2012 Presidential Campaign Blog

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad & Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds Statements on the Supreme Court Decision on President Obama’s Healthcare Law

IOWA GOV. TERRY BRANSTAD: TODAY’S DECISION MEANS HIGHER COSTS AND MORE DEBT FOR IOWANS

Boston, MA – Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds made the following statements on the Supreme Court decision on President Obama’s healthcare law:

Governor Terry Branstad said, “Today, the Supreme Court handed down a disastrous decision to uphold President Obama’s destructive healthcare law, which means a future of higher costs, fewer choices, and increasing debt for Iowans. The current healthcare system is nothing but a federal takeover that will cost the country trillions of dollars in new federal spending. But, as Governor Romney has said many times, no matter what may happen in court, the American people must remain vigilant in their fight to repeal the law. Our goal is for Iowa to become the healthiest state in the country and to do so Iowans will need to take ownership of their own health to reduce healthcare costs and lead healthier lives.”

On today’s decision by the Supreme Court, Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds said, “America needs real healthcare reform and we need Governor Romney in Washington. Governor Romney will enact real reforms to ensure that the future of Iowa and America as a whole can replace Obamacare with solutions that put Iowans in control of their own healthcare and preserve the economic future of Iowa’s next generation.”

Mitt Romney Statement On The Supreme Court’s Decision On President Obama’s Healthcare Law

MITT ROMNEY: I WILL REPEAL OBAMACARE

“What the Court did not do on its last day in session I will do on my first day if elected President of the United States. And that is I will act to repeal Obamacare....Obamacare was bad policy yesterday. It's bad policy today. Obamacare was bad law yesterday. It’s bad law today.” – Mitt Romney

Remarks
Washington, DC
June 28, 2012

MITT ROMNEY: “What the Court did not do on its last day in session, I will do on my first day if elected President of the United States. And that is I will act to repeal Obamacare.

“Let’s make clear that we understand what the Court did and did not do. What the Court did today was say that Obamacare does not violate the Constitution. What they did not do was say that Obamacare is good law or that it's good policy.

“Obamacare was bad policy yesterday. It's bad policy today. Obamacare was bad law yesterday. It’s bad law today. Let me tell you why I say that. Obamacare raises taxes on the American people by approximately $500 billion. Obamacare cuts Medicare, cuts Medicare, by approximately $500 billion. And even with those cuts, and tax increases, Obamacare adds trillions to our deficits and to our national debt and pushes those obligations on to coming generations. Obamacare also means that for up to 20 million Americans, they will lose the insurance they currently have, the insurance that they like and they want to keep. Obamacare is a job killer. Businesses across the country have been asked what the impact is of Obamacare. Three quarters of those surveyed by the Chamber of Commerce said Obamacare makes it less likely for them to hire people. And perhaps most troubling of all, Obamacare puts the federal government between you and your doctor.

“For all those reasons, it's important for us to repeal and replace Obamacare. What are some of the things that we'll keep in place, and must be in place, in a reform, a real reform, of our healthcare system? One, we have to make sure that people who want to keep their current insurance will be able to do so. Having 20 million people, up to that number of people, lose the insurance they want, is simply unacceptable. Number two, got to make sure that those people who have pre-existing conditions know that they will be able to be insured and they will not lose their insurance. We also have to assure that we do our very best to help each state in their effort to assure that every American has access to affordable healthcare. And something that Obamacare does not do that must be done in real reform is helping lower the cost of healthcare and health insurance. It’s becoming prohibitively expensive.

“And so this is now a time for the American people to make a choice. You can choose whether you want to have a larger and larger government, more and more intrusive in your life—separating you and your doctor—whether you're comfortable with more deficits, higher debt that we pass onto the coming generations. Whether you're willing to have the government put in place a plan that potentially causes you to lose the insurance that you like or whether instead you want to return to a time when the American people will have their own choice in healthcare. Where consumers will be able to make their choices as to what kind of health insurance they want.

