No Apology: A History of the Romney Administration

[Pericles]

PRESIDENT OBAMA ATTACKS RYAN BUDGET-MARCH 10, 2012

President Obama, firing the starting gun for the long general election battle, launched into a fiery attack on the House Republican budget, known colloquialy as the Ryan budget. The Ryan budget is the brainchild of Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan, and is a controversial conservative plan, cutting social spending and reforming Medicare into a voucher program. Presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney has endorsed the plan and even called it 'marvelous'. Obama launched into an attack on the budget in his speech, labeling it "thinly veiled social Darwinism", "a Trojan Horse" and "so far to the right it makes the Contract with America look like the New Deal." Obama attacked Romney, saying " Governor Romney has said he hoped a similar version of this plan from last year would be introduced as a bill on Day One of his presidency. He even called it marvelous, which is a word you don't often hear when it comes to describing a budget. It's a word you don't often hear generally." Romney fired back that Obama's attacks on the Ryan budget were an attempt to distract from his own "record of failure."
OBAMA APPROVAL RATING AT 46%-MARCH 11, 2012

CBS/NYT POLL: ROMNEY 47%, OBAMA 46%-MARCH 12, 2012

RCP AVERAGE-ROMNEY FAVORABILITY: 42.0% UNFAVORABLE, 40.0% FAVORABLE-MARCH 17, 2012
ROMNEY POLL NUMBERS RISE UPON NOMINATION WIN

ROMNEY: I'M 'MR FIX IT', MY PRIVATE SECTOR EXPERIENCE WILL HELP ME RESTORE ECONOMY-MARCH 20, 2012

OBAMA STRATEGIST DAVID PLOUFFE: ROMNEY MOST CONSERVATIVE NOMINEE SINCE GOLDWATER-MARCH 21, 2012

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AT 8.1%-APRIL 1, 2012
WAR ON WOMEN? ROMNEY FACES WIDE GENDER GAP, SOCIALLY CONSERVATIVE POSITIONS ALIENATE FEMALE VOTERS
ROMNEY: PLANNED PARENTHOOD, WE'RE GOING TO GET RID OF THAT

DEMOCRAT STRATEGIST HILARY ROSEN: ANN ROMNEY NEVER WORKED A DAY IN HER LIFE-APRIL 11, 2012
[​IMG] ​
Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen set off a media firestorm with her comments, when she said "He is (Mitt Romney) running around the country saying 'Well, you know, my wife tells me that women really care about economic issues, and when I listen to my wife, that's what I'm hearing'. Guess what? His wife has actually never worked a day in her life." Rosen had just attacked a breast-cancer survivor and stay at home mother of five. Republicans quickly pounced, and have sought to use Rosen's comments to pry women voters away from Obama. A Romney campaign fundraising email has declared "War on Moms" with "If you're a stay ta home mom, the Democrats have a message for you: You've never worked a day in your life" and RNC coffee mugs have been released "MOMS DO WORK: VOTE GOP". The Obama campaign has also piled on, declaring that families should be off limits in the campaign. Michelle Obama tweeted "Every mother works hard, and every mother deserves to be respcted" with the President soon concurring.
ROMNEY GOES ON FUNDRAISING TOUR, RAKES IN BIG HAUL FROM DONORS

