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Kansas Speaker ‘Prays’ That Obama’s ‘Children Be Fatherless'

Rep. Tells Student Concerned About Pell Grant Cuts To Join The Military

VIDEO: Mitt Romney Vs. The GOP — Bain Capital Edition

NEWS FLASH

BREAKING: Social Conservatives Officially Unite on Rick Santorum As Romney Alternative | Moments ago, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins announced on a conference call that social conservatives had officially settled on Rick Santorum as their preferred candidate for the Republican nomination.  The decision was made today after three rounds of balloting at a meeting of more than 150 social conservative leaders and political activists held over the last two days in Brenham, Texas.  Though the meeting was widely seen as an effort to settle on a candidate to stop Mitt Romney, Romney’s own campaign sent a representative to make an appeal to the group and Perkins said it was “not a bash Romney weekend” and “not a lot of time” was spent discussing him. Jon Huntsman’s campaign was the only campaign not to participate in the meeting.

Politics

VIDEO: Mitt Romney Vs. The GOP — Bain Capital Edition

By Jeff Spross on Jan 14, 2012 at 11:00 am

This past week saw one of the most interesting developments yet in the ongoing Republican presidential primary: former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney greatest strength — his experience in private enterprise — has suddenly begun to look like a serious liability. Various news stories, attack ads, and most prominently, a 30-minute attack video released by a super-PAC associated with Newt Gingrich have focused in on Romney’s time as head Bain Capital.

During his tenure, Bain acquired numerous companies, often through debt leveraging, then liquidated a number of them, resulting in the loss of thousands of jobs for American workers while bringing in hundreds of millions in profit for Romney and Bain’s other investors.

Several other GOP candidates, especially Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry have lept at the chance to attack the front-runner, aggressively attacking Romney’s time at Bain as an example of “looting” companies and “vulture capitalism.” The rift has not only split the Republican Party at the highest ranks, but also seems to be sparking a minor crisis of identity within Republican ranks over the party’s relationship with capitalism itself. At the very least, as numerous commentators are acknowledging, the dust-up now has the GOP candidates doing the Obama campaign’s opposition work for it.

ThinkProgress has the video compilation. Watch it:

Justice

South Carolina Attorney General Perpetuates ‘Dead Voter’ Myth

By Scott Keyes posted from ThinkProgress Justice on Jan 14, 2012 at 10:00 am

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson (R) turned heads this week when he initiated an investigation into whether 900 dead people voted in recent Palmetto State elections.

The Republican AG called for an investigation when “evidence was uncovered by Kevin Shwedo, the director of the Department of Motor Vehicles, during an extensive review of data related to the state’s new voter ID law,” according to WSOC TV.

Wilson is hardly the first person to claim that “dead voters” marred his state’s election. However, while salacious accusations like Wilson’s grab headlines, the subsequent investigations that find no voter fraud rarely get as much attention. Indeed, no election would be complete without allegations of dead voters; yet each time, officials perform the same Scooby Doo-routine, investigating wild accusations before discovering a much simpler explanation for the discrepancies.

Consider the following examples of supposedly “dead voters,” courtesy of the Brennan Center for Justice:

Georgia: In 1998, Georgia investigators pointed to a vote cast by Alan J. Mandel, despite his death the year prior. When officials looked into the matter, according to the Washington Post, they realized that the votes had been cast by Alan J. Mandell (with two L’s), a man still very much alive, and poll workers had simply marked off the wrong name.

California: When Michael Huffington lost to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) in the 1994 Senate race, he contested his defeat by alleging voter fraud, including supposed votes cast by dead people. According to Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist Lou Cannon, “A check by voting registrars in two populous counties (Alameda and Fresno) found that this claim was based on clerical errors in which voters signed their names on the wrong lines.”

Maryland: An investigation into a claim that 89 dead Marylanders had voted in the 1994 election proved spurious when FBI officials were unable to find any such cases. According to Timothy P. McNally, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Maryland-Delaware field office, the closest evidence they came to finding fraud was when they “found one person who had voted then died a week after the election.”

New Hampshire: Following allegations that dead people had voted in New Hampshire’s 2004 general election, a subsequent investigation turned up little evidence. When officials sent postcards to the homes of possible “dead voters,” only one was returned as undeliverable; the woman in question died after Election Day but before she received the postcard.

