Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

Conservatism: there are some people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

Republicans in disarray!

I know this must be bad for Joe Biden, I just don’t know how.

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

Let there be snark.

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

Not all heroes wear capes.

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

All your base are belong to Tunch.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

“But what about the lurkers?”

“Squeaker” McCarthy

Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not President.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

I was promised a recession.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

Everybody saw this coming.

Come on, man.

You are here: Home / Past Elections / Election 2012 / King of Bain

Reader Interactions

74Comments

  4. 4.

    BGinCHI

    Holy shit, it’s like an episode of Frontline. That’s gotta hurt.

    Also reminds me of this song:

    when liberty valance came to town
    the women folk would hide
    they`d hide
    when liberty valance walked around
    the men would step aside

  5. 5.

    butler

    Problem is that its 28 minutes long. No sane person is going to watch 28 minutes of anything about Mitt Romney, either pro or con.

  8. 8.

    gaz

    @butler: You DON’T NEED TO.

    That’s the beauty of this thing.

    Also, too: Now with superPAC juice! – this shit ain’t gonna stop!

    Thanks Newt and the gang!*

    *Actually I don’t know too much about who made this, and I don’t care.

    Delicious.

  9. 9.

    Leadpipe

    He’s quite the populist. It’s hard to imagine America voting for a putz like him. If Newt could do this with Five million imagine what Obama can do with almost a billion.

  10. 10.

    Hill Dweller

    OT: The wingers in Congress are going to try bypassing Obama and approve the Keystone pipeline by invoking Congressional authority to regulate commerce with foreign nations.

  12. 12.

    dmsilev

    Man, Newt really is pissed at the Romneybot, isn’t he? Even if he doesn’t win, he’s going to do his damnedest to spike Romney. Somehow, I think this is the appropriate quotation:

    To the last, I grapple with thee; From Hell’s heart, I stab at thee; For hate’s sake, I spit my last breath at thee

  13. 13.

    Benjamin Franklin

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204879004577108500491449164.html

    “A super PAC supporting the former House Speaker plans to spend $3.4 million in TV ads in South Carolina portraying Mr. Romney as Gordon Gekko without the social conscience. The financing for these ads will come from a billionaire who made his money in the casino business, which Mr. Gingrich apparently considers morally superior to investing in companies in the hope of making a profit.”

    “Gordon Gecko without a social conscience”????? Holy Moly. The Party of Donner keeps serving up those succulent ribs.

  15. 15.

    DCLaw1

    @4tehlulz:

    This is just the politics of envy at work.

    So amazing that the Romney campaign is apparently going with this line of response. Ah yes, the incredibly persuasive power of “You’re just jealous!”

    On the other hand, a pinch of racial resentment might make the counter-message a bit more yummy to “independents.”

  16. 16.

    amk

    Relaaax, noot is already back-peddling. At least, that’s what politco sez based on one off-the-cuff remark.

    poor, poor jonathan allen is desparate

  17. 17.

    General Stuck

    The question is, is it too late to stop Romney. The GOP has some elements that his Bain greed will rub the wrong way, but a lot of them will have no gripe with it. Conservative labor dems will lead the charge in the GE to beat Romney/GOP, with afterburners lit with outrage from where they live. It should win him no friends from swing voters either, I would guess.

    This is the sort of thing, I think portends a GOP headed toward supernova, that will make the standard issue liberal circular firing squad look like child’s play.

  21. 21.

    dmsilev

    @General Stuck: South Carolina is pretty much the last chance to stop him. If he wins there, and he’s currently several points ahead of Newt, it would take some catastrophic scandal (the proverbial “live boy or dead girl”) for him not to win.

    And if he then loses in the general to Obama, the reaction of the GOP base will be …extreme. Two “electable” candidates in a row, both of which lost to the Black Guy? Never Again! The 2016 primaries would finally bring us to Peak Wingnut.

  22. 22.

    cathyx

    I watched the entire video. I hope karma is a real thing and I hope Romney suffers in a karmic way.

  24. 24.

    Roger Moore

    @dmsilev:

    If he wins there, and he’s currently several points ahead of Newt, it would take some catastrophic scandal (the proverbial “live boy or dead girl”) for him not to win.

    Second “spiritual” wife. And honestly, if there is something like that waiting to drop on Romney, I hope they wait until after he has the nomination pretty much sewn up, just for maximum chaos.

  25. 25.

    amk

    @dmsilev: Not so fast. FL with 50 delegates is winnah takes all, I believe. If one of the NMR’s (go gingrich) takes it, then he will lead the delegate fight even if willard sweeps SC (which is moot at this point)

  26. 26.

    General Stuck

    @dmsilev:

    I pretty much agree with your take of things. Mitt has way too deep pockets, along with his superpac, to overcome after SC. Florida is expensive to campaign in, and none of the others can do it. Though we could see a real all out war of wingnut billionaires freed up by CU, like the one that just rode to Newt’s defense. Plutocrats Gone Wild.

