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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsReid's (and Dems) attack just knocked Pawlenty out as possible veep choice
Tim Pawlenty faces tax return scrutiny as Romney VP choice nears
The touting of Tim Pawlenty as potential running-mate for Mitt Romney has reignited questions over his refusal as governor of Minnesota to release tax returns during a scandal over payments from a company owned by a close political ally.
Democrats have been digging into a web of allegations from nine years ago which involved Pawlenty's use of a shell corporation to shield $60,000 in payments from a telecommunications group during his election campaign that were not declared to the state's campaign finance board. The money came from a firm run by a prominent Republican strategist. Pawlenty had until recently been a board member.
Opponents accused Pawlenty of accepting an unethical and possibly illegal salary to campaign. The scandal widened because the telecommunications group making the payments was exposed for scamming customers, many of them elderly.
Pawlenty is touted as a leading candidate to be Mitt Romney's running-mate in part because his background is seen as a political antidote to Romney's life of privilege. He is the working class son of a truck driver, who knows adversity after his mother died while he was a boy and his father lost his job.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/03/tim-pawlenty-tax-vice-presidential
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gateley
(62,683 posts)romney lied in his residency in MA, but it never went anywhere.
DonCoquixote
(13,616 posts)Tim is the sort Mitt would pick to avoid outshining him.
katsy
(4,246 posts)Leadership who isn't a corrupt maggot?
Name one.
Kalidurga
(14,177 posts)Who knows Mitt might actually make it to the convention to be crowned. But, they can't have two tax cheats on the ticket. Pawlenty's problem would highlight the whole tax issue even more. Plus, I am not sure that Pawlenty isn't more lively than Mitt.
morningfog
(18,115 posts)doesn't know if it's true, or even if he knows it is true, making this the story forces mitt's hand on the veep pick.
Much like Obama's speech in Denver forced McCain to pick Palin in desperation, he's doing it to mitt now.
It makes me wonder who Obama/Biden would like to face as veep. I'm going to be looking for hints on how they feel on Portman and Rubio.
Bjorn Against
(12,041 posts)Instead of Palin this year however I could see him going with someone like Chuck Norris. I know it sounds ridiculous and it is, but I really think Mitt is desperate enough that he would do it.
jpbollma
(552 posts)Which would possibly hurt us.
progressivebydesign
(19,458 posts)Portman is another stiff and robotic white bread candidate. His background as a lobbyist for dictators doesn't exactly make him lovable either. I think that romney should at least try to find someone with personality... if there are any in the GOP that aren't complete loons or courting a prison term.
ProgressiveEconomist
(5,818 posts)to attack. During his career in the House, he was one of the architects of the budget structure that moved the US from surplus to borrowing 40 cents of every dollar spent. On top of that dubious achievement, he was Dubya's Office of Management and Budget Director during his disastrous second term. If ever there was a candidate to tie Romney closely to Dubya's unparalleled economic incompetence, it is Rob Portman.
rurallib
(62,411 posts)
Ohio is swing state so picking him Romney might think would give him some sort of an edge. Portman has baggage that needs to be exposed. A few years ago an article in the Washington Post appeared and to be sure it was not run in any Ohio newspapers. The GAO found that workers died before being able to collect their benefits. Well Portman came up with a humdinger of a plan. Why should companies put money back for employees retirement when they are only going to die anyway? He advocated that the companies save their money and just figure an estimated percentage of how many worker will live. Also he did not advocate health or safety to help the workers live longer more productive lives. (great article in New Scientist about the 1%) also a little side track he has been yelling about USEC Inc not getting a loan guarantee. Funny thing I found out about a presidential order Obama signed that is supposed to end our way of life. Every president since FDR has signed it Bush and Reagan signed it twice. The loan guarantees were inserted into that document and only the secretary of treasury and the person appointed by the president OBM can approve the loans. Portman was appointed over OBM. He did not approve the loan that he has been running his mouth about saying Obama needs to approve it. Also there was a little something he resigned from his post (might have been before the loan) personnel reasons. The republicans have been grooming this weasle. I would do research into the resignation.
