Romney Responds To Obama’s ‘Silver Spoon’ Comment (oh the irony)

[ProSense]

Romney Responds To Obama’s ‘Silver Spoon’ Comment

Appearing on Fox and Friends this morning, Mitt Romney responded to an implicit broadside from Obama yesterday, when the president said he “wasn’t born with a silver spoon” in his mouth.

“I’m certainly not going to apologize for my dad and his success in life,” Romney said. “He was born poor. He worked his way to become very successful despite the fact that he didn’t have a college degree and one of the things he wanted to do was provide for me and for my brother and sisters. I’m not going to apologize for my dad’s success. But I know the president likes to attack fellow americans. He’s always looking for a scapegoat, particularly those that have been successful like my dad.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entries/romney-responds-to-obamas-silver-spoon-comment

Got any layoff jokes, Rmoney?

Romney Attacks Obama For Playing Golf And Traveling

In an interview with conservative radio host Bill Cunningham Wednesday, Mitt Romney went after President Obama for playing golf and taking vacations.

“I must say I scratch my head at the capacity of the president to take four hours off on such a regular basis to go golfing,” Romney said, “I would think you could kind of suck it up for four years, particularly when the American people are out of work.”

On the issue of vacations, Romney thought Camp David was a suitable vacation. Romney’s comments echo grumblings over Obama’s visits to Hawaii, where he grew up, and a trip the First Lady and their daughter Sasha took to Spain.

“I know prior Presidents have gone to Camp David and have been able to get a little rest and get away from the demands of Washington, bring some of their key advisers there and focus on solving tough issues,” he said. “I would think you could kind of suck it up for four years, particularly when the American people are out of work.”

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entries/romney-attacks-obama-for-playing-golf-traveling

[MADem]

1. His father was born poor? Really? Maybe if Gramps didn't have all those wives there would have

been more money in the family treasury! Having to move dozens of family members to Chihuahua, Mexico at the drop of a hat to escape the law as a consequence of polygamous conduct couldn't have been cheap, even back in the day!

Poor Chihuahua George! And speaking of poor folk, let's paraphrase Ann Richards: Poor Mitt! He can't help it! He was born with a SILVER FOOT in his mouth!

I think we need to stick a silver fork in Mittsy--he's done!

[karynnj]

2. Wow, that is over the top

Obama did not criticize anyone - just said that he and Michelle needed the help they got to afford college. This comes across as incredibly over defensive and angry.

Everyone has their background and it is what they then did with their lives that was important. I can't imagine that any Kennedy (or Kerry for that matter) would have responded to something like this - unless with a joke. ( In 2004, I had wondered why Kerry didn't speak of his family really being "just" upper middle class and the summer union job he had loading trucks. The reason was he knew he was born privileged and the better counter was that he did not pull strings (which he had) to avoid Vietnam. )

[safeinOhio]

3. No one is asking for you to

apologize for your dad and his success in life. Just stop being so ashamed of how you payed your taxes for the last 20 years.

What are you hiding.

[WI_DEM]

4. F--ing ass! did he question Reagan and Bush II and their endless time spent at 'the ranch'

[HughBeaumont]

5. That statement speaks volumes more of RMoney's priorities than it does Obama's.

For one, the sole barometer of "Success" should never be "monetary wealth". Only a selfish idiot thinks that way.

For another, all RMoney seems to have been "successful" at himself was hovering over troubled companies like a figurative vulture, restructuring mostly by firing all of the workers and pocketing the profits. It's not "looking for a scapegoat" when you choose to pinpoint the exact actions and persons that were part and parcel responsible for practicing vampiric capitalism that led us to where we are today; it's stating a fact.

The person in the mirror isn't just your best friend, Mitt. For you and your fellow vultures, they're the source of America's problems.

[polly7]

9. That's scary. I had the tv on while doing books and heard several people

state Romney was a perfect choice for President because of his financial genius, and that a government should be run like a business. Then they went on to show clips of him stating all the gov't programs he would shut down or scale back ... he was smiling the whole time. Just watching from afar, I had thought he was (my apologies) dumb and probably chosen because he could be easily led. Now I see him as ruthless and the whole naive thing, more of an act. There's something very wrong with that man. imo.

[ellenfl]

16. didn't dubya say he was running gummint like a business? how'd that work out? eom

[polly7]

18. Pretty well for himself and all those already at the top ... for anyone else, not so much, imo.

[Bluerthanblue]

14. it also speaks to the guilt he feels

somewhere deep inside for the obscene wealth he possesses.

If he really felt that he deserved it, or that there is nothing wrong with it, he wouldn't be so sensitive about any comment that could be seen as critical of who he is.

That is telling.

He shouldn't have to offer any kind of excuse or defense for why he has so much, if it was really 'ok'.

