Mitt Romney Chooses Paul Ryan As Election Running Mate

[Ulysses G.]

The birthers are keeping a low profile because everyone thinks that they are a joke - including Romney. Americans could care less about Romney's grandfather. They might be an issue in jolly old England, but not in the USA.

[chuckd]

How strange. First Chuckd was claiming that I'm a card carrying member of the Democratic Party and now you implying that I'm an Australian.

Sorry, between your obvious unfamiliarity with American politics and past claims to have grown up in Australia, I figured that you were Australian.

By the way, thanks for that newsflash from "gawker.com". As you know, they are renown for past glories such as beating the rest of the media to videos of babies farting; and stories on whether or not certain entertainers are gay because they "look gay." It looks like they have beat the respectable media to a big story yet again.

UG:

Here's a little bit about Gawker. I don't expect liberals to read it but thought you might like to see it.

It's all about smoke and mirrors from the Democrats, based on rumors and innuendo.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gawker and Bain and the Caymans

By Kevin D. Williamson

August 23, 2012 5:14 P.M. Comments449

Most respectable publications maintain a fairly strict church/state division between the editorial side and the business side, and Gawker, a not very respectable publication, seems to do the same. Apparently, nobody thought to tell the boys on the Romney beat that Gawker Media is part of a shell company incorporated in the Cayman Islands. Gawker’s money lives in the same neighborhood as Romney’s money. Call it bipartisanship.

As John Cassidy relates in The New Yorker, Gawker’s finances are “organized like an international money-laundering operation.” For example:

Much of its international revenues are directed through Hungary, where [bossman Nick] Denton’s mother hails from, and where some of the firm’s techies are located. But that is only part of it. Recently, [Felix] Salmon reports, the various Gawker operations—Gawker Media LLC, Gawker Entertainment LLC, Gawker Technology LLC, Gawker Sales LLC—have been restructured to bring them under control of a shell company based in the Cayman Islands, Gawker Media Group Inc.

Why would a relatively small media outfit based in Soho choose to incorporate itself in a Caribbean locale long favored by insider dealers, drug cartels, hedge funds, and other entities with lots of cash they don’t want to advertise? The question virtually answers itself, but for those unversed in the intricacies of international tax avoidance Salmon spells it out: “The result is a company where 130 U.S. employees eat up the lion’s share of the the U.S. revenues, resulting in little if any taxable income, while the international income, the franchise value of the brands, and the value of the technology all stays permanently overseas, untouched by the I.R.S.”

Read more here: http://www.nationalr...in-d-williamson

[Jingthing]

The birthers are keeping a low profile because everyone thinks that they are a joke - including Romney. Americans could care less about Romney's grandfather. They might be an issue in jolly old England, but not in the USA.

Donald Trump, Birther In Chief, is speaking at the Elephant convention. If that's a LOW profile, I'd like to see a high one.

[geriatrickid]

The birthers are keeping a low profile because everyone thinks that they are a joke - including Romney. Americans could care less about Romney's grandfather. They might be an issue in jolly old England, but not in the USA.

On the contrary, there are still a large number of evangelicals that have issues with a non Christian running for President and a Roman Catholic running for VP. They may not be a majority, but the demographic is still large enough that if they choose to not vote, it could hurt the GOP chances. 100,000-300,000 votes is alot in a tight contest.

[Ulysses G.]

That is not a problem. Most non-liberals want to get rid of the president so bad that they will vote for Romney enthusiastically. A very biased media and their feigned obsession with a bunch of contrived distractions are the only real hope for the democrats.

Edited August 26, 2012 by Ulysses G.

[Ulysses G.]

It's all about smoke and mirrors from the Democrats, based on rumors and innuendo.

Don't forget the most important sentence in the whole article:

"Incidentally, there is nothing in the Gawker report or the accompanying documents suggesting that Romney or Bain did anything improper."

[chuckd]

The birthers are keeping a low profile because everyone thinks that they are a joke - including Romney. Americans could care less about Romney's grandfather. They might be an issue in jolly old England, but not in the USA.

On the contrary, there are still a large number of evangelicals that have issues with a non Christian running for President and a Roman Catholic running for VP. They may not be a majority, but the demographic is still large enough that if they choose to not vote, it could hurt the GOP chances. 100,000-300,000 votes is alot in a tight contest.

