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“Confusion reigns: Did or didn’t Bain advise the White House on the auto bailout?”

A useful question. A better one? Will it even matter to those on our own side intent on selling us the pretty polished Romney package?

From health care to environmental concerns to, perhaps, auto bailouts, Romney seems more in line with progressive thinking than with conservative thinking — down to and including his latest suggestions that Bain Capital was out to save and create jobs, not make a profit, profit being a greedy greedy motivation, while corporate altruism (and the government nudgings that nurture it) is the bedrock of a properly run economy. Which means that, by way of the transitive property of equality, it is fair to at least entertain the idea that perhaps the GOP establishment who is pushing the rather ideologically fluid Mitt maybe shares with him that same political drift, is it not?

Maybe it’s just me. But I think the word “conservative” is undergoing the very same kind of appropriation and redefinition as “liberal” once did.

Pay attention. Language, as I’ve been saying for years, is always the key.

68 Replies to ““Confusion reigns: Did or didn’t Bain advise the White House on the auto bailout?””

  1. happyfeet says:

    Romney’s the only one in the race what has any meaningful private sector experience really.

  2. ThomasD says:

    Wall Street, in particular the ‘farming the government’ faction, is the axis that connects Romney and Obama.

    Goldberg wept.

  3. Jeff G. says:

    Romney’s the only one in the race what has any meaningful private sector experience really.

    Now that the icky, drawly crazy-eyed hootchie cumslut media whores and the uppity negro have been beaten back.

    Grieferpretendswhat?

  4. JHoward says:

    An unfortunate condition he’s insisting he’s reformed by now, feets.

  5. ThomasD says:

    That CNBC was so quick, and terse, with it’s walk back says someone was mighty concerned that this connection was being so publicly revealed.

    Some curtains simply must remain closed.

  6. happyfeet says:

    yes, exactly… all the other ones left have never had never gotten their hands dirty mucking about with capitalism… which doesn’t help Newt and Perry close the sale on their idea that what goes on at private equity firms is somehow unhelpful when it’s not downright un-American

    Santorum hasn’t gotten much credit for standing up and saying he wants no part of these zany anti-capitalist rantings of Perry and Newt and Huntsman. But this is one of those rare issues what sets him apart in a positive way.

  7. happyfeet says:

    had never

  8. Jeff G. says:

    Santorum hasn’t gotten much credit for standing up and saying he wants no part of these zany anti-capitalist rantings of Perry and Newt and Huntsman. But this is one of those rare issues what sets him apart in a positive way.

    He’s gotten it here almost daily.

    But, well, the Jesus. That’s a real deal breaker.

  9. JHoward says:

    Shorter feets: Default, ye Staunch.

  10. happyfeet says:

    hope for the best but plan for the worst

    but the mostest breakingest deal breaker is a second term for Obama

    I simply cannot abide

  11. B. Moe says:

    I have noticed another thing being appropriated by the right is the disingenous reinterpretation and over-simplification of any opposing views.

    Kind of ironic.

  12. geoffb says:

    The radical left first used liberal (and even that defined liberal was way to the left of the original use of the term) as a mask in their takeover of the Democrats. That did not make them into liberals but redefined liberal as radical far left. Doing that then shifted all terms to the left on the commonly used, even if inaccurate, political scale.

    Conservative now probably spans from FDR New Deal Democrat and rightward. Moderates would be LBJ and Clinton Democrats. Liberals are now from Obama and leftward.

  13. I would have happily advised them on the auto bailout for nothing, “Don’t do it.”

  14. vermontaigne says:

    Oh, pish. Whoever they were, I’m sure they were just offering historical perspective.

  15. SteveG says:

    I heard Steve Rattner was with Bain for a while…

  16. JD says:

    Is there a definitive answer as to whether or not this was Romney’s Bain?

  17. ThomasD says:

    I believe the answer to that question remains ‘we told you it wasn’t, now stop asking.’

  18. JD says:

    Rush talked bout this today.

  19. ThomasD says:

    I’ve said it so many times. Wall Street wants Obama vs. Romney because, to them,the final result is practically interchangeable. So the sooner we ‘get’ to Romney the sooner the uncertainty is over for them.

  20. Blake says:

    I love how Obama has set the table to run against Romney:

    Romneycare: takes Obamacare off the table. check.

    Dial up class warfare rhetoric in order to hit Romney about his time at Bain. Check and double check.

    But it’ll be the fault of conservative/classical liberals when Romney is killed in the general.

    But hey, Romney was electable!!

  21. B. Moe says:

    I gotta believe Christie or Palin or somebody is waiting to jump in at the last minute and try to steal this thing while dodging the early fighting.

    This can’t really be all that we have to choose from. I am not sure any of the current “leaders” could beat Obama, and that is mind boggling considering how weak he is.

