I can't get Ryan's story about Mitt visiting the victims of a car wreck out of my head -

[hedgehog]

- Did he tell it to deliberately hit Joe in the heart and disable him for the duration of the debate?

- Is that the only story Mitt can tell of his personal generosity?

- Were they so stupid and uninformed not to realize that that story was a rude personal attack on Joe Biden; a retelling of the worst thing that ever happened to him?

- Who came up with that story and decided that Ryan should feed it into the debate?

What's Mitt going to do to follow up at the debate Tuesday - tell about visiting a woman with terminal cancer and promising to pay her bills and send her son to college?

[Frustratedlady]

1. That will just turn into a RW rumor that Mitt...

visited Obama's mother and promised her he would pay to put her son, Obama, thru college. Now, look how he repaid him.

You know how they work.

I didn't believe that Ryan story anyway. But, it was totally out of place and deliberate.

[hedgehog]

3. The story is true - but it had nothing to do with Mitt's opinion on

saving the auto industry!

[robinlynne]

4. besides which he paid for college for one person, while taking away the livelihoods of thousands of

families....


Besides, Romney paying for college for one person is the equivalent of me putting a penny into a poor person's hat. I put in whole dollars, and I don't have enough money to pay my bills...

[Iris]

13. Shudder - You just painted a picture in my mind

And ugly company town where one man controls the destiny of all. If he likes you, your kid goes to college. If he doesn't, you're kid goes down to the coal mines.

[robinlynne]

14. scrooge.

[Zambero]

5. Or possibly...

how the Romney family took positive steps to rescue a young child named Barack Obama from the grips of poverty in his native Kenya, only to have him seized by meddling grandparents who paved the way for him to attend ultra-liberal colleges and universities, during which time he became thoroughly indoctrinated and exited academia as an America-hating community organizer. And of course, this is how he thanks them!

[courseofhistory]

2. Is it even true and has it

been vetted? And what did it have to do with the auto bailout question in the debate?

[exboyfil]

6. I would not necessarily call it vetted

but there is an extended interview with the family on Glen Beck from last year. To sum up what I remember. Romney brought lots of presents one Christmas as well as telling the family that he would fund the education of both paralyzed sons. If that is what happened, it is an example of personal generousity and should be praised. Has nothing to do with making policy positions though.

In the Nixon interview with Beck, it is ironic that Mr. Nixon said that it was tough after the accident which paralyzed his two sons, but at least he had good insurance through his employment as a college professor. The biggest part of the gift, as far as I could tell, is tuition for both sons. I have no way of valuing the gift in 1995, but lets say it was $150K. A considerable sum, but to give it some perspective - Romney set up a trust for his children the same year with $100M. What would be a comparable gift for a family making $70K (lets say Romney made 1000 times more than this family). That family gave away $200 in Angel Tree donations each year (I know this because this is my family). We take the gifts to the family of children whose parent is in prison in person - very much like the Romneys. I would not expect to be interviewed by Glenn Beck for eight minutes for our Angel Tree gifts.

[lumpy]

7. I dislike personal vignettes during political discourse. We all have heart warming

tales to tell. Like it is unusual for people to do the decent thing?

[renate]

8. if it's true, it was very nice of Mitt

Unless he plans to do the same for everybody whose Social Security survivors' benefits, though, it just points out how tough life can be for families without a Daddy Warbucks.

[HopeHoops]

9. Did it occur to you that it was planned and intentionally below the belt? Joe took the hit well.

[LeftInTX]

10. I liked Biden's come back

A fouled an attempt to "humanize" Mitt

[ohheckyeah]

11. I think that story from Ryan was one of the most

lowlife, scumbag things I've ever seen from a politician in a debate.

[factsarenotfair]

12. It really bothered me for several reasons.

It was a Mormon family. If his assistance is restricted to other Mormons, over whom he has authority as a high-ranking LDS member, I just don't think that qualifies as charity. Shouldn't he have kept it private that he was helping the family out for Christmas? Wouldn't that have been embarassing for the family? College for two paralyzed children??? Where was that on the list of what they needed? What college--do they get to choose? Promising to pay for their college really sounds like a weasel-way to pretend you are being charitable while hoping to get out of having to pony up.

My gut feeling on hearing the story was that if you aren't willing to be obedient to some rightwing heirarchy, you do not deserve any assistance of any kind for any hardship. Perhaps I am crazy, but it seemed like a theofascist threat to me.