"I never saw a candidate so coddled by the media before in my life. Here is a man who dodged the draft, outsourced U.S. jobs, evades U.S. taxes, won't release his tax returns, banks offshore, invests in communist countries, destroyed hard drives, took his state from 36th-47th, hates half the country, and on TOP OF THAT; has no specifics or details on anything and his tax plan has been debunked every which way."
Throughout Romney’s tenure as governor of Massachusetts, the state did frequent business with a marketing company called Imagitas. The company, which was run by former Bain employees Tom Beecher and Tobin Ryan — brother to Romney’s running mate, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan — had been started based on loans from Bain while Romney was still running the company. When it was sold in 2005, Bain — from which Romney still makes a massive amount of money through dividends, interest, and capital gains — tripled its original stake.
For three years from 1995, Tobin Ryan, who is now 47, was a senior manager at Bain & Company, the consulting firm where Mr Romney made his name. Mr Romney was at the time leading Bain Capital, the firm’s investment arm, inside the same Boston headquarters.
In March 1998, Mr Ryan left Bain to become a vice-president at Imagitas. The company had been co-founded by Tom Beecher, another former Bain consultant. Their company secured the $5 million (£3.2 million) from Bain Capital in June 2000. Mr Ryan declined to say if he was involved in the deal. Mr Beecher declined to be interviewed.
A Bain Capital source said the investment was made by the company's Bain Capital Fund VI. While Mr Romney had by then taken what he called a leave of absence to run the 2002 Winter Olympics, SEC filings state that he remained sole stockholder, chairman, CEO and president of this fund’s two controlling entities. His campaign now claims that he retired "retroactively" in 1999.
In December 2001, Imagitas secured a contract with Wisconsin, whose then-governor, Scott McCallum, was a political ally of Paul Ryan, who is a US congressman for the state. Roger Cross, the administrator of Mr McCallum’s department of motor vehicles at the time, said: “I know Tobin through politics, not business”. Tobin Ryan declined to say whether he had been involved in the Wisconsin deal.
Imagitas announced a similar partnership with Massachusetts in July 2002, shortly before Mr Romney was elected as the state’s Republican governor, and just after Tobin Ryan says that he departed the company. Its work for the state continued for several years under Mr Romney’s governorship. His officials boasted that it saved taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars a year.
[...]
Tobin Ryan has since 2009 been a private equity executive at the California-based Seidler Equity Partners. While he lists several past appointments on his biography at Seidler’s website, he does not mention Imagitas.
Seidler is located just outside of Los Angeles, but Tobin Ryan works out of his home state of Wisconsin. He joined the firm in October 2010, following a three-year stint with local private equity firm King Equity.
Before that, he served as chief operating officer for Tomah Products, a maker of industrial ammonia that is now owned by Air Products & Chemicals Inc. (APD). It was during Ryan's time at Tomah that he first got to know the folks at Seidler, when the firm helped sponsor a management buyout from another outside shareholder. Tomah's CEO at the time, Steve King, is a major player in Wisconsin's Republican Party, last year serving as one of three transition team members for newly-elected RNC chair Reince Priebus.
[...]
So we've now got a former private equity executive running for president alongside the brother of a current private equity executive. Perhaps one of these days we'll learn if either one of them supports the industry's favorite tax break, in which partner profits ("carried interest") is treated as capital gains, rather than as ordinary income.
Paul Ryan's 2010 budget proposal called for an elimination of all capital gains taxes (he dropped that language for his more recent version), but also makes vague reference to closing various tax loopholes. In other words, either he wants a lower tax on carried interest or he wants it treated as ordinary income. He does not appear to have ever specifically discussed carried interest.
The ticket Republicans will nominate in Tampa next week is uniquely connected to the “vulture capitalist” constituency, and uniquely committed to protecting the interests of today’s robber-baron class.
Paul Ryan grew up in a wealthy family with a Republican bent and all the right political and corporate connections.
He could easily have made his way into the private sector—doing business with family and friends, as have generations of wealthy Ryans.
Quote by wickedpam:
ugh - just had to make a dentist appointment for tomorrow - have I mentioned how much of a coward I am when it comes to the dentist?
Quote by TriSec:Quote by wickedpam:
ugh - just had to make a dentist appointment for tomorrow - have I mentioned how much of a coward I am when it comes to the dentist?
*chortle* I bit my dentist once. He's a little gun-shy now, he rarely comes and sees me. I have a nice Chinese hygenist tending to me now.
