On the eve of primary voting, we are more or less clear about Ron Paul's racist newsletters and the Gingrich sexual and financial affairs, but less clear about the relationship between Mitt Romney and Bain Capital. As in the case of Paul and Gingrich, this too is an issue of the soul.
For starters, think "Pretty Woman" -- not Julia Roberts, whose livelihood was an open book, so to speak, but rather the character of Edward Lewis, played by Richard Gere, whose job in life was to buy vulnerable companies, break them up into pieces, sell them for a huge profit and move on while workers lose their jobs in the process.
As we have learned now, Bain Capital is such a private equity company, buying struggling companies, breaking them up, laying off thousands of workers, and selling off the remaining pieces, if any. In a New York Times article, dated December 18, the relevant paragraph is this:
"Though Mr. Romney left Bain in early 1999, he received a share of the corporate buyout and investment profits enjoyed by partners from all Bain deals through February 2009: four global buyout funds and 18 other funds, more than twice as many over all as Mr. Romney had a share of the year he left."
He is still profiting from the company he help to found and then left thirteen years ago and is paying only a 15% tax rate on the millions in capital gains.
In "Pretty Woman" Edward Lewis has a change of heart and buys into a struggling business to build ships for the Navy, thus saving his soul, along with Julia Roberts, with whom he flies off to New York to live (well) happily ever after, just as Romney left Bain to save a morally bankrupt Winter Olympics and then fly off to Boston and another life.
The question of saving one's soul came up in a Time.com Romney interview (Dec. 22) with Mark Halperin, who began the interview with a direct question about state of Romney's soul. The gist of the question was this:
"David Axelrod, who, as you know, works for the President, says that presidential elections are MRIs of the soul. That over time, in the course, particularly of the general election, the country gets to know the candidates [and that] ...over time the country will know the Republican nominee? Will know the President? Their soul?"
And what was Romney's evasive reply? After questioning Obama's birth and early life, he said, "I also think that a campaign is about an MRI of the economy and the record of the incumbent." There would be no personal soul talk from Romney, and indeed, it seems clear he is incapable of engaging on that level of inquiry. When pundits accuse Romney of having no "core" it is soul they are really referring to, and it is Bain Capital that is the outward manifestation of a lack of soul.
President Obama's soul-searching book "Dreams of my Father" reveals the depth of an authentic soul and the willingness to reveal those depths to the world. Can we imagine Mitt Romney writing a book about his years at Bain Capital and the search for an authentic self? Won't happen. In his ending to "Pretty Woman," Edward Lewis pays off Julia Roberts, breaks up another company and takes off to find another to break up, just as Mitt Romney, if elected, would break up America and sell of the pieces to the ever hungry 1%.
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I'm not exactly a fan of Romney, but to say that he has no soul is a bit much. Goes right along with the "George W. Bush is the anti-Christ" crowd.
I agree that the public needs to know more about the Bain - Romney history and that they should weigh that into their decision. But perhaps instead of saying things like "Mitt Romney, if elected, would break up America and sell of the pieces to the ever hungry 1%," we could examine voting records and positions on issues.
This article is ridiculous.
See Utah if you want a fore taste of what Romney in office would be like.
Utah Governor Herbert pulled the winning contract bid out from under the winning contractor for the Core I-15 project, an Obama stimulus funded project, and gave it to one of his favored contractors, then gave a $13 M consolation prize to the contractor he just jilted... for nothing.
The Utah DABC (Dept of Alcoholic Beverage Control), the state entity that is the owner of all the liquor stores in Utah was caught giving preferential contracts to suppliers that were related to the chairman of the DABC.
Then there's the matter of UTA (Utah Transit Authority) and their greatly inflated salaries and real estate deals with foreknowledge of expansion to capitalize on certain development plans.
Utah's AG could never prosecute a polygamist and instead let Texas take care of Warren Jeffs. Now many women and children are being pushed out into the streets for the holidays because Jeffs is excommunicating them. A call has gone out to foster homes for these people.
If you liked the partial privatization of Medicare, known as the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Part-D) by Bush appointee, HHS Chair and long time former Governor of Utah, Michael Leavitt., then you'll love phase two of the same plan.
I could give you example after example of the nepotism, favoritism and outright fraud, extortion, embezzlement and hypocrisy.
I choose REVOLT first.
This country is so screwed.
Keep it up America!!
Or are you talking about the supposed "flip-flops" that have been perpetuated by the media and rival's campaigns? Or the "disaster" of a health care bill that 3/4 of the people still support and has effectively gotten everyone in the state health care?
The fact is, he's lived a good life, raised a good family, worked incredibly hard to achieve success, graduated valedictorian of his university and earned a law and mba degree from Harvard, served as a clergyman for his church without pay, etc, etc.
Of course, Romney would only point that out if the polls told him it was popular.
1. Goldman Sachs
2. Credit Suisse Group
3. Morgan Stanley
Bailout anyone?
The elitist, flip flopping Mitt Romney. The more I learn about Romney the more I can barely tell the difference between him and Obama! You know his campaign contributors are going to expect favors so expect more of the same!. You know what Mitt says, "Corporations are people too"!
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Why beat Obama, if it is Romney we are going to get.
If Ron Paul isn't the nomination, it will be Obama again, or if WE ARE SMART.... We will right RON PAUL on the ballot!! LIKE I MA GOING TO if necessary.
GOP nominate Ron Paul or DEAL with OBAMA!!
Gimme a friggin break! We are OVERDUE for being extremely picky and idealistic in 2012. How many more elections you want to piss away with this moronic mindset?
RON PAUL 2012!!
Romneys Greed and Flip Flops = Proven
Ron Paul's as a racist = Allegations that don't stand up past the barest scrutiny
2012 Choice = Ron Paul or More Hype and Change.
Nice attempt to slip that in there...for all those who choose truth I offer the above link.