The timing of Baingate is strange to me

[Joe the Revelator]

I'm confused a little as to why the play was made now instead of after the convention when the GOP would be in an even worse pickle. What's the best case scenario, they nominate someone mildly more interesting than Mitt in Tampa?


Unless we're boxing, and this is the jab that sets up the hook after the convention.

[Kennah]

1. Could this take the GOP into a brokered convention?

Cause a lot of damage to Mittens now, he bows out, then the real crazy shit begins.

[Joe the Revelator]

3. But even if that happens, Mitt is probably the weakest candidate we could face...

Aside from a Paul or a Bauchman.

[Kennah]

9. None of the others have Mittmillions

Gingrinch was broke. Perhaps GOP deep pockets will realize that a brokered convention would signal extreme weakness and save their millions for 2016.

However, I think in terms of the candidates themselves, you are right. Mitt is the weakest, aside from Ron Paul's Libertarian nightmare fantasy or Michele Bachmann's bat shit crazy.

[Joe the Revelator]

38. Interesting point that I didn't consider

I assumed that the Koch's would prop up any standard bearer.

[Kennah]

43. Hard to say

On the one hand, their apparent hatred of President Obama seems deeply ingrained. Perhaps because he's been so effective they fear 4 more years and would take ANY candidate from the GOP.

On the other hand, there has to be some pragmatism, somewhere buried in their reptilian Koch brains--my apologies to reptiles everywhere. Would they sit out 2012 and regroup for 2016? I don't plan to expect it. Fight like our lives depend upon it in 2012. In many ways, they do.

[Firebrand Gary]

2. Some faucets cannot be turned off.

There is much more to this story. It will last all the way through the election.

[MrSlayer]

4. It does seem way early.

Perhaps Mittens flooded this out himself to get it out if the way. Most people aren't even paying attention yet. And when they do they barely remember anything day to day.

Could be.

[Cali_Democrat]

5. It was actually the Boston Globe which really got this rolling recently

The Obama campaign didn't get the ball rolling. However, I'm sure they have additional information regarding Romney's tenure at Bain and it will be coming in the future.

[msanthrope]

8. You really think the Boston Globe wasn't tipped off? nt

[DevonRex]

10. That's why this is just the beginning, I think.

Don't forget the other 2 stories, too. The one Corn broke and the one in Vanity Fair.

There's enough on one or all 3 to blow him out of the water. Remember this?

Obama: I don't bluff.

[madokie]

29. Thats why I love the man.

Obama "I don't bluff"

Being on our side helps tremendously too BTW

[DevonRex]

6. This is just the prelude.

I've never heard any campaign so confident before, have you? Obama has much, much more on Willard.

[msanthrope]

7. They will cripple him going into the convention so that

1) he faces a Ron Paul/TeaParty rebellion; and

2) any VP candidate he chooses will look like an attempt to quell Bain issues.

[Major Nikon]

51. It also provides vindication for the Republicans who said Rmoney was the wrong candidate

[rainy]

11. Jeb Bush

Will be their knight in shining armor

[grasswire]

13. Jeb has two bimbo eruptions in the wings

I have that on the best authority. We can only hope for such entertainment.

[SDjack]

36. "W" had at least one, but the Bushes keep her quiet. n/t

[HiPointDem]

16. that is my worst case scenario.

[CreekDog]

23. The son of a former president doesn't see himself as a losing team's pinch hitter

no way.

I'm sure Jeb does want to run, but he is not going to be sent up to bail out a losing game.

Maybe in 2016, but not like this in 2012.

[GoCubsGo]

35. Nope.

The name "Bush" is still too radioactive for most people. Many of us are still suffering badly from Dumbya's reign of terror. He ruined the chances of another Bush getting elected for at least another generation.

[NYC Liberal]

12. There's more. This will be dripping slowly all the way to the convention or to October.

[Kahuna]

18. Yep. They're smacking mitt around like a cat with a fatigued mouse.

Enjoy!

[oldhippydude]

14. i'm guessing there is more to come..

also remember what we just went through in Wisconsin...the lesson we learned from the exit polls, is that most folks made up their mind months ahead of the election.. this battle allowed us to define Define Romney on our terms.. he can't undo that no matter how much he spends..

we finally have Democrats competing with Rove and company on their own level..this is going to be a highly contested election, I'm sure that theres plenty more information for later.. its not a question of firing with your best shot, this is one event, and not the "silver bullet"..

this election is "ours to loose" if we play it smart, and don't allow the election to be stolen we will win..

[klook]

28. +1 ... Defining the opposition.

This is my take as well. Political campaigning, like it or not, is largely branding, just as marketing people position a product. Rmoney is being branded as just what he is, a lying, conniving, inept, unpatriotic bully.