It’s easy to allege that dead voters are undermining the integrity of our electoral process. Producing any evidence that voter fraud by dead people actually exists is far more difficult.

Indeed, behind nearly every dead voter accusation is a far more innocent explanation. Whether it’s a spelling error, a check-in error, or simply a death shortly after Election Day, minor discrepancies do pop up during elections; zombie voters, less so.

Officials like Wilson would do well to apply Occam’s Razor in matters like these before spinning wild accusations.

Health

Chamber Of Commerce Drops Call For Health Care Repeal From Annual Policy Address

By Igor Volsky posted from ThinkProgress Health on Jan 14, 2012 at 9:00 am

Tom Donohue signaled that the powerful U.S. Chamber of Commerce may be softening its attacks against President Obama’s signature accomplishments like the Affordable Care Act and the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Kevin Hall reports that Donohue is pledging a “wait-and-see approach” towards the new agency and has not decided if the organization will challenge the recess appointment of Richard Cordray as its director.

During his annual State of the Business address yesterday, Donohue also adopted a more moderate tone towards health care reform. “The health care law established 159 new agencies, panels, commissions, and regulatory bodies,” Donohue said, but did not echo his 2011 call for repealing the law in its entirety. Consider the contrast:

DONOHUE IN 2011: By mid-December, HHS had already granted 222 waivers to the law—a revealing acknowledgement that the law is unworkable. And, with key provisions under challenge in the courts by states and others, it’s time to go back to the drawing board.

Last year, while strongly advocating health care reform, the Chamber was a leader in the fight against this particular bill—and thus we support legislation in the House to repeal it. We see the upcoming House vote as an opportunity for everyone to take a fresh look at health care reform—and to replace unworkable approaches with more effective measures that will lower costs, expand access, and improve quality.

Indeed, the Chamber of Commerce spent millions opposing the legislation in 2010 and its rather light criticism of the measure may signal a growing acceptance of reform among the health care industry. The Obama administration has worked hard to accomodate the concerns of health care stakeholders in the implementation process and the industry has partnered with the government in developing some of the law’s regulatory structure.

Health care groups may also be opposed to the politics of repeal. While the GOP presidential candidates have pledged to eliminate the law “on day one,” unless Republicans win a 60 seat majority in the Senate, a president will not be able to get rid of the measure in its entirety. The Senate could pursue repeal through the reconciliation process, but that piecemeal approach would likely create great uncertainty for the industry and is unlikely to attract significant support.

Education

GOP Rep. Berates Student Concerned About Pell Grant Cuts, Tells Her To Join The Military

By Tanya Somanader posted from ThinkProgress Education on Jan 13, 2012 at 6:30 pm

Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR)

To avoid a government shutdown at the end of 2011, Republicans succeeded in their campaign to cut the federal Pell Grant program by effectively kicking up to 100,000 low-income students off the rolls.

Last week, Arkansas constituent Kelly Eubanks, a college student who has two jobs and two children, confronted her Congressman, Rep. Steve Womack (R), at a town hall meeting over his attack on the program she now relies on. But instead of any explanation, Womack lashed out at Eubanks, telling her to pay her own way by “joining the military” like he did. After refusing to answer her question, he finally just asked her to “be quiet and listen.” Blue Arkansas reports:

According to Kelly and a handful of other witnesses, Womack happily retorted that it wasn’t the federal government’s job to pay for education (he’s doing this in a college town mind you) and then quickly added that he paid for his education by joining the military, apparently suggesting that the mom of two do the same and totally oblivious I guess to the fact that it was, in fact, the federal government that paid for his education then. Well Womack tried to skirt the rest of Ms. Eubanks question and she proceeded to try and get him to address the discrepancy she pointed out. Well at this point, according to Kelly and several other people that were in the room, Womack blew a gasket.

He skirted the rest of my question and I called him out on it.. he ended up getting pissed off.. and screaming at me.. “are you going to be quiet and listen”, [Eubanks said.]

According to Kelly, some of his aides came up and tried to get the mike from her, but she held her ground and kept her cool, insisting her congressman answer her question.

