Today, DNC Senior Advisor for Hispanic Affairs Juan Sepúlveda released the following statement:

"This week, Mitt Romney’s campaign spokesperson labeled Kris Kobach as a 'supporter' versus the well-publicized 'immigration advisor' role Romney has so proudly flaunted since the beginning of the year. And today, Romney tried to shake the Etch A Sketch again by distancing himself from the most controversial elements of the Arizona immigration law SB 1070, when, in fact he has, without question said he 'supports the Arizona law' in the past. Mitt Romney faces a huge deficit with Hispanic voters – and these are just two examples of how Mitt Romney wants to Etch a Sketch away his extreme record on immigration – but Latinos will not forget.

"This is the same Mitt Romney that took Kobach’s advice and publicly championed for a 'self-deportation' policy. And the same Mitt Romney who said he would veto the DREAM Act, a piece of legislation supported by over 90% of Latino voters, and called it as a 'hand out.'

"The Latino community and voters nationwide will not allow Mitt Romney to Etch a Sketch Romney’s extreme views – if there is one thing that we are clear on, it’s that Mitt Romney is on the wrong side of every Latino issue and that, on immigration, he would be the most extreme presidential candidate in modern history."

Today, DNC Senior Advisor for Hispanic Affairs Juan Sepúlveda released the following statement:

"This week, Mitt Romney’s campaign spokesperson labeled Kris Kobach as a 'supporter' versus the well-publicized 'immigration advisor' role Romney has so proudly flaunted since the beginning of the year. And today, Romney tried to shake the Etch A Sketch again by distancing himself from the most controversial elements of the Arizona immigration law SB 1070, when, in fact he has, without question said he 'supports the Arizona law' in the past. Mitt Romney faces a huge deficit with Hispanic voters – and these are just two examples of how Mitt Romney wants to Etch a Sketch away his extreme record on immigration – but Latinos will not forget.

"This is the same Mitt Romney that took Kobach’s advice and publicly championed for a 'self-deportation' policy. And the same Mitt Romney who said he would veto the DREAM Act, a piece of legislation supported by over 90% of Latino voters, and called it as a 'hand out.'

"The Latino community and voters nationwide will not allow Mitt Romney to Etch a Sketch Romney’s extreme views – if there is one thing that we are clear on, it’s that Mitt Romney is on the wrong side of every Latino issue and that, on immigration, he would be the most extreme presidential candidate in modern history."

Today, DNC Senior Advisor for Hispanic Affairs Juan Sepúlveda released the following statement:

"This week, Mitt Romney’s campaign spokesperson labeled Kris Kobach as a 'supporter' versus the well-publicized 'immigration advisor' role Romney has so proudly flaunted since the beginning of the year. And today, Romney tried to shake the Etch A Sketch again by distancing himself from the most controversial elements of the Arizona immigration law SB 1070, when, in fact he has, without question said he 'supports the Arizona law' in the past. Mitt Romney faces a huge deficit with Hispanic voters – and these are just two examples of how Mitt Romney wants to Etch a Sketch away his extreme record on immigration – but Latinos will not forget.

"This is the same Mitt Romney that took Kobach’s advice and publicly championed for a 'self-deportation' policy. And the same Mitt Romney who said he would veto the DREAM Act, a piece of legislation supported by over 90% of Latino voters, and called it as a 'hand out.'

"The Latino community and voters nationwide will not allow Mitt Romney to Etch a Sketch Romney’s extreme views – if there is one thing that we are clear on, it’s that Mitt Romney is on the wrong side of every Latino issue and that, on immigration, he would be the most extreme presidential candidate in modern history."

This is being handed out at John Sununu’s press conference in Exeter, NH. Makes you wonder how the Romney campaign bus compares to the limousine and corporate jet he took to a stamp auction or the military aircraft he flew to the Indianapolis 500?

Nothing says I understand hard working Americans like John “Where’s My Jet” Sununu

SUNUNU USED CORPORATE JETS FOR HIS PERSONAL TRAVEL

Sununu Used A Government-Paid Limousine And A Corporate Jet To Attend A Stamp Auction In New York.  “As one aide explained, Sununu is in such demand to attend political functions around the country that he has no trouble finding someone to provide him an aircraft. Another official said Sununu's attitude toward the corporations that provide the planes is: ‘As long as they pay, that's fine.’  Beneficial spokesman Bob Wade said his company initially was asked to provide a round-trip chartered flight for Sununu to attend the New Jersey GOP fund-raiser last Wednesday night. The event was held at Hamilton Farm, a facility that Beneficial owns in Bedminster, N.J., a town in the horse country of western New Jersey about an hour's drive from New York City.  After the company chartered an aircraft for Sununu, Wade said, White House officials said he would use it to return to Washington but not to go to New Jersey.  Instead, Sununu traveled in a government-provided limousine first to New York City, where he attended the stamp auction. It was not clear how he then traveled to New Jersey. The limousine returned to Washington without a passenger.  A New Jersey state party official, who declined to be identified, said he was told by the White House:  ‘’Don't worry about getting him here,' just take care of the return trip.’’  Wade said that Beneficial's Washington representative, Gary Perkinson, flew to New Jersey aboard the chartered jet alone, and returned with Sununu. He said Perkinson did some corporate business while he was in the New Jersey area, but he acknowledged that Perkinson would not have flown in a chartered plane had Sununu not requested one.”  [Los Angeles Times, 6/18/91]

