Romney Backs Away From Own Tax Plan

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM

At the first presidential debate in Colorado Wednesday night, former Gov. Mitt Romney disputed a central criticism of his tax reform plan — and appeared to disavow one of its central features.

Responding to President Obama’s description of Romney’s proposal, Romney claimed: “I don’t have a $5 trillion tax cut. I don’t have a tax cut of the scale you’re talking about. I think we ought to provide tax relief to people in the middle class. But I won’t reduce the share of tax paid by high-income people. … I’m not looking to cut massive taxes and to reduce revenues going to the government. My number one principal is, there will be no tax cut that adds to the deficit. I want to underline that no tax cut that will add to the deficit.”

So who’s right?

Romney has run for months on a plan to lower everyone’s tax rates by 20 percent — an amount that independent analysts have concluded will reduce revenues by $5 trillion over 10 years.

Read more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/10/romney-backs-away-from-own-tax-plan.php?ref=fpa

[OKNancy]

1. It's that old etch-a-sketch thing

[wordpix]

35. yup, shake it up, erase, draw a new sketch

[Born Free]

53. etch-a-sketch vs rope-a-dope

Reminds me of Muhammad Ali and George Foreman where Ali allowed Foreman to do all the work and waited him out. Good for Romney, the Main Stream Media will say he won round 1 and now that Main Stream Media has proven they can and will call Romney the winner if he earns it, they do not need to feel obligated to cut him any more "affirmative action". Democrats may not like taking a hit, but some times we need to.

Of course we Dems can have some fun with the whole idea that Obama believed Osama Bin Laden was a threat whereas Romney thinks the threat is Big Bird. Or maybe - "Someone should explain to to the out of touch Romney that "Women and children first" was meant for the "Lifeboats & safety" not a #waronwomen and #waronbigbird It could also be interesting to note that Romney speaks out against Big Bird and wants to stop children from learning from the gang as Sesame Street but stood by while Rush Limbaugh called a young woman a "slut" for 3 days on public airwaves where children can listen has never expressed any problems with children listening to that.

Romney is, without a doubt the best Flim-Flam artist alive today

[high density]

2. People worried about Obama's performance tonight need to realize

that Romney has spewed a whole lot of crap tonight that we have never heard before. It's going to take a while to chew through all of these new positions.

[Ebadlun]

7. Trouble is

10s of millions are watching this, rather less people will be reading factcheck.org the day after.

[high density]

15. True

I just don't think Romney's performance here is going to win him any new followers. What he's proposing just never adds up, as the President mentioned tonight.

[Beartracks]

22. The President needs to drive that home again and again.

Romnometry doesn't work.

=================

[George II]

32. I cross my fingers and hope you're right - that there won't be many defectors in either direction...

I think that may have been part of the Obama campaign's objective - "don't try to win anyone over at the risk of losing backers"

[wordpix]

58. Rmoney's performance might also piss off the t-baggers

as in "I told you the guy's really a liberal from Mass, and not 'one of us'."

[rhett o rick]

23. True but Romney has to live with what he said. It was good as a strategy to throw the president off,

but the president will be ready for him next time.

[wordpix]

59. Just hoping media are ready with split screens: what he said last night v. what he's said for a year

[NYC Liberal]

44. No but these lies will be in ads

blasted all over swing states for the next 5 weeks. Romney has hanged himself with his own rope.

[Lugnut]

47. That he did.

I'm glad that the Prez remained cool and presidential.

[uncle ray]

50. everybody will see rMoney's words ad nauseum for the next week on tv and the internet.

thanks to our good friends sitting on the Supreme Court.

[defacto7]

12. hear, hear!

[pocoloco]

14. Romney was smooth with a little flash and trash thrown in!

Content not important, and the repugs will be having wet dreams tonight!

[high density]

18. Repugs were already voting for him

What they thought about this doesn't really matter.

[NewJeffCT]

3. well, Ryan was promoting the tax plan yesterday

the 20% across the board cut - so, this is a change over the last 24 hours

[defacto7]

24. Was that the big slick Romney move repugs were touting?

Changing everything at the last minute to be witty?

FAIL!

[TomCADem]

4. Exactly, Substantively, Romney Just Muddied The Water On His Own Proposals

...and offered aspirations, rather than plans.

[cstanleytech]

5. Hardly surprising that Pinocchio would back away now is it? nt

[lalalu]

6. Awful job by Lehrer

Lehrer was terrible. He allowed Romney to just ignore him and ignore all rules. The questions were also horrible.Never seen anything like this before.