This article from an avowed liberal and Obama supporting news source, The Huffington Post.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One In Six Americans Believe Obama Is Muslim, Only One In Four Identify Him As Protestant

Posted: 05/10/2012 11:37 am Updated: 05/10/2012 9:49 pm

1 in 6 Americans Believe Obama Is A Muslim, Lest that 1 in 4 Can Identify Him As Protestant

WASHINGTON (RNS) After nearly four years in the Oval Office, President Obama is incorrectly thought to be Muslim by one in six American voters, and only one quarter of voters can correctly identify him as a Protestant, according to a new poll.

From the article...

The poll also found that white evangelical Protestants, who were suspicious of Romney in the early GOP primaries, are warming up to Romney now that he’s the presumptive nominee.

Romney’s support among white evangelicals has jumped 27 percent since October; evangelicals support him over Obama, 68 to 19 percent.

“There are clear signs that white evangelical Protestants are moving beyond any reservations they may have held earlier in the campaign about Romney’s Mormon faith,” said Cox.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/10/belief-that-obama-is-musl_n_1506307.html

[Neurath]

How strange. First Chuckd was claiming that I'm a card carrying member of the Democratic Party and now you implying that I'm an Australian.

Sorry, between your obvious unfamiliarity with American politics and past claims to have grown up in Australia, I figured that you were Australian.

By the way, thanks for that newsflash from "gawker.com". As you know, they are renown for past glories such as beating the rest of the media to videos of babies farting; and stories on whether or not certain entertainers are gay because they "look gay." It looks like they have beat the respectable media to a big story yet again.

UG:

Here's a little bit about Gawker. I don't expect liberals to read it but thought you might like to see it.

It's all about smoke and mirrors from the Democrats, based on rumors and innuendo.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gawker and Bain and the Caymans

By Kevin D. Williamson

August 23, 2012 5:14 P.M. Comments449

Most respectable publications maintain a fairly strict church/state division between the editorial side and the business side, and Gawker, a not very respectable publication, seems to do the same. Apparently, nobody thought to tell the boys on the Romney beat that Gawker Media is part of a shell company incorporated in the Cayman Islands. Gawker’s money lives in the same neighborhood as Romney’s money. Call it bipartisanship.

As John Cassidy relates in The New Yorker, Gawker’s finances are “organized like an international money-laundering operation.” For example:

Much of its international revenues are directed through Hungary, where [bossman Nick] Denton’s mother hails from, and where some of the firm’s techies are located. But that is only part of it. Recently, [Felix] Salmon reports, the various Gawker operations—Gawker Media LLC, Gawker Entertainment LLC, Gawker Technology LLC, Gawker Sales LLC—have been restructured to bring them under control of a shell company based in the Cayman Islands, Gawker Media Group Inc.

Why would a relatively small media outfit based in Soho choose to incorporate itself in a Caribbean locale long favored by insider dealers, drug cartels, hedge funds, and other entities with lots of cash they don’t want to advertise? The question virtually answers itself, but for those unversed in the intricacies of international tax avoidance Salmon spells it out: “The result is a company where 130 U.S. employees eat up the lion’s share of the the U.S. revenues, resulting in little if any taxable income, while the international income, the franchise value of the brands, and the value of the technology all stays permanently overseas, untouched by the I.R.S.”

Read more here: http://www.nationalr...in-d-williamson

Why would a relatively small media outfit based in Soho choose to incorporate itself in a Caribbean locale long favored by insider dealers, drug cartels, hedge funds, and other entities with lots of cash they don’t want to advertise? The question virtually answers itself, but for those unversed in the intricacies of international tax avoidance Salmon spells it out: “The result is a company where 130 U.S. employees eat up the lion’s share of the the U.S. revenues, resulting in little if any taxable income, while the international income, the franchise value of the brands, and the value of the technology all stays permanently overseas, untouched by the I.R.S.”

Yep, that's exactly why Mitt Romney and Bain have their money there. This is why he won't release his Tax Returns. It'll show up.

[chuckd]

UG:

Here's a little bit about Gawker. I don't expect liberals to read it but thought you might like to see it.

