http://youtu.be/vc0EUodAEN0

"The job of the president is supposed to be to be competent and to be able to stand up for what he believes in and to be able to articulate what's wrong," Gingrich said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

"Mitt Romney walked over him," Gingrich said. "The weird moment with Eastwood and an empty chair may turn out to be symbolic."

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/mitt-romney-s-tax-dodge-20121012

Yeh the Swiss secrecy

SWISS SECRECY

On his 2010 tax return, Romney disclosed that his wife Ann's trust held $3 million in a Swiss bank account at UBS, which had just been busted by the IRS for abetting criminal tax evasion by U.S. citizens. As part of a $780 million settlement, UBS was forced to turn over the names of thousands of its long-secret clients, who were then offered a partial amnesty: disclose their hidden assets, pay penalties and avoid prosecution. Romney – who had omitted the Swiss account on previous financial disclosures – suddenly came clean. Did he reveal his secret account to avoid prosecution for tax evasion? "He's not quite denied that," says Daniel Shaviro, a professor of tax law at NYU. The record of paying an IRS penalty on the Swiss account could explain why Romney has been so determined to keep his 2009 tax return under wraps.

Greed and Debt: The True Story of Mitt Romney and Bain Capital



Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/mitt-romney-s-tax-dodge-20121012#ixzz29Wz92bQA

and his manipulation of the IRA rules

RETIREMENT TRICKS

Romney has stockpiled as much as $87 million in his IRA – even though contributions to such retirement accounts are limited to just $30,000 a year. "Congress never intended IRAs to be used to accumulate that kind of wealth," says Wilkins. To get around the limits, Romney appears to have directed his IRA to invest in a special class of Bain stock. By assigning an artificially low value to the shares, Bain ensured that any returns would be wildly inflated – as much as 30 times the initial investment. By buying rigged stock with his limited IRA dollars, Romney got to reap the bonanza tax-free.

Romney also padded his IRA by investing in "blocker funds" that Bain has set up in the Caymans. Such funds attract tax-exempt investors – like college endowments or Romney's IRA – that want to avoid paying the Unrelated Business Income Tax, a 35 percent penalty designed to prevent tax-exempt investors from having an unfair advantage over for-profit businesses in private-equity deals. But by buying shares in offshore blocker funds that then invest in Bain and other takeover artists, investors like Romney bilk the Treasury out of $100 million a year. "It's an absurdly easy escape," says Shaviro.



Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/mitt-romney-s-tax-dodge-20121012#ixzz29WzdVjLA

Sure looks like a slimy individual, but hey...maybe thats why Portege looks up to him!

Anyone who keeps "binders full of women" gets my vote.

Why is it an issue that Romney has some warehouse full of money? I am certain if he did anything illegal than someone would have tracked it down by now.

Look, the guy was successful at what he did and so now why are we poo-pooing him for his cash. Its funny because it seemed like yesterday people were making fun of poor people now they are making fun of the rich.

This is capitalism and people get wealthy under this system. Do you have something against that? Also, IRS tax avoidance schemes are perfectly legal and everyone does it...dont you? I do it all the time on my end. I paid 6% in taxes last year all through legal means.

Great, a tax cheat. Reason #43 that Portege is a douche.

then

What's up with that black spot on Wilber's / Mitts flag pin?

Portege,

You paid 6% because you have no income to speak of, hence no travel, hence all this idiotic political horse shit.

Fact checkers reamed Mitt on his 12 million new jobs claim as well as his new plan to pay for his tax cuts by capping deductions. The dude either is a liar or has the worst math skills ever. Me thinks the former...

Nope, I do not cheat on taxes, but have studied the various ways to avoid taxes. Tax avoidance and evasion are two different things. Let me explain further. Tax avoidance is for the brightest of individuals because it means you have studied all of the various laws and have come up with a legal scheme to avoid taxes. Let me put it this way. If you guys are just sitting there and not taking advantage of the various loopholes than you are pretty dumb. Why would anyone pay anymore than they have to and especially when there is a legal way to get around paying? So if you are frustrated you are frustrated because you couldnt figure out the tax law. There are many books out there on Amazon you can read and find out about just what you can do.

