Why is Mitt Romney being tarred and feathered by his political opponents for his business values? Is Bain Capital founder Mitt Romney really a "vulture capitalist" as expressed by Rick Perry? And is Mitt Romney really so different from any other beltway politician that would make people believe that he is more out of touch with "real" people than the rest of the "beltway boys"?

Bottom line is this. The Republican presidential nominee train is leaving the station. And unless there is a new "great while hope", Mitt Romney is the engineer of this train and those who seek to derail him, and those who wish the train to wait for them, need to act quickly. This train ain't waiting for anyone. But let's look at Bain. Is Bain "bad" as in the colloquial sense or is it bad in the evil sense? Is this the train that you want to board?

According to Mitt Romney, Bain Capital, which he helped to found, created over 100,000 new jobs. Romney's campaign organization listed a number of companies that  he helped to start or grow while at Bain Capital: Staples (a gain of 89,000 jobs), The Sports Authority (15,000 jobs), Domino’s (7,900 jobs), and Bright Horizons Children's Centers (15,000 jobs), Other companies that Bain either acquired or invested in are: Gymboree, Houghton Mifflin, Burger King, Brookstone, and Burlington Coat Factory.

Romney ran for the U.S. Senate in 1994. In a political ad run during that campaign, the narrator said: “Mitt Romney has spent his life building more than 20 businesses and helping to create more than 10,000 jobs. So when it comes to creating jobs, he's not just talk. He's done it.” That number has now increased by ten times! Please keep in mind that the number of jobs created or saved (listed in the previous paragraph) are based on current employment statistics. Romney left Bain in early 1999 to run the Salt Lake City Olympics. So how much was Romney's involvement in all those jobs? I don't know and Romney isn't saying.

When Romney and Bain Capital set out to attract investments in these companies from the uber rich, it was with the focus of a great return on investments and not on job creation. Many companies were acquired through leveraged buyout where a significant percentage of the purchase price is financed through leverage (borrowing). The assets of the acquired company are used as collateral for the borrowed capital. This kind of financing enhanced the bottom line of investors and is what helped Mitt Romney become an even richer man. Some companies thrived, while others were forced to downsize, and layoff workers when the now debt laden company could not pay back its borrowers and was threatened with bankruptcy. According to the Wall Street Journal of 77 companies Bain invested in during Romney's tenure there, 22 percent either filed for bankruptcy or closed their doors by the end of the eighth year after Bain's investment.

There is no doubt that Romney was a  successful venture capitalist. But at what cost? Those like Newt Gingrich believe when these buyouts occur, the companies are squeezed for short term profits. The investors back the loans with the companies' assets, then typically sell off divisions and slim payrolls, and resell the companies to the public at a higher share price -- pocketing the gains. This has been the Wall Street way for decades-not just for Bain Capital.

"At their best, investment companies such as Bain facilitate economic growth, providing crucial seed money and expertise that allow fledgling or troubled companies to flourish. At their worst, however, they are vehicles for reaping huge rewards by loading companies with debt, skimming off fast returns, and leaving the companies and their employees vulnerable to bankruptcy." (taken from USA TODAY)

Let me leave you with this comforting thought. Bain Capital owns Clear Channel Communications, home to broadcasters like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Glenn Beck. Now doesn't that leave you all with a good, warm, fuzzy feeling?