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Subscribe to RSSThe LA Times: “Mitt Romney's presidential bid, already pushing back against suggestions that he was losing ground to President Obama, confronted more difficulty Monday when a secretly taped video showed him describing nearly half the nation's population as ‘dependent on government’ and unwilling to take responsibility for their lives. … At a hastily called news conference Monday night in Costa Mesa, where he was holding a fundraiser, Romney said that he had chosen his words poorly but he did not back away from their substance.”
The AP story: “Republican Mitt Romney is trying to head off a new distraction for his campaign after a video surfaced showing him telling wealthy donors that 47 percent of all Americans ‘believe they are victims’ entitled to help from the government that permeates their lives.”
The Boston Globe adds that the “clips play into some of the images people may already have of Romney as an out-of-touch politician. The video is reminiscent of Obama’s comment in 2008 that people ‘cling to guns or religion,’ and it is a reminder that few moments in a politician’s life are private.”
There are some differences, though, between Romney’s 47% “victims” comment and Obama’s “bitter” cling to guns or religion. One is timing -- Obama’s guns and religion comment came in April of 2008, not seven weeks before Election Day. Two is substance – while Obama was condescending, he still wanted to win over these voters and engage with them.
American Prospect: “Obama made his remarks before the primaries were over, before the public was familiar with him, and before the general election kicked into gear. What’s more, his eventual opponent—John McCain—saw no reason to capitalize on the remarks. After a brief flare, things calmed down and Obama escaped unscathed.”
It also notes there’s a difference between Romney and Obama’s comments because Obama wanted to win those voters over and engage with them, not dismiss them: “Was this inartful and condescending? Absolutely. Even still, it came from a place of compassion—Obama understands why white rural voters are arrayed against him, and sympathizes with their plight. Indeed, he said this as part of a pitch for why his supporters should attempt to engage with these voters, even if they won’t vote for him.”
As the Boston Globe’s Johnson writes: “Simply put, the Republican presidential nominee wrote off almost half the people he wants to lead as president of the United States.”
And: “Romney classified this 47 percent as those Americans who pay no federal income tax, though fact-checkers quickly noted that in roughly half of those cases, the people are senior citizens on fixed incomes, and the remainder in the group include students and members of the US military.”
Plus, there’s more nuance to these voters than Romney’s dissection. In 2008, Obama actually won those making more than $200,000 a year, and McCain and Bush won those making $50,000-$75,000, according to exit polls.
National Journal’s Tankersley: “On pure philosophy alone, Mitt Romney’s Mother Jones moment offers two revealing glimpses into why he’s trailing President Obama even in a listless economy. Both revolve around how swing voters view economic policy. … The danger of growing dependence on government - and the economic healing power of low taxes – are both themes that play very well with Republicans, presumably including the donors at the event on the tape. … The problem for Romney is, independent voters – the middle ‘5 to 10 percent’ of the electorate he talks about winning over in the fundraiser video – don’t share those views. The Pew poll found about three in five independents endorse the idea of government guaranteeing citizens food and a bed. Roughly the same number agree that government “should take care of people who can’t take care of themselves.”
Politico: “The ranks of those who don’t pay income tax has swelled because of unemployment and underemployment during the recession and the sputtering recovery. More than 13 million Americans are jobless. Also driving an increase: tax policies pushed by Republicans. The Earned Income Tax Credit, greatly expanded by Ronald Reagan in the mid-1980s, is designed to give money back to low-income workers to increase their incentive to work. And a 2004 Tax Foundation study found the Bush-era tax cuts erased the income tax for 7.8 million families by lowering rates and doubling the child tax credit. Not all of those avoiding income tax are poor, however. Even 4,000 people earning more than $1 million managed to not pay income taxes in 2011 because of deductions, according to the Tax Policy Center.”
National Journal: Mitt Romney isn’t losing because of gaffes and internal friction. But he eventually could be. Stories about campaign meltdowns are common for political operations with eroding poll numbers. But they are more a symptom of a struggling campaign than a cause of the struggles. The real danger for Romney is that the squabbles and missteps are now center stage and conveying the impression of a campaign that is flailing as it tries to oust an incumbent president.”
The New York Post: “Romney: Forget the O-ther half.”
The New York Daily News: “Romney DEFENDS telling secret meeting of fat cats 47% of Americans are freeloaders.”
