EAGAN, Minn. — Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney, confident after his Florida primary victory, ended up inviting criticism Wednesday when he said he’s “not concerned about the very poor” because they have an “ample safety net.”
Democrats and Republicans alike — including opponent Newt Gingrich — pounced and the GOP front-runner quickly sought to explain his remarks.
“No, no, no, no, no, no, no,” Romney told reporters on his campaign plane when asked about the comments. “No, no, no. You’ve got to take the whole sentence, all right, it’s mostly the same.” He said his remark was consistent with his theme throughout the race, adding: “My energy is going to be devoted to helping middle-income people.”
Despite that explanation, Romney’s comments quickly became an immediate distraction from his message that he’s more conservative than Gingrich and from the double-digit thumping the former House speaker sustained in Florida. His campaign worked behind the scenes to provide context for the comment.
Gingrich raised Romney’s remark at his first event since losing the Florida primary. He read Romney’s quotes aloud and they were met with boos from the crowd at a brewery in Reno, Nev.
“I am fed up with politicians in either party dividing Americans against each other,” Gingrich said. “I am running to be the president of all the American people and I am concerned about all the American people.”
As the day began, Romney told CNN from Florida: “I’m not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there. If it needs repair, I’ll fix it. I’m not concerned about the very rich. They’re doing just fine. I’m concerned about the very heart of America, the 90-95 percent of Americans who right now are struggling.”
“You can focus on the very poor, that’s not my focus,” he said.
President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign was quick to criticize.
“So much for ‘we’re all in this together,’” tweeted Obama campaign manager Jim Messina.
Some conservative pundits also labeled it a gaffe and said it was evidence Romney wasn’t prepared to run against Obama.
“The issue here is not that Romney is right or wrong, but that he is handing choice sound bites to the Democrats to make him as unlikeable as he made Newt Gingrich,” said Erick Erickson on the conservative RedState blog. And Jonah Goldberg at the conservative National Review Online said of Romney: “Every time he seems to get into his groove and pull away he says things that make people think he doesn’t know how to play the game.”
With criticism mounting, Romney flew to Minnesota and addressed a rally before heading to Nevada. He also boasted in flight about his “huge” Florida victory.
Gay rights protesters in Minnesota threw glitter at Romney before he took the stage, making him the latest candidate to be “glittered” by activists opposed to his position on gay rights. Romney, who opposes gay marriage, put a positive spin on the sparkle in his hair.
“This is confetti! We just won Florida,” he said as he took the stage.
Romney, whose central challenge is winning over skeptical conservatives, told reporters on the plane that the fact that he performed strongly among conservatives in Florida made sense because he’s more conservative than Gingrich.
“I’m not saying he’s not conservative. I’m just saying he’s not the pure conservative he would have people believe, and I think folks in Florida saw through that,” Romney said. His campaign also started airing a radio ad in Colorado on Wednesday that says “conservatives across America are supporting Mitt Romney.”
But Romney immediately was forced to clarify his comments about the poor.
Asked whether his words might strike some as odd, Romney said: “We will hear from the Democrat party the plight of the poor and there’s no question, it’s not good being poor, and we have a safety net to help those that are very poor.” Romney added that he’s more worried about the unemployed, people living on Social Security and those struggling to send their kids to college.
“We have a very ample safety net and we can talk about whether it needs to be strengthened or whether there are holes in it. But we have food stamps, we have Medicaid, we have housing vouchers, we have programs to help the poor,” Romney said. “But the middle-income Americans, they’re the folks that are really struggling right now.”
Romney has broached the subject of the poor repeatedly on the campaign trail but until Wednesday had been more careful in his choice of words.
“I worry about the very poor and I want to make sure that our safety net is there,” Romney said in New Hampshire in December, says the middle class are “the people I’m really concerned about right now.”
Wednesday wasn’t the first time that Romney, who made millions working in private equity, has been accused of insensitivity on matters of wealth. He once said “I like being able to fire people” when talking about having the ability to choose service providers. He also has declared that he knew what it was like to worry about being “pink-slipped” out of a job.
Patrick Condon in Eagan, Minn., and Shannon McCaffrey in Reno, Nev., contributed to this report.