Sununu Solicited Corporate Jets For Personal Travel.  “Ever since the White House cut back on John H. Sununu's use of military aircraft for leisure and political travel, the controversial chief of staff has been soliciting free trips aboard jets provided by American corporations, White House officials said Monday.  In the latest instance, Beneficial Corp., a consumer credit firm headquartered in Peapack, N.J., provided a chartered jet for Sununu to return to Washington from a New York stamp auction and a New Jersey GOP fund-raiser last Wednesday night.  Officials said other corporations are being asked to do likewise whenever Sununu makes similar trips.  Sununu pays nothing for these corporate flights, which are perfectly legal. Beneficial officials said they expect to receive only partial reimbursement from the New Jersey Republican Party for Sununu's flight last week.  In turning to corporations, Sununu is one of a growing number of top Administration officials who have come to rely on American business to provide air travel for trips that previously would have been funded by the government or paid for out of their own pockets.”  [Los Angeles Times, 6/18/91]

·         Sununu Denied That Using Corporate Jets Was A Conflict Of Interest, Claimed They Were Necessary For Him To Stay In Touch With The White House While Traveling.  “Although others have been criticized for flying on corporate jets, officials said Sununu sees no potential conflict of interest in accepting travel accommodations from corporations, even those with intense interest in changing government policies.  Beneficial, for example, has been actively involved in battling banking industry reforms proposed by the Bush Administration.  Sununu has said that he must rely on corporate jets in order to remain in constant touch with the White House. ‘I have to be able to communicate, to work on sensitive papers, to coordinate the White House activities, even while I'm traveling,’ he said on Sunday.” [Los Angeles Times, 6/18/91]

·         White House Official:  “Sununu Doesn’t Play By Your Rules Our Rules Or Washington Rules.  He Plays By His Rules And He’s Not Going To Change.”  “But Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), after he was told of Sununu's flight at the expense of Beneficial, said, ‘I think it's a mistake; that's why you have conflict of interest laws.’ Frank added, ‘What would be so terrible about flying in a regular plane like a normal person?’  White House officials said Sununu is unlikely to be swayed by such criticism. ‘Sununu doesn't play by your rules, or our rules, or Washington rules,’ one official said. ‘He plays by his rules and he's not going to change.’” [Los Angeles Times, 6/18/91]

JOHN H. SUNUNU WAS ACCUSED OF IMPROPERLY USING MILITARY AIRCRAFT FOR PERSONAL OR POLITICAL TRAVEL

1991: The Bush Administration Defended Chief Of Staff John H. Sununu’s Travels Aboard Military Planes, Despite Many Of The Trips Appearing To Be For Personal Or Partisan Reasons. “The Bush Administration on Sunday defended Chief of Staff John H. Sununu's wide-ranging travels aboard military planes, but two congressional Democrats called for an accounting of Sununu's trips. The White House said that the trips were ‘in accordance with official authorization,’ even if some appeared to be for personal or partisan political reasons.” [Los Angeles Times, 4/22/91]

1991: John H. Sununu Usually Flew In C-20 Jets. “According to Pentagon records, Sununu usually flies in a C-20, the sleek, 12-passenger, twin-engine jet that is the military version of the Gulfstream III corporate jet. The Air Force keeps several C-20s at Andrews Air Force Base for such VIPs as Barbara Bush. President Bush himself flies aboard a C-20 when he is bound for airports too small to accommodate his jumbo jet, Air Force One.” [Los Angeles Times, 4/22/91]

·         The Pentagon Estimated That It Cost $3,945 An Hour To Fly The C-20 Air Force Jet That John H. Sununu Used, Excluding The Cost Of The Five-Member Crew. “The policy is intended to enable Mr. Sununu to be in constant, secure voice contact with the White House if the need arose. But his use of military aircraft for personal and political trips has created a furor, even though Mr. Sununu paid the normal commercial coach fare for the flights, plus $1. The Pentagon estimates that it costs $3,945 an hour to fly the C-20 Air Force jet that Mr. Sununu uses, excluding the cost of the five-member crew.” [The New York Times, 4/25/91]

Trips For Which John H. Sununu Used Military Aircraft: The Indianapolis 500 Auto Race, A Charity Ski Event In New Hampshire, And Political Fundraisers For Incumbent Governors In Kansas And Nebraska. “Among the trips Sununu made on military aircraft, the newspaper reported, were those to the Indianapolis 500 auto race, a charity ski event in New Hampshire and political fund raisers for incumbent governors in Kansas and Nebraska. By comparison, two of Sununu's predecessors during the Reagan Administration each made fewer than 10 such trips--over a period of six years, according to the news magazine.” [Los Angeles Times, 4/22/91]