ROMNEY ATTACKS OBAMA, HIGHLIGHTS PRIVATE SECTOR EXPERIENCE IN ECONOMIC SPEECH-APRIL 15, 2012

Presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney gave an economic speech in Philadelphia. He started his speech with a rebuke of President Obama, declaring "Barack Obama is an inspiring speaker and a transcendent figure. But he's in over his head and we need someone with experience in creating jobs and who understands the economy. We don't need a talker in chief, we need a doer in chief. I can be that President." This theme, that Obama is weak and in over his head, has been a common talking point of the Romney campaign. Romney declared "I have the private sector experience to understand our economy, and most importantly, get it running again. Barack Obama thinks more spending and more taxes is the answer. I disagree." Romney talked about his record at Bain Capital, declaring "I know President Obama will try to smear my record. He hasn't got any real-world experience, he was a community organizer in Chicago when I was creating thousands of jobs. When you're a failure, the only course of action is to take down success." In an example, Romney referenced that he had helped start up Staples. Romney then launched into a defense of his economic plan, which would cut "wasteful spending and close the loopholes", cut taxes by 20%, a move Romney said would "create millions and millions of jobs. It will be a dramatic contrast to the failure and stagnation we have seen under this administration" and streamline regulations. Romney said "Under President Obama, unemployment is over 8%, the national debt is at historic highs, growth is weak to non-existent. This country's leadership has failed. My plan will jump-start our economy, and as we saw in the 1980s under Ronald Reagan, millions of jobs will be created. It will be a renewal for our country."
OBAMA PROMISES IMMIGRATION REFORM IN SECOND TERM ON UNIVISION-APRIL 16, 2012
 
MIKE GRAVEL VOWS TO FIGHT 'ALL THE WAY TO CHARLOTTE', REFUSES TO DROP OUT-APRIL 18, 2012

OBAMA CAMPAIGN ATTACKS ROMNEY ON BAIN CAPITAL, AD LABELS HIM AS 'JOB DESTROYER'-APRIL 23, 2012

The Obama campaign released an ad attacking Romney's record at Bain Capital. The ad, called 'Steel', highlighted workers from GST Steel, a Kansas mill that went under after being bought by Bain. One said "We view Mitt Romney as a job destroyer" and another referred to Bain as a "vampire." Priorities USA, a pro-Obama Super PAC, also ran an ad on GST, with a worker saying "Romney promised us the same thing he promised the United States. He'll give you the same thing he gave us: nothing. He'll take it all." The ads copied the attacks used by Ted Kennedy when he successfully fended off a challenge from Romney in 1994. The attacks on Bain have received widespread opposition. Romney highlighted Bain's involvement in Steel Dynamics, a more successful investment that resulted in it becoming a national company. Former Obama car czar Steve Rattner said the attacks were "unfair" and Bain had done "nothing they need to be embarrassed about." Former Pennsylvania Governor said the ad was "very disappointing" and former Democratic Congressman from Tennessee, Harold Ford Jr, said "Private equity is not a bad thing. In fact, private equity is a good thing in many, many instances."
CORY BOOKER CALLS ATTACKS ON BAIN CAPITAL 'NAUSEATING'-APRIL 25, 2012

ROMNEY LEADS IN RCP AVERAGE OVER OBAMA-APRIL 30, 2012
ROMNEY 46.9%, OBAMA 45.7%

STAPLES FOUNDER TOM STEMBERG ENDORSES 'PRIVATE SECTOR GENIUS' ROMNEY, CREDITS ROMNEY AND BAIN WITH STAPLES STARTUP-MAY 2, 2012

GRAVEL WINS WEST VIRGINIA, BEATS PRESIDENT OBAMA!-MAY 8, 2012

West Virginia primary results-Democratic
Mike Gravel-51.21%
President Barack Obama-48.79%​
Former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel has won a stunning victory in the Democratic primary against President Obama. Obama had seen off Gravel's earlier challenge, and there was no sign that they were in trouble. However, as the results began to come in, it started to become apparent that things were going wrong for Obama. The early returns were dismissed by Democratic pundits, but as the night went on, Gravel retained a narrow lead in West Virginia. The realization set in, and the White House tweeted "Whatever happens in West Virginia, the math is for us." They then tweeted that Hillary Clinton had crushed Obama in West Virginia in 2008, and released a short statement calling the loss "unfortunate" and said "We are going to keep fighting for the American people, we will beat Mitt Romney and win this election." Gravel clearly had no expectation of winning either, and rushed to give a short press conference, saying "This is truly, an incredible victory. Thank you. I look forward to continuing the fight, there is no doubt that our voices will be heard now. I am going to keep fighting and make sure the American people have a true choice." Mitt Romney released a short statement congratulating Gravel for his win in West Virginia and rubbing salt in Obama's wound, saying "Even his own party is abandoning him." Obama is the first incumbent President since Jimmy Carter in 1980 to lose a state in a presidential primary.

