Key Highlights of the Opposition Research File on Mitt Romney

For a while I heard reports of a 200 page opposition research file that had been put together by the McCain campaign in 2008.  Well Andrew Kaczynski of Buzzfeed appears to have found it and posted it.  A lot of its contents are well known as Romney's problems are not exactly well hidden.  Anyway, below are some of the key items that I gleaned from the report that you might or might not have been aware of.  It really is amazing how wishy washy this guy is and how he really is a Massachusetts tax and spend liberal.  For much of the section on all the taxes/fees he increased I kept having The Beatles "Taxman" running through my head.  Who increases fees on the blind?  And on volunteer firemen?  Just amazing that he would do all that while also increasing spending 24% in just 3 years.  Then there is the question of the donation to Planned Parenthood.  I don't know anyone who is "personally" pro-Life who would ever entertain giving money to that pro-abortion group that was started by a racist eugenicist.  When you get down to the nitty gritty of what is at Romney's core, you just don't like what you see.

Anyway, here are the highlights.  If you have time, go to the report as well (embedded at the bottom of the page) as there is lots of supporting information for each of these items.

• Romney’s Wife Ann Made Contribution To Planned Parenthood In 1994, Check Written “From The Romney’s Joint Checking Account.” (Page 18)
• Section 3 Of The Health Care Reform Bill Romney Signed In To Law Requires That One Member Of MassHealth Payment Policy Board Must Be Appointed By Planned Parenthood Of Massachusetts. (Page 20)
• In December 2005, Romney “Abruptly Ordered His Administration To Reverse Course … And Require Catholic Hospitals To Provide Emergency Contraception To Rape Victims.” (Page 21)
• Romney “Refused To Comment” On Bill Pending In South Carolina Legislature Requiring That Abortion Doctors Offer Women Option Of Viewing Ultrasound. (Page 22)
• Romney, In 2002: “We Do Have Tough Gun Laws In Massachusetts. I Support Them. I Won’t Chip Away At Them. I Believe They Help Protect Us And Provide For Our Safety.” (Page 31)
• Romney Raised Gun Licensing Fee By 400 Percent. (Page 31)
• In 1994, Romney Wanted Companies To Report Numbers Of Women And Minorities Hired In Order To“Break Through” The Glass Ceiling. (Page 37)
• Under Romney, State Spending Increased By More Than 24% (Over $5 Billion) In Only Three Years – An Annual Increase Of 8%. (Page 46)
• State And Local Tax Burden Increased By Over 7% While Romney Was Governor. (Page 46)
• In 2005, Romney Backed Away From His Plan To Implement An “Internet Tourism Tax” [a tax for using companies such as Expedia and Travelocity] After Being“Spooked By Even The Suggestion He Might Raise Taxes.” (Page 49)
• Romney Proposed The New Tax On Downloaded Software. (Page 49)
• Romney Signed “Hidden Tax On The Dead” Into Law, Raising State Fee For Cremation Services By 50%. (Page 51)
• Romney Proposed A New Fee On Volunteer Firefighters, Charging Them $100 Fee For Flashing Vehicle Lights. (Page 56)
• State Doubled Certification Fees For Emergency Medical Personnel And Ambulances. (Page 56)
• Increased Fees 337% For Recording Mortgages (Page 57)
• Increased Fees 178% To Record Deeds (Page 57)
• Increased Fees 650% To Record Trusts (Page 57)
• Romney Charged Fee For Being Blind (Page 57)
• Romney Also Proposed Imposing A Fee On The Mentally Retarded. (Page 57)
• Romney “Stunned” Massachusetts Congressmen In 2003 “Telling Them That He Would Not Publicly Support Bush’s Tax Cuts.” (Page 59)
• Romney Left Massachusetts With $1.3 Billion Deficit After His Term In Office. (Page 61)
• Massachusetts Labor Force Contracted By 1.7% Between 2003 And 2005 – Only State In Nation With Three Straight Years of Decline – While National Labor Force Expanded By 3.1%. (Page 62)
• Romney Proposed Installing 10 Percent Tax On Private Donations To Political Campaigns. “Romney’s 10% Tax On Free Speech Would Have Applied Even To Money That Candidates Paid Out OfTheir Own Pockets Into Their Own Campaigns.” (Page 90)
• In 2003, Romney Said “I Think The Global Warming Debate Is Now Pretty Much Over” (Page 110)
• 2003: Romney “Acknowledged That Carbon Dioxide Emissions Are Harming The Environment And Agreed To Help Design A Regional Emissions Cap” With Surrounding States. (Page 111)
• Romney Pulled Massachusetts Out Of The Pact On December 14 – The Same Day He Announced He Would Not Seek Reelection As Governor. (Page 111)
• At Press Conference Announcing New State Policy To Combat Global Warming, Romney Stated He Wasn’t Sure If Global Warming Was Happening. (Page 112)
• One Of Romney’s Top Campaign Promises: “Reworking The Vehicle Excise Tax” To “Encourage The Purchase Of Fuel-Efficient Cars.” (Page 113)
• Romney Teamed With Ted Kennedy – Whose Family Compound Has View Of Proposed Wind Farm Site –To Oppose Cape Wind Project. (Page 116)
• Head Of Massachusetts Charter School Association Says He Was Unable To Get A Single Meeting With Romney In Four Years. (Page 119)
• Romney Came Out Against School Vouchers In 2002 After Favoring Them In 1994. (Page 119)
• Romney Sat On Board Of Damon Clinical Laboratories, A Bain Capital Portfolio Company Fined Nearly$120 Million In 1996 Due To Medicare Fraud. (Page 140)
• Romney “Warmly Praised” Bill Clinton During ‘94 Senate Race.(Page 170)
• Romney Left The State GOP Weaker Than When He Took Over As Governor. (Page 180)
• Romney Donated To U.S. Rep. Dick Swett (D-NH). (Page 180)
• Romney Donated To U.S. Rep. John LaFalce (D-NY) And U.S. Senate Candidate Doug Anderson (D-UT). (Page 180)
• Boston Globe reported That During 1998 Panel On Urban Issues, Romney Claimed “Hillary Clinton Is Very Much Right, It Does Take A Village.” (Page 180)
• Romney Considered ‘94 Senate Run As An Independent Before Dismissing It – Not Because He Wanted To Be A Republican, But Because It Was Impractical. (Page 181)
• Romney Voted For Paul Tsongas In The 1992 Democratic Presidential Primary. At The Time, Romney Claimed He Voted For Tsongas Because He Was From Massachusetts AndPreferred His Ideas To Those Of Bill Clinton. (Page 181)
• Romney Opposed The Contract With America Without Even Reading It. (Page 181)
• 1994 Senate Debate: Romney “Praised Kennedy Almost As Much As He Criticized Him.” (Page 182)

Here is the whole thing:

McCain 2008 Oppo File