This evening, in eastern Jackson County:

Which is it, the 47% or the 1%? Just asking.

Candy Crowley fact checked Mitt Romney (r) on his assertion that the President did not call the attack terrorism. Here’s the statement where the President did:

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

September 12, 2012

Remarks by the President on the Deaths of U.S. Embassy Staff in Libya

Rose Garden

10:43 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning.  Every day, all across the world, American diplomats and civilians work tirelessly to advance the interests and values of our nation.  Often, they are away from their families.  Sometimes, they brave great danger.

Yesterday, four of these extraordinary Americans were killed in an attack on our diplomatic post in Benghazi.  Among those killed was our Ambassador, Chris Stevens, as well as Foreign Service Officer Sean Smith.  We are still notifying the families of the others who were killed.  And today, the American people stand united in holding the families of the four Americans in our thoughts and in our prayers.

The United States condemns in the strongest terms this outrageous and shocking attack.  We’re working with the government of Libya to secure our diplomats.  I’ve also directed my administration to increase our security at diplomatic posts around the world.  And make no mistake, we will work with the Libyan government to bring to justice the killers who attacked our people.

Since our founding, the United States has been a nation that respects all faiths.  We reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others.  But there is absolutely no justification to this type of senseless violence.  None.  The world must stand together to unequivocally reject these brutal acts.

Already, many Libyans have joined us in doing so, and this attack will not break the bonds between the United States and Libya.  Libyan security personnel fought back against the attackers alongside Americans.  Libyans helped some of our diplomats find safety, and they carried Ambassador Stevens’s body to the hospital, where we tragically learned that he had died.

It’s especially tragic that Chris Stevens died in Benghazi because it is a city that he helped to save.  At the height of the Libyan revolution, Chris led our diplomatic post in Benghazi.  With characteristic skill, courage, and resolve, he built partnerships with Libyan revolutionaries, and helped them as they planned to build a new Libya.  When the Qaddafi regime came to an end, Chris was there to serve as our ambassador to the new Libya, and he worked tirelessly to support this young democracy, and I think both Secretary Clinton and I relied deeply on his knowledge of the situation on the ground there.  He was a role model to all who worked with him and to the young diplomats who aspire to walk in his footsteps.

Along with his colleagues, Chris died in a country that is still striving to emerge from the recent experience of war. Today, the loss of these four Americans is fresh, but our memories of them linger on.  I have no doubt that their legacy will live on through the work that they did far from our shores and in the hearts of those who love them back home.

Of course, yesterday was already a painful day for our nation as we marked the solemn memory of the 9/11 attacks.  We mourned with the families who were lost on that day.  I visited the graves of troops who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan at the hallowed grounds of Arlington Cemetery, and had the opportunity to say thank you and visit some of our wounded warriors at Walter Reed.  And then last night, we learned the news of this attack in Benghazi.

As Americans, let us never, ever forget that our freedom is only sustained because there are people who are willing to fight for it, to stand up for it, and in some cases, lay down their lives for it.  Our country is only as strong as the character of our people and the service of those both civilian and military who represent us around the globe.

No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for.  Today we mourn four more Americans who represent the very best of the United States of America.  We will not waver in our commitment to see that justice is done for this terrible act.  And make no mistake, justice will be done.

But we also know that the lives these Americans led stand in stark contrast to those of their attackers.  These four Americans stood up for freedom and human dignity.  They should give every American great pride in the country that they served, and the hope that our flag represents to people around the globe who also yearn to live in freedom and with dignity.

We grieve with their families, but let us carry on their memory, and let us continue their work of seeking a stronger America and a better world for all of our children.

Thank you.  May God bless the memory of those we lost and may God bless the United States of America.

END

10:48 A.M. EDT

[emphasis added]

Update:

The video.

At William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri on March 13, 2012 prior to the Missouri presidential primary (video by Jerry Schmidt):

[@5:50] Mitt Romney (r): ….three, three rules. Number one, I’m going to look at every program and ask, is this program so essential it’s worth borrowing money from China to pay for it. And if it doesn’t pass that test I’m getting rid of it. So, Obamacare, goodbye, subsidies for Amtrak and for Planned Parenthood, those things, goodbye. Even PBS. I like, look, I like PBS, I gotta be honest, I like PBS, but we, we borrow money so that PBS doesn’t have to show advertising to our kids. Well, Big Bird’s gonna have to get used to Kellogg’s corn flakes ’cause we’re gonna have to have advertising or bigger donations….

