Rick Santorum declines to hit Mitt Romney on Bain

Washington Post ^ | 01/09/2012 | Rosalind Helderman

[Qbert]

SALEM, N.H. — Former Republican senator Rick Santorum, who squeaked to within eight votes of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney in last week’s Iowa caucuses, acknowledged Monday that a second-place finish for him in New Hampshire is unlikely.

[Snip]

Leaving the frozen event, Santorum also declined to take a shot at Romney over a remark earlier from the front-runner that he “likes to fire” workers who are not doing a good job.

“We try to hire good people, we try to keep them employed. If someone if obviously not performing their duty and their mission, obviously a business has a responsibility for the greater good of the business and the other employees to make sure that everybody there is pulling their weight,” Santorum said.

Asked whether Romney’s corporate takeover experience at Bain Capital would be a liability, Santorum said: “I’m not making it a liability. I believe in the private sector.”

At a later campaign stop at an Elk’s Lodge in Salem, Santorum rejected the idea, posed in a question from a voter, that his outspoken opposition to gay marriage might make him less electable than Romney against Obama.

Santorum’s rising numbers in New Hampshire appear to have begun to stall after he engaged in a back-and-forth with a college student on gay marriage.

“Everyone on the stage yesterday and the day before [at the Republican debates] has pretty much the same position I have on these issues,” Santorum said. “President Obama says he has the same position I have on gay marriage. The only difference between myself and any of them is that when someone asks me a question, I answer it.”

[Palladin]

Who is the brilliant handler who encouraged Newt to take this tactic? It is an argument ad absurdum to state that a capitalist should not hand out pink slips whenever necessary. If Mitt gets in, I hope to see him release a blizzard of pink slips upon the heads of all the dead wood in the FedGov.

[bigbob]

Romney is absolutely correct in claiming that he started a company that created jobs for people. Anyone who wants to claim that there was a net loss of jobs through the actions of Bain Capital has a burden of proof to present actual numbers that support that argument. Many private equity firms have SAVED companies from going out of business and have injected new capital that has allowed them to grow.

I will offer as proof Sensata Technologies (NASDAQ ST) This company was acquired by Bain in 2006, was taken public through an IPO in 2010, and has more than doubled in value since. Granted, this is long after Romney left Bain, but it’s an example that shows how private equity firms are a necessary element of economic growth and wealth creation. It is not incumbent on companies to “create jobs” but most of the time that occurs as a function of successful profitable growth.

[Oliver Boliver Butt]

Bain is not an issue that should be discussed.

Are you serious? You better make sure your man Romney can weather the storm because Zero will certainly use this against him if he's the nominee.

[mylife]

I want to know what Romney and Santorums plans are to grow America.

Anyone can cut losses by downsizing.
And whats Santorums position on right to work? Is he Pro Union?

[CharlesWayneCT]

He’s not laying off Romney. He’s laying off a false attack on business. He’s attacked Romney on other issues.

[mylife]

Folks can argue whether its a valid attack or not, but this election IS about the economy and jobs.

[nolib1776]

Good for Santorum. I am disappointed, and frankly disgusted, with some of the republican candidates right now.

They are whining and being nasty, just like the democrats do.

[CharlesWayneCT]

I still can’t figure out why Huntsmann gets to be in the debates and Buddy Roemer doesn’t.

[katiedidit1]

Mitt Romney stated he created over 100,000 jobs..fuzzy math? he flaunted his leadership with Bain. There is another side to that story that is shady and should be brought to the voters attention. Romney is a snake oil sales man...as for Santorum he voted to RAISE the debt ceiling EIGHT times and yes, he is the KING of earmarks. Foolish to think if he plays nice to Mitt and even thinks he is going up in the polls that Romneys super pacs wont attack him on those very issues. Romney: Bain Capital If you read Mitt Romney's books or any profile on him, a lot is made of his time as the head of Bain Capital. It's where he made his fortune. It's where he gets all this "I've been in the business sector" and "I know how to create jobs because I did just that at Bain Capital" stuff. But there's a darker side to private equity — the buying up of companies in order to saddle them with debt or break them apart, earning the investors millions and destroying the company and the lives of its (former) employees. At least seven companies that Bain Capital bought or invested in, mostly during the nineties when Romney was there, went bankrupt despite generating profits of over half a billion dollars for the fund. Several thousand people lost their jobs in the process. What's more, some of those companies were actually successful before Bain Capital showed up. American Pad and Paper, GST Steel, DDI Corp … the list goes on and on. This history of layoffs — at odds with Romney's "I've created jobs" mantra — was partly what helped sink his 1994 bid for Ted Kennedy's Senate seat. Responding to a question from NBC's Brian Williams, Romney said: "We tried to make these businesses more successful. By the way, they didn't all work. When it was all said and done, we added tens of thousands of jobs to the businesses we helped support." There were success stories, to be sure, particularly office-supply chain Staples and Indiana-based Steel Dynamics. But Romney’s rhetoric ignores the fact that private-equity companies like Bain are better known for destroying jobs than for creating them.