[defacto7]

10. agreed

He's done this before... He really should be replaced. If there was a good host, that host would be able to get the most out of each candidate. Lehrer just wasted time.

[defacto7]

8. Only thing I have to say about Romney...

He's a snake.

[defacto7]

16. a snake oil salesman... an empty box... lots of empty words.

That's Romney.

[Carol Lynn]

31. slimey snake

he is a slimey snake.

[triplepoint]

9. Wait Till the Fact Checkers Rip Apart romney's talking points

It'll set a new record for lies in a Presidential Debate. He sure knows how to bury himself. King of flip flopping politicians--past and present. And that lie about President Obama cutting funding to Medicare. The President didn't even bother to refute it...He's already done that...many times....publicly. Nothing's changed from this debate. Those that willingly believe lying romney are likely unrecruitable by those that know better. Just some advice for those doing phone banking and canvassing to re-elect President Obama.


Note: Just reading the debate's transcript, President Obama won it. Watching it on the boobtube, romney won for form and President Obama won for substance. That's how I see it at this point in time.

[defacto7]

17. absolutely!

[Dan]

11. It is very hard to debate

a liar - and one that changes positions on the fly.

O is handicapped by being an honest man.


I think one quest that the POTUS should have asked - before answering each question is - what position are you taking, now?

[defacto7]

13. One thing I wish for the President...

was that... he really needs to keep his eyes up more. I know they are looking at notes but he just need to look up. I think he agreed with Romney too much as well, but these are just cosmetic things.

Obama again showed he is the only real intelligence up there. I just hope the American people see that as well.

[dotymed]

55. to me, the president looked mad half the the time

and amused the other half.
i think he was thinking how to pin this slippery bastard down, to tie him to his (pre-last night) policies.

[Jessy169]

19. Obama was stunned by the lies and the bullshit

As was I. It is unbelieveable how Romney can stand in front of the camera and a national audience and lie so blatently, misrepresent facts so easily, and do it all with an energy and "crispness" that admittedly I don't think I've seen from Romney (except in his private 47% video). It is almost as if Romney is most comfortable when he's spewing the lies. Obama could have started disputing and trying to counter the lies and falsehoods, but he didn't -- too many of them. Romney stunned me too, and I was just sitting here watching.

[lalalu]

21. It will backfire

I think it was a smart move by the President. You cannot debate a liar. You let them talk and expose themselves.

[defacto7]

26. Good point about Obama not disputing the BS.

I don't think he was stunned though... just balancing the boat well.

And about being comfortable with lies and bull shit... It's called borderline sociopathic.

[wordpix]

36. I hope so, and certainly the T-baggers won't like Rmoney's new "stands"

[JoePhilly]

57. Mitt's lies have energized my wife. She is pissed. And she's not very political.

I'm hopeful that all of the lies will create a backlash.

If my wife got angry, I bet others who, like her, are not very political also didn't appreciate having Mitt lie to their faces.

[lalalu]

20. Romney dug himself a hole

President Obama is a truly a chess player. The president let Romney talk and talk. Now Romney will have to reconcile what he said tonight with what he said in the past.

There is also a countdown to when Romney will be caught contradicting himself in future speeches.

[MiniJ2012]

33. I agree!

This is the beginning of the end for Romney. Let the Republicans and those who thought it should have been a boxing match talk positively about Romney...I know Romney's words will bury him. Literally!

[wordpix]

38. hoping the media will put Rmoney's words tonight with split screen and words of past year

[lastlib]

45. THAT's the ticket!! Nothing Romney said tonight squared with the things he's said in the past!

[VespertineIconoclast]

54. Correct. n/t

[magic59]

25. This is the eye of the tiger moment for the president

Like the rocky movies where the champ gets complacent and gets his ass kicked, the president needs to get back the eye of the tiger before he gets back into the ring with Romney.

[defacto7]

28. I disagree with your view

that Obama was complacent or got his ass kicked. No way. He just let Romney dig a hole of lies and let him fall into it. The judgement will be the facts vs. the bull shit. That's the fight where Obama was leading the charge. Although I wish the President had disagreed with him more, Romney just put on a display, Obama kept cool and displayed the facts.

[magic59]

34. Obama can keep his cool but he should pull a Romney and go with the short answers

,spend most of his time pointing out the Romney flip flops. OK, he laid out his plans, too long, but he did so now he can get busy and crush Romney at his own game.

[Carol Lynn]

37. my impression is the president was thoughtful and intelligent.

I don't think he should sound too aggressive. He needs to show us he has considered every aspect of the issue and chosen the wise course. THoughtful and intelligent.

