777MJJ

777MJJ · @777MJJ

16th Jul 2012 from Twitlonger

From the 2008 Presidential Primary - McCain's opposition research file on Mitt Romney publicly available:

Business Highlights:

 Romney spent most of his business career as CEO of private equity firm Bain Capital – as of June 2007 he maintained an investor’s stake in the company.

 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 Q1 2007 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 and offered 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.

Political Issues:

 In late 2002, Romney described himself as “a progressive-on-social-issues governor of Massachusetts.”

 Romney left the state GOP weaker than when he took over as governor, with the party described as being “at its weakest point in years.”

 During 1998 panel on urban issues, Romney addressed need for Boston business communities to work together and claimed “Hillary Clinton is very much right, it does take a village.”

 In 1994, Romney opposed the Contract with America without even reading it.

 Romney has made political contributions to Democratic candidates, saying he places friendship above politics.

 Romney appeared in 2003 TV ad endorsing Democrat Rocky Anderson – who has been outspoken in calling for President Bush’s impeachment over Iraq war – for reelection as Salt Lake City mayor; Romney featured an Anderson testimonial in his own TV ads while running for governor in 2002.

 Romney proclaimed he wasn’t a Republican during the Reagan years, saying “I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I’m not trying to return to Reagan-Bush.”

 Romney was an independent until deciding to run for the Senate in 1994.

 Romney voted for Paul Tsongas in the 1992 Democratic presidential primary.

 Romney has surrounded himself with policy advisers – like Gregory Mankiw, Vin Weber, Kerry Healey, Bill Weld and more – who do not share his beliefs on key issues.

 Top Romney campaign aides and surrogates have ties to several recent Washington ethics scandals.

 Romney’s spending decisions as chairman of the Republican Governors Association during 2006 election cycle “raised eyebrows” in light of his presidential aspirations.

Economic Issues:

 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 its grip as leader in “innovation economy” and that tech job was alarmingly slow.

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

 Romney raised state fees and taxes more than $700 million per year, according to independent experts.

 Romney raised fees by roughly $500 million in his first year alone, a figure that was highest in the nation.

 Romney quadrupled gun licensing fees and raised fees on first responders, real estate transactions, the blind, golfers and many others.

 Massachusetts’ state and local tax burden rose more than 7% during Romney’s administration.

 Romney refused to endorse the Bush tax cuts in 2003, telling the state’s all-Democrat congressional delegation he wouldn’t be a cheerleader for the plan.

 Romney implemented three rounds of tax changes (which he referred to as “closing loopholes”) which increased business taxes by an estimated $400 million per year.

 Massachusetts’ corporate tax climate now ranks 47th in the nation, according to the Tax Foundation.

 Romney proposed – then backed away from – a new internet tourism tax that would levy higher taxes on users of sites like Orbitz and Travelocity.

 Romney enrolled Massachusetts in multistate compact aiming to end moratorium on internet sales taxes.

 Romney took no position on estate tax issue in 2002 and signed 50% increase in state cremation fee, which observers called “hidden tax on the dead.”

MORE:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/78582788/McCain-2008-Oppo-File

It is hoped that McCain's 2008 VP vetting file on Romney will be released. Allegedly, McCain had seen Romney's tax returns - all of them - and thus chose Sarah Palin instead as his running mate. Combined with Romney's unwielding obstenance in releasing them now, one very much has to wonder why.

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