[Fubart Solman]

I should've known that WV would vote against Obama.

[Israel]

Gravel's victory will give him support

[Pericles]

TEA PARTY CHALLENGER UNSEATS SENATOR LUGAR IN PRIMARY-MAY 8, 2012

POLITICAL WORLD IN SHOCK AFTER OBAMA LOSS IN WEST VIRGINIA PRIMARY-MAY 9, 2012

REPUBLICANS EXPLOIT OBAMA WV LOSS, COMPARISONS TO JIMMY CARTER AGAIN GAIN TRACTION-MAY 9, 2012

HOW OBAMA LOST WEST VIRGINIA-MAY 10, 2012
THE INSIDE STORY TO THE UPSET NO ONE SAW COMING

President Obama was not supposed to lose a primary, let alone to Mike Gravel. The thought was simply inconceivable. Obama faced off Gravel's early challenge, where him getting over 20% in New Hampshire was considered an upset and an embarrassment. With a push from the Obama campaign, Gravel was forced into single digits in most states. Gravel saw an opportunity for an upset in West Virginia, Obama lost there by a 41% margin in the 2008 primaries. Obama on the other hand paid no attention to the West Virginia primary, presuming they had it wrapped up. The Obama campaign in the state got very little funds, and despite requesting more, they were rebuffed. Volunteers on the ground warned that Gravel could make a strong showing. Only one poll was taken, a May 1 poll that had Obama at 48% and Gravel at 39%. It was a potential warning sign, but got dismissed as an outlier. Obama did not visit the state once, neither did any Obama campaign surrogates. One Gravel campaigner said "The Obama campaign operation seemed non-existent. They never thought it would be a contest." The White House got its first inkling that something was wrong when returns came in showing Gravel with an early lead. The state never liked Obama, and his environmentalist policies and support of cap and trade turned off voters there. Voters turned out in force for Gravel, just to send a message to Obama. That message has now been sent.
COULD GRAVEL WIN AGAIN? ARKANSAS POLL SHOWS TIED RACE, KENTUCKY POLL SHOWS OBAMA LEADING BY JUST 5 POINTS-MAY 11, 2012

OBAMA RUNS ADS IN PRIMARY STATES, CAMPAIGNS IN ARKANSAS, BIDEN HEADS TO KENTUCKY-MAY 12, 2012

MASSACHUSETTS FAMILY PROVIDES CHARACTER WITNESS FOR ROMNEY AT CAMPAIGN RALLY-MAY 15, 2012
ROMNEY CAMPAIGN MAKES AD OUT OF STORY
ROMNEY HELPED DYING 14-YEAR OLD BOY WRITE WILL, GAVE EULOGY AT FUNERAL

A pair of former Massachusetts residents, Ted and Pat Oparowski, made a surprise appearance at a Mitt Romney rally. In 1979, Mitt Romney ministered to a 14-year old boy, David Oparowski, who was dying of cancer. Romney helped David write a will and he gave the eulogy at David's funeral. "To spend time with a 14-year-old boy in his last days, you cannot help but know that he's caring," Pat said "He cares about people and about their needs. I think he's going to be able to get us back on track, I really do." The story has been made into an ad by pro-r Romney Super PACs, and has been used in an attempt to 'humanise' the candidate. A persistent weakness of Romney has been in his likability and in ratings on 'cares about people like me'.
OBAMA CAMPAIGN AND SUPER PAC POUND ROMNEY ON BAIN CAPITAL

