THE NEW MITT

Has there ever been such a brazen attempt to remake a candidate mid-campaign, simply on the basis of saying, "Don't listen to what I said THEN, listen to what I am saying NOW" 

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/10/romney-reveals-new-47-percent-response.html

[On his 47% comments] "Well, clearly in a campaign with hundreds if not thousands of question and answer sessions, now and then you're going to say something that doesn't come out right," Romney said. "In this case I said something that's just completely wrong."

He continued, "I absolutely believe however, that my life has shown that I care about the 100 percent and that has been demonstrated throughout my life. This whole campaign is about the 100 percent. When I become president it'll be about helping the 100 percent."

[NB: Now, you might wonder which version of the "real Mitt" you want to believe - what he says in private, when he doesn't know anybody is recording him, or what he says now, after weeks of being beat up for the comments. But remember what he said AT THE TIME] 

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/romney-on-47-percent-i-said-something-thats

In a press conference shortly after the tape was released by Mother Jones, Romney took a different position. He then said that while his comments were "not elegantly stated" and "off the cuff," they were still "a message which I'm going to carry and continue to carry, which is look, the president's approach is attractive to people who are not paying taxes because my discussion about lowering taxes isn't as attractive to them." 

A cornucopia of Etch-a-Sketching 

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/10/romney-completes-epic-backflip-on-romneycare.php

Mitt Romney Backflips On Romneycare
 
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/04/romneys-sick-joke/
Romney’s Sick Joke

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/04/1140032/-What-the-real-Romney-plan-would-do-nbsp-to-nbsp-Medicare
What the real Romney plan would do to Medicare 

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/04/1139914/-Romney-s-big-Medicare-lie-takes-center-stage-in-debate
Romney's big Medicare lie

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/04/1139888/-Romney-thinks-he-s-entitled-to-his-own-facts-on-education-cuts
Romney thinks he's entitled to his own facts on education cuts

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/04/1139896/-Romney-s-energy-claims-at-debate-match-many-of-his-other-claims-They-re-bogus
Romney's energy claims at debate match many of his other claims: They're bogus

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/05/romney-takes-liberties-with-bipartisan-claims-about-past/
Romney Takes Liberties With Claims About a Bipartisan Past

Where have we heard this before? Slinky wants to cut $5 trillion in taxes, but it won't increase the deficit. He's going to pay for it by unspecified changes to deductions and tax credits elsewhere, and other budget cuts, but he won't tell us which ones. And even though he's reducing tax rates by 20%, no one will actually be paying less in taxes, so government revenues won't decline. Tax cuts will generate new jobs and lots more tax revenue, which will help erase the deficit. This is a child's fairy story

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/10/how-much-would-mitt-romneys-tax-cuts-cost.php
Romney's Big Deception on Taxes 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/romney-contradicts-himself-on-cutting-taxes-of-the
Romney Contradicts Himself On Cutting Taxes Of The Wealthy

More: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/04/1140008/-Lying-liar-Romney-s-lies-about-his-tax-plan

http://prospect.org/article/long-last-romney-shifts-center

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/04/1140087/-Fixing-deficit-Romney-style-means-12-million-new-jobs-would-have-to-pay-433-333-a-year

"Reinventing Romney"

http://mobile.politico.com/iphone/story/1012/82053.html
The reinvention effort includes softening the edges of Romney, both stylistically and philosophically. The more likable version of Romney was no accident — he worked hours on his smile, his posture and the delivery of his words. The more centrist version of Romney was no accident either — he carefully calibrated his message on taxes, spending and Medicare to broaden his appeal. . . . [read on]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/05/us/politics/entering-stage-right-romney-moved-to-center.html
He used the first presidential debate to speak out forcefully to its wide television audience against the idea of cutting taxes for the wealthy, noting that “high-income people are doing just fine in this economy.” Asked if there was too much government regulation, he answered, “regulation is essential.” And he praised the Massachusetts health care bill, calling it a “model for the nation.” 

