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TODAY ♪
♪ SPREAD A LITTLE LOVE MY WAY ♪
♪ SPREAD A LITTLE SOMETHING TO REMEMBER ♪
♪ ♪
♪ SPREAD A LITTLE JOY... ♪
[ Female Announcer ] FRESH MILK AND REAL CREAM.
THAT'S WHAT MAKES PHILADELPHIA.
♪ SO SPREAD A LITTLE... ♪
[ Female Announcer ] AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES THE MOMENT WE ENJOY IT,
A LITTLE RICHER.
♪ ♪
REAL BELGIAN CHOCOLATE
WHIPPED WITH PHILADELPHIA CREAM CHEESE.
NEW INDULGENCE.
THE MOMENT JUST GOT A LITTLE SWEETER.
♪ ♪
[ Male Announcer ] IT STARTED LONG AGO.
THE JOY OF GIVING SOMETHING EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT.
IT TAKES PASSION.
AND IT'S NOT LETTING UP ANYTIME SOON.
AT UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company,
WE UNDERSTAND THAT COMMITMENT.
AND ALWAYS HAVE.
SO DOES AARP,
AN ORGANIZATION SERVING THE NEEDS
OF AMERICANS 50 AND OVER FOR GENERATIONS.
SO IT'S NO SURPRISE MILLIONS HAVE CHOSEN
AN AARP Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan,
INSURED BY UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company.
LIKE ALL STANDARDIZED MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT PLANS,
THEY HELP COVER SOME OF THE EXPENSES
MEDICARE DOESN'T PAY.
AND SAVE YOU UP TO THOUSANDS IN OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS.
TO FIND OUT MORE,
REQUEST YOUR FREE DECISION GUIDE.
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AFTER ALL, WHEN YOU'RE GOING THE DISTANCE,
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KEEP DREAMING. KEEP DOING. GO LONG.
THIS IS RUDY.
HIS MORNING STARTS WITH ARTHRITIS PAIN. AND TWO PILLS.
AFTERNOON'S OVERHAUL STARTS WITH MORE PAIN. MORE PILLS.
TRIPLE CHECKING HYDRAULICS. THE EVENING BRINGS MORE PAIN.
SO, BACK TO MORE PILLS. ALMOST DONE, WHEN...
HANG ON. STAN'S DOCTOR RECOMMENDED Aleve.
IT CAN KEEP PAIN AWAY ALL DAY WITH FEWER PILLS THAN TYLENOL.
THIS IS RUDY. WHO SWITCHED TO Aleve.
AND TWO PILLS FOR A DAY FREE OF PAIN.
♪ ♪
[ Female Announcer ] AND TRY Aleve
FOR RELIEF FROM TOUGH HEADACHES.
>>> LATE TODAY PRESIDENT OBAMA
GAVE A HARD-HITTING INTERVIEW ON
MITT ROMNEY'S SHADOW YEARS AT
BAIN CAPITAL.
THE PRESIDENT CALLED HIM OUT FOR
TAKING NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR
BAIN LAYOFFS DURING THE YEARS
WHEN HE WAS STILL LISTED AS THE
COMPANY'S CEO AND PRESIDENT.
>> HARRY TRUMAN SAID THE BUCK
STOPS WITH YOU.
NOW, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT
MR. ROMNEY ATTESTED TO THE
S.E.C. MULTIPLE TIMES THAT HE
WAS THE CHAIRMAN, CEO, AND
PRESIDENT OF BAIN CAPITAL.
AND I THINK MOST AMERICANS
FIGURE IF YOU'RE THE CHAIRMAN,
CEO, AND PRESIDENT OF A COMPANY
THAT YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR
WHAT THAT COMPANY DOES.
ULTIMATELY HE'S GOING TO HAVE TO
ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS.
IF HE ASPIRES TO BE PRESIDENT,
ONE OF THE THINGS YOU LEARN,
YOU'RE ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE CONDUCT OF YOUR
OPERATION.
>> WE'LL HAVE MITT ROMNEY'S
RESPONSE NEXT.