MADem
(135,425 posts)People don't vote for the VP, anyway. They can hurt a candidate way more than help them.
Jamaal510
(10,893 posts)Oh man, please make it happen!
MrModerate
(9,753 posts)Pawlenty is not an unattractive VP pick -- for the Dems. While he's not a nutcase or a monster or a shill, he is dull as dishwater. Biden would eat him for snacks in a debate.
However, given that Romney is the best the 'Licans could come up with to head the ticket, it's not so surprising that the number two position is also going to be pretty lame. I mean, who have they got?
JI7
(89,248 posts)JI7
(89,248 posts)the way Romney gave it to McCain in 2008.
if they did it is something we should bring up.
Historic NY
(37,449 posts)he fought the Viet Cong for 30 months slogging through down the Avenue des Champs-Elysees in Paris and the countryside, wiping them out while quartering in a fortified castle.
Betty Jo
(66 posts)Search all the stuff about the Missionaries drunken car crash in France.Did Williard kill someone?
rurallib
(62,411 posts)Daily Kos:Mitt Romney's Cult of Lying and Bishop Jean Vilnet July 29,2012
Mitt Romney's Driving Killed Leola Anderson
July 17,2012
HankyDub
(246 posts)Michele Bachmann? Allen West? Scott Walker? These haven't been mentioned before, but Paul Ryan has...he might be a good bet.
He needs someone guaranteed to grab some headlines and push the tax controversy off the front pages. Pawlenty and Portman probably don't get that done. If he goes with a boring, safe choice, he won't get the boost he needs because everyone will still be talking about tax returns.
AllyCat
(16,184 posts)It leaves us with Kleefisch, but I'd love to see Walker go down in flames...and then go to jail.
tomm2thumbs
(13,297 posts)some of these stories just never got the proper attention in the media, so I'm guessing on a national stage this kind of story would really damage the GOP in general and Romney in particular.
if his Veep nomination is suddenly getting trashed in the media for similar conduct as him, it's going to cement the corrupt out of touch vision that people have of the GOP for years
railsback
(1,881 posts)Why would Romney now pick someone who's been willing to release his tax returns? He NEEDS another tax evader.
krawhitham
(4,644 posts)rMoney has no path without Ohio, he will pick Rob Portman
davidpdx
(22,000 posts)They are desperate to put Ohio in play. They need both Ohio and Florida along with a shitload of other states to win. I'm sure they'll get Indiana this time around and North Carolina will be close. I don't think they have a chance in hell at Ohio.
morningfog
(18,115 posts)And,most likely, any scenario that gives him FL, will also include OH.
Portman would by no means ensure an OH win for mitt. But, I tend to agree that they will try with him.
demwing
(16,916 posts)Someone who will help fade the memory of Sarah Palin.
zazen
(2,978 posts)She's not an extreme right-wing nut case, has a likeable persona, and because she's a Republican the lunatic Rush racist/misogynist/homophobic corps won't overtly eviscerate her for the egregious crime of aging-naturally-while-female as they have done and would continue to do Hilary. I've long thought she'd be their most strategic choice if they weren't trying to pull a state's electoral votes along with the candidate.
Blackhatjack
(11,061 posts)... a bad day for one or more groups that have to vote for Romney in order for him to win the General Election.
Romney picks a Tea Party favorite, moderates and independents flee the Repub ticket.
Romney picks an individual who can help him with the economy and/or foreign policy and appeals to moderates and independents, Tea Party voters will abandon him.
Romney picks a VP who falls between the above two choices and both groups are offended and refuse to vote for Romney.
As Karl Rove demonstrated, Repubs have to bring together disparate groups of voters to form a coalition to back the Repub Party Nominee or he cannot win.
B Calm
(28,762 posts)who is not a traitorous tax invader.
Flatulo
(5,005 posts)
Generic Brad
(14,274 posts)And even if he could, the paltry number of electoral votes he brings to the table won't be enough to help Romney win. Romney is better off grabbing someone from a swing state with more votes or someone who appeals to independents.
DemocracyInaction
(2,506 posts)The more the corruption, the moire the repuke heart beats faster. This should make Tiny Tim shoot right to the top of the list.