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The Spectacle Blog
The Romney campaign held a conference call this afternoon previewing some of the themes they would explore in a general election against President Barack Obama. Former RNC head Ed Gillespie represented Mitt Romney. Gillespie laid out a fairly comprehensive agenda: attacking Obama’s record on spending and the national debt (a record he said Obama was understandably running away from), proposing solutions to the persistent unemployment and underemployment under Obama, cutting spending without compromising military strength, and ideas for entitlement reform.
But what most striking was Gillespie’s emphasis on the theme of “crony capitalism.” Gillespie said the administration lacked private sector experience, which he argued is why they favor government support for politically advantaged companies over proven private sector job creation.
“In the private sector, they made decisions based on profit and loss and what’s going to create jobs and what’s going to work,” Gillespie said. “When you have this level of government involvement in our economy, Solyndra and the decisions on the auto layoffs, and you don’t have that transparency, you don’t know if there’s political influence — who gets a health care waiver and who doesn’t — they still don’t say how they make those decisions…” Gillespie described crony capitalism as “rampant” in the Obama administration.
It’s also clear that the layoffs forced by the Obama administration under the auto bailout will be a big part of Romney’s counterargument to the Bain charges. But the crony capitalism angle from a Republican venture capitalist is interesting. I wrote about the Obama administration’s crony capitalism in the April issue of the print magazine.
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More Blog Posts by W. James Antle, III
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/05/14/gillespie-rampant-crony-capita
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Bill| 5.14.12 @ 2:45PM
Issues:
1. Jobs & economy
2. National debt & the entitlements
3. Immigration (No DREAM Act or amnesty, Got It!)
4. National security & strong military
If Romney runs on those issues, he is "shoe-in."
Oldefarte| 5.14.12 @ 2:49PM
Jim, I really don't think it should be too suprising to see a 'crony-capitalism' line from them. In business, even though its CRONISM to an extent, the whole focus is/always on SUSTAINING PROFITS. Even though government is NOT PROFITABLE as it is with private businesses, the same principles apply, with only a BREAK-EVEN status applicable. Government has two general aspects, REVENUES/TAXES and EXPENSES/SPENDING. Sadly, governmental theory has gooten historically into the idea of the necessity of DEFECIT SPENDING in order to maintian their EXPENSES OF WELFARE MAINTENANCE TOWARD AN EVER-INCREASING INDIGENT POPULATION. Our government has to get back to a BALANCED BUDGET status by gradually and effectively eliminating governmental defecits/debt. In essence, government should only spend what it takes in via taxiation and not one penny more. This administration's use of CRONY CAPITALISM applies use of taxpayer-supplied governmental funds/revenues to pay for/subsidize semi-private capitalistic oriented projects that would never be undertaken within the private sector economy due to their non-profitability status. Therefore, these windmill crony capitalists crawl in bed with their crones-political buddies, obtain governmental funding/money for ventures that the private sector laughs/sneers at. They are using taxpayers' money to finance unprofitable-loser projects and wasting the hard-earned money of taxpayers in the process. This is done, because these socialists-liberal idiot politicians have the political power to do same, since they were in this case given access to the US Treasury on 11/4/08. It's the DRUNKEN-SAILOR-WITH-A STOLEN-CREDIT-CARD-SYNDROME in spades, but its also ANTI-CAPITALISTIC since the private sector would not support these socialistically insane ideas to begin with. this is why the Romney campaign will berate same in its ads appropriately!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RJ| 5.14.12 @ 4:03PM
As I see it, government has choked the economy with too much regulation, while it has favored the politically-connected with crony capitalism. Crony capitalism is corrupt. We need to go after it and we need new elected officials to liberate us from excessive and prejudiced legislation/regulation.