JOHN H. SUNUNU’S TRAVELS ABOARD MILITARY JETS PROMPTED A REVIEW OF GOVERNMENT POLICIES

As A Result Of John H. Sununu’s Travels Aboard Military Jets, President George H.W. Bush Had The White House Launch A Review Of Government Travel Policies. “President Bush said today that the White House would review the Government policy that allowed John H. Sununu, the White House chief of staff, to use military aircraft for personal and political business, as well as on Government matters. … This disparity between cost and payment, when the aircraft was used for personal or political business, evoked criticism on Capitol Hill and in the news media, which also questioned the appropriateness of using military aircraft on visits to ski resorts in Aspen and Vail, Colo.” [The New York Times, 4/25/91]

Mitt Romney is taking great pains to avoid disclosing exactly where his money is invested, making use of what the Washington Post calls "an obscure exception in federal ethics laws" to avoid public scrutiny.

The Post reports that in 48 of his Bain Capital accounts, "Romney declined on his financial disclosure forms to identify the underlying assets, including his holdings in a company that moved U.S. jobs to China and a California firm once owned by Bain that filed for bankruptcy years ago and laid off more than 1,000 workers." We only know these limited examples because these companies were required to disclose information publicly. But the majority of underlying assets—specific investments—remain hidden because Romney is protected by a confidentiality agreement with his former firm.

Here's what that means in layman's terms, courtesy of OFA campaign manager Jim Messina: "Romney has put his personal financial assets in a black box and hid the key, attempting to play by a different set of rules than any candidate in recent history."

The Post also notes that "several outside experts across the political spectrum" agree that "Romney's disclosure is the most opaque they have encountered."

That's why we've been demanding for months that Romney release his tax returns. Until he does, we won't fully know how much of his money is in offshore accounts, controversial companies, or whether his financial decisions show any other major conflicts of interests.

The little we do know is troubling: Romney pays a shockingly low 13.9 percent tax rate—a rate that is lower than most middle-class families and even most millionaires. Romney has large investments in notorious overseas tax havens like the Cayman Islands and Bermuda. He had $3 million stashed away in a Swiss bank account that was closed in recent years for fear of political embarrassment. Some of this information was omitted from the personal financial disclosure Romney filed last year—a requirement for all those seeking federal office. It was revealed months later when Romney agreed to release one year of tax returns after mounting public pressure.

What else could Romney possibly be hiding? We won't know without at least a decade's worth of tax returns.

So as Romney continues to prove his willingness to hide critical information and play by his own set of rules, we need to turn up the pressure once again and demand basic transparency and accountability from a man who aspires to the highest office. Decades of presidential candidates, including President Obama, have done so ever since Mitt's own father, George Romney, set the standard in 1968 by releasing 12 years' worth.

We know he has them. Just four years ago, when Romney was being vetted as a potential 2008 running mate, he gladly forked over 23 years' worth of returns. The American people deserve the same.

Tweet @MittRomney and use the hashtag #WhatsRomneyHiding to demand he release more tax returns.

Following his primary wins last night, Mitt Romney now has more than half of the Republican delegates he needs to gain the GOP nomination. As he heads toward the general election as the presumptive nominee, Romney, equipped with his Etch A Sketch, is hoping that the American voting public—women and Hispanics in particular—have short-term memories.

Yesterday, one of his campaign chairs made the incredible assertion that Romney's saving his "real views" until the general election. Even though Mitt's spent the entirety of the primary pandering to the right wing, his surrogate Robert Ehrlich cynically argued on CNN that once Romney makes his "real views" known, all will be forgiven among the voters—especially women—that his extreme rhetoric has alienated.

It was no gaffe; Romney and his campaign team really do think we're stupid enough to fall for it. After all, it's the same strategy top aide Eric Fehrnstrom alluded to in his infamous Etch A Sketch analogy—the idea that Governor Romney can just erase all the pandering, all the extreme rhetoric, every last "severely conservative" thing he's said and start fresh in the general election, going wherever the political winds lead him.

Even Ann Romney acknowledged her husband's deception, saying, "I guess we better unzip him and let the real Mitt Romney out."

Is Romney so cynical and so lacking in conviction that he's willing to completely alter his positions should he win the nomination? If that's the case, it's up to us to make sure every voter remembers that Romney said he'd end health care for millions of families, thought it simply "marvelous" to cut taxes for the wealthy at the expense of the middle class, would "get rid of" Planned Parenthood, and endorsed the most extreme immigration policies of our time.

Good luck with your Etch A Sketch, Mitt. We'll be keeping you honest at every flip-flop along the way.

DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement tonight on the results of the Republican primaries in Wisconsin, Maryland and Washington, DC:

“Mitt Romney has significantly more work to do before he can become the Republican nominee, and he is doing incredible damage to himself along the way.  His pandering to the extreme right wing of the Republican Party has done him great damage with women, Hispanics, and independents, all of whom will be critical in the general election.  That’s because the policies he advocates would do massive damage to American families who are striving to get ahead.  Just in the past week, Mitt Romney called Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker a ‘hero’ – a man who has turned his back so thoroughly on middle class families, seniors and workers that voters are seeking to recall him from office.  And Romney has accepted the endorsement of and praised Representative Paul Ryan, whose budget proposal – endorsed by Romney - would end Medicare as we know it so that millionaires and billionaires could get a tax break. Ryan's budget, embraced by Romney, would make arbitrary cuts to programs essential to middle-class families like education and clean energy.