Mr. Romney suggested at the debate that while he would repeal the president’s health care law, he would retain one of its most popular provisions, saying, “I do have a plan that deals with people with pre-existing conditions.” But his plan could exclude millions of people, since it would explicitly guarantee insurance only if they have maintained coverage with no significant lapses.

Mr. Romney also said at the debate that “I don’t have any plan to cut education funding and grants that go to people going to college,” but his education plan says he would. . .

More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/post/romney-strong-on-performance-weak-on-policy-in-sluggish-debate/2012/10/03/182e8766-0dd0-11e2-ba6c-07bd866eb71a_blog.html
[Jared Bernstein] Romney’s policy positions are even more of a shambles now than they were previously. Romney’s position, over and over again, is to simply bluff it on policy. His tax plan continues to be the most obvious one, but it really happens across the board. . . . [read on]

 

Don't miss it: Obama on "The Real Romney"

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/10/president-obama-real-romney-debate.php

More: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2012_10/now_what040303.php

Well, you wanted SPECIFICS, didn't you? Here's how Romney is going to fix the deficit -- by cutting a kid's television show that accounts for 1/100 of 1% of the overall Federal budget

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-people/wp/2012/10/04/big-bird-will-haunt-mitt-romney/

http://elections.americablog.com/2012/10/leave-big-bird-alone.html

More: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2012/10/all_of_yesterdays_zingers_today.php
[Obama] “Thank goodness somebody is finally getting tough on Big Bird. It is about time.”

Obama's dumbest comment at the debate

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/04/1140132/-No-President-Obama-and-Mitt-Romney-don-t-have-a-similar-position-on-Social-nbsp-Security
[Obama] “I suspect that on Social Security, we’ve got a somewhat similar position.” [read on]

More: http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2012/10/04/obamas-second-term-goal-cut-social-security/

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2012/10/tweaking-our-lives-on-president-obamas.html

First post-debate polls

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/04/1140220/-Romney-gains-after-debate-with-Republicans-Obama-with-independents
Romney gains after debate ... with Republicans (Obama with independents)

Here's something I haven't seen anyone address: Romney says that the top 3% of small businesses employ 1/4 of all the workers in the country. So, in what sense are they "small businesses"?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/10/04/romney-says-most-workers-at-small-businesses-will-see-a-tax-hit-heres-why-hes-wrong/

Just don't call it racist: Romney campaign co-chair says Obama failed at debate because he is "lazy and not very bright" 

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/04/1140058/-Romney-campaign-says-Obama-will-lose-next-debate-because-he-s-not-that-bright 

More: http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/10/04/14226908-sununu-pushes-his-luck

[Steve Benen] There was a point, not too terribly long ago, when Mitt Romney claimed to be outraged by sleazy, personal attacks, dragging the presidential campaign into the gutter. Given this, should we assume Romney will accept Sununu's resignation today?

Name-dropping

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/10/04/simpson-bowles-and-dodd-frank-explained
Simpson-Bowles and Dodd-Frank, explained

Big Money

http://www.kansas.com/2012/10/02/2512727/romneys-likely-gained-from-complex.html 
Romneys likely gained from complex offshore deals, tax experts say 

Even in states that don't have a voter ID law, people are being told they have to bring ID 

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/10/03/14204409-seen-in-idaho-bring-your-id-and-vote
Idaho 

http://www.thenation.com/blog/170277/pa-voters-wont-have-show-id-poll-workers-can-still-ask-it 
Pennsylvania 

Exit polls are one of the main protections against real vote fraud -- so, of course. . . . 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/10/04/networks-ap-cancel-exit-polls-in-19-states/ 
Networks, AP cancel exit polls in 19 states 

Well, of course they do 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/wp/2012/10/04/plouffe-press-wanted-the-romney-comeback-story/ 
Plouffe: Press wanted ‘the Romney comeback story’ 

Bonus item: How they think 

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2012/10/qotd-michael-moore-unearths-doozy.html 
"'You can say anything you want during a debate and 80 million people hear it,'observed Peter Teeley, press secretary to Vice President Bush. If reporters then document that a candidate spoke untruthfully, 'so what? Maybe 200 people read it or 2,000 or 20,000.'"

– New York Times, November 1, 1984 [read on]

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

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I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?