“Republicans, who heard criticism about actor-director Clint Eastwood’s lecture to an empty chair at their recent convention, produced an ‘Apprentice’-style Donald Trump video that they never showed to delegates,” AP writes. “Appearing on NBC’s ‘Today’ show Tuesday, Trump confirms the video take-off on his TV show was produced at the party’s request and was to air on the first night of the convention last month in Tampa, Fla. The party had to cancel that day’s program because of the looming threat from Hurricane Isaac, and the meeting lasted only Tuesday through Thursday.”
By the way, Trump is going to be speaking at Liberty University’s convocation next week.
There was also this… Also in the videos, he calls peace between Israelis and Palestinians "almost unthinkable,” National Journal writes. “In the video, Romney responds to a question about the ‘Palestinian problem’ by saying that Palestinians have ‘no interest whatsoever in establishing peace, and that the pathway to peace is almost unthinkable to accomplish.’” He added, ““I look at the Palestinians not wanting to see peace anyway, for political purposes, committed to the destruction and elimination of Israel, and these thorny issues, and I say, 'There's just no way.'" And: “you recognize that this is going to remain an unsolved problem…and we kick the ball down the field and hope that ultimately, somehow, something will happen and resolve it.”
“Jimmy Carter’s grandson, James IV, is an opposition researcher who put Mother Jones reporter David Corn in touch with the anonymous source who uploaded the video of the Romney fundraiser, according to a report,” Politico writes. “ ‘I’ve been searching for clips on Republicans for a long time, almost every day,’ Carter told New York Magazine’s Daily Intel blog. ‘I just do it for fun.’”
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I don't know if I'm desperate, but I do know that my candidate wasn't caught on tape saying that he doesn't give damn about 47% of its citizens.
Romney is putting the final nails into the republican party... It took decades of the evangelical influence to pull the party away from the center and to the extreme far-right, then Norquist to have the GOP fools sign a pledge, not to do the peoples work, then the tea party came in and are finishing the party off...
Good Bye, party of Lincoln...
Romney's secretly recorded comments about the "47%" sounds like he is already coming up with excuses to explain his inevitable failure at the upcoming election. His history of making asinine comments, both publicly and privately, clearly shows how his thought processes operate and the American people are expressing their disgust in the polls. The American voter will also express their opinions in November when they reelect President Obama by another landslide.
President Obama in November! He is clearly our only rational choice!
What he did say is that they believed that the government owed it to them (a sense of entitlement). Most of these people do not feel the government owes it to them. Many are elderly and disabled living on fixed incomes. Many are poor struggling to make ends meet. Many are middle class workers(self-identified as such) who make such low wages that they qualify for the tax breaks our government gives them to help add to their low incomes to pay their bills.
Americans have always been a self-reliant people. Many of those making low wages struggle to find a better job in small towns and cities across America. That the rich have chosen to use their excessive wealth to create jobs in China and other low wage countries only adds to the obstacles these people face. Cuts in education spending, especially aid to colleges, traps their children in this low wage life.
People like Romney don't get it. Do they really think that people choose to stay poor or stay in low wage jobs that make it almost impossible to give their children a better life?
Has there ever been a candidate so out of touch with the American people then Romney?
All I can think is that he likes the taste of Italian leather. He must for as often as he sticks his number 12's in his mouth!
Rmoney the leader of the republican/tea party really put it into light that he doesn't care for 47% percent of the country. Thats no surprise by looking at the party platform and by how some republicans post on here.
And a lot of that 47% are Republicans and independents. Thanks Mitt.
OBAMA 2012
Well, Mitt has done it again - my husband and I were pretty put off when George I made the statement that in order to be middle class you made at least 100,000 per year. I've been raised in what I thought was a middle class home all my life, my husband too, we both worked, took care of our children, never have had food stamps, medicare or medicaid, and thought we were back in the middle income bracket (we both still work over 40 hours a week and we are near retirement age) but now Mitt tells us we are not because we don't make between 200 - 250,000 per year. Well, I guess that puts me and our working class family in the 47% because we only make a little over 100,000 per year, and yet we still ask for and receive no government assistance at all, don't get much of a tax break on anything because we don't have any dependents - Mitt, I'm absolutely furious with you and your attitude. We knew with Reagun we would never, ever vote repugnant, but now mitt has sealed the deal. No, Mitt, you won't ever get our votes, nor will anyone who agrees with you!
Mitt the Twit: Born with a silver foot in his mouth.
He's getting very good at shooting his own feet. Gotta compliment the goober on his marksmanship.
He is going to have to start shooting himself in the face soon, his feet are getting way too many holes.
Obama/Biden 2012
He is making this way to easy to bash - I am looking forward to voting President Obama back into office for another 4 years, and to voting to send Mr. & Mrs. Howell the third back to"Gilligan's Island".
