Have Republicans Lost Touch With the American People?

Mitt Romney's recent envy statements were addressed by the mainstream news as seen in this YouTube video. The real question is whether Mr. Romney truly believes Americans are so small minded they can be driven by jealousy and class warfare.

A month ago Rick Perry challenged Mitt Romney's moderate healthcare position saying Romney favored government mandated purchase and ownership of healthcare policies. With a knee-jerk reaction, Romney quickly challenged Perry with a $10,000 bet that his statement was not true. The YouTube video is below.

Impassioned & Intense: 'Tis the Season for American Political Debates. Just like leap year, we've weathered another four year election span. Here we are again gaping at the news curious as to which politician will be suffering with "foot-in-mouth" disease by election time. Which politician will slip up and make a fatal assertion that enrages and moves the masses to vengeful voting?

Mainstream news manages to keep interested Americans on the edge of their seats year round, but during election season it's especially emotional. Getting upset is one thing, getting angry is another, but sometimes certain statements can make 'yer blood boil.

The class warfare issue according to Romney's views and statements, is nothing more than emotion generated against the successful by the less fortunate, and it's all been created by the opposing political party and orchestrated by President Barack Obama. Additionally, Mr. Romney believes these discussions regarding billionaires and millionaires and the way they pay their taxes should occur in quiet, secretive [?] rooms. Is this another potential policy change we might anticipate with a Romney presidency? Many Americans believe sunlight is an element needed to keep government open and honest.

Two generations of Romneys have enjoyed family dynasty success in American business and politics. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney was born to a wealthy, politically active Republican family. His father George W. Romney was a strong supporter of the American Civil Rights Movement and ran against Nixon and lost in the 1968 Republican Primary. George at one time was Governor of Michigan and served under President Richard M. Nixon as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Strong supporters and members of the Mormon Church, George and Mitt were missionaries and their family is honored by the Church and Brigham Young University.

Bain Capital, the company Mitt founded with three other partners, owns hundreds of companies including AMC Entertainment, Burger King, Clear Channel, Dominoes Pizza, The Weather Channel, Staples, HCA (Hospital Corporation of America), Sealy, Toys "R" Us, Dunkin' Donuts, DoubleClick and many more.

Mitt Romney's wealth has been estimated at around $200 million, of which his tax rate is suspected as being around 15%–– well below the rates of many taxed Americans who struggle to make ends meet each month. Of the Romney's personal properties, latest plans are to bulldoze the $12 million California home, and replace it with a larger, two story home to accommodate their 5 married sons and 16 grandchildren.

Why mention back room secret discussions? What's the big secret? With the $10,000 bet, my personal thoughts were aroused regarding the thousands of Americans, particularly elderly, who struggle to pay outrageous but necessary prescription expenses. Visions of homeless families living in tent cities who'd lost jobs and foreclosed homes came to mind. I had to wonder whether Mitt Romney had ever spent even one working day beside any member of America's middle class or among the working poor. Outside of his church experience, does he know what it's like to be born to poverty with little way out of the trap? Many good, American people struggle to work and live honest lives and can only dream of affording college for a single child––much less toss $10K around on a bet.

To make comparisons, I searched to find out more about Mitt Romney, presidential and congressional salaries, and to find exactly how many members of Congress are millionaires. Should Americans be jealous of successful people, or of the elected public servants who live so comfortably on the public payroll? Jealous? Maybe not, but how much sacrifice should be required of Americans to provide the very best for their "high class" political leaders? And if corporations and millionaires are allowed to participate so heavily in legislation and the election and candidate selection processes then shouldn't they also pay their fair share in taxes?

Somehow it doesn't seem right that the working American taxpayer is always left "holding the bag"–– required to fund services, salaries, healthcare, government, law enforcement, schools, war, and litigation with little voice in the matter while millionaires and corporations send their lobbyists to influence legislative decisions. All the while these folks get the tax breaks as bonuses added to their success stories. This isn't about jealousy. There's a weasel in this whole process somewhere, and everyone who isn't "in the money" can smell it.

George W. Bush called for tort reform mentioning more than once the words "gravy train" with regards to lawsuits initiated to protect the public from fraud, malpractice and corporate failures and compensate the victims of it. Did George Bush believe the American People were jealous of those wealthy ones who were controlling all the gravy? Is the business of making life easier for the wealthy and more difficult for the poor and victimized a Republican trait?

There's no doubt Romney and most of Congress could probably afford the same country clubs and social affairs. Sifting through the google search results, a news article from 2010 yielded the enlightening answers to salary questions and more. The base salary for the 535 members of Congress is $174,000, and nearly half of them (261) are millionaires. With the fantastic salaries, there are plenty of perks including retirement, healthcare and travel benefits and lobbyist provided entertainment. The president's salary is $400,000 per year, and the benefits surely exceed the salary. And according to Jack Abramoff, these people are exempt from the laws of insider trading. Could it be true?

Of course these people earn and deserve these salaries, but has our country become a nation of king-making elitists, whose system is designed to increasingly funnel riches, power and success to a growing minority of dynasties and wealthy folks at the very top? That's what it feels like.

The most recent news about Mitt Romney is that he plans to withhold his tax information until later this spring. His grip on the presidential nomination appears to be a stronghold and he's resisting the release of these "truths." The weeks ahead will tell the complete story. There's no doubt that Mitt Romney is a good person with a beautiful family. And with all of his achievements, he's an admirable, hard working person. He was blessed from the beginning having been born to a fortunate family. His beautiful wife has an uphill battle ahead with her health issues and there's no question the generous American People who have sacrificed children to war, assisted troubled countries, funded government, and bailed out corporations throughout the years will be wishing for the Romneys and their family the very, very best.