  22. Jeff G. says:

    B.Moe —

    I’d go Palin in a heartbeat. But it would never work because her twang and her media whoring is worse worse worse than Romney’s status quo moderate to liberal Republicanism. I mean, seriously: socialism, corporatism, or crony capitalism before some hideous string of “you betchas!” Amiright?

  23. happyfeet says:

    Palin has sorta fallen off my political radar

  24. McGehee says:

    Happyfeet has sorta fallen off my opinions-I-pay-attention-to radar.

  25. B. Moe says:

    She still has her shit together more than any of these clowns. None of the four or five still viable are going to survive the first month when its really game on. Maybe Huntsman, don’t know enough about him, but the rest have too many weaknesses.

  26. RI Red says:

    But the Snowbilly’s new hairdo? I’m sorry, but that will never do for a leader of the free world. And leigh, you did skirt (see that?) the question of which of Romney or Palin would be more likely to govern as a conservative. Not that I’m pimping for Sarah. Much.

  27. happyfeet says:

    i guess the subtext is that Romney still gets to pick a running mate

    and who isn’t a sucker for the exciting debut of a fresh-faced running mate what really lets that obama have it

  28. leigh says:

    I did skirt your question, RI Red. I don’t think either of them is all that. Ms. Palin talks a lot, but she was for the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it. She also arranged for the folk in Alaska to all receive monster checks from the state annually from oil production just because they live there. That was utter bullshit. I live in Oklahoma and we have, oil, natural gas and wind farms. No checks in my mail box. Nor should there be. I don’t own that oil, gas or wind or the equipment.

    I was originally taken with Ms. Palin, as were we all at the RNC convention, but since then, it’s been one thing after another that has caused me to give her the side eye. She needs to knock it off with the sexpot crap. The woman is a grandmother and only a couple of years younger than me. Stop it with the winking, already. I don’t think she’s all that smart, either. Plus, my main man, Dick Cheney, also questions her cred since she up and quit the governorship when the going got tough. Is governing a country of 360,000,000 people going to be any less taxing than governing 600,000? I don’t think she has the stuff.

    Romney we have hashed over enough. I want this all to be a bad dream that I wake up from soon.

  29. B. Moe says:

    The state of Alaska does own those oil fields, what should they do with the money?

  30. Jeff G. says:

    and who isn’t a sucker for the exciting debut of a fresh-faced running mate what really lets that obama have it

    The GOP tried that last time and John McFuckingsucksasacandidate was able to blow that. Amazingly.

  31. leigh says:

    I don’t know what they should do with the money, B. Moe, but there has to be a better idea than giving $7500 checks to every man woman and child every year. My step daughters and their kids have been to Hawaii more times than I have and I grew up in California when flights were cheap.

    Alaska has terrible drug and alcohol and high school drop out rates. Education might be a place to start.

  32. Jeff G. says:

    I did skirt your question, RI Red. I don’t think either of them is all that. Ms. Palin talks a lot, but she was for the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it

    You’re the perfect dupe. You really are.

    She also arranged for the folk in Alaska to all receive monster checks from the state annually from oil production just because they live there.

    That, and because that’s the way their constitution is set up.

    Perfect. Dupe.

    She needs to knock it off with the sexpot crap. The woman is a grandmother and only a couple of years younger than me. Stop it with the winking, already.

    Gist: MEOW!

    I don’t think she’s all that smart, either.

    Except that she’s been one step ahead of the curve all along.

    Perfect. Dupe.

    You get what you deserve with the candidates left. Unfortunately, you drag me along with you because you’re an insecure, jealous snob.

    And a perfect dupe.

  33. happyfeet says:

    yes but I just want Obama to go away I don’t need to like or respect the president of the United States of America I just want one that’s not scary to where people are constantly telling me to buy canned food

  34. happyfeet says:

    that was for #30

  35. leigh says:

    Respectfully, Jeff, there was no way an R was going to win last time around. Zombie Reagan wasn’t going to get elected.

  36. Jeff G. says:

    but there has to be a better idea than giving $7500 checks to every man woman and child every year. My step daughters and their kids have been to Hawaii more times than I have and I grew up in California when flights were cheap.

    So you’d be for an imperial governor who says, “Screw the state constitution. I’ll decide where the money goes. I have some great ideas for a really state of the art solar company.”

    Staunch.

  37. leigh says:

    That’s pretty rude, Jeff. I am none of those things.

  38. Jeff G. says:

    That’s pretty rude, Jeff. I am none of those things.

    You’d be surprised.

  39. Jeff G. says:

    Respectfully, Jeff, there was no way an R was going to win last time around. Zombie Reagan wasn’t going to get elected.

    And yet the GOP was ahead until McCain suspended his campaign, panicked, and refused to attack Obama at all.

    Stop rewriting history.

  40. happyfeet says:

    she seems pretty centered to me

  41. Jeff G. says:

    Griefersayswhat?

