt get away with merely saying, "We have a plan which will......" with no follow-up and no call for specifics.
Mitt touted his Massachusetts health care reform again, and claimed he will not get rid of all of Obama's Health Care Reform. He mentioned that he will replace parts of it with private industry health care, and he said he wouldn't let people lose their health care because of pre-existing conditions. If this section seems specious and full of no real info, and a total disconnect, that is because Gregory let it go exactly like this, with no follow-up and no call for specifics.
Gregory lets Mitt spend probably less than a minute on Medicare, and claim that existing recipients will see no changes in their benefits.
Mitt never said "I care about our troops", even as he spoke about the military, and had ample opportunity to work that into the foreign policy segment; even a gratuitous mention. Nothing.
The foreign policy segment was especially weak, as Mitt had no answer to any region, except to bring up Iran, and how Obama has been weak, and Mitt would be strong. He claimed that Obama should have put in place much earlier than he did the tough economic sanctions as Mitt himself of course, recommended long ago.
No follow-ups and no challenges from Gregory whatsoever, as Mitt funneled all questions to a simple-minded non-nuanced Iran saber rattle talk.
ANY reporter worth a damn at this point MUST ask a Republican who has embraced Bush's foreign policy advisors exactly why Iran has risen so powerfully since Sadaam Hussein's demise. To ignore that connection is to be negligent in one's job.
That's about it. I simply can't take anymore of Mitt and his hollow, uncaring answers. I am beginning to think that he really does not want to work for this. His answers are lazy and show more than just a man who doesn't care about average people. They also show a man who just doesn't care about the job. Not so much. I think he just wants to be president, and he thinks that he can do minimal work on himself and on the campaign to achieve that. It is his business M.O. to let his money do the work. I believe he is doing the minimum on his campaign, and letting the Superpac $$$ do the work.
PLEASE help stop Mitt's candidacy in its lying tracks! Help me spread the word, abusing Ayn Rand and Ryan and Romney, and the entire irrational opposition to President Obama!!! Please spread the word of an altruistic Capitalism!!! Aldus Shrugged is our Antidote to Ayn Rand.
Thank you!!
ALL PROCEEDS DONATED DIRECTLY TO barackobama.com.