Is Romney reaching out to the Tea Party?
Washington (CNN)- Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney celebrated traditional Tax Day by penning an opinion piece for the Orlando Sentinel. It's an unlikely coincidence that the commentary appears in a daily newspaper distributed in one of the most influential states in presidential politics.
But are overtures in Romney's column toward the Tea Party movement, which has turned the traditional deadline to submit federal tax filings into a nationwide opportunity to demonstrate, also a well-timed coincidence?
The GOP presidential hopeful credits members of the Tea Party with creating "a significant popular movement to scale back government" for the first time in the post-World War II era.
"Almost two and a half centuries after the original Boston Tea party of 1773, the idea of limited government that inspired our forebears is very much alive," Romney writes.
"Thanks to the Tea Party, there's real hope that we can rein in our profligate federal government."
And for Romney, the first step to tax reform is to "rein in President Obama" whom he accuses of being on a "spending binge." Calling the $800 billion stimulus package passed during the Obama administration and health care reform a combined "disaster," the 2008 candidate for Republican nomination adds, "Our system of taxation is killing our nation's once-strong economic engine."
Romney's recommendation is a "smart tax system" that rewards investment, savings and entrepreneurship.
"But our tax system is not smart," he charges. "Reform requires both understanding and leadership. Unfortunately, when it comes to those qualities, we are facing Washington's biggest deficit of all."
It is totally apparent that the ultra-conservatives, the Special Interests, the very wealthy, the influential and the powerful few are aggressively taking their positions against Obama. They are making extreme efforts, including putting a great deal of pressure on the representatives they strongly support, and committing an abundance of capital to defeat him. What they seek is to instal another “puppet”, like GW Bush, whose “strings they will pull” again. Anyone would be totally naive and completely gullible not to understand that what they are doing is strictly in their own limited interests. Like with the manipulation of the Christian block, the Swift-boat propaganda and now with the Tea Party movement they seek to once again use their power, influence and money to buy, con and manipulate just to achieve their ends.
This country has some very severe problems and challenges and if these people should succeed in preventing addressing those problems, by having the continuation of the status quo that so completely favors them, then we will literally be destined to “more of the same” that has cost us so much. Their creative appeals to fears, self-interests, scare tactics, emotional biases and prejudices are all intended to excite people and to manipulate and control public opinion. The bazaar antics and extremes to which they go clearly demonstrate just how desperate and irresponsible they are. When the facts and the truth are clearly seen, when their emotionally charged propaganda is put aside, when the results of their efforts, always to benefit the few and costing everyone else, are recognized, then the unconscionable, self-serving deception becomes completely apparent.
Should the people fail to be objective, rational and emotionally mature and fail to recognize the deception, then we are likely to see the few have their way again and the majority, including the total middle-class, just continue to loose. People can allow the manipulation, continue to be emotional and fault the wrong causes, continue accepting the empty rationalizations supporting biased preferences and then suffer with the problems only becoming worse, the deception continuing and once again with the subterfuge faulting the wrong people as the few continue to gain greatly and everyone else is wondering how things got worse. It really isn’t intellectually challenging but it is not easy either. It is up to the people to totally put their biases, prejudices and emotional attachments aside so that they can’t be so easily conned and manipulated against their own best interests. It is not easy but it is critical in order to avoid self-supported abuse.
So what is smart? Inquiring minds want to know Mr. Mittens. Are you talking about another Republican tax cut for the wealthy or something different? Can you say VAT, Mr. Mittens?
1 out of 4 Tea Partiers are for Romney. He has much pull among them as Huckabee, Palin, or others.
The Tea Party is not a monolithic bunch – very free spirited and independent.
This is entertaining since his health care reform in his state is very similar to Obamas
Good luck! The Father of all Republican Robber Barons thinks he Mormon cult and Vulture-capital speculator expertise will help him win. How is the Romney-Care working for you...first you claim to take all the credit...then when the wind blows you claim you had nothing to do with Romney-Care.