The Lance Armstrong doping scandal has reached all the way back to the 2008 Boston Marathon specifically, place No. 497.
According to executive director of the Boston Athletic Association Tom Grilk, it's likely that Armstrong's 2008 finish in the Marathon will join his seven Tour De France titles on a growing list of vacated results.
The probability is that [Armstrong's] result will be vacated, said Grilk Wednesday. We just haven't heard final word yet from the higher powers [United States Anti-Doping Agency] as to what specific time periods they have results for. But if 2008 is in their time frame, then there's no question his result will be expunged.
If Armstrong's results were thrown out, it would mean everyone who finished after No. 497 would move up.
Quote by BobR:
wow - this reminds me of when I heard about how rich people get on the Board of Directors of several companies, then install each other as CEO
Quote by wickedpam:
I thought this was a pretty good ad
Quote by Raine:
What is this caller talking about? The Trump divorce rumor?
Quote by Raine:
Mala, Check your mail of electronics.
Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Raine:
Mala, Check your mail of electronics.
of course now my email decides to give me a problem
Quote by wickedpam:Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Raine:
Mala, Check your mail of electronics.
of course now my email decides to give me a problem
and now my email is down
“We arrived at the Oval Office for our 45-minute interview … on the morning of October 11th. … As we left the Oval Office, executive editor Eric Bates told Obama that he had asked his six-year-old if there was anything she wanted him to say to the president. … (S)he said, ‘Tell him: You can do it.’ Obama grinned. … ‘You know, kids have good instincts,’ Obama offered. ‘They look at the other guy and say, “Well, that’s a bullshitter, I can tell.â€â€™â€
Quote by Raine:
HAHAHAHAHAHA... Hah.
FIRST LOOK – Rolling Stone cover, “Obama and the Road Ahead: The Rolling Stone Interview,†by Douglas Brinkley:“We arrived at the Oval Office for our 45-minute interview … on the morning of October 11th. … As we left the Oval Office, executive editor Eric Bates told Obama that he had asked his six-year-old if there was anything she wanted him to say to the president. … (S)he said, ‘Tell him: You can do it.’ Obama grinned. … ‘You know, kids have good instincts,’ Obama offered. ‘They look at the other guy and say, “Well, that’s a bullshitter, I can tell.â€â€™â€
Quote by Raine:
HAHAHAHAHAHA... Hah.
FIRST LOOK – Rolling Stone cover, “Obama and the Road Ahead: The Rolling Stone Interview,†by Douglas Brinkley:“We arrived at the Oval Office for our 45-minute interview … on the morning of October 11th. … As we left the Oval Office, executive editor Eric Bates told Obama that he had asked his six-year-old if there was anything she wanted him to say to the president. … (S)he said, ‘Tell him: You can do it.’ Obama grinned. … ‘You know, kids have good instincts,’ Obama offered. ‘They look at the other guy and say, “Well, that’s a bullshitter, I can tell.â€â€™â€
Quote by livingonli:
Good morning.
I don't think this day got off to a good start since the cat puked her dry food on my blanket.
Quote by TriSec:
More voter shennanigans in Florida...
Quote by TriSec:
More voter shennanigans in Florida...
Quote by Mondobubba:
A woman dies and goes to Heaven. She's met by St Peter at the Pearly Gates. She is talking with him about her life and she spots an immense row of clocks next to the gates. "St. Peter what are all those clocks?" She asked. St. Peter says, "Those are lie clocks, every person living or dead has one. They show the number of lies you told in your life." He points to one of the clocks, the hands of which have never seemed to have moved. "This clock is Mother Theresa's, she never told a single lie in her life!" The woman nods, she's pretty impressed. St Peter points out a different clock, 'This one was Abe Lincoln's, see how it is 2 past? That means he told 2 lies." The woman looks St Peter in the eye and asks, "Where can I find Mitt Romney's clock?" St Peter doesn't miss a beat saying, "His is in my office. I use it as ceiling fan!"
Quote by TriSec:
Breaking - Romney testimony in 1990s divorce case unsealed
The rumor is there's a lot of unsavory financial details about Bain therein.
Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Mondobubba:
A woman dies and goes to Heaven. She's met by St Peter at the Pearly Gates. She is talking with him about her life and she spots an immense row of clocks next to the gates. "St. Peter what are all those clocks?" She asked. St. Peter says, "Those are lie clocks, every person living or dead has one. They show the number of lies you told in your life." He points to one of the clocks, the hands of which have never seemed to have moved. "This clock is Mother Theresa's, she never told a single lie in her life!" The woman nods, she's pretty impressed. St Peter points out a different clock, 'This one was Abe Lincoln's, see how it is 2 past? That means he told 2 lies." The woman looks St Peter in the eye and asks, "Where can I find Mitt Romney's clock?" St Peter doesn't miss a beat saying, "His is in my office. I use it as ceiling fan!"
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by TriSec:
More voter shennanigans in Florida...
:straight face, deadpan: Pam Bondi the AG, ® is on top of this, she has the best interest of all of Florida's voters.
:loses composure doubles over laughing: Sure she does!
Quote by Raine:
A question for our NE wing of the blog, Are you prepping for the storm?
We are.
and -- it already has a stupid name: Frankenstorm
Quote by Mondobubba:
Everybody, unclench. Here's the tracking cone for Frankenstorm
Quote by Raine:
A question for our NE wing of the blog, Are you prepping for the storm?
We are.
and -- it already has a stupid name: Frankenstorm
Quote by Mondobubba:
Everybody, unclench. Here's the tracking cone for Frankenstorm
Quote by TriSec:
I"m ready. Not doing anything different than other storm other than checking the ol' flashlight batteries.
One of the advantages of inland apartment living, I guess. Might be a couple of small things to move indoors, that's all.
Quote by Raine:well, you can unclench. I preparing.Quote by Mondobubba:
Everybody, unclench. Here's the tracking cone for Frankenstorm
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by Raine:well, you can unclench. I preparing.Quote by Mondobubba:
Everybody, unclench. Here's the tracking cone for Frankenstorm
Here is my fearless prediction: Storm hits the Gulf Stream and it sweeps along said Gulf Stream without hitting land.
Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Raine:
A question for our NE wing of the blog, Are you prepping for the storm?
We are.
and -- it already has a stupid name: Frankenstorm
prepping - no one said we should prep! As it stands right now it looks like I can't do the Halloween decorating outside till Halloween - good thing I took the day off!
Quote by TriSec:
I"m ready. Not doing anything different than other storm other than checking the ol' flashlight batteries.
One of the advantages of inland apartment living, I guess. Might be a couple of small things to move indoors, that's all.
Quote by Raine:I think we are going to get a hellalotta rain.Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Raine:
A question for our NE wing of the blog, Are you prepping for the storm?
We are.
and -- it already has a stupid name: Frankenstorm
prepping - no one said we should prep! As it stands right now it looks like I can't do the Halloween decorating outside till Halloween - good thing I took the day off!
The NE, all I can say is be prepared.
Keep calm and prepare on.
Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Raine:I think we are going to get a hellalotta rain.Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Raine:
A question for our NE wing of the blog, Are you prepping for the storm?
We are.
and -- it already has a stupid name: Frankenstorm
prepping - no one said we should prep! As it stands right now it looks like I can't do the Halloween decorating outside till Halloween - good thing I took the day off!
The NE, all I can say is be prepared.
Keep calm and prepare on.
kinda of expected rain and bad wind - we'll prep the back yard on Sat. Time to pull in all the hanging solar lights and little items
Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Mondobubba:
Everybody, unclench. Here's the tracking cone for Frankenstorm
still can't do my Halloween stuff cause of the wind *pouts*
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Mondobubba:
Everybody, unclench. Here's the tracking cone for Frankenstorm
still can't do my Halloween stuff cause of the wind *pouts*
Bummer!
Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Mondobubba:
Everybody, unclench. Here's the tracking cone for Frankenstorm
still can't do my Halloween stuff cause of the wind *pouts*
Bummer!
Its going to be the latest we've ever put it out. Actually I had a couple small things sticking out of the ferns on my stoop (a pair of hands), put them out on Sunday - Monday when I got home from work someone had stolen them. I know it was the kids next door, wish they'd move.
Quote by BobR:
Quote by livingonli:
It could be interesting that this storm might New York on my moving day which may be the situation at this point.
Quote by livingonli:
It could be interesting that this storm might New York on my moving day which may be the situation at this point.
Quote by TriSec:
I am rather dismayed to discover that I can't play while I'm on the stuff.
Oh, I could produce a tone, but that's about it. No range, no stamina, kept hitting wrong notes, and then my hands started tingling down in a cool cellar.
I gave up.
Quote by livingonli:
That does look like when white met bread.