Steve Benen has a must-read piece highlighting Romney’s latest attack ad and the degree to which it’s a scandalous lie.
Background story:
Some Republican governors this year asked the Obama administration for some new flexibility on welfare standards — the governors had some ideas about moving folks from welfare to work and needed the White House to sign off. Obama agreed — existing work requirements would stay in place, but states, if they want to, can take advantage of new flexibility when it comes to experimenting with existing law.
The Romney attack ad:
The truth:
Romney’s lying. He’s not spinning the truth to his advantage; he’s not hiding in a gray area between fact and fiction; he’s just lying. The law hasn’t been “gutted”; the work requirement hasn’t been “dropped.” Stations that air this ad are disseminating an obvious, demonstrable lie.
All Obama did is agree to Republican governors’ request for flexibility. That’s it. Indeed, perhaps the most jaw-dropping aspect of this is that Romney himself, during his one gubernatorial term, asked for the same kind of flexibility on welfare law that Obama agreed to last month. Romney, in other words, is attacking the president for doing what Romney asked the executive branch to do in 2005.
The entire line of attack is simply insane.
The question:
How are we to respond to a campaign that deliberately deceives the public without shame? This lie about welfare policy comes on the heels of Romney’s lie about voting rights in Ohio, which came on the heels of Romney’s lies about the economy; which came on the heels of Romney’s lies about health care; which came on the heels of Romney’s lies about taxes.
The Republican nominee for president is working under the assumption that he can make transparently false claims, in writing and in campaign advertising, with impunity. Romney is convinced that there are no consequences for breathtaking dishonesty.
I fear that Romney might be right about there being no (or few) consequences for his crimes of dishonesty and deception. The people who believe Romney’s lies are not the type of individuals who read The Maddow Blog, ThinkProgress or the New York Times. They’re people who tune in to Fox News and faithfully listen to Limbaugh and Levin. They’re people who have been conditioned to disregard anything which comes from non-conservative media. Few of them will read or hear anything which counters the conservative message and for the few who do, they’re programmed to instantly label it as lies and liberal propaganda.
Romney’s entire presidential run has been built on the premise that he cannot defeat the real Obama in a general election. Therefore, it was necessary for Republicans to create a fictional Obama to run against – an Obama who raises their taxes, despises small business, hates the rich, wants their guns, apologizes for America, panders to Islam, kills jobs, promotes illegal immigration, and of course, an Obama who hates America.
This Obama they have a chance of beating. The real one – not a chance in hell and they know it.
___
Follow MarioPiperniDotCom on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
.
Unfortunately, Mario is right. Most people on the right will see that ad and never question it’s honesty. They will accept it as fact and add it to the the pile of misinformation they have already accumulated about President Obama. I’m expecting an email from my wingnut brother any moment now with an attached link to the Romney ad and a paragraph or two on how I’ve been duped by the liberal media.
Just another day of life in the bubble for conservatives.
The question we need to address is which stations are airing the ads? And don’t they have some responsibility to air truthful advertising on the public airwaves they are using? It’s one thing to spin – another to lie. I think it’s time to demand a law on the books similar to Canada’s.
And all it does is force the SuperPacs to invent their own lies — from what I understand the new Pac ad is questionable — it, however, is not endorsed by Obama, whereas the Romney ad is done clearly with his approval as it is directly from his campaign.
Steve’s right…the people who see and believe this ad are hopelessly lost…but all hope isn’t.
Consider the following… “REPUBLICANS FOR OBAMA”
This is a REAL group of voters who see what their party has become and choose not to follow the rest of them down the path to destruction, to the place where what’s left is simply a caricature of their former selves.
THESE are the people we need to talk to. I still contend the Blue Dogs and the few sane Republicans that remain will become the new R Party and that the Dem side will become more populist…I can’t wait for Elizabeth to take the stage at the Convention…preceded by Castro.
George Lakoff, a very well-respected and honored Linguist and Cognitive Scientist from UC Berkeley (whom many of you may “know”) has been writing about political rhetoric for years…I hope he’ll give us some guidance on Romney’s lies. He and a new writing partner, Elisabeth Wehling have teamed up on a number of current articles…seek them out at popular progressive news sites. Too bad his lessons haven’t taken root, except intermittently, in the hearts and minds of all Democratic candidates.
