The huge, whole cloth lies of Romney and Nixon, those are exceptional lies. Elitist, entitled Romney might have apprenticed with Richard Nixon as he seems groomed to possibly become a type of president similar to the disgraced, dastardly and criminal former president whom I watched trying to destroy our country. Both incredibly secure in their habitual lying, both using outright fabrications to get elected and both probably believing their lies. Other similarities of personality have been suggested. Fraternal twins, perhaps, though very different in some respects? Does Romney pose a danger to the country?
Bernstein and Woodward's 40th anniversary WaPo article says that Nixon and Watergate were worse than Americans realize because focus was on the coverup rather than all the bad deeds and goals of a rotten presidency (despite some good achievements).
Romney is a smug and secure liar. Even daring and brazen: he will totally make up things and stick with the fabrications. It's his comfortable and home position. Nor is he embarrassed about various deviant behavior episodes reported in reputable media. And that, my friends, is a real danger signal. A Nixon-type danger signal. What is at stake?
What did Nixon attack?
Lead Senate Investigator, Sen. Sam Ervin:
"..... the heart of American democracy:
the Constitution, our system of free elections, the rule of law."
WaPo article
Romney lied again, ho-hum, right? NO! It is not something to accept with a shrug, oh, he lied again. No! Like the disreputable Nixon, Mitt Romney is a person who cannot be trusted, a person who under stress of the presidency could do things that are terrible for America.
“I will not be that president of doubt and deception"!
No, he is saying he will not admit "doubt." Full belief in his statements whether they be total fabrications.
Well, character will out. Mitt Romney simply does not know how to tell the truth and we have an endless list of proven lies! When truth is not his friend he makes things up. When he wants something, he makes things up to get it. Worst to me is his brazen willingness to lie in ads to win the presidency. just like Nixon did when he claimed to have a secret plan to end the Vietnam war. Ah, yes, Romney is shameless. Rotten presidency a la Nixon here we come!
Character cannot be pushed aside. Presidents who have very bad awful character traits succumb to their worst inclinations when under the relentless pressure and stress of having the weight of the world on their shoulders. They lash out and sometimes do terrible things: a Watergate break-in and lying about it, bombing a country and lying about it. If you don't enter the office strong with excellent character, you will leave with a worse character.
Sen. Sam Ervin: “To destroy, insofar as the presidential election (is concerned), the integrity of the process by which the President of the United States is nominated and elected.”
WaPo article. Edited. Full quote below.
Yes, that was actually written about Nixon, that's what his actions were leading to in the opinion of the lead senator of the investigation into Watergate crimes.
Republicans across the country, with Romney now at the helm of the party, are hard at work on doing the first thing, destroying the integrity of the 2012 election. Illegal purges of lawful voters, limiting the ability of people to vote, etc. What if they succeed in stealing the election?
Character cannot be pushed aside, no matter how many in the media ignore the issue and downplay Romney lies and deviant behavior. While Nixon and Romney share many characteristics but not all, you never know what terrible things someone of bad character may do at the height of power, in the Oval Office, when frustrated, angry, conflicted, flummoxed. Worse, in the case of Mitt Romney, the things we know he has done, his proven capacity for bad behavior are very bad and would have dire consequences. With his bad character, as evidenced by his proclivity to lie and mislead the country constantly, there's no telling the horrid no good things he might be tempted to do in secrecy.
Romney lied again, ho-hum, right? Is he thinking to himself, "I may be deceptive now, sure I have to be, but once in the White House, I'll be different! I promise I'll be good --then."
Ask yourself. If as a teenager he was disguising himself as a Michigan Police Officer in uniform and stopping motorists, this excellent training might result in God knows what? Who knows what war the "wild and crazy" Mitt might start in the middle of the night while donning a uniform of a Russian or Chinese general, for instance (just this last bit is snark).
Woodward and Bernstein start with Senator Sam Ervin's question from his final Watergate report of the investigation he led:
What was Watergate?
Ervin’s answer to his own question hints at the magnitude of Watergate: “To destroy, insofar as the presidential election of 1972 was concerned, the integrity of the process by which the President of the United States is nominated and elected.”
But now the bomb:
(Senator Sam Ervin:)
Yet Watergate was far more than that. At its most virulent, Watergate was a brazen and daring assault, led by Nixon himself, against the heart of American democracy: the Constitution, our system of free elections, the rule of law.
Does that not feel like what we are facing now? By Romney, by House Republicans and others?
It is hardly necessary here to enumerate the ways Mitt Romney lies although the temptation is great. Even Jake Tapper is calling Romney's lies out. The charge is simply false.
Everyone it seems is calling him out for his advertised lies:
Washington Post
“there has been no huge increase in spending under the current president, despite what you hear.”
Romney runs ads saying that the country is far worse off because of the stimulus. He goes on and on about this constantly. But this week in a hearing with a tea-party congressman, Huelskamp, the objective and bipartisan CBO said that was a lie.
More in a follow-up diary on that and other points tomorrow or the next day since this got too long. Look for Romney & Nixon Part II.
Note: Many excellent diaries here and elsewhere on Mitt Romney's Lies:
TomP says of Romney: "This is a foul, dishonest man."
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http://www.dailykos.com/...