Romney’s Liberal Economic Record (vanity)

[a77]

A myth coming out of the Romney camp is that he is the ‘economy candidate’. The problem is, and we’ve seen this movie before, his rhetoric doesn’t match his record. His four-year record as Governor of Massachusetts shows a substantial increase in fees and taxes, low job growth, and a large exodus of residents from the state. As Michael Widmer, president of the independent Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, told Reuters, "There's never been under his watch an economic turnaround to speak of," further saying, "We added a few jobs over the last three years of his tenure but very few. He also raised corporate taxes and fees and the (deficit) gap turned out to be less than $3 billion."

Governor Romney has made a habit of making inaccurate claims about his record throughout this race, but ironically you don’t even have to go back that far to see that Governor Romney is not a fiscal conservative. First, he supported farm and ethanol subsidies in Iowa. Senator McCain was considered politically crazy for not pandering to Iowans and stated his opposition to farm and ethanol subsidies relaying his dedication to free trade principles. In Michigan Governor Romney offered voters a $20 billion bailout to the auto industry, not something a fiscal conservative would do. Senator McCain instead told the truth that many of these jobs are not coming back, and offered a retraining program for displaced workers. Now that the race is headed down to Florida Governor Romney is offering incentives to the elderly. Governor Romney’s claim of being conservative is not only a turn-around from his record in Massachusetts, they’re a turn-around from statements he made just a few weeks ago.

Now the Governor is criticizing Senator McCain’s position on the Bush Tax Cuts. Senator McCain has clearly stated that he wanted spending cuts to accompany tax cuts, and if you look at his record and the record of congress over the last eight years its clear that there has been a massive government spending problem that he has battled against. He supports extending the tax cuts because a repeal would be practically the same as a tax increase, which he has never supported. That is a fiscal conservative. Now Governor Romney is offering a huge economic stimulus package the dwarfs President Bush’s. That is not a good thing, and not a conservative thing, that money has to come from somewhere, which in the end means it comes from the voters pockets. Senator McCain instead offers a series of corporate tax breaks, and tax incentives for start-up businesses and for research and development. Choosing to focus on stimulating growth and ingenuity over massive bailouts. The beauty and the frustration of running against a candidate such as Governor Romney whose rhetoric doesn’t match his record is that there is plenty of documentation to show what his record really is. So feel free to not believe me just check the record, and learn for yourself that this newly dubbed ‘economy candidate’ looks a lot like a Liberal.


The Real Conservative Republican

Mitt Romney’s Economic Record Questioned

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Romney Candidacy Puts Massachusetts Economy in Spotlight

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[MrPiper]

This has been happening a lot lately with recent sign-ups.

Well, I'm not a recent sigh-up and I BASH him too. If it walks like a liberal, and squawks like a liberal, it probable is liberal! I will be writing in my vote for POTUS. I see very little difference between Mitt and Hillery.

[tiger-one]

Romney for treasury secretary, or chairman of the federal reserve

[tiger-one]

but this line doesn't take into account the political realities of Massachusetts.

You are correct, and this shows Mitt's lack of spine. He was elected by a state who's legislature is 85% liberal, Mitt was nothing more than a shill for the Libs. And who was the next shill, Coupe Deval. Move out the Coupe is worse than Mitt and who will follow Coupe?

[tiger-one]

“Turnaround” is about how Mitt Romney saved the Olympics,

And since when is the POTUS running the Olympics?

[GOP_Lady]

John McCain also said that EVERY American did not deserve a tax cut just like the dems.

[ridge]

What, Holtz-Eakin sucks. It is a meaningless list. Seriously, this new panic for outreach with Graham and Kemp is hilarious. Too bad, Johnny would rather get the endorsement of the NYTimes. Mankiw and Porter and Romney alone make them all look like slubs.

[dforest]

just stopping by to say you should quit wasting your time.

Ditto that.

[Mojave]

You’re trying to put lipstick on a pig.

Let’s compare the facts with Romney’s flip flopping record:

http://www.factcheck.org/tough_guy_on_immigration.html

Mitt Romney casts himself as tough on illegal immigration in a new ad in which he says that, as Massachusetts governor, “I authorized the State Police to enforce immigration laws.” He doesn’t mention that his order never took effect...

During his tenure, at least four Massachusetts cities enacted or renewed legislation declaring themselves sanctuaries for illegal immigrants. Brookline and Cambridge reaffirmed their longtime status as sanctuary cities in so many words. Somerville and Orleans didn’t officially deem themselves “sanctuaries,” but Somerville affirmed its “long-standing policies in support of all immigrants,” while Orleans forbade city officials from turning in illegal immigrants without probable cause.

We asked Romney’s campaign if he had acted against these cities, but they didn’t provide us with any examples. As far as we were able to determine in our own research, Romney made no attempts to penalize, censure, or cut funding to them.

[Mojave]

If it walks like a liberal, and squawks like a liberal, it probable is liberal!

And don't forget spends like a liberal.

[rob777]

"If not Romney on economic issues, then who, among the GOP candidates?"


I thought that Rudy's answers on economic issues at the last debate was more in line with free market economics and had less pandering. The problem is that Rudy is weaker on other issues.

[pogo101]

Agreed on both.

Mitt may turn OUT to be fine or better-than-fine. I like that Rudy is less afraid to answer a debate question with an attitude of “You won’t like to hear it, but here’s the answer,” that sort of thing.