Sorry, I spent most of the morning cleaning off beer spray and popcorn I'd thrown at the screen of my television. That was a VERY frustrating debate. Romney had free rein to tell lie after lie, and he looked well coached, aggressive, and confident. Obama seemed strangely passive, reactive. His answers were rambling and he passed up opportunity after opportunity to call Romney on his b.s. Was that the PLAN? What kind of plan is that?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/in-debate-obamas-and-romneys-scripted-remarks-make-for-brain-bruising-television/2012/10/03/67f26e5a-0ca6-11e2-a310-2363842b7057_story.html
[Dan Zak] With all the goopy economic jargon and high-altitude mathematics in Wednesday night’s presidential debate, the typical viewer was left to scrutinize the superficiality of each candidate: his appearance, movement, cadence and tone. By most of those measures, and if you don’t deduct points for Mitt Romney’s aggravating dismissals of Jim Lehrer’s feeble moderation, the Republican candidate was the winner. . . .

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2012/10/my_quick_read.php
[Josh Marshall] Two things happened in this debate. Romney had the energy and focus, a long series of arguments packed and tight to dish out in the debate. He didn’t get distracted. He had a game plan he stuck to. What struck me a lot of times through the debate was that Obama seemed pained. He didn’t seem happy. . . . 

http://prospect.org/article/obama-game
[Bob Moser] Not since George H.W. Bush’s “I’m so bored I’m looking at my watch” turn in the town-hall debate against Bill Clinton and Ross Perot in 1992 has a sitting president performed as lethargically as Barack Obama did in Denver. . . .

http://tinyurl.com/spinroom
[Dave Weigel] This is what losing looks like: five stoic strategists for the Obama campaign camped out in the spin room. They do not deny that Mitt Romney just beat the president on all the points that count in TV debates. . . .

http://www.samefacts.com/2012/10/campaigns/campaign-2012/deep-thought/
NBC (and MSNBC) commentator Chuck Todd, not impressing me in general, said after the debate something like “President Obama acted like someone sitting on a big lead who decided that all he needed to do was play it safe and not say anything catastrophic.” That seems to be the consensus. . . .

More reactions: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/03/1139588/-A-loss-but-not-a-game-changing-one

http://prospect.org/article/romney-wins-and-it-wont-matter

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/a-good-night-for-mitt-romney-but-was-really-enough/2012/10/03/5141f92e-0dcc-11e2-bb5e-492c0d30bff6_blog.html

http://prospect.org/article/first-round-romney

http://tinyurl.com/firstpresdebate

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/10/03/first-thoughts-from-the-first-presidential-debate/

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2012/10/debate-liveblogging-3-october-2012

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2012/10/more-debate-reax

http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/10/live-blogging-the-first-presidential-debate-2012.html

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/10/heilemann-obama-didnt-challenge-romney.html

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/10/debate-cold-reaction-yes-romney-can-debate/263225/
[Jim Fallows] If you had the sound turned off, Romney looked calm and affable through more of the debate than Obama did, and the incumbent president more often looked peeved. Romney's default expression, whether genuine or forced, was a kind of smile; Obama's, a kind of scowl. I can understand why Obama would feel exasperated by these claims and arguments. Every president is exasperated by what he considers facile claims about what he knows to be impossibly knotty problems. But he let it show. . . .

Obama's best line of the night

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/david/obama-zings-romney-are-you-keeping-your-plan

Okay, I get that Obama is trapped by the can't-win dilemma of appearing like an "angry black man" and may have been opting for a low-risk, make no mistakes approach. But that places a lot of reliance on people today and in days to come really analyzing Slinky's many lies, distortions, and shifts of position. Will that happen?

Maybe: http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2012/10/three-reasons-romney-lost-debate-by.html
It may be that Romney was trying to shake the etch-a-sketch starting tonight, or it may be that he was trying to win over the undecided voter who pays little attention to news except to watch one or two debates. If the latter, then it won't matter to him how much fact checkers rip apart his statements (for instance, the L.A. Times has three separate sub-headlines reading "Romney repeats false healthcare claims", "Nonpartisan reports challenges Romney tax claims", and "Romney's charge on Medicare misleading").
 