Great way to lose my vote Mr Romney. Not all of the very poor are covered! I’d like to see how you can live on $18,000.00 a year! You see, that’s too much to get any kind of assisstance and not enough to live in any kind of comfort.
Mr. Romney makes $57k a day, and pays 13.9% in taxes.
but that is 13.9% of A LOT of money. Why does that not seem to matter at all to the liberals. He pays millions in taxes each year. Why is that not more than his “fair share?”
Do you think that 13.9% covers the cost in blood that our military, which is manned by mostly poor to middle class, spills protecting the interests of the super wealthy?
Yes its a lot of money, but the fact that a teacher making 35,000 could potentially give more of there money to the government then Mitt.
Which is 13.9% more than 50% of Mainers pay.
That is because we don’t tax people the same rate at the poverty line for their rent and food money as we do billionaires for their boat and jet money.
Agreed. But the people who COST the tax payers don’t appreciate those of us whose families have sacrificed for them?
I’ll accept the responsibility to take care of those who are unable to take care of themselves but they have no obligation to appreciate it? We teach our kids to appreciate any amount of generosity but we teach adults who live off the government that they are entitled more. We teach them to resent those who have been fortunate or successful. We teach them there what they are given is never enough. A lot like unions.
We are teaching our children that when they become adults that they have no responsibility toward their children. The tax payers will pay for 21 meals a week at home for their children and then the tax payers pay to feed them 10 more meals a week while they are in school.
We are teaching our children that they don’t have to gain any self disciplin. We can give you a pill for that. We are teaching them that they can’t function in life without all them wonderful pills.
Another Gingrich advocate of the toilet brush ideology.
I bet you have a cash business like the Chinese restaurant up the street, or the transmission guy I know. No checks, no credit cards, no taxes. Is that how you’re able to take care of your own?
How do you know the poor don’t appreciate the help they get? Who told you that? Some lying politician in the hopes of conquering an election by dividing the public?
Don’t let yourself be brainwashed by any politician… check out everything that you hear that comes out of a politician’s mouth or was passed on by a politician seeking election. If you want to know whether or not the poor appreciate the help they get why not ask the poor instead of just taking the word of some lying politician? If you are even interested in seeing exactly what it takes for even the poor to qualify for any kind of assistance… check it out, do research. There are many people who are poor today who were middle class yesterday… and you judge them, blame them because some politician told you that they don’t appreciate anything?
It’s a fool who blindly follows the words of a politician seeking election (and they do it year-round). It’s sad to watch politicians destroy this country simply by dividing the people. Don’t you realize that politicians know that dividing the people is necessary for a party’s landslide that creates a weighted majority? Winning is ALL they are truly concerned about – my guess is that most politicians have no idea what’s in their speech until their assistant is done writing it.
The bottom line is that politicians know that united we stand and divided we fall. They require a great divide for a party landslide. Otherwise each candidate – regardless of party affiliation – might actually have to be elected on his/her own merit instead of by association to a party name, which incidentally many politicians go back and forth between the parties over the course of their career.
You may not agree but it is my opinion that no one party needs to rule the United States of America… ours is a democracy, a two party system. We need those kinds of checks and balances. When one party convinces the majority of public to vote by party instead of by candidate we will no longer have a democracy.
One party tells you that the other party are secret socialists and communists… and that the people who follow them are terrorists and leaches. They’ve learned by your reaction that FEAR WORKS!! But it only works if you let it… only if you forget the morals and principles this great country was built on and only if you choose to be lead by fear mongering and, only if you wish to abandon the democracy system of government in favor of something akin to a Chinese Totalitarian.
In case you aren’t sure what that means – a totalitarian is a government ruled by a single political party. People are forced to do what the government tells them. This is the type of government that exists in China. Funny how so many American jobs have been outsourced to China, funny how we owe such a great debt to China, funny how our politicians are attempting to turn our democracy into a totalitarian rule just like China – one party rule.
All I ask is that before you repeat anything a politician says, before you follow blindly or follow solely by party… check it out. If a politician tells you the poor don’t appreciate the help they get… ask the poor instead of taking a rich politician’s word for it. If one political party tells you that the followers of the other political party are corrupt or terrorists… check it out. I think you will find that the followers of these political parties are simply US citizens.
