By late yesterday afternoon, the Romney campaign was in the middle of a political firestorm, stemming from secretly-recorded comments the candidate made at a fundraiser. In the video, Romney is seen expressing contempt for nearly the half the country, chastising the elderly and the working families who don't pay federal income taxes for considering themselves "victims" who fail to "take personal responsibility."
Late last night, the Republican candidate delivered a brief statement, hoping to quell the controversy (this is a slightly longer version of the clip Tricia posted earlier).
For those who can't watch clips online, the full transcript of his comments is available, but the key part of the statement is the fact that Romney simply endorsed everything seen in the clip. He conceded his recorded comments were "not elegantly stated," and were delivered "off the cuff," but nevertheless recommitted himself to the underlying sentiment.
As a reporter asked, "Governor, are all of the things you said in the video things you believe? Are those core convictions?" Romney walked off the stage.
Also note, Romney argued that this kind of rhetoric is routine, suggesting the argument is something he talks about "a good deal in rallies and speeches and so forth." That's not quite right -- I've read the transcripts of hundreds of Romney speeches and addresses, and I've never heard express divisive contempt for nearly the half the country.
It's true that the argument isn't unique -- plenty on the right talk like this all the time -- it's just not something Romney personally repeats in public. As Dave Weigel put it, "This is Tea Party rhetoric churned into something new and stupid."
Last week, given a chance to walk back his dishonest exploitation of American deaths in Libya, Romney chose to double down on the offensive smear. Last night, Romney was again given a chance to walk back his disdainful remarks about nearly half the country, and again, he doubled down. I guess he takes the whole "no apologies" thing rather literally.
The arrogance, the hyper-elitism, the tone-deaf political skills ... it's all just breathtaking.
Leave a Comment:
"If people can't get work here, they're going to self-deport to a place where they can get work," Romney said.
How prophetic Mitt! Self-deportation to the land of secret bank accounts. Where you will be with your one true love.
Money
Well, get back
I'm all right Jack
Keep your hands off of my stack
Money
It's a hit
Don't give me that do goody good bull@!$%#
I'm in the high-fidelity first class traveling set
I think I need a Lear jet
Money
It's a crime
Share it fairly
But don't take a slice of my pie
Money
So they say
Is the root of all evil today
So now we see the true colors of another privileged child of a rich and successful father. THe cynical calculation he discusses in this tape demonstrates that underneath all the rhetoric this election is simply about an attempt by a wealthy oligarchy to take over the government of this country. Do we want to live in the United States of American or in the United Corporations of America? That's the choice.
Well Mr. Romney, I'm a 53%er (for now) but you still don't get my vote. Douchebag
I am going on 45 years of paying taxes, social security and medicare. Once I collected unemployment which I payed into. My husband and I never got anything for nothing an everyone I know did the same. And as some have mentioned here when companies like Exxon, GE and others pay nothing, nothing in taxes with their billions in profits, well how dare Romney call me "a moocher" or "wanting something for nothing". My husband and I have worked out tails off and I will work 4 more years and my social security better be there since it is my money. I did not piss it away using it for debts when it should never ever have been touched. It was there for a specific reason and it has been proved if they had not touched it it would be very solvent right now. I understand paying more for Medical, the prices have so skyrocketed, but not $6,400 a year. That is $12,800 a year for both myself and my husband. Who the hell can afford that in retirement except the Romney's. I earned my living contributing, not by cutting jobs, selling off companies costing not only Americans but whole communities their life-line of self-sufficiency. Mitt is the problem not the solution. And what he says he means.
I'm beginning to think that Romney is like the throw-away bouquet at the wedding.
I'm wondering if the GOP, assuming they couldn't win, decided that they would - once and for all - get Romney out of their hair by running him.
He's such a disaster and has so much baggage that it doesn't make any sense that he is the candidate. He's a step DOWN from John McCain, not a step up. Not that they have much to offer - but, I'm starting to believe he is the throw away. One and done - they no longer have to look at his face. It's the only explanation.
We should demand to see his last 10 tax returns!!
The thrust of the Republican agenda has always been to promote and enhance the well-being of the wealthy elite aristocracy. Though this agenda of necessity must remain mostly hidden, Romney spoke quite openly and honestly to this sentiment in the leaked Boca Raton video. Anyone who is not of the wealthy oligarchs is beneath his contempt, more of them who will vote Republican than Democrats oddly enough. He should run on that since it has been the only truth he has ever spoken. This country club fop is the real Willard Romney, an arrogant sack of money with flapping lips.
Mr. Romney and the Republican party with their rich backers think the American base is stupid. What they want is to drive America into being a 3rd world nation where the rich only get richer and they do so by over taxing those who work hardest and paying them lower and lower wages. At the same time deprive the less fortunate of fundamental life essentials such as health care and FOOD! On top they want to dum down those who would need to and do fight and struggle to pay for quality education by telling them that education is overrated not needed. On top they are building a wedge between people by trying to use religion and morals to control people who don't meet their right wing standards.
We can only hope that Romney continues the downward spiral to self-destruction and that President Obama wipes him up on the debates. This Independent voter believes in the President and his vision no matter how hard the Republicans try to undermine him.