But the Obama campaign may see fit in the coming weeks to put Romney's sudden pretenses at being a moderate tonight alongside his actual speeches and statements from no more than a few days ago. . . .

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/10/return-of-massachusetts-mitt.html
[Jonathan Chait] Tonight’s debate saw the return of the Mitt Romney who ran for office in Massachusetts in 1994 and 2002. He was obsessive about portraying himself as a moderate, using every possible opening or ambiguity – and, when necessary, making them up – to shove his way to the center. . . . 

http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2012/10/03/domestic_debate_romney_shakes_the_etch_a_sketch_.html
Mitt Romney Shakes The Etch-a-Sketch 

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/10/04/14219336-the-triumph-of-style-over-substance
[Steve Benen] Indeed, it seems to me Romney thrived in large part because he abandoned the pretense of honesty. And as it turns out, winning a debate is surprisingly easy when a candidate decides he can say anything and expect to get away with it. . . . [read on]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/10/04/romneys-policy-vagueness-pays-off/
[Ezra Klein] Romney’s policy vagueness pays off 

http://nationaljournal.com/politics/on-economy-romney-blurs-contrast-20121003  
On Economy, Romney Blurs Contrast

"An idiot child"

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2012/10/more-debate-reax
[Kevin Drum] My sister emailed during the debate to ask, "Can Romney look any more insulting when he's listening to Obama? It's like he's looking at an idiot child.". . .

Here are just some of Slinky's howlers

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/10/03/obama-allowed-mitt-romney-to-get-away-with-lies-in-debate-showdown.html
Obama Allowed Romney to Get Away With Lies 

http://newsone.com/2053227/the-presidential-debate-2/
Mitt Romney Shines By Pushing Lies, Obama Misses Mark By Not Calling Him Out

http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/10/03/162263539/romney-goes-on-offense-pays-for-it-in-first-wave-of-fact-checks
Romney Goes On Offense, Pays For It In First Wave Of Fact Checks

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/04/us/politics/a-closer-look-at-what-the-presidential-candidates-said-in-the-debate.html
Mitt Romney repeatedly questioned President Obama’s honesty at Wednesday night’s debate — likening the president and vice president at one point to his five sons repeating things that were not true — but he made a number of misleading statements himself on the size of the federal deficits, taxes, Medicare and health care. . .

http://elections.americablog.com/2012/10/romney-lied-about-pre-existing-conditions-during-debate.html
Romney lied about pre-existing conditions during debate

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/10/romney-ill-cover-pre-existing-conditions-obama-no-you-wont.php
Romney: I’ll Cover Pre-Existing Conditions, Obama: No, You Won’t

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/10/top-romney-adviser-states-will-have-to-cover-people-with-pre-existing-conditions-under-president-rom.php
After the first presidential debate at the University of Denver in Colorado on Wednesday night, one of Mitt Romney’s top advisers acknowledged that, as a result Romney’s plan to repeal Obamacare, people with pre-existing medical conditions would likely be unable to purchase insurance.

The admission directly contradicts the GOP candidate’s claim during the debate that “pre-existing conditions are covered under my plan” — a contention Romney has repeated on the trail and that his campaign has repeatedly walked back. . .

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/wp/2012/10/03/about-that-unelected-medicare-board/
About that unelected Medicare board

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/wp/2012/10/03/some-context-on-medicare
Medicare has become another major flashpoint in the campaign, with swing-state seniors opposed to the quasi-voucher proposal put forward by Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan. That’s why Romney is stressing the point that nothing will change under his plan if you’re already retired. Retired people can settle down. And so can anyone over the age of 55.

The problem is, the Ryan’s Medicare plan doesn’t save any money until 2022, which is why Ryan’s budget includes the $716 billion in Medicare cost savings over the next decade that helped pay for Obamacare, savings that Romney is now bashing Obama for and promising to add back into the budget. Those savings, by the way, do not include direct cuts to benefits for seniors. . . .

