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NNN0LHI

(67,190 posts) Tue Jul 17, 2012, 10:58 AM Jul 2012

Romney lobbied for and received $342 million in federal bailouts to make his Olympics successful

http://mediamatters.org/blog/2012/01/25/broadcast-media-help-whitewash-romneys-olympics/186505

Broadcast Media Help Whitewash Romney's Olympics Record Lobbying For Taxpayer Money

Blog ››› January 25, 2012 8:33 AM EST ››› LESLIE ROSENBERG

<snip>In 1999, Romney left Bain Capital to accept the job as CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee (SLOC). The Romney campaign has regularly cited his work with the Olympics as central to his success in the private sector -- success Romney has sought to contrast with what he has derided as influence peddling in Washington, D.C.

In fact, The Salt Lake Organizing Committee spent millions on federal lobbyists under Romney's tenure, and secured millions in taxpayer dollars to pay for the 2002 games. The Wall Street Journal's Jonathan Weisman explained that Romney "began ramping up the Salt Lake lobbying effort shortly after taking over the Salt Lake Organizing Committee in 1999."

And those efforts paid dividends in the form of taxpayer dollars. As The New York Times reported:

{T}he federal government's contributions, thanks to Mr. Romney, were also immense. By the time the Games were over, about $342 million in federal money to plan and stage the Winter Games had flowed into Utah, a record outlay for the Olympics and nearly $50 million more in constant dollars than was spent for the Atlanta Olympics, according to a report in 2001 by the Government Accountability Office.

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Thats a lot of money in handouts for someone who hates "Big Gubmint", so much. Wouldn't you say?

26 replies

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Romney lobbied for and received $342 million in federal bailouts to make his Olympics successful (Original Post) NNN0LHI Jul 2012 OP

Thanks for this, I had read about Romney's "saving" through obtaining fed funds siligut Jul 2012 #1

No wonder the conservatives were so angry... Blanks Jul 2012 #2

I know that is why I posted what I did earlier. Remember they actually booed the Olympics. ArnoldLayne Jul 2012 #17

I'm just taking every opportunity to tie the two together. Blanks Jul 2012 #19

Randi Rhodes stated a figure far higher than that yesterday Beaverhausen Jul 2012 #3

probably 1.6 billion rufus dog Jul 2012 #4

I'll back you up on that... I was listening when she said it. cherokeeprogressive Jul 2012 #21

He went crying to the federal government Rosa Luxemburg Jul 2012 #5

Is this how he "saved" the Olympics? young_at_heart Jul 2012 #6

It took Mitt Romney and $1.2 billion to save the 2002 Olympics? Blanks Jul 2012 #18

Yes but Rush said that's down home good ole boy free stuff aint_no_life_nowhere Jul 2012 #7

Food and shelter evil. Entertainment good. Republican values. nt valerief Jul 2012 #10

There goes another item from Mitt Romney's resume... Jeff In Milwaukee Jul 2012 #8

do you mean, his stint in college iemitsu Jul 2012 #14

Do tell. I'm unfamiliar with that one (nt) Jeff In Milwaukee Jul 2012 #15

in case you're unfamiliar Voice for Peace Jul 2012 #26

Yep, it was the American taxpayers who 'saved' the Olympics... Spazito Jul 2012 #9

AND...He outsourced uniforms to Burma! Can't claim to be retroactively rustydog Jul 2012 #11

I think everyone is looking at this the wrong way: Blue Meany Jul 2012 #12

All told it's closer to $2B taxpayer dollars to buy his "success". n/t Egalitarian Thug Jul 2012 #13

Yahtzee! KurtNYC Jul 2012 #16

Here is a video of him bragging about getting so much money for the Olympics. Blanks Jul 2012 #20

That is a killer video NNN0LHI Jul 2012 #22

Send that to Rachel and Lawrence right fuggin' now malaise Jul 2012 #24

It's a shame that the camera work is so shoddy. Blanks Jul 2012 #25

Shhhh...... We are waiting for him to bring his work there into the debate! Motown_Johnny Jul 2012 #23

siligut

(12,272 posts)

1. Thanks for this, I had read about Romney's "saving" through obtaining fed funds

Reply to NNN0LHI (Original post)

Tue Jul 17, 2012, 11:16 AM

Jul 2012

But didn't remember where I had read it. As far as funds from the gubmint, in Utah, I heard it called bleeding the beast.

Blanks

(4,835 posts)

2. No wonder the conservatives were so angry...

Reply to NNN0LHI (Original post)

Tue Jul 17, 2012, 12:49 PM

Jul 2012

...when Obama was trying to get the games in Illinois.

$342,000,000 to plan and stage the winter Olympics in 2002 dollars.

I wonder how much of that went to Bain?

ArnoldLayne

(2,068 posts)

17. I know that is why I posted what I did earlier. Remember they actually booed the Olympics.

Reply to Blanks (Reply #2)

Tue Jul 17, 2012, 04:05 PM

Jul 2012

They they were frothing at the mouth in glee and High-Fiving each other at a CPAC Convention when the Olympic Com. decided on Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Blanks

(4,835 posts)

19. I'm just taking every opportunity to tie the two together.

Reply to ArnoldLayne (Reply #17)

Tue Jul 17, 2012, 07:29 PM

Jul 2012

I think it is an issue that makes the conservatives seem hypocritical.