“Maybe that’s why Mitt Romney and his allies have been forced to spend millions of dollars flooding the airwaves with negative ads against his competition. In Wisconsin alone, Romney and his allies outspent Rick Santorum and his allies by more than 3.5-to-1, and even after all that money the Republican party is still unenthusiastic and having trouble coalescing around their presumptive nominee.  Mitt Romney has pledged his allegiance to the Tea Party and because of this, he will continue to alienate critical general election voters as the Republicans continue their slog to the nomination—which is bad for the Republican Party come November.”

Last night, Florida Senator Marco Rubio endorsed Mitt Romney for president, in what might be the most tepid endorsement in history. He said, “Well, I am going to endorse Mitt Romney and the reason why is not only because he is going to be the Republican nominee but he offers at this point, such a stark contrast to the President's record.” In other words, he’s going to win anyway, so sign me up. Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

But it’s no surprise that Rubio would endorse Romney. In fact, it seemed inevitable because Senator Rubio and Mitt Romney really are two peas in a very extreme pod.

Rubio ran for the U.S. Senate as a Tea Party darling. And now he’s endorsed Mitt Romney, a candidate who has shown voters across the country how extreme he is by calling the DREAM Act a “handout,” running on policies that cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires on the backs of the middle class, slash funding for education and health care, and saying we should do nothing to stop the foreclosure crisis and let it “hit the bottom.”

Romney and Rubio’s loyalty to the Tea Party comes before anything else, and their positions are increasingly out of step with seniors, middle class families, Hispanics, and women.

Both Romney and Rubio support the extreme Paul Ryan budget,  which would end Medicare as we know it, and protect tax cuts for millionaires, billionaires and corporations. In fact, Rubio voted for the previous version of Ryan’s extreme budget. And Mitt Romney has fully embraced the Ryan plan, saying it aligns with his plan. 

Senator Rubio opposes the DREAM Act, bipartisan legislation that 90 percent of Hispanics support, according to a recent poll. Mitt Romney shares this extreme opposition, saying he would veto the DREAM Act as President.

Both Rubio and Romney have aligned themselves with Arizona’s anti-immigrant law SB 1070, which would require immigrants to carry their documents at all times and give police the power to detain anyone suspected of being in the country illegally.  In fact, the bill’s author Kris Kobach is one of Romney’s strongest supporters and Romney has called the Arizona law a “model.”. Rubio says he would have voted for the bill and believes it was a step in the right direction.

And in the last few weeks, Sen. Rubio has worked to restrict women’s access to birth control by cosponsoring the Blunt-Rubio Amendment, a measure Mitt Romney also supported.

It’s clear that Mitt Romney and Marco Rubio share the same extreme views on issues that are important to seniors, middle class families, Hispanics and women – views that are far outside the mainstream view of many Americans.  So it’s no surprise that Senator Rubio would endorse Mitt Romney – they are just two peas in a very extreme pod.

Check out the Twitter Hashtag #LOLmitt.

Romney Joke Produces Not-So-Funny Backlash
National Journal
An attempt at humor and friendly voter outreach backfired for Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney on Wednesday when he was roundly criticized by leading Democrats for joking that his father, George Romney, as an American Motors executive decades ago, once shut down a factory in Michigan and moved it to Wisconsin.

Romney joke draws Democratic criticism
CNN
To Mitt Romney, it was a humorous story about his father’s gubernatorial campaign and a marching band. But Democrats saw it as an illustration of an “out-of-touch” millionaire.  On a Wednesday morning conference call with Wisconsin voters, the presidential hopeful and former Massachusetts governor joked about how his father, the American Motors president who went on to be governor of Michigan, joked that a band leading his father in a parade didn’t know the Michigan fight song, but knew the one for neighboring Wisconsin. “So every time they would start playing, ‘On Wisconsin, On Wisconsin,’ my dad’s political people would jump up and down and try to get them to stop because they didn’t want people in Michigan to be reminded that my dad had moved production to Wisconsin,” Romney said, chuckling.

Romney calls in to Wisconsin voters from Texas: embraces Walker and Ryan
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel // Craig Gilbert
One of most humorous I think relates to my father. You may remember my father, George Romney, was president of an automobile company called American Motors …  They had a factory in Michigan, and they had a factory in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and another one in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,” said Romney. “And as the president of the company he decided to close the factory in Michigan and move all the production to Wisconsin. Now later he decided to run for governor of Michigan and so you can imagine that having closed the factory and moved all the production to Wisconsin was a very sensitive issue to him, for his campaign.”