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/10/romney-backs-away-from-own-tax-plan.php 
At the first presidential debate in Colorado Wednesday night, former Gov. Mitt Romney disputed a central criticism of his tax reform plan — and appeared to disavow one of its central features. . .  

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/factchecking-the-first-presidential-debate-of-2012/2012/10/04/9d47934e-0d66-11e2-bb5e-492c0d30bff6_blog.html
“I also want to close those loopholes that are giving incentives for companies that are shipping jobs overseas.” --Obama 

“You said you get a deduction for taking a plant overseas. Look, I’ve been in business for 25 years. I have no idea what you’re talking about. I maybe need to get a new accountant.” 
--Romney 

Romney said he was unaware of any provision that gives companies a tax deduction for moving operations overseas. But Obama is right, there is such a provision.

Video: https://plus.google.com/114753028665775786510/posts/8dtSGrR7ZGS
Romney's Debate Lies

More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/10/03/footnoting-the-debate/

A factor?

http://www.emptywheel.net/2012/10/04/when-youve-spent-3-years-disdaining-criticism/
[Marcy Wheeler] I will say this for Obama: Some portion of his time in the 4 hours before the debate must have been spent not on debate prep, but in briefings on the escalating tensions between Turkey and Syria, which (particularly given that Turkey is a NATO member) could spiral out of control quickly. I wouldn’t blame him if he was distracted by what could be a really dangerous incident, even putting the election aside. . . .

EVERYONE'S trashing the moderator, poor Jim Lehrer

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/10/jim-lehrer-manages-to-lose-the-debate.html

http://thehill.com/blogs/twitter-room/other-news/260169-twitter-on-debate-moderator-lehrer-poor-jim

Erp!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/10/04/six-reasons-mitt-romney-won-the-first-debate/
Most everyone agrees: Mitt Romney won the first debate of the 2012 presidential election on Wednesday. A CNN/Opinion Research poll released after the debate showed 67 percent of viewers thought Romney won . . .

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2012/10/about-that-cnn-snap-poll-by-davidoatkins.html
CNN "Snap Poll" only polled Southern Whites Over 50. No joke.

The GOP's race-based strategy

http://mediamatters.org/blog/2012/10/03/right-wing-media-hopelessly-confused-about-thei/190301

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/hannity-drudge-and-carlson-jump-shark-late

More: http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/10/02/940051/george-will-obama-is-winning-because-hes-black/
George Will: Obama Is Winning Because He’s Black

Juan Williams keeps SOME of his dignity

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/juan-williams-calls-out-hannity-throwing-d
After Sean Hannity spent the opening of his show talking to Tucker Carlson about the right's latest drummed up non-controversy, Hannity brought on Fox regular Juan Williams and "tea partier" and one of Fox's favorite conservative African American "designated black attackers" David Webb, to discuss the old recordings of President Obama they were pretending is breaking news. 

And lo and behold Hannity's race baiting was finally even too much for Williams, who called Hannity out for throwing dirt at President Obama to see what will stick and constantly pushing one ridiculous "conspiracy theory" after another to score cheap political points.

Of course Williams barely got to make his points, because if he wasn't being interrupted by Webb talking over him, he was being interrupted by Hannity screaming over him. . . . 

More: http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/10/hannity-al-gore-preacher-mode.php 

Bonus item: You wanted zingers? We got yer zingers for ya right here

http://core.talkingpointsmemo.com/tv/videos/best-zingers-at-presidential-debate

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

To get PBD by email: https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups#!forum/todays-news

I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

HARD TO KEEP ALL THE STORIES STRAIGHT

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/02/romney-says-he-would-honor-immigration-reprieves-granted-by-obama
Responding to pressure from Latino groups to clarify his immigration views, Mitt Romney told The Denver Post late Monday that he would not cancel temporary reprieves from deportation that President Obama is granting to hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants.. . .

Since taking hard-line positions during the Republican nominating contests, Mr. Romney has moderated his position, saying he could support legislation to give permanent resident visas, known as green cards, to young immigrants who serve in the military. . . .

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/02/romney-ad-has-new-take-on-whether-obama-raised-taxes/ 
Mitt Romney said last month that President Obama had not raised taxes during his tenure, but a new ad asserts the opposite, maintaining the health care overhaul amounts to a tax. . .