Beaverhausen

(24,472 posts)

3. Randi Rhodes stated a figure far higher than that yesterday

Reply to NNN0LHI (Original post)

Tue Jul 17, 2012, 12:51 PM

Jul 2012

I think her number was in the billions. Let me go google

rufus dog

(8,419 posts)

4. probably 1.6 billion

Reply to Beaverhausen (Reply #3)

Tue Jul 17, 2012, 12:53 PM

Jul 2012

That is a number I have seen, it includes all the money earmarked to Utah for infrastructure and directly related games expenses.

cherokeeprogressive

(24,853 posts)

21. I'll back you up on that... I was listening when she said it.

Reply to Beaverhausen (Reply #3)

Thu Jul 19, 2012, 12:24 AM

Jul 2012

Billion+

Rosa Luxemburg

(28,627 posts)

5. He went crying to the federal government

Reply to NNN0LHI (Original post)

Tue Jul 17, 2012, 12:55 PM

Jul 2012

the hypocrisy!

young_at_heart

(3,772 posts)

6. Is this how he "saved" the Olympics?

Reply to NNN0LHI (Original post)

Tue Jul 17, 2012, 01:06 PM

Jul 2012

He claims he left Bain to "SAVE the Olympics"!

Blanks

(4,835 posts)

18. It took Mitt Romney and $1.2 billion to save the 2002 Olympics?

Reply to young_at_heart (Reply #6)

Tue Jul 17, 2012, 04:23 PM

Jul 2012

What was he saving it from? Is that where they thought Katrina was gonna hit?

aint_no_life_nowhere

(21,925 posts)

7. Yes but Rush said that's down home good ole boy free stuff

Reply to NNN0LHI (Original post)

Tue Jul 17, 2012, 01:10 PM

Jul 2012

not that evil librul free stuff.

valerief

(53,235 posts)

10. Food and shelter evil. Entertainment good. Republican values. nt

Reply to aint_no_life_nowhere (Reply #7)

Tue Jul 17, 2012, 01:40 PM

Jul 2012

Jeff In Milwaukee

(13,992 posts)

8. There goes another item from Mitt Romney's resume...

Reply to NNN0LHI (Original post)

Tue Jul 17, 2012, 01:11 PM

Jul 2012

Pretty soon he's going to be left with that pizza delivery gig he had in college.

Kidding. Like Mittens would ever stoop to serving others like some kind of community organizer.

iemitsu

(3,888 posts)

14. do you mean, his stint in college

Reply to Jeff In Milwaukee (Reply #8)

Tue Jul 17, 2012, 02:30 PM

Jul 2012

impersonating a cop?

Jeff In Milwaukee

(13,992 posts)

15. Do tell. I'm unfamiliar with that one (nt)

Reply to iemitsu (Reply #14)

Tue Jul 17, 2012, 03:57 PM

Jul 2012

Voice for Peace

(13,141 posts)

26. in case you're unfamiliar

Reply to Jeff In Milwaukee (Reply #15)

Thu Jul 19, 2012, 02:31 PM

Jul 2012

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/07/classmates-mitt-romney-im_n_1575680.html

Spazito

(50,514 posts)

9. Yep, it was the American taxpayers who 'saved' the Olympics...

Reply to NNN0LHI (Original post)

Tue Jul 17, 2012, 01:13 PM

Jul 2012

the same taxpayers Romney wants to screw over.

Romney did squat, in reality, imo, to "save" the Olympics.

rustydog

(9,186 posts)

11. AND...He outsourced uniforms to Burma! Can't claim to be retroactively

Reply to NNN0LHI (Original post)

Tue Jul 17, 2012, 01:42 PM

Jul 2012

retired from Bain to cover for that!

Blue Meany

(1,947 posts)

12. I think everyone is looking at this the wrong way:

Reply to NNN0LHI (Original post)

Tue Jul 17, 2012, 01:45 PM

Jul 2012

Romney has framed this a act of public service for which he received no salary. But he had close to $2 Billion in contracts to dole out both to existing cronies and to corporations from which he would later seek support for political campaigns. This is what really launched him in national politics. It is certainly true that most of this came from the federal govt., but the more important point is that the did this to advance himself and collect chits.

We need to examine the official sponsorships and contracts for the Winter Olympics with the same zeal that has been applied to Bain. My guess is that are lots of intersections between the two, examples of crony capitalism, conflicts of interest, etc.

Egalitarian Thug

(12,448 posts)

13. All told it's closer to $2B taxpayer dollars to buy his "success". n/t

Reply to NNN0LHI (Original post)

Tue Jul 17, 2012, 01:48 PM

Jul 2012

KurtNYC

(14,549 posts)

16. Yahtzee!

Reply to NNN0LHI (Original post)

Tue Jul 17, 2012, 04:00 PM

Jul 2012

Blanks

(4,835 posts)

20. Here is a video of him bragging about getting so much money for the Olympics.

Reply to NNN0LHI (Original post)

Thu Jul 19, 2012, 12:20 AM

Jul 2012

...and brace yourself; he's pretty despicable.

NNN0LHI

(67,190 posts)

22. That is a killer video

Reply to Blanks (Reply #20)

Thu Jul 19, 2012, 07:37 AM

Jul 2012

Wait until the baggers see that.

Don

malaise

(269,219 posts)

24. Send that to Rachel and Lawrence right fuggin' now

Reply to Blanks (Reply #20)

Thu Jul 19, 2012, 08:49 AM

Jul 2012

Damn - that needs its own thread

Blanks

(4,835 posts)

25. It's a shame that the camera work is so shoddy.

Reply to malaise (Reply #24)

Thu Jul 19, 2012, 02:17 PM

Jul 2012

...but that paints quite a different picture of Romney than he is trying to paint of himself.

Busted.

Motown_Johnny

(22,308 posts)

23. Shhhh...... We are waiting for him to bring his work there into the debate!

Reply to NNN0LHI (Original post)

Thu Jul 19, 2012, 07:41 AM

Jul 2012

We need him to praise the government bailout he received before we go there.

There is still plenty of time left and I am betting this happens during the second debate, give or take one.

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