HEY EDDIE.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS.
YES I DO.
I WANT YOU TO KEEP THIS.
IT'D BE WEIRD.
YOU TOO.
[ sighs ]
SO HOW DID IT GO?
HE'S UPSET.
[ Male Announcer ] SPEND LESS TIME AT GAS STATIONS.
WITH BEST IN CLASS FUEL ECONOMY.
IT'S OUR MOST INNOVATIVE ALTIMA EVER.
♪ ♪
Brave knights!
As you can clearly see from this attractive graph
that our sales have increased by...
Sorry, my liege.
Honestly.
Our sales have increased by 20%.
What is this mystical device I see before me?
It's an Ultrabook. He signed the purchase order.
With an Ultrabook, everything else seems old fashioned.
Introducing the ultra sleek,
ultra responsive Ultrabook.
A whole new class of computers powered by Intel.
YOU SPRAYED THEM.
HUH?
[ Male Announcer ] SHOULD'VE USED ROUNDUP.
IT KILLS WEEDS TO THE ROOT, SO THEY DON'T COME BACK.
ROUNDUP.
NO ROOT. NO WEED. NO PROBLEM.
>>> MITT ROMNEY HAS BROKEN HIS
SILENCE ABOUT THE CONTROVERSY
OVER HIS TIME AT BAIN CAPITAL.
HOW COULD HE HAVE LEFT BAIN AND
AT THE SAME TIME STILL BE THE
BOSS AT BAIN?
FACING A FIRE STORM, THE
CAMPAIGN HASTILY ARRANGED
INTERVIEWS WITH FIVE MEDIA
OUTLETS LATE TODAY.
HERE'S WHAT HE TOLD NBC'S PETER
ALEXANDER JUST MINUTES AGO.
>> YOU SAID THAT YOU RETIRED
FROM BAIN CAPITAL IN FEBRUARY OF
1999 BUT THERE ARE S.E.C.
FILINGS THAT LIST YOU AS THE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE, PRESIDENT, AND
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF BAIN IN
2000 AND 2001.
SO IF YOU WERE OFFICIALLY THE
BOSS IN THOSE YEARS, WHY ARE YOU
STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR BAIN
CAPITAL'S ACTIVITIES INCLUDING
THE OUTSOURCING OF JOBS AT THAT
TIME?
>> IN FEBRUARY OF 1999 I LEFT
BAIN CAPITAL AND LEFT ALL
MANAGEMENT AND AUTHORITY AND
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FIRM.
I HAD NO ONGOING ACTIVITY OR
INVOLVEMENT IN THE AFFAIRS OF
BAIN CAPITAL BECAUSE I WENT OUT
TO RUN THE OLYMPICS.
IF FEBRUARY OF '99 I BECAME THE
FULL-TIME CHIEF EXECUTIVE
OFFICER OF THE OLYMPIC
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE.
AFTER THAT I HAD NO WORK
WHATSOEVER WITH THE BAIN CAPITAL
PEOPLE.
NO RESPONSIBLE OR ACTIVITY WITH
THE MANAGEMENT AT BAIN CAPITAL.
AND THAT'S BEEN DOCUMENTED EVERY
INDEPENDENT FACT CHECKER THAT'S
LOOKED AT IT SAYS YOU'RE
ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
AND THE PRESIDENT'S CAMPAIGN HAS
BEEN, I THINK, OUTRAGEOUS IN
MAKING THE KIND OF CHARGES THEY
HAVE.
I THINK THE KINDS OF ATTACKS ARE
BENEATH THE DIGNITY OF THE
PRESIDENCY.
I THINK THE PRESIDENT NEEDS TO
REIN IN HIS CAMPAIGN AND TALK
ABOUT THE REAL ISSUES PEOPLE
CARE ABOUT.
>> I WANT TO CLARIFY THIS THEN.
AFTER FEBRUARY OF 1999, YOU
NEVER ATTENDED A SINGLE MEETING
FOR BAIN.