Romney Laughingly Recalls Father's Layoffs
Talking Points Memo
File this one under the ever-growing "Romney wealth gaffes" category.
The GOP frontrunner recalled a "humorous" anecdote about how his father, George Romney, closed an auto factory in Michigan during his businessman years only to go to great lengths to hide this fact from voters when he ran from governor in the same state. Not only that he suggested this gave him a closer relationship to Wisconsin, the state where George Romney shipped his factory, in his own current campaign. From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:

Mitt Romney’s Story About Dad’s Lay Offs Draws Ire from Dems
ABC
A story told by Mitt Romney about his father laying off workers during his tenure as an automobile executive has drawn ire from Democrats who are using the remark as yet another example of the candidate’s tendency to appear out of touch with voters.

The Lighter Side of Destroying Jobs
New York Times//DAVID FIRESTONE
Another candidate might have stayed away from a joke about closing auto plants. Considering that Mitt Romney’s private equity company forced thousands of layoffs at companies it purchased, and that he opposed a bailout of the auto industry that saved hundreds of thousands of jobs, it’s a subject he would be well-advised to avoid.

Romney’s ‘Humorous’ Tale of a Factory Closing
New York Times // Ashley Parker
Mitt Romney opened a “tele-town hall” with Wisconsin voters on Wednesday afternoon with what he described as a “humorous” story highlighting his connections to the state. But not everyone found the story, about his father closing a Michigan factory, quite so funny.

Romney jokes about dad's decision to close Detroit auto plant
Detroit News// DAVID SHEPARDSON
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney joked about his father's decision to close aDetroit plant in the mid-1950s and shift the work to Wisconsin. On a telephone town hall meeting with Wisconsin voters Wednesday, Romney recounted the decision of his father, George, who was CEO of American Motors, to close the company's Hudson plants on Detroit's east side and shift the work to the company's Kenosha, Wis., plant.

A Humorous Story From Mitt Romney
BuzzFeed//McKay Coppins
In a tele-townhall with Wisconsin voters today, Mitt Romney touted his own connections to the state. Then he shared this anecdote, which was reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “One of most humorous I think relates to my father. You may remember my father, George Romney, was president of an automobile company called American Motors … They had a factory in Michigan, and they had a factory in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and another one in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,” said Romney.

Mitt Romney Tells 'Humorous' Story About Father Closing A Michigan Factory
Huffington Post//Amanda Terkel
Mitt Romney is known for his sometimes awkward sense of humor, and some of his biggest campaign missteps have come when he has made statements that seemed out of touch with Americans' economic struggles. During a tele-town hall meeting with Wisconsin voters Wednesday, those two issues converged.

Romney tells 'humorous' story about his dad closing a Michigan auto factory
The Hill // Cameron Joseph
Mitt Romney gave Democrats more attack ad fodder on Wednesday when he told a "humorous" story about his father closing down a factory in Michigan. The story, as relayed by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, came about as Romney touted his connections to Wisconsin, which will hold its primary on April 3.

Romney’s “humorous” story — shutting factory
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Mitt Romney has again come across as a man to the manor born, this time entertaining a Wisconsin conference call what Romney called a “humorous” anecdote about the time his father shut down a car factory and laid off its workers. The Republican frontrunner’s father, George Romney, was head of American Motors before running for governor of Michigan.  The story, courtesy of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, starts with Romney saying he has an old connection to the Badger State:

Romney tells a ‘humorous' tale about how his dad laid off workers
Examiner//Ryan Witt
Some people tell knock, knock jokes, other like to recall funny movie lines.  Today, Mitt Romney told a “joke” to voters about how his father closed a factory in Michigan and then tried to hide it from voters.  Romney narrated what he described as a “humorous” tale in a conference call with Wisconsin voters.  The full story, as transcribed by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, can be read below

Mitt Romney amuses Wisconsin voters with yarn about Michigan losing an auto plant
Detroit Free Press// Todd Spangler
Mitt Romney told a jokey anecdote on a conference call Wednesday with Wisconsin primary voters that had Michigan – and the closing of an auto plant – as part of the punch line. It should be said up front that the anecdote is an old one, dating back six decades or so to when his dad, George Romney, was running American Motors.

Mitt Romney has been called the most extreme GOP candidate when it comes to immigration - he's said if elected he would veto the DREAM Act, a piece of legislation that gives opportunities to college-aged kids, or those serving in the military, who came to the United States through no fault of their own. Even The Washington Times called his immigration stance "the most conservative position in the Republican presidential field."

In Romney's world, all undocumented immigrants would be deported, or even "self-deport," regardless of their impact on society, service to our country, or familial connections.

Marco Rubio, often noted as a potential VP candidate, is proposing what some have referred to as a version of the DREAM Act, when in reality it bears little resemblance. Rubio's idea is to offer undocumented immigrants "legalization without citizenship." The New York Times notes:

"[Rubio] warns that if Dream Act youths became citizens, they could — horrors — someday sponsor family members to enter legally. This idea is nothing more than some newly invented third-class status — not illegal, but not American."

"It's the Dream Act without the dream."

It's no wonder they are both performing poorly among Latinos. A Romney-Rubio ticket would be a threat to comprehensive immigration reform.