[Palladin]

True that.

[katiedidit1]

Santorum is a whimp. The man doesnt have a pristine record to stand on himself. Bain had numerous SHADY dealings. Mitt made it a campaign issue and used it as his mantra...he destorted aka Obama style the number of jobs he created and hid the rest of the story. Like it or NOT...American voters have a right to know all the facts and hundreds or maybe more suffered due to Bain in SC. GOOD AD...TRUTH HURTS...TOO BAD..CAN'T TAKE THE HEAT GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN. Romney: Bain Capital If you read Mitt Romney's books or any profile on him, a lot is made of his time as the head of Bain Capital. It's where he made his fortune. It's where he gets all this "I've been in the business sector" and "I know how to create jobs because I did just that at Bain Capital" stuff. But there's a darker side to private equity — the buying up of companies in order to saddle them with debt or break them apart, earning the investors millions and destroying the company and the lives of its (former) employees. At least seven companies that Bain Capital bought or invested in, mostly during the nineties when Romney was there, went bankrupt despite generating profits of over half a billion dollars for the fund. Several thousand people lost their jobs in the process. What's more, some of those companies were actually successful before Bain Capital showed up. American Pad and Paper, GST Steel, DDI Corp … the list goes on and on. This history of layoffs — at odds with Romney's "I've created jobs" mantra — was partly what helped sink his 1994 bid for Ted Kennedy's Senate seat. Responding to a question from NBC's Brian Williams, Romney said: "We tried to make these businesses more successful. By the way, they didn't all work. When it was all said and done, we added tens of thousands of jobs to the businesses we helped support." There were success stories, to be sure, particularly office-supply chain Staples and Indiana-based Steel Dynamics. But Romney’s rhetoric ignores the fact that private-equity companies like Bain are better known for destroying jobs than for creating them.

[mylife]

Romney claims to have created 100,000 jobs at STAPLES and “Sports Authority”

By comparison, Rick Perry said:

“As president I’ll create at least 2-and-a-half million new jobs, and I know something about that. In Texas we’ve created over 1 million new jobs while the rest of the nation lost over 2 million. I’ll start by opening America’s oil and gas fields. I’ll eliminate President Obama’s regulations that hurt other sources of domestic energy, like coal and natural gas. That’ll create jobs and reduce our reliance on oil from countries that hate America.”

[TexasFreeper2009]

Funny I don’t remember people like you caring when Romney attacked Perry from the left over social security.

Frankly I dont care how Romney is attacked, or who attacks him, or if it’s truth or not, I just want Romney taken out.

[CharlesWayneCT]

It could be worse for Newt, because he was involved in a venture capital company. Of course, he hasn’t tried to sell that as a reason to vote for him, but the media will pick through everything that company did now, looking to see if they had anybody fired. And if they fired one person, even if that person deserved to be fired, they’ll call republicans hypocrits.

I’d rather we not fight from the left. It’s very uncomfortable. I’m glad Santorum didn’t take the bait.

[Palladin]

Sounds good, but not everyone can be a wildcatter.

[mylife]

100,000 $10 dollar an hour jobs selling crappy chinese thumbdrives and tennis shoes, vice 1 million Good jobs in high tech and energy in Texas.

Hmmm....

[mylife]

No, but its creates Good jobs, and lowers energy costs for everyone which benefits even more business to be able to compete with lower operating costs.

[Oliver Boliver Butt]

Some people here are equating looting with capitalism. They aren't the same. I'm not convinced Romney created jobs and built companies as much as he made himself and his investors wealthy off the backs of others...sounds like a Socialist/elitist to me.

I want Romney gone and if these are the facts then Santorum needs to get on board....otherwise he looks like he's trying to put himself in the running for the VP slot with Mitt-the-Socialist.

[katiedidit1]

You got that right Mr Butt! it was MITT that used Bain to boost his campaign...too bad he omitted some of the underhanded dealings. Santorum couldnt even when back his seat in PA...if he wants to be the baloney boy’s vp...it won’t swing my vote.

[katiedidit1]

oops...make that “win” not “when” lol