The GOP's Money Man
Jim Hightower

Like ugly on a hog, Mitt Romney just can't hide the depth of his personal wealth

Not only is Mitt Romney the GOP's rich-man candidate for president, but his last name actually spells "money."

Just drop the "R," move the "m" in front of the "o" -- and there it is! In fact, put the "R" in parentheses and you've got "(Republican) Money."

But with Mitt, we really don't have to spell it out, because he keeps stumbling over his richness. With his money connections, his Super PAC quickly became the superest of them all. Not only has he spent more than every one of his rivals combined, but some of the cash has gone into ads portraying him as just a regular guy.

But, like ugly on a hog, he just can't hide the depth of his personal wealth. Most recently came news that he's doing a little "renovation" on his California home -- a relatively modest place on the beach in La Jolla. It's one of three homes he owns, but he's decided that its 3,000 square feet of space is a bit cramped for him. So, he's having it bulldozed and replaced with a more Romneyesque $12-million, 8,600-square-foot McMansion-by-the-sea, complete with a basement larger than the existing house.

Aside from its size and cost, his re-do has a couple of features that "regular guys" couldn't even dream of having. First is a split-level, four-car garage with a special elevator to lift vehicles up and down, in and out. No word yet on whether the cars will have their own white-gloved elevator operator.

Second, the new digs come with an unusual built-in feature: a lobbyist.

Romney has paid some $21,000 so far to hire one of San Diego's premier real estate lobbyists to wheel and deal at City Hall to get the permits and any exemptions needed to build Mr. Money's seaside castle.

It's hard to connect with average Joes when you've got a house with an attached lobbyist.