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The Obama-Romney Education Plan
The Wall Street Journal ^ | 4/24/2012 | James Freeman

Posted on 04/29/2012 9:33:29 AM PDT by JediJones

Former presidential candidate Rick Santorum warned that Mitt Romney might not present a "clear contrast" to President Obama in the general election. Judging by Monday's action on the campaign trail, Mr. Santorum had a point.

On a day when the White House urged Congress to increase student-loan subsidies, Mr. Romney had an opportunity to draw a sharp distinction between the expanding Obama entitlement state and a plan to revive the private economy.

But instead of laying out plans to create jobs and reduce government spending, the former Massachusetts governor arrived at the same policy conclusion as Barack Obama. "Given the bleak job prospects that young Americans coming out of college face today," said Mr. Romney, "I encourage Congress to temporarily extend the current low rate on subsidized undergraduate Stafford loans. I also hope the president and Congress can pass the extension responsibly that offsets its cost in a way that doesn't harm the job prospects of young Americans."

House members who have been opposing the extension know it is anything but responsible. The Obama-Romney subsidy will keep rates as low as 3.4% for many student borrowers, not that far above the 3.1% rate that the Treasury pays to borrow for the long term. If interest rates spike, taxpayers could be losing on every single new loan, never mind the cost of defaults. And as for offsets, the White House and Senate Democrats favor a new tax on small businesses. If Mr. Romney can't provide a contrast to that idea, Republicans will know they're in for a very long campaign.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: barackobama; college; loans; mittromney
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Also keep in mind this has nothing to do with rates on current loans. This policy deals with the rates that will be given on NEW loans only.

More government subsidies and redistribution of wealth that may or may not get any source of funding or add to the debt. The latest in what's sure to be a long, ongoing series from Mitt Romney and his "No Hope for Change" campaign.

1 posted on 04/29/2012 9:33:39 AM PDT by JediJones
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To: JediJones

“I think the old standby definitions of who votes for which party have been blown away in this campaign. I think people recognize that I’m not a partisan Republican—that I’m someone who is moderate, and that my views are progressive.”
-Mitt Romney (2002)

Video of the quote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMcjJEXt9To

Obama continued: “I am somebody who is no doubt progressive. I believe in a tax code that we need to make more fair. I believe in universal health care. I believe in making college affordable. I believe in paying our teachers more money. I believe in early childhood education. I believe in a whole lot of things that make me progressive.”
-Barack Obama
http://www.progressive.org/mag/nichols0109.html


2 posted on 04/29/2012 9:35:09 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!)
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To: JediJones

There was a nice moment on the FOX News WSJ editorial board show yesterday where one of their staff profusely thanked Newt Gingrich for being in the race, helping to keep the race interesting and helping to improve the eventual nominee.


3 posted on 04/29/2012 9:35:34 AM PDT by JediJones (From the makers of Romney, Bloomberg/Schwarzenegger 2016. Because the GOP can never go too far left.)
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To: JediJones

One gets the impression that Newt was never serious about the race, but had the objective of fixing up three or four of the early races to benefit Romney (taking votes away from others).


4 posted on 04/29/2012 9:39:38 AM PDT by pepsionice
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To: JediJones
"Given the bleak job prospects that young Americans coming out of college face today," said Mr. Romney, "I encourage Congress to temporarily extend the current low rate on subsidized undergraduate Stafford loans.

They can't get jobs when they get out of college so lets give them loans they can't pay off.

Mitt Romney, all the brains and half the charm of Joe Biden.
5 posted on 04/29/2012 9:41:29 AM PDT by cripplecreek (What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?)
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To: pepsionice

The only one who could get that impression is a fool or someone totally detached from reality.


6 posted on 04/29/2012 9:42:03 AM PDT by JediJones (From the makers of Romney, Bloomberg/Schwarzenegger 2016. Because the GOP can never go too far left.)
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To: metmom; wintertime; JenB

This has to do with college. But homeschooled students will be better-prepared and more able to shake down scholarships.

Another reason...oh, well, you know already.