My hope is that one day you and others like you will wake up and smell the coffee and join hands with US citizens to prevent our democracy from becoming totalitarian (0ne-party) rule. The citizens of the USA are not your enemy – I’m not so sure about the politicians.
I do know JD, because I do ask
them. Sometimes I don’t have to because
they go out of their way to tell me. I
know because I am in their homes on a daily basis. I know because I have been in their shelters,
worked their soup kitchens etc.
As a college educated young
man, 5 years on the job, I have stood in their section 8 apartments which were
nicer than mine, looked at their 60 inch big screen TV’s which were more than
double the size of mine. They had cable,
internet, new laptops. I had none of the
above. I patted their “therapy cats” which were paid for, fed and cared for by
tax-funded organizations like N.O.E., Penquis Cap or O.H.I.. I’ve been in their homes after the cops came
in and busted them for selling all the medications they so badly “needed.” I’ve had to breath in their second hand smoke purchased at $7 a pack. I’ve been there.
Having said that, there are a
lot of people who truly do need help.
They are the reason I still do what I do. But they are also the same people who AREN’T
WHINING that I am not paying enough in taxes.
I’ve been there JD. I’m still there everyday. I just don’t let my job security affect my rational,
moral reasoning. I’d rather do that
right thing than pretend that ALL these people really “need” all the services
they are given.
I don’t let politicians shape
my opinions. I let my education, life
and experiences shape my opinions. I let
intelligent debate with people who are well informed shape my opinion. As you know, that categorically excludes ALL
politicians.
Your take on American politics
is fair in my opinion.
As far as your hope about me
and those like me, maybe YOU should take your own advice, stop listening to politicians.
Stop making assumptions and maybe you’ll find that we are more alike than you
could have ever imagined.
Absolutely not true. You have no Idea what its like to be poor, or live in those communities day in and day out. You let a small subsection on the population dictate the whole population. Don’t you dare say to me that they are all like the people you describe. The vast majority of people that need help are very thankful and hard working doing there very best to get by.
You too make assumptions and are uninformed. You don’t know my background, you don’t know my experiences. But yet you run your trap as though you do.
I have lived in poverty. My parents needed welfare for a time. I went to school in hand-me downs while all my schoolmates had brand new cloths every year. There were no government programs to buy my school supplies, not one provided me with a laptop. No tax funded lunch. Don’t tell me what I know or don’t know. YOU have no idea.I have repeatedly and clearly stated that these experiences are not universal. I have repeated stated that not ALL people living off my tax dollars are abusing the system. NO ONE said they are ALL like this. READ THE COMMENTS.
Your right did miss part of your argument, but why would you high light those that are gaming the system? You then go on to say that people need help, but not that much help because they have overkill.
The Poor are not complaining that we should tax the rich, they are happy with what they have. Its the middle class that are doing it. They are doing it because the Rich have taken there jobs and moved them over seas. I have meet some poor people that want to tax the rich more, but not very many because they are happy with what they do get. The vast majority that I hear it from is the middle class that have worked very hard only to see there jobs leave the USA.
Your point reference the middle class is relevant.
I do feel we offer too much in some cases. My greatest concern is making welfare more appealing than working hard and contributing to society.
I do get your concern, I am of the belief that most people are already working hard and can’t make ends meet still. I also completely agree that we do offer too much as well in some cases.
Don’t be silly… I responded to YOUR comment, not that of any politician. In your comment you generalized poor people saying that poor people don’t appreciate the help they are given and that as adults we teach them to behave this way. You also said that aid for poor people is a lot like a union. I don’t see how… unions negotiate wages and benefits for employees most of whom work hard for what they earn. So how is that in any way similar to aid to the poor? And what politician told me any of this? (Unless of course YOU are a politician) in which case I’d tell you that I don’t trust you as far as I could throw you.
But, that said, I do think that your second reply attempted to “clean up” the generalizations of the first and I commend you for that. That’s exactly what I was hoping to accomplish – to stop the generalizing. We all know that there are good and bad people at every financial level. There are family business owners who lay off their relatives so they can collect unemployment while still working. Who is going to turn them in and who would guess that they’re doing this. You don’t know unless you happen to be in the inner circle of the wealthy families who do this and I’ve been there.