Even if what we've heard so far is the whole of it (and all signs point to more), a lot of damage is being done to Rmoney daily, and to the Republican brand as well. And we're on the offensive and they're on the defensive, thanks to the Dems taking a page from the Rove playbook and attacking Rmoney on what is supposedly his greatest strength.

[MADem]

17. Maybe this is the EASY stuff--the low-hanging fruit. Sure seems that way to me--much of this was

known to the people of Massachusetts. I'm enjoying the recycling of it, though.

[JDPriestly]

19. That's what I think. The Obama campaign is just laying the groundwork.

This election will be about the 1% versus everyone else. Who is to pay the taxes that cover the deficit and make economic success possible for young Americans?

What is going to happen to programs for the middle class like Social Security, Medicare, the ACA, public education, student loans, and unemployment insurance?

What about our trade policy? What about American jobs? Where will we go on those issues?

What will be the function of the internet in the future? Are the days of freedom on the internet going to be a thing of the past? Is it to turn into a strictly commercial vehicle run by the big media and corporate guys with no room for the rest of us?

What about pension funds? And safe streets? Will we have the tax revenue to fund police forces and firemen?

The 1%, the Romney class thinks that it can have a good quality of life without government funding of all these things. The 1% just wants lower taxes.

And Romney stands for what the 1% want.

That is why his conduct at and after Bain is important, because it was typical for the 1%. His tax returns will show Americans what they have never seen -- how that tippy-top segment of American indeed the world lives. We see it here in Los Angeles. Those who live in NYC or maybe Boston or a few other choice locations in the US see that lifestyle. But most Americans have no idea . . . .

That is why American voters need to see Romney's tax returns. The financial tricks that the 1% perform in order to get into the 1% will show on those documents. And they will shock America.

Whatever the Obama campaign is aiming to show Americans is just beginning to be revealed. That is my suspicion and probably Romney's too.

Romney's income tax returns and management of his business affairs symbolize the 1%s positions on the issues that we care about on DU and that I list above.

Why should we vote for Obama? Because he represents us and not just the 1%.

I'm so happy that Obama is daring to confront this class issue. It has been hanging over the country since the Reagan election.

[lamp_shade]

22. I agree with your suggestion that "Whatever the Obama campaign is aiming to show... etc."

I suspect that the Obama camp already has the tax forms. In fact, I'd bet good money on it.
I suspect romney knows this too... that they know that he knows that they know....
The smartest, cleverest, shrewdest bunch of tacticians to be found are in the Obama camp.
They're not afraid of romney or rove... not afraid to be nasty if provoked. But they're smart enough to be very careful... to not open their kimonos... to only open the spigot one drip at a time.
They KNOW, as does romney, that he's boxed in and has NO OTHER OPTION at this time but to "lie and deny".
This ain't going away.

[MADem]

25. I'm so happy that Obama is daring to confront this class issue. It has been hanging over the country

since the Reagan election.

Concur to the Nth degree. I've been alive long enough to see it; despite all these cell phones and game consoles and flat screen tvs, the basic quality of life of a child nowadays isn't as good as it was "back in the day" when parents could afford to send their children to university without having to sell a kidney and mortgage the house.

[klook]

30. Great post - very good summary of what's at stake

Every election is touted as a "watershed moment," but this one is watersheddier than most.

[randome]

31. 'Watersheddier'! Nice!

[malaise]

34. Well said

Rec

[Zax2me]

20. It's M$M timing. Keeping a landslide Obama race to appear interesting day to day.

He has the edge over romney, romney has edge in raising campaign funds, and back and forth we go.
All that will end up being a non-story landslide for the President's re-election.
Gotta make a race if there isn't one, right?
Only comes along once every four years.

[B Calm]

21. I look for this to empower the

Ron Paul supporters more than ever to screw up the GOP convention and it will show how broken the republican party is!

I think it was a smart move by Obama!!

[randome]

24. Do you really think Democrats are controlling all aspects of this story?

There are a thousand moving pieces.

[DCBob]

26. +1

Im sure they have dozens of simultaneous attack strategies and they have to go with whatever is hot at the moment. The Globe story may have pushed this one ahead.

[myrna minx]

27. This is the first of many. The Bain revelation was low hanging fruit that went unaddressed

from the primaries. The Romney camp had to know this was coming, yet they are caught so completely off guard by it. I'm sure there is much, much more.

[lovemydog]

32. Bain invested in a fetus-disposal company

somewhere between 1999 and 2002. That's my guess as to one of the many revelations that will occur between now and November. That might anger his base of rabid anti-abortion folks. And give the lie to his firm anti-abortion stance. He's even saying he will make sure his running mate is anti-abortion. Hopefully some in his base will get wise to his hypocrisy and vote for Obama. Or stay home. But I still think our best shot at reelecting Obama is for registered democrats to vote in large numbers.

