As Mitt Romney returns to Florida on Wednesday for two days of campaigning and money-raising, Democrats are trying to ensure Floridians keep two words in mind: Dade Behring.
It’s the name of a former medical equipment manufacturer in Miami that Romney’s venture capital firm bought and then closed in the late 1990s, walking away with $242 million in profits.
“Obviously you need to make a profit to be successful,” Cindy Hewitt, Dade Behring’s former human resources officer, said Tuesday, at a Miami news conference organized by President Barack Obama’s campaign. “My concern is when businesses are used to generate wealth for a small number of people and businesses are run to the ground and the lifeblood is sucked out of it and all of their employees lose their jobs.”
The case of Dade Behring in Miami, where some 850 jobs were lost while Romney led Bain has been well-documented. But there’s a new wrinkle: The company under Bain’s leadership sought and received millions of dollars in tax breaks for creating jobs in Puerto Rico — shortly before closing its facilities, costing nearly 300 jobs.
At the heart of Romney’s presidential campaign is an argument that his successful business record makes him best equipped to turn around the economy. Democrats are aiming to turn his strength into a vulnerability — a strategy that has worked before.
Here's the pro-Obama Priorities USA spot that's to run in Florida, even though it doesn't feature Bain Capital.
Romney is a parasite capitalist and elitist snob. Poor choice for Republicans at a time when the American Middle Class is being trashed.
An Independent
Posted by: Ewing | May 16, 2012 at 08:40 AM
Here is a great refresher on Dade Behring
#RomneyEconomics had Dade run up huge debts in order to pay out big profits to corporate investors: www.romneyeconomics.com/dade/dade-intro
Posted by: Seth Platt | May 16, 2012 at 08:45 AM
This is such a cheap shot. Obama hasn't laid people off in the private sector because he has never managed anything.
Posted by: Calling BS | May 16, 2012 at 09:36 AM
The shot is anything but CHEAP. Ask the former employees in Miami. Ask the former steel company employees. Ask the American taxpayers who Bain left to cover the pensions of those workers.
No, the shot MAY BE MANY THINGS. It is not CHEAP.
Posted by: John N Florida | May 16, 2012 at 11:24 AM
How many jobs were lost when Obama took over the auto industry and closed hundreds of car dealerships? Many of which were owned by republicans, btw.
How many billions has Obama given to campaign donors who also happen to own solar companies who have gone bankrupt?
Yep, keep on with the Bain distraction. Obama's record of 3 years is what is being avoided.
Posted by: AAO | May 16, 2012 at 11:35 AM
Many jobs were lost at those dealerships. As bad as that was, adding 3 million more from the industry and destroying any chance of it's recovery would have been far worse.
You can point to 2 solar companies that failed. It represents less than 5% of the companies DoE has invested in. Even more, any success those companies have set us further on the path of independence from oil, ours, theirs, or somebody elses.
I'm tired of our kids going to war in Middle East sand traps to preserve access to a commodity we should have been weaned off of staring in the late 70s with Carter. Blame who you want. Ultimately it was lethargy and sitting on our butts after the OPEC countries reduced prices to lull us in to complacency.
No one is more afraid that alternatives will work than OPEC. If we AREN'T a customer, can you imagine the Saudis telling the Chinese "You'll pay it or else."
Romney and Bain are /were Vulture Capitalists, the corporate incarnation of the Gordon Gecko business model. Mitt brags about Staples. How many local office shops went out of business because the big box Staples made their survival impossible? I know of 2 in my home town alone.
Posted by: John N Florida | May 16, 2012 at 11:48 AM
This is how business works... plain and simple.
Posted by: Prestoniscrazy | May 16, 2012 at 01:42 PM
"This is how business works... plain and simple."
Posted by: Prestoniscrazy
Sure it is. But, Romney shouldn't go around telling us that he was a job creator at Bain Capital, when he was a money maker.
Romney's experience and successes at Bain Capital give him no greater superiority on job creation than Obama or anyone in the Republican primary field for that matter.
How do I know this? Romney's job creation record is Massachusetts. The record that he never talks about.
How can we believe that his business background will lead to better job creation than Obama, when he had an awful job creation record when he was Gov. of a state?
Governing is not running a business, and if Romeny doesn't know this, then that is yet another reason why he should not be President.
And remember, Romney had a poor job creation record under vastly better economic conditions than Obama faced upon entering office.
IMO, this is where his whole candidacy falls apart.
Posted by: Charles | May 16, 2012 at 02:09 PM
Cheap Schmeap. You don't bring a knife to a gunfight. Do you think Karl Rove isn't going to take cheap shots at Obama? Romney has made his business experience a campaign issue. Well, let's get all of his business dealings out in the open.
It's a hollow argument in any case. Being the chief executive of a country isn't remotely like being the CEO of a company. You have a lot more responsibility and much less direct control. But if Mitt wants to run on his business record, that's fine. The last time I checked, business executives were a lot less popular than nurses, teachers, and a whole lot of other working folks.
Posted by: BobFishell | May 16, 2012 at 02:37 PM
I love it....You republicans and democrats are both bitching about the other guy. You haven't figured out BOTH parties are out to screw the "little guy." So, if you're not a "big guy" you better wise up.
Posted by: Johnny Hothead | May 16, 2012 at 08:13 PM
Okay Mrs. I'm an Obama Loving Journalist, the truth is-if you actually did your homework you would find that Bain CREATED MORE JOBS in Florida than the total of any layoffs. If you know anything about business at all-you would know that in business sometimes you have great successes, and sometimes you don't. But the OVERALL trend is what matters. And the OVERALL trend of Bain was ABSOLUTELY the VERY BEST in it's industry. Do your homework please, keep a neutral perspective, untarnished by brainwashing from the Obama campaign.
Posted by: Mr. Rob B | May 16, 2012 at 11:16 PM
The bottom line is that Repubs don't give a hoot about the middle class and their policy ideas show clearly that they don't. The Democrats have lost their spine particularly when dealing with southern blue dog members and standing up to the GOP. One need only look at the first two yrs when Obama had a majority. Both parties seem willing to let their desire for power trump doing what is right and good for your country. Americans belief in their exceptionalism blinds you from seeing how other countries with very similar economies doing more with less for their citizens. From health care outcomes to education the US, as a result of your own arrogance and ideology, is hurting itself and it's citizens. Very sad to watch a once great country get lost in political ideology.
Posted by: Brian the Canadian | May 17, 2012 at 10:49 AM
Debate all you want..the electoral map is a major problem for Romney..Karl Rove says so and he is correct..vegas who likes to win it's bets has obama @ 60 percent to win..The electoral map is a killer for Romney..The country is leaning left and probably only the 2016 election does the GOP have a chance again unless the GOP changes..african americans..gays...women..latinos do vote and until the GOP gets this idea..the DEMS are going to hold the high office for years to come..not showing 20 years of tax returns like Obama..which Romney will not do is a killer also..people will say (independents) what are you hiding and the reminders of what Perry..Newt..Santorum had to say on video (GOP-Nomination run)..going to be tough
Posted by: jj | May 19, 2012 at 12:23 PM