The 2012 Three Ring Circus AKA The US Presidential Election

[Alien Space Bats]

Funnily enough there was a point in my life that I received GI Bill benefits and went to school, and yet despite working hard I STILL didn't have any income tax requirements.

Where was that damn free market fairy then? Hmm?

Well, fortunately for me, I've never been a parasite, even when I drew several months of unemployment compensation at a time during this Great Recession - because I always had a Federal income tax liability every year.

As for my wife, who is on SSDI, our combined income guarantees that she has to pay Federal income tax on what she gets from the Federal government for her disability, right along with the taxes I have to pay on my unemployment insurance. Of course, before we were married, that wasn't true - and after we get divorced, she'll be back to being a shiftless looter again.

<shakes head, clucking disparagingly>

But for now, as a married woman (and only as a married woman, Christian family values be praised), she can haughtily hold her head up high as a proud member of the Mitt Romney & Erick Erickson Corps of Randian Űbermenschen!

<lowers voice to a hushed, throaty whisper full of rage and foreboding>

That said, though, America needs to know...

<whips out accusatory finger, points it quivering at Willard Mitt Romney>

Are you, Governor, or have you ever been, an irresponsible member of the parasite class?!? Prove it to us, sir!!!

SHOW US YOUR TAX RETURNS!!!

[Gauthier]

Funnily enough there was a point in my life that I received GI Bill benefits and went to school, and yet despite working hard I STILL didn't have any income tax requirements.

Where was that damn free market fairy then? Hmm?

Well, fortunately for me, I've never been a parasite, even when I drew several months of unemployment compensation at a time during this Great Recession - because I always had a Federal income tax liability every year.

As for my wife, who is on SSDI, our combined income guarantees that she has to pay Federal income tax on what she gets from the Federal government for her disability, right along with the taxes I have to pay on my unemployment insurance. Of course, before we were married, that wasn't true - and after we get divorced, she'll be back to being a shiftless looter again.

<shakes head, clucking disparagingly>

But for now, as a married woman (and only as a married woman, Christian family values be praised), she can haughtily hold her head up high as a proud member of the Mitt Romney & Erick Erickson Corps of Randian Űbermenschen!

<lowers voice to a hushed, throaty whisper full of rage and foreboding>

That said, though, America needs to know...

<whips out accusatory finger, points it quivering at Willard Mitt Romney>

Are you, Governor, or have you ever been, an irresponsible member of the parasite class?!? Prove it to us, sir!!!

SHOW US YOUR TAX RETURNS!!!

Romney just loves to shoot himself in the foot repeatedly. With a minigun. His comment about the 47% who don't pay taxes being parasites and looters was made as if Romney was waiting to release his tax returns and likely prove Harry Reid right about not having paid any taxes for so many years.

[Wamitoria]

My dad made a pretty convincing argument that the correct metaphor for the "47%" comment was shooting yourself in the crotch with a rocket propelled grenade.

[Gauthier]

My dad made a pretty convincing argument that the correct metaphor for the "47%" comment was shooting yourself in the crotch with a rocket propelled grenade.

That would be a $10,000 winner for America's Funniest Home Videos.

[The Black Forrest]

Oh shit, I was in the 47% for other reasons...and moreso since parts of my deployment involved hazard pay where I wasn't eligible for income taxes either....

And you know what, that's perfectly fine. See unlike Romney who ran away to France on his daddy's coin when the Vietnam war raged on and avoided the draft, I willingly signed away four years of my life to serve my nation, so there's my right to entitlements thank you.

oh ND im sure it will make you feel MUCH better to know that mitt romney (who supported the vietnam war even though he got deferrments all the way through it) has stated that he WISHES he had gone to vietnam.

...

part of the cost of war is the cost of veterans associated with that war. it doesnt matter how much more it costs today than it did in 2001. its our obligation as a country.

Wishes he had gone?

A good buddy who did two tours with the Rangers will tell you only an ignorant war movie watcher or a fucking liar would make such a statement(not exact words).

My buddy didn't "wish" to go to Vietnam. He felt he had to go....

[Alien Space Bats]

You can make the argument that Romney doesn't like Veterans because Veteran Benefits and Services spending has ballooned faster than Income Security spending, Medicare spending, Social Security spending, and Health spending since 2001 to present days.

Wars produce veterans?!? Who'd have thunk it?!?

You know what the problem here is? Too many living veterans. If we had higher battlefield casualties, we wouldn't have to pay to take care of so many of the damned parasites after they come home.

