Keywords or Terms: Mark
Twain; “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you
know for sure that just ain’t so”; Bain Capital; 2012 General Elections;
Governor Romney; Obama’s Campaign Team; Honesty; Truthfulness; Office of the
Presidency; Brokerage Firm, CEO; President; Board Member.
"Ultimately Mr. Romney, I think, is going to have to answer those
questions, uh, because if he aspires to being president one of the things you
learn is, you are ultimately responsible for the conduct of your operations,
but again that's probably a question that he's going to have to answer and I
think that's a legitimate part of the campaign" – The President of the
United States of America, Barack Obama
Mark Twain once said: “It ain’t what you don’t know that
gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so” Though
Mitt Romney probably physically left Bain Capital in 1999 as reported or as he
wants voters to swallow; however, his name, executive privileges and tag
completely remained with the brokerage firm. Filing records with the Security
Exchange Commission indicated that Governor Romney was the CEO, President and
Board member of Bain Capital up to 2002. Now, Mitt Romney may be claiming to be
out of Bain Capital physically, but spiritually and in completeness, he was
still at the brokerage firm till 2002; as he still attended Board meeting(s)
and had inputs in the running of the firm, even if some of his inputs were
after the fact. Mitt Romney got compensated yearly with One hundred thousand
dollars, and probably more, for his association and services to Bain Capital,
after 1999. Turning around to deny the association seems to be the case alluded
to by Mark Twain: “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble.
It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”
Republican supporters of Mitt Romney for the 2012 general
election may be advancing some plausible reasons why his name appeared as
the CEO, President and Board member on SEC filings three years after his
physical exit from Bain Capital; however, critics of his ambition for the White
House, were putting holes and dents in his assertions of dissociation from Bain
Capital in his hastily arranged television interviews yesterday. Mitt Romney
responses to the television interviews showed he had a lot to hide as he
continued to distance himself from the brokerage firm he once started. What
many viewers saw from his responses, at least from three of the interviews
on the networks, is that, Governor Romney attempted to sweep under the carpet known
facts on record, that he might be physically away from Bain Capital in 1999,
but he was still part and parcel of the executive team of the firm till 2002.
This is where the confusion is coming from and everyone is saying: “Governor
Romney, it ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you
know for sure that just ain’t so.”
Obtrusively, it isn’t the fact that Governor Romney
continued to receive compensation from the brokerage firm after he said he
physically left the reign of the organization in 1999 that continues to be
unconvincing; it is the fact that he attempted to turn the table around against
the Obama Campaign team by asking for an apology, that makes
him look more deceptive. For starters: Why did he not address truly
and completely the concerns of many over this thorny issue? Why was he defensive in his response
to this same issue while running for the Massachusetts US Senate Seat about
a decade ago? Why did SEC filing from Bain Capital for 2000, 2001 and 2002,
retained his name in official capacity, in three executive positions, when he
insists he was physically dissociated from the day to day investment decisions of the firm?
There are just more questions than answers for Governor Romney regarding the
political canon ball. Why did he not address this thorny issue completely,
during the Republican Primary? Why does it seem he was running away from being
explicit in his response to the news media? His close to five interviews with
the television networks and cable television services hardly provided the
needed traction to convince independent observers of his innocence or
truthfulness. As far as many Americans know: Mitt Romney was Bain Capital and
Bain Capital is Mitt Romney, no matter how he attempts to re-write the facts or
dissociate himself from the brokerage firm. Thus, Governor Romney: “It ain’t
what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure
that just ain’t so.”
In business operations, as Romney’s Harvard’s MBA/JD
curriculum appropriately defines, the functions and responsibilities of a
firm’s CEO, President and or Board Member is explicitly defined, documented and
notarized for public business records. Part of the reasons for this has to do
with executive salary, compensation, privileges and as they say: where the
bucks stops! Reclaiming or disclaiming any of those functions and
responsibilities; or dissociation relatively to each executive positions, impacts
one’s classification, status and cadre within the organization. To remain as
the CEO, President or Board member of a firm is always appropriately defined
not only for business purposes and reasons, but also, for issues of
accountability and obligation to the organization relative to each position.