It's all about smoke and mirrors from the Democrats, based on rumors and innuendo.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gawker and Bain and the Caymans

By Kevin D. Williamson

August 23, 2012 5:14 P.M. Comments449

Most respectable publications maintain a fairly strict church/state division between the editorial side and the business side, and Gawker, a not very respectable publication, seems to do the same. Apparently, nobody thought to tell the boys on the Romney beat that Gawker Media is part of a shell company incorporated in the Cayman Islands. Gawker’s money lives in the same neighborhood as Romney’s money. Call it bipartisanship.

As John Cassidy relates in The New Yorker, Gawker’s finances are “organized like an international money-laundering operation.” For example:

Much of its international revenues are directed through Hungary, where [bossman Nick] Denton’s mother hails from, and where some of the firm’s techies are located. But that is only part of it. Recently, [Felix] Salmon reports, the various Gawker operations—Gawker Media LLC, Gawker Entertainment LLC, Gawker Technology LLC, Gawker Sales LLC—have been restructured to bring them under control of a shell company based in the Cayman Islands, Gawker Media Group Inc.

Why would a relatively small media outfit based in Soho choose to incorporate itself in a Caribbean locale long favored by insider dealers, drug cartels, hedge funds, and other entities with lots of cash they don’t want to advertise? The question virtually answers itself, but for those unversed in the intricacies of international tax avoidance Salmon spells it out: “The result is a company where 130 U.S. employees eat up the lion’s share of the the U.S. revenues, resulting in little if any taxable income, while the international income, the franchise value of the brands, and the value of the technology all stays permanently overseas, untouched by the I.R.S.”

Read more here: http://www.nationalr...in-d-williamson

Why would a relatively small media outfit based in Soho choose to incorporate itself in a Caribbean locale long favored by insider dealers, drug cartels, hedge funds, and other entities with lots of cash they don’t want to advertise? The question virtually answers itself, but for those unversed in the intricacies of international tax avoidance Salmon spells it out: “The result is a company where 130 U.S. employees eat up the lion’s share of the the U.S. revenues, resulting in little if any taxable income, while the international income, the franchise value of the brands, and the value of the technology all stays permanently overseas, untouched by the I.R.S.”

Yep, that's exactly why Mitt Romney and Bain have their money there. This is why he won't release his Tax Returns. It'll show up.

"Yep, that's exactly why Mitt Romney and Bain have their money there. This is why he won't release his Tax Returns. It'll show up."

You are making the allegation. Now is the time for you to prove it.

[Neurath]

Spin this...

Clinton White House chief of staff Erskine Bowles talks about Paul Ryan:

“Have any of you all met Paul Ryan? We should get him to come to the university. I’m telling you this guy is amazing. ... He is honest, he is straightforward, he is sincere. And the budget that he came forward with is just like Paul Ryan. It is a sensible, straightforward, honest, serious budget and it cut the budget deficit just like we did, by $4 trillion. … The president as you remember, came out with a budget and I don’t think anybody took that budget very seriously. The Senate voted against it 97 to nothing."

Same talk, different editing: Spin baby spin:

http://www.businessweek.com/videos/2012-08-14/erskine-bowles-on-paul-ryan-in-its-entirety

[Ulysses G.]

"Yep, that's exactly why Mitt Romney and Bain have their money there. This is why he won't release his Tax Returns. It'll show up."

You are making the allegation. Now is the time for you to prove it.

That is not going to happen. As you said before, "It's all about smoke and mirrors from the Democrats, based on rumors and innuendo".

Edited August 26, 2012 by Ulysses G.

[Jingthing]

"Yep, that's exactly why Mitt Romney and Bain have their money there. This is why he won't release his Tax Returns. It'll show up."

You are making the allegation. Now is the time for you to prove it.

That is not going to happen. A you said before, "It's all about smoke and mirrors from the Democrats, based on rumors and innuendo".

He hides the evidence. The American people want to see several years of the tax returns. Of course, he won't do that. So it is totally legit to assume he is hiding something serious. He can't have it both ways.

[Ulysses G.]

"Yep, that's exactly why Mitt Romney and Bain have their money there. This is why he won't release his Tax Returns. It'll show up."

You are making the allegation. Now is the time for you to prove it.

That is not going to happen. A you said before, "It's all about smoke and mirrors from the Democrats, based on rumors and innuendo".

He hides the evidence. The American people want to see several years of the tax returns. Of course, he won't do that. So it is totally legit to assume he is hiding something serious. He can't have it both ways.