ROMNEY&REPUBLICANS OUTSPEND OBAMA, ADS BEGIN POUNDING OBAMA ON ECONOMY

OBAMA SURVIVES ARKANSAS, KENTUCKY PRIMARIES WITH NARROW WINS-MAY 22, 2012

Arkansas primary results-Democratic
President Barack Obama-51.0%
Mike Gravel-49.0%
Kentucky primary results-Democratic
President Barack Obama-51.8%
Mike Gravel-48.2%​
President Obama won narrow victories in the Arkansas and Kentucky primaries, avoiding another embarrassing primary loss. However, Obama's wins were very narrow, and signal that he is a vulnerable incumbent heading into the general. Obama allies note that Arkansas, Kentucky and West Virginia are all solidly red states, however Obama has been surprisingly weak in this year's primaries against Mike Gravel's challenge. Obama celebrated his victory, thanking voters in Arkansas and Kentucky for endorsing his candidacy, and declaring "I look forward to the rest of this campaign, and representing our progressive platform. We need to unite to win a second term and stop Mitt Romney and his dangerous agenda for our country."
ROMNEY DEFENDS BAIN RECORD, SAYS OBAMA ATTACKS 'LIES' AND 'ATTEMPT TO HIDE FROM FAILED RECORD'-MAY 24, 2012

OBAMA APPROVAL RATING AT 45%-MAY 27, 2012

ROMNEY LEADS IN RCP AVERAGE OVER OBAMA:-JUNE 1, 2012
ROMNEY 46.2%, OBAMA 44.8%

PRESIDENT OBAMA: PRIVATE SECTOR DOING FINE-JUNE 8, 2012
ROMNEY ATTACKS OBAMA AS OUT OF TOUCH, POINTS TO 8.2% UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

President Obama said in his daily press briefing "We created 4.3 million jobs over the last 27 months, over 800,000 just this year alone. The private sector is doing fine. The weakness we're seeing in our economy has to do with state and local governments." The comment is widely seen as a gaffe by the President, and his comment could be seen as suggesting that the economy is doing fine. Republicans certainly thought that, and pounced, attacking Obama on the high unemployment rate in the economy. Obama soon revised his comments and made clear he does not think the economy is fine, but that is what many people heard with his comments, and Republicans will certainly make hay out of it.
WASHINGTON POST: ROMNEY, BAIN WERE 'PIONEERS' IN OUTSOURCING JOBS-JUNE 21, 2012
​
An article by The Washington Post has claimed that Mitt Romney, in his time at Bain Capital, outsourced jobs out of the US to low-wage countries, saying "Romney was actively involved in running Bain..it owned companies that were pioneers in the practice of shipping work from the United States to overseas call centers and factories making computer components in low wage countries like China and India." The article hits hard at a vulnerability for the Romney campaign, and the Obama campaign has sought to twist the knife. Obama declared "It was reported in The Washington Post that the companies Romney's firm owned were 'pioneers' in the outsourcing of American jobs to places like China and India. Pioneers! We don't need an outsourcing pioneer in the Oval Office. We need a President who will fight for American jobs and fight for American manufacturing."
ROMNEY CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS INACCURACIES IN WAPO ARTICLE, SAYS ROMNEY WAS NOT IN CHARGE OF BAIN WHEN OUTSOURCING TOOK PLACE-JUNE 22, 2012
WASHINGTON POST REFUSES TO RETRACT ARTICLE

NEW ROMNEY AD BOASTS THAT ROMNEY CREATED 'THOUSANDS OF JOBS' AT BAIN CAPITAL-JUNE 25, 2012
ROMNEY: PRESIDENT OBAMA DESPISES WHAT HE IS NOT, SUCCESS

