WASHINGTON — Mitt Romney sharpened his criticism of President Obama’s handling of China’s trade practices this week, claiming the administration was dawdling as the global power gained strength by stealing American ingenuity and artificially lowering its currency.
But the Republican presidential nominee — both during his business career and in some recent financial investments made on his behalf — has invested in Chinese manufacturing companies that use some of those same practices, according to Romney’s financial forms statements and a review of shareholder disclosure statements.
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I'm sorry but I can't find what is new about this news. This has been going on for years.
The Republican candidate for the Presidency attacks the President for the same practices that he engages in and you don't think it's relevant to an election in seven weeks?
Perhaps Mr. Romney could explin the apparent contradiction betweem what he preaches and what he practices when it comes to his own finances. All the more reason he should release those tax returns.
With his leadership of Bain and its business practices, it appears that Mitt Romney is the person who is singularly more responsible for exporting jobs than anybody. Unfortunately, the man has no spine to defend himself and he has no understanding of truth, so he simply joins the Sarah Palin attack squad.
Tell me how this (below) is not equal to or worse than Romney's investements? Obama borrows $249M from Chinese to fund A123 Systems then turns around and sells 80% of the stake to a Chinese company? At least Romney used his own money. Obama borrowed for us. Let's not paint any candidate with one brush.
"A Chinese auto parts company, Wanxiang, has come to the rescue of cash-strapped A123 Systems, an American high-tech lithium-ion battery maker and centerpiece of the Obama administration’s “green jobs” revolution. Wanxiang can acquire up to an 80% of the company in return for an investment of up to $450 million.
The recipient of a $249 million “green technology” grant from our federal government, A123, believing their own (and everyone else’s) hype about the millions of electric vehicles that would soon be filling the nation’s highways (it will happen, but not soon) set about proving an old adage: stupidity and waste increase with the amount of money available. Production capacity was set at a level that was way overly optimistic, and the headquarters complex, with its magnificent office suites and marbled lobbies, was something only a company with tons of money would dream of. But I’m sure the risk seemed low: After all, the “green revolution” was upon us. Even Nancy Pelosi said it was so!"
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Obama Admin granted Michigan (not Massachusetts) funding to A123 to open a plant in Michigan. Why, cause he doesn't need MA votes. Boston Power, A123 competitor, lost that contract for the same reason. A123 got the contract in Michigan as they promiised 3000 jobs (back in 2009). Today they are at 690 and reducing. Wanxiang, already have moved Ener1's prodcuttion to China will backfill the job differential in Michigan, not in China. How is that differenet? Or is that fact you feel Obama can, and has done, no wrong and this is all a problem with Rebublicans. PS - I got laid off from A123, don't tell me I don't know what's going on.
Romney lacks a shred of credibility, his forays into foreign policy have ranged from farcical to dangerous, and the fact is, qualities and attitudes that can be effective in business are of little or no value in politics. Walk softly and carry a big stick has always been the US's best stance, while swagger and posturing has inevitably led to disaster. It becomes increasingly clear Romney is likely heading for defeat, and we can only hope that his intemperate talk does not dig any more foreighn policy holes we'll need to fill before we can move forward after the election.
How's Obama's Foreign Policy working out lately?
Obama's? Pretty well actually. We are bringing troops home, and as someone who travels in Europe a lot, I can assure you, we and our foreign policy are better viewed and respected now than any time since 9/11. My British friends (left and right) were truly apalled by Romney's recent performance during his visit, and if he can't garner the respect of our very, very best allies, how's he gonna do with Putin, Pakistan, and China? If you were refering to the recent anti-American riots, then you need a sense of perspective. These recent events are not about foreign policy, they are about seismic historical shifts in the muslim world, most of which we can't change, but we can create a path to the new realities that put us in a position to benefit from, rather than be hurt by, the inevitable changes.
Romney's investments are fair game. And the blind trust defense is rubbish. Mitt could always say to the trustee: "Don't invest in any Chinese sweatshop industries." But he hasn't. And he won't. Now when is Mr. Viser going to show the application of neutral principles and scrutinize to the same degree the many disconnects between President O'Bama's words and his deeds? Viser could start by examining the his lip service the President pays to principles of comity and civility, while at the same time he and his surrogates wage one of the most personal, partisan, and divisive campaigns in U. S. history. Viser could end by examining the President's frequent calls for transparency in government, while at the same time he takes extraordinary measures to protect his academic and other records from disclosure. To date, Viser, and nearly every Globe reporter, for that matter, has been behaving more like an extension of the Obama Campaign's press office than as a professional journalist interested in truth.
Matt, you don't seem to appreciate the difference between criticism of an existing federal policy and making personal decisions based on that policy while it is still in effect. Someone might argue that interest on municipal bonds should not be tax-free because that exemption encourages excessive borrowing by cities like Detroit, Chicago and L.A. But would anyone pass up the perfectly legal opportunity to receive interest payments tax free? Of course not.
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I would agree with you if Romney was an ordinary citizen, but like ministers and priests, politicians should be held to a higher standard. In other words, it's not just what's legal. It also involves what are admittedly subject things, the appearance of engaging in wrong-doing or unethical practices or hypocrisy. No one is perfect, of course, but a long string of such lapses should certainly draw the attention and concern of voters.
How stupid would you have to be to vote for this raging hypocrite?
The first time that I saw the cheater cheater ad, Mitt looked and sounded so insipid that right until the end I assumed that it was a tongue-in-cheek democratic party ad. I imagine Mitt would want to see China put on double-secret probation until they do what he wants.