Romney on the ropes

This has been a bad week for Mitt Romney.

The Obama campaign has been hitting hard on the unfavorable images of him as the head of Bain Capital investment firm -- the primary source of his vast wealth.   The campaign thought the shrewd business man image was a winner and tried to use it to portray him as the one who could get the country back on track economically.

Instead, the Democrats have been fairly successful in turning the Bain CEO image into a heartless capitalist who takes advantage of the little guys who lose their jobs while benefitting himself and his wealthy investors.

This line of attack was already having a negative effect in the polls -- still small, to be sure, but it's the kind of thing that accumulates and builds.

Now on top of that, however, the Dems are focusing on the conflicting statements about how active Romney was in running Bain from 1999, when he left to take over the Utah Olympics Games preparation, until 2002 when he retired from Bain Capital.

In filing his campaign financial disclosure forms, he said he had no decision-making role during those three years -- which incidentally are the years when Bain began outsourcing jobs and led to many jobs lost and companies closing.  He says he was not responsible for those decisions.   (He doesn't, however, say he would have made different decisions or moved the company in different directions.)

Now documents have been uncovered that contradict the story of his inactive role.   When he was running for Massachusetts governor, it was in his interest to show that he had kept his primary residence in the state while working in Utah.   So he emphasized how often he came back, participated in business meetings, as well as social and family events.

Also the Bain documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2002, which are sworn statements and would constitute felony charges if false, list Romney as "sole stockholder, chairman of the board, chief executive officer, and president and thus is the controlling person of Bain Capital."

Sole stockholder, chairman of the board, CEO, and president?   That says he was Bain Capital -- it was his and he was it.   And yet he was not responsible in any way for decisions made or actions taken by the company????

So he's got to make a decision -- and he's got to do something fast other than just saying Obama's attacks on him about this are "disgusting" and "lies."    Show us how they are lies, Mittens.   You can't get away with just saying they are lies.  The documents are real.   Even if you turned over day-to-day operations to someone else, it's inconceivable you wouldn't be in on major decisions as long as it's you and you are it.

It sounds like this is typical Mittens behavior.    You just fill out the form in front of you the way it will look best for your immediate purpose.  Rules and consistency and integrity are for the "little people."

Remind you of anyone?    Remember Leona Helmsley (who went to prison for some kind of financial fraud, as I remember).   She was famous for saying "Only the little people pay taxes."   I think she meant that the rich have their loopholes, their tax shelters, etc.

Come on, Mittens.   You can't have it both ways.   This is the real world.

Ralph

PS:  And while you're at it, you'd better come up with something better as an excuse not to reveal any tax returns before 2010.   As your father said, when he submitted 12 years of tax returns when he ran for president, "one year could be just a fluke."