Palin to Romney: Time to Prove You Created All Those Jobs

COMMENTARY | Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has some good advice for Mitt Romney. She said, on the Sean Hannity Show, according to Politico, that it was time to provide proof of the net 100 thousand jobs he claims to have created.

Romney has been under attack by his rivals for the Republican nomination for president for his business practices when he was CEO of Bain Capital. His opponents such as Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry have claimed that he was a "vulture capitalist," buying ailing companies, picking them clean, and then liquidating them, thus costing the employees their jobs.

Romney has responded, accurately, that he actually created a great number of jobs by turning around ailing companies and by buying small companies and growing them into big companies. Those companies that did not survive would have died anyway. Bain was able to usher the companies into bankruptcy in an orderly fashion.

Palin is asking Romney to provide documentation. She is giving sensible advice that the candidate would do well to follow.

The spectacle of conservative Republicans accusing a fellow Republican of being an evil capitalist has been off-putting. However it is nothing compared to what Barack Obama has in store for Romney should he win the nomination. Obama will try to turn Romney into Gordon Gekko on steroids, a soulless monster who rakes in money at the cost of destroyed lives and ruined dreams.

Palin's advice, if followed, would serve to short-circuit that strategy. If Romney has the documentation that he did as he said he did, Obama's attacks will not have as much potency. Romney would therefore spend less time defending his time at Bain Capital and more time using that experience to illustrate how he would do as president.

However, if Romney does not follow Palin's advice or, having perused the documentation, it turns out that less than 100 thousand jobs were created, the candidate is in trouble. Here too one sees the genius of Palin. It is better for Romney to get into trouble now than after he wins the nomination and he is going toe to toe with Obama. Romney should think on that fact as well.

Source: Sarah Palin: Mitt Romney needs Bain show & tell, MJ Lee, Politico, Jan 12, 2012