Has choosing the president ever been this easy?

Do we want for our president a multimillionaire who is busy investing his wealth oversees and hides the profits in offshore bank accounts in Switzerland, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands? Mitt Romney thinks that all this is OK because it is legal. It might be within the law, but is sure doesn’t pass the smell test.

Do we want a president who paid only 13.9 percent income tax in 2010 and thinks that is fair? What a difference between Mr. Romney and billionaire Warren Buffett, who is embarrassed for paying only 15 percent and wants it raised.

Recently Sen. Harry Reid claimed that Mr. Romney had not paid income taxes for several years. What was Romney’s response? Instead of going ahead and disproving the claim by showing his tax returns, his main interest was to learn the identity of the person who had leaked the embarrassing information. What a coward. Another puzzle that waits solving is: How did Mr. Romney succeed in accumulating a $100 million IRA account? Please show us the trick Mr. Romney.

Do we want a president who has no diplomatic skills? Mr. Romney had his foot in his mouth on his recent trips to London and Israel. He succeeded upsetting both the Brits and the Palestinians.

Mr. Romney’s choice for vice president, Paul Ryan, is a 14-year representative from Wisconsin. His history in the House is nothing to brag about. He was an active participant with President Bush in wasting the budget surplus left by Clinton and passing in a hurry the tax cut for the rich. Together they did their best (and failed) to privatize Social Security. He was an enthusiastic advocate for the tragic war in Iraq. During his years in office the budget surplus turned into a huge debt for two unpaid wars and unpaid Medicare Part D drug bill. In short, Paul Ryan was a witness and active participant in handing over to President Obama a huge debt together with the Great Recession in 2008.

Since 2010 Paul Ryan has made clear his intention to repeal the Affordable Care Act. His plan is to privatize Social Security, convert Medicare to vouchers and Medicaid to block grants. He prefers insurance companies over government for running the health care. He distorts the facts by accusing President Obama of cutting Medicare by $716 billion when in fact this $716 billion comes from elimination of fraud and of subsidies to the insurance companies.

Maire T. Zakrzeweski

Watertown

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