Don Surber:
DAN Rather emerged from a forced retirement from CBS to talk on CNN about the 2012 presidential campaign.
“It’s already one of the nastiest campaigns in my lifetime,” Rather said.
“Each of these campaigns is in a mode to be meaner than a mama wasp. My own personal opinion is that the public wants to hear more substance than it does the vitriolic – you know, he said-he said that – accusations. But it’s not the kind of campaign we have.”
Rather is best known for his clumsy attempt to besmirch President Bush 43’s military record by presenting a forged letter, ostensibly from one of Bush’s commanding officers, a month before the 2004 election.
That cost Rather his job. So let us test his theory that both campaigns are being equally nasty.
I don’t see it that way.
Mitt Romney has offered a five-point plan to rid the nation of four years of high unemployment.
The president countered by demanding 10 years of tax returns from Romney after Harry Reid said someone told him that he thought Romney had not paid taxes.
Romney pointed out that President Obama was wrong to tell small business owners “you didn’t build that.”
The president’s people countered and accuse Romney of causing a woman to die of cancer. Her husband said Romney has no empathy toward cancer victims.
Mrs. Romney is a cancer survivor.
Romney attacked the president’s energy policy, which has so far included illegally pulling mine permits, blocking an oil pipeline, and billions in federal loan guarantees to cronies, including a billionaire who was a top fund-raiser for Obama in 2008.
“You can’t drive a car with a windmill on it,” Romney said.
The president reacted by saying, “I don’t know if he’s actually tried that. I know he’s had other things on his car.”
That was in reference to a story about Romney driving with a dog travel carrier atop his station wagon.