So, Slinky is going to bash Obama for raising taxes on the middle class. Meanwhile . . .

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/10/mitt-romney-floats-17000-limit-on-tax-deductions.php
[Romney] “As an option you could say everybody’s going to get up to a $17,000 deduction; and you could use your charitable deduction, your home mortgage deduction, or others — your healthcare deduction. And you can fill that bucket, if you will, that $17,000 bucket that way,” Romney told a Fox affiliate in Denver. . . . In other words, cap the total amount individuals can benefit from tax loopholes.

But while some tax policy experts like the idea in principle it suffers from at least one big political problem: though it would hit high net-worth people hardest, it would still require raising taxes on some middle class Americans . . .

More: http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/10/02/14182052-romney-forgets-last-weeks-message-on-taxes 
Romney forgets last week's message on taxes

Slinky Jr. tries to give details. Problem is, his details don't fit with his boss's details

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2012/10/mitt-romneys-math-becomes-even-harder
[Ryan] [T]here’s plenty of fiscal room to keep these important preferences for middle class taxpayers — you know, like charitable donations, or buying a home, or health care.

More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/10/02/tax-plan-specifics-from-mitt-romney/

http://news.firedoglake.com/2012/10/02/ryan-again-evades-specifics-on-mathematically-impossible-tax-plan/

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/10/02/14185349-ryan-dabbles-in-details

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/paul-ryan-retreats-deeper-into-mathematical-fantasy/2012/10/02/56565b1c-0cc3-11e2-bb5e-492c0d30bff6_blog.html
Paul Ryan retreats deeper into mathematical fantasy

Paul Ryan has a chance to address the 47% issue and defuse it -- instead he makes things worse

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2012/10/ryan_put_gramps_to_work_theory_of_the_moocher_clas.php

More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/02/paul-ryan-30-percent-welfare-state_n_1933730.html 
Paul Ryan: 30 Percent 'Want Welfare State' . . . [read on]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/02/1138968/-47-layabouts-30-lazy-bums-Who-s-right-about-Americans-Mitt-Romney-or-Paul-Ryan

Obama's health care plan vs Romney's health care plan: the numbers, please . . .

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/10/commonwealth-study-romney-obama-health-care-plans.php 
Romney’s Health Plan Leaves 72 Million Uninsured

More: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/02/1138814/-Commonwealth-Fund-Romney-plan-would-leave-72-million-uninsured

Romney's Big Debate Problem

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2012_10/nothing_to_say_on_the_economy040241.php
[Ezra Klein] Which gets to Romney’s real challenge in the debates, which has also been his real difficulty throughout the campaign: He doesn’t have an appealing policy agenda capable of turning this thing around, and his party hasn’t given him the freedom to construct one. . . . [read on]

More: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2012_10/the_debate_question_mitt_cant040240.php 
The Debate Question Mitt Can’t Answer

Still lying about his offshore holdings

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/10/02/14185919-about-those-offshore-investments

How worried are they? Now they are breaking out a new "Reverend Wright" tape . . . from 2007

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2012/10/breaking_obama_is_black.php

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/10/gop-october-surprise-another-old-obama-video.html

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2012/10/for_many_of_us_who.php

[NB: Psst! Obama "talks black" when he is addressing black audiences. Who knew?] 

VERY worried

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/10/republicans-second-guess-romney-strategy.php
How Romney Is Blowing It, According To Every Conservative Pundit

Why Obama is winning the race he couldn't win

http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/why-obama-is-defying-gravity-20120927 

In Massachusetts, "nice guy" Scott Brown is running a really nasty campaign against Elizabeth Warren

http://americablog.com/2012/10/scott-brown-plays-the-race-card-again.html

More: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2012/10/a_report_from_mass.php

California bans "gay-curing therapies". The religious right sues, because . . . get this . . . they want kids to have a CHOICE

http://gay.americablog.com/2012/10/narth-to-take-ca-pray-away-the-gay-bill-to-court.html 

Bonus item: Mitt's secret weapon

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hcQrthf9vAKlhUbkRHK5ktWH7Uhw?docId=e732957ce5a14d10847eaeefaf85d7d2 

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

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I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

THE BELL TOLLS

Damned liberal media

http://www.foxbusiness.com/government/2012/10/01/big-money-donors-toward-house-senate-races/#ixzz285quroB0
[Fox Business] The Romney campaign is experiencing what some officials believe could be the beginning of a mass exodus of big money donors diverting their cash away from the Republican presidential hopeful and toward Republican candidates for the House and Senate races more likely to win in November . . .