  42. happyfeet says:

    McCain is a douche a goddamned piece of shit douche. Which, Romney is too but he’s smarter than McCain and plus I think the next president has his work cut out for him to an uncommonly specific extent.

  43. Jeff G. says:

    Yawn

  44. leigh says:

    Wall Street manipulated the market because they wanted Obama in office. There was no way McCain was ever going to be elected and him bugging out to DC sealed the deal.

  45. happyfeet says:

    but yeah she’s not snobby or jealous I don’t think I think she’s mostly just a politically engaged American

    just like you and me

  46. RI Red says:

    Point being, that we allow our conservative field to be savaged by the left and cannibalized by the not-so-far left. I’d have enjoyed debates with SP onstage to see what she learned from the first go-around. Seems that Reagan had to try for a while before he got his bearings and sold his message.

  47. RI Red says:

    As to “smart”, we now have the smartest president evah! That’s worked out well.

  48. leigh says:

    That’s true, Red. I loved Reagan since he was my governor when I was a little girl and then all through his presidency. I get so tired of all these hacks hauling out his ghost and putting words in his mouth. They should read his letters. What a great man.

  49. RI Red says:

    I hate to admit that I was politically unaware at the time and bought into the establishment story that Reagan was a cowboy, amiable dunce, etc. It made my political awakening all that more acute when the scales finally fell from my eyes. I see the power of the political/media establishment and realize that much of our citizenry just do not have the education or tools to break through. By design, I am afraid.

  50. newrouter says:

    “I get so tired of all these hacks hauling out his ghost and putting words in his mouth. They should read his letters. ”

    Last week, more than three years after be became President, he finally came up with what he calls a new economic program. It is his 5th new economic program in 3 ½ years. He talks as if someone else has been in charge these past few years. With two months to go until the election he rides to the rescue now with a crazy-quilt of obvious election-year promises which he’ll ask Congress for–next year. After three years of neglect, the misery of unemployment, inflation, high taxes, dwindling earning power and inability to save–after all this, American workers have now been discovered by this administration.

    Well it won’t work. It is cynical. It is political. And it is too late. The damage is done and every American family knows who did it.

    In 1976 he said he would never use unemployment as an economic tool to fight inflation. In 1980 he called for an increase in unemployment–to fight inflation.

    In 1976 he said he would bring unemployment and inflation down to 3 percent.

    Who can believe him? Unemployment is now around 8 percent, inflation is 12 ½.

    And most of us have begun to realize that so long as Carter policies are in effect, the next four years will be as dark as the last four.

    But here, beside the torch that many times before in our nation’s history has cast a golden light in times of gloom, I pledge to you I’ll bring a new message of hope to all America.

    I look forward to meeting Mr. Carter in debate, confronting him with the whole sorry record of his Administration–the record he prefers not to mention. If he ever finally agrees to the kind of first debate the American people want–which I’m beginning to doubt–he’ll answer to them and to me.

    This country needs a new administration, with a renewed dedication to the dream of America–an administration that will give that dream new life and make America great again!

    link

  51. leigh says:

    I knew I could count on your Reagan-fu, nr. Thanks!

  52. Ernst Schreiber says:

    Damn,

    I miss all the fun.

  53. leigh says:

    RI Red, if you are ever in California, you should go see his ranch in the hills above Santa Barbara (my hometown). It is so darling. Only four rooms. He built it himself. Rancho del Cielo (The Ranch in the Clouds.) I haven’t been to the library yet, but I will next time I’m out to see the folks.

  54. leigh says:

    Ernst! I figured you’d have a cudgel handy. Be gentle.

  55. Ernst Schreiber says:

    Who would “these hacks” be leigh?

  56. happyfeet says:

    i went to the library it’s fun but not as

    it’s not as 80s as it should be

  57. Ernst Schreiber says:

    Heh.

    You can only do what you can do. And alas, I slice like a effin hammer.

  58. newrouter says:

    you need a sweater vest

  59. leigh says:

    Didn’t you go when the Red Hat ladies were there?

  60. happyfeet says:

    and there were scads and scads of those red hat women at the library what always make me feel sad when I see them

  61. happyfeet says:

    oh. yup.

  62. Ernst Schreiber says:

    Who needs a sweater vest?

  63. happyfeet says:

    people what have tender nipples mostly

  64. RI Red says:

    Last time in Cali, I was seduced by (or was that seduced in?) the Vineyards of Napa. Never made it to the shrine.

  65. leigh says:

    Napa is pretty awesome. I have friends up there, but I haven’t been in ages.

  66. RI Red says:

    Which explains the Old Vine Red Zin accompanying my M&Ms tonight. Double the resveritrol.

  67. newrouter says:

    sweater vest with pichachu chop chop

  68. newrouter says:

    Goddamn, well I declare, have you seen the like?
    Their walls are built of cannonballs, their motto is
    Don’t tread on me. Come hear Uncle John’s Band playing
    To the tide, come with me, or go alone.

    link

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