Virginia's Governor, Bob McDonnell, is an avid Mitt Romney supporter having recently called Romney "the right leader for the right time." His political career has also proved that he is an avid opponent of women's rights.  Virginia women seeking an abortion will be required to first undergo an intrusive ultrasound beginning July 1, thanks to a bill McDonnell, a rumored vice presidential contender, signed March 7. To make matters worse, the mandatory ultrasound will not be paid for by either insurance companies or the state. Virginia women will have to pay for the procedure out of pocket— at a cost ranging from $300 to $1,200. 

On Monday, Virginia's GOP-controlled Senate passed a budget bill for the next two years— rejecting a key Democratic amendment requiring the state or private insurers to pay for the unnecessary ultrasound procedures. Senate Democrats had sought $3 million in state funding to cover the cost of the imaging procedures for low-income women, and an agreement that insured women would have the procedure covered under their existing policies. The New York Times recently reported that women can pay as much as 50% more for health insurance than men for the same coverage, and this budget only adds insult to injury.

McDonnell claims the law requiring ultrasounds for women will provide information that "can help the mother make a fully informed decision" about having an abortion. In reality, the law makes it harder for a woman to receive a medical procedure she is legally entitled to receive. Additionally, there's a required 24-hour waiting period that would be difficult for many working women to arrange. And women who miscarry late in pregnancy—and require the fetus medically removed from their uterus— would still be forced to endure the ultrasound.

As a result of their recent attacks on women's rights, both McDonnell and Virginia's legislature have seen their approval ratings sink. Last week, Quinnipiac University found that by an 11-point margin, 52 percent to 41 percent, Virginians disapproved of the ultrasound law, and 72 percent percent felt the government shouldn't "make laws which try to convince women seeking an abortion to change their minds."

Governor McDonnell has had a long history of attacking women's rights. As a graduate student, he called a 197? 2 Supreme Court decision that legalized the use of contraception by unmarried couples "illogical." While serving in the Virginia House of Delegates, he introduced 35 anti-women's health bills. After their most recent violations of women's rights, there's no telling what he and Republicans will do next.

Yesterday, Mitt Romney stated that Russia is the United States' "number one geopolitical foe." It is a comment that has derived responses from foreign policy experts across political lines - from General Wesley Clark, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, to former Ambassadors and even the former Secretary of the Navy. Here's a roundup:

General Wesley Clark, Retired:

“Surely one lesson of the 21^st Century is that America’s security in the world depends on making more friends and fewer enemies.  Governor Romney’s statement sounds like a rehash of Cold War fears.  Given the many challenges we face at home and abroad, the American people deserve a full and complete explanation from Governor Romney.  Good policy does not come from bumper sticker slogans.  The next president is going to have to take America forward, out of war, and into other challenges.  The rekindling of old antagonisms hardly seems the way to do it.”

Richard Danzig, former Secretary of the Navy:

"Governor Romney offered his judgement today that Russia is our nation’s number one geopolitical foe. This conclusion, as outdated as his ideas on the economy,energy needs, and social issues, is left over from the last century.  Does Governor Romney believe that a Cold War foreign policy is the right course in the twenty-first century? Does he believe that Russia is a bigger threat to the U.S. today than terrorism, or cyberwarfare, or a nuclear-armed and erratic North Korea? 

“Oddly, before calling Russia our number one foe, he issued a foreign policy white paper that only got around to Russia after sections on China, Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Middle East, Iran, North Korea, and Latin America. His most recent statement is yet another revelation that Mitt Romney repeatedly speaks inconsistently and in ways that are disconnected from twenty-first century realities."

Timothy Roemer, former Ambassador to India:

“Today, Governor Romney said that Russia is without question our nation’s number one geopolitical foe.  Does Mitt Romney really believe that Russia – a country that has supported our international efforts to sanction Iran, for example – is a bigger threat to the U.S. today than a nuclear-armed Iran or al-Qaeda? Does he truly believe Russia is more of a challenge than a nuclear North Korea or the Straits of Hormuz being closed? I proudly served our nation overseas as Ambassador to India, and the level of naiveté about foreign relations that Governor Romney displays is astounding. Worse, it is potentially dangerous for our country.”

Colin Kahl, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East:

“Today, Governor Romney said that Russia is our nation’s number one geopolitical foe. Mitt Romney has an economic, energy, and social agenda of the last century – and now he has a foreign policy to match. Does Mitt Romney think Russia is a bigger threat to the U.S. today than a nuclear-armed Iran or the terrorists of al-Qaeda? Is Russia a greater challenge than a rising China or instability in the Middle East? For a country that Mitt Romney called our top geopolitical enemy, he only addresses Russia in his foreign policy white paper with Cold War-era talking points and none of the sense of urgency that he demonstrated today. This is yet another example of Mitt Romney’s willingness to say anything to get elected, no matter how reckless it may be.”

Today, Mitt Romney falsely accused the President of caving to Russia on missile defense. But his comments beg the question: what exactly is Mitt Romney's foreign policy experience? 

