Poor Mitt Romney. He tries hard to be just a regular guy and is often mocked for it. Like the time he tried to relate to voters’ uncertainty of the job market,

“I know what it’s like to worry about whether you’re going to get fired. There were a couple of times I wondered if I was going to get a pink slip.”

We didn’t know weather to laugh or cringe at this statement coming from a man who makes as much from one speaking engagements than many Americans will make in a year. (Just to give you an idea of how loaded Romney is… according to him,  $374,000 a year  for speaking fees is “not very much.” In all fairness $374 thousand is small compared to a net worth of $200 million)

But unfortunately for Romney, he handles his wealth with all the grace you would expect from someone with no social skills.

He has tried to delay the release of his taxes until a time when he will have either secured or lost his party’s nomination. It’s a conversation he just doesn’t want to have.

But most embarrassing of all for the Candidate is the revelation of the tax rate millionaire Mitt pays for his meager income.  He enjoys a tax rate of 15%, which is about the same rate you would pay if you made $40-50,000 per year.

So what’s the problem here? Other than the Romney campaign’s inability to control the narrative, there is none.

In fact if Romney were to become president he wouldn’t be the wealthiest man to do so. Adjusted for inflation George Washington was worth over 500 million dollars, and John F. Kennedy was worth nearly a billion dollars.

Washington and Kennedy are outliers but millionaires are not strangers to the White House. All but three presidents of the the 20th century were millionaires, Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, and Harry Truman.

The more Romney demurs, fumbles, stone walls, and stutters through questions about his wealth the more it becomes a talking point. What do you think; does it matter how wealthy a candidate is?

Image from MSNBC!

What better way to spend your Saturday than getting ready for the announcement of South Carolina’s primary results tonight?  Check out the stories below and get excited for a primary party tonight!

Endorsements Galore!
Rick Perry drops out and endorses Newt.  VA Governor Bob McDonnell endorses Mitt.  SC Governor Nikki Haley endorses Mitt.  Jon Huntsman endorses Jon Huntsman…I mean, Mitt.  And Stephen Colbert endorses Herman Cain…or is Herman Cain endorsing Stephen Colbert?

Debate Highlights!
Haven’t had a chance to tune into all of the South Carolina debates?  Luckily, we’ve got some highlights for you.  John King versus Newt Gingirch and the marriage question.  The Sumter Item breaks down the bests and worsts.  And oh yeah, and Ron Paul – “He was there, too!”

Poll the Pols!
Public Policy Polling has Gingrich up by 9  points.  But that’s okay by Mitt – Romney says he won’t win every primary.

UMBC junior Liam Paddock and seniors Vince Savarese and Andy Streilein were named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of American 2011 University Division Men’s Scholar All-East Region team.

Paddock earned second team All-East honors, while Savarese and Streilein were tabbed as Honorable Mention. All three had been previously named to the America East Men’s Soccer All-Academic Team in the fall.

Read more on umbcretrievers.com.

EDIT: The date was fixed from Monday, January 20th to Monday, January 23rd.

Hey everyone,

Coming up this Monday, January 23th, at 8pm we will be having an open officer meeting before the start of the next semester. If you have any concerns or ideas you’d like to bring to us in person, you can meet with us then in the Retriever Learning Center, which is located in the library atrium. You can also send us ideas and concerns via email.

On Wednesday, January 25th at 7pm in Lecture Hall 2, we will be hosting our second Vets’ Choice Mission of the year. Anyone is
free to attend, but if you have participated in a past long-game, you are eligible to receive  a special vet ID. You can still vote on the
mission of your choice by clicking this link.