“We are in perilous times in this country.  We are looking at financial ruin. We are looking at dependency. We’re a nation of people dependent on their government, and that is what Barack Obama gives us.”
~Bay Buchanan, Romney Adviser  

I can’t remember the last time a campaign was in such an embarrassing position.  Romney’s “straight talk” to his rich donors has gotten him into a bit of trouble that is still the #1 topic if of discussion in this country.  Since Romney won’t apologize for his comments – his campaign has moved forward with a two step punch as its defense.  #1 – They say he really just wants to pull those 47% of Americans up into the middle class so they make enough to pay income taxes.  #2 – They say Romney’s comments were really taken out of context because he was just speaking in political terms.  As in – it wasn’t that he was calling 47% of Americans people who he could “never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”  It was all just a political argument.  Yeah.  Sure.

Bay Buchanan went on Meet the Press today to defend the Romney campaign; she was a part of a 4 person panel with Joe Scarborough and David Brooks as guests.  It got so bad she ended up saying she felt she was being teamed up 4 to 1; Scarborough and Brooks are both Republicans.  Romney’s comments were indefensible.  She tried to claim that Romney was trying to make a political argument.  So this was Romney’s political argument *wink*:

There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That that’s an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what…These are people who pay no income tax.  [M]y job is is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.

Does that sound like a political argument?  It’s not Bay Buchanan’s fault; she gets paid to spin b.s.  This comes down to the lack of integrity of one man – Mitt Romney.  He refuses to apologize for his comments … especially not to the little people.  He wrote a book called “No Apologies” and he lives squarely by that creed.  A man of pride who will not take responsibility or ownership for his own comments.

And now – the Romney campaign is receding into some argument where half of the country is dependent on government then blaming that on Obama and then trying to pivot by saying that those 47% of Americans are really hard working Americans who would be making a lot more if it weren’t for the horrible socialist Obama.  That’s their defense for what they claim Romney really meant.

But there is a 2nd part to the substance of the tax policy that I haven’t heard anyone else talking about.  As part of their spin of Romney’s comments … they claim that he was really just saying that his tax cut plan wouldn’t benefit them because they already do not pay income taxes.  That’s important.  Romney has always said that he was going to give an “across the board tax cut for every American by 20%”.  That’s what he has said many, many times.  He has said he was going to cut marginal rates by 20% but he has never said this will only benefit 53% of Americans.  He has NEVER said that.  His entire campaign – he has tried to give poor voters the impression that their tax burden will decrease when now at least the Romney campaign is acknowledging that he has no intention of cutting taxes on half of America.

Now – they have said this publicly that they were only cutting it on marginal rates but they have also said they were cutting taxes for 100% of Americans.  You can’t do both unless you’re increasing credits for the 47% of Americans who don’t pay income taxes.

Back to Bay.  This isn’t the first time Bay Buchanan said this nonsense acting on behalf of the Romney campaign.  Watch this give and take between her and Soledad O’Brien … of course – Soledad being the excellent journalist that she is holds her accountable for the propaganda that she repeats.

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