I’m a now a grandparent who has worked a lifetime, paid my taxes, raised my children and done my part. I’ve been around and seen a lot. I totally enjoy conversing with young people and I remember the days of bliss fondly. I remember when my generation thought that we were going to change the world… you know, world peace! :-)
I think we both know how silly your comment now sounds… I think most people know that aid to the poor isn’t about giving them high class living quarters, loads of cash, big screen tvs and special privileges allowing them to use food stamps to buy cigarettes. There is no longer any singular singular “welfare” program in existence. “Welfare” as it was once known has been broken down into food stamps, TANF, energy assistance, WIC, SS Disability (this should not be included in Welfare as most people paid into SS Disability through their employment before they became disabled), unemployment insurance (which also should not be included because this insurance was purchased at the time the person worked). Energy assistance provides heat/hot water to low income people – and they have to prove that they are at poverty level. TANF only provides a small amount of aid to families with children – who begrudges the children? WIC is for Women, Infants and Children to buy dairy products. Food stamps can’t be used to purchase cigarettes, booze, shampoo, soap or even toilet paper or a cooked chicken from Walmart. To qualify for food stamps you have to prove that you are below poverty level – which incidentally doesn’t appear to have adjusted for cost of living since the 1950-60s. Everything costs a lot more now than it did then and people at the poverty level now are beyond poor.
We could debate this forever and I think it’s interesting and fun debating you, I really do! But, in the end I know that I will still see everyone as individuals. I am concerned about politicians dividing the citizens down political lines creating an almost civil war type split. That will weaken the people and once we are weak… we will probably see a one party government. I think that is the wrong direction. That’s why I don’t vote party, I vote for representatives, I don’t generalize about the poor or the rich, I ask questions, I don’t make statements I can’t support, I don’t blindly trust, etc…
You responded to my comments but your assumptions were incorrect. Therefore I suggested that maybe you should
evaluate where your prejudices and assumptions were born.
My comments were generalize to some degree but I don’t find it
necessary to waste time stating things that everyone already knows.
My statement regarding unions has more to do with the fact that
they will always continue to ask for more.
If the Union that represents me gets everything it asks for, the very
next negotiating period, they will ask for more. There will never be a day when they say “You
know what, we are fairly compensated and work in the safest reasonable
environment as reasonably possible.” This
is the same mentality of the welfare system.
There will never be satisfaction.
Except now it dips into the endless pockets of the government who will
just keep taxing me more.
Rest assured I am not a politician.
I would never get elected because I don’t B.S.. Like it or hate it, what you see is what you
get.
I stand by my statements and don’t feel they were silly. As I said before, I don’t feel it necessary to
list every exception, every contingent.
People get it. I spoke of my
personal experiences which are not few and far between. While I do meet people who truly need help
and appreciate it, I meet many who don’t.
They take away from all of us, those who need it and those who pay for
it. They are a daily reality for me.
I, like you, vote for what I believe in my heart is best, not for what benefits
one part over another. I am a
Mainer. An American. Not a democrat or republican. Again, I don’t think we are so different.
I still think it’s fun debating you! I love your fresh, young view. I find it fascinating! Don’t get so upset. Oh… and by the way, I’m not from Maine either. I lived most of my life in Princeton, NJ. I am a registered Republican although I don’t remember why I registered that way… it was a long time ago and I’ve never bothered to change it because I have always voted for whoever I think is best candidate. Oh, and one more thing… my brother is a Senator in New Jersey. Did I say I really dislike politicians? Well… most of them I suppose. Him, well I can tell if he’s lying!
Throughout my life I have lived and worked in both worlds… and I can tell you that people really aren’t as different as they think – that’s the reason I responded to you in the first place. I’m not one to generalize (except of course when it comes to politicians…:-) I remain concerned about a growing hostility and intolerance brought about by generalization in both directions. I don’t think the poor are all bad and I don’t think the rich are all good. I don’t think the poor are all good and I don’t think the rich are all bad. No, we aren’t that different… and I want you to know that I appreciate your views. There is no better way to see all sides of an issue than to challenge someone with seemingly different views…
It has been a sporting debate for sure. I’m not sure how young my perspective is, I suppose it is all relative. I sure have a hard time relating to those who are significantly younger than me.