[oliverrams1]

27. I think the President is in a

Last edited Wed Oct 3, 2012, 11:39 PM - Edit history (1)

strong position because he has the facts on his side. I just can't see how Romney can win by saying one thing one day and something different tonight. OMG Americans are not stupid.

[defacto7]

30. The stupid ones won't change at all. They like that preacher talk.

The rest will have to decide whether truth trumps glitz.

BTW....

Welcome to DU all of you new posters!

[MiniJ2012]

29. The President was strong and Romney looked exasperated

If you muted your TV, you could see Mitt Romney's poor body language. Also, not a strong move to argue with the moderator. He looked like a child saying "nani-nani" with his finger pointing...he did NOT look like a leader. Romney will lose because his lies tonight will backfire on him!

[Vietnameravet]

40. No i disagree

Romney had the stronger body language...looked right at Obama while Obama looked down..pathetically defensive..

Romney spoke with conviction...Obama was hesitant


Yes Romney lied..and everyone knew he would but Obama let him get away with it..that's all that matters..

[MiniJ2012]

42. DO NOT AGREE!!!!

I guess if you believe a liar you think the body language was strong. When all is said and done, Romney will look like the loser through all of the debates. Obama looked down in his debate with McCain as well and HE WON! But maybe you voted for McCain...

[goclark]

56. welcome to du

Pinnokio was in the room last night.

[lastlib]

39. The shaking that Etch-A-Sketch got tonight measured at least 7.5 on the Richter scale

I had trouble finding anything he said tonight that squared with what he (or Ryan) has/have said in the course of the campaign.

[father_of_2]

41. Mitt Romney clearly showed he has no plans

Mitt Romney clearly lost this debate and could not back up his plans with either a solid plan or defend himself against the President. Mr. Romney clearly looked frightened, scared, bewildered and came off sort of testy. Mitt Romney also did not connect with my family. Even the children watched. He seemed so out of touch with realities and almost robot like. Mitt Romney clearly will be proven wrong by the fact checkers and his suggestion of transferring so many federal programs to the state level when they are cash strapped is deeply flawed and out of touch. I doubt there will be any post-debate bounce on this one for Mitt that will make any sort of difference. Mitt the clock is running and you looked disparate tonight. My oldest son who is in college mentioned this to me. Even the young can tell.

[oliverrams1]

43. MSNBC

Please explain why they hated the Presidents debate performance so much. I guess as a voter I am looking for the truth in a President, not someone who just attacks with nothing but lies and flip flops.

[father_of_2]

46. MSNBC post-debate coverage

Chuck Todd on his post-debate coverage said this was a clear win for Mitt Romney. He must have been watching another debate and I informed him of what I thought of his flawed analysis. The President won this one hands down.

[wordpix]

60. don't blame MSNBC, the pres was flat - truthful but flat, & unprepared for Rmoney's Big Lies

MSNBC can counter the lies with the truth, just compare Rmoney's statementts from last night to the rest of the year.

[oliverrams1]

48. F* MSNBC

I still think that the truth will win this election. {Not how you present your pack of lies.}

[andym]

49. It's too bad the President didn't just say

"look at your website Mitt-- it says a 20% across the board cut on marginal tax rates.
In fact, you've said it multiple times. Guess what? That 20% cut costs 5 trillion dollars...."

[roscoeroscoe]

51. that's a good one

of course, he could have bet rmoney 10,000 dollars...

[kiranon]

63. Agree. Would be a much better response. n/t

[treestar]

52. And yet he "won"

[CreoleCarl]

61. Style over Substance?

Mitt was better than expected, Chris Christie was right about the thursday talking points, but on Friday, the truth squads will be cutting the style down to the lies that were told by the challenger. Mitts campaign will have to walk back several "points" some watchers gave to him. The President will still have a lead in the polls, the race will narrow, then the liars will be called to count for everything they have said and said and said .....

Keep talking about the how a smiling Mitt is like that smiling salesman who sold you something you did not need and then cost more than he said it would. The smarmy smile he had on his face is just like that iconic used car salesman we make so much fun of. He will be called out for his untruths later, from both the right and the left.

FORWARD!

[Justkd1]

62. Fox Guarding Hen House Much?

Really surprised no one is talking about Romney not releasing all if this tax returns...that liar wants to talk about tax policy and closing loopholes? We can't see what he already takes advantage of? We don't get to look inside the world of someone who exploits loopholes and shelters money around the world? We as Americans, Democrat, Independent or Republican, should have the right to know what his tax history is and he as a candidate for higher office, should be more than happy to provide the information!

Does anyone honestly think if Obama had this background, that it wouldn't be on the table?!