Romney rejects foreclosure relief

[ProSense]

Romney rejects foreclosure relief

By Steve Benen

The vast majority of the time, Mitt Romney is a strikingly smooth candidate. After nearly six years of running for the presidency, practically non-stop, the guy is effectively a professional candidate — he’s always on message; he’s prepared for every question; and he has his stump speech down to well, he could probably recite it backwards.

Once in a while, though, he’ll accidentally say what he’s thinking, and in the process, give his rivals valuable campaign ammunition.

Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney suggested he doesn’t support foreclosure relief for the millions of Americans struggling with underwater mortgages, untold numbers of which have been the victims of fraudulent lending or foreclosure practices.

In a filmed interview with the editorial board of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, a newspaper serving the hardest-hit foreclosure state in the union, Romney criticized President Barack Obama for not foreclosing on American families fast enough.

“Don’t try to stop the foreclosure process. Let it run its course and hit the bottom,” Romney said when asked what he would do to jump-start the floundering housing market.

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Not surprisingly, it didn’t take long for the Obama campaign to weigh in.

“Mitt Romney’s message to Nevada homeowners struggling to pay their mortgage bills is simple: you’re on your own, so step aside,” Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt said in a written statement. “Instead of offering an opportunity, like President Obama has, for responsible homeowners who were scammed by their lender or trapped by falling housing prices to refinance, Governor Romney believes we should instead let the foreclosure process ‘run its course and hit the bottom’ so that investors can come in and make a quick buck after families lose their homes.”

There’s also the larger context to consider. Romney — who pays a lower tax rate than working-class families, despite being a multi-millionaire — is also running on a platform of higher middle-class taxes, more massive tax breaks for the wealthy, and allowing Wall Street to do whatever it wants.

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[Avalux]

1. Oh Mittens!!!!

Be careful, your 1% colors are showing. :eyes:

[Mimosa]

2. K&R Thanks ProSense.

Romney and Perry's real personalities and agendas need to be shown as often as possible.

They are similarly creepy. ;)

[JoePhilly]

3. Opps ... not a smart general election statement.