I’ve had 9 years of professional experience working directly with the public and a number of years doing manual labor prior to that. I fit a bachelors degree in the middle of it all.I don’t have any grandkids and hope my 17 year old will keep it that way for a while. I am from Maine, I didn’t intend to imply otherwise.
I do get a little fiesty with these comments. The misinformation and assumptions in the comments kill me. I’ve have witnessed some of these cases first hand and I’m always thrown by the know-it-all’s and “experts” on here that know nothing, but pretend they do. Though my record is certainly not 100%, I try to comment only on things I have some actually training, education or experience in.
Geesh, don’t forget that up to 47% of your neighbors pay ZERO income tax at all, and may well receive a “tax refund” for taxes not paid… Earned Income Tax Credit.
Please don’t fail to take into account the Sales Taxes and Real Estate Taxes folks like Gov. Brilcream and Warren Buffett pay. It’s all too simple to pick and choose which taxes these libs account for.
Wrong, everyone who works pays payroll tax, SSI, Medicare, etc.. Income tax is only 10% of all Federal revenue. Fact bullyboy.
While I’ll agree that my figure of “50%” was intentionally inflated, it wasn’t that far off. A large percentage of Mainers pay NOTHING and in fact cost the State a significant about each year, not in just what we give them for cash but also benefits such as case-workers, counseling, medical services etc.
Another significant percentage of citizens pay a small amount in taxes but get MORE than then paid in back. I assisted a woman two years ago who made $700 in income for the year but with her tax bracket, a couple of kids, she was to somewhere around $2000 back.A third category of Mainers do in fact pay taxes but get most of it back in their return. Then there are the the rest of us who pay in a large amount in which they don’t get back.We all know that’s part of taking care of each other but I really don’t want to hear the whining and crying about those of us who contribute SOMETHING and get little by those who contribute NOTHING and get A LOT.
They pay nothing if they do not have a job. If they have a job then there are taxes being taken out of there pay checks. Yes they may get all the income taxes back, but not all the others they pay. They only way someone DOESN”T pay taxes is if they steal, or they don’t have a job. Your telling me 50% of Mainers do not have jobs? If they have a job and are working then they are paying taxes. You Think income taxes are the only taxes out there?
Did you even read the comment? The very first thing I said was that the 50% figure was exaggerated. Then I explained why I believed the figure was still very high and broke down why I thought so. READ the comment.
You said it was exaggerated, then went on to state that a large percentage of Mainers pay NOTHING. They you went on to say that People do pay but get it all back and more, Still only talking about income taxes. I Fairly stated that you forget about all other taxes people pay. I have read your comment throughtly have have not changed anything.
If I give the government $10 and the government turns around and give me back $20, then I have not paid anything, I have gotten paid. If I pay $10 and the government turns around and pays me back $10, I still have not paid anything, we broke even. I haven’t paid taxes until I pay in $10 and the government gives me back less than I put it.
But you are only talking about ONE tax. That’s it.
And about $56940 more than 50% of working Mainer’s earn in a day. What’s your point?
The point, is listed in the second paragraph. Feel free to read beyond the first.
I read your story about the lady that made 700 dollars for a year and getting a refund of 2000 dollars, What other taxes did she pay? There had to be some, food? gas?
Your “Income Tax” refund doesn’t include taxes paid in other than what was taken from you in Income tax. So if she earned $700 through out the year, you can safely estimate that she paid less than $100 in income taxes.
I don’t make a ton of money, but I pay less than 10% in taxes. Though it may not fall in line with other conservatives’ beliefs, I heard someone talking about a 3% federal sales tax which would effect everyone, equally. Sounds like a good place to start, since even drug dealers need to buy supplies at the store.
If you believe a Federal Sales tax, or Value Added Tax (VAT) would only be 3% you are living in a fairy tale.
Do a little research of VAT’s in other countries. They are all over 15% and most are between 20 to 25% and that is including income taxes and corporate taxes that are for the most part more than what you and I pay.
http://www.taxrates.cc/
Oh, they get that out of us already in one way or another, especially if you’re a small business owner. BTW, I’m getting a little bit tired of pedants telling me to “do a little research.” I get that facts, numbers, and such are important. I took stats and research in college too.