Yes he can and other than the far left "Americans" could care less. He has met his legal obligation. All the rest is just sleazy politics by the Obama campaign.

[Jingthing]

Yes he can and other than the far left "Americans" could care less. He has met his legal obligation. All the rest is just sleazy politics by the Obama campaign.

Some of us expect more than the minimum legal obligation from the man who is asking to be elected president. For example, foreign policy. Does anyone have a real clue what the foreign policy agenda is of Ryan-Romney? I say Ryan-Romney in respect to the intellectual superiority of the bottom of the ticket.

[Ulysses G.]

Spin this...

Clinton White House chief of staff Erskine Bowles talks about Paul Ryan:

“Have any of you all met Paul Ryan? We should get him to come to the university. I’m telling you this guy is amazing. ... He is honest, he is straightforward, he is sincere. And the budget that he came forward with is just like Paul Ryan. It is a sensible, straightforward, honest, serious budget and it cut the budget deficit just like we did, by $4 trillion. … The president as you remember, came out with a budget and I don’t think anybody took that budget very seriously. The Senate voted against it 97 to nothing."

Same talk, different editing: Spin baby spin:

http://www.businessw...in-its-entirety

Spin indeed. The only difference with extra audio is that Clinton White House chief of staff Erskine Bowles says that he would prefer to try a less drastic budget first and if it does not work try the more radical (Ryan) one, All the praise for Ryan and his budget has not changed.

Edited August 26, 2012 by Ulysses G.

[Ulysses G.]

Yes he can and other than the far left "Americans" could care less. He has met his legal obligation. All the rest is just sleazy politics by the Obama campaign.

Some of us expect more than the minimum legal obligation from the man who is asking to be elected president.

I said other than far-left Americans as most Americans do not agree with them or their politics or their attempts to distract voters from the president's dismal record.

Edited August 26, 2012 by Ulysses G.

[Scott]

An off-topic post has been deleted. This topic is about Mitt Romney choosing Paul Ryan....

Please stay on topic.

[geriatrickid]

Yes he can and other than the far left "Americans" could care less. He has met his legal obligation. All the rest is just sleazy politics by the Obama campaign.

Some of us expect more than the minimum legal obligation from the man who is asking to be elected president.

I said other than far-left Americans as most Americans do not agree with them or their politics or their attempts to distract voters from the president's dismal record.

Sir, if one wishes to claim the high moral ground, then it is best that one have exemplary morals. Intricate tax avoidance schemes, while legal, are not necessarily moral or appropriate for someone that claims a position of high integrity. The issue is one that creates embarrassment and it is understandable that both messrs Ryan and Romney wish to avoid the discussion. Discussion of the subject might not endear them to the "middle class" that does not benefit from tax avoidance schemes.

[Ulysses G.]

Most people would not pay taxes that are not necessary - only an idiot would pay more than they have to. As long as they were following the law it is not a real issue.

Voters are worried about jobs and the economy and that is the current occupant of the White House's big weakness other than supporting some very unpopular social issues.

Edited August 26, 2012 by Ulysses G.

[Jingthing]

What a Ryan win really will mean. Hint: it isn't pretty. I agree with their assessment that the POOR and SICK people on Medicaid will be the biggest losers. While the Obama PAC hit piece that Romney killed that lady with cancer may not be accurate, if the American people let the Ryan-Romney ticket win, it will turn out to be predictive of potentially millions of unneeded premature deaths of ... the poor. This class war on the poor is simply immoral. The USA already has the greatest inequality of any advanced nation on earth and this Ryan-Romney team aims to make it worse. Shame on them and shame on the American people if they vote to punish the poor in this immoral way.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-paul-ryans-budget/2012/08/23/757b3718-eba0-11e1-a80b-9f898562d010_story.html

I’ve worked closely with Rep. Paul Ryan. He’s an honest and amiable guy. In part because of his winning personality, Ryan, Mitt Romney’s running mate in the presidential election, has convinced many in Washington that his budget blueprint is a serious proposal for solving our long-term fiscal problems. Unfortunately, it’s not. Let’s dig into the asterisks of Ryan’s plan and unearth the fine print

[farangme]

While Ryan is just another right-wing extremist, at least he says what he's about, as opposed to Romney, who doesn't take a position on anything. Sure their ticket will stimulate the economy...by starting some more wars, getting the country further in debt, and letting Wall Street tank the economy again. Oh yeah, and Americans DO want Romney to release his taxes, but given his opposition to this, people already presume he's hiding something. But then again, people who support this ticket aren't interested in ethics as long as the bad behavior benefits them.