The expectations, responsibility and compensation for any individual for all,
or any of the positions that Governor Romney is said to have been with Bain
Capital between 1999 – 2002, is hardly an omission or oversight, for it took
three good years to take his name off the books as someone not in that capacity
with Bain Capital.
Except Governor Romney wants us to impinge his corporation’s
reputation during those times or years he was said to be on record as President, Chief
Executive Officer and Board member in filings with the Security and Exchange
Commission. Based on what Bain Capital filed with the Security
and Exchange Commission, Governor Romney occupied those three executive positions
and had responsibilities and functions attached to those positions as
represented before the Commission. For all these facts, Governor Mitt Romney’s
summation before the press rendezvous this outgoing week is suspect, as Bain Capital
reported in its 2000 to 2001 SEC filings that he was part and parcel of the Corporation
as CEO, President and Board Member. For all practical purpose and as far as the
SEC is concerned, Governor Romney remains the CEO and
President of Bain Capital from 1999 – 2002. Thus, Mr. CEO and President of Bain
Capital from 1999 – 2002, you are part of the brokerage firm, even when you
want us to believe otherwise. Interestingly, we notice, you were compensated
with a six figure salary in addition to your stock options and profits from the
firm. These are the reasons why we are reiterating: “It ain’t what you don’t
know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t
so.”
We believe that as an astute and diligent Harvard JD/MBA, Governor
Romney subscribes to the fact that it is illegal or close to felonious, if as a
Board member of a corporation, he allowed his name to be substituted for another
person who served in the capacity of the President, CEO and Board member of
Bain Capital, before the Security and Exchange Commission. It is probably challenging to compensate an individual to the tune of $100, 000, if that
individual has served no purpose for the corporation; and, distanced himself
from the complete operation of the corporation as indicated by Governor Romney.
However, miracles do happen and we are all interested in seeing Governor Romney
help us through this maze. Worse more, it is hard to believe that a corporation,
portraying itself as one that works to make other corporations more efficient,
by disbanding those corporations and selling them in pieces, while off-shoring
the jobs of those who loose their positions due to the reorganization for
reason of “inefficiency” could fail itself thrice. Could that same organization have the name of someone far away from that
corporation, as the CEO, President and Board member for three consecutive years
in a row, 2000, 2001, and 2002? These are the reasons and question frustrating and
confusing the public regarding Governor Romney’s assertion of his relationship with the investment brokerage firm between 1999 to 2002; and reasons, why they continue
to repeat: “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what
you know for sure that just ain’t so.”
Honesty and forthrightness, in and out of business, are
behaviors to emulate, especially for politicians seeking the highest political
office in the land. Both gives the public the reassurance that those who occupy
the office of the Presidency are above board and would hardly do things that
are underhanded and probably crooked when they get into the office. It is even
good to know that the United States Treasury is in good hands, when we elect a
person or business man who believes in American Banks and would hardly save his
money in offshore banks; or, allow his name to be used in misrepresentation of
statement of material facts. The pressure of wanting to win election may make a
politician lie or misrepresent material facts; however, no one at this time is
alleging that for governor Mitt Romney. Without information contrary to what
the SEC has as public record filing from Bain Capital for the year 2000, 2001
and 2002, one must ignore information provided over the week by Governor Romney in the press
interviews on television, as those information were not given under oath.
However, we know that all public business records filed with the Security and
Exchange Commission are complete, signed and submitted under oath and the penalty of perjury; we therefore discountenance Mitt Romney’s attempt to re-write
material fact. Now Governor Romney are we, you and American voters, on the same
page on this; or, must we continue to insist: “It ain’t what you don’t know
that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”
Epiloge:
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