Watch KHBS news coverage of the town hall:

The irony here, as Campus Progress’ Emily Wood notes, is that Womack actually attended college on taxpayer money by joining the National Guard. But instead of acknowledging that fact, he dodged the issue and had the mike taken away from Eubanks. Eubanks attended the town hall with the hopes of understanding Womack’s view. “I thought maybe meeting him and asking him why he’d vote to hurt students but protect Big Oil interests, face to face, would get me a real answer,” she told the Arkansas Times. “I really thought maybe he could explain it somehow. I did not think he was a heartless or arrogant person going in to this, but I definitely do now.”

NEWS FLASH

Super PACs Outspending Candidate Committees Two To One | Super PACs supporting candidates are outspending those candidates’ campaign committees two-to-one in South Carolina, having already spent $7 million so far compared to a combined $3.2 million for presidential campaigns. The difference, of course, is that Super PACs can accept unlimited donations, and many are largely funded by a single billionaire. This reflects a trend across the early primary states, where Super PACs have been spending far more than the presidential campaigns or outside expenditure groups in previous years. Super PACs were created in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling.

Security

Allen West To Critics Of Marines Urinating On Dead Taliban: ‘Shut Your Mouth, War Is Hell’

By Ben Armbruster posted from ThinkProgress Security on Jan 13, 2012 at 5:10 pm

Various Obama administration officials, Afghans and NATO have condemned a group of U.S. Marines for urinating on the dead bodies of Taliban fighters after video surfaced of the incident this week. While Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the act was “deplorable,” the Atlantic’s Steve Clemons wondered yesterday “how long it will take for a movement to grow inside the United States that embraces the soldiers.” The answer? Not too long. And the movement is growing. CNN’s Dana Loesch said today that she would “drop trou and do it too.”

“Give me a break,” the Weekly Standard’s Bill Kristol complained earlier today about the Obama administration’s condemnation of the incident. Rep. Allen West (R-FL) said the soldiers should be punished, but said people should “shut up” about it:

The Marines were wrong. Give them a maximum punishment under field grade level Article 15 (non-judicial punishment), place a General Officer level letter of reprimand in their personnel file, and have them in full dress uniform stand before their Battalion, each personally apologize to God, Country, and Corps videotaped and conclude by singing the full US Marine Corps Hymn without a teleprompter.

As for everyone else, unless you have been shot at by the Taliban, shut your mouth, war is hell.

Yes, according to West, only if you literally fight for freedom of speech will you be allowed to exercise that right.

And as for Kristol. He accused the Obama administration and even the Republican candidates for president of not sufficiently saying enough good things about U.S. troops. Of course, it is the ever-so-eager-to-support-sending-troops-to-needless-wars Bill Kristol who is the arbiter of who does and does not love the troops.

Update

Richard Allen Smith at Vet Voice comments on West’s remarks: “The day anyone should listen to Allen West about how service members should be punished for the things shown in that video is the day we should start taking pet care advice from Michael Vick.”

NEWS FLASH

17 Million Young Adults Would Lose Insurance If Health Law Is Struck Down | Consumer group Young Invincibles has filed a legal brief defending the minimum coverage provision of the Affordable Care Act, arguing that should the Supreme Court declare President Obama’s health reform law unconstitutional, over 17 million young Americans stand to lose their health care coverage. The law has already extended insurance to 2.5 million Americans as a result of a provision which allows adults to stay on their parents’ plans until the age of 26. — Fatima Najiy

By Guest Blogger on Jan 13, 2012 at 4:45 pm

LGBT

Romney Touts Anti-Abortion, Anti-Gay Positions In South Carolina Radio Ad

By Igor Volsky posted from ThinkProgress LGBT on Jan 13, 2012 at 4:00 pm

Mitt Romney is responding to the attacks on his inconsistant opposition to abortion with a new radio ad touting his support among “Christian Conservatives.” The radio spot, slated to run in South Carolina, describes the former Massachusetts governor — who supported a woman’s right to choose until 2005 — as a candidate who believes in “the sanctity of life, the sacredness of marriage, and the importance of the family” and touts the endorsements of a rather radical cast of characters:

VOICEOVER: “Today Christian Conservatives are supporting Mitt Romney because he shares their values: the sanctity of life, the sacredness of marriage, and the importance of the family. In 2007 Senator Jim DeMint said of Romney, ‘He feels passionately that the value of human life begins at conception….’”