Sent from my PC36100 using Thaivisa Connect App

[cheeryble]

Don't forget the most important sentence in the whole article:

"Incidentally, there is nothing in the Gawker report or the accompanying documents suggesting that Romney or Bain did anything improper."

Are you saying that for a person to pay 13% on an income of millions is proper?

(compare to Buffet or Gates who effectively taxed themselves by distributing to the most disadvantaged)

While we're at it, does his supreme act of genetic selfishness......"giving" (ha!) $100 million to his sons, which money could have paid for who knows how many eye operations or other alleviations of suffering around the world......is proper?

(again compare to Buffett and Gates)

[cheeryble]

The birthers are keeping a low profile because everyone thinks that they are a joke - including Romney. Americans could care less about Romney's grandfather. They might be an issue in jolly old England, but not in the USA.

Yet he panders to the birthers just this week by "joking" in a speech about there being no doubt where he was born!

This makes him far more dishonest than if he was merely stupid like one of them.

[farangme]

Romney has the gaul to make birther jokes, but won't show his tax returns. Shallow hypocrite, just like the people he panders to.

Sent from my PC36100 using Thaivisa Connect App

[cheeryble]

Some of us expect more than the minimum legal obligation from the man who is asking to be elected president. For example, foreign policy. Does anyone have a real clue what the foreign policy agenda is of Ryan-Romney? .

Just ask Sheldon Adelson who gets a front row seat from Romney so he can check his paid puppet's got the words right.

[geriatrickid]

Most people would not pay taxes that are not necessary - only an idiot would pay more than they have to. As long as they were following the law it is not a real issue.

Voters are worried about jobs and the economy and that is the current occupant of the White House's big weakness other than supporting some very unpopular social issues.

There is still a generation out there that will not consider such "legal" tax avoidance issues. The use of convoluted trickery is symptomatic of the wall street shell games that led to the collapse of the investment houses and it also fueled the various Ponzi schemes. The assumption that additional tax reductions for the wealthy will benefit the majority of US taxpayers is just that, an assumption. It was proven false during the era of Reagan which saw the USA start to pile up massive debt. The fact is that it has been under the Republicans that the USA has seen its debt increase, while it has been Democrat administrations that have had to clean up the mess.

[koheesti]

Yes he can and other than the far left "Americans" could care less. He has met his legal obligation. All the rest is just sleazy politics by the Obama campaign.

Some of us expect more than the minimum legal obligation from the man who is asking to be elected president.

I said other than far-left Americans as most Americans do not agree with them or their politics or their attempts to distract voters from the president's dismal record.

Sir, if one wishes to claim the high moral ground, then it is best that one have exemplary morals. Intricate tax avoidance schemes, while legal, are not necessarily moral or appropriate for someone that claims a position of high integrity. The issue is one that creates embarrassment and it is understandable that both messrs Ryan and Romney wish to avoid the discussion. Discussion of the subject might not endear them to the "middle class" that does not benefit from tax avoidance schemes.

"Sir"? "messrs"? Is this the Thaivisa forum or The Economist?

The American middle class can appreciate legally avoiding paying more taxes than you have to. They cannot appreciate paying taxes just so the gov't can waste it on pork projects or pay to people illegally scamming the system.

Edited August 26, 2012 by koheesti

[Jingthing]

Can they appreciate a party running on an agenda that if fully implemented would mean a ONE percent tax rate for the super rich like Romney and a massive increase in taxes for the middle class? No, they can't. So they HIDE from the truth of what they are really about. The continuing war on the poor AND the middle class.

Edited August 26, 2012 by Jingthing

[koheesti]

The fact is that it has been under the Republicans that the USA has seen its debt increase, while it has been Democrat administrations that have had to clean up the mess.

Well, on this planet we have something called an "Obama" which has managed to oversee the exploding of our debt.

[Jingthing]

Apparently no Ryan bounce in the important swing state of Pennsylvania:

Obama holds a 51 to 42 percent lead over presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney among the state’s voters, according to a new Philadelphia Inquirer Pennsylvania Poll released Saturday.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/polls/245449-poll-obama-holds-strong-lead-in-pennsylvania