“This is the time of choice for the American people. Our mission is clear: If we want to get rid of Obamacare, we're going to have to replace President Obama. My mission is to make sure we do exactly that. That we return to the American people the privilege they've always had to live their lives in the way they feel most appropriate. Where we don't pass on to coming generations massive deficits and debt, where we don't have a setting where jobs are lost. If we want good jobs and a bright economic future, for ourselves and for our kids, we must replace Obamacare. That is my mission. That is our work. And I’m asking the people of America to join me. If you don't want the course that President Obama has put us on, if you want instead a course that the Founders envisioned, then join me in this effort. Help us. Help us defeat Obamacare. Help us defeat the liberal agenda that makes government too big, too intrusive, and is killing jobs across this great country.”

Mitt Romney Delivers Response To The Supreme Court Decision On President Obama’s Healthcare Law

Mitt Romney Delivers Response To The Supreme Court Decision On President Obama’s Healthcare Law

Boston, MA – Today, Mitt Romney will deliver a response to the Supreme Court decision on President Obama’s healthcare law in Washington, D.C.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Event: Governor Romney Delivers Response To The Supreme Court Decision On President Obama’s Healthcare Law

Location: 101 Constitution Avenue NW 9 th Floor Washington, D.C.

When: 11:45 AM EDT

Doors Open: 11:00 AM EDT

Romney Campaign Response To Joe Biden in Dubuque, Iowa

Romney Campaign Response To Joe Biden in Dubuque, Iowa

“Vice President Biden today continued his misleading attacks on free enterprise and doubled down on the failed policies that have Democrats fleeing from this summer’s convention. The Obama Administration has no new ideas to help the middle-class or the millions of Americans suffering from chronic unemployment, so the President and his allies will keep trying to distract attention from the economy. Americans deserve better. Mitt Romney has a decades-long record of job creation and a pro-growth plan that will do what President Obama has not – finally jumpstart our economy.” – Shawn McCoy, Romney Spokesman

Mitt Romney Campaign Comments on Joe Biden's Event Today in Waterloo, Iowa

Mitt Romney Campaign Comments on Joe Biden's Event Today in Waterloo, Iowa

“Vice President Biden today doubled down on the Obama campaign’s same misleading attacks in an effort to distract voters from the President’s disastrous economic record. President Obama thinks that economic development means sending billions of taxpayer dollars to foreign-owned companies and rewarding donors with money from his failed stimulus program. President Obama has failed to meet his own standard for lowering unemployment because he has no idea what it takes to get our economy moving again. On Day One, Mitt Romney will take action to jumpstart our economy and give job creators the incentives they need to thrive here in America.” –Andrea Saul, Romney Campaign Spokesperson

President Obama’s Policies Have Discouraged Job Creation Here In The United States:

A Wall Street Journal Analysis Found Roughly 75% Of The Jobs Added In The Past Two Years By Thirty-Five Major U.S. Multinational Companies Were Overseas. "Thirty-five big U.S.-based multinational companies added jobs much faster than other U.S. employers in the past two years, but nearly three-fourths of those jobs were overseas, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis." (Scott Thurm, “U.S. Firms Add Jobs, But Mostly Overseas,” The Wall Street Journal, 4/26/12)

The Companies Added More Than 100,000 Jobs In America, But Well Over 300,000 Jobs Overseas. “Those companies, which include Wal-Mart Stores Inc., International Paper Co., Honeywell International Inc. and United Parcel Service Inc., boosted their employment at home by 3.1%, or 113,000 jobs, between 2009 and 2011, the same rate of increase as the nation's other employers. But they also added more than 333,000 jobs in their far-flung-and faster-growing- foreign operations.” (Scott Thurm, “U.S. Firms Add Jobs, But Mostly Overseas,” The Wall Street Journal, 4/26/12)

Over $1.5 Billion In Stimulus Money Flowed To Foreign Manufacturers Of Wind Turbines:

 