Sen. Jim DeMint: “He feels passionately that the value of human life begins at conception.” (Byron York, “DeMint On Romney,” National Review, 1/9/07)

VOICEOVER: “Founder of Women Affirming Life Mary Ann Glendon says:”

MARY ANN GLENDON: “The pro-life movement has worked so hard for so many years in the effort to change people’s hearts and minds on the life issues. That like Ronald Reagan, like Henry Hyde, Mitt Romney should be welcomed as a great success story for the pro-life movement.”

VOICEOVER: “And Pro-Life Attorney James Bopp Jr. says: ‘Both conviction and courage are necessary for the effective pro-life leadership, and Romney, in office, displayed both.’”

Listen:

DeMint, the state’s senator, is a superstar among conservatives who has done everything from block the confirmation of El Salvador’s ambassador because she condemned homophobia to support an amendment banning women and their doctors from discussing abortion over the Internet. He endorsed Romney in 2008, but has not officially backed the candidate this year.

Glendon is another supporter from Romney’s first presidential campaign. The Harvard Law Professor is a staunch anti-abortion Catholic who refused to receive an award from Notre Dame after the school invited President Obama to speak at its commencement ceremony. She has also contested the use of condoms for the prevention of HIV and AIDS, claiming in 1995, “The Holy See in no way endorses contraception or the use of condoms, either as a family planning measure or in HIV/AIDS prevention programs.”

Finally, Bopp is the ironic voice in the ad. The right-wing lawyer has waged a successful war on campaign finance regulation, which culminated in the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision and has opened the flood gates to the kind of Political Action Committee (PAC) commercials that are dominating the campaign and keeping many of Romney’s Republican rivals on T.V. attacking his anti-abortion credentials in the first place. Bopp has also worked with groups like the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), Focus on the Family, and Traditional Values Coalition, arguing, in part, that anti-gay groups must be able to keep their donors secret to prevent harassment from gay people.

Media

Fox News John Stossel: Young People ‘Are Dumb Or Don’t Pay Attention, And They Shouldn’t Vote’

By Tanya Somanader on Jan 13, 2012 at 3:10 pm

Last night on Fox’s Your World with Neil Cavuto, fellow Fox host John Stossel waxed scientific on the counter-intuitive nature of human intuition. Noting that “we’re alive because our ancestors had the instinct to avoid the tigers and know when to harvest things,” Stossel says that “in a modern economy,” our instincts “are not good.”

His chief example of this theory? “Our instincts say that everybody should vote, but some people are dumb or don’t pay attention, and they shouldn’t vote,” he said. A naturally concerned Cavuto asked him who exactly qualified as “dumb,” to which Stossell replied, essentially, “kids.” Thus, he prescribed that we end the Get Out The Vote campaign because kids don’t pay attention so they don’t deserve to vote:

STOSSEL: I’m not saying we should have a test or something. But this endless cheerleading — let’s go to the rock concerts and register the kids. And the kids aren’t paying attention. And it’s important in a democracy, it’s important to vote. And these are important issues. The people who participate ought to be the ones who pay attention…I’m just saying we shouldn’t have these “Get Out The Vote” campaigns and make these statements: “Everyone has to vote. It’s your patriotic duty!” Well if you’re not paying attention, I think it’s your patriotic duty not to vote.

Watch it via Media Matters:

Stossel apparently likes to time his antipathy for democratic participation with the election cycle. In 2008, he insisted that “some people” — specifically young Americans — should just stay home. In 2010, he believed young people should just “stay in the mall.” After all, “Brain surgery, we don’t want everyone doing brain surgery. And voting is difficult and important too.”

Of course, young voters were very informed on salient issues that matter to them in 2008. And, according to seven separate polls, Fox News viewers — whose average age is in the mid-60s — appear perpetually misinformed. So unless he’s advocating for his own audience stay away from the polls, perhaps it’s Stossel who should just stay away from democracy entirely.

NEWS FLASH

Allen West Wouldn’t Turn Down Vice Presidency | Controversial Rep. Allen West (R-FL) has made a national profile for himself with brash rhetoric and a firm embrace of the Tea Party, so he’s often been mentioned as a potential choice for the vice presidential ticket of whoever wins the GOP primary. While he’s been cagey about the prospect in the past, as the South Florida Sun Sentintal reports, West said on an internet radio program that he’s “not going to say no” if he was offered the spot:

“If someone asks you to step up and serve your country I’m not going to turn my back on my country,” he said in an interview on an Internet video program hosted by Boca Raton public relations agent Barry Epstein.