There indeed are pragmatic and sensible people who populate our fifty states…they listen and consider…they seek out the truth…and there are more of “us” when we include them than in the fantasy camp that is the far Right. There’s been a suggestion that the President make a public statement..I doubt he will as that would play into Romney’s hand…the old “he said, she said” battle. Meanwhile, Harry is keeping Mitt busy arguing about the guy who said he didn’t pay up.
I hope the debates light up the contrast between the two men in neon colors for most Americans. The ads raising questions about Romney appear by polling to be working to cast doubts, although the mainstream media claims a “negative” campaign, and that Obama’s at risk of tarnishing his “brand”. People concentrate on character and with the two of them side by side, one man’s character should shine through and the other will be seen as a fraud.
Carol, the best time for Obama to refute Romney’s ad will be during the debates when people are really paying attention. I cannot imagine that a moderator won’t be questioning Romney regarding the lies he’s been spewing, since it seems to be a serial issue.
You can count on Romney using righteous white indignation during these events — he’s going to play into that race meme as much as he cans — isn’t it sad that in 2012 the political debate still comes down to the color of one’s skin?
Romney simply has no shame. His father would be disgusted with him….at least I hope so. He certainly doesn’t appear to be the man his father was.
“he doesn’t appear to be the man his father was”…where have we seen THIS phenom before?
I was having a conversation with a very open and pleasant young Black woman the other day about the race issue and told her I lived through the race riots and how ashamed I am for America around race. We interred the Japanese in concentration camps for Pete’s sake…it seems no nationality or religion is exempt.
I don’t know if this particular issue will be on the radar by the time of the debates but when the President alludes to Romney as Governor, that’s when the fun starts.
Sadly, America has a horrible track record — not only the Japanese — but the Chinese were treated badly, they weren’t even allowed to apply for citizenship until (I think) 1947…or thereabouts.
All newcomers to the country were treated badly as well – Germans, Italians, Irish, Poles, etc. All, except the blacks, were ultimately accepted. The blacks continued to have repressive Jim Crow laws and, even after the Civil Rights Act, the strides have not been leaps and bounds, but baby steps.
Our socio- economic relationship deteriorates every 4 years when the welfare crap is dredged up by the GOP to continue the divide to gain votes. The successes achieved over the last two generations, we’re tossed overboard when Palin came onto the scene — it was like every bigot decided they could finally come back out of the closet and dress up in their white sheets once again. You notice the Teabaggers are mostly old white folks – the ones who grew up being bigots and never got over it. It’ll be another 10 years or so before they all die off. Maybe then (if the country survives) we can finally start moving beyond all this crap.
In all my life, I’ve never seen a generation so replete with such paranoia and hatred.
Careful there Diana, I’m old enough to BE a tea bagger, putting me right in the middle of those folks who may die off in ten or so years…. ; )
I fear you delude yourself when you think “it will all be over”, be different, then. I imagine we will always be neighbors, friends, parents, relatives or co-workers with those who live in FEAR. The name simply changes, recently to HISPANIC or SIKH (the dreaded Muslim impersonator), but the result remains the same. We can only look for a day when every known quantity of heritage is represented here, inter-marries and becomes “one of us”, if that isn’t the case already. This conversation reminds me of the small world in which I live…people here are sheltered, often it seems by choice, and it makes me forget that the rest of the world is far more complicated than my small neighborhood. I enjoy the sense of freedom when I travel to visit relatives out in the big world, especially the racially integrated neighborhood where my son is…and Ohio isn’t known to be progressive, except in eastern Cleveland! I find it both comical and depressing that I perk up emotionally when I see people of different races who come to teach or study at the local Wesleyan College…or the few Mexicans employed by the phone and electric companies…how sad is THAT!
Recall history, when our politics was blatantly mean-spirited, name-calling and gutter-dwelling…this is just a new spin, the lies and fabrications, the innuendo and dog-whistling. We pretend we’re too “advanced and sophisticated” for THAT kind of “childishness” but this is merely another iteration….and more vicious because it reeks of “mind control”. Certainly the intention remains the same even as psychological advances facilitate a change of tactics.
What causes me reflection is the enormous gains of the LGBT community which includes many Blacks…I muse on WHY they have come so far in such a short time and the Black community appear left in a static pose.
