Romney Downplays His $374,000 In Speaking Fees: 'Not Very Much'

[Amerigo Vespucci]

On Tuesday, the Republican presidential candidate finally admitted that the effective tax rate he has been paying for the last several years is likely below that of middle-class workers, which would also include military servicemembers.

In Greenville, S.C., Romney was asked directly what his effective tax rate is. It was a hot topic of discussion at Monday night's debate, at which Romney repeatedly declined to fully commit to release his tax returns.

"It's probably closer to the 15 percent rate than anything," said Romney on Tuesday. "For the past 10 years, my income comes overwhelmingly from investments made in the past, rather than ordinary income or earned annual income. I got a little bit of income from my book, but I gave that all away. Then, I get speakers fees from time to time, but not very much."

Not very much? According to his personal financial disclosure, from February 2010 to February 2011, Romney earned $374,327.62 in speaking fees. A few months later, Romney joked that he was "unemployed."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/17/mitt-romney-not-much-definition-speaking-fees_n_1210522.html

[SomethingFishy]

1. Out... of... touch...

With any of the realities of the average American.

[DJ13]

2. Arent all overpaid politicians out of touch now?

[SomethingFishy]

6. Yup.. even the ones on "our side"

it's one of the major problems with this country.

It shows up here on DU as well. You have people who are doing well who are quite happy with the way things are going and people who are having trouble making ends meet, not quite so happy.

It's very difficult for one side to relate to the other.

[Yo_Mama]

10. Yes, look at Elizabeth Warren

http://www.boston.com/Boston/politicalintelligence/2012/01/elizabeth-warren-salary-topped-over-two-years/7WBGJxCbpYuENukiAE6N6J/index.html
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/01/elizabeth-warrens-financial-disclosure-report-reveals-strong-personal-wealth/
2010-2011
700K in salary from professor/consulting fees, plus
165K for the consulting for the Obama admin. Some of that consulting was for financial companies.

In the prior disclosure, she got professor's salary 350K plus about 180K consulting fees, plus
192K for the bank bailout panel work she did for Congress, plus
700K advance for her latest book.

Of course she also has very significant financial assets, plus house, etc.

They're all raking it in.

People will have to vote on the basis of political positions, not on wealth. None of these people really understand how average people are living these days.

[liberalmike27]

11. Some are Farther Out

And there are rich people who are asking to be taxed more, and rich people who want to make more jobs, and the lives of middle class people better. There are rich people, sometimes doctors and nurses, who want a nationalized health care plan. As much as I generally loathe the rich, let us not forget, they aren't all jerks.

[Politicalboi]

20. But she's worth it

He's not. And I bet Warren understands more about how the poor live compared to any of the Repukes in office, or running for office.

[CTyankee]

14. I have heard this before, and I generally agree, but I haven't seen the masses rising up

against people making a lot of money. I just haven't.

Now, if we want to hone the argument to talk about the tax RATE, then fine, I agree with you. But even there, how many people "get to" on that argument on the tax rate?

If we want to get to income inequality we have to get to the massive brainwashing of the Fox viewers. They are getting a boatload of shit on this issue all day long!

How do we counterattack? that is the question, now and forever....

[atreides1]

3. Really

Well he can give it to me and I can pay off my house....

[deacon]

4. Wow. n/t

[Liberal_in_LA]

5. chump change

for a super rich guy

[Neoma]

7. He's got bees in his noggin.

[KharmaTrain]

8. Next Question: Deductions...

I knew he was living off capital gains...almost anyone who has substantial wealth, that's all they declare...the rest of their earnings go into trusts and are sheltered in other ways.

So now, let's find out how much he deducts on those taxes...how many "losses" did he take over the years to build up an credits that could mean not only that he didn't pay any taxes but may even have gotten a rebate.

Keep on Mittens Gecko...let's see the FULL tax returns!

[wordpix]

23. +1 and I'd like to see the books on Bain's annual 88% returns

something smells to high heavens

[guitar man]

9. That's about 10 years

That's about 10 years of my salary for working day in and day out at my job. That pampered and powdered SOB wouldn't know what actually earning a living was like if it bit him in his ass!

[morningfog]

12. $370k is "not very much." No wonder a $10,000 bet comes so easy to him.

R.mony. It is not the wealth that is hated. It is his inability to see that he lives in a different world. A bubble created by his excessive wealth.

[ejbr]

17. a bet that he probably knew he would lose! n/t

[hughee99]

13. Compared to his investments, I'm sure it's not.

[socialist_n_TN]

15. Don't those speaking fees alone......

Put him in the1%? Out of touch indeed.

[annabanana]

16. must be nice.. "not very much" sheesh..

I'd be happy to relieve him of the bother of turning his pockets inside out....

[yellowcanine]

18. How many unemployed people are pulled down $374k + investment income in the past year? What Romney

is saying is that to him $374 K is chump change. Wow.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

19. Occupys speaking fees are the cost of the bail.

[wordpix]

21. he pays 15% on his salary?

I make a teeny percentage of Mitt's salary and I'm paying MUCH more than that

[VPStoltz]

28. The salamander wants ALL of us to pay 15% just to be fair.

And so they we don't get envious of the like the Mittwitt.

[spanone]

22. chump change to the mittster

[Bolo Boffin]

24. One month of gas for 900 two-car families = "not much" for Mitt Romney. n/t

[unkachuck]

25. calling all god-pukes and baggers....

....are you going to let this wall street sanctioned corporate job-killer be your nominee?

"...tax rate he has been paying for the last several years is likely below that of middle-class workers"

....this is why our tax rates are so high and our government's so broke....the old white-haired Fat Newt totally sucks, but he still sucks a lot less than that rich Massachusetts Mormon and his wall street bailout buddies....

[Hampton Jones]

26. Good God, what a patrician.

I hope the working class in America wakes up and realizes just how out-of-touch he is with anyone's interest but the extremely rich.

[AllyCat]

27. I'd take 1/10th of that to stand and talk schmack like he does

That is more than many of us make in a decade of working our fingers to the bone. This man is totally out of touch. And apparently, he is unemployed too.

[DeathToTheOil]

29. Yo! Mitty!

Could you send me "not very much" money???

[Paper Roses]

30. What a dope. I'm sure his speakers fees would keep a lot of of us happy for years.

Hey mittens, try living on Social Security. A year of that probably amounts to a month of grocery money to you.
Then again, try being without a job with no investments or Cayman Islands pots of gold.

How could you be dumb enough to even say that over $374,000 dollars is "not much"?

What a bunch of clowns the republican party is foisting on their followers.

[Hubert Flottz]

31. How stupid would you need to be to pay that POS to speak?

This country is in a world of shit!