SUPREME COURT RULES THAT OBAMACARE IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL!-JUNE 28, 2012

The Supreme Court has issued a dramatic ruling on the fate of President Obama's signature healthcare reform, Obamacare. By a margin of 5-4, the Court has ruled that the individual mandate in Obamacare is unconstitutional, arguing that the mandate was an illegitimate regulation of commerce under the Commerce Clause of the constitution. Obamacare was highly controversial right from the start, and was passed in 2010 after a bitter battle in Congress. It attracted the virulent opposition of the Republican Party, which has promised to "repeal and replace" the law. While the law as a whole was upheld, the individual mandate underpinning it, which forces all Americas to buy coverage or pay a fine, was ruled unconstitutional. This could make the rest of the law untenable. President Obama declared "This decision is one I strongly disagree with, however we must abide by the will of the Supreme Court. I urge Congress to act as soon as possible to amend the law to ensure that the objectives of the law are achieved and affordable coverage can be granted to all Americans." Protests outside the Court occurred with strong reactions from both sides. Republicans declared victory, with Speaker John Boehner and other Republicans applauding the decision and attacking Obama. Shares in insurance companies set to lose millions of customers and face a turbulent market plunged steeply. Mitt Romney declared "This decision is an indictment of not just Obamacare but President Obama himself. He, instead of focusing on repairing the economy, spent his first year in office championing a destructive and, unconstitutional law. I promise to act in office to repeal the remainder of Obamacare and replace it." The full impact of this decision remains to be seen.

[OSR stands with Israel]

This is what I predict

Romney/Ryan 321
Obama/Biden 217

[NHI]

This is an awesome timeline!

[Pericles]

This is an awesome timeline!

Thanks! Stay tuned for more updates coming soon.

[DPKdebator]

This is what I predict

Romney/Ryan 321
Obama/Biden 217

I feel plagarized

Very interesting! 2012 was not unwinnable for Republicans, so it'll be fascinating to see how this goes.

Current prediction:


Obama - 217
Romney - 321

This scenario assumes a Romney victory with a 5 million lead in the popular vote (like OTL 2012 flipped). Romney gets his actual results plus FL, VA, PA, NH, OH, WI, IA, CO, and AZ. I kept MI, MN, and ME-02 Democratic since I feel it's too early for them to flip and Trump's appeal in those regions was largely to the WWC (I don't believe Romney ran a campaign focused on this demographic).

[OSR stands with Israel]

This is what I predict

Romney/Ryan 321
Obama/Biden 217

I feel plagarized

Very interesting! 2012 was not unwinnable for Republicans, so it'll be fascinating to see how this goes.

Current prediction:


Obama - 217
Romney - 321

This scenario assumes a Romney victory with a 5 million lead in the popular vote (like OTL 2012 flipped). Romney gets his actual results plus FL, VA, PA, NH, OH, WI, IA, CO, and AZ. I kept MI, MN, and ME-02 Democratic since I feel it's too early for them to flip and Trump's appeal in those regions was largely to the WWC (I don't believe Romney ran a campaign focused on this demographic).

This was my Kasich vs Hillary prediction before the email scandal came up

[Progressive]

Very cool timeline. Loving the detail.

[Devout Centrist]

Why did Neptune Spear fail? That seems highly unlikely, especially in such a dramatic fashion. The rest is really well done.

[jojoju1998]

This is what I predict

Romney/Ryan 321
Obama/Biden 217

I feel plagarized

Very interesting! 2012 was not unwinnable for Republicans, so it'll be fascinating to see how this goes.

Current prediction:


Obama - 217
Romney - 321

This scenario assumes a Romney victory with a 5 million lead in the popular vote (like OTL 2012 flipped). Romney gets his actual results plus FL, VA, PA, NH, OH, WI, IA, CO, and AZ. I kept MI, MN, and ME-02 Democratic since I feel it's too early for them to flip and Trump's appeal in those regions was largely to the WWC (I don't believe Romney ran a campaign focused on this demographic).

This was my Kasich vs Hillary prediction before the email scandal came up

At least in Both Scenarios you had the Republican win both the Popular and Electoral Votes.... unlike in Real Life.....

