Let The Record Show...

Here are some highlights from the research paper John McCain's team produced on Mitt Romney before they made their Veep choice:

SPENDING:-Under Governor Romney, State Spending Increased By More Than 24% (Over $5 Billion) In Only Three Years – An Annual Increase Of 8% 

-To Close Budget Gap And Fund New Spending, Romney Increased Fees And Taxes By Roughly $700 Million Per Year, According To Independent Experts 

TAXES:-Total State And Local Tax Burden Increased More Than 7% Under Romney And Massachusetts’ Corporate Tax Climate Is Among The Nation's Worst 

-Romney implemented three rounds of tax changes (which he referred to as “closing loopholes”) which increased business taxes by an estimated $400 million per year. 

-As Governor, Romney Signed Into Law 50% Increase In State Cremation Fee, Called By Some A “New Hidden Tax On The Dead 

-Under Romney, Homeowners Saw Property Taxes Rise To Highest Level In Decades 

-Romney Cut State Aid To Cities And Towns, Forcing Property Tax Increases Throughout The State 

STATE FEES:-Romney Imposed Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars In Fee Increases, Affecting Virtually Everyone In Massachusetts, While Insisting They Were Not New Taxes 

-Romney Proposed Increasing Fees On Hospitalized Veterans 

-Romney Raised Gun Licensing Fee By 400 Percent 

JOBS & ECONOMY:-Under Romney, Massachusetts Dramatically Underperformed The Nation In Terms Of Job Growth 

-Romney’s Government “Reforms” Panned As Largely Ineffective 

-Massachusetts Was Only State With Three Straight Years Of Shrinking Labor Force From 2003-05 

-Under Romney, Massachusetts Lost Major Employers Like Gillette And Fleet While Others Cut Jobs 

-Romney has been criticized by experts for failing to deliver on issues of business development and economic growth after selling himself as the “CEO governor." 

-Romney left his successor to fill a budget deficit exceeding $1 billion. 

FOREIGN POLICY:-Romney said capturing Osama bin Laden would result in “very insignificant increase in safety” for America and such effort was “not worth moving heaven and earth and spending billions of dollars” to
catch one person 

-After calling for economic divestment from Iran, Romney was embarrassed by revelation that the Italian branch of Bain & Company – firm where Romney started as young consultant and served as CEO in early‘90s – received $2.3 million contract from National Iranian Oil Company in 2004. 

-Bain Capital, the private equity firm that made Romney his fortune, currently owns a chemicals and paint company called SigmaKalon that operates an office in Tehran.
POLITICAL ISSUES:-Romney left the state GOP weaker than when he took over as governor, with the party described as being “at its weakest point in years.” 

-Top Romney campaign aides and surrogates have ties to several recent Washington ethics scandals (e.g. Jason Roe, Former Feeney Chief Of Staff, “Resigned Abruptly” From Position As Romney Deputy Campaign Manager After FBI Inquiries Into Abramoff Ties)
ABORTION:-During His Political Career, Romney Has Been Pro-Choice, Then Not Pro-Choice, Then Pro-Choice Again, Now Claims To Be Pro-Life. 

-Romney’s Wife Contributed To Planned Parenthood 

-As Governor, Romney Ordered Catholic Hospitals To Distribute Emergency Contraception 

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT:-On Same Day In 2005, Romney Supported, Then Opposed Northeast Regional Compact On Climate Change 

-In 2005, Romney Dramatically Lamented Lack Of Progress On Fuel Efficiency – Then Just Hours Later Said He Did Not Support Tougher Fuel Efficiency Standards
EDUCATION:-Romney Supports No Child Left Behind Act, Raises Concerns Over Specific Testing Processes 

-1994: As Senate Candidate, Romney Backed Eliminating Federal Department Of Education 

VETERANS ISSUES:-Shortly After Taking Office, Romney Proposed Cutting State Hiring Preferences For Veterans And Merging Veterans Care Facilities Into Jurisdiction Of Social Welfare Administrators 

-Romney Tried To Cut $165,000 From Veterans Outreach In 2003.
BUSINESS RECORD:-Romney’s Background As CEO And Corporate Dealmaker Seen As Influence On His Political Tactics 

-Under Romney’s Leadership, Bain Capital Had History Of Relentless Focus On Bottom Line, Improving Corporate Profits At Expense Of Local Workers 

-Romney Was Board Member Of Company Fined Over $100 Million For Medicare Fraud – At The Time, It Was The Largest Criminal Fine For Health Care Fraud In History 

-Romney’s Firm Owned Company Named Ampad That Purchased Indiana Paper Plant, Fired Its Workers And Offered To Bring Them Back At Drastically Reduced Salary & Benefits 

-Under Bain Management, Stream Declined To Open Call Centers In Idaho And Wyoming As It Opened Or Expanded Facilities In Canada, Spain, France, Ireland & India 

-After Romney Became Governor, Bain Capital Teamed Up With Chinese Appliance Maker Haier Group In 2005 In Effort To Purchase Newton, IA-Based Maytag Corp. And Send Jobs Overseas 

-Bain Capital Held Controlling Stake In Outsourced Manufacturing Services Provider Modus Media, Inc. (Formerly Known As Modus Media Int'l, Inc.) From Early 1998 Thru Mid-2004 

-Modus Media’s Expansive Operations In China Were Called “Key Attraction” After Company Was Purchased By CMGI In 2004 

FLIP-FLOPS-NO NEW TAXES PLEDGE: Romney Refused To Sign ATR Pledge Against Raising Taxes In 2002, Eagerly Signed It In 2007 

-REAGAN LEGACY: Romney Distanced Himself From President Reagan In 1994, Saying He Was An Independent During Reagan Years, But Now Claims Reagan As His Hero 

-SECOND AMENDMENT: Romney Once Bragged Of Opposing NRA, Promised Not To “Chip Away” At Tough Gun Laws But Now Seeks NRA Endorsement

-UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE: After Striving To Take Credit For Universal Health Insurance Bill In Massachusetts, Romney Is Now Running Away From His Own Plan 

-GAY MARRIAGE: In 2002, Romney Refused To Endorse Constitutional Amendment Banning Gay Marriage, Saying It Was Too Extreme, But Later Endorsed Amendment Banning Gay Marriage In 2001 

-STEM CELL RESEARCH: Romney Once Endorsed Embryonic Stem Cell Research And Promised To "Work & Fight" For It Before Changing His Position

Nothing really new there, I guess. But remember: this was John McCain's research team. Not exactly a revelation that the guy was a lousy governor except for one accomplishment which he alternately denies and hypes; nor is it news that he's flipped on every issue. But after collecting that data, McCain thought it over and chose the intellectual lightweight, paranoid, nasty, vindictive, self-aggrandizing, record-distorting, future unreality-show starlet, clueless Sarah Palin over Romney. Says something, huh?

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