The Debate

My two cents.

I was expecting Obama to clean Romney’s clock. But Romney came out swinging. Not even moderator Jim Lehrer could move him off message. Nothing could, not even the truth. Example 1: He said 23 million people are out of work when the actual figure is 12.5 million – Still too many I agree but gee whiz . . .

(and by the way. Newest figures out Friday show unemployment at 7.8%, down from 8.2% because Americans are really finding jobs.)

Here are the things Romney said that worry me the most:

2. He talked about “clean coal” as though there is such a thing. Folks, there is no such thing as “clean coal.” Burning coal endangers the lives of you and your children and your children’s children. It pumps carbon dioxide (Co²) and mercury into the air you breathe. You better care about that.

3. Romney said Obama refuses to drill for oil in our national parks. I take that to mean Romney will. If so, there goes Zion and Red Rock National Parks and pristine Denali National Park in Alaska as well as much more of our precious protected land. And by the way, thanks to a Republican controlled House of Representatives, the five biggest oil companies are subsidized to the tune of $2.4 billion a year and allowed to write off all their drilling costs.

4. Here’s what Obama said. “Governor Romney’s central economic plan calls for a $5 trillion tax cut on top of the extension of the Bush tax cuts, so that is another trillion dollars. And $2 trillion in additional military spending that the military hasn’t asked for. That is $8 trillion.”

Romney responded, “I don’t have a five trillion dollar tax cut. I don’t have a tax cut of the scale that you’re talking about.”

Seriously?

Look at the math. All of Romney’s plans cost money. He would lower income tax rates by 20% in all tax brackets, eliminate taxes on capital gains and dividends for those earning less than $200,000. His plan would cost $360 billion in year one before it is offset by closing loopholes (he doesn’t say which ones) and lowering deductions (he doesn’t tell us about them either.) Watch out for this. It will be very expensive.

5. Romney talked about an unelected board (like Sarah Palin’s death panel) that’s going to tell people the kind of medical treatment they can receive. In fact the board that President Obama will appoint is charged with bringing down Medicare costs but prohibited from “rationing care, shifting costs to retirees, restricting benefits or raising the Medicare eligibility age. So the board doesn’t have the power to dictate to doctors what treatments they can prescribe.”

Why didn’t the president challenge the governor on his outrageous statements? Why didn’t Obama bring up the 47%? I can’t imagine. Maybe he’s saving up for next time.

Or maybe he was just letting Romney hang himself on untruths.

Is deceitful Mitt Romney who we really want for president?