2012 Presidential Race
- Mitt Romney
- Ron Paul
Mitt Romney -
Former Governor Massachusetts
BORN: March 12, 1947
Raised in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Father – Governor of MI
After High School went on Mission to France
EDUCATION:
Undergraduate Degree – Brigham Young University
Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration joint degrees from Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School
EMPLOYMENT:
1977, he was hired away by Bain & Company, a management consulting firm in Boston. Romney became a vice president of the firm in 1978, and eventually the CEO. In 1984 he became Co-founder and head of the spin-off company Bain Capital, a private equity investment firm.
Baine & Co. Bain Capital focused on venture capital opportunities, Romney soon switched Bain Capital's focus from startups to the relatively new business of leveraged buyouts: buying existing firms with money mostly borrowed against their assets, partnering with existing management to apply the "Bain way" to their operations. Bain Capital's leveraged buyouts sometimes led to layoffs, either soon after acquisition or later after the firm had left. Regarding job losses, Romney later said, "Sometimes the medicine is a little bitter but it is necessary to save the life of the patient. Romney accumulated a net worth of $190 to $250 Million and raised the level of Baine & Company to one of the leading investment firms Nationally and Internationally.
2002 Winter Olympics President and CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee.
POLITCAL POSITIONS
He ran as the Republican candidate in the 1994 U.S. Senate election in Massachusetts but lost to incumbent Ted Kennedy.
Governor of Massachusetts in 2002 through 2006
2008 Presidential Candidate
As Governor, he presided over a series of spending cuts and increases in fees that eliminated a projected $3 billion deficit. By the end of Romney's term as governor, declining aid from the state to localities caused property taxes to rise by 5% to their highest level in 25 years. The state and local tax burden in Massachusetts decreased from 10 percent to 8.1 percent of per capita income. Romney doubled fees for court filings, professional regulations and firearm licenses, raising $400 million in the first year of the program. He also increased the state gasoline fee by 2 cents per gallon, generating about $60 million per year in additional revenue; the fee is in addition to the 21-cent-per-gallon state gas tax, He approved $128 million in tax changes such as sales tax from purchases on the Internet and raised another $181 million in additional business taxes in the next two years; businesses called these changes tax increases, but Romney defended them as the elimination of "loopholes. As Governor he signed Legislation, effective on July 1, 2007, that requires health insurance for all state residents. During his 1994 run for the United States Senate, Romney supported a federal health insurance mandate. On July 1, 2002, Romney signed a permanent ban on assault weapons. "Deadly assault weapons have no place in Massachusetts,"; Governor Romney supported regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, primarily through voluntary measures. He issued a 72-point Climate Protection Plan in May 2004. His staffers spent more than $500,000 negotiating the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which Romney praised in November 2005, saying, "I'm convinced it is good business. In his 1994 Senate campaign, Romney called for the "virtual elimination" of the federal Department of Agriculture and for reductions in farm subsidies. In 2007, when questioned about these views, a Romney for President Iowa campaign spokesman responded: “Governor Romney believes that investing in agriculture is key to our economy and families," compromising between disagreeing with Mr. Romney and dodging the question. During his 2007 Iowa Republican Straw Poll speech, Romney advocated that all home computers provide a means for parents to block objectionable Internet content from being shown to children. “I want to clean up the dirty water in which a lot of our kids are swimming, and by that I'm not just talking about pollution, I'm talking about moral pollution. I'm talking about what they see on TV and on the Internet “.CURRENT PLATFORM:
Romney is against amnesty for illegal aliens, but also said, "I don't believe in rounding up 11 million people and forcing them at gunpoint from our country."
Mitt will also curb federal spending by repealing Obamacare – Create a Medical Care Reform package
Fast-track NATO admission for our allies
Bolster our support for Israel
Building on NATO, establish a global military alliance of democracies to ensure security and protecting freedom.
Refrain from criticizing allies publicly and without consultation.
Place all diplomatic authority in a given region under the charge of one envoy.