  27. 27.

    dmsilev

    @amk: But if Willard has a clean sweep of the first three, how likely is it that someone will catch him in Florida?

  28. 28.

    Herb

    Wasn’t “Win the Future” supposed to be Obama’s new catchy slogan? Is “Winning Our Future” intentionally referencing Obama or is it just a vapid phrase that two groups have now discovered independently?

  29. 29.

    JC

    How hard is it, you think, to get people to understand that there are both positive, creative versions of capitalism, and negative, destructive versions of capitalism?

    Russian capitalism, late 1990’s – NOT GOOD capitalism.
    Vulture capitalism – NOT GOOD capitalism.

    The issue is, that lots of vulture capitalists are ensconced, or their lobbyists are ensconced, in Washington, all state capitals, and all city capitals of note.

  30. 30.

    cmorenc

    @butler:

    Problem is that its 28 minutes long. No sane person is going to watch 28 minutes of anything about Mitt Romney, either pro or con.

    Yes, the film would have been much better with a 30-second intro to Romney’s background and skipped straight ahead to just over three minutes in where the case-by-case examples of HOW Romney raided specific companies begins. Up to that point, the film sounds too much like a Michael Moore shockumentary, which progressives will happily watch, but the folks whose interest we need to engage will tend to see it as a propaganda hit piece by the left, and turn it off before they get to the meat of the matter.

  32. 32.

    MikeJ

    @amk: I don’t think any of the primaries are winner takes all until after April fool’s day. They saw how well it worked for Dems to keep the spotlight last time and decided they wanted to get some of that. Instead they’re just ripping each other up.

  33. 33.

    marcopolo

    According to a piece at The Christian Science Monitor the Bain film was actually made by a guy who did the ads for Romney in 2008. Maybe he got stiffed on his bill or something?

    King of Bain

  34. 34.

    JC

    @cmorenc: It probably can be downloaded, and cut down. I wonder if Winning Our Future would mind, various amateur video editors, set to work on their piece.

  35. 35.

    amk

    @dmsilev: SC is where many a presidential yachts crashed and took a dive. And noot has some serious money poured into the campaign there. And PPP has noot within 7 points of mittens as on last week. Let’s see.

  36. 36.

    dmsilev

    @cmorenc: I assume that the TV ads will be much more tightly edited, to fit into 30 or 45 seconds, and then end with “To see the whole thing, go online.”. Some people will, especially if the ads run at high enough density.

  37. 37.

    marcopolo

    Re Florida primary: 1) it is winner take all; 2) since they jumped the line to hold their primary their delegate count was cut in half. That means it will be incredibly expensive and not the best return on investment for any of the GOP candidates who want to play there. Have to say serious advantage to Romney as well.

  39. 39.

    amk

    @MikeJ: nyt

    The scheduling of Florida’s Republican primary in January resulted in the loss of half of its expected delegates to the Republican national convention. The 50 at-large delegates will be awarded to the candidate with the highest total vote statewide.

  40. 40.

    dmsilev

    @amk: Oh, if he gets taken down in SC, then all bets are off, agreed. The press narrative instantly switches from “Romney the inevitable” to “Does Bain make Romney a fatally flawed candidate?” or some-such.

  41. 41.

    Cat Lady

    Wait until all the weird Mormon stuff comes out – the underwear, the secret ceremonies, the goofy sci fi cosmology, the polygamist expat grandfather and the fact that he’s a bishop. A BISHOP! That hasn’t sunk in yet, and then there are the tax returns. He’s got WAY too many secrets.

  42. 42.

    auntieeminaz

    @cathyx: So did I. Didn’t mean to but it was too compelling. “Creative destruction” is a phrase I have not heard before. Willard is really disconnected from real life!

  45. 45.

    Judas Escargot

    @Hill Dweller:

    OT: The wingers in Congress are going to try bypassing Obama and approve the Keystone pipeline by invoking Congressional authority to regulate commerce with foreign nations.

    The Kochs require it. So shall it be done.

  46. 46.

    Cat Lady

    @WereBear (itouch):

    He won’t be able to dismiss it either. Obama did his race speech because he spent several Sundays in Wright’s church – Romney’s going to have to figure out how to address the strangeness of his daily practices and his status in his church. The Romneytronic2000 doesn’t have that software upgrade.

  50. 50.

    cmorenc

    @dmsilev:

    I assume that the TV ads will be much more tightly edited…

    @JC:

    It probably can be downloaded, and cut down. I wonder if Winning Our Future would mind, various amateur video editors, set to work on their piece.

