Chronicling Mitt’s Mendacity, Vol. XXXV - the Maddow Blog
Chronicling Mitt’s Mendacity, Vol. XXXV - the Maddow Blog
I thought many months ago that it was at least possible that Mitt Romney would be more cautious about telling falsehoods as the election drew closer. After all, candidates can get away with more in, say, April than in September — there’s far more scrutiny now.
Alas, Romney seems unfazed, both by the calendar and by life under a microscope — he keeps repeating falsehoods without any real concern for consequences. In case there were any doubts about his worst habit, consider the 35th installment of my weekly series, chronicling Mitt’s mendacity.
1. At an event in Sarasota yesterday, Romney said, in reference to President Obama’s comments about engaged citizens changing politics, “The president today threw in the white flag of surrender again.”
That’s not only a lie; it’s also one of the dumbest things Romney has ever said in public.
2. At a Univision town-hall event in Miami, Romney said he opposes an economic model in which we “take from some to give to others.”
Actually, Romney’s preferred budget plan redistributes wealth at a level unseen in modern American history.
3. Romney also said, several times, “[T]his is a campaign about the 100 percent…. My campaign is about the 100 percent of America.”
I seem to recall watching a video in which Romney said it’s not his “job” to “worry about” 47 percent of the population.
4. At the same event, Romney boasted, “When I was governor of my state, the state of Massachusetts … we brought unemployment down to 4.7 percent.”
Well, in reality, the unemployment rate in Massachusetts dropped because so many people dropped out of the state’s workforce. The fact of the matter is Massachusetts’ job creation record during Romney’s term was “one of the worst in the country,” ranking 47th out of 50 states.
5. In response to a student’s question about federal aid, Romney said, “We’re going to continue a Pell Grant program…. So I care. I care about your education and helping people of modest means get a good education and we’ll continue a Pell Grant program.”
That’s not what he said during the primaries.
6. On health care, Romney said at the same forum, “The government is going to ultimately have a board that tells you what kind of care you can receive.”
This is in apparent reference to the Independent Payments Advisory Board (IPAB), and what Romney’s saying isn’t even close to being accurate.
7. In a Fox News interview, Romney said, “I have got great support from seniors, because they are unhappy with the fact that President Obama’s Obamacare cuts Medicare by $716 billion.”
Sigh.