First and foremost is that if you operate just as an individual you are getting the shaft. I operate as a corporation with an EIN and I am the sole employee of that corporation.

Furthermore, Bwana dik is stupid because he believes that "fact checkers" from obviously slanted news organizations can make neutral observations. The other reason why Bwana dik is stupid is because he believes that a candidate can tell us exactly what they will do when they become President. Haha. Thats like a football or basketball player telling us the exact outcome of the game and exactly what they will do while playing. No one is going to be able to tell you exactly what they will do or how their plans will turn out.

As I have said repeatedly, I dont really base my decision making on what the candidates say unless it is so out there its beyond imagination. I base my decision making on performance. I dont believe Obama has made all of the right decisions during his Presidency and the economy seems no better than when he started. Of course, the stock market is up as a result of Bernanke's money printing, but unemployment in major population centers are still very high. Look at NYC where the unemployment rate is still stuck at 9% with no hope of going down anytime soon.

So I say give someone else a shot rather instead of being someone like Bwana dik who pays full-fare when it comes to tax time and cant seem to find not one deduction. Maybe you should use Turbo Tax instead of sitting there doing it manually. It would save you a lot of time and it makes you look dumb if you are sitting there with a pencil while everyone else is doing it an easier way.

Roadglide and Bwana Dik are pretty stupid because they cant figure out if Romney either avoided or evaded taxes. Its easy. There are so many people following around Mitt Romney that they know exactly what brand toilet paper he enjoys wiping himself with. If Romney committed any type of crime at all, even a parking ticket, we would know about it. Let me give you some advice. Dont fall for everything you read and hear. Do a little studying or else you come out just looking very dumb.

(Message edited by Portege on October 17, 2012)

Oh, I'm hurt!

We don't even know if Romney can drive. If he has a driver, how could he get a ticket?

Supposedly, the number 1 indicator of re-elction is the stock market.
Other than the 1st year of a newly elected president - voters seem to give a new president a pass in year 1 - years 2 through 4 if the stock market has risen a re-elction is almost certain.

Which means 4 more years of Obama.

Of coarse clowns like Rush Limbaugh will try and point-out that no president has been re-elected with a unemployment rate over 8%, those clowns fail to understand Obama was given that high unemployment rate, he did not cause it.

Yesterday not withstanding

We need a Fact Checker, some people have some awesome delusions.

As of Friday afternoon, Gallup's daily tracking poll of likely voters had Romney leading Obama by six percentage points, 51 percent to 45 percent.

No candidate who has ever polled more than 50 percent in the Gallup poll at this point in a presidential race has gone on to lose the election.

The American voters may actually be stupid enough and racist enough to elect Romney this time. In last nights debate he only had to appear not to be a complete idiot on foreign policy. In that regard Mitt failed.

He's not a complete idiot, since he agreed with most of what President Obama said

The Democrats will accuse everyone of racism and then turn around and say that Mitt Romney belongs to a cult called the Mormon Church. The Democrats will say just about anything to get elected. The Republicans will at least stand by what they believe even when the opinion polls go against their positions like abortion and birth control. In a Pro-Choice society, you have to respect a man who is able to stand up and say he is Pro-Life.

You guys can sit on a message board telling us your opinion, but you cant create facts. A fact is something neither you or I can dispute. Is Obama the President of the United States? Yes he is and that is a matter of fact. Was Mitt Romney a very influential leader in the business world in the 80s-90s...the perverbial Kevin Bacon of the business world...yes he was.

So you goons can sit here on a message board telling us how you are better than the man calling him names and telling us how he is unqualified, but I think if we saw your resume there would be a stark contrast. The fact is Romney is a better man than you or I. His resume is more impressive than Obama's or anyone here. He has been successful at just about everything he has ever done in life.

(Message edited by Portege on October 23, 2012)

Feeling bitter, fucktard?

Has anyone noticed that Romney walks like he's wearing a girdle?

perverbial? really?

"The Republicans will at least stand by what they believe even when the opinion polls go against their positions like abortion and birth control."

