Several weeks ago, I launched a Friday afternoon feature, highlighting the most offensive Mitt Romney falsehoods of the week. I was off last week, but let’s get it started again.
1. Romney claimed President Obama “went before the United Nations” and “said nothing about thousands of rockets being rained in on Israel from the Gaza Strip.”
True or false? The claim isn’t even close to being right.
2. Romney said Democrats “passed Dodd-Frank,” which “has made it almost impossible for community banks.”
True or false? He’s has said this before, and it’s still completely untrue.
3. Romney continues to insist, “Our Navy is now smaller than any time since 1917.”
True or false? It’s one of his favorite talking points, but it’s wildly misleading.
4. Romney boasted, “I did not inherit what my wife and I have, nor did she. What I was able to build, I built the old-fashioned way, by earning it, by working hard.”
True or false? In reality, he inherited quite a bit from his wealthy, powerful parents.
5. Attacking Newt Gingrich, Romney said of House Republicans, “They also took a vote, and 88 percent of Republicans voted to reprimand the speaker, and he did resign in disgrace after that.”
True or false? That’s not really what happened.
6. Romney said, “We have $15 trillion of debt. We’re headed to a Greece- type collapse, and he adds another trillion [dollars] on top for Obamacare and for his stimulus plan that didn’t create private-sector jobs.”
True or false? Our debt problem has no resemblance to Greece’s; the Affordable Care Act reduces the debt; and the stimulus added millions of private-sector jobs.
7. Describing his state-based health-care law, Romney said, “At the time we crafted it, I was asked time and again, ‘Is this something that you would have the federal government do?’ I said absolutely not. I do not support a federal mandate.”
True or false? Reality shows the exact opposite is true.
8. Going after Obama, Romney said, “[W]e shouldn’t forget that for two years, this President had a Congress that could do everything he wanted.”
True or false? Republicans love this, but it’s plainly false.
9. Again commenting on Obama’s record, Romney argued, “If you want to get the economy going, lower corporate tax rates. He’s raised them.”
True or false? It’s one of the more transparent lies Romney has told.
10. Asked about his investments in Freddie Mac, Romney told Fox News, “My investments, of course, are managed not by me. For the last 10 years they’ve been guided and managed by a trustee, they’re in a blind trust. And the trustee invested in mutual funds and so forth and apparently one of the funds had Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac bonds.” True or false? He’s lying again. 11. Romney argued, “I didn’t get involved in politics early in my life,” adding he didn’t “politically involved” until after he ran the 2002 Olympics. True or false? Romney ran for the U.S. Senate in 1994. He might remember spending $7 million of his own money on the race. 12. Asked to explain his 1992 vote in a Democratic primary, Romney said, “I’ve never voted for a Democrat when there was a Republican on the ballot.” True or false? That’s not only untrue, it’s a story Romney has changed literally five times. 13. After winning the Florida primary, Romney argued, “On one of the most personal matters of our lives, our health care, President Obama would turn decision making over to government bureaucrats.” True or false? Even for Romney, this is kind of dishonesty is just brazen. 14. After receiving Donald Trump’s endorsement yesterday, Romney, commenting on President Obama and the economy, said, “He’s frequently telling us that he did not cause the recession, and that’s true. But he made it worse.” True or false? Not only is the economy much stronger than it was, even Mitt Romney himself has repeatedly said the economy has improved since Obama took office. Jon Chait noted last week that Romney appears to be “an audacious liar,” adding, “Even by the standards of politicians, Romney seems unusually prone to dishonesty.” Given recent events, I’m hard pressed to disagree.
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