The Hill News

As an unreformed, lifelong, partisan Democrat, it has been tempting to get on the Mitt-Romney-private-equity-bashing train. But my understanding and respect for the beneficial role private equity firms play in our society has allowed me to resist the political bait. Democrats and Republicans alike would also be wise to avoid such political temptations. 

Let’s remember a bit of history here. For a generation, Democrats lost every presidential election that did not follow Nixon’s resignation. This happened principally because the middle class did not trust us to manage the economy, thinking we were anti-business and in the back pocket of labor. Thanks principally to Bill Clinton, that albatross is no longer around our necks â€" but those birds still circle. The Occupy Wall Street/Michael Moore wing of our party is salivating to have a go at Romney’s private equity past.

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