Tim Pawlenty Admits Giving Romney "A Bunch" of Tax Returns

Mahahahahahahahaha!!!!! This made my day!!!

Found Via Scott Wooledge

Tim Pawlenty, ex-governor of Minnesota, who was also courted by the Romney campaign to be Veep before they chose Paul Ryan, had a deer-in-the-headlights moment on ABC's This Week when George Stephanopoulos asked how many tax returns Pawlenty provided to the Romney camp while being vetted for Vice President. After a long, long pause, he said:

Via ABC News

PAWLENTY: There were several years, I believe. Well, we don’t get into the details of the vetting process, but I gave them a bunch of tax returns. I don’t remember the exact number of years.

Ha! So we can assume that Paul Ryan also had to turn over tax returns, which begs the question why it's fair game for Veep Vetting but not for Presidential selection? When will Romney release his tax returns to the American people? This isn't going away.

Romney to Announce VP on Saturday (Spoilers!)

From MSNBC: BREAKING NEWS: Mitt Romney to announce vice presidential pick Saturday at 8:45 a.m. ET

The buzz on Twitter all day Friday has been that it's Paul Ryan because Romney's campaign plane was seen in Janesville, Wisconsin today, and that's Ryan's hometown.
The whole scoop: Here on Snark Amendment

And at one minute after midnight, it now seems official:

!!! RT @scottfeinberg: BREAKIN: Fox News is reporting that Mitt Romney has chosen Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) as his running mate!
— Andrew Kaczynski (@BuzzFeedAndrew) August 11, 2012

NBC News: Sources indicate Rep. Paul Ryan is the VP choice.
— msnbc (@msnbc) August 11, 2012

Clues to the Romney Veepstakes

The Romney Bus Tour starts soon, and GOP convention speakers have also been announced. So what does it all mean? Which lucky Republican will get the call to stand behind the most confused and conflicted presidential candidate in the history of America?  Whoever you are, be prepared to eat doughnut-thingies and talk to real people - Mitt needs you because he can't do it!

MSNBC First Read

The Romney campaign today officially announced its swing-state bus tour beginning Saturday. It will start in Virginia; then head to North Carolina Sunday, the day the Olympics conclude; Florida Monday, Aug. 13; and end in Ohio Tuesday, Aug. 14.

Potential vice-presidential picks will be making appearances.
NBC's Alex Moe reports that Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-VA) will join Romney on the first leg of the tour in Virginia.

NBC's Andrew Rafferty reports that Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), a veep front runner, will join Romney in Ohio.

. . . It's possible a Romney vice-presidential pick is made on the bus tour, but it's also possible that it is designed to create buzz and excitement around the campaign and a VP selection is announced after it.

Washington Post: Convention Speakers Narrow List

. . . at least four people once thought to be under consideration for the No. 2 spot will speak at this month’s Republican National Convention — all but ruling them out of contention for the vice presidential slot.

The Republican National Committee announced that former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez are among those expected to address the Aug. 27-30 convention in Tampa.
That still leaves a number of presumed contenders — including former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, Sen. Rob Portman (Ohio), House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (Wis.), Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — in the mix.

Whether he has made any decisions about a running mate — or the timing of a rollout — is unclear. His wife, Ann, remains in London to watch her dressage horse compete in the Olympics. The horse, Rafalca, will participate in the Grand Prix Special round on Tuesday morning (5:45 a.m. Eastern time) — her final opportunity to help the U.S. team win a medal. It’s also her chance to qualify for the final individual medal round on Thursday. Republicans widely assume that Romney will wait until his wife returns home to announce his vice presidential choice, making next week seem like a logical time.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Find Out Romney VP by SmartPhone

This makes sense for a candidate nicknamed "Romneybot" for his mechanical delivery and lack of common ground with most human beings. Maybe his handlers think some of the "smart" will rub off on them, too. ;) This beats any other marketing ploy I've ever seen. I wonder how much Romney has invested in Smartphone?

And what could go wrong? Ummmmmmmmm . . . remember the previous times the Romney camp dabbled in technology, when they spelled "America" as "Amercia," "Sneak Peek" as "Sneak Peak," and the best . . . "Official" as "Offical." LOL
Reminder: Here on Snark Amendment

Via PC Mag

"Users of the app will be the first to get the news on the biggest presidential decision of the year through an instantaneous alert on the one device most people carry around the clock – their phone" . . .
As soon as the final decision is announced, app users will receive a push notification on their device, and can then share what a Romney press release called "the exciting news" among friends and family.
"The historic announcement is getting closer," Beth Myers, Romney campaign senior advisor, said in a statement. "With this new app, users can be the first to know the second member of America's Comeback Team."
Users will also have the opportunity to earn exclusive campaign gear.
The app's website builds up the suspense, saying "There's no telling when Mitt will choose his VP," but Myers said the decision will be announced "soon."

But as the Guardian UK points out, it all depends upon when Rafalca the Dancing Horse finishes at the Olympics

Apparently it all depends on how the Romney dressage horse Rafalca gets on at the London Olympics:

Romney is heading back to the United States from Europe on Tuesday and is expected to announce his vice presidential pick in the next few weeks. He’s likely to wait for his wife Ann to return from London, where she’s watching her horse Rafalca compete in the Olympics. Rafalca will compete August 2 and 3, a Romney spokesperson told ABC News on Monday.
The horse could also compete August 8 and 9, depending on how well he performs this week, and Ann would likely stay for that as well. Romney probably won’t announce his VP pick without his wife by his side.
There's a first: presidential campaign delayed by dancing horse.

Romney Camp Floats Condileeza Rice Trial Balloon for VP

Matt Drudge is reporting that Condi Rice is "at the top of the list" in Romney's Veepstakes. I think this is total malarkey. Remember just the other day how Romney's media advisers said they were using Drudge to manage their campaign? They can't brag about that one week, then come out with a Drudge-based newsflash and expect us to believe it.

Late Thursday evening, Mitt Romney's presidential campaign launched a new fundraising drive, 'Meet The VP' -- just as Romney himself has narrowed the field of candidates to a handful, sources reveal.
And a surprise name is now near the top of the list: Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice!
The timing of the announcement is now set for 'coming weeks'.
It was Condi who received two standing ovations at Romney's Utah retreat a few weeks ago and everyone left with her name on their lips.
Rice made an extended argument for American leadership in the world.

I'm telling you right now, Condileeza Rice is NOT going to be the Veep choice for Romney. No way. What seems to be a trial balloon sent aloft to test public opinion is really they just a desperate attempt to avert the media gaze from Romney's connection to Bain between 1999 and 2002.

Number one, Condi Rice is radioactive from the Bush Administration. The first thing the press will do is bring up the day Katrina flooded New Orleans, when Condi was seen buying expensive shoes in New York and going to a Broadway Show. Oh, and the Iraq War. End of story.

Number two, I was under the impression that she voted for Obama in the last election. As I recall she stayed as far away as possible from John McCain and Sarah Palin. Although Palin today said Rice would be "wonderful" in the role. Still, who believes that Palin is actually in the know? I don't think so.

Number three, just because Rice made a rockin' speech at Romney's Mitt-Fest in Utah a few weeks ago doesn't mean she would ever be accepted by the Tea Party as Vice President. If they hate Obama, why let another African American get close to the White House? The very people who like to read Drudge and Breitbart would be having a hissy fit and wondering why Romney couldn't choose a nice white woman instead.

Nothing to see here . . . let's move along . . .