What's inside "The Book on Mitt Romney"? - From John McCain's Opposition Research File

What's inside "The Book on Mitt Romney"? - From John McCain's Opposition Research File

So a few months ago Buzzfeed releases John McCain's entire opposition research file from the 2008 primaries; The Book On Mitt Romney: Here Is John McCain's Entire Opposition Research File; (buzzfeed.com)

A document found online by BuzzFeed appears to be John McCain's entire, 200-page opposition research file — or “book” — on Mitt Romney from 2008, the year they were bitter rivals. Segments of the book have been posted on RedState.com, but this the first time the document has been shared for public consumption in its entirety.

Yet since it's release it's been virtually ignored by the MSM, especially since this 'book' contains a lot of nasty facts about the GOP frontrunner.

You know it's not too late to support Ron Paul - especially for those who claim to be Tea Party supporters.

A larger version is available here:
John McCain’s Entire 2008 Opposition Research File on Mitt Romney
(thepoliticalcarnival.net)

From the file - Romney on Economic Issues:

• State spending increased at well over rate of inflation under Romney’s watch, estimated at 24% – more than$5 billion – over Romney’s final three years.
  
• Under Romney, Massachusetts dramatically underperformed the rest of the nation in terms of job growth.
  
• Romney has been criticized by experts for failing to deliver on issues of business development and economic growth after selling himself as the “CEO governor.”
  
• 2006 report issued by quasi-public Massachusetts Technology Collaborative warned the state was losing its grip as leader in “innovation economy” and that tech job was alarmingly slow.
  
• Romney left his successor to fill a budget deficit exceeding $1 billion.
  
• Romney raised state fees and taxes more than $700 million per year, according to independent experts.
  
• Romney raised fees by roughly $500 million in his first year alone, a figure that was highest in the nation.
  
• Romney quadrupled gun licensing fees and raised fees on first responders, real estate transactions, the blind, golfers and many others.
  
• Massachusetts’ state and local tax burden rose more than 7% during Romney’s administration.
  
• Romney refused to endorse the Bush tax cuts in 2003, telling the state’s all-Democrat congressional delegation he wouldn’t be a cheerleader for the plan.
  
• Romney implemented three rounds of tax changes (which he referred to as “closing loopholes”) which increased business taxes by an estimated $400 million per year.
  
• Massachusetts’ corporate tax climate now ranks 47th in the nation, according to the Tax Foundation.
  
• Romney proposed – then backed away from – a new internet tourism tax that would levy higher taxes on users of sites like Orbitz and Travelocity.
  
• Romney enrolled Massachusetts in multistate compact aiming to end moratorium on internet sales taxes.
  
• Romney took no position on estate tax issue in 2002 and signed 50% increase in state cremation fee, which observers called “hidden tax on the dead.”

From the file - Romney on Spending:

On Romney’s Watch, State Spending Increased At Rate Well Above Inflation

Under Romney, State Spending Increased By More Than 24% (Over $5 Billion) In Only Three Years – An Annual Increase of 8%. Total FY2007 spending is projected by the state to reach roughly $26.85 billion, an increase of 24.2% from the roughly $21.6 billion spent in FY04, Romney’s first full fiscal year in office. (State Of Massachusetts Website, “Historical Spending,” hxxp://budget.mass.gov, 4/4/07)

To Close Budget Gap And Fund New Spending, Romney Increased Fees And Taxes By Roughly $700 Million Per Year, According to Independent Experts.

“[R]omney … Approved Hundreds Of Millions In Higher Fees And Fines Including Raising The Cost Of Getting A Marriage License, Filing A Court Case, Buying A House Or Renewing A Drivers License.” (SteveLeBlanc, “Romney, In Change Of Heart, Signs No-New-Taxes Pledge,” The Associated Press, 1/5/07)

Other economic issues;

Damon Clinical Laboratories (pg 140):
Damon Clinical Laboratories defrauded Medicare even after it's takeover by Bain Capital, the fraud continued until Bain sold Damon to Corning.