“I’m not going to say no but I doubt that I’m on anyone’s list for consideration,” he in the Friday program.

Justice

Kansas GOP House Speaker ‘Prays’ That Obama’s ‘Children Be Fatherless And His Wife A Widow’

By Marie Diamond posted from ThinkProgress Justice on Jan 13, 2012 at 1:45 pm

Kansas House Speaker Mike O'Neal (R)

ThinkProgress reported last week that Kansas House Speaker Mike O’Neal (R) was forced to apologize to First Lady Michelle Obama after forwarding an email to fellow lawmakers that called her “Mrs. YoMama” and compared her to the Grinch.

Earlier that same week, the Lawrence Journal-World was sent another email that O’Neal had forwarded to House Republicans that referred to President Obama and a Bible verse that says “Let his days be few” and calls for his children to be without a father and his wife to be widowed.

Nick Sementelli at Faith in Public Life notes that Psalm 109, which is a prayer for the death of a leader, became a popular conservative meme after Obama’s election. The “tongue-in-cheek” prayer for the president was seen on bumper stickers. The relevant part of the psalm reads:

Let his days be few; and let another take his office

May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.

May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes.

May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.

May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children.

O’Neal forwarded the prayer with his own message: “At last — I can honestly voice a Biblical prayer for our president! Look it up — it is word for word! Let us all bow our heads and pray. Brothers and Sisters, can I get an AMEN? AMEN!!!!!!”

O’Neal’s office refuses to apologize for the email, insisting that the message was only referring to Obama’s days in office. Sementelli notes the response of a Rockford Register Star columnist who explains why this excuse won’t do.

Speaking to a reader he writes, “You say that verse 8 of Psalm 109, as applied to President Obama, does not suggest a wish for his death. But the first five words of verse 8 are: ‘Let his days be few.’ And verse 9 says: ‘Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.’…You suggest yourself that scripture should not be ‘taken out of context.’ Well, the context of Psalm 109 is a wish for someone’s death.”

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NEWS FLASH

Santorum: Mitt Romney Is Like ‘Your Boss’ | GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum has so far mostly eschewed attacking Mitt Romney for his record at Bain Capital, but while stumping in South Carolina today, he waded into the fray a bit. While acknowledging that the former Massachusetts governor is a good businessman, Santorum said, “It doesn’t necessarily mean that you want your boss running for president, right?” Watch it:

LGBT

Tennessee Bathroom Bill Sponsor: ‘I Would Stomp A Mudhole’ In A Transgender Person

By Zack Ford posted from ThinkProgress LGBT on Jan 13, 2012 at 12:30 pm

Tennessee state Rep. Richard Floyd (R)

Much has unfolded in the day since the “Bathroom Harassment Act” was first introduced in the Tennessee legislature, a bill that would fine transgender people $50 for using bathrooms and dressing rooms.

First, state Sen. Bo Watson (R) has withdrawn his version of the bill. He had introduced it as a courtesy to state Rep. Richard Floyd (R), who represents the same region of Tennessee. In a statement to ThinkProgress, Watson’s communications director explained that “Sen. Watson concluded that there are far more pressing issues facing the state of Tennessee at this time.”

Floyd now stands alone as the sponsor of the bill (HB 2279), which he defended yesterday using incredibly transphobic rhetoric. In no uncertain terms, he explained that he would resort to violence if he ever encountered someone transgender in a dressing room:

FLOYD: I believe if I was standing at a dressing room and my wife or one of my daughters was in the dressing room and a man tried to go in there — I don’t care if he thinks he’s a woman and tries on clothes with them in there — I’d just try to stomp a mudhole in him and then stomp him dry.

Don’t ask me to adjust to their perverted way of thinking and put my family at risk. We cannot continue to let these people dominate how society acts and reacts. Now if somebody thinks he’s a woman and he’s a man and wants to try on women’s clothes, let him take them into the men’s bathroom or dressing room.

In an extended interview with WTVF News Chanel 5, Floyd doubled down on his comments, claiming that his bill doesn’t “penalize anybody,” it “protects everybody,” and he could “care less” what transgender advocacy groups think. Watch it:

This bill is nothing short of an outright attack on transgender people, and Floyd’s comments make it clear he lacks any understanding or compassion for the trans community. Enforcement of this bill could lead to ID checks in public restrooms and would be devastatingly stigmatizing, especially considering Tennessee offers no option for individuals to change their birth certificate gender markers. Even individuals passing through one of Tennessee’s airports or bus stops could be targeted for these fines, just for being transgender.

