I can not over emphasize how important a find this is. This is McCain’s book of points to bash Romney with from 2008. Everyone ought to give it a look. It shows a remarkable history of self serving cut-throatness, lies, flip-flops and smarmyness.

I can only speculate as to why McCain would let this out, or if it was oversight on the part of his campaign. So I won’t speculate.

To be fair to Romney, the things I have highlighted are things I could verify from other sources.

buzzfeed.com

On Bain Capital:

Bain Capital has been criticized for relentless focus on bottom line at expense of workers and jobs.

Romney describes himself as a “business legend” in his campaign ads and once said of himself: “I’m basically in the investor’s Hall of Fame.”

Bain Capital and Bain & Co. employees donated at least $171,000 to Romney’s presidential campaign in Q12007 and gave tens of thousands more in support of his previous political activities.

Bain Capital financed 1988 buyout with junk bonds issued by Drexel Burnham – when SEC filed charges against the firm and CEO Michael Milken, Bain Capital maintained their business relationship; Romney later reminisced about “the glorious days of Drexel Burnham.”

In 2004, Bain & Co. received a multi-million dollar contract from the National Iranian Oil Company.

Romney sat on board of directors of Bain portfolio company Damon Clinical Laboratories, which in 1996 was fined over $100 million for Medicare fraud committed during Romney’s tenure.

Bain Capital owned company named Ampad that purchased an Indiana paper plant, fired its workers andoffered to bring them back at drastically reduced salary and benefits – the firings became an issue in the 1994 Senate race when workers blamed Romney for their situation and appeared in Kennedy campaign ads.

After Romney became governor, Bain Capital teamed up with Chinese appliance maker Haier Group in 2005 in effort to purchase Newton, IA-based Maytag Corp. and send jobs overseas.

At least two Bain Capital companies – Stream International and Modus Media – focused on outsourced technical support services, expanding facilities abroad while contracting operations in the United States.

Bain Capital operated steel company called GS Industries which went bankrupt in 2001 after years of labor strife, closing a plant in Kansas City and laying off over 700 workers.

On the economy:

State spending increased at well over rate of inflation under Romney’s watch, estimated at 24% - more than $5 billion – over Romney’s final three years.

Under Romney, Massachusetts dramatically underperformed the rest of the nation in terms of job growth.

Romney has been criticized by experts for failing to deliver on issues of business development and economic growth after selling himself as the ‘CEO governor.’

2006 report issued by quasi-public Massachusetts Technology Collaborative warned the state was losing itsgrip as leader in ‘innovation economy’ and that tech job was alarmingly slow.

Romney left his successor to fill a budget deficit exceeding $1 billion.

On Guns:

In January 2006, Romney said he owned a gun – then two days later admitted he did not and the gun belonged to his son.

Romney bragged about being member of the NRA but later revealed he didn’t join until August 2006, justbefore launching his presidential campaign.

Romney recently said he’s ‘been a hunter pretty much all my life’ but later admitted he hunted only twice in his life, later clarifying remarks by claiming he has hunted ‘small varmints … more than two times.’

In 2006 press conference, Romney claimed he had been hunting ‘many times’ after returning from quail huntin Georgia.

On the Middle East:

Romney said capturing Osama bin Laden would result in ‘very insignificant increase in safety’ for Americaand such effort was ‘not worth moving heaven and earth and spending billions of dollars’ to catch one person.

After calling for economic divestment from Iran, Romney was embarrassed by revelation that the Italianbranch of Bain & Company – firm where Romney started as young consultant and served as CEO in early’90s – received $2.3 million contract from National Iranian Oil Company in 2004.

Bain Capital, the private equity firm that made Romney his fortune, currently owns a chemicals and paint company called Sigma Kalon that operates an office in Tehran.

On the Environment:

In 2003, Romney said, “I think the global warming debate is now pretty much over.”

As governor, Romney was open to “regional cap and trade” system to address global warming – saying “now is the time to take action” – but later pulled Massachusetts out of regional agreement on same day he announced he would not seek reelection.

In 2004, a Romney press event announcing new state policy to combat global warming was marred by his refusal to admit global warming is actually happening.

I think that the record shows a con-man. Romney has never been able to see other people as people. He can’t relate to them because he only has ever seen them as tools to be used and disposed of.

That is how he made millions outsourcing American jobs and enjoys firing people. That is why he brags about his dancing horse or when stretching to relate can only manage “my wife owns a couple of Cadillacs.” That is how he lies so easily and often. That is why likes that story he tells about bankrupting political opponents.

That is why he can imagine that all the advantages, connections and money given to him through inheritance were somehow something he did himself, and worse that others less fortunate are somehow lesser.

Other people are marks and he despises them with the smug superiority of a consummate con-man. He uses them as tools.