SALON

Thursday, Aug 11, 2011 4:12 PM UTC

When Mitt Romney bragged about raising taxes

The key to strong credit rating he earned as Massachusetts governor: Enhanced revenues

By

Topics: Mitt Romney, War Room, 2012 Elections, Budget Showdown,

When Mitt Romney bragged about raising taxesFILE - In this July 27, 2011, file photo, Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks in the warehouse at Screen Machine Industries during a campaign stop in Pataskala, Ohio. Same-sex marriage might seem like a straightforward issue: You're for it or against it. Yet for the field of Republican presidential hopefuls, it's proving to be an awkward topic as public attitudes change and more states legalize gay unions, the latest being New York. Romney and Tim Pawlenty were among those refusing to sign the pledge, but both issued statements stressing that they favored limiting marriage to one-man, one-woman unions. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)(Credit: AP)

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney — who argued against the inclusion of any tax increases in a debt ceiling deal — touted tax hikes in Massachusetts in a pitch to S&P to get the state’s credit rating raised when he was governor in 2004.

Politico’s Ben Smith FOIA’d the presentation that the credit rating agency saw before deciding to raise the Massachusetts credit rating from AA- to AA. In it, Romney’s administration pointed out how the state raised taxes in 2002 (before he took office) during an economic downturn and how, as governor, he introduced legislation to raise revenues including closing tax loopholes.

Romney, currently the front-running Republican in the 2012 presidential race, has used the successful ’04 bid to raise the Massachusetts credit rating as a talking point against the president in the wake of S&P’s downgrading of U.S. debt. Romney said, “when I was governor, S&P rewarded Massachusetts with a credit rating upgrade for our sound fiscal management and the underlying strength of our economy.”

However, as Smith notes, Romney’s pitch to S&P in 2004 “bears a far closer resemblance to the right-of-center grand compromise rejected by House Republicans this year — dismissed because it would include new taxes and end tax breaks President Barack Obama described as ‘loopholes’ — or the more modest compromise that passed, than to the Cut, Cap, and Balance plan Romney ‘applauded’.”

The Atlantic Wire’s Rebecca Greenfield points out that “of course this isn’t the first time Romney has veered from his policies as governor — remember Massachusetts health care reform?”

Natasha Lennard

Natasha Lennard is an assistant news editor at Salon, covering non-electoral politics, general news and rabble-rousing. Follow her on Twitter @natashalennard, email nlennard@salon.com. More Natasha Lennard.

Next Article

You Might Also Like

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11
  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11

Related Videos

More Related Stories

Comments

 3 Comments

Comment Preview

Your name will appear as username ( settings | log out )

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

follow salon

Most Read

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves": Growing up primate

Recommendations