7 posted on 04/29/2012 9:47:34 AM PDT by Clintonfatigued (A liberal's compassion is limited to the size of other peoples' paychecks)
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To: cripplecreek
They can't get jobs when they get out of college so lets give them loans they can't pay off.

If this is what the GOP stands for then to he!! with them!

You are right, Romney is the perfect fill-in for Biden.

8 posted on 04/29/2012 10:03:33 AM PDT by EGPWS (Trust in God, question everyone else)
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To: Jack Hydrazine

Glenn Beck was right. The progressive ideology is the cancer in both parties. IT is why there is no difference between the republicans and democrats.


9 posted on 04/29/2012 10:05:40 AM PDT by Mozilla (Constitution Party 2012)
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To: JediJones

Good for Romney! I think it’s rather clever of him. Use the left’s tactics against them! Keep your agenda vague, muddy the waters for the rats, make your enemies confused and disoriented until after the elections! The rats have all the tools at their disposal — msm —to pin their enemies down and brand them to their liking. The best thing to do to shield yourself is to camouflage, dissimulate, and disorient the enemy! I kinda like his strategy!


10 posted on 04/29/2012 10:06:26 AM PDT by parisa
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To: parisa
So is there anything he shouldn't agree with Obama on as part of his "strategy?" Note, this isn't a strategy. Romney has consistently throughout his political career and campaigns supported either expanding the welfare and entitlement states or keeping the status quo.
11 posted on 04/29/2012 10:10:30 AM PDT by JediJones (From the makers of Romney, Bloomberg/Schwarzenegger 2016. Because the GOP can never go too far left.)
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To: JediJones
Note, this isn't a strategy.

Agreed, the man is a weasel and a moron. He isn't bright enough to use any kind of political jujitsu against the left, he genuinely wants them to like him.
12 posted on 04/29/2012 10:15:04 AM PDT by cripplecreek (What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?)
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To: Mozilla

That’s why I’m writing in Sarah Palin for POTUS this November.


13 posted on 04/29/2012 10:16:34 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!)
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To: SoConPubbie

Shake shake shake. Mitt Morphs into obama on college loans.


14 posted on 04/29/2012 10:16:54 AM PDT by cripplecreek (What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?)
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To: JediJones

Obama and Romney agree on a lot more than they disagree on


15 posted on 04/29/2012 10:24:39 AM PDT by GeronL (The Right to Life came before the Right to Pursue Happiness)
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To: JediJones

Vote for Barack ORomney! Because voting for a socialist is better than wasting your vote on a true conservative!

/do I need it?


16 posted on 04/29/2012 10:25:50 AM PDT by Yashcheritsiy (Anybody but Obama and Romney)
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To: parisa

He didn’t muddy the water for the rats, he did it to the conservatives


17 posted on 04/29/2012 10:26:36 AM PDT by GeronL (The Right to Life came before the Right to Pursue Happiness)
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To: parisa
The best thing to do to shield yourself is to camouflage, dissimulate, and disorient the enemy!

I have to admit, Romney's got me fooled into thinking he's a socialist scumbag...

18 posted on 04/29/2012 10:31:56 AM PDT by Yashcheritsiy (Anybody but Obama and Romney)
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To: JediJones
House members who have been opposing the extension know it is anything but responsible.

Well, if Mitt gets elected, he can bypass Tea Party House and Senate members and push his big-government liberalism with a coalition of RINOs and Dems.

Because, after all, with Beltway Dems and Pubbies, being in power is not about determining the size of government but who gets the lions share of the political booty. But those Tea Party rubes, well, they're SERIOUS about shrinking government and therefore the size of the swag. So the RINOs would rather lose to the Dems than win with the Tea Party.

19 posted on 04/29/2012 10:32:09 AM PDT by dirtboy
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To: parisa
Good for Romney! I think it’s rather clever of him. Use the left’s tactics against them!

So we should defeat the left's socialism by co-opting it as our own.

Bush tried that with compassionate conservatism. All we got was rampant spending and a smoking hulk left of the GOP by the time Bush left office.

You don't defeat socialism by co-opting it, you defeat it by standing up to it.

20 posted on 04/29/2012 10:34:25 AM PDT by dirtboy
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