Clint| 5.14.12 @ 4:48PM
Follow The Campaign Money Trail:
Top Contributors To Mittens Romney:
Goldman Sachs $564,580
JPMorgan Chase & Co $400,675
Bank of America $364,850
Morgan Stanley $363,550
Credit Suisse Group $316,160
Citigroup Inc $286,015
Kirkland & Ellis $235,802
Barclays $229,650
PricewaterhouseCoopers $208,750
HIG Capital $191,000
Wells Fargo $183,100
UBS AG $182,500
Blackstone Group $179,550
Bain Capital $151,500
EMC Corp $129,200
Citadel Investment Group $125,625
Bain & Co $122,800
Elliott Management $118,475
Sullivan & Cromwell $108,650
Ernst & Young $104,7
Top Contributors To Barky Obama:
University of California $1,648,685
Goldman Sachs $1,013,091
Harvard University $878,164
Microsoft Corp $852,167
Google Inc $814,540
JPMorgan Chase & Co $808,799
Citigroup Inc $736,771
Time Warner $624,618
Sidley Austin LLP $600,298
Stanford University $595,716
National Amusements Inc $563,798
WilmerHale LLP $550,668
Columbia University $547,852
Skadden, Arps et al $543,539
UBS AG $532,674
IBM Corp $532,372
General Electric $529,855
US Government $513,308
Morgan Stanley $512,232
Latham & Watkins $503,295
Bought & Paid For.
Oldefarte| 5.14.12 @ 4:59PM
'.....NewsmaxRon Paul Says He'll No Longer Campaign for GOP Nomination Monday, May 14, 2012 02:50 PMRep. Ron Paul says he will no longer actively campaign for the GOP nomination, but will continue to work to secure delegates at upcoming Republican state conventions."Moving forward, however, we will no longer spend resources campaigning in primaries in states that have not yet voted," said Paul, in a statement released Monday afternoon. "Doing so with any hope of success would take many tens of millions of dollars we simply do not have."
But the longtime congressman from Texas, who's making his third bid for the White House, says he'll continue to try and secure delegates to the Republican convention in Tampa, Fla., in late August."Our campaign will continue to work in the state convention process. We will continue to take leadership positions, win delegates, and carry a strong message to the Republican National Convention that Liberty is the way of the future," adds Paul, in his statement.Paul's campaign had $1.8 million cash on hand in April.Paul is the last remaining major candidate still standing against former Massachusetts Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, after. Romney has secured 945 delegates, compared with 286 for Rick Santorum, 145 for Newt Gingrich and 99 for Paul, according to CNN. One-thousand, one-hundred and forty-four delegates are needed to clinch the nomination.......'
Clint| 5.14.12 @ 6:11PM
Top Contributors To Mitt Romney:
Goldman Sachs $564,580
JPMorgan Chase & Co $400,675
Bank of America $364,850
Morgan Stanley $363,550
Credit Suisse Group $316,160
Citigroup Inc $286,015
Kirkland & Ellis $235,802
Barclays $229,650
PricewaterhouseCoopers $208,750
HIG Capital $191,000
Wells Fargo $183,100
UBS AG $182,500
Blackstone Group $179,550
Bain Capital $151,500
EMC Corp $129,200
Citadel Investment Group $125,625
Bain & Co $122,800
Elliott Management $118,475
Sullivan & Cromwell $108,650
Ernst & Young $104,750
" Gingrich: Conservatives Won't Let Wall St. And Romney "Buy Election"
"Look, the conservative movement is not going to sit by and let a Massachusetts liberal, who's pro-abortion, pro-gun control, pro-tax increase, pro-gay rights, whose Romneycare in two articles in the last 24 hours were described as the equivalent of Obamacare and who George Soros says is just fine. He'd be happy with either Obama or Romney [be]cause they are both the establishment -- that's just George Soros," Newt Gingrich told FOX News' Bret Baier on the campaign trail in Tampa, Florida.
"Now, the conservative movement isn't going to sit back and say 'Oh yes, let's let Wall Street, and Goldman Sachs and Mitt Romney buy the election. So you're going to see a real grass roots fight. It will be people power vs. Goldman Sachs and Mitt Romney," he added."
syjere| 5.15.12 @ 8:34AM
Get real. Just get real. There's no comparison. Mitt Romney gave away his entire inheritance. He worked in the private sector, unlike this fool. Mitt Romney actually has a REAL past. And furthermore, at least Mitt Romney isn't a communist, and won't incite racially charged, civil war from the most powerful platform in the history of the free world..or at least, was. Obama is the biggest snake in the grass since WWII.
