I Could Have Danced All Night

I knew that Mittens couldn't keep his foot out of his mouth for long, but I have to say that I never dreamed that the human foot could go so deeply down a man's throat!  Christmas came early for President Obama, all wrapped up with a big, shiny bow.  Willard gave us so many political gifts via his answers last night, culminating with the moment he realized all was lost and came completely unhinged for the rest of the debate.  Candy Crowley proved she was no one-trick-pony, when she got in on the fact checking action, and President Obama gave a gift of his own to his loyal followers, in the form of his final answer; call it the shining star on the Christmas tree that was the town-hall-style debate.  For those of you who missed it--here's a recap.  For those of you who watched, consider this a greatest-hits and relive the magic.

Mitt is not amused.

It was clear that Mitt was expecting to encounter the distracted, 20th anniversary edition Barack Obama when he took the stage last night in New York, but it didn't take him long to figure out that he was gravely mistaken.  Crowley jumped right into the questions quickly and the lies from Mitt equally as fast.  The first up--a complete misrepresentation of his pledge to cut Pell Grants (he left out the part where it would be a shell of the former program).  He also mentioned student loans, but didn't bother to mention the part where interest rates on them would double thanks to his administration and his Republican pals.

Romney went on to answer a question about long term unemployment, lying about the current unemployment rate and other aspects of the recession recovery.  He also continued his policy of offering absolutely no details about his own plans, saying he had a five point plan that creates 12 million jobs in the US coupled with rising take home pay.  He never mentioned once what one of those five points might be.  President Obama countered that Romney was four points short and his plan really only had one point; to make sure folks at the top played by a different set of rules.  Like any smart super villain, Romney wasn't about to reveal his plans to the American people, for fear they would be thwarted.

At this point, Romney tried to step on Candy Crowley's toes, but she quickly got Romney back under control, reminding him that he would certainly have plenty of time coming up. 
Finally able to get a word in edgewise, the next undecided voter asked a question about the Energy Department controlling gas prices.  The President gave a brief but thoughtful statement about his energy policies and the direction he felt we should go.  Romney misrepresented the President's record on drilling for oil and natural gas and complained about the administrations attempt at protecting an endangered species because it interfered with an oil companies profits.  He went on to accuse the President of not being Mr. Oil, Mr. Gas or Mr. Coal, and pledged that those distinguished gentlemen would be named to his cabinet, if elected. 

 He also reminded us that the health of our planet would be the last thing on his mind by condemning regulation of coal plants and emphatically stating that we'd have that "pipeline from Canada" [if he had to build the damned thing himself].   The President rebutted by reminding Romney of the pride with which he shut down a coal plant in Mass. that he at the time called a "killer".  After a bit of back in forth (with the President politely pointing out that what Romney was saying was untrue), Romney took a second opportunity to whine to the moderator that he wanted more time. Crowley body-checked him and moved on to the subject of taxes.

Romney, of course, lied about the size and scope of his tax breaks to the wealthiest among us, and went ahead to lie about his tax cuts to the middle class as well, but did offer a tiny little detail:  He's going to allow a set maximum dollar figure of deductions middle class earners can take, and they get to choose which deductions they want to use to arrive at that cap.  He was also very excited to announce that no one has to pay taxes on interest, dividends, and capital gains.  I, personally was most excited to hear that I wouldn't have to pay taxes on the half of a percent I earn in interest on the thirty-six bucks I have in savings.  What a relief!  I'll be thrilled too, about not having to pay taxes on capital gains as soon as I have some.  He went on to reiterate some more lies about not lowering taxes on his elite friends, and further lie, lie, blah, blah, lie.  At this point it all started sounding like a mild buzzing in my head.  And that's when things started to get good...

A woman named Katherine Fenton asked a question about rectifying inequalities in the workplace where women only make 72% of what their male counterparts earn.  That's when Romney opened his mouth and inserted his foot clear to the ankle.
Romney said that when we was looking for people to fill his cabinet positions in Mass when he was made governor, all the applicants seemed to be male, and he asked if there wasn't any qualified women applicants, and that he went to a number of women's groups and asked them to help him find women to appoint and they brought him...(wait for it)..."whole binders full of women."  The best part?  It was absolutely untrue.  It never happened.  But it was a beautiful gift for anyone who spends more than 10 minutes a week on the internet.  Mittens and his girlie binder will live in infamy for a very long time to come.  He then went on to shove that foot in a little bit deeper by saying he let the women who worked for him off of work a little early so they could go home and cook dinner.  Yay, Mitt!! Romney rounded out the evening by alienating the one group of women he hadn't gotten to yet in the campaign and made a clean sweep of the women's vote by blaming single mothers for gun violence.

Up until this point, Romney was holding his own, aside from the frequent stammering that is characteristic when he has to talk to people who make less money than he.  That all changed when he attempted to needle President Obama about the tragedy in Libya.  Romney flat out lied when he accused the President of taking more than two weeks to call the incident an act of terrorism.  The newly aggressive Obama countered, saying that he called it just that the day after when he held a press conference in the White House Rose Garden.  Crowley, in full out fact checking mode, corroborated the President, and Romney lost his footing as well as his confidence for the rest of the night.

All this foot in mouth disease by Romney, coupled by the President's newly found aggressive debate style had my Democratic heart soaring with joy unbound--but the best was yet to come.  Barack Obama saved the best for last; for it was then that he took the gloves off, and in the final statement of the night, when Romney had no opportunity to stammer out an explanation, that my President stood up and defended...me--and the rest of the 47% of American's that Romney wrote off as victims and said would never take responsibility for our lives.  The President stood up to Romney the bully and kicked his pompous, elitist ass off the playground.  The President told Mitt Romney that we were worth fighting for and that he would continue to fight for us; that when we succeed, the whole country succeeds.  And then he said, "good night."

The debate emphasized yet again how deeply out of touch Mitt Romney is with the people who live in this country.  Without even meaning to, he reiterated his commitment to protecting his friends, the wealthy old white dudes of the country club set.  He vowed to run this country like a business, and to cut every program imaginable, save for defense, and of course--he lied his ass off.  But by now, you already know that.  Mitt Romney proved yet again, how very wrong he is for this country, if you don't make more than a cool million dollars a year, and President Obama showed us that he's back, and better than ever before.  The fight goes to Obama by TKO.