More than once, Mitt Romney has reacted to the news that the U.S. would be pulling its troops out of combat assignments in Afghanistan by mid-2013, saying that President Obama was “naïve.” You have to wonder at the use of the term, given Romney's flip-flop on the Obama strategy of an Afghan withdrawal at least three times: he was for it, then against it, before recommending “a gradual transition”—whatever that is.

In addition to his Etch A Sketch approach to Afghanistan, Romney seems particularly unsure of what the U.S. should do in the Middle East. His foreign policy white paper fails to lay out a concrete strategy for what America should do in Iraq, speaking in broad strokes and ending with a statement that the U.S. should use "the broad array of our foreign-policy tools" to establish a lasting relationship with the Iraqi people. That’s not a strategy; it’s an applause line. At one point Romney even claimed that President Obama was following Bush’s “wisdom” on Iraq, which seems, at minimum, a spectacular misuse of the term.

But maybe foreign policy just isn't that important to Romney. In 2008, while running for the GOP nomination against John McCain, Romney's canned foreign policy responses suggested he doesn't think a president needs to have any foreign policy experience at all. "If foreign policy experience were the measure for selecting a president,” he said, "we'd just go to the State Department and pick up one of the thousands and thousands of people who've spent their whole life in foreign policy." Which is to say, when it comes to foreign policy, Romney would just as soon have someone else show leadership.

Ben Labolt, OFA Press Secretary, said today:

“Once again Governor Romney is undermining his credibility by distorting the President’s words. Governor Romney has been all over the map on the key foreign policy challenges facing our nation today, offering a lot of chest thumping and empty rhetoric with no concrete plans to enhance our security or strengthen our alliances ... Instead of passing the buck, it is time that Governor Romney shared his foreign policy agenda with the American people.”

Romney should know: waffling on Afghanistan, engaging in sloganeering on Iraq, stating that a president doesn't need any foreign policy experience, and describing George Bush as “wise” does not exactly give the American electorate confidence that you’re ready to be Commander in Chief.

DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement tonight on the results of the Republican primary in Louisiana:

“The topsy-turvy nature of the race for the Republican nomination continued tonight, with Mitt Romney's say anything candidacy continuing to prevent him from being able to close the deal. Of course, after a week during which Romney's strategy to try and 'Etch A Sketch' away his extreme positions was revealed by his top advisor, it shouldn't be any surprise that conservative Republicans are as skeptical of Mitt Romney as critical general election independent voters are.

“Republican voters – just like independents – have no enthusiasm for a candidate who lacks the core convictions to lead. From attacking the President on high gas prices--when Romney increased a tax on gas by 400 percent as Governor of Massachusetts, to calling for the repeal of ObamaCare--when it was modeled after the very health reform law he fought for and passed in Massachusetts, Mitt Romney has given voters whiplash with his say anything approach to his candidacy.

“Try as he might to shake away his record, Mitt Romney has a very serious problem on his hands. Voters aren’t interested in playing games, and should Romney try to hit the reset button once again as a general election nominee, there’s no question they would hold him accountable for it.”

This morning, Romney's top adviser, Eric Fehrnstrom, confirmed what we've known to be true all along: Mitt Romney has no core and no real political beliefs—he'll say whatever it takes to get elected.

Here's Fehrnstrom's verbatim quote: "Well, I think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign. Everything changes. It’s almost like an Etch A Sketch. You can kind of shake it up and restart all over again."

Romney has a lot of shaking to do on his Etch A Sketch—because statements like "Let Detroit go bankrupt" and vows to "get rid of" Planned Parenthood tend to leave a lasting mark.

On the campaign trail, Mitt Romney rails against China's trade policies and its record on human rights, and he promises that as president, he would take a hard line against the Chinese government.

But his actions—and his investments—tell a very different story.

The New York Times is reporting that Romney has financial holdings in a company that claims to be the largest supplier to China's monitoring system—which lets the government keep tabs on university campuses, hospitals, mosques, and movie theaters.

In other words, Romney is financially invested in the Chinese government keeping tabs on its own citizens—and the implications are serious:

"Human rights advocates say in China [the surveillance cameras] are also used to intimidate and monitor political and religious dissidents. 'There are video cameras all over our monastery, and their only purpose is to make us feel feer,' says Loksag, a Tibetan Buddhist monk in Gansu Providence. He said the cameras helped the authorities identify and detain nearly 200 monks who participated in a protest at his monastery in 2008."

Romney has made "confronting China" part of his case for the presidency, and he has criticized China for denying its people—in his words—"basic political freedoms and human rights."

But through his investments, he's enabling China to do just that.

Romney's clearly got one set of rules for the campaign trail, and another set of rules for himself. That's not what the American people are looking for in a leader.

Mitt Romney far outspent his competition in Alabama and Mississippi, as detailed in this handy chart on Buzzfeed. No matter who wins the primaries tonight, Romney and his allies will once again have spent millions to carpet-bomb his opponents, significantly outspending them. 

Throughout the primary season, Romney’s strategy has been to far outspend Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich on the airwaves, mostly with negative ads. This time, Romney and his allies outspent Santorum 3-to-1 in Mississippi and 5-to-1 in Alabama.

