The Romneys: In Their Own Words

Sources (after the fold):

Uh-oh! Looks like that 47% who pay no taxes is really Mitt Romney's base!

Via The Atlantic:

(Click to enlarge)

Video of Mitt Romney stating his utter contempt for half the country

And, here I thought that Paul Ryan was the big Ayn Rand fan, but here's video of Romney making it clear that he thinks that 47% of all American citizens are moochers and parasites.

Via Mother Jones:

There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what…These are people who pay no income tax.  

[snip]  

[M]y job is is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.

Wow! Just wow.

It's pretty much every negative right wing cliche about Obama voters and we common folk that you hear on FOX. And, pretty much everything you thought Mitt Romney really thought about the 99% -- the stuff that would sometimes slip out in his gaffes.

Like me, you may have already seen some of the video from this event making its way round the internet, but it hadn't been verified. Apparently, David Corn was able to vet it. There's much, much more at Mother Jones (and they promise more still).

Here's the Obama Campaign's reaction (via email):

STATEMENT ON ROMNEY’S BEHIND CLOSED DOORS REMARKS  

CHICAGO – “It's shocking that a candidate for President of the United States would go behind closed doors and declare to a group of wealthy donors that half the American people view themselves as ‘victims,’ entitled to handouts, and are unwilling to take ‘personal responsibility’ for their lives. It’s hard to serve as president for all Americans when you’ve disdainfully written off half the nation.”– Jim Messina, Obama for America Campaign Manager

Clueless

Via Think Progress:

If you’re young and you want to start your own business, Mitt Romney’s has some advice from you: Borrow money from your parents. At a “lecture” for students at Otterbein University in Ohio today, Mitt Romney told students that, his friend, Jimmy John, started a business by borrowing $20,000 from his parents at a low interest rate. Romney suggested anyone in the audience could do the same:

This kind of devisiveness, this attack of success, is very different than what we’ve seen in our country’s history. We’ve always encouraged young people: Take a shot, go for it, take a risk, get the education, borrow money if you have to from your parents, start a business. 

(h/t to Spork)

Signs of the Times

"Domestic violence law repealed in Topeka, Ks., to save money"

"Georgia Considers Replacing Firefighters With Free Prison Laborers"

But, someone is getting paid: "Financial Giants Put New York City Cops On Their Payroll"

Song of the Day: Occupy (We the 99)

revolt

If a member of the Tea Party sneezed it would make news, but it took the mass arrest of 700 peaceful protesters to finally bring the attention of the MSM to the 2+ weeks of round-the-clock OccupyWallStreet protests. Yes, there had been a story or two here and there, but nothing you'd really notice if you didn't watch the cable news shows (and precious little on those too for a long time).

There's some other differences too. The Wall Street protests do not have corporate funding and the police response has been a tad different:



VS.



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But, I digress. The New York General Assembly of OccupyWallStreet released a declaration on the 30th. You can read it in full here.

Importantly, the Arab Spring American Fall is spreading. OccupyTogether is the national website charting protests from Maine to California -- and Pittsburgh is joining the fray:


You can attend the first meeting of the General Assembly in Pittsburgh this Wednesday:

OCTOBER 5TH PUBLIC ASSEMBLY/MEETING
First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh
605 Morewood Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
6:30-8:30 PM

This is open TO ALL who wish to attend.

You can ask to join the Facebook group here and the website for OccupyPittsburgh is here.

Yep, we're talking class warfare -- and it looks like we're finally fighting back. It's about the 99% vs. the 1% (hint: there's more of us).

Stacking the Deck

Bloomberg: "Wall Street Aristocracy Got $1.2 Trillion in Secret Loans at Lowest Rates"

New York Times: "Eric T. Schneiderman, the attorney general of New York, has come under increasing pressure from the Obama administration to drop his opposition to a wide-ranging state settlement with banks over dubious foreclosure practices, according to people briefed on discussions about the deal."

Washington Post: "Corporations pushing for job-creation tax breaks shield U.S.-vs.-abroad hiring data"

Think Progress: Republicans, who favor every and all tax cuts have suddenly found one they can't abide: They're against an extension of the payroll tax holiday -- one that benefits middle and working class Americans.

Choices

Choices have been made:


(Click to enlarge)
This is what class warfare looks like.

Graphic via Center for American Progress which also provides the sources used.

(h/t to by greywolfe359 @ Daily Kos)
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