Good nutrition? Not likely. The big food corporations will cut ads on PBS and Sesame Street for Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs if they get half a chance.

Gee, at the debate Mitt Romney didn’t mention Amtrak or Planned Parenthood in the same breath as Big Bird. Or did he? Must be the Todd Akin (r) thing.

Previously: Mitt Romney Speaks to Rally at William Jewel College (March 14, 2012)

Via Twitter:

Sesame Street ‏@sesamestreet

Big Bird: My bed time is usually 7:45, but I was really tired yesterday and fell asleep at 7! Did I miss anything last night? 6:42 AM – 4 Oct 12

Why, yes, you did.

Mitt Romney (r): ….What things would I cut from spending? Well, first of all, I will eliminate all programs by this test, if they don’t pass it, is the program so critical it’s worth borrowing money from China to pay for it? And if not, I’ll get rid of it. Obamacare’s on my list. I apologize, Mr. President. I use that term with all respect, by the way.

President Obama: I like it.

Mitt Romney (r): Good. Okay, good. So I’ll get rid of that. I’m sorry, Jim, I’m going to stop the subsidy to PBS. I’m going to stop other things. I like PBS, I love Big Bird. Actually like you, too. But I’m not going to, I’m not going to keep on spending money on things to borrow money from China to pay for. That’s number one….

Via Sarah Burris.

“…I like Big Bird…”

No you don’t.

Michael Bersin ‏@MBersin

@J_Hancock Yeah, but Romney wants Big Bird to work as the canary in the coal mine. 8:30 PM – 3 Oct 12

Apparently Mitt Romney’s (r) campaign can’t manage the debate expectations game very well. They let slip that Willard has been preparing some debate “zingers”. Twitter denizens have been obliging with suggestions.  

A few of the good ones:

Marta Evry ‏@venice4change

“You’re so poor, you only have one house” #RomneyZingers 1:10 PM – 29 Sep 12

Chris Dalzell ‏@ChrisDalzell1

#RomneyZingers “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what your country will bring on the Chinese market.” 4:50 PM – 30 Sep 12

Sara Dougherty ‏@SaraDougherty4

#RomneyZingers “I paid $10,000 for that microphone!” 8:25 PM – 30 Sep 12

James Dennis ‏@jamespauljr

A Kenyan, a Muslim, & a Socialist walk into a bar. The bartender says, What’ll ya have, Mr. President?”. #romneyzingers 6:19 PM – 30 Sep 12

Mitt’s Cayman Cash ‏@MittsCaymanCash

They say Mitt’s working on his zingers for the debate. I’m just collecting interest. #RomneyZingers 9:00 PM – 30 Sep 12

Is this a great country, or what?

A new ad from Obama/Biden 2012, running in Iowa, Nevada, Virginia, and Ohio:

President Obama: I’m Barack Obama and I approve this message.

Narrator: Mitt Romney, he won’t reveal what’s in his taxes and he won’t tell you what he’d do to yours. To pay for huge new tax breaks for millionaires like him…

[The Wall Street Journal, 8/1/12, Study: Romney’s Tax Plan Hits Middle Class]

… Romney would have to raise taxes on the middle class. Two thousand dollars for a family with children…

[“taxpayers with children who make less than $200,000 would pay, on average, $2,000 more in taxes”]

…says a non-partisan report. You could lose the deduction for your home mortgage, college tuition, health care.

How much would you pay? Romney just won’t say.

Uh, yep.

Via Mother Jones, Public Policy Polling (PPP) did a survey [pdf] of 1,072 likely voters in Ohio September 7th through the 9th, 2012. The margin of error is 3%.

Some evil genius came up with a question for the poll. The crosstabulations are very interesting.

Q15 Who do you think deserves more credit for the killing of Osama bin Laden: Barack Obama or Mitt Romney?

Base [all]

Barack Obama – 63%

Mitt Romney – 6%

Not sure – 31%

Democrat

Barack Obama – 86%

Mitt Romney – 1%

Not sure – 13%

Republican

Barack Obama – 38%

Mitt Romney – 15%

Not sure – 47%

Independent/Other

Barack Obama – 64%

Mitt Romney – 1%

Not sure – 36%

[emphasis added]

That’s interesting. It’s curious that it’s not 27%.