With Willard and Ann it just goes to show even stupid people can get rich. In fact most rich people are stupid, Just look at all the rich republicans in congress.
I'm part of Romney's 47%. I never got any government support except unemployment insurance benefits 30 years ago. I work, I pay taxes. I despise Teapublicans. Romney's contempt for the middle class is revealed. No suprise there. There are a lot more voters making less than$200K than his so called middle class.
It's not about the economy for me, its about my rights as a woman and to be free of Christian Sharia as pushed by the evangelicals. They can be as old t4estament luddite as they want but they have no right to impose thier beliefs on me through repressive legislation. Mitt has been talking thier talk so he is tarred with their brush to me as is Ryan.
Anyone who says food is on an entitlement list along with a roof over American's heads is not fit to lead any Nation. Period!
This may lead to a return to Democrat control of both houses and the demise of the Republican party as it's known today, especially if Republican house and senate members in elections try to defend Romney's comments! I'd want to push them to answer if I was a Democrat running against them!
What audacity and gall from a member of the Super Rich!
The statement that 47% of Americans see themselves as "victims" and "entitled to government benefits" and "take no responsibility for their own lives" is revealing of a perception and an understanding of America that is foreign to all but the 1%, and may be foreign to a good many of them. The idea that government is so bloated with programs "to make people dependent" that it has become "monstrous", is so abjectly radical as to approach frightening. Mitt Romney has about as much business running for the Presidency as Bernie Madoff.
Whar happens to the Romney campaign if the recipients of Social Security learn he considers them freeloaders?
It is important to break down the 47% in terms of polls. Romney is saying that 90+% of black people are lazy/ not working hard. 60+% of latinos, 50+% of women. In fact, the only people Romney seems to think work hard are white males which is the group of voters he is winning. Now had he come out and said that this remark was a mistake maybe I could believe that he doesnt think these things but since he admitted he said this one can only conclude he is a racist and sexist.
Romney and his ilk ARE the "Entitlement" class. Exporting jobs, favoring lax regulations (banks) have taken a toll on our economy. Only the super rich are doing well. They've been conducting class warfare since the 1980s, weakening the middle class and the poor.
Multi-national corps. are pumping money (unchecked) into Repub. coffers that are turned into false pol. ads. They're buying the election.
In several states (up to about 13), like PA, they're making it harder for the old, the poor, the handicapped, the college students to get a chance to vote. It's getting to be very much like the poll tax days--you choose: feed your family or get the several forms ($) needed to get an ID card, get to the offices during work hours when you can't afford to take time off, then take off more time to get the ID (which may or may not be free), then get in a long line to vote when there are too few voting machines, missing more work, or try to do early voting when there are fewer days in which to accomplish it. They're making sure that people aren't made aware of the new regs. They're trying to steal the election by trying to disenfranchise anyone who might vote for a Dem.
Total disdain for ordinary Americans. Romney is just part of the problem.
He is a very flaud candidate
How easy for the Liberal press to stay silent about the 20 million plus illegal aliens, living like parasites off the rest of the taxpayers? Ask the TEA PARTY.ORG
TeaParty.org? The website that used to be operated by Dale Robertson (and still is, as far as I know), one of the founders of the TP? Here is a little photo of Dale at a TP rally:
http://washingtonindependent.com/73036/n-word-sign-dogs-would-be-tea-party-leader
That is what the Tea Party is all about and that is why it is fading away like a bad memory.
LIFE WILL SOON NOT BE AS WE KNOW IT TODAY IF WE DON’T STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR IT. IF YOU ARE OFFENDED, I’M SORRY, BUT THIS WILL AFFECT YOU TOO WHEN WE ARE NO LONGER A FREE NATION. THINK OF YOUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN AND HOW LIFE WILL BE FOR THEM. THEY WILL NEVER KNOW THE FREEDOM YOU AND I HAVE HAD.
Check it out for yourselves on “Truth or Fiction”. This is just a part of the list.
EXECUTIVE ORDERS ISSUED…
Teddy Roosevelt 3
Others to FDR NONE
FDR 11 in 16 years
Truman 5 in 7 years
Ike 2 in 8 years
Kennedy 4 in 3 years
LBJ 4 in 5 years
Nixon 1 in 6 years
Ford 3 in 2 years
Carter 3 in 4 years
Reagan 5 in 8 years
Bush 3 in 4 years
Clinton 15 in 8 years
George W. Bush 62 in 8 years
Obama 923 in 3 1/2 years!
Subject: Fw: Executive Orders .... where's the media?
If you don't get the implications you're not paying attention. How many warnings do you need?
