[h/t David at VideoCafe]
After a few months in self-imposed exile, Ann and Mitt Romney have crawled out from under their rocks. I'm sure you aren't shocked that they're mewling about how sad they are that they didn't ascend to the throne as they believed was their destiny. This interview just confirms what smart voters already knew: Mitt lies.
"It kills me not to be there, not to be in the White House doing what needs to be done," Romney told Fox News host Chris Wallace. "The president is the leader of the nation. The president brings people together, does the deals, does the trades, knocks the heads together. The president leads, and I don't see that kind of leadership happening. He's campaigning."
Mitt went on to say that he felt President Obama was missing a "golden moment in politics."
“I see this as this huge opportunity and it's being squandered by politics, by people who are more interested in a political victory than they are in doing what's right for the country,” he added.
Well, for once he's not lying. Oh, wait. He was referring to the President and Congressional Dems. Because of course there has never been any effort to strike a deal with Republicans. I don't even think I need to respond to that.
Mitt also claims in the same interview that he would have accepted a deal with a 10:1 ratio of cuts to revenue. Digby retorts:
He's a funny guy. Dishonest too. I think it's perfectly clear that he would have happily accepted a 100% spending cuts deal. Golden moment, indeed.
Mitt and Ann also have a special message for the moochers:
"The president had the power of incumbency, 'Obamacare' was very attractive, particularly to those without insurance, and they came out in large numbers to vote," Romney said. "So that was part of a successful campaign."
Romney first made comments to this effect on a conference call with donors after the November election, when he said Obama had been “very generous” in doling out “big gifts” to “the African American community, the Hispanic community and young people” as well as women during his first term. Asked about them in the Fox News interview, recorded earlier this week in his California home, he reiterated that belief.
Romney brought up health care reform a second time during the interview, his first since losing the election, saying it's appeal to minority and low-income Americans was another reason Obama won.
"I think the 'Obamacare' attractiveness and feature was something we underestimated, particularly among lower incomes," Romney said.
Imagine that. 53 percent of the country decided it was really a good thing for everyone, even the moochers, to get health care. How can the man who authored the Obamacare prototype have underestimated it?
Better minds than mine will have to figure that one out.