Mickey| 5.14.12 @ 6:52PM
Clintie, you for Obama or Romney? Time to step up and man up.
WL| 5.14.12 @ 11:41PM
He obviously thinks Obama is better than Romney...
Because he's a DEMOCRAT.
Clint| 5.15.12 @ 12:06AM
That's A Lie.
You're An Israel Firster Serial Smear Bund Goebbels Propagandist BibiBot Liar, W.
Obama Is An Asshole, Like You BibiBots Are.
Aaaand, Romney Is A RINO-CINO Fop Frontman, For The RINO-CINO Ruling Elites.
" Gingrich: Conservatives Won't Let Wall St. And Romney "Buy Election"
"Look, the conservative movement is not going to sit by and let a Massachusetts liberal, who's pro-abortion, pro-gun control, pro-tax increase, pro-gay rights, whose Romneycare in two articles in the last 24 hours were described as the equivalent of Obamacare and who George Soros says is just fine. He'd be happy with either Obama or Romney [be]cause they are both the establishment -- that's just George Soros," Newt Gingrich told FOX News' Bret Baier on the campaign trail in Tampa, Florida.
"Now, the conservative movement isn't going to sit back and say 'Oh yes, let's let Wall Street, and Goldman Sachs and Mitt Romney buy the election. So you're going to see a real grass roots fight. It will be people power vs. Goldman Sachs and Mitt Romney," he added."
WL| 5.15.12 @ 2:28AM
See Mickey...
He is a Tea Party Patriot...all the way until comparing any Obama Opponent to Obama...
Then, it turns into "they are both bad"...
This is classic leftist Obfuscation...
Muddy the waters...but NEVER EVER admit that the other guy is better than Obama...
all for the benefit of the DEMOCRATS.
It never favors the opponents to Democrats...
Because people that do this...
ARE DEMOCRATS.
Clint| 5.15.12 @ 12:00AM
What Would You Know About Bein' A Man, Israel Firster Bibi Towel Boy, Little Micky.
PattyMor| 5.14.12 @ 4:25PM
1. Islam
2. Open Borders - can't stop hemmoraging, unless benefits (and jobs) are limited to citizens & legal residents
3. Deficit
4. Debt
5. Regulations - Congress needs to take law making authoritiy seriously and reclaim the right and duty. No regulations issued by regulatory bodies should be "legal" under passed by congress and signed by the President.
6.End war in Afganistan NOW. There is nothing to win.
7. End illegal agencies. Palaces of cronyism dolling out contracts to their friends (ie. donors). A time worn practice in Crook County.
8. God please save us from Obamacare as I don't trust the politicans.
9. Get the federalies out of education.
Bill| 5.14.12 @ 6:02PM
FL has a constitutional amendmend banning gay marriage (I'm a proud Floridian). Why cannot we have one in the federal level? Gay marriage is an epidemic and must be stopped.
Bob S| 5.15.12 @ 3:00AM
Ask yourself, why would Obama repeatedly invest taxpayer dollars in green energy companies that have all failed and vaporized taxpayer dollars with them. Obama could use the pretense of being for green energy and liberals would take it hook, line, and sinker. But the real reason is to pay off his supporters. "Invest" in green companies, green companies "redistribute" the tax payer wealth, and green companies fail. Rinse and repeat. It's crony capitalism at its worse.
Pete| 5.15.12 @ 10:47AM
Romney should hammer on the failed "stimulus" as it is the central lie of the Obama campaign. Following those funds, from the time they were stolen from the American taxpayer through to when they ended up in the pockets of big Obama donors/supporters helps take away that lie. Then they can no longer claim, against all historical precedent, that this wasted money did anything at all, much less prevent some unprecedented economic apocalypse.