Here’s some surprisingly good and aggressive messaging from the DNC Chair.
Democrats have signaled they intend to wage an aggressive campaign to discredit Romney on the economy. Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said the GOP primary was pointing the way.
“We applaud success, but his record, which he’s hung his candidacy on, of being a corporate raider, and of essentially coming into communities, devastating the local economy, shutting down plants, deliberately bankrupting companies and shipping jobs overseas is not one that voters are embracing,” the Florida congresswoman said. “I think probably the whole thing is more resonant [in a general election] than in a primary. I have to tell you, I was a little bit surprised that the Bain record is resonating in the primary, too.”
Romney impotently bleats that this is an attack on “free enterprise” and “capitalism.” We’ll see how many people agree with him. It’s telling that Romney always defends his actions at Bain Capital by referencing some of his more successful venture capitalist investments, like Domino’s, Sports Authority, and Staples. Almost no one is going to criticize him for making smart investments in good ideas that turned into large corporate chains that employ a lot of people. But Bain Capital changed their model in 1989 and focused less on venture capitalism and more on private equity and leveraged buyouts. Ms. Wasserman-Schultz described their activities uncharitably, but not inaccurately.
Personally, I would like a European-style health care system, but I’ve got nothing against capitalism. I have a problem with people like Mitt Romney who specialize in accelerating the decline of the middle class in this country and then picking over the bones of our lost jobs and depressed communities. He can’t defend his behavior because it can’t be defended, so, you know, STAPLES!!