"The Daily Show" returned from a two week hiatus Monday night, and could not have come back at a time more ripe for comedy. Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is currently under scrutiny for both his undisclosed tax returns and for his involvement with Bain Capital, the financial services company where he was CEO.
While the allegations -- namely, that Romney has been less-than honest about his finances and how long he was actually with Bain -- are heating up campaign tensions, Jon Stewart couldn't help but notice that the company's name bears a striking sonic resemblance to the name of a Batman villain.
"Bain. Not since Ayds diet candy suffered through their somewhat ill-timed 1980s 'Lose weight with Ayds!' sales campaign has a brand faced this type of challenge," he joked.
But in more serious analysis, Stewart took issue with Romney's evasive defense strategies. In reply to the Obama campaign's attack ad on Bain outsourcing, Romney claimed to be on a leave of absence during the time in question. The problem? He was still on the payroll for at least $100,000 a year.
Stewart quipped:
I was just the guy with the the smoke screenish, yet still legal title of CEO and Managing Director who was paid at least $100,000 a year to do what, according to me, Mitt Romney, was nothing. That’s the kind of common sense business experience I hope to bring to the White House.
Later in the episode, Stewart took Romney's reluctance to share his tax returns to task, stating:
Nobody cares that Mitt Romney is rich. It’s Romney’s inability to understand the institutional advantage that he gains from the government’s tax code largesse that’s a little offensive to people. Especially considering Romney’s view on anyone else who looks to the government for things like, I don’t know, food and medicine.
Check out part one above and part two below.
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