[Pericles]

OBAMACARE RULING SHOCKS POLITICAL WORLD-JUNE 29, 2012
REPUBLICANS ATTACK OBAMA FOR PASSING UNCONSTITUTIONAL LAW IN MIDDLE OF RECESSION-JUNE 30, 2012

Following the repeal of Obamacare, the President has been left wide open to Republican attacks. Mitt Romney said yesterday "President Obama wasted a year of his presidency, ramming Obamacare, an unconstitutional law, through Congress. That is a year he could have spent healing our economy, focusing on creating jobs for Americans, rather than pursuing a misguided, partisan, unconstitutional law." Finally, Mitt Romney has found a way to attack Obamacare without attention being drawn to Romneycare in Massachusetts. Other Republicans have voiced similar sentiments. Congressman Paul Ryan said "Instead of creating jobs in his first year in office, he pushed for an unconstitutional, job-killing law." Republicans have also argued that Obama lacks any achievements without Obamacare, with Mitch McConnell saying "This ruling confirms what we all knew; Barack Obama is a failed, unaccomplished President." The argument that Obama wasted his political capital on an unconstitutional law instead of creating jobs looks likely to gain traction with the current economic and political environment.
DEMOCRATS ATTACK 'RIGHT-WING' SUPREME COURT-JULY 1, 2012

Democrats have harshly criticized the Supreme Court's decision on Obamacare in National Federation of Independent Business v Sebelius. By a margin of 5-4, the Court struck down the individual mandate in the law, key to the functioning of Obamacare. It has been widely mentioned that the 5 justices who struck down the mandate were appointed by Republican presidents, while the 4 who voted to keep it were all appointed by Democrat Presidents. The rationale for repeal has been criticized, with Democrats claiming it was a flimsy precedent because of language of the law, and that the decision was made on a partisan basis, just like the Bush v Gore decision in 2000. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid declared "This decision is, absolutely, a total fraud on the American people. Partisan, unelected judges have taken away people's healthcare and assaulted our democracy." Nancy Pelosi said the decision was a "travesty" and a "spit in the face of the rule of law." John Boehner fired back that "the rule of law triumphed with this decision. The Democratic Party did not."
OBAMA CAMPAIGN ALLEGES MITT ROMNEY COMMITTED A FELONY-JULY 12, 2012
​
Obama deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter said in relation to Mitt Romney's claims that after 1999 he was not in charge of Bain Capital that "Either Mitt Romney, through his own work and his own signature, was misrepresenting his position at Bain to the SEC, which is a felony, or he was misrepresenting his position at Bain to the American people to avoid responsibility for some of the consequences of his investments." The Romney campaign responded furiously to the accusation that their candidate was a felon, with Romney campaign manager Matt Rhoades saying in a statement: “President Obama’s campaign hit a new low today when one of its senior advisers made a reckless and unsubstantiated charge to reporters about Mitt Romney that was so over the top that it calls into question the integrity of their entire campaign. President Obama ought to apologize for the out-of-control behavior of his staff, which demeans the office he holds. Campaigns are supposed to be hard fought, but statements like those made by Stephanie Cutter belittle the process and the candidate on whose behalf she works." Romney said on his role at Bain "I retired from Bain Capital in February 1999 to manage the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. I was an investor in Bain, but I was not involved in its decisions after 1999. You can ask them at Bain, I was not managing the operations of Bain Capital from after 1999. The claim that I was managing Bain and responsible for its operations after that date is false, I retired in February 1999."
PRESIDENT OBAMA: IF YOU HAVE A BUSINESS, YOU DIDN'T BUILD THAT-JULY 13, 2012