Modernize air and naval forces, weapons systems, and equipment.
Grow the number of troops and ensure that funds go to their needs and care.
Establish robust missile defense and repair and update our nuclear arsenal.
Oppose efforts to cut our military budget.
Cut federal spending to free up resources for productive investment, and curtail ever-expanding federal authority.
Lower taxes on businesses to keep America competitive in the global economy.
Slash bureaucratic red tape and place a hard cap on the impact that federal regulations can have on the economy.
Limit the corrosive influence of union bosses on productive businesses.
Access to foreign markets is crucial to growing our economy.
Follow through on commitments we have already made, and push aggressively for advantageous new agreements.
Facilitate the exploration and development of conventional fossil fuels, remove the regulatory hurdles that prevent the construction of nuclear power plants, and address market failures that prevent the adoption of new technologies.
Eliminate ineffective government handouts, and instead give workers the resources and responsibility to develop valuable skills and make the transition to new types of work.
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Ron Paul - Congressman Texas
BORN: August 20, 1935
Pittsburgh PA
As a junior at suburban Dormont High School, he was the 220-yard dash state champion.
He received a B.S. degree in biology at Gettysburg College during 1957.
He then served as a flight surgeon of the United States Air Force from 1963 to 1965 and then of the United States Air National Guard from 1965 to 1968.
1968, he relocated to Texas, where he continued his medical work. Trained in obstetrics and gynecology, Paul then began his own private practice.
1984, he returned to his private medical practice. He also co-owned a coin dealership, Ron Paul Coins, for twelve years. Ron Paul & Associates (RP&A), Inc. was initiated during 1984 by Paul, who served as President. Llewellyn H Rockwell Jr. served as Vice President, Ron Paul's wife Carol served as Secretary and Lori Pyeatt as Treasurer. The corporation was dissolved during 2001. He returned to his Private Medical Practice again in 1988 after losing the 1st Presidential campaign.
POLITICAL POSITIONS:
Paul won an April 1976 special election to the vacant office. Paul lost some months later in the general election, to Democrat, by fewer than 300 votes (0.2%), but defeated the Democrat in a 1978 rematch, and was reelected during 1980 and 1982.
Paul proposed term-limit legislation multiple times, at first during the 1970s in the House of Representatives where he also declined to attend junkets or register for a Congressional pension while serving four terms. He argued against the draft, Paul argued that their views were inconsistent, stating they were more interested in registering their children than they were their guns. He also proposed legislation to decrease Congressional pay by the rate of inflation;
On the House Banking Committee, Paul blamed the Federal Reserve for inflation, and spoke against the banking mismanagement that resulted in the savings and loan crisis. The U.S. Gold Commission created by Congress during 1982 was his and Jesse Helms's idea, and Paul's commission minority report was published by the Cato Institute in The Case for Gold; it is now available from the Ludwig von Mises Institute, to which Paul is a distinguished counselor.
During 1984, Paul chose to campaign for the U.S. Senate instead of re-election to the House, but lost the Republican primary
In the 1988 presidential election, Paul defeated Native American activist Russell Means to win the Libertarian Party nomination for president.
During 1996, Paul was re-elected to Congress after the most difficult campaign he had experienced since the 1970s. Ron Paul is known as the most Libertarian of Representative. He fights against the Federal Reserve, and the over-reaching of Government.
108th Congress:
109th Congress:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billsearch.xpd?PostFormID=billsearch&session=109&q=&sponsor=400311&cosponsor=&status=&sort=
110th Congress:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billsearch.xpd?PostFormID=billsearch&session=110&q=&sponsor=400311&cosponsor=&status=&sort=
111th Congress:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billsearch.xpd?PostFormID=billsearch&session=111&q=&sponsor=400311&cosponsor=&status=&sort=
112th Congress:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billsearch.xpd?PostFormID=billsearch&session=112&q=&sponsor=400311&cosponsor=&status=&sort=
He will "never vote for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution".