A BUSINESS MEETING EVEN BY PHONE
ATTENDED A MEETING REGARDING
BAIN OR BAIN-CONTROLLED
ENTITIES.
>> YOU ASKED QUITE A FEW
QUESTIONS THERE.
I DIDN'T INVOLVE MYSELF IN ANY
WAY WITH BAIN CAPITAL'S
ENTERPRISES AFTER FEBRUARY OF
1999.
>> NO PARTICIPATING IN A SINGLE
MEETING?
>> I DON'T RECALL A SINGLE
MEETING OR PARTICIPATION IN A
DECISION.
I LEFT THE FIRM.
I WAS FULL-TIME RUNNING THE
OLYMPICS IN 2002.
AND IN THE YEARS LEADING UP TO
IT.
>> WE ASK BECAUSE THE SALT BRAKE
TRIBUNE IN 2001 THAT YOU SAID I
NOW DECIDED I'M OFFICIALLY
SEPARATED FROM BAIN CAPITAL.
BUT YOU INSIST THERE WAS NOTHING
AT THAT TIME.
>> I HAD NO MANAGEMENT
RESPONSIBILITY OR ACTIVITY
WITHIN BAIN CAPITAL.
NOW, AS AN OWNER I COULD HAVE
COME BACK.
YOU HAVE THE OWNERSHIP
POTENTIAL.
I COULD HAVE GONE BACK AND TAKEN
OVER, BUT I DIDN'T.
I LEFT AND WENT ON TO RUN THE
OLYMPIC GAMES.
THAT'S WHERE I SPENT ALL 34I
TIME.
THE MANAGEMENT OF THE FIRM WAS
TAKEN OVER BY THE 18 OR SO
PARTNERS THAT WERE THERE.
>> JOINING ME NOW IS CYNTHIA
TUCKER PULITZER PRIZE WINNING
SYNDICATED COLUMNIST.
AND BACK WITH US DAVID
BERNSTEIN, POLITICAL REPORTER
FOR "THE BOSTON PHOENIX" WHO
FIRST BROKE THIS BAIN STORY.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING ME.
>> THANK YOU.
>> DAVID, MR. ROMNEY SAYS HE
LEFT BAIN CAPITAL IN 1999.
THAT'S THAT.
END OF STORY HE SAYS.
WHAT'S YOUR ANALYSIS?
>> WELL, HE NOW SEEMS TO BE
SAYING YES, I DID STAY ON
TECHNICALLY AS THE OWNER AND
TECHNICALLY AS THE CEO AND
PRESIDENT AND MANAGING DIRECTOR.
BUT I DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO
WITH ANYTHING.
HE SEEMS TO BE CHOOSING WORDS
CAREFULLY ABOUT WHAT HE HAD
NOTHING TO DO WITH.
HE SAYS HE DOESN'T RECALL HAVING
ANY MEETINGS, MEETINGS BY PHONE.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO
HAVE TO JUDGE THIS FOR
THEMSELVES.
IT SEEMS HE'S ADMITTING THE FACT
SHE WAS TECHNICALLY THE GUY WHO
WAS IN CHARGE OF THE COMPANY FOR
THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
AND WE KNOW HE WASN'T DIRECTLY
INVOLVED DAY TO DAY.
THERE'S NO DISPUTING THAT.
THE QUESTION IS WHETHER HE HAD
RESPONSIBILITY, WHETHER HE HAD
ANY ACTIVITY BACK AND FORTH.
AND RIGHT NOW WHAT WE HAVE IS
HIS WORD FOR IT.
YOU KNOW, AS YOU'VE DISCUSSED
MANY TIMES, SOMETIMES HIS WORD
IS NOT 100% RELIABLE.
SO PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO
LOOK FURTHER INTO IT.
THERE'S GOING TO BE QUESTIONS
ABOUT SPECIFIC THINGS THAT WENT
ON WHERE HE'S GOING TO HAVE TO
ANSWER SPECIFICALLY ABOUT DID HE
KNOW ABOUT THIS.