Well, this proves Mittens is an idiot. He's pandering too close to the edge. If he was smart, he'd let Bachman do most of the work getting these drooling nincompoops all riled up and frothy whle he just pays them a little lip service here and there so he doesn't sound to the independents like he's too much of an extremist to make compromises etc. like they want. Of course, this is the problem when you rely on knitting together an Astroturf Frankenstein to give your party political cover for moving to the extreme in order to justify saying "no" to EVERYTHING the other side does...even when they acquiesce on their own plans and re-propose thing your own party wanted a decade ago (i.e., the health care reform bill). It will be fun watching Mittens and Newtered and the other Very Serious Candidates try to walk the tight rope between pandering just enough to make sure the Teatards will vote for them when Bachman falls on her face on the one hand and, on the other, slipping up and alienating independents by failing to rein in their extremist conspiracy babble and absolutism. It's a fine line they set themselves up to walk and I don't think any of them really have the chops to manage it.
Watch out Mitt, the tea party is a mile deep and an inch wide. They will vote that's for sure. They even managed to elect a governor in my state but once the voters see what a miserable job these sob's do their endorsement won't be worth a warm bucket of spit.
["Our system of taxation is killing our nation's once-strong economic engine."]
TWO wars killed our nation's once-strong economic engine!!!! People are still RICH – the middle class got "crunched" and had to give up percentages of their pay and haven't had a RAISE in years!!!! The ECONOMY is NOT suffering!!!
The reason why Romney doesn't have a chance is because he's essentially running against everything he did as The Governor of Massachusetts. But its impossible to be Republican and keep your real values and believes in place these days.
Johny Anchormanhair and his party are releasing a new cologne this year...it's called "Plutocracy: For Men." There is no women's version.
Why not? He's white, rich and ignorant. ALL the characteristics needed.
And... here is Romney blowing his chance at the Independent vote. Which is far, far more important than those whacked out Tea Partiers.
If he is, he needs to have his hand slapped hard. Courting the ignorant is a bad move.
When are these Republican going to understand that the TEA PARTY Is just hurting the Republican party. Beside the Republican party It self. You never hear the Republican or the TEA PARTY sat any thing about the two wars they started and still there over ten year. that cost about If not over a trillions dollar a year. That over ten trillions dollars and but In the Bush tax cut that been In place now for six years at a cost of over 750 billions dollars a years. You do the math. It all most what are deficit is now at 14.5 Trillions dollars. but you never hear a Republican say It time to get out , they just want to take everything from the Middle Class ,the POOR and the OLD.
Dont drink the Tea !
Good luck with that, Romney.
there goes this fools chances at winning in the general election!
I enjoy watching these Republicans kissing Tea Party behind, but isn't the Tea Party NOT supposed to be a branch of the Republican Party?
I absolutely agree with Romney's stand on taxes! Let the rich handle their own money! I trust the rich more than the government. The rich earned it, let them grow businesses and make SMART decisions, unlike the decisions coming out of the Obama administration. I am sick and embarrassed of the spending and debt being built up, and MORE SICK AND TIRED OF YOU GUYS BLAMING EVERYONE ELSE!! I'm all for a business man like Romney taking charge.
If Republicans (sans TP) had a lick of sense, they'd back and run Romney 100%. He is moderate, Conservative, and having created a working nearly 100% health care system in mass., may even siphon off a few Dems.
I'll bet even money though, that the lunatic fringe (Bachmann, Palin, Paul, et al, and now Trump) will attack him more viciously than Obama. Sad thing they have nobody else that might get Democratic votes. Everyone else running or appearing to run only appeal to the ultra loons. The Republicans are going to lose again in 2012.
Got get 'em Mitt... Considering they're all gonna vote Republican anyway... Way to increase that voting base!
Why didn't you do anything under BUSH you idiot? Obama's spending was to protect the country from total collapse.
Mittens is simply a hedge fund whore, nothing more, nothing less. He made his money destroying jobs, not creating them. And I'll bet his tax plan is more tax cuts for the filthy rich, a proven policy failure. That makes Mittens just another sorry Friedman/Rand cultist with no connection to reality.
ANYBODY but Obama! That should be the 2012 Slogan! This "Flip-Flopper" has done nothing he promised when he ran. And if it wasn't for the tea party in 1773, we wouldn't be enjoying our current way of life, messed up as it may be at this time. We need a strong minded President, that keeps his promises to the American people. And doesn't feel the need for all the "behind closed door" meetings with his Cronies making all of his desisions, because of his lack of any real political experiance. What was he again,? A janitor for Acorn? Go Mitt!!
We need a President to reign-in spending. Bush added $4 trillion to the national debt in 8 years. Obama has added $4 trillion in 2 years with $1.5 trillion annual deficits. Let's roll back the budget to Clinton-era levels and end all wars.