Nearly 80 Percent Of The $2 Billion Spent On Wind Power In The Stimulus Went To Foreign Manufacturers Of Wind Turbines. “Nearly $2 billion in money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has been spent on wind power, funding the creation of enough new wind farms to power 2.4 million homes over the past year. But the study found that nearly 80 percent of that money has gone to foreign manufacturers of wind turbines.” (Jonathan Karl, “New Wind Farms In The U.S. Do Not Bring Jobs,” ABC News, 2/9/10)

Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer Said The Flow Of Money To Foreign Companies “Makes People Lose Faith In Government, And It Frankly Infuriates Me.” “Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called the flow of money to foreign companies an outrage, because the stimulus, he said, was intended to create jobs inside the United States. ‘This is one of those stories in Washington that when you tell people five miles outside the Beltway, or anywhere else in America, they cannot believe it,’ Schumer told ABC News, ‘It makes people lose faith in government, and it frankly infuriates me.’” (Jonathan Karl, “New Wind Farms In The U.S. Do Not Bring Jobs,” ABC News, 2/9/10)

Fisker Automotive Was Awarded A Half-Billion Dollar Loan Guarantee, Manufactures Its Cars In Finland:

 

In 2009, The Department Of Energy Granted Fisker A $529 Million Stimulus Loan Guarantee, $359 Million Of Which Was To Go Toward Reviving The Former GM Boxwood Plant In Wilmington, Delaware. “In September, Secretary Chu announced a $528.7 million conditional loan for Fisker Automotive for the development of two lines of plug-in hybrids, which will save hundreds of millions gallons of gasoline and offset millions of tons of carbon pollution by 2016. Of the total loan, $359 million is going to revive manufacturing at the Boxwood Plant. The Boxwood Plant will support Fisker Automotive’s Project NINA, the development and build of a mass-market plug-in hybrid sedan.” (Press Release, “Vice President Biden Announces Reopening Of Former GM Boxwood Plant,” Office Of The Vice President, 10/27/09)

Vice President Biden Attended The Re-Opening Of Fisker’s Delaware Plant, Calling The Loan “Seed Money That Will Return Back To The American Consumer In Billions And Billions And Billions Of Dollars In Good, New Jobs.” BIDEN: “This is seed money that will return back to the American consumer in billions and billions and billions of dollars in good, new jobs.” (ABC News’ “Nightline,” 10/25/11) 

Today, The Fisker Plant In Delaware Is “Absolutely Empty” After Laying Off Workers. “Fisker Automotive has laid off another dozen workers at the former General Motors plant in Delaware that it has been refitting with federal and state money to build a new sedan. The layoffs, which occurred quietly Friday, come as California-based Fisker continues talks with the U.S. Energy Department to unfreeze loan money that could determine whether it ever builds a car at the plant. … Jeffrey Garland, a Delawarean who was spearheading community affairs and business development efforts in the state for Fisker, said the Fisker plant, shut down by GM in 2009, is ‘absolutely empty.’” (“Fisker On Ropes? Delaware Plant ‘Absolutely Empty,’” USA Today, 4/18/12)

“With The Approval Of The Obama Administration,” Fisker Began Assembling Its First Line Of Cars In Finland. “With the approval of the Obama administration, an electric car company that received a $529 million federal government loan guarantee is assembling its first line of cars in Finland, saying it could not find a facility in the United States capable of doing the work.” (Matthew Mosk and Brian Ross, “Car Company Gets U.S. Loan, Builds Cars In Finland,” ABC News, 10/20/11)

 

“Fisker Used The First $169 Million In Taxpayer Funds To Bring To Market The Karma, A Flashy $100,000 Hybrid Sports Sedan That It Assembles In Finland.” (Matthew Mosk, “Fisker May Never Build Electric Cars In US,” ABC News, 5/30/12)

President Obama’s Poster Child Of Failed Energy Investments – Solyndra – Was Backed By Obama Donors And Advisors:

The Obama Administration Loaned Over Half A Billion Dollars To Solyndra – Which Later Went Bankrupt And Laid Off Workers. “In a blow to the Obama administration's efforts to create green jobs, solar-cell maker Solyndra announced Wednesday that it will close its remaining Fremont factory, lay off its 1,100 employees and file for bankruptcy. The news marked an abrupt end for a company once considered among the most innovative in a fast-changing industry. The bankruptcy also represents a high-profile failure for a federal stimulus program that gives loan guarantees to green-tech manufacturers. Solyndra was the first company to win one of the guarantees, receiving $535 million in 2009 to build its second factory in Fremont less than a mile from the company's original plant.” (David R. Baker and Carolyn Said, “Solyndra Closes Fremont Plant - Stimulus Hopes Dim,” San Francisco Chronicle, 9/1/11)

“One Of Solyndra’s Major Investors Was George Kaiser, An Oklahoma Billionaire Who Raised Between $50,000 And $100,000 For Obama During The 2008 Election.” (Ronnie Greene and Matthew Mosk, “Obama-Backed Solar Firm Collapses After Big Federal Loan Guarantee,” iWatch, 8/31/11)

• · “Through His Corporate Affiliates, Kaiser Has Long Stood As Solyndra’s Single Largest Investor.” (Ronnie Greene, “Recurring Red Flags Failed To Slow Obama Administration’s Race To Help Solyndra,” iWatch, 9/13/11) 

 

• · “Kaiser Made 16 Visits To The President’s Aides Since 2009, According To White House Visitor Logs.” (Jim Snyder, “FBI Raids Bankrupt Solyndra As Lawmakers Question Panel Maker’s Finances,” Bloomberg, 9/9/11) 

 

Steve Westly – Another Obama Bundler – Is Linked To The Solyndra Scandal. “The list also includes two bundlers linked to Solyndra, the controversial solar company that received a $528 million federal loan and later declared bankruptcy — Steven Spiner and Steve Westley. The White House decision to approve the loan triggered a congressional probe on whether the deal smacked of political favoritism.” (Carle Campanile, “Obama’s ‘Bundled’ Up With Corzine,” New York Post, 2/1/12)

 

Steve Spinner – “An Elite Obama Fundraiser” – Presided Over The Energy Investment Program And “Pushed And Prodded” For Solyndra Loan Approval While His Wife’s Law Firm Represented The Company. “An elite Obama fundraiser hired to help oversee the administration’s energy loan program pushed and prodded career Department of Energy officials to move faster in approving a loan guarantee for Solyndra, even as his wife’s law firm was representing the California solar company, according to internal emails made public late Friday.” (Matthew Mosk, “Obama Fundraiser Pushed Solyndra Deal From Inside,” ABC News, 10/7/11)

Mitt Romney Campaign Statement on Joe Biden's Visit to Waterloo, Iowa on Tuesday, June 26, 2012

IOWANS CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR FUTURE IN THE OBAMA ECONOMY

“Vice President Biden is back in Iowa today to sell voters on the disappointing results of President Obama’s economic policies. But Iowans – like all Americans – are still struggling to make ends meet in the Obama economy. From Day One, Mitt Romney will implement pro-growth policies that will help get Americans working again and achieving the financial security they need.” –Amanda Henneberg, Romney Campaign Spokesperson

Today, Vice President Biden Will Campaign In Iowa On The Disappointing Results Of President Obama’s Economic Policies:

Today In Iowa, Vice President Joe Biden Will Tout The Results Of President Obama’s Economic Policies. “Vice President Joe Biden will spend two days in Iowa, making campaign stops in Waterloo, Dubuque and Clinton. Biden will hold his first event Tuesday morning in Waterloo, where he will speak to members of the United Auto Workers. His speech will focus on the economy, and Biden will argue that Democratic President Barack Obama's policies will be more effective than those advocated by Republican Mitt Romney.” (“Biden Plans Stops In Waterloo, Dubuque, Clinton,” Quad-City Times, 6/25/12)

Iowans Are Experiencing Their Highest Levels Of Economic Insecurity In A Quarter-Century:

Nearly One In Five Iowans Experienced Economic Insecurity In 2010, A 26-Year High. “Nearly one in five Iowans experienced economic insecurity in 2010, a 26-year high, a Rockefeller Foundation report Thursday showed.” (Donnelle Eller, “Financial Insecurity Grows In Iowa Even After Recession Ends, New Report Says,” Des Moines Register, 6/21/12)

Nearly 25% Of Iowans Failed Last Year To Earn Enough To Cover Their Basic Needs. “‘The economy is becoming more unstable and that instability is being felt in the average household,’ said Fisher, whose group recently released a report showing that 23 percent of Iowans failed last year to earn enough to cover their basic needs.” (Donnelle Eller, “Financial Insecurity Grows In Iowa Even After Recession Ends, New Report Says,” Des Moines Register, 6/21/12)

An Estimated 437,000 Iowans Lost A Quarter Of Their Income In 2010. “In Iowa, the Rockefeller Foundation estimates that 437,000 individuals lost a quarter of their income in 2010, compared with 297,000 in 1986.” (Donnelle Eller, “Financial Insecurity Grows In Iowa Even After Recession Ends, New Report Says,” Des Moines Register, 6/21/12)

And All Across America, Middle-Class Families Are Still Struggling For Work And Trying To Make Ends Meet:

More Than Twenty-Three Million Americans Are Unemployed, Underemployed, Or Have Stopped Looking For Work. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 6/4/12)

Since President Obama Took Office, Median Household Income Has Declined By $4,300. “Yet real median household income in March was down $4,300 since Obama took office in January 2009 and down $2,900 since the June 2009 start of the economic recovery, according to an analysis of census data by Sentier Research, an economic- consulting firm in Annapolis, Maryland.” (Mike Dorning, “Obama Fails To Stem Middle-Class Slide He Blamed On Bush,” Bloomberg, 4/30/12)

Median Family Net Worth Has Hit A Two-Decade Low. “The Great Recession shrank Americans' wealth so much that in 2010 median family net worth was no more than it had been in 1992 after adjusting for inflation, the Federal Reserve reported Monday. Median net worth declined from $126,400 in 2007 to $77,300 in 2010, a Fed survey of family finances found. The median marks the point where half had more and half had less.” (Martin Crutsinger, “Fed Report: Middle Class Net Worth Tumbles,” The Associated Press, 6/12/12)

Nearly 16 Million Homeowners Are Underwater On Their Mortgages. “Despite rising home prices, more than 30% of borrowers, or close to 16 million homeowners, were underwater on their mortgage during the first quarter, according to Zillow. The percentage of borrowers who owed more on their home than it was worth increased to 31.4% during the quarter, up slightly from 31.1% three months earlier, according to Zillow.” (Les Christie, “More Than 30% Of Mortgage Borrowers Still Underwater,” CNN Money, 5/24/12)

Mitt Romney Campaigns In Sterling, Virginia On Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Mitt Romney Campaigns In Virginia

Boston, MA – On Wednesday, Mitt Romney will hold an event at EIT, LLC in Sterling, Virginia.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Event: Governor Romney Holds Sterling Event

Location:                 

EIT, LLC 
22815 Glenn Drive
Sterling, Virginia  

Program Time:        5:00 PM EDT

Mitt Romney Statement in Response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Ruling on Arizona Immigration Law

Mitt Romney Statement in Response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Ruling on Arizona Immigration Law

Boston, MA – Today, Governor Mitt Romney issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on the Arizona immigration law:

“Today's decision underscores the need for a President who will lead on this critical issue and work in a bipartisan fashion to pursue a national immigration strategy. President Obama has failed to provide any leadership on immigration. This represents yet another broken promise by this President. I believe that each state has the duty--and the right--to secure our borders and preserve the rule of law, particularly when the federal government has failed to meet its responsibilities. As Candidate Obama, he promised to present an immigration plan during his first year in office.  But 4 years later, we are still waiting.”

