Saturday Night Open Thread: Leaked Videos of Romney Fund-Raiser Go (almost) Mainstream
Posted: September 15, 2012 Filed under: U.S. Economy, U.S. Politics | Tags: leaked videos, Mitt Romney, open thread, the top 1% 62 Comments
About a month ago, I saw a supposed “leaked video” of Mitt Romney at a private fund-raiser. There were a series of clips from the speech posted on You tube. I can’t recall now where I first learned about this, but at the time, bloggers were saying that it wasn’t confirmed that the audio was actually Romney, although the voice and content sound exactly like him. The earliest new link I can find is this one from August 27 at Shanghaiist.com. The video was also reportedly shown to employees of Sensata, the company in Illinois that is currently being destroyed by Bain Capital.
Suddenly today, the videos are turning up in posts from “respectable” bloggers. Ezra Klein highlights the first one I saw: Romney discussing working conditions at a Chinese factory he toured when he was at Bain Capital.
Klein uses this to argue that Romney was admitting that if you live in the U.S., you’re born with a leg up. In other words, “you didn’t build that.” Klein got the video from Political Wire. I’m not sure why these blogs are posting the videos now when they have been on You Tube for awhile. Have they been authenticated?
A number of these “leaked videos” are posted at the You Tube site of “Anne Onymous.”
Here is another really offensive one in which “Romney” talks angrily about people who vote for Obama as being “dependent on the government” and feeling “entitled to health care, food, and housing.” Listen to how his voice rises in outrage at the notion of people thinking they should not have to starve, die of untreated disease, or live on the street.
In other clips, “Romney” explains why the campaign is using Ann “sparingly,” makes a crude joke about immigration, says he doesn’t want to leave anything to his grandchildren, claims he didn’t inherit anything, admits he was born “with a silver spoon,” and more. In one, “Romney” says “I wish we weren’t unionized. We could go a lot deeper than you’re allowed to go.” What’s that about–wages, benefits? A few of the clips have video, some only audio.
Personally, I’m convinced the voice is Romney’s. But where was the recording made? Or is it a hoax? Check out the videos/audios and see what you think.
UPDATE: The Boston Globe referenced the “purported” Chinese worker video in a story today on Romney’s investments in China. Evidently their reporters had little doubt the voice was Romney’s. I’ve posted some quotes in the comment thread.
Thursday Evening Open Thread
Posted: September 13, 2012 Filed under: just because, open thread | Tags: Ambrosia, Cocktail Dakini, gods and goddesses, Matt Bors Editorial Cartoon, open thread, Pink Martini 47 CommentsI need a break. How about you?
Pink Martini cocktail recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Parts ABSOLUT VODKA
- 1 Part Dry Vermouth
- 4 Dashes Orange Bitters
- 2 Teaspoons Grenadine
Kicked Up Ambrosia Salad Parfaits
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2000
- Total Time:
- 20 min
- Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pint fresh blackberries, rinsed and hulled
- 1 pint fresh raspberries, rinsed and hulled
- 1/2 pint fresh strawberries, rinsed and quartered
- 2 large bananas, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 2 medium oranges, peeled and cut into segments
- 2 cups medium diced fresh pineapple
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 tablespoons chiffonade fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup coconut flakes, toasted
Directions
In a large bowl, combine all the fruit. Add the lemon juice, mint and sugar. Mix well and set aside. In a cold bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream, sugar and vanilla. Using an electric mixer fitted with a whip attachment or hand-held mixer, whip the cream until soft peaks form. To assemble, spoon some of the fruit mixture in the bottom of each parfait or martini glass. Sprinkle some of the coconut over the fruit. Spoon some of the whipped cream over the coconut. Continue layering until all of the ingredients are used. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.
Go On! Party like a God or Goddess!!!
The Cocktail Dakini sez: The Party is ON!
Sunday Night (we got the power) blog
Posted: September 2, 2012 Filed under: open thread | Tags: electricity, open thread 13 Comments
No Katrina Fridges this time out.
Karma(in front), Honey, and the leash a few months after Katrina in the infamous canal that flooded the ninth ward across from me.
I came home after chasing down some gas to a home with air conditioning, internet and cable. I am once again in the modern era. The cats were doing a happy dance when I walked in the door. They had been tag teaming me with yowling complaints about the room service and temperature for about two days now. Now, I have to deal with the aftermath of 5 days without power. The refrigerator is empty but needs a complete bleach job. I have endless towels and things to wash and no hot water. Need to light the silly pilot light. It’s something I can never seem to do.
I put away the leash for the last time.
Yup. There are a lot of things I will have to do and get use to now.
This is an open thread. What’s on your mind?
Mitt Romney — Still A Bully After All These Years
Posted: June 21, 2012 Filed under: 2012 presidential campaign, U.S. Politics | Tags: bullying, Mitt Romney, open thread 23 Comments
Mitt Romney, what a prankster he is! There was that time he and five other high school senior held down a gay classmate while Mitt cut his hair off. What a riot that guy is! And what about the time he dressed up as a Michigan state trooper and stopped a car with some of his “friends” in it and scared them half to death?
But that’s nothing compared to the clever pranks the adult Mitt likes to pull. Last night all five of Mitt’s sons were on the Conan O’Brien show and did they ever tell some funny stories about their dear old dad! Watch it:
Hey, who doesn’t love having a stick of butter smashed into his or her face? Good times. And writing “help” on the soles of your “friend’s” shoes when he’s getting married. Ha ha ha, what a riot! I wonder why the guy isn’t “friends” with Mitt anymore? What a spoilsport!
Here are a few Mitt cartoons I came across tonight:
peej
Carissa
bostonboomer
dakinikat
ecocatwoman
mablue2
Mama Lopez
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
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