Paul's foreign policy of non-intervention made him the only 2008 Republican presidential candidate to have voted against the Iraq War Resolution during 2002. He advocates withdrawal from the United Nations, and from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, for reasons of maintaining strong national sovereignty. He endorses free trade, rejecting membership in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the World Trade Organization as "managed trade". He endorses increased border security and opposes welfare for illegal aliens, birthright citizenship and amnesty; he voted for the Secure Fence Act of 2006. He voted for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists in response to the September 11, 2001, attacks, but suggested war alternatives such as authorizing the president to grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal targeting specific terrorists. An opponent of the Iraq War and potential war with Iran, he has also criticized neoconservatism and U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, arguing that both inadvertently cause terrorist reprisals against Americans. Paul has stated that "Israel is our close friend" and that it is not the place of the United States to "dictate how Israel runs her affairs".
CURRENT PLATFORM:
America first: There is only one solution that will lead to true health and true freedom: making health care more affordable.
He supports the elimination of the income tax and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). He asserts that Congress had no power to impose a direct income tax and has introduced legislation to repeal of the 16th Amendment to the Constitution, which was ratified on February 3, 1913. To provide funding for the federal government, Ron Paul supports excise taxes, non-protectionist tariffs, and massive cuts in spending
He works towards the elimination of the inefficient Department of Education, leaving education decisions to be made at the state, local or personal level. Parents should have the right to spend their money on the school or method of schooling they deem appropriate for their children
Global Warming has come to be a hotly contested issue. Are there valid concerns that we should consider, or is Global Warming just the latest manufactured crisis to cash in on the public’s fears and generate new support for global governance, global carbon taxes and other oppressive policies?The federal war on drugs has proven costly and ineffective, while creating terrible violent crime. But if you question policy, you are accused of being pro-drug. That is preposterous. As a physician, father, and grandfather, I abhor drugs. I just know that there is a better way — through local laws, communities, churches, and families — to combat the very serious problem of drug abuse than a massive federal-government bureaucracy.”
We must do whatever it takes to control entry into our country before we undertake complicated immigration reform proposals.Ron Paul’s six point plan puts a stop to illegal immigration:
- Physically secure our borders and coastlines.
- Enforce visa rules. Immigration officials must track visa holders and deport anyone who overstays their visa or otherwise violates U.S. law. This is especially important when we recall that a number of 9/11 terrorists had expired visas.
- No amnesty. Estimates suggest that 10 to 20 million people are in our country illegally. That’s a lot of people to reward for breaking our laws.
- No welfare for illegal aliens. Americans have welcomed immigrants who seek opportunity, work hard, and play by the rules. But taxpayers should not pay for illegal immigrants who use hospitals, clinics, schools, roads, and social services.
- End birthright citizenship. As long as illegal immigrants know their children born here will be citizens, the incentive to enter the U.S. illegally will remain strong.
- Pass true immigration reform. The current system is incoherent and unfair. But current reform proposals would allow up to 60 million more immigrants into our country, according to the Heritage Foundation. This is insanity. Legal immigrants from all countries should face the same rules and waiting periods.
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Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney -
Former Governor Massachusetts
BORN: March 12, 1947
Raised in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Father – Governor of MI
After High School went on Mission to France
EDUCATION:
Undergraduate Degree – Brigham Young University
Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration joint degrees from Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School
EMPLOYMENT:
1977, he was hired away by Bain & Company, a management consulting firm in Boston. Romney became a vice president of the firm in 1978, and eventually the CEO. In 1984 he became Co-founder and head of the spin-off company Bain Capital, a private equity investment firm.
Baine & Co. Bain Capital focused on venture capital opportunities, Romney soon switched Bain Capital's focus from startups to the relatively new business of leveraged buyouts: buying existing firms with money mostly borrowed against their assets, partnering with existing management to apply the "Bain way" to their operations. Bain Capital's leveraged buyouts sometimes led to layoffs, either soon after acquisition or later after the firm had left. Regarding job losses, Romney later said, "Sometimes the medicine is a little bitter but it is necessary to save the life of the patient. Romney accumulated a net worth of $190 to $250 Million and raised the level of Baine & Company to one of the leading investment firms Nationally and Internationally.