Flooding the airwaves with negative advertising is nothing new for Romney. Overall, he and his allies outspent:

• The entire Republican field nearly 2-to-1 on Super Tuesday.
• Santorum 4-to-1 in Ohio.
• Santorum nearly 2-to-1 in Michigan.
• Santorum nearly 14-to-1 in Arizona.
• Gingrich nearly 4-to-1 in Florida.
• Santorum nearly 8-to-1 in Iowa.

So if Romney takes home the delegates tonight, it’s because he paid for them. If he doesn’t win, he will only become more exposed for the enthusiasm gap that his candidacy has caused within the Republican Party. Conservatives and independents aren’t excited about the presumed nominee because he will say and do anything to get elected—including carpet-bombing the airwaves with negative ads—and they know he can’t be trusted.

Stay tuned for the results…

Super Tuesday didn’t give Mitt Romney the momentum he had hoped, but it did give him an onslaught of commentary about his weak performance in the death march to secure the Republican nomination. While Republican voters continue to be unenthusiastic about a weak Republican field, Romney has still failed to build a strong enough coalition of support to close the deal—despite the millions he's spent and the more than half a decade he's been trying. If his slim win in Ohio wasn't bad enough, Romney also under-performed in Virginia where his only competition was Ron Paul, came in third in North Dakota after winning there in 2008, and lost among independents and young voters in key contests across the country.

It’s clear that even after pandering to the far-right wing of the Republican Party on everything from immigration to contraception, refusing to condemn the slanderous rhetoric of Rush Limbaugh, and trying to buy the election with millions in negative ads, Romney is barely limping ahead of a weak, flawed field. Voters in his own party are learning what independent voters already know: Romney has no core values, will say anything to get elected, and can't be trusted to lead.

But don’t take it from us—there are more than enough people talking about it. Check out some of these stories.

• "The unbearable weakness of Mitt Romney"
• "Mitt Romney's worst night yet"
• "With no knock-out punch, a bruising battle plods on"
• "GOP race takes toll on GOP front-runner Romney"

On the campaign trail, Mitt Romney is crusading against Washington earmark spending. We've heard him criticize his opponents over and over again for too many earmarks and too many government spending.

But Romney's Washington connections and his ability to get taxpayer dollars used to be a central part of his pitch. In fact, he's on tape saying, "I am a big believer in getting money where the money is. The money is in Washington."

Romney biggest earmark success was getting the American taxpayer to foot a huge chunk of the bill for the 2002 Olympic games; earmarks included $8.9 million for improved forests and campsites and $320 million for light railway. Romney boasted that it was a "huge increase over anything ever done before"—and they achieved it by "going after every agency of government."

In other words, Romney is against earmarks—except for (the many times) when he's not.

NASCAR team–owning friends.

"A couple" of Cadillacs.

A sincere belief that "corporations are people."

Romney's memorably put his foot in his mouth many times over the course of his campaign, but the reality is these aren't gaffes. They're moments that show who Romney truly is: a candidate who simply cannot relate to the lives of ordinary Americans.

Watch our newest web video and pass it along.

Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement tonight on the results of the GOP primaries in Michigan and Arizona:

"While he may have managed to win the Michigan and Arizona Republican primaries, tonight’s victories have come at a great cost for Mitt Romney—he has moved far to the right in an obvious effort to pick up support from extreme Tea Party voters.  In Michigan, that meant doubling down on his incredibly out-of-touch position that we should have ‘let Detroit go bankrupt.’  In Arizona, it was confirming that he’d be the most extreme nominee in recent history on immigration.  And he did all that while he and his super PAC allies launched a vicious negative attack campaign against Rick Santorum – outspending Santorum and his allies nearly 2-to-1 in Michigan and 12-to-1 in Arizona. 
 
“Mitt Romney’s run to the right may have allowed him to stumble forward in the slog for the Republican nomination, but make no mistake, it has hurt him in irreparable ways.  It’s no surprise that Romney is quickly becoming the most unpopular potential general election nominee in history.  His ceaseless efforts to pander to voters aren’t winning him any prizes among independents, and his policies will do absolutely nothing to help America’s families get ahead.  Voters know that Mitt Romney proves every day that he is wrong for our country and wrong for our future."

 

Actual Mitt Romney quote to NASCAR fans wearing plastic ponchos at the Daytona 500: "I like those fancy raincoats you bought. Really sprung for the big bucks."

After a rough week in which he was defeated in three primaries in critical swing states, Mitt Romney must've been looking forward to a relaxing weekend.

Instead, he was socked with headlines like these:

• CPAC "severely" conflicted over Mitt Romney
• Romney backers in Congress second-guessing campaign
• 10 years after Salt Lake City Olympics, questions about Romney's contributions
• Focus on conservative credentials puts Mitt Romney in least favorable spotlight
• Mitt Romney praised Obama for ObamaCare similarities to Romneycare in 2010
• Romney can't outrun past
• Palin "not convinced" Romney a conservative
• Romney runs as an outsider but makes room for lobbyists
• Mitt Romney's problem with conservatives: He's not selling what they want
• Mitt Romney's presidential campaign stuck in lukewarm

Ouch.