Yet, we see many more Black faces on TV, in commercials and as credible commentators, etc. Can our woeful history be overcome? The next generation holds the key…I see and hear little of our old, stale bigotry in them.
I’m unashamedly addicted to Newsroom…I like the flight from reality that drama allows me, even for an hour…would that Will was discussing CURRENT EVENTS and could put the lie to Mitt…but then, we’re back to the same place, with US watching Will and the ones who could BENEFIT from watching Will, watching FAUX…and so it goes.
Carol, I’m in that same generation — and having grown up in southern IL with a bigoted father (who, since we lived in an all white town, didn’t voice his views on the subject all that much, it’s a wonder I’m not as well.) Fortunately, my mother – although not race sensitive (both were born in the early 1900′s – I was a very late child), she did believe character, not your color or your wallet’s contents made you worthy of respect. She was opposed to inter-racial marriage (based on some wild theory about birds) and it took me years to get beyond that issue.
I have great hopes for the upcoming generation — but bigotry is taught, and as long as we have bigoted parents raising children, we will have bigotry.
I watched Vito the other day — a documentary everyone should see. I haven’t read his book – The Celluloid Closet – I honestly did not know it existed until seeing the documentary.
I think the LGTB community is moving forward much faster as more and more have come out and their families have accepted them. Once you have acceptance by your family, you have crusaders on your side.
Will our politics ever get beyond the dog whistle red meat baiting? i don’t know. Our 224 year history since the signing of the Constitution isn’t providing much hope. And, as long as there are those who seek power and fortune over problem solving, those issues will be utilized to slice and dice the electorate.
We sure have left our grandchildren and great-grandchildren a great mess haven’t we?
AND…some of the “isolationists” here in WV are bright college-educated progressives.
I have faith in what I see of what I hope is the majority of the next generation and their attitude toward race, color, creed, all the myriad of ways we divide people. If they don’t “WIN”, they’ll put up a hell of a fight….and we will continue to “evolve”.
First off, don’t you worry. Not a smidgen, I’ll tell ya’. -at least as it relates to the upcoming presidential election.
Why? Because the kid from Chicago gonna whip that Mormon snake oil grifter’s ass -say Amen, my left-of-center children- gonna whip his slippery ass like a rented mule.
Tax returns? Not a jot to do with politics, ah’d think.. Nah! Has t’ do with a high LDS feller -a bishop- not doing the right thing respectin’ tithing.
Especially for Diana…but the rest of you can have a laugh too (no intention to offend)
Singing, the great emotional expander…and in a crowd? well…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdn3O6aaMNc&feature=player_embedded
Carol:
What did you mean by “I can’t wait for Elizabeth to take the stage at the Convention…preceded by Castro.” What Castro are you referring to?
During the 2000 election debacle, I read somewhere that the Rethugs just keep throwing shit at the wall until something sticks. I think that aptly describes their campaign strategy (and relationship to the truth).
Saint Stephen:
Rising STAR…from TX, no less…soon to become a SWING STATE
Starting him off just like they started Barack…
I CAN’T WAIT to “meet” him
Julian Castro will keynote Democratic National Convention – The …
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…castro…keynote…/gJQAnUhWMX_blog..
Julian Castro, San Antonio Mayor, To Be First Latino DNC Keynote …
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…/julian-castro-democratic-national-conve...
again, anonymous is me.
I’ll get this right sooner or later….
I liked this whole piece but I exceptionally liked the second to last paragraph:
That says it all.
The links I offered above took me too much time to search, or weren’t available…sorry.
Meet Julian Castro here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ucPgknimN5w
Carol – awesome!! I have to send that to several friends of mine. LOL
If the US Census were taken in ’16 rather than ’20, the outcomes would not differ materially in that fully 25% of those self-describing with respect to ethnicity will do so as “Latino”. GOPers in ’16 will undoubtedly be lead by Spanish-speaking Jeb Bush whose wife was born in Guadalajara and whose son is the Latino-handsome answer to a John Kennedy son of another generation. I say GOP, but I suspect the “No-Nothing Old White Guy” party will have reinvented itself into Whig history by then. Of course, Jesse -yeah, Jesse! could complicate matters leading up to the 2016 contest.
Oh. And do not worry over ’12. Obama will whip the Romneyan Shape Shifter’s ass like a rented mule.