Dick, Ron, The Other Dick, And Mitt May 25, 2012March 27, 2017 A MITT CONCEPTION Market Watch lays out the facts: Of all the falsehoods told about President Barack Obama, the biggest whopper is the one about his reckless spending spree. As would-be president Mitt Romney tells it: ‘I will lead us out of this debt and spending inferno.’ Almost everyone believes that Obama has presided over a massive increase in federal spending, an “inferno” of spending that threatens our jobs, our businesses and our children’s future. Even Democrats seem to think it’s true. But it didn’t happen. Although there was a big stimulus bill under Obama, federal spending is rising at the slowest pace since Dwight Eisenhower brought the Korean War to an end in the 1950s. Even hapless Herbert Hoover managed to increase spending more than Obama has. . . . The facts are not what Governor Romney wants people to know: that in the last fiscal year of President Bush’s presidency (which began October 1, 2008, nearly four months before Obama took office), federal spending rose 17.9%; whereas in the first year of Obama’s presidency, federal spending fell 1.8%. As you’ll see from the first chart, the big ramp ups in federal spending were under Reagan and Bush. There’s more. Share it all with your uncle who is “socially liberal but fiscally conservative.” Because the truth is: that makes him a Democrat. If Democrats “tax and spend,” it’s because we think that, to the extent possible, one should pay for the things one spends on. That’s responsible. Republicans ramp up spending even more, but “borrow and spend” — cutting taxes and going deeply into debt. That’s irresponsible. HE MITT LEADS And terrible puns aside (I’m giddy at the prospect of a long weekend), Governor Romney has a lot of help from Karl Rove and the superpacs. Here, Rachel Maddow dissects their latest $10 million ad buy. All lies. But who would know? As in the example above, most people just don’t know the facts. Six revealing minutes. DICK, RON, THE OTHER DICK, AND MITT Yesterday — wishfully thinking it was Friday and that you would have a long weekend to watch — I posted Rachel on the Romney-Cheney connection. Riveting. Well today — and I know this because I have double-checked and called friends to be sure — is Friday and the start of a long weekend. So you may have more time to watch. Remember those who died for our country — whose future, as we head toward November 6, is in our hands.