Mitt Romney gave a speech Beallsville, Ohio, this week, and presented an unfortunate attack against President Obama. “How can you go out there and tell people things that just aren’t true?” he asked rhetorically. He added, “This is a time for truths.”
In context, Romney was referring to Obama’s claim that “we’re adding jobs in the coal industry.” In reality, the nation really is adding jobs in the coal industry — Romney was looking for an example of the president saying something that “just isn’t true,” and he pointed to an Obama quote that happened to be accurate, though he told his audience the opposite.
It’s hard not to appreciate the ironic circle — the president said something true, Romney lied when he said the accurate claim is false, and then he complained about falsehoods in the campaign.
I don’t know the Republican candidate personally, but from a distance, it appears there’s a part of his brain that allows him to create some kind of deliberate blind-spot. It’s actually a little scary to think of a leader — a man who’d be given enormous power and influence, literally making life and death decisions on a regular basis — who can convince himself that his falsehoods are true, and that others’ truths are falsehoods.
But here we are. If this is, as Romney claims, a “time for truths,” I can only hope the Republican candidate will take a few moments to consider the 30th installment of my weekly series, chronicling Mitt’s mendacity. (This is the biggest list I’ve ever done.)
1. At an impromptu event in South Carolina yesterday, Romney said on Medicare policy, “Our plan [has] no change for current seniors and those 55 and older.”
That’s plainly false. Romney’s plan eliminates all new benefits for seniors under the Affordable Care Act, which necessarily means higher prescription drug costs for seniors, and more expensive preventive care.
2. At the same event, Romney argued, “Under the president’s plan, [Medicare] goes bankrupt… Under the plan I propose, it is solvent.”
That’s the exact opposite of reality. Obama’s policy strengthens Medicare’s finances, and under Romney’s plan, the system would be closer to insolvency faster.
3. In Chillicothe, Ohio, Romney said that under Obama, “We’ve got lower economic growth.”
Actually, we got higher economic growth.
4. In the same speech, Romney said that under Obama, “We’ve got higher unemployment.”
Actually, we got lower unemployment.
5. He went on to say the annual budget deficit has hit the $1 trillion mark under Obama for the “first time the history of our country.”
Not true. The first time in the history of our country that the deficit hit $1 trillion was George W. Bush’s last year in office, when the annual shortfall was $1.3 trillion.
6. Romney added that Obama promised “he’d get the unemployment down to under 5.6 percent today if we pass that $1 trillion stimulus package.”
That’s actually two falsehoods wrapped as one. For one thing, the stimulus wasn’t $1 trillion (Romney’s off by over $200 billion, and that’s real money). For another, that’s not what Obama promised.
7. Romney added, “You see unlike President Obama, I won’t raise taxes on small business.”
Obama has repeatedly cut taxes on small businesses — by some counts, 18 times — and if given a second term, his tax plan would have no effect on 97% of small businesses.
8. In an interview with Fortune magazine, Romney said the president’s stimulus measures “have not put Americans back to work.”
9. In the same interview, Romney said he would create jobs by “taking advantage of America’s energy resources, particularly natural gas, as well as coal, oil, nuclear, solar, and wind.”
Much of this is contradicted by Romney’s own agenda. He opposes the wind production tax credit, no matter how many jobs it costs the nation, and has vowed to cut off investments in renewable energy programs (Romney has said wind and solar do not constitute “real energy.”)
10. Romney went on to say, “A nation which is a highly productive nation as we are benefits by trade with others… The Obama administration has negotiated no new [trade] agreements.”
Did Romney not hear about the trade agreements with Panama, Colombia, and South Korea?
11. Romney added, “We have to cut the deficit and get America on track to a balanced budget in order to convince investors that America is a good place to invest long term…. The president has done virtually nothing other than to propose a series of tax increases.”
Actually, Obama proposed a massive, $4 trillion “grand bargain,” most of which was made up of spending cuts. Congressional Republicans turned it down anyway.
12. Romney also said, “We’re at a 30-year low in new business startups.”
13. Romney went on to say, “I indicated as I announced my tax plan that the key principles included the following. First, that high-income people would continue to pay the same share of the tax burden that they do today.”
At a minimum, this is ridiculously misleading. Under Romney’s plan, high-income people would get an enormous tax break.
14. Romney added, “Obamacare is a tax. It’s been so determined by the Supreme Court, and it falls predominantly on the middle class.”
He’s referring to an individual mandate that would apply to 1% of the population. And if President Obama’s health care policy “raised taxes on the middle class,” then Mitt Romney raised taxes on the middle class.
15. Romney also said, “President Obama raises taxes on the middle class. I will under no circumstances raise taxes on the middle class.”
There’s overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
16. Romney went on to say, “I will follow a model similar to Simpson-Bowles.”
17. Romney also said, “I believe infrastructure is going to see very substantial investments over the coming decade.”
He may believe that, but he’s also endorsed a budget plan that drastically curtails infrastructure investments.
18. Romney argued, “I believe that you’re going to see us having created 12 million new jobs.”
If we do nothing, we’re on track to create 12 million new American jobs over the next four years anyway.
19. In a televised ad, Romney said Obama “cut $716 billion dollars from Medicare … to pay for Obamacare.”