Or - better still - maybe we should just not bring any of them home...

<looks at Iran>

Yeah, that's the ticket!

[The Emerald Dawn]

oh ND im sure it will make you feel MUCH better to know that mitt romney (who supported the vietnam war even though he got deferrments all the way through it) has stated that he WISHES he had gone to vietnam.

...

part of the cost of war is the cost of veterans associated with that war. it doesnt matter how much more it costs today than it did in 2001. its our obligation as a country.

Wishes he had gone?

A good buddy who did two tours with the Rangers will tell you only an ignorant war movie watcher or a fucking liar would make such a statement(not exact words).

My buddy didn't "wish" to go to Vietnam. He felt he had to go....

No, Romney wishes he had gone. He would have been given a cush assignment somewhere he had to worry about nothing more than possibly earning a purple heart by burning his hand on a cup of coffee. Unlike many sons of Servicemembers who went.

[The Emerald Dawn]

You can make the argument that Romney doesn't like Veterans because Veteran Benefits and Services spending has ballooned faster than Income Security spending, Medicare spending, Social Security spending, and Health spending since 2001 to present days.

Wars produce veterans?!? Who'd have thunk it?!?

You know what the problem here is? Too many living veterans. If we had higher battlefield casualties, we wouldn't have to pay to take care of so many of the damned parasites after they come home.

Or - better still - maybe we should just not bring any of them home...

<looks at Iran>

Yeah, that's the ticket!

Realizing that you're using satire, I'd like to point out something here:

Our enemies are no longer trying for fatalities. They want casualties. They can't win the physical confrontations, but they can win the mental ones.

[Wamitoria]

You can make the argument that Romney doesn't like Veterans because Veteran Benefits and Services spending has ballooned faster than Income Security spending, Medicare spending, Social Security spending, and Health spending since 2001 to present days.

Wars produce veterans?!? Who'd have thunk it?!?

You know what the problem here is? Too many living veterans. If we had higher battlefield casualties, we wouldn't have to pay to take care of so many of the damned parasites after they come home.

Or - better still - maybe we should just not bring any of them home...

<looks at Iran>

Yeah, that's the ticket!

We could stop buying them Kevlar vests and use the money we save to pay for more military contractors?

And they say this PNAC shit is hard...

[Vitius]

What'll look worse to the average American than Tim Pawlenty, the co-chair of the Romney campaign, quitting the campaign?

QUITTING TO BECOME A LOBBYIST!

Man, I'm enjoying this week of torture agaisnt Mitt.

[Gauthier]

You can make the argument that Romney doesn't like Veterans because Veteran Benefits and Services spending has ballooned faster than Income Security spending, Medicare spending, Social Security spending, and Health spending since 2001 to present days.

Wars produce veterans?!? Who'd have thunk it?!?

You know what the problem here is? Too many living veterans. If we had higher battlefield casualties, we wouldn't have to pay to take care of so many of the damned parasites after they come home.

Or - better still - maybe we should just not bring any of them home...

<looks at Iran>

Yeah, that's the ticket!

So that's why he wants to get rid of Medicare! If the parasites can afford medical coverage they're more likely to survive and demand pension!

[Gauthier]

What'll look worse to the average American than Tim Pawlenty, the co-chair of the Romney campaign, quitting the campaign?

QUITTING TO BECOME A LOBBYIST!

Man, I'm enjoying this week of torture agaisnt Mitt.

No no no... the correct term is "Enhanced Interrogation".

[Cannot think of a name]

What'll look worse to the average American than Tim Pawlenty, the co-chair of the Romney campaign, quitting the campaign?

QUITTING TO BECOME A LOBBYIST!

Man, I'm enjoying this week of torture agaisnt Mitt.

A Wall Street lobbyist.

[The Black Forrest]

What'll look worse to the average American than Tim Pawlenty, the co-chair of the Romney campaign, quitting the campaign?

QUITTING TO BECOME A LOBBYIST!

Man, I'm enjoying this week of torture agaisnt Mitt.

A Wall Street lobbyist.

Wasn't Pawlenty being paraded around her are a person with integrity?

[Vitius]

Oh, yes, forgot the link:

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/pawl ... ction.html

[Farnhamia]

A Wall Street lobbyist.

Wasn't Pawlenty being paraded around her are a person with integrity?

Best they could do in today's GOP, I guess.

[Khadgar]

Oh, yes, forgot the link:

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/pawl ... ction.html

All those comments, missing the point. Romney can't even hold his campaign staff together anymore. Like rats from a ship.

