Campaign News From May-July 10, 2012

In May 2012 the President pulled in $15 million from Hollywood fundraisers and soon after 90 year old Betty White endorsed the President, something she’s never done before. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York said more than 6 million people over age 50 were still paying off their student loans; it’s said there’s a total $36 billion outstanding in student loans and some are paying $600 month in interest only on their loans (in June we heard a baby born in 1960 cost $25,230 to raise through age 17 without college; a baby born in 2011 is estimated to cost $234,900 and per the Huffington Post Congress waited until the last minute to pass a bill to maintain the low interest student loan rate; Obama signed a one-week temporary measure June 29, permitting the highway and loan programs to continue until the full legislation reached his desk; all no votes were Republican). Romney met with Donald Trump in Las Vegas, Nevada (he headed a fund raiser) and once again brought up the issue of the President’s Hawaii birth certificate that was released more than a year ago; Republicans said it’s risky for Romney to be seen with Trump and suggested he’s not willing to stand-up against the offensive and false nonsense of that wing of his Party. The President caused outrage with the mention of Polish Death Camps at the Medal of Freedom ceremony. Obama started going after Romney’s Governor record and his work at Bain; Romney’s campaign started to bring out any failed businesses (like Solyndra) that got government money.

In June Romney in Ohio said he wanted to grow the economy by cutting taxes and spending; he also said the President has put together almost as much public debt than all the prior presidents combined and that he wants somebody that can do a better job. The President attended the G20 summit in Mexico (critics said the underlying support of Russian aid to Syria showed). Romney held a secret fundraiser in Utah with top GOPs (Romney raised $106.1 million in June alone while Obama raised $71 million). There was talk about Marco Rubio being a potential VP and the Fast and Furious drug mission that I’ll talk about later.

Although Bill Clinton and Newark, New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker said they were tired of hearing of Romney’s work at Bain, on July 1 Obama ads say Romney created jobs overseas (news media said it’s unknown whether or not this is true) and he made millions when companies went bankrupt. July 8 an Obama ad has several people saying they don’t have or know of anyone that has an overseas bank account; the clip I saw ends with a man saying – I don’t think our next President should have an overseas bank account either. I know that Romney’s money overseas is not there illegally. But, I agree with the ad – we shouldn’t have a President who doesn’t invest/have his money in his country. A doctor recently told me that Romney’s money is there because a big portion would be taken for taxes if he kept it here and the rich are paying their equal share. I don’t believe the rich should have opportunities that the average American doesn’t have and there’s been a lot of talk of them not paying taxes equally (why else would they fight so hard to keep the Bush tax cuts). (This doctor also said it’s not the doctor’s getting the big bucks but the hospitals [see the February 20, 2012 Life & the Government blog for cost appropriations]. Although it’s true that hospitals get 10% more than the doctors, I’m assuming they are the ones that pay for nurses and the greater cost of administration/equipment).

On July 9 Obama called on Republicans to allow the Bush tax cuts for Americans making less than $250,000 but voters will decide whether or not to continue to allow them for wealthy Americans – he will continue to fight to eliminate them.  It’s said that both candidates are running ads that are untrue. Obama ads say Romney shipped jobs to China and there’s no evidence that jobs went to China under his leadership; Bain did invest in companies with operations in China (see July 13 where evidence is shown). Romney says Obama has the worst job record since the depression but more jobs were lost during the first term of George W. Bush. Romney is also saying that what the President is proposing is a massive tax increase on job creators and small business (Mom and Pop small business don’t make the money Romney is talking about) – I’ll agree the tax is on job creators however, I don’t think a big tax cut for those making over $250,000 a year is appropriate or helping the economy; less profit by having more people employed will improve our overall economy. There was a poll that showed if people focus on what the President has done – he loses, but, if the focus is on what he promises to do – he wins. Romney wants to continue with the tax cuts for companies that have shipped jobs overseas. The people who participated in the poll must be deaf or blind; there is a long list of what Obama has done despite Republican opposition. I’ll go into them at a later date.  

July 10 it was pointed out that the American dream was that if you were born poor you could work yourself up to the middle class and again work yourself up from there and it’s no longer true because incomes don’t grow along with overall costs. Romney hasn’t released anymore than his 2010 tax return (he gave McCann 23 years) and will release his 2011 return when it’s done. Every presidential candidate over the last 30 years has released more documents than Romney; some Republicans are asking him to submit more. Alabama Republican Governor said “If you have things to hide then maybe you’re doing things wrong.”