As a Marine widow for a decade, and technically in a similar military pay classification as Foley’s father-in-law (except with two young daughters I was able to benefit from the earned-income tax credit) I take exception to Foley’s wild reaching theory that we should all be outraged. To the contrary, I understand perfectly well what Romney was trying to say to his supporters, and the fact is, Romney was absolutely right. The people to which he was referring probably don’t care about taxes. Why should they, if they aren’t paying any?
Unfortunately for Foley and his class-warfare rhetoric, most senior citizens and retired military are not in the subset mentioned by Romney. But we recognize Foley’s straw man, and aren’t impressed at the fancy words trying to loop us into the lie. For example, we are well aware of the Democrats’ multiple attempts over decades to disenfranchise the largely conservative military vote. We are well aware that Democrats want to raise our Tricare health insurance premiums almost 300 percent, forcing us to come over to Obamacare (that was after Obama tried to suggest our combat vets, widows and orphans should pay for their own medical insurance).
And we are all too aware that if Obama is re-elected, the U.S. Defense budget will be decimated to a point from which it may not return, all at a time when our families have repeatedly sacrificed, the Middle East is in flames, terrorist flags fly above our U.S. embassies and Obama busies himself not with Daily Security Briefings but schmoozing with rap stars and late night comedy buffoons.
According to the Heritage Foundation’s Fact Sheet #95, Obama has overseen cuts or delays in “more than 50 major weapons programs at a value of more than $300 billion. The Administration told the military to cut almost $600 billion more over the next 15 years.” Even more alarming, U.S. forces are facing “sequestration,” an immediate result of Obama’s intentional plan to undermine our defense, a sector he openly promised he would cut. Under this Obama policy, our defense budget is forecast to be cut almost 41 percent in the next decade, while massive public entitlement programs would only be cut 12 to 14 percent.
So thanks, Mr. Foley, for giving it the old college try. We military families, FYI, almost always consider ourselves Americans first, not part of some special interest group the Democrats think they can sway with straw men and inflammatory language. These cuts will affect us. They might even cause the deaths of those we love. It’s not rhetoric or politics for us, you see. It’s real.
Laura Armstrong Acworth
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Say, "Mr. Foley, your column is horrible because..is false because..."
Is that so hard?
Having said that i go on to say that Mr. Foley did give a pretty true account of the video, I've seen six or seven clips from that day, and i understand what Romney meant...but Romney neglected to stick up for working people and remind those donors that working people pay state local sales and payroll taxes. Probably about 16% total. A real leader would have reminded those donors of that, and been respected for it.
But Romney was there to pander and collect. Demeaning working people, you people, isn't very hard, its it?
Romney will sell out working people to the rich every time.
You should see the clip where Mr. Romney admires the chinese factory where twelve girls to a room hot bunk it between shifts. That one gives a vampiric chill.
Romney won't be elected president, and I'm glad.
I've already applied for my absentee.
Ms. Armstong, sorry, but i don't see it your way.
It's funny. Obama misspeaks about who built the infrastruture in America that the wealthy used to get that way and the far right twists it into entreprenuers didn't build their businesses.
Romney blows off half the country loudly, proudly and in terms that couldn't be clearer...but I didn't hear him right.
I showed you how three-quarters of those 47% Romney dismissed as parasites are acutally working poor using EITC to lift themselves out of poverty and off the welfare rolls or retired people like my in-laws.
I used non-partisan facts to make my point and you come back with "...and we are all too aware that if Obama is re-elected, the U.S. Defense budget will be decimated to a point from which it may not return," citing, of all outfits, the ultra-conservative Heritage Foundation as your proof.
I used Romney's own statement to make my point. How about some policy statements from Obama to make yours?
Now to Mr Foley: why would anyone want to use any of Obama's policy statements.... all ever says is lies lies & more lies.
BTW, Romney did not say he did not care about the 47%, He said it was not his job to worry about their vote. It is predetermined that those who vote for a living will be voting for Obama. When Romney is elected, they will have to work for a living. Perish the thought!
