Mitt Romney has a big problem ahead, as he is faced with headlines that feature words like bankruptcy and layoffs. The Bain business model, as Paul Krugman noted, enriched Romney and his cronies at Bain at the expense of ordinary workers at the companies they bought.

Reuters paints this picture vividly, as they tell the story of a Kansas City steel mill that Bain purchased, looted, and led into bankruptcy. Even more devastating is the reaction of at least one conservative former Armco worker, who is featured in a new anti-Romney ad put together by Moveon.org. “They [Bain] walked out of here with millions. They left us with nothing.”

Way to reach out to the conservative base, Mitt.

Poor sad little Rich. Today he echoes the conservative lament that the GOP just “doesn’t have our A Team on the field.” “A” apparently stands for Anonymous, because he has trouble even imagining who that might be.

Paul Krugman links to Kim Lane Scheppele about the current state of politics in Hungary. Scheppele notes that after winning the last election the Fidesz party is radically re-writing the constitution in very anti-democratic ways, attempting to make Fidesz policy and political power permanent. Some measures look familiar and should be a warning sign to Americans.

Politifact just told a whopper. It declared as a “lie” the fact that Paul Ryan’s proposal to transform Medicare from a government guaranteed benefit program to a voucher for private insurance that doesn’t guarantee benefits would not end Medicare. Politifact should have given the “lie of the year” award to itself.

Oligarchy is the Problem. We need a solution.

The decision by the Greek Prime Minister to call for a national vote on the proposed European mechanism for reducing Greek sovereign debt, rescuing banks and imposing further austerity measures on Greece is shaking up national markets. Fear of a European financial breakdown and recession, which could carry over to the US, may make Obama’s reelection chances even more uncertain than it was.

An introduction to the theory of oligarchy in practice today.

The Senate will vote on a motion to proceed on a bill addressing currency manipulators, targeted mainly at China. Supporters believe the bill would save money, create millions of jobs over time, and has bipartisan support.

Tea Partiers resemble the selfish fools who swarmed the Titanic’s lifeboats, knocking women and children out of the way, more than they resemble the band of 18th century protestors who dumped some tea into Boston Harbor.

Once again, conservative apologists are blaming lone “jerks” for the terrible outburst at the last GOP presidential debate. Oh how they abhor accountability. Cynical leaders and empty-minded followers create a climate of hatred and violence and then when the unpardonable happens, the creators scurry for cover.

Shouting “Yay!” to Wolf Blitzer’s question about whether Ron Paul recommends letting the unlucky and uninsured die, the Tea Party crowd simply revealed the gaping hole in its soul.

Both of the provisions quoted will most likely be removed long before the Jobs bill gets anywhere near a vote, thanks to the captive legislators from both parties which makes the whining about it that much more irritating and ludicrous.