At a campaign rally in Ronoake, Virginia, President Obama said "If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you've got a business – you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen." The comment has caused a media firestorm and conservatives have unleashed attacks on Obama for the statement. For example, in reaction to the speech, Mark Levin said that Obama was "disrespecting the American people" and that "he despises the capitalist system". The Obama campaign said his statements have been taken out of context.
MITT ROMNEY GAFFES ON FOREIGN TRIP, QUESTIONS LONDON'S READINESS FOR OLYMPIC GAMES-JULY 26, 2012
 ​
Mitt Romney's foreign trip, meant to show his foreign policy experience, has been knocked off track by a series of gaffes. The main one was when he questioned London's readiness for the Olympic Games this year, saying "You know, it's hard to know just how well it will turn out. There are a few things that were disconcerting, the stories about private security firms not having enough people, the supposed strike of immigration and customs officials, that obviously is not something that's encouraging. Then there are the people of the country. Do they come together and celebrate the Olympic moment? And that's something we only find out once the Games begin." Romney's comments have been rebuked by Prime Minister David Cameron and London Mayor Boris Johnson. Cameron said "We are holding the Olympic Games in one of the busiest, most active, bustling cities anywhere in the world. Of course" in reference to Romney's 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City "it's easier if you hold the Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere." Boris Johnson fired back "There's a guy called Mitt Romney who wants to know whether we're ready!" eliciting boos from the large crowd. Romney also forgot the name of Labour leader Ed Miliband and blurted out that he met with the head of MI6, something that is usually kept out of public knowledge.
ROMNEY VP SHORTLIST: RUBIO, CHRISTIE, PORTMAN, PAWLENTY, RYAN
SENATE MAJORITY LEADER HARRY REID ALLEGES ROMNEY PAID NO TAXES FOR 10 YEARS-AUGUST 2, 2012
 ​
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has been making the extraordinary allegation that Mitt Romney paid no taxes for 10 years and that is why he won't release more of his tax returns. Reid said on the Senate floor "As we know, he has refused to release his tax returns. If a person coming before this body wanted to be a Cabinet officer, he couldn't be if he had the same refusal Mitt Romney does about tax returns. So the word is out that he has not paid any taxes for 10 years. Let him prove he has paid taxes, because he has not." Reid offered as 'evidence' only an anonymous Bain investor who supposedly told him Romney paid no taxes. Reid has attracted staunch condemnation from conservatives, and even from some liberal commentators. RNC Chairman called Reid "a dirty liar", Senator Lindsey Graham agreed, the Romney campaign accused Reid of McCarthyism. Romney said he has never paid an effective tax rate of less than 13%, and said "It's understandable that Harry wants to distract people from the facts with his lies and stunts. But he rammed through an unconstitutional law, he has been the most partisan Senate leader in history, he and Barack Obama have utterly failed to create jobs in this country. Come January 2013, I believe that I will be the President and he will be the Senate Minority Leader."
JOHN BRUNNER WINS GOP PRIMARY FOR MISSOURI SENATE RACE, DEMOCRAT SENATOR MCCASKILL VULNERABLE TO LOSE SEAT-AUGUST 7, 2012
The Missouri Senate race is looking competitive. Businessman John Brunner won the GOP primary narrowly in a three-way race, beating social conservative Todd Akin and Palin-endorsed Sarah Steelman. The Missouri Senate race is a ripe pickup for the GOP, and Brunner's victory aids the GOP's hopes of winning a Senate majority, and fulfilling Mitt Romney's prediction that Harry Reid will be Minority Leader. Missouri is considered a red state, narrowly going for John McCain in 2008 when Barack Obama won nationally in a landslide. Incumbent Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill is considered one of the most vulnerable incumbents, having won narrowly in 2006, and a prime pickup target for the GOP.
ROMNEY SELECTS PAUL RYAN AS RUNNING MATE-AUGUST 11, 2012
​
Mitt Romney announced that he has selected Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate. Ryan authored the controversial Path to Prosperity budget, commonly known as the Ryan budget, that cut social spending and reformed entitlements, including turning Medicare into a voucher system. Ryan is a young, energetic Congressman and seen as a rising star in the party. The selection of Ryan seeks to turn the election into a contrast of ideas and make the campaign seem more consequential, putting the size and role of the federal government center stage. Romney allies also hope that Ryan could put his home-state of Wisconsin and its 10 electoral votes into play. The Ryan pick looks to energize the conservative base and Tea Party, which has been unenthusiastic about Romney. However, his stances on Medicare and entitlements could be a liability to the ticket and shine a focus on an area where the Republican position is unpopular. Ryan does put fiscal issues and the deficit to the forefront, given the very high debt under Obama that could hurt the President. The choice of Ryan leaves America with a stark choice between a conservative vision for America under Romney and President Obama's progressive agenda.

[Israel]

Nice!

[Pericles]

Nice!

Thanks! Next update will be the first one that you don't already know what happens because it was not posted on AH.com.

[The Congressman]

Nice!

