Claim: "Romney had the Olympic uniforms made in Burma!"

[technomage]

Let's get this said at the beginning: I do not like Romney's policy suggestions, and I will not be voting for him. With that being said....

I recently saw an advertisement talking abut how Romney "outsourced" the making of the 2002 Olympic uniforms to Burma. Being a suspicious and cynical sort, I checked out the claim on Politifact.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-me...rms-made-burm/

It's true that the uniforms for the torch-bearers were made in Burma. Whether or not Romney had a thing to do with that decision is completely unfounded. Politifact gave this claim a "Barely True."

Come on, people! While I will be voting for Obama this November, I will also say this--if political action committees have to lie to get their point across, they do not deserve for their candidate to win.

I don't recall if the ad had Obama's approval, and I certainly hope it did not, but both candidates have engaged in dishonest ads and dishonest speeches. This kind of dishonesty--rampant across our entire political spectrum--is part of the reason our political system is as broken as it is.

Candidates, skip the lies, the mud-slinging, and and the vitriol. TELL THE TRUTH. If you can't do that, you do not deserve my vote.

[The Moonshield]

PolitiFact rated another Obama ad recently as being "Pants on Fire"-worthy as well:

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-me...n-rape-incest/

Of course Romney is hardly innocent himself. Getting (re)elected simply trumps everything; if being dishonest will help you win, then so be it. And it works in part because so many are so willing to give their favorite candidate a free pass.

[JimL]

Let's get this said at the beginning: I do not like Romney's policy suggestions, and I will not be voting for him. With that being said....

I recently saw an advertisement talking abut how Romney "outsourced" the making of the 2002 Olympic uniforms to Burma. Being a suspicious and cynical sort, I checked out the claim on Politifact.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-me...rms-made-burm/

It's true that the uniforms for the torch-bearers were made in Burma. Whether or not Romney had a thing to do with that decision is completely unfounded. Politifact gave this claim a "Barely True."

Come on, people! While I will be voting for Obama this November, I will also say this--if political action committees have to lie to get their point across, they do not deserve for their candidate to win.

I don't recall if the ad had Obama's approval, and I certainly hope it did not, but both candidates have engaged in dishonest ads and dishonest speeches. This kind of dishonesty--rampant across our entire political spectrum--is part of the reason our political system is as broken as it is.

Candidates, skip the lies, the mud-slinging, and and the vitriol. TELL THE TRUTH. If you can't do that, you do not deserve my vote.

I really don't see the problem with the accusation. The Salt Lake City olympics and Romney's handling of it is one of the things that he is basing his run for the presidency on. If he does not want to take responsibility for it, then he shouldn't. But he can't tell us how great his cake is and then refuse to eat it too.

[technomage]

I really don't see the problem with the accusation.

I do--delegation. If Romney is to be held directly responsible for the actions of delegates who acted outside of his direct supervision (in this case, an outside contractor), then Obama should be held directly responsible for the actions of subordinates who acted outside of his direct supervision (one case in point, Fast and Furious). While the legal ramifications of FaF are far more serious than the Olympic Jackets, the logic is identical.

[Meta Knight]

I really don't see the problem with the accusation.

Why does that not surprise me?

[Daniel7:14]

Tech,

First you are correct; FaF are far more serious than uniforms.........however.............."weapons of mass destruction"................seems to "trump" them all.

To the greater issue: II Tim. :4 (KJV, but not "only"), "...No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier".

I certainly struggle with the effect and pervasiveness of the "system", which intrudes upon the lives of all believers. The world calls to us to engage, on a continual basis, the fallen political system. I am amshamed to admit that it garners more of my time and effort than it should. I am beginning to realize that it should hold neither "part nor parcel" of my walk in Christ.

Bless,

Dan

[technomage]

I certainly struggle with the effect and pervasiveness of the "system", which intrudes upon the lives of all believers. The world calls to us to engage, on a continual basis, the fallen political system. I am amshamed to admit that it garners more of my time and effort than it should. I am beginning to realize that it should hold neither "part nor parcel" of my walk in Christ.

As a non-Christian, I can most certainly respect those views, even if from time to time I disagree with portions of them.

[Jaecp]

PolitiFact rated another Obama ad recently as being "Pants on Fire"-worthy as well:

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-me...n-rape-incest/

Of course Romney is hardly innocent himself. Getting (re)elected simply trumps everything; if being dishonest will help you win, then so be it. And it works in part because so many are so willing to give their favorite candidate a free pass.

One of the issues is that super-pacs and their hidden donators helps to obscure where the money comes from. This shields people both from negative ads in general, which are more effective than positive ads. There is no public accountability of the big financial players in politics so of course they are going to lie and be jerks to people, the other guy isn't going to pull any punches so it'd be damn stupid not to.

Undo Citizens United vs the FEC :(

[technomage]

Undo Citizens United vs the FEC :(

Citizens United would be difficult to undo. However, I will certainly advocate that all donations to PACs must be public.

[Jaecp]

I don't think it'd be easy, but I think it needs to be done. It's a dangerous step towards de facto oligarchy.

The hidden aspect is the most important thing though. Pre-2008, only like 1% of all donations were secret. Last I checked it was 47%

[technomage]

I don't think it'd be easy, but I think it needs to be done. It's a dangerous step towards de facto oligarchy.

J, I don't think Citizens United can be undone without either (a) undue restrictions on 1st Amendment rights, or (b) re-arranging the status of corporations, either of which will have deleterious effects.

The hidden aspect is the most important thing though. Pre-2008, only like 1% of all donations were secret. Last I checked it was 47%

Agreed!

[Littlejoe]

As I have said before...and probably will again...the easiest way to tell if a politician is lying is to closely watch their lips...if they are moving, he (or she) is lying...

every president I have ever voted for (starting with Reagan) lied during their campaign for election...

[JimL]

I do--delegation. If Romney is to be held directly responsible for the actions of delegates who acted outside of his direct supervision (in this case, an outside contractor), then Obama should be held directly responsible for the actions of subordinates who acted outside of his direct supervision (one case in point, Fast and Furious). While the legal ramifications of FaF are far more serious than the Olympic Jackets, the logic is identical.

Fast and Furious is a bad analogy. First off the program was initiated by the Bush administration not the Obama administration. Second the gist of the program was not to allow guns to freely find their way to Mexican drug lords in order to trace where they were going. That was already happening any way because of the state gun laws, or lack thereof. The purpose was to stop them from getting to their intended destination in the first place, arresting the buyers before they had a chance to sell them, but as it turned out the buyers could not be arrested because of state laws which legally allowed the buying and selling of all those guns. So the program was an attempt to stop the flow of guns to mexico, not to allow them to go in order to trace them. The guns that killed the border patrol agent were legally allowed to be bought and the buyer could not be arrested due to state gun laws. The program was a bust, but it was a bust because of state jurisdiction which prevented federal agents from stopping the flow of guns, not because federal agents were allowing the flow of guns. Second Romney is taking direct credit for the success of the Salt Lake City Olympics, and the way he managed it, so he can't dissasociate himself when it turns out to be bad management.

[Cow Poke]

Come on, people! While I will be voting for Obama this November...

Tech! You haven't heard? Federal Elections have been moved to the first Tuesday in DECEMBER this year! Sheeeesh!

[Darth Executor]

re-arranging the status of corporations

This won't make a difference.