More bad news: following the decision to hire a shady company to do voter registration in swing states -- now under investigation -- the GOP has to call off ALL voter registration in five key states

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-01/republicans-end-swing-state-voter-sign-up-after-firing-company.html

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/10/01/14170881-rnc-voter-registration-efforts-halted-after-scandal

Abandon ship!

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/02/us/politics/as-economic-argument-sputters-romney-broadens-focus.html
With the campaign now in the home stretch, the Romney team appears to be abandoning its hope of making the election a referendum on President Obama’s jobs record. . . . 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/giovannirodriguez/2012/09/30/october-surprise-how-the-economy-slipped-away-from-romney
How "The Economy" Slipped Away From Romney

GOP billboards now don't even MENTION who's running against Obama

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/10/01/14172278-swing-state-billboards-now-with-100-less-romneyryan

What's the opposite of "coattails"?

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/10/romney-senate-races-republicans-polls.php
Romney Fades, Taking GOP Senate Hopes With Him

Willard's "zingers" (it's not a pretty sight) 

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/01/1138407/-Mitt-Romney-s-zingers 

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/10/01/14169684-lining-up-pre-scripted-zingers

Slinky's debate dilemmas

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2012/10/mitt_and_the_debate.php

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2012/10/who_is_mitts_audience.php

There's what happens in the debates, and there's what the media tells us happens in the debates 

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2012/10/its-zinger-time 

Obama's secret weapon: blue collar women

http://nationaljournal.com/2012-presidential-campaign/why-obama-is-leading-in-swing-states-20121001

Paul Ryan thought this race would help propel him as a future GOP candidate. That's not the way it's happening

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/10/paul-ryan-legend-dissipates.html
[Jonathan Chait] Ryan is still an extremely skilled bullshitter — vastly better at it than Romney. But he’s actually seeing, for the first time, questions that attempt to pry information out of him, rather than the batting practice lobs to which he’s accustomed. He’s going to emerge from the race with his legend punctured. . . . [read on] 

After defeat in the fall, will the GOP search its soul? 

http://elections.americablog.com/2012/10/oh-goper-ive-never-seen-such-hate-this-year-in-the-republican-party-2.html 
[Wayne Butterfass, 70, a retired store owner from Cincinnati who said he has voted Republican for most of his life] “I don’t know why any woman or gay would ever vote for Romney. All you have to do is look at the Republican platform. I’ve never seen such HATE this year in the Republican Party, national or state.” 

In non-ObamaRomney news: Is Congress going to do something about the "fiscal cliff"? (Can you say "kick the can down the road"?)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/02/us/senate-leaders-at-work-on-plan-to-avert-fiscal-cliff.html

Who should be afraid of the fiscal cliff? http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/10/01/the-fiscal-cliff-is-progressive/ 

http://my.firedoglake.com/deanbaker/2012/09/28/a-heaping-helping-of-ridicule-for-ruth-marcus/

Bonus item: A Manifesto for the Entitled

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/i-am-a-job-creator-a-manifesto-for-the-entitled/2012/09/28/756f2e90-07ee-11e2-858a-5311df86ab04_story.html

I am the misunderstood superhero of American capitalism, single-handedly creating wealth and prosperity despite all the obstacles put in my way by employees, government and the media.

I am a job creator and I am entitled.. . . [read on!]

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

To get PBD by email: https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups#!forum/todays-news

I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

CLEAR ON THAT?