"Romney Sat On Board Of Damon Clinical Laboratories, A Bain Capital Portfolio Company Fined Nearly $120 Million In 1996 Due To Medicare Fraud"

"Federal Investigators Rebuffed Romney’s Claims, Saying The Fraud Continued Until Bain And Other Owners Sold Damon To Corning In 1993"

Ampad (pg 142):

"Romney’s Firm Owned Company Named Ampad That Purchased Indiana Paper Plant, Fired Its Workers and Offered to Bring Them Back at Drastically Reduced Salaries and Benefits"

Haier Group and Maytag (pg 143):
Haier Group (a Chinese company) attempted to buyout Maytag with Bain Capital and shift jobs back to China;

"In 2005, Chinese Appliance Maker Haier Group, Working In Tandem With Bain Capital, Attempted – And Ultimately Failed – To Take Over Newton, IA-Based Maytag Corp."

“If The Chinese Acquire Maytag With Bain Cash, They Would Be Expected To Cut Thousands Of U.S.Jobs And Move The Manufacturing To Cheaper Locations Back Home.” (Brett Arends, “American Workers’ Bane,” Boston Herald, 6/22/05) [...]

Haier Interested In Shifting Production “Back To Its Far Cheaper Home Base” In China And Elsewhere. “Haier’s interest in Maytag would be far more in acquiring distribution and brand than more production facilities in the U.S. One advantage of a Chinese purchaser for the troubled U.S. maker is the ease with which it could shift production back to its far cheaper home base. ‘Paying workers $40 an hour, you can’t compete with workers offshore who are paid $4 a day. This fits the trend,’ says one banker.” (Dennis Berman and Henny Sender, “Private Equity Heavyweights To Join Haier Bid For Maytag,” The Globe And Mail [Canada], 6/21/05)

"Haier Is A Mammoth, State-Controlled Company With Opaque Financial Structures, Undisclosed Ownership Interests, Ties To Communist Party Elites And Manufacturing Facilities In Iran"

Speaking of Iran;

"Bain Capital, the private equity firm that made Romney his fortune, currently owns a chemicals and paint company called Sigma Kalon that operates an office in Tehran."

Outsourcing and Exporting American Jobs (pg 151, 153):
Care to see how Bain and Mitt Romney made so much money by taking over companies? Shedding jobs and outsourcing them overseas is one way. In some cases even helping state-controlled Chinese companies acquire American companies and shifting jobs to China.

Flip Flops (pg 168) and Analysts on Romney's Shifting Values (pg 175) are further proof this guy is an "etch-a-sketch" candidate.

How on earth did Mitt Romney get the nomination over Ron Paul?

reply to post by Blackmarketeer
People on ATS told me Romney will protect the constitution, reduce spending, create jobs, and make America a better place.

LEAVE ROMNEY ALONE! Just because he couldn't do it as a governor doesn't mean he won't do it all as president. How much is Ron Paul paying you?!

For Ron Paul it's a freebie. At least he is an old-school Republican. I may not agree with all his positions, but at least I can respect them. Romney is much more liberal than Obama, and literally all over the map on issues - first he's for them, then he's against them.

reply to post by Stormdancer777


Your link is broken. What would it matter anyhow, what Obama says regarding who may or may not be running against him? I'm sure every candidate's campaign team considers all scenarios and contenders when looking over the field of opposing candidates. AFAIK the Dems had always viewed Romney as the main RNC candidate for this election.

Too bad for Mitt, he can't run away from a record like this.

Some of these business activities are unAmerican. Gingrich also came out with a number of points about Willard's past too, and labeled him a vulture capitalist, no wonder Mitt refused to release his tax records. The wierd part is how his civic record is way more liberal than Obamas.

If not Dr Paul, the US is gonna get just one more corporate shill or another......
The election will be another farce.
The war inevitable, and the depression even deeper.....
Not only that, but it could last for another decade or so......confict after conflict....
War with Iran could bring lots of old enemies out of the woodwork
China may forego worrying about helping Iran, and go for Taiwwan instead.....or the Phillipines........
North Korea, and South Korea may get right nasty too as the US forces may be too tied up to help much....
The destabilisation such a war could cause in other spots globaly is massive.
We may be fighting wars on several fronts like the embattled Nazis of ww2 funny how history repeats.............

I find it amazing how little attention this gets, as it demonstrates just how radical and frankly, unAmerican, Romney can be. He has amassed a fortune (okay he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but I digress) based on vulture capitalism and McCain's research proves he will not create jobs. The government is not a business to be run for profit. Control of this country has been stripped away from "we the people" and handed to a smaller and smaller block of uber-wealthy power brokers. It's like we've been tricked into reinstating the feudal system, against our own better judgement.