Thanks! Next update will be the first one that you don't already know what happens because it was not posted on AH.com.

We can't wait!

[Pericles]

Nice!

Thanks! Next update will be the first one that you don't already know what happens because it was not posted on AH.com.

We can't wait!

Right I hope to do it soon.

[thumb21]

The detail is amazing, can't wait for more!

[Pericles]

The detail is amazing, can't wait for more!

Thanks, update coming soon!

[Pericles]

VICE-PRESIDENT BIDEN TO AFRICAN-AMERICANS: ROMNEY/RYAN WILL 'PUT Y'ALL BACK IN CHAINS'-AUGUST 14, 2012

The final night saw a push to relate Mitt Romney to the American voter and humanize him. The Oparowskis told the story of how Romney helped their leukemia stricken child write a will and gave the eulogy at his funeral, a speech that brought many in the hall to tears. Bob White from Bain Capital defended the firm and at the end of his speech condemned President Obama, saying "Barack Obama, your attacks on free enterprise, your attacks on success, disgust me. But more than that, your attacks on free enterprise are un-American!" This elicited cheers from the hall. Tom Stemberg from Staples praised Romney, as did Ray Fernandez, the CEO of Vilda Pharmacy, and Jane Edmonds, an African-American liberal Democrat who worked with Romney at Bain. Three Olympians did the same. A 10-minute biographical video of Romney moved many watching inside and outside of the hall. A planned speech by Clint Eastwood was mysteriously cancelled. Then, Mitt Romney accepted the Republican nomination. Romney bashed President Obama, mocking his promise to tackle global warming "President Obama promised to begin to slow the rise of the oceans and heal the planet" the crowd laughs, and several signs saying 'Vote Romney, Vote Keystone'(referencing the Keystone pipeline) were seen. "My promise is to protect you and your family." Romney declared "What America needs is jobs-lots of jobs." Romney also told a story of his parents and a flower, and how every day Romney's father gave his mother a flower, and when he died, no flower was the clue. And then, Romney finished the speech and Tampa was over. It was down to the final stretch, and, if the polls hold, Romney winning the election.

[The Congressman]

Awesome! Probably for the best that Clint's speech was cancelled. Wonder what will happen with the DNC

[Pericles]

Awesome! Probably for the best that Clint's speech was cancelled. Wonder what will happen with the DNC

Glad you lie it. Clint's speech was a disaster and stole the show. Here are better convention helps Romney. The protests at  the 2016 DNC are some clue for what happens, but both 2012 and 2016 DNC were still pretty successful.

[Pericles]

ROMNEY SURGES TO LEAD IN POLLS AFTER SUCCESSFUL RNC-SEPTEMBER 1, 2012
RCP AVERAGE: ROMNEY 48.0%, OBAMA 44.0%

President Barack Obama was nominated by the Democratic convention and is now officially the Democratic nominee against Republican Mitt Romney. The nomination encountered scattered boos from the floor and chants of "Gravel! Gravel!" but they were quickly drowned out with large chants and cheers for the President. President Obama took the stage and accepted the nomination. Visibly aged since 2008, he was no less effective in front of a crowd. Obama, facing the prospect of a humiliating defeat, defended his record and attacked his opponents. The President declared "Mitt Romney likes to ask 'are you better off than you were four years ago?' Well, let me tell you. Four years ago, our nation was on the brink, in two disastrous wars and our economy going off the cliff. Now, we are coming back. We have drawn down in Iraq, and General Motors is alive. It's easy to stand on the sidelines, and sling mud. You know what's hard? Doing the work, working for you, the American people!" Obama declared "We have done what Mitt Romney is proposing before, and it failed. We cannot afford to double down on failure, we cannot afford to double down on trickle down." He said"That (Romney's platform) is tge definition of insanity. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result!" Obama finished saying "The election four years ago wasn't about me. It was about you. My fellow citizens-you were the change."
 

[Israel]

Good update, race seems to get more heated

[Pericles]

Good update, race seems to get more heated

Indeed. Next update will be September then the debates.