You have got to be fucking kidding us! Romney has taken every side of the very issues you mention here, suggesting in the end he has no position at all other than to say whatever he thinks it will take to get elected. Abortion? Romney has been pro-choice. He's been opposed to abortions under all circumstances. and now (maybe) he opposes abortion but grants exceptions in cases of rape, incest, and threat to the mothers' lives. Yes, he's really stood by his positions on abortion. Same thing with birth control. He opposed an amendment that would have banned federal funding for birth control, then he supported it, but last week he clarified his position and announced that he's "for birth control" but would not address the question about federal funding for birth control services.

Look, Dickwad, last I saw, no one on CH was running for president. We are not concerned about Romney vs Catacony, or Romney vs Mitchc, or even Romney vs Portege. It's Romney vs Obama, and in that comparison, Obama wins on both the grounds of the clarity and consistency of his positions. Romney is a fraud, and that is a FACT.

BTW, Romney had the better performance in debate #1, but he got his ass handed to him in the final two debates. And the fact checking organizations have given Romney failing grades for distorting facts or engaging in outright lying.

Mitchc,

I think Portege really meant "preverbal," is in a Kevin Bacon incapable of intelligent speech.

Abortion,birth control..seriously??? Are you fucking kidding me? Who gives a fuck? It's the economy stupid!

Latinalover just won this debate ;-)

Yes it is the economy stupid. Obama saved jobs in the auto industry. Obama saved jobs in the tire industry. The stock market has doubled after Obama stopped the bleeding from Bush era policies. Romney and Bain just shipped jobs to china.

"The less you know, the more you believe"
Bono

Latinalover,

while everyone's still chasing three undecided voters in Ohio, the real threat would be if Obama dropped Biden and added Shawn Carter [aka Jay - Z] to the ticket.

HOW TO START EACH DAY WITH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK

1. Open a new file in your computer.
2. Name it 'Barack Obama'.
3. Send it to the Recycle Bin.
4. Empty the Recycle Bin.
5. Your PC will ask you: 'Do you really want to get rid of 'Barack Obama?'
6. Firmly Click 'YES.'
7. Feel better?

GOOD!!! - Tomorrow we'll do Jay - Z

(Message edited by copperfieldkid on October 25, 2012)

I think the worst thing Obama did was when he halved my IRA for me back in 2008 and made me stop paying myself a salary mid-way through that same year and caused me to shut down my office and let my employee go. Oh, hold on......

Show me Romney's economic plan. His web page has a few paragraphs about how tax cuts will spur growth. That's his plan. The vast majority of economists say he's full of shit.

His deficit reduction plan is the same as his economic plan: cut taxes. Every non-partisan analysis concludes it will raise the deficit.

But in all fairness, it's hard to really judge his plans because they don't really exist. He's given ZERO details on how they would work. Describing goals is not a plan for achieving them, but that's all Romney has done.

I think the economic analysis of the swing voter is this. The reason that the economy has not improved is because of Barack Obama. Since Mitt Romney is NOT Barack Obama, the economy will improve. QED.

Mitt Romney does not need an economic plan, he only needs to show the American people that he is not Barack Obama. Some people make economics harder than it needs to be.

(Message edited by bluestraveller on October 26, 2012)

"Obama saved jobs in the auto industry". Not exactly..The jobs you speak of were NEW cars, he ruined the used car industry but since the Government owns 40% of GM, I'm not surprised he would subsidize the new car market. With that move he secured the union vote and destroyed many, many small businessmen, which accounts for employing more people then any other venue. ALSO.. most of the increase's were the imports, Honda, Nissan and Toyota and all the profits were shipped right back to Japan.
"Obama saved jobs in the tire industry". Not exactly
He installed a tariff on tires made in China, which was immediately followed by a price increase from domestic manufactures and now all the tires cost more for everyone, with the ratio of import/domestic sales remaining about what they were before the tariff....another brilliant move by administration without a clue.
I'm not sure if Romney can fix any of this but I am sure I don't need to see anymore from this middle class destroying administration.

I dont understand how you can have an economic plan if you are not the President of the United States. The only person who has to have a plan is the President. As for everyone else, its not possible for them to have one because they simply dont have access to all of the data the President has. Right now Romney is an outsider and independent observer. Any plan which he tells you right now is not valid because its likely to change once he is in office.