I know exactly what Romney meant, as did most of his supporters in the room when he spoke last spring (interesting timing on this...saved for when even the skewed polls were showing Obama down). Yet some in the media want to embelish, even to the point of using our military and retirees, which was what I wished to address.
The point was well made by Neal Boortz just today: According to Kevin Foley and other good Democrats, if you make your wealth lawfully by hard work and want to hold onto it, you are greedy. But if you want to take your wealth from others, i.e. through redistribution, tax the rich, steal their farms and businesses, call it what may... you are somehow NOT greedy. That's the absurdness of liberal, Marxist thinking.
Still waiting on a column from a liberal noting the facts, such as 1 in 7 Americans are on food stamps, 1 in 16 on disability and 1 in 12 out of work. Who DO you believe we should believe, Mr. Foley? The lying folks at the White House, who are so desperate to hold their power? The lying, malpracticing media, who for some strange reason are in the tank for Obama, even openly fundraising for him via social media? Look around at the pain and world devastation, Mr. Foley. See our diplomats dragged through the streets, the bad guys given a pass by this president and the government we helped install. See the big, vapid nothing coming from the White House (the empty chair, if you will). Worse yet, see the lies they got caught in this time around and the attempt at distracting us from them.
The answer is anyone but Obama deserves the next four years in the White House.
Out of context? Here's what Romney said, word for word: “There are 47 percent who are with him [Obama] 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. And they will vote for this president no matter what. These are people who pay no income tax.
“My job is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”
I take Romney at his word...why shouldn't you?
Obama does have around 47 percent, unbelievably, and that's coincidentally similar to those who pay no income taxes. I'm certain we don't need to analyze further since Romney was only talking about people in relation to his campaign message, not whether he could or wanted to govern them, but whether he could REACH them with his message of low taxes.
The Democrat party and I do agree that Obama will never carry even half the military vote (that's why they keep trying to disenfranchise our warriors... yes, there is a whole timeline of supporting information on that if you just look).
Note the retired Navy SEALS and special operators of the OpSec Education Fund (meaning Operational Security). This group is concerned enough about leaking White House liberals that they've started to try and fight the deadly practice of any White House politicizing specific missions. Notice the media blackout on them. Notice when they stepped forward.
Also, when the new SEAL book came out about getting bin Laden, Obama did everything he could to threaten and intimidate the retired operator who wrote it. Great book by the way, really showing disdain for this president and his rules of engagement that make it difficult for the guys and girls on the ground. Note the media blackout on content there, instead we got lots of attempts at trying to demonize the professional who wrote it.
Also, I'm interested in why no security in Libya for American diplomatic interests? And why Obama lied or misled about the former SEALS who gave their lives that night, portraying them as State Dept. employees when they were not? I don't think the American people like being lied to about important things like this, even when O calls it just a "bump in the road."
Just a few thoughts on things important to me. Not rants. And if your father in law has any opinion about Obama planning to gut Tricare for Life and raise our health premiums by almost 300 percent, forcing us to Obamacare and breaking a sacred promise made to those who serve, we'd love to know.
Finally, re Neal Boortz: I really love you Neal and wish you a fine retirement. Your dedication to liberty, freedom and personal responsibility has helped me in my life and I will proudly quote you as you ride into the sunset. Ha. Semper Fi!
So glad to see you back in print. You cannot resist it because you are a born journalist. I am sorry that you had to foul your keyboard and discuss this Foley character. But, it has to be done.
As to our boys and girls in our military, I can only say, "This we'll defend", "Semper Fidelis". "Semper Fortis", Semper Paratus" and "No One Comes Close".
Please post more often.
Thanks, Mrs. A, for trying to respond with the real issues of this campaign.
I still can't believe we have been attacked again and Obama and minions are treating it as casually as business as usual. They are dangerous and reprehensible.
The other question is: Can the American media survive a campaign season of so many lies by them? This has been a reprehensible year and the case can be made that the American media are now the enemy of our Republic. Who's gonna do something about it? And hey, MDJ...if you are an honorable newspaper, you would begin to question the AP's obvious left leanings. How much do you pay to subscribe to their crud anyway?