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 And the Richest Candidate Is …Posted on May 11, 2007
... Mitt Romney, whose personal fortune is between $190 million and $250 million, which might explain why he’s so eager to “reform” the tax code. The former Massachusetts governor’s millions come from his days at an investment group that financed Staples, Domino’s Pizza and the Brookstone retail stores. No other candidate in the presidential race even comes close to Romney’s wealth, but the richest presidential candidate ever was Steve Forbes, who had more than $430 million when he ran in 1996 and 2000.
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By Mar Del Zur, May 13, 2007 at 4:43 pm #
His Mormon faith and millions of dollars are not the issue. The last thing American needs is *another* right-wing religious nut with a hard-on for using military force, which is precisely what this guy is. Pretend that we’ve learned *something* from the past 6+ years of evangelical disaster.
Report thisBy RAE, May 13, 2007 at 8:09 am #
In reply to “I’m A Mormon” in #69539…
“...truth about the Mormons”
I spent a week in Orem, Utah a few years back. The entire time I was there I had an uneasy feeling that “something” just wasn’t “right” or “real”.
I compared the feeling at the time to a visit to Disneyland. Everything was just TOO PERFECT - orchards in the middle of ever-so-neatly maintained residential districts - everything so CLEAN and ORDERLY. It was like living in a “Father Knows Best” 1950s sitcom!
REAL people don’t look like that or live like that. Those folks are TRAINED from birth to behave in this super-civil, super-nice manner, just like circus animals. They’re conditioned like robots - you get born into a Mormon family and you’re going become one of them, no ifs, ands or buts.
I can tell you from personal experience that UNLESS YOU FOLLOW AS YOU’RE TOLD TO AND PRESENT YOURSELF AS YOU’RE EXPECTED TO, you’ll be in the “dog house” in Mormonland. Just TRY being an “out” gay person in Utah! Anyone been to the Gay Pride Parade lately in Salt Lake City?
Their founders may have lost the GOLD tablets (talk about careless), but by sticking together in business and supporting the hell out of one another, Mormons have amassed HUGE amounts of LOOT. And eventually, “he who pays the piper, gets to call the tune.”
Speaking of which, it’s hard to beat the sound of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir!
Report thisBy DM, May 13, 2007 at 6:29 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Not to nitpick ... alright it is a nitpick .. but didn’t Ross Perot have a cool $1Billion that he got from GM as inducement to leave their board?
The bottom line is not who the richest presidential candidate is but the incredible proportion of politicians who are filthy rich even before they take office (the common methods of cashing further on power are yet another concern). I believe that a huge proportion of the Congress and Senate are millionaires ... how can we expect a body like that to appreciate the needs of the less fortunate bulk of the population?
Report thisBy Hondo, May 12, 2007 at 9:14 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Mitt Romney worked hard, and amassed a personal fortune of around $200 million. John Kerry married in to a family fortune of around $500 million. Liberals criticize Romney, but don’t criticize Kerry. Why? Is this just one more example of liberal dishonesty and hypocracy?
Report thisBy Eyeball Kid, May 12, 2007 at 3:57 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Romney’s wealth should immediately disqualify him for the job. Unless he’s already shown an understanding of the plight of the common person, Romney isn’t now going to learn it through a crash course. He’s obviously too far removed from the dirt in the road to know what it’s like to HAVE to take a shower. Sooner or later, the common voter will sense this.
Report thisBy Gabir, May 12, 2007 at 9:33 am #
Mitt Romney is just the latest example of what is wrong with our government and country . We as a population are so misrepresented by politicians such as Mr.Romney , who are so wealthy that the only constituancy that they represent are corporations and Wall Street .
Report thisMitt Romney has been tripping over his own shoe laces to convince the citizens of this country that he is a sort of everyman . Yet he is so out of touch with the common man that his efforts so far have exposed him as a wealthy person extremely ignorant to the urgent needs of this nation and it’s middle and lower classes , children , minorities , environment , National Guard , infrastucture , economy ,universal health insurance, mental health clinics (which he cut funding for as Massachusetts Governor), foreign policy , schools and education , crime prevention , rampant illicit and presciption drug addiction - just a short list of matters that the present administration have orphaned from Federal Government responsibility .