[The Emerald Dawn]

Pawlenty quit. Now, we're not exactly talking "power-player", but perhaps rearranging the chairs on the deck of the S.S. Romney time?

I ninja'd the heck out of you all.

[New Chalcedon]

Pawlenty's abandonment is no big deal in and of itself - people leave campaigns all the time.

The fact that Pawlenty left now, to take a lobbying job, says two things:

(1) He's tired of Mitt Romney shooting himself in the feet; and
(2) He's afraid that the job won't be there after Election Day, due to there being no reception for Republican ex-politicians on Capitol Hill (something about oversupply and insufficient demand).

[The Black Forrest]

Pawlenty quit. Now, we're not exactly talking "power-player", but perhaps rearranging the chairs on the deck of the S.S. Romney time?

I ninja'd the heck out of you all.

Ninja's don't brag about their activities.

[Farnhamia]

Pawlenty's abandonment is no big deal in and of itself - people leave campaigns all the time.

The fact that Pawlenty left now, to take a lobbying job, says two things:

(1) He's tired of Mitt Romney shooting himself in the feet; and
(2) He's afraid that the job won't be there after Election Day, due to there being no reception for Republican ex-politicians on Capitol Hill (something about oversupply and insufficient demand).

He could also be a sacrificial lamb, too.

[The Emerald Dawn]

I ninja'd the heck out of you all.

Ninja's don't brag about their activities.

Self-promotion is a part of being an internet ninja.

Pawlenty's abandonment is no big deal in and of itself - people leave campaigns all the time.

The fact that Pawlenty left now, to take a lobbying job, says two things:

(1) He's tired of Mitt Romney shooting himself in the feet; and
(2) He's afraid that the job won't be there after Election Day, due to there being no reception for Republican ex-politicians on Capitol Hill (something about oversupply and insufficient demand).

He could also be a sacrificial lamb, too.

Sacrificing Pawlenty? That's like whipping the hell out of a five year old for the Packers losing a game.

[Alien Space Bats]

I was really amused that Fox and assorted GOP douches had to go back all the way to 1998 to pick up a 'OMG Obama wants to redistribute your wealth..did you know about that' - as an equivalent to the Romney video.

how despo are these people..

Very.

It turns out that the Democrats are killing the Republicans in ad wars.

Wham, post that link with some commentary to the "horse race" thread now. That's big.

And, while you do that, I'll fast track another post I've been putting together about Mitt's light campaign schedule (which Rachel Maddow, BTW, has already dropped as a story [as of last night] - although I first noticed it this weekend).

Has the Romney campaign essentially thrown in the towel?

The common wisdom is that they're going to carpet bomb the airwaves in the next few weeks, but all that ad-space would've been bought up long ago when both campaigns still had most of their coffers. There's no reason to think that, if indeed all that space has long since been bought up, that the Romney campaign has enough of it to pull of his trademark bombing campaign.

Get thee to the "horse race" thread as well!

Seriously, one little known fact of political advertising is that campaigns are allowed to bump non-campaign ads, although there are equal-time provisions that keep any one candidate or side from bumping everybody else.

That said, if Mitt goes into the last two weeks of the campaign and then bumps a bunch of GOP SuperPAC ads to try and stage an 1000-ad bombing run on Chicago (the commentariat has dubbed this tactic "bringing out the Death Star"), he's going to piss his own Party off royally. You see, those SuperPAC ads are crucial to Republican success down ticket, and if they get knocked off the air, there are going to be a lot of Congressmen (and near-Congressmen) who are going to remember him doing that.

Which would be very bad for Romney if he won (if he loses, of course, it doesn't matter), because then he'd start his first term hated by his own side in Congress. That, as I recall, was how it all began to go so very, very wrong for Jimmy Carter.

Something about "plays well with others"...

[New Chalcedon]

Pawlenty's abandonment is no big deal in and of itself - people leave campaigns all the time.

The fact that Pawlenty left now, to take a lobbying job, says two things:

(1) He's tired of Mitt Romney shooting himself in the feet; and
(2) He's afraid that the job won't be there after Election Day, due to there being no reception for Republican ex-politicians on Capitol Hill (something about oversupply and insufficient demand).

He could also be a sacrificial lamb, too.

How so? Quitting now means that he's pre-washing his hands for any trainwrecks that happen down the track.

[The Black Forrest]

He could also be a sacrificial lamb, too.

How so? Quitting now means that he's pre-washing his hands for any trainwrecks that happen down the track.

Well? It could be like CEO's who "retire" before earnings are announced.