[HereSince1628]

33. On its face, it seems to be the timing of the Boston Globe

How and when they got it? Rumor has suggested its part of opposition research developed for Massachusetts politics.

[madrchsod]

37. huntsman would be the only major threat to obama

but he does`t want it and if he did there`s no time to rally the republicans around him. plus the teaparty republicans hate him.

they are stuck with mittens unless he`s charged with acrime

[Spazito]

39. I think the timing is excellent...

The Obama campaign is brilliantly defining Romney as dishonest, uncaring about American workers, dismissive of the 'unwashed' voting public and incapable of running a competent campaign.

Once the impression is implanted, and it IS being implanted in the minds of the public, then all that comes after by Romney and his campaign will be viewed through the lens of him being dishonest, uncaring and incapable of running a competent Administration, imo.

[DFW]

40. They won't ditch Romney at this popint, much as many of them might like to

They won't deny the winner of their own primary process. They'll make an effort to get him into the White House (I won't say elected, as the Republicans have proved time and time again that the real winner of an election is not the deciding factor in who takes office), but if it doesn't work, they'd be content to hold the House.

I think the real exercise of this election is to see how far the Citizens United decision makes a difference on a national scale. Once they see how far it takes them, they will plan accordingly, and fine tune their strategy for next time. If they get their stooge into the Oval Office, I think they'll think of it as no more than a big bonus. They've alraedy shown to what extent they pull the strings. If Obama wins, which I think is a given at this point, and he replaces Eric Holder with a real warrior for justice, I think they'll regret not having gone after the Oval Office with a serious candidate.

[Bluerthanblue]

41. maybe it's that it will take time to really do damage-

there were some things that came out about GW way too close to the election to really have an impact. His DWI for example.

I think it is a good thing to get it started now.

just my view.

[bemildred]

42. This is not about Mitt, he's toast, this is about Congress. nt

[spanone]

44. i think team Obama has enough dirt on mitt romney to keep him dancing till november

let's get it on

[lunatica]

45. It's called dominating the message and the talking points

By being the one who takes control. That's usually the first one who attacks the other one's record forcing the opponent to go on the defensive.

[RagAss]

46. Fear not....we have much more for later.

Trust me....

[rufus dog]

47. Perfect timing

They have put Romney and Media on alert that they will not control the message without a massive barrage of punches.

Look at how John King and Wolfie were salivating over the ACA decision being the end of Obama, an massive failure that they were trying to use to define Obama. That was taken away from them and before they could recover, while most were taking extended 4th of July vacations, including Romney, they fucking rocked him with another punch. Thus controlling two more weeks of the cycle. Now Romney has basically said he won't release tax returns, only the 2011 final which can be heavily manipulated and dropped on October 15th.

So the media and Romney can try to circle the wagons, but will have to answer why he doesn't have to release more tax returns, his father claimed a year could be a fluke, why did he list himself as Managing Director yet claim no responsibility? Plausible answers don't exist and even the media is backed into a corner.

Most everyone's mind is already made up, so what Team Obama just did was fire up the base by swinging hard, put doubts in the mind of Mitt's supporters, and for that undecided, painted Mitt as a wealthy elitist who feels that he can play by a different set of rules.

[underpants]

48. my 2 cents- Obama lead with the ads because his people knew about the SEC documents

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002946215

[Motown_Johnny]

49. A floor fight would be devastating to their party

Not just the Presidential nominee.

They would need to pick sides and soma portion of the electorate will see the nominee (whoever it is) as illegitimate.


This is a good time to crush Rmoney. Define him to America before he has the chance to define himself.

[DearAbby]

50. The Obama Team knows more

This is just the tip of something much much larger. A good lawyer never asks a question he doesn't already know the answer.

[Warren Stupidity]

52. I think the idea is to keep willard off balanced and on the defensive intl the election.

Seems like a good plan to me. Now is a good time to start.

[Quantess]

53. They are betting that

this will be a non-stop fountain of ammo that could take some interesting turns. Why wait?

[railsback]

54. There's nothing wrong with the timing

There's no way in Hell that Romney is going to release his tax returns. This will haunt him all the way to election day. And don't forget, the Obama team has their hands on McCain's vetting files. There's certainly more to come.

[NNN0LHI]

55. It is called defining your opponent

Sooner we can get him defined as the uncaring, wealthy, crook he is the sooner we can get on to other issues that are even more damaging.

Don

[arely staircase]

56. maybe the best is yet to come

i wouldn't assume that the obama people have used their best stuff already.