    This could be edited down to an extremely potent five to eight minute piece. The core of what’s there is extremely potent, but unfortunately it’s impact in the current full version is dissipated by wallowing in needless redundancy and going overboard with a too-obvious venomously propagandistic approach. The succinctly told facts are extremely powerful in their own right, but instead, this piece too often inadvertently smothers its own message. Which is too bad, because the piece tells an extremely important story that does accurately capture the truth about who Romney really is, one that will deeply resonate with a majority of the voting public, if only the documentary maker can be smart enough to get out of his/her own damn way in conveying the message.

  52. 52.

    Baud

    @Hill Dweller:

    OT: The wingers in Congress are going to try bypassing Obama and approve the Keystone pipeline by invoking Congressional authority to regulate commerce with foreign nations.

    Congress can’t do anything without 2/3 majority to overcome Obama’s veto, even assuming it could pass the Senate. It’s all bluster.

  56. 56.

    Valdivia

    Has anyone yet made note that all the Villagers are now trolling that this is too soon so it will inoculate Romney before the general. They are comparing it to the rev Wright thing. I kid you not!

    Add that to the fluffing by Ben Smith today about Romney the best candidate ever and I just want to keep hitting my head on the desk.

  58. 58.

    WaterGirl

    @Valdivia: Maybe that would distract you from the back pain?

    Edit: that was meant to be mildly humorous, not insensitive! I know from experience that back pain like that is no fun. I was sorry to read about that yesterday on a thread that was already over.

  59. 59.

    Valdivia

    @WaterGirl:

    big grin! yes that would for sure!

    I am actually so much better (after 2 months!) I went back to swimming today even if it still a little painful. but on the mend. thanks for inquiring.

  62. 62.

    Darnell From LA

    @Leadpipe: I think this is why some more paranoid right wingers have long suspected that Obama and Axelrod’s “concern” over a Romney nomination has been a huge “head fake.”

    They know ALL of this crap about Romney and probably have for a long time. After watching “King of Bain” (‘That’s my JOB up there’) I have to believe Axelrod and Obama are licking their chops.

  63. 63.

    WaterGirl

    @pk: Some bells can’t be un-rung. I don’t think “oops, sorry” is gonna cut it. Newt has betrayed the GOP and I imagine there will be hell to pay. (for Newt) I think all this is great for the rest of us.

  64. 64.

    NobodySpecial

    I watched about half, and if I walked into that knowing little about Mitt Romney other than what I’ve seen on the teevee from moment to moment, I’d develop a burning hatred of the man. I particularly liked the shot of him on the tarmac, plane behind him, sitting in the fancy chair getting his shoes shined by the valet. Hits all the right notes.

  65. 65.

    ellenbrenna

    I am hard pressed to see the difference between Bain Capital and Henry, Tommy, Jimmy, and Paulie.

    Fewer sharkskin suits?

  68. 68.

    patroclus

    That video is utterly devastating! Mitt Romney deserves to be hated.

    As to the Reverend Wright comparison, I think this’ll be more like the Willy Horton thing; originally promoted by Al Gore in the primaries against Dukakis, but then used to greatest effect by Atwater, Rove and the elder Bush campaign.

  69. 69.

    mazareth

    There are small towns all over the U.S. with similar stories. My hometown in Wisconsin lost several companies to LBOs in the 80s to mid-90s.

    One company made gas and electric stoves. One company made counter top and other laminates. There were also two trucking companies that were bought out by competitors and shut down.

    I did watch the whole thing. There are a lot of shorter commercials that could be made out of that material.

    I think this stuff will resonate with a lot of people.

  70. 70.

    patroclus

    @mazareth:

    Indeed, the video makes it clear that virtually every single state has examples of Bain coming in, destroying the companies and making obscene profits. If further investigation is done everywhere, this could have legs…

  71. 71.

    FlipYrWhig

    @patroclus: Bob Somerby has explained in the past that Gore didn’t bring up Willie Horton. I’m pretty sure, though, that he did bring up the Mass. prison furlough program in general. The Daily Howler archives would be the place to check.

  72. 72.

    Schlemizel

    I’m sure it is being done – better – around the ‘tubes but this popped into my head last night:

    There’s a little black spot on my soul today
    It’s the same black spot as yesterday

    – The King Of Bain by Willard M. Romney

  73. 73.

    flukebucket

    “There will be a Golden Ladder reaching down. When Mittens comes to town”

    And when he leaves he pulls that Golden Ladder up behind him. As Mitt climbs the ladder of success he greases it behind him.

  74. 74.

    chopper

    @dmsilev:

    this is the ‘out’ when it comes to the GOP continuing to front shitty candidates like mccain and romney. they lose, and the base gets to act like it was because they didn’t front a candidate ‘conservative enough’.

    the last 2 elections have been a struggle between the money guys and the hardcore base, and in both cases the money guys won/will win the primary and lost/will lose the election.

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