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/09/romney-debate-expectations-conflicting.php
Romney Camp Pushes Dueling Messages Ahead Of Debate

More: http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/david/ryan-romneys-tax-plan-it-would-take-me-too-l
Ryan on Romney's Tax Plan: 'It Would Take Me Too Long' to Explain

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/paul-ryan-revenue-neutral-deficit-hawk.html
[Digby] Anyone who still thinks Paul Ryan is a serious person is not a serious person . . . [read on]
 
Well, okay then, never mind . . I suppose. . . http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2012/09/quote-day-math-hard
[Kevin Drum] You never know, after all. It might turn out, for example, that Romney's plan would cut taxes on millionaires and raise taxes on the middle class, and he just doesn't want anyone to know this. Sounds crazy, doesn't it? But you never know. . .

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/09/30/pressed-to-explain-romneys-tax-plan-paul-ryan-ducks
The problem is, even one of the studies that Romney has cited to justify his plan—which Ryan refers to in passing above—shows that his tax plan won’t work unless taxes go up for those making over $100,000, which Romney still counts as middle-class. Another study that the Romney camp cites, by Princeton’s Harvey Rosen, uses implausibly optimistic assumptions about economic growth, as my colleague Dylan Matthews explains here.

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/09/ryan-does-not-have-time-to-explain-his-tax-plan.html
Instead of wasting valuable airtime with boring arithmetic, Ryan chose instead to talk about the trouble he and Romney have had with mainstream news outlets. . .

[NB: Yes, those mainstream news outlets that don't give them an opportunity to explain their positions!]

Trouble in Paradise

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/10/libya-attack-sparks-squabbling-in-romney-camp.html
In another bad sign for the Romney campaign, in recent weeks advisers have taken to anonymously attacking each other and leaking details of their strategy disputes. The latest campaign infighting dispatch focuses on how to handle President Obama's shifting explanations for what happened in the Libya consulate attack. . .

More: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/09/28/170078/intelligence-office-says-it-got.html
Intelligence office says it got Libya attack wrong, not White House

Determined to destroy US voting rights

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2012/09/about_mr_sproul.php
The story centers on a firm called Strategic Allied Consulting employed by the Republican National Committee to do voter registration work in Florida and other states. And the man behind Strategic is someone longtime TPM Readers will definitely remember: Nathan Sproul. . . . [read on]

Can't wait for the debates. . . .  to be over

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2012/09/30/quote_of_the_day.html 
"This whole race is going to turn upside-down come Thursday morning."
-- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), in an interview on CBS News, arguing that Wednesday night's presidential debate will mark a new stage in Mitt Romney's campaign.

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2012/09/29/debates_rarely_have_an_effect.html
Debates Rarely Have An Effect

The Republican bubble (watch!)

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/chris-hayes-republican-bubble-trap

The Supreme Court: some big cases on the docket

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2012_09/scotus_preview040204.php

More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/decision2012/supreme-court-faces-another-high-profile-term/2012/09/29/f883d858-0988-11e2-afff-d6c7f20a83bf_story.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/30/us/supreme-court-faces-crucial-cases-in-new-session.html

Muslims - the one group it seems to be okay to discriminate against

http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/09/26/nyc_anti_islam_subway_ads_lead_to_pink_spray_paint_showdown
NYC anti-Islam subway ads lead to pink spray paint showdown 

In case you missed the Sunday talk shows

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/30/tv-soundoff-sunday-talkin_n_1926285.html 

Also: http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/mtp-david-gregory-misquotes-president-acts- 
David Gregory Misquotes President, Acts as Romney Surrogate 

http://crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/wtf-meet-press-ralph-reed-casts-doubt
WTF, Meet the Press? 

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2012_09/the_pathos_of_david_gregory040207.php
David Gregory’s Tim Russert Problem

Bonus item: Expect to see more and more of this. The Washington Post calls it a "tight race" even though the same story reveals . . .

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2012/10/01/tight_race_except_in_the_swing_states.html
But across the swing states, Obama leads among likely voters by a much larger margin, 52% to 41%, paralleling Obama's advantages in recent Washington Post polls in Florida, Ohio and Virginia. . . .

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

To get PBD by email: https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups#!forum/todays-news

I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***