Mitt Romney launched a major counteroffensive against the Obama campaign’s persistent attacks on his record at the private equity firm Bain Capital today. Not only did he unveil www.SterlingBusinessCareer.com to tout his private-sector achievements, but tonight’s schedule at the Republican National Convention is loaded up with Bain-related events. Read More
At Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s press conference this morning for the groundbreaking of the Sugar Hill Affordable Housing Development The Politicker asked him for his take on the controversy over Mitt Romney’s tenure at Bain Capital and his refusal to release more than two years of his tax returns. Initially, Mayor Bloomberg, who, like Mr. Romney, came to politics from the business world, said he wanted to stay out of the controversy.
“You have a right to raise any questions and I’ll leave national politics to national politics,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “You know, everybody’s got to deal with their own things. Government is different than the private sector. It’s hard to explain some things. What is in his tax returns? I don’t know. But ask him, not me. If you want to put it out you do, if you don’t, you don’t and you deal with what the public has to make a decision.”
Mayor Bloomberg went on to add that he isn’t pleased with the negative personal attacks that are increasingly defining this presidential campaign. Read More
Back in 2002 when he was running for Governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney and his aides had no problem admitting he retained his position as CEO of Bain Capital after 1999. Press articles from the time describe how Mr. Romney was on a “leave of absence” after 1999 and had not fully cut ties with the private equity firm.
Now that he’s running for president, Team Romney has repeatedly said he left the company after 1999, a claim that was called into question by yesterday’s Boston Globe report revealing Mr. Romney signed documents identifying him as chief executive and chairman of Bain Capital as late as 2002. Mr. Romney being on a ”leave of absence” would explain the discrepancy and it doesn’t mean he played any role in managing the company, however, according to at least one former Bain Capital executive, during a prior leave of absence, Mr. Romney still remained in a very active role with the company. Read More
