Confused: 08.30.12

On 08.30.12, Mitt Romney made the following statement during his RNC acceptance speech:

Many Americans have given up on this president… His assault on coal and gas and oil will send energy and manufacturing jobs to China… Hope and change had a powerful appeal. But tonight I would ask a simple question: if you felt that excitement when you voted for Barack Obama, shouldn’t feel that way now, that he is President Obama?

Unsurprisingly, Romney’s assault on Obama sending jobs to China does not address his own part in shipping jobs to China. He conveniently omits a critical fact about his own culpability about America’s 8.3% unemployment. Remember, this is the guy who likes being able to fire people.

The Guardian reported:

Four hardy souls from rural Illinois joined tens of thousands of people undeterred by threats of Hurricane Isaac during this week’s Republican National Convention (RNC). They weren’t among the almost 2,400 delegates to the convention, though; nor were they from the press corps, said to number 15,000. They weren’t part of the massive police force assembled here, more than 3,000 strong, all paid for with $50m of US taxpayer money.

These four were about to join a much larger group: the more than 2.4 million people in the past decade whose US jobs have been shipped to China. In their case, the company laying them off and sending their jobs overseas is Bain Capital, co-founded by the Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney.

On 08.30.12, CNN reported on five issues that Americans learned from the convention. Actor Clint Eastwood addressed an empty chair. As the convention ended, Olympians Michael Eruzione, Derek Parra and Kim Rhode addressed the cheering crowd; Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan gave a benediction; and House Speaker John Boehner officially ended the convention, to most people’s relief—including, presumably, many more moderate Republicans.

Another event occurred—almost unnoticed—during the RNC bacchanalia on 08.30.12.

President Obama issued a decision to let Shell Oil “explore” Arctic waters for oil off the Alaska coast, but the oil company cannot (yet) drill deep enough to hit actual oil because its troubled oil spill containment barge isn’t ready.

While pundits dissected Paul Ryan’s Dazzling, Deceiving, and Distracting address—according to Fox News—Interior Secretary Ken Salazar informed those Americans who were paying attention that Shell will get a permit from the Department of Interior to explore “only 1,500 miles” in Alaska, and not deep enough to hit oil until they can ready their “troubled oil barge.”

So, is President Obama another corporate shill, no different than Romney? Perhaps. Perhaps not.

In The Secret Sins of the Koch Brothers, Bloomberg Markets Magazine revealed Koch Industries sold petrochemical equipment to Iran and paid bribes in six countries.

…oil billionaires Charles and David Koch in a letter of invitation summoning CEOs to a fundraising summit in Rancho Mirage, Calif., in January 2011. It was imperative that they join forces, explained Charles Koch, “…to combat what is now the greatest threat to American freedom and prosperity in our lifetimes”—the administration of Barack Obama.” They fundraiser accrued $100 million for the 2012 campaign, with a $30 million donation from the Kochs.

Neither the president nor the vice-president received an invitation.

Bloomberg offered a scathing expose on the Choke Brothers:

According to Bloomberg, the products of Koch Industries which were sold to Iran helped to build the largest methanol plant in the world. The German engineer George Bentu, who worked for Koch-Glitsch from 2001 to 2007 is quoted saying that the company used every single chance to do business with Iran.

For six decades around the world, Koch Industries blazed a path to riches—in part, by making illicit payments to win contracts, trading with a terrorist state, fixing prices, neglecting safety and ignoring environmental regulations. At the same time, Charles and David Koch have promoted a form of government that interferes less with company actions.

What can be said about President Obama and his approval of the XL Pipeline (initially rejected) and Shell Oil’s Arctic “exploration?”

Greenpeace was prepared. The environmental organization issued their response in mid-July 2012 by creating the spoof site “@Shellisprepared.  The site created quite a public relations nightmare for the poor, beleaguered Shell Oil.

Moderate Democrats such as Bill Press, author of The Obama Hate Machine, support Obama. In his interview with Thom Hartmann, Press states that Romney will claim “If the economy gets better, he’ll say my rich buddies who did it and if the economy gets worse, he’ll say Obama did it.” Yet, he goes on to note, “Things have never been better for those fat cats… yet, [fat cats] claim [Obama] wants to destroy the economy.”

(The Obama Hate Machine.)

The ultra-right wing site Newsbusters, had a field day attacking the president upon the release of Press’ book in February 2012. Author Brent Bozell states: These tolerant liberals are out of control and turn the spotlight back around to Bill Press [and] how he performed on the “hate machine” scale?

There’s also the president’s troubling war record in dispatching drones in the Middle East—and in America. The Guardian notes:

The Obama administration has been widely criticized for its increased reliance on drone strikes to kill suspected terrorists in Pakistan and Afghanistan, but according to published reports, a plan is now in the works to harness tiny drones to spy on U.S. citizens. A 30-page memorandum issued by President Barack Obama’s Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley on April 23 has stated that the drones, some as small as golf balls, may be used domestically to ‘collect information about U.S. persons.’

Although those of us who hold the environment and withdrawal from the Middle East to be the primary concern, social issues are also at the forefront. Arguably, Obama’s got a massive edge over Romney.

On the Issues compares Obama’s political record with Romney’s. Not enough information? Visit Annenberg’s Factcheck.org for Obama vs. Romney. And let’s not forget Polifact’s truth meters.  (Obama has a 1% “pants on fire” rating compared to Romney’s 9%, in case you were wondering.)

The 2012 election teaches us that there are no clear answers, and that there’s more to the issues than what’s on the surface—perhaps like melting ice caps.

Romney would be “delighted” to sign a federal ban on all abortions, Ryan is more liberal in campaign finance issues than his running mate, and that it’s a terrible idea to cut the defense budget.  In fact, Romney asserts on his campaign site that: American military power is vital to the preservation of our own security and peace around the world. Accordingly, he wants to ensure that the military budget increases to 4% of the GDP.

And, as recently as 08.31.12, the Washington Post published “Republicans hate Obama’s defense cuts. The trouble is, they voted for them.”

Obama’s policies on war and his recent decisions to ravage the environment are far more than troubling, given that we are dealing with a scientifically proven—not hypothesis—that global climate change is a reality. On the other hand, a far worse environmental catastrophe may occur under a Romney presidency.

We have to ask ourselves not whether—but how much—the military budget would increase under Romney? Will it exceed what Obama budgeted? What if Romney chooses to increase military spending beyond 4% of the GDP?  And how will our individual liberties change? Would there be even faster depletion and ravaging of the earth’s natural resources under a Romney Presidency? We know what the erstwhile pretender to the VPOTS. Ryan, feels about women’s rights—after all, rape is a viable method of contraception. What, then, would happen to a woman’s right to choose?

I have to agree with Barbara Bush on this one: It’s been, I think, the worst campaign I’ve ever seen in my life. I hate it. I hate the fact that people think ‘compromise’ is a dirty word. I think the rest of the world is looking at us these days and saying, ‘What are you doing?’.

Romney reminds us of his humble beginnings, nothing” I grew up in Detroit in love with cars and wanted to be a car guy, like my dad. Hmmm, used car salesman? Why does that have a familiar ring?

I’m voting for Joe Biden.

And I’m confused…

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