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Monday, April 18, 2005
Stout ...

Looks like Team Reform just got a new campaign theme song.

The flack formerly known as the stout, Reese Witherspoon-wannabe dye-job aide to Romney’s loathsome $150,000-a-year spokesman announced that she is on the glide path to a real job, saying "it's time to take the skills I've learned in politics over the last nine years and apply them to a new challenge." (source: Boston Herald, 4/16/2005)

Bully.

Setting aside that dubious reference to "skills she learned in politics", we wish her the best.

And an explanation.

The word 'stout' means many things. Stout can mean forceful, powerful, bold, or stubborn. Describing someone as stout does not necessarily mean they are thickset, corpulent, big-boned, or prone to wearing Chester Atkins-sized suits.

We decided to hang 'stout' on said Flack after she needlessly threw Sen. Ted Kennedy under the bus while explaining Willard Mitt's endorsement of Arnold "Horndog" Swartzenegger. (source: RiaF) Its use was meant to draw attention to her willingness to change her personality to suit her new masters. It was not a comment on her Hillaryesque calves or bandy-legged stature.

We used "Stout" as a political badge of respect; we mourn her passing.

So long, Stumpy.


... and Out

Just as Stumpy (the former flack formerly known as the stout Reese Witherspoon-wannabe dye-job aide to Romney’s loathsome $150,000-a-year spokesman) no longer cares about Team Reform, we figure it's time to admit that we don't either.

Willard Mitt's time is ka-put; his footprint looks to be as lasting as a gull's at low-tide.

Besides, we're sleepy. And have decided to take a wee break.

If you want a quick note when we decide to reactivate this goofy site drop us a note.

Until then, thanks for reading. Thanks for writing. (And thank you to our patient and willing e-mail intermediaries.)

We're headed to the back forty to build our house, chop our wood and make our garden grow. (Correctly guess the allusion and win a Meat Pie. But not from us. Remember, we're taking a break!)

Any questions?

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Push-Back

Here we go again.

Willard Mitt last week criticized Deval Patrick as being open to tax increases because "his new Democratic rival" did not immediately support rolling back the income tax to the Paul Cellucci 'this won't hurt a bit' voter mandated five percent rate.

"The citizens have given us our budget. It's time to honor their wishes," Romney said. (source: Boston Herald, 4/16/2005)

Patrick whispered back that Willard Mitt's policies had resulted in property tax hikes throughout the Commonwealth. (source: Boston Globe, 4/16/2005)

Nice.

But you'd think that someone who had hired "the state's top political opposition researcher" (source: Boston Globe, 4/7/2005) would have 'remembered' that Romney is guilty of his own tax misdirection.

Back when he was just the Fraud Candidate the General Court passed a $1.2 billion tax package to balance the state budget. Willard Mitt's response was to pledge that if he were elected (fraud) governor, he would 'roll back all of the tax increases' in the package. (source: Boston Globe, 5/8/2002)

Unfortunately, since becoming Fraud Governor, the only thing Romney has done with the 2002 tax package is spend the monies it brings in. Three years later, the cigarette tax hike is still in effect, as is the capital gains tax hike and virtually every other increase that was enacted back during 'the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.'

We can understand Romney failing to honor his pledge with regard to the cigarette tax roll-back. But the capital gains tax is another thing. After all, this is a tax that Romney himself seemed to try to beat.

Back in 1994, Willard Mitt donated $200,000 worth of Staples stock to the Church of Latter Day Saints. Then, on the last trading day of the year, he bought $189,000 worth of Staples stock, effectively replenishing his investment.

Romney explained his actions to local media, saying "I contributed all of my Staples shares to meet my charitable contribution target. I wanted to replace a substantial portion of them. I'm in the same position I was in before." (source: Boston Herald, 1/18/1995)

Maybe he was in the same position. And maybe he donated then replenished his Staples stock to dodge the capital gains liability of the donated shares.

But whatever the rationale, Romney was seemingly finagling a tax that he has since failed to roll-back despite pledging to do so in 2002.

Hey Willard Mitt, once you start honoring your own words, we'll listen to your blather about honoring the tax-payers wishes.

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