Bane for Dummies

Have you heard, this new movie, the Batman movie -- what is it, the Dark Knight Lights Up or something? Whatever the name of it is. That's right, Dark Knight Rises, Lights Up, same thing. Do you know the name of the villain in this movie? Bane. The villain in the Dark Knight Rises is named Bane. B-A-N-E. What is the name of the venture capital firm that Romney ran, and around which there's now this make-believe controversy? Bain. The movie has been in the works for a long time, the release date's been known, summer 2012 for a long time. Do you think that it is accidental, that the name of the really vicious, fire-breathing, four-eyed, whatever-it-is villain in this movie is named Bane?" - Rush Limbaugh

Bain & Company does precede Bane, the comic book supervillain. Bain & Company dates from 1973 while Bane was first drawn (above) for Batman: Vengeance of Bane in January of 1993, and figured in the Knightfall arc. Romney (left) ran for office in 1994, losing to Ted Kennedy, who slammed him on Bain, but never thought to compare Romney to Bane.

Bane appeared in Batman & Robin (1995) and several animated films, while Romney did not run again until 2002. Bane was written into The Dark Knight Rises between 2008 and 2010, well after Romney had lost the Republican nomination to John McCain, and well before he became the presumptive nominee for 2012.

It is great timing, though, that Bain is breaking the Romney campaign just as Bane takes on the Batman.