2002 Winter Olympics President and CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee.
POLITCAL POSITIONS
He ran as the Republican candidate in the 1994 U.S. Senate election in Massachusetts but lost to incumbent Ted Kennedy.
Governor of Massachusetts in 2002 through 2006
2008 Presidential Candidate
As Governor, he presided over a series of spending cuts and increases in fees that eliminated a projected $3 billion deficit. By the end of Romney's term as governor, declining aid from the state to localities caused property taxes to rise by 5% to their highest level in 25 years. The state and local tax burden in Massachusetts decreased from 10 percent to 8.1 percent of per capita income. Romney doubled fees for court filings, professional regulations and firearm licenses, raising $400 million in the first year of the program. He also increased the state gasoline fee by 2 cents per gallon, generating about $60 million per year in additional revenue; the fee is in addition to the 21-cent-per-gallon state gas tax, He approved $128 million in tax changes such as sales tax from purchases on the Internet and raised another $181 million in additional business taxes in the next two years; businesses called these changes tax increases, but Romney defended them as the elimination of "loopholes. As Governor he signed Legislation, effective on July 1, 2007, that requires health insurance for all state residents. During his 1994 run for the United States Senate, Romney supported a federal health insurance mandate. On July 1, 2002, Romney signed a permanent ban on assault weapons. "Deadly assault weapons have no place in Massachusetts,"; Governor Romney supported regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, primarily through voluntary measures. He issued a 72-point Climate Protection Plan in May 2004. His staffers spent more than $500,000 negotiating the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which Romney praised in November 2005, saying, "I'm convinced it is good business. In his 1994 Senate campaign, Romney called for the "virtual elimination" of the federal Department of Agriculture and for reductions in farm subsidies. In 2007, when questioned about these views, a Romney for President Iowa campaign spokesman responded: “Governor Romney believes that investing in agriculture is key to our economy and families," compromising between disagreeing with Mr. Romney and dodging the question. During his 2007 Iowa Republican Straw Poll speech, Romney advocated that all home computers provide a means for parents to block objectionable Internet content from being shown to children. “I want to clean up the dirty water in which a lot of our kids are swimming, and by that I'm not just talking about pollution, I'm talking about moral pollution. I'm talking about what they see on TV and on the Internet “.CURRENT PLATFORM:
Romney is against amnesty for illegal aliens, but also said, "I don't believe in rounding up 11 million people and forcing them at gunpoint from our country."
Mitt will also curb federal spending by repealing Obamacare – Create a Medical Care Reform package
Fast-track NATO admission for our allies
Bolster our support for Israel
Building on NATO, establish a global military alliance of democracies to ensure security and protecting freedom.
Refrain from criticizing allies publicly and without consultation.
Place all diplomatic authority in a given region under the charge of one envoy.
Modernize air and naval forces, weapons systems, and equipment.
Grow the number of troops and ensure that funds go to their needs and care.
Establish robust missile defense and repair and update our nuclear arsenal.
Oppose efforts to cut our military budget.
Cut federal spending to free up resources for productive investment, and curtail ever-expanding federal authority.
Lower taxes on businesses to keep America competitive in the global economy.
Slash bureaucratic red tape and place a hard cap on the impact that federal regulations can have on the economy.
Limit the corrosive influence of union bosses on productive businesses.
Access to foreign markets is crucial to growing our economy.
Follow through on commitments we have already made, and push aggressively for advantageous new agreements.
Facilitate the exploration and development of conventional fossil fuels, remove the regulatory hurdles that prevent the construction of nuclear power plants, and address market failures that prevent the adoption of new technologies.
Eliminate ineffective government handouts, and instead give workers the resources and responsibility to develop valuable skills and make the transition to new types of work.