The best Mitt Romney has offered so far in respect to his political and social “credentials” are to proclaim that he is a hunter , to give the Commencement Address at Regent University (A school created and run by Pat Robertson), to make petty accusations against Reverend Al Sharpton in respect to religious tolerance ) , and to have the cutest first name of all candidates .
My apologies to John Edwards , but the people of this nation need a real man of the people . I am never charged more than $15.00 for a decent haircut and find the $400.00 charge paid for his as obscene . We do not just need an alternative candidate to lead us , we need an “authentic” human being who values his or her responsibility to every citizen of this country , not solely to corporations and lobbyists . There are a few out there , but tragically being male (preferably white), Charismatic , fast talking ,NRA favored , racial and sexually intolerant are the real qualifications for election to the presidency today .
By I'm a Mormon, May 12, 2007 at 8:05 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Verne - Oh yes fear is a powerful tool isn’t it. When I want to find out about a Toyota, I don’t go to GMC.
I can’t speak to your boss’s priorites but I can tell you the Mormon church clearly teaches family first. The church is always second to the family.
As a Mormon (member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) I donate substantially to help people of ALL faiths and even no faith. The Mormon church donated land for a small baptist congregation in SLC that couldn’t afford to start a church. The mormon church did not publish this act, it was the minister of that congregation that told me.
I’ve been taught my whole life that service is a quality of Jesus Christ. I’ve also been taught not to judge and therefore be not judged. We are taught to serve and help.
It’s interesting I find no critisim on the Mormon church website about any other religions. When reading blog sites I find many comments that are at the least unkind and range all the way up to dis respectful, lies, hate and bigotry toward the Mormon Church and its members. However, I haven’t seen any comments from Mormons condeming ANY other religion (not even yours) And I think we all know no person or religion is perfect. Remember the story about the mote in the eye versus the beam....
Growing up in Chicago I was constantly verbally and on occasion physcially abused by classmates of other faiths, because I was a “Mormon”. The sad thing is it still continues.
Verne I’m sure you are a well educated adult, may be it’s time to find out the truth about the Mormons for your self and not what a source tell’s you to believe. At the very least you will realize there is nothing to be afraid of.
Report thisBy Dr. Knowitall, PhD, PhD, May 12, 2007 at 4:35 am #
Which came first, being obscenely wealthy, or being Morman. If it’s the latter, then a Morman administration and the JOINING of church and state could spell a big pay-off for the American people. I’m all for that. What’s everyone afraid of? Start shopping!!! Just make sure, in your wills, that your fortune goes to the church right before they pull your plug.
Report thisBy Verne Arnold, May 12, 2007 at 3:49 am #
Read “A Gathering of Saints” and Jon Krakauer’s “Under the Banner of Heaven”.
If those 2 books don’t scare the holy bejeezus out of you regarding the Mormon religion and values then nothing will!
I worked for a Mormon person and he told me the order of importance in his life was #1 Church, #2 Career, #3 Family. I had no reason to doubt him as he was a true believer.
Normally I leave religion alone...each to their own as it were, but, big but, if Romney is a good Mormon then there will be no separation of church and state.
Even with all of his money I doubt Romney really has a chance.
Report thisBy Eric, May 11, 2007 at 11:01 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Did you watch Countdown tonight and see Mitt roll out his promise to veto non-defense discretionary budget increases exceeding inflation minus 1%? This is an old Republican sleight of hand—the only part of the government they want to drown in the bathtub is the non-defense part. Their mentality is that defense spending is off-the-books. All of the Dem candidates need to call them on it, and point out how Mitt’s demonstrating the same mentality that brought us missing bricks of $100 bills in Iraq and the other lovely accounting scandals that will be the hallmark of the Bush years.
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