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Economy

Romney-Backer Nikki Haley: ‘No,’ Not Fair To Hold Romney Accountable On 100,00 Jobs Claim

By Alex Seitz-Wald posted from ThinkProgress Economy on Jan 13, 2012 at 11:45 am

On the trail, GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney often touts that his former company, Bain Capital, created 100,000 jobs, even though his campaign has yet to provide supporting evidence. Fact-checking outlets have called the claim “shaky,” “short on evidence,” and “untenable,” and Romney’s campaign may now be backing off the assertion.

But last night, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) — who gave her much-sought after endorsement to Romney — told Fox News host Sean Hannity that it’s not fair for people to hold Romney accountable on the jobs claim:

HANNITY: Newt’s saying, though, that the governor’s record, whether or not he created 100,000 jobs net net net is fair game. Do you agree with that?

HALEY: You know, with all due respect to Mr. Gingrich, no. I mean –

HANNITY: It’s not fair to ask? That’s not fair?

HALEY: Well, I think what you have to understand is what does the private sector do? I come from a business background. I know that when times are tough, we have to make hard decisions — we never want to let people go. have to let people go. And when times are good, you love to expand.

Watch it:

Romney’s campaign has already admitted that the 100,000 number is, for all intents and purposes, bogus. Perhaps that’s why Romney himself has been revising his job creation claim downward over the last few days.

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NEWS FLASH

Study: Repealing The Mandate Will Increase Premiums By 25 Percent | A new study from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation finds that efforts to repeal the individual health insurance mandate — and remove the incentive for healthier people to obtain health care coverage — could increase premiums by 25 percent and raise government spending on uncompensated care. “Without the mandate, 40 to 42 million would be left uninsured,” but “the government would only spend 3 to 8 percent less on acute care for the nonelderly” partly because it would be paying more for subsidies per-enrollee and uncompensated care, which is unlikely to decrease without an individual requirement.

Economy

New Romney Ad Touting Bain Record Cites Steel Mill That Benefited From Government Largess

By Alex Seitz-Wald posted from ThinkProgress Economy on Jan 13, 2012 at 10:25 am

Screen grab from Romney campaign ad

Seeking to counter charges of “vulture capitalism” from his fellow Republican presidential candidates, Mitt Romney’s campaign plans to release an ad today defending his time at Bain Capital, the private equity firm he headed, citing several companies that Romney’s firm purchased and apparently turned around.

But at least one of the companies mentioned in the ad became profitable thanks to government subsidies and a special tax assessed on local residents.

In 1994, Bain invested $18.2 million in Steel Dynamics, becoming the largest domestic equity holder in the company. Five years later, it sold its stake for $104 million, walking away with $85 million profit. In the intervening years, the state of Indiana and DeKalb County pledged $37 million in subsidies and grants for a new Steel Dynamics mill. As the Los Angeles Times reports:

The county promised $23.4 million in property tax abatements and tax increment finance bonds, as well as a new income tax to generate economic development funds. The latter was required by the state, which shelled out another $13.6 million in tax credits, energy grants, workforce training and funds for roads.

A new quarter-percent tax on DeKalb County residents financed infrastructure improvements such as roads and railroad exchanges that benefited Steel Dynamics.

Indeed, while Romney and conservative allies have pilloried GOP candidates Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry for “attacking free enterprise,” even Romney has spoken out against the kind of so-called “corporate welfare” and “crony capitalism” that Steel Dynamics engaged in.

Romney regularly uses this line of attack against President Obama, saying in New Hampshire last week, “Capitalism, free enterprise works. Crony capitalism does not. This president has engaged and is engaging in crony capitalism.” But as the LA Times noted, “The story of Bain and Steel Dynamics illustrates how Romney, during his business career, made avid use of public-private partnerships, something that many conservatives consider to be ‘corporate welfare.’”

It’s also worth noting that the new ad defending Romney and Bain makes no mention of the 100,000 jobs the company supposedly created — a figured the campaign has often touted without being able to provide supporting evidence. A number of fact-checking outlets have cast doubt on the figure, though it’s unclear if the campaign is backing off the claim or chose to leave it out of the new ad for a different reason.

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