By the way... I pay my taxes... this Independent will only vote for Obama!! And my family is better off than 4 years ago when the economy took a nose dive and we continued to have the Republican dictatorship in the presidency.
Romney Romney u will never become PRESIDENT u are not it
If according to Mitt, all those who do not pay income tax are members of of the "47% victim club " then by his categorization he and others like him who dodged paying income taxes are automatically members of the club . Since he believed that there is no way he can convince all members of the club to vote for him rather they would vote for President Obama therefore Mit Rom . should also vote for Obama as a member of "club 47% victim ". Until he can show his income tax to the American People for the past 10 years then he shouldn't have the guts to label anybody as a victim .
Mitt remember that by referring to 47% of the people who are unable to pay their income tax as victims , you are also referring to yourself as well , until when you are able to show your 10 years tax returns as a proof of haven payed such . Till then welcome to the club of 47% VICTIMS. (ii) By your conviction ,you said there is no way you can convince members of the club to vote for you they would rather vote for President Obama therefore on November 6th as a strong member of the club and in fact being one of their super president/founder you have no choice but to vote as a "good" and patriotic citizen for president Obama because you won't be able to convince yourself to vote for yourself but for Obama . Please try to be a "goodand responsible " citizen if only on that day to discharge your civic responsibility as stated by you Thanks
good
Stephen Colbert elegantly states Romney position on the 47%
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/419186/september-18-2012/mitt-romney-s-secret-video
I am so sick of Ryans and Romney ideas of how to fix the economy is to use policies that we know don't work and put the burden on the poor and middle class after we just bailed them out. I came across this great article. I do beleive we are down to a simple question do we want to discontinue Bushs tax cuts for the rich or do we want to slash all relief and raise taxes for the poor and middle class as Ryan and Romney suggest. I don't think the people realize exactly what the arguement is and that it is about only 4% different in tax. Tax that was there with Clinton.
"This is essentially a People's contest. On the side of the Union, it is a struggle for maintaining in the world, that form, and substance of government, whose leading object is, to elevate the condition of men -- to lift artificial weights from all shoulders -- to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all -- to afford all, an unfettered start, and a fair chance, in the race of life."
Abraham Lincoln first address to Congress
Thursday, September 20, 2012 11:29 pm
Romney tax plan would be a disaster Calvin Warner Daily O'Collegian | 0 comments
President Barack Obama’s administration wants to end the Bush tax cuts for the top two percent of Americans in terms of income, but extend the cuts for the other 98 percent.
Obama’s argument is that government does not need to give handouts to the wealthy from the pockets of the rest of us.
The Republican response is that if anything, the tax rate on the wealthy should be lower, because they are the job creators and their money trickles down to everybody else.
This would be a convincing argument if there were any evidence for it.
However, the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy have been in effect for more than 10 years now, and we are in the deepest recession since the Great Depression. Giving tax cuts to wealthy people is not fixing the economy.
It is clear the tax cuts for the super rich are not creating jobs, but even more damning for “trickle down” economics is the fact the economy was much healthier under Bill Clinton’s administration than it is now — even though the top tax rate then was 39.6 percent, as opposed to the 35 percent we see today.
The country actually did better when the wealthy had a higher tax rate. Of course, both tax rates are meager compared to the top rates of European nations, where tax are rates as high as 50 percent for top earners.
Despite the fact there is no reason to believe lowering taxes for the wealthiest Americans helps everyone else and that our top tax brackets are not very high compared to our fellow industrialized nations, what is the Republican solution?
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s tax plan heavily favors the wealthy, according to the Tax Policy Center’s recent study. His plan would lower the top rate to a historically low 28 percent.
Lowering the top tax bracket in a time when the government has no money raises some obvious questions. How would President Romney make up for this huge loss of government revenue?
He has not said.
Our nation is in tremendous debt, and Romney wants to steal from government revenues to subsidize the lifestyles of the rich and famous.
This isn’t a direction the rest of us need endorse. Anonymous millionaires primarily fund Romney’s campaign, and corporations that are now able to stay in the shadows and buy elections thanks to the Citizens United ruling.
Romney has very little substantive policy positions other than “lower taxes for the rich.” This is neither a sustainable nor sensible solution to our nation’s economic ills.
It is a healthy middle class, not an aloof, superwealthy elite, that moves a nation forward.
Despite paying some of the lowest top tax rates of industrialized nations in the world, when it is suggested that perhaps the money being used to give tax breaks to the rich could go to a better cause like paying down the deficit or helping people that actually need the money, Republican pundits throw around words like “socialism” and “class warfare.”
These are nothing but hollow lies; they only call it class warfare when the rest of us fight back.
Calvin Warner is a philosophy and Spanish junior
Almost 2/1 private sector JOBS were created under Democratic Administrations then Republican 42-21.
In all income levels except the top 1%, PERSONAL income growth rates under Democratic presidents well exceeded income growth rates under Republican ones.
The US gross debt has skyrocketed under EVERY Republican administration from the beginning of Nixon’s 2nd term onward