From Obama/Biden 2012:

[Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan won’t answer the most basic questions about their tax plan]

Mitt Romney (r): …Massachusetts.

David Gregory: Give me an example of a loophole that you will close.

Mitt Romney (r): Well, I can tell you that people at the high end, high income taxpayers are gonna have fewer deductions and exemptions.

Norah O’Donnell: The Tax Policy Center has done an analysis and they say there is no way to pay for the cuts that you’ve proposed without either increasing the deficit or raising taxes on the middle class, because you would have to get rid of deductions and loopholes that benefit the middle class in order to pay for those tax cuts that you’re proposing and that increase in defense spending.

Paul Ryan (r): So, the good news for us, Norah, is they didn’t even actually analyze the Romney plan. There are five other studies that have [crosstalk] one, what, what…    

Norah O’Donnell: Well there isn’t a Romney plan that’s been specific about [crosstalk] which deductions and loopholes he’s close, would close.

Paul Ryan (r): Right, so…

George Stephanopoulos: Uh, many say it’s in, it’s difficult to accept your word if you’re not gonna specify which tax loopholes you’re willing to close. Don’t voters have a right to know which loopholes you’re gonna go after?

Paul Ryan (r): So, Mitt Romney and I, based on our experience think the best way to do this is to show the framework, show the outlines to these plans, and then to work with Congress to do this. That’s how you get things done. The other thing, [crosstalk] George, is…

George Stephanopoulos: Isn’t that a secret plan? [crosstalk] Why…

Paul Ryan (r): We don’t [crosstalk]…

George Stephanopoulos: …not say right now [crosstalk] which loophole you’re willing to close?

Paul Ryan (r): Because we want to do this, we want to have this, George, because we want to have this debate in the public. We should do it out in the public view where the public can participate.

George Stephanopoulos: But that’s exactly what I’m suggesting, having it in public before the election so voters can have that information before the make up their minds.

George Will: But there is uncertainty surrounding the Romney Ryan tax cut plan because they have not specified the deductions that will be closed. And we know where the big money is, mortgage interest deductions, charitable deductions, taxing as compensation, which it is, employer provided health insurance, and state and local taxes. All of those you either hit all of the rich, in which case you don’t get much money, or you hit the middle class.

[The Romney/Ryan Plan: Not bold leadership, just bad math]

And we lose to these people?

Game. Set. Match. Election.

Apparently Mitt Romney is going to announce on the U.S.S. Wisconsin in Virginia today that Paul Ryan (r), not Joe Lieberman, will be his vice presidential running mate.

April 4, 2011

GOP Aim: Cut $4 Trillion

Budget Plan Would Transform Medicare, Reset Budget Debate; Democrats Balk

….The budget has been prepared by Rep. Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican and the new chairman of the House Budget Committee….

….The plan would essentially end Medicare, which now pays most of the health-care bills for 48 million elderly and disabled Americans, as a program that directly pays those bills…..

….Conservative activists who are familiar with the Ryan plan said they expect it to call for a fundamental overhaul of the tax system, with a 25% top rate for both individuals and corporations, compared to the current 35% top rate….

Medicare in the Ryan Budget

By Paul N. Van de Water

March 28, 2012

….Most Medicare beneficiaries live on modest incomes and are in no position to pay much more for their health care.  The median income of Medicare households is about $25,000 a year, and only about 15 percent of Medicare households have total household incomes over $50,000.  Medicare households also spend three times as large a percentage of their budgets on out-of-pocket health expenses – 15 percent compared to 5 percent – as non-Medicare households do.  The Ryan budget would significantly raise the out-of-pocket health costs for Medicare beneficiaries with modest incomes, even as it proposes huge new tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans….

End Medicare as we know it and cut taxes for people like Mitt Romney (r). Sounds like a winner. For Obama.

Uh, for Ayn Rand true believers the timing for “going Galt” was supposed to be after the November election, not before.

From a comment at Charles Pierce, the Obama/Biden campaign ads will write themselves:

….Vote for Willard & Paul, and believe me, it’s not going to be a problem: you won’t be able to use the words “health”, “care”, and “affordable” in the same sentence ever again.

Game. Set. Match. Election.