923 Executive Orders in 40 Months
During my lifetime, All Presidents have issued Executive Orders, for reasons
that vary, some more than others.
When a President issued as many as 30 Ex. Orders during a term in Office,
people thought there was something Amiss.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT 923 EX. ORDERS IN ONE PART OF ONE TERM
?????? YES, THERE IS A REASON.
IT IS THAT THE PRESIDENT IS DETERMINED TO TAKE CONTROL AWAY FROM THE HOUSE AND
THE SENATE.
Even some Democrats in the House have turned on him, plus a very small number of
Democrat Senators question him.
HE SHOULD BE QUESTIONED. WHAT IS HE REALLY TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH ????
DOES THIS SCARE YOU AS MUCH AS IT DOES ME?
________________________________
Not really surprising that he appointed "Czars" to be in charge of everything.
Emperor Obama ?
Coming soon to a neighborhood near you.
....THIS IS NOT FUNNY, AND IF YOU VOTE FOR HIM AGAIN, YOU CAN EXPECT MORE!
Remember what he told Russia 's Putin: "I'll be more flexible after I'm re-elected".
THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION: Obama has signed 923 Executive Orders in 40 months!
What did Congress do in those 40 months? (The House - considerable. The Senate
-nothing, not even a budget nor allowing any House bill to be considered.) A
whole new order must prevail in Wash. DC as a result of this next election! Now
look at these:
People, all need to wake up and realize what Obama is doing to our country. He has already passed into law the following executive orders when congress was on break and we are able to do nothing since the Senate is democrat. Look at these and he has in the works an Order against Freedom of Speech and Taking Over the Internet. Can this not tell people where he has our country headed.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 10990 allows the government to take over all modes of transportation and control of highways and seaports.
■EXECUTIVE ORDER 10995 allows the government to seize and control the communication media.
■EXECUTIVE ORDER 10997 allows the government to take over all electrical power, gas, petroleum, fuels and minerals.
■EXECUTIVE ORDER 10998 allows the government to take over all food resources and farms.
■EXECUTIVE ORDER 11000 allows the government to mobilize civilians into work brigades under government supervision.
■EXECUTIVE ORDER 11001 allows the government to take over all health, education and welfare functions.
■EXECUTIVE ORDER 11002 designates the Postmaster General to operate a national registration of all persons.
■EXECUTIVE ORDER 11003 allows the government to take over all airports and aircraft, including commercial aircraft.
■EXECUTIVE ORDER 11004 allows the Housing and Finance Authority to relocate communities, build new housing with public funds, designate areas to be abandoned, and establish new locations for populations.
■EXECUTIVE ORDER 11005 allows the government to take over railroads, inland waterways and public storage facilities.
■EXECUTIVE ORDER 11051 specifies the responsibility of the Office of Emergency Planning and gives authorization to put all Executive Orders into effect in times of increased international tensions and economic or financial crisis.
■EXECUTIVE ORDER 11310 grants authority to the Department of Justice to enforce the plans set out in Executive Orders, to institute industrial support, to establish judicial and legislative liaison, to control all aliens, to operate penal and correctional institutions, and to advise and assist the President
-EXECUTIVE ORDER 11049 assigns emergency preparedness function to federal
departments and agencies, consolidating 21 operative Executive Orders issued
over a fifteen year period.
-EXECUTIVE ORDER 11921 allows the Federal Emergency Preparedness Agency to
develop plans to establish control over the mechanisms of production and
distribution, of energy sources, wages, salaries, credit and the flow of money
in U.S. financial institution in any undefined national emergency. It also
provides that when a state of emergency is declared by the President, Congress
cannot review the action for six months.
Feel free to verify the "executive orders" at will... and these are just the
major ones I'm sure you've all heard the tale of the "Frog in the Pot"... you
all comfortable???
Watch Obama's actions, not his words! By his actions he will show you where
America is headed.
. Just this week, Obama has issued a new executive order that seeks to
"harmonize" U.S. economic regulations with the rest of the world. This new
executive order is yet another incremental step that is pushing us closer to a
North American Union and a one world economic system.
Unfortunately, most Americans have absolutely no idea what is happening.
The American people need to understand that Barack Obama is constantly looking
for ways to integrate the United States more deeply with the rest of the world.
The globalization of the world economy has accelerated under Obama, and this
latest executive order represents a fundamental change in U.S. economic policy.
Now federal regulators will be required to "harmonize" their work with the
international community.
THIS IS DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE??
THEN PROVE TO YOURSELF IT'S WRONG.
Just Google it!