COULD YOU HAVE STOPPED THIS IF
YOU WANTED TO.
>> ISN'T THAT REALLY THE POINT?
DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THE
OUTSOURCING?
DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THE JOB
LAYOFFS?
AND COULD YOU HAVE DONE
SOMETHING ABOUT IT AND LOOKED
INTO IT?
ALL THE OTHER STUFF IS REALLY
IMMATERIAL.
LET ME ASK YOU SOMETHING,
CYNTHIA.
HE SAID IN THIS INTERVIEW THAT
WE JUST SAW ON NBC THAT HE HAD
NOTHING TO DO WITH PERSONNEL OR
ANYTHING.
YET ROMNEY SAID HE LEFT BAIN
'99.
BUT BACK IN THAT TIME, SALT LAKE
HERALD TRIBUNE REPORTED IN '99,
QUOTE.
I'M READING FROM THEIR STORY IN
'99.
ROMNEY SAID HE WILL STAY ON AS A
PART-TIMER WITH BAIN.
PROVIDING INPUT ON INVESTMENT
AND KEY PERSONNEL DECISIONS.
BUT HE WILL LEAVE RUNNING
DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS TO BAIN'S
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
SO THIS REPORT IN '99 DIRECTLY
CONFLICTS WHAT HE JUST SAID.
>> WELL, THAT'S NOT THE ONLY
TIME THAT THERE WAS A CONFLICT.
WHEN HE RAN FOR GOVERNOR OF
MASSACHUSETTS TO ESTABLISH
RESIDENCY, HE ALSO SAID THAT HE
CAME BACK FOR BUSINESS MEETINGS.
WHAT OTHER BUSINESS DID HE HAVE?
HE REMAINED THE OWNER OF BAIN
COMPANY.
YOU MEAN TO TELL ME AS THE SOLE
OWNER, HE LEFT ALL THE MAJOR
DECISIONS TO SOMEBODY ELSE?
I HAVE A HARD TIME BELIEVING
THAT.
>> WELL, DAVID, YOU'VE BEEN
COVERING WILLARD MITT ROMNEY FOR
A LONG TIME.
IF HE CAME BACK TO MASSACHUSETTS
FOR A BUSINESS MEETING, WHAT
OTHER BUSINESS COULD HE HAVE
HAD?
HE OWNED BAIN CAPITAL.
ONE OF THE OWNERS.
HE SAID HE CAME BACK.
THAT HELPED HIM TO ACCOMPLISH
RESIDENCY TO RUN.
WAS HE LYING THEN OR IS HE LYING
NOW?
>> WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS IS
HE'S GOT SO MUCH BUSINESS GOING
ON IN SO MANY DIFFERENT ENTITIES
JUST WITHIN BAIN AS WELL AS ANY
OTHER INVESTMENTS HE MAGT HAVE
HAD PERSONALLY, IT'S HARD TO
SAY.
PLUS HE DID COME BACK TO MEET
WITH DAVID DELL SANDRO TO SAY TO
HIM AS HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE
PAST TO SAY TO HIM I NEED YOU TO
RE-UP YOUR OLYMPIC SPONSORSHIP.
IF I LOSE THESE SPONSORS, MY
POLITICAL CAREER IS GOING TO BE
DEAD.
>> WOULD THAT QUALIFY RESIDENCY
THOUGH?
>> I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT.
HE SAID AT THAT TIME HE DID COME
BACK FOR STAPLES MEETINGS AND
OTHERS LIKE THAT.
WE JUST DON'T KNOW.
HE WON'T OUTLINE THOSE.
>> WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LEAVE
IT THERE.
WE'RE OUT OF TIME.
BUT CLEARLY HE'S GOT A LOT OF
EXPLAINING TO EXPLAIN.
CYNTHIA TUCKER, DAVID BERNSTEIN,
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
BOTH OF YOU HAVE A GREAT
WEEKEND.
THANK YOU FOR WATCHING.
I'M AL SHARPTON.
"HARDBALL" STARTS RIGHT NOW.