I do not blame Obama for flip-flopping all over the place and I think its perfectly normal for someone to change their mind about the issues. However, I do blame him for this mess we are in now. I wouldnt blame him if he did all he could, but he didnt. His first big thing as President was healthcare which everyone agrees did not help the economy at all.

In 2001 right after the first recession started, Bush lowered taxes and declared a payroll holiday. He pulled back regulation. Ok, now thats some action. Thats a plan. However, enacting 7000 pages of healthcare legislation and no one really knows what it says. Thats a disaster!

Suggest early voting for anyone that hasn't yet voted. Record voter turnout throughout the entire week. Avoid 11- 1 due to the lunch brigade voters.

(Message edited by copperfieldkid on October 28, 2012)

Back in the day, I proudly joined the Army and was proud of the United States. I flew the flag any chance I got, but today I am just not as proud because of the hatred and politics. I mean, our President, his closing speech is one of hate and anger with slogans such as "Romnesia" and negative accusations which are really baseless.

Obama should be laying it out for Americans in a mature manner instead of this bullshit. I honestly could not go to war fighting for Obama or the Democrats. Why would I want to fight for them seeing all these antics? I cant be proud today as I once was.

I'll let Bwanadik die over there in the corner. Im not fighting for him.

Your were in the Army...Hell I thought you was a draft dodger like Wilbur.

"I mean, our President, his closing speech is one of hate and anger with slogans such as "Romnesia" and negative accusations which are really baseless."

1. Using the term "Romnesia" is simply a catchy way of pointing out that Romney changes positions so rapidly that one has to wonder whether he remembers the positions he's taken in the past. That's not hatred or even anger. It's FACT.

2. Both parties are slinging the negative messages about the other party. Are you such a pussy that you can't take it? Politics has become a contact sport. Grow a pair, Portege.

3. Poor Portege only wants to go to war for Republicans? This may be the stupidest post yet by him, and that's some accomplishment.

4. I don't want you fighting for me, Portege. I'll fight for myself, and I want guys with balls along side me, not girly-boys who whine about the demise of America.

I'm really surprised that Portege didn't get fragged in a target range "accident".

Obama is not the problem!

Republican domination of congress is killing America. Sure, you can pretend that Obama had all three branches for his first two years, but a few of those democratic senators from right wing states were really republicans in disguise.

Fortunately, the progressive democrats had thrown out the DINO's in many states.

Now we need to keep Obama and get rid of every useless TEA PARTY republican to shake the moderate republicans back into reason.

"you can pretend that Obama had all three branches for his first two years, but a few of those democratic senators from right wing states were really republicans in disguise.

Drinking large quantities of Kool-Aid at those shuckin' and jivin' parties makes a majority again, right?

I think Obama will win.

"I think Obama will win"

The White House needs to be cleaned out and put back the way it was for over 230 + years.

The White House has only been in use for 212 years, but that's ok.

As for the rest, I guess CFK is demanding a white guy back in charge?

Cat, I'm not demanding anything. Until the last two decades politics was entirely different, regardless of party affiliation. A return to those values is what would be welcomed. Today's generations, you included, have been introduced to jaded forms of political referendums and sadly don't know otherwise.

Well, you can thank Lee Atwater, Karl Rove, Tom Delay, Newt Gingrich, Dick Cheney, Sarah Palin and the like for that, at least at the Federal level. That said, you may want to edit your previous post, which comes off as a racist rant.

"Today's generations, you included, have been introduced to jaded forms of political referendums and sadly don't know otherwise."

It's nice to see you growing comfortable with your geezerhood, CFK.

BD,

please don't misconstrue my taking 14 hours to answer your post as having to rest up before coming back for a comment. I am also a fellow 'Baby Boomer' with only a few years difference between us. I think your expectations of geezerhood are a bit premature for both of us. Give it at least a dozen years before WE have to stick our toe in that pool. You really should consider going into politics.

Geezerhood is a mental state, not a chronological one. It's diagnosable by looking for statements such "those kids today" and "today's generation" combined with references to how much better life was back in the olden days.

Please take these comments with the grain of salt intended. Just having a bit of fun.

BTW, I was in politics. I got out before it was too late.