Why Romney Needs to Talk about Bailouts

The most interesting thing about the video of Mitt Romney speaking at a May fundraiser has nothing to do with “the 47 percent.” Rather, it’s his answer to a guest at the event who had a suggestion about what the GOP presidential nominee should say on the campaign trail about bailouts and crony capitalism.

The unnamed speaker pleaded with the candidate: At least bring the issue up. “It doesn’t matter whether you are in the Tea Party or Occupy Wall Street,” he said. People are upset that the government is “permeated by cronyism.”
Romney’s guest continued: “Regulatory agencies aren’t protecting the people they’re supposed to be regulating. . . . People see that the government is working for the powerful interests” and not for average people. The perception that the playing field isn’t level, he noted, “threatens the whole idea that they have this great opportunity” to become successful.
He suggested that Romney promise to clean house at the Securities and Exchange Commission, which has remained reluctant to come down hard on Wall Street malfeasance.
Romney’s answer was to display complete disinterest in an issue that has engaged more potential voters than any other over the past two years.
Romney began with a non sequitur: “I wish they weren’t unionized, so we could go a lot deeper than you’re actually allowed to go,” apparently referring to SEC employees. But public-sector unions have little to do with the tone at the top of government.

Read more: http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/327862/why-romney-needs-talk-about-bailouts-nicole-gelinas