Tagg Romney Visit to Davenport, Iowa on Monday, June 25, 2012 (Today) Delayed to 4:45pm

Tagg Romney Visit to Davenport, Iowa on Monday, June 25, 2012 (Today) Delayed to 4:45pm


311 West Kimberly Drive
Davenport, IA 52806

1:00 pm 4:45 pm

Mitt Romney Announces Young Americans For Romney Leadership Team

MITT ROMNEY ANNOUNCES YOUNG AMERICANS FOR ROMNEY LEADERSHIP TEAM

Boston, MA – Mitt Romney today announced his Young Americans for Romney Leadership Team. The group will be led by National Chairman Craig Romney. This team will work with prominent young leaders from across the country to help spread the message about why Mitt Romney is the best choice for America’s future.

“I am so heartened that young people from around the country are working with me to restore America’s promise,” said Mitt Romney. “Whether it is the fact that half of our recent college graduates are struggling to find good jobs or that our spiraling debt is an enormous burden on our next generation, President Obama has clearly failed young people. Our next generation needs a president who will look out for them and their futures. I will work every day to ensure that our young people will have an even brighter future than their parents had.”

National Chairman Craig Romney said, “This committee will provide important outreach to young Americans who are interested in restoring economic security to our country. My father has a strong track record of leadership, whether it was turning around companies, the Olympics, or the state of Massachusetts. America needs that type of leadership in the Oval Office. I am looking forward to working with young Americans from across the country to spread this message. Our country is down, but we are certainly not out. I believe that my dad is the man to provide opportunity and leadership to all Americans—especially our next generation.”

Honorary National Co-Chairman Aaron Schock made the following statement on the formation of the Young American’s for Romney Leadership Team, “Every day that passes, our next generation is increasingly burdened with a crushing debt. We need to make sure that we work to pay down our debt and work toward a balanced budget. Mitt Romney has proposed a bold plan that will scale back the size of government, so that young people aren’t paying for our reckless spending. I am proud to stand with him and to help engage young people in the most important election of their lives.”

New Hampshire State Representative Marilinda Garcia said, “It has long been an American tradition that each generation leaves our country in a better place than they inherited it. Today, with President Obama’s failed policies, I fear that may not be the case. Mitt Romney believes that America’s brightest days are ahead – but to get there, we need to reverse the failed policies of the past. I stand with Mitt and will work tirelessly to make sure our young people understand his plan to get America working again.”

“Mitt Romney has spent his career in business,” said National Advisory Board Member Jeb Bush, Jr. “He knows what it takes to grow jobs and empower small businesses. President Obama has been hostile to job creators and that has prevented our economy from recovering faster. Mitt Romney has proposed a bold agenda for his first one hundred days that will reinvigorate job growth and make America believe in itself once again.”

Young Americans for Romney National Leadership Team

National Chairman Craig Romney

Honorary National Co-Chairman Jaime Herrera Beutler
Honorary National Co-Chairman Duncan Hunter
Honorary National Co-Chairman Adam Kinzinger
Honorary National Co-Chairman Kristi Noem
Honorary National Co-Chairman Martha Roby
Honorary National Co-Chairman Aaron Schock
Honorary National Co-Chairman Marlin Stutzman
Honorary National Co-Chairman Kevin Yoder

National Advisory Board:

Sam Bain – Chairman of the Ohio College Republicans
Jeb Bush Jr. – Chairman of Sun PAC
David Cardenas – Director of Sun PAC and Cardenas Partners
Beau Davidson – Country Music Singer and Winner of the CMT Music City Madness Original Song Award
New Hampshire State Representative Marilinda Garcia
Ohio State Representative Christina Hagan
Joshua Hone – New Mexico Republican Youth Activist
Zach Howell – Former Chairman of the College Republican National Committee
Ohio State Representative Casey Kozlowski
Chris Malagisi – Director of the American Conservative Union’s Conservative Political Action Conference
Nate Walton – President of Sachem Strategy and former Chairman of the Maine College Republicans