[uponit7771]

20. The company didn't have to be troubled just have an over funded pension like in th 80s Wall Street

...Yes, RMoney is Gordon Gecko but worse...Gecko allowed people to get out before he liqudated

[SammyWinstonJack]

23. Even Gordon Gecko can't stand RMoney.

[Tom Ripley]

6. First Willard hides behind his wife's skirts, then he hides behind his father's corpse

Where is that personal responsibility, Bishop Romney?

[HughBeaumont]

12. Oh, you didn't get the memo.

"Personal Responsibility" only applies to the poor, the working classes, the middle classes, minorities, the elderly, children, single parents, Democrats, liberals, progressives, women to the left of Olympia Snowe, etc.

The Wealthy, Corporate America, the purchased media and Republican government office holders (past and present) are all exempt from such nonsense.

[Johonny]

7. That Obama economies so bad you'd think Romney would love to show you his tax returns.

Just to show you how bad it was for him... right?

Of course if Obama was working hard, then he of course is hard at work destroying the incredible economy left by the Bush administration. Obama is so lazy and his economy so bad that a poor guy like Romney can only earn as much as an average American in a day while doing nothing but letting some money manager manage his money. Romney hasn't worked in years so he can be a full time presidential candidate.

[guitar man]

8. Wait a minute

I didn't see where the President mentioned Mittens at all re the silver spoon comment. But Mittens yelps about it in a knee jerk fashion.

So to be clear, Mitt has admitted to being born with a silver spoon. Check !

[HughBeaumont]

13. Right . . . no one really mentioned "Mitt" at all . . . except Mitt.

Here's the transcript of that speech . . .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002581882

[HopeHoops]

10. Rmoney had a silver spoon, just like the shrub - they kept them up their nostrils.

[1StrongBlackMan]

11. Yes ...

I caught the irony of romney's statement:

He points to his father starting off poor ... fine.

He then states:

He worked his way to become very successful despite the fact that he didn’t have a college degree and one of the things he wanted to do was provide for me and for my brother and sisters.

Seems to me, that President Obama's policy direction would have facilitated romney's dad providing for romney and his siblings; whereas, romney's policy direction would have closed off romney's dad before he could provide for his kin.

President Obama's policy direction expands growth opportunities for those on the rise; whereas, romney's policy direction secures those that have arrived, while making it more difficult for those on the rise.

[ellenfl]

15. i thought he said that he did not get anything from his father, that he's self-made? eom

[Aerows]

17. I think they

reboot Romney every single morning, so he has no memory of what he said the day before. He's obviously one of those disk-less models.

[LibertyLover]

19. Well, he got enough money from his old man

to buy a house in Boston when he and Ann moved there so he could go to Harvard. I believe the house was about $41,000 when they bought it and 4 or 5 years later, when Mitt finished at Harvard they sold it for roughly twice that. I think it was Ann who said that they couldn't find a decent apartment for rent and that paying the mortgage (and here I'm not sure if they were repaying Romney Senior or a bank) was cheaper than paying rent.

[kentuck]

21. He is not his father....

Perhaps his father had it tough but he was born with a silver spoon.

[DearAbby]

22. Ahhh Mitt....YOUR FATHER ISN'T RUNNING.

duh...YOU were born with a silver spoon in your mouth.

[Ganja Ninja]

24. They need to stop just going after Mitt's privileged upbringing.

That's going to wear thin pretty soon. Dig up some of the primary campaign stuff from this election and the last and attack him as a flip flopper with no convictions. Make his time at Bain an issue. Get the GOP to fight among themselves some more and put Mitt on trial for his greedy capitalist past. That works better than attacking his blue blooded heritage. That job is better left to surrogates.

[ProSense]

25. Don't agree

"They need to stop just going after Mitt's privileged upbringing. That's going to wear thin pretty soon."

Rmoney is the perfect poster child for greed and inequality.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/04/19/1084633/-NYT-CBS-poll-President-Obama-s-progressive-vision-trumps-Mitt-Romney-s-trickle-down-economics

[Ganja Ninja]

27. Then go after him for his time spent at Bain not simply for his wealth

The meme should be "Mitt Romney chose Capitalism over Patriotism". I think you'll score a lot more points on that then just making snide remarks about his class. Start cataloging the companies he ran into the ground and the lives he destroyed. Make that the focus of why he's unfit for office.

[ProSense]

28. Look

Then go after him for his time spent at Bain not simply for his wealth

The meme should be "Mitt Romney chose Capitalism over Patriotism". I think you'll score a lot more points on that then just making snide remarks about his class. Start cataloging the companies he ran into the ground and the lives he destroyed. Make that the focus of why he's unfit for office.

...screw Rmoney and his wealth. No one is going to have sympathy for him because he's rich. Also, everything you mentioned is already on the table for ongoing criticism.

[Capt. Obvious]

26. I was hoping Mitt had some song lyrics

Here we are, face to face, a couple of silver spoons...