Yes,we wouldn’t want fact to be involved in any decision making, would we?
Well, the facts don’t tell the whole story, not even half of it when looked at in isolation. For instance, one of the greatest travesties of the welfare system is that it is “fact-based.” Meaning that in order to qualify, it is all about the numbers, not needs-based. Everyone has their own set of “facts.” This is one of the greatest lessons my research teacher taught us. Not many people stop to consider where the other person is coming from when they are hung up on their own version of the “facts.” Try to move beyond the concrete stage of thinking and juggle a few paradoxes before relying too heavily on the so-called “facts.”
Let’s see. You own a company. You pay yourself no salary. It earns a 100,000 profit. Your company pays 35% in taxes – $35,000 (let’s assume no deductions, true for many). Your company is left with 65,000. You take it all as a dividend. You pay 15% on $65,000. You pay $9,750 in taxes.
Total tax on the $100,000 that you earned is $35,000 + $9.750 = $44,750. Then state taxes will get you to over 50% in most places. Note this is the total tax not the “marginal tax” that Warren Buffett’s secretary pays.
Raise it more and fewer will bother spend their energy to start or run a business. Pretty simple.
You can only take the dividend as a stock holder of the company. Why would you issue stock, then buy it all your self? The propose of issuing stock is to raise capital, if you have the capital but issue stock then buy it all, you are not a very good business person.
Its funny the Corporations like to say that the Stockholders and the Corporation are separate entities, however they turn around an complain about double taxation. If that was the case then you can make the argument that all retaining earnings are the stockholders to being with, and should be entitled to all of it, not just what mangment declares as a dividend.
It isn’t Mr. Romney’s fault that you earn only $18,000/year. There are many, many programs to assist low-income earners. Not so many for the middle class.
Except for Medicare and Social Security. Most people in this country will benefit from one form of government program or another. Even Mr. Romney is helped by the incredibly low tax rate he pays on his capital gains.
And pell grants, subsidized mortgage loans, tax write-offs on mortgage interest, tax breaks on inheritances, rebate programs for upgrading to expensive energy efficient appliances, better public schools……
“Democracy will fail when the masses figure out how to legislate their own propserity”.
That is, when I can reach into your pocket and take money to put into my own, we are both doomed. (Alexis D’Toqville paraphrase).
He also talked about the “tyranny of the majority”; but we’ll save that for another day…
Insurance 101, Seamus! Both Medicare and Social Security are “assurance” programs, not “entitlements”. People have been paying into both programs all their working days so that money will be there for them when they age. It’s a governmental version of a 401k … people benefit from it because THEY PAY INTO IT! What about this don’t some of you ultras get??
Did you read his comment? He said Except for Medicare and Social Secuirty.
I wasn’t speaking about myself. I was speaking in regards to my disabled parents who can’t afford their medications and have to choose between heat and electricity more often than not. I’m not blaming Romney for their situation, but not all of the very poor can get assisstance. I know this first hand, because we’ve tried everything to get them help and there just isn’t any help for them.
I’m sorry you’re parents are having a rough time. Believe it or not…there are a lot of disabled people in Maine who have it even worse. There are a lot of disabled people right in Bangor who don’t even have a home. When I see older people on oxygen, with a catheter and using a cane or walker who are homeless and would lose their Mainecare assistance if LePage gets his way I get angry.
For heavens sake… where does the “assistance” come from? Wake up!
It comes from Americans who believe that our Constitution urged us to take care of those who are not able to enjoy the same creature comforts as many of us do. Read the Preamble. That says it all.
He did not say we should ignore the poor. He’s saying he would focus on the middle class. America is in dire straights. Who will help the poor if we lose the middle class? Think about what he’s saying and thank God we have a man like Mitt Romney willing to serve.
Poor – Almost Poor-Fabulously rich. The 3 Classes in a country what used to be defended as a “Class-less Society.”
The Romney family will never have to work as long as they live. They’re all multi-millionaires. Good. Everyone would like to be able to do that. But not everyone who has it would make a crude, cruel statement like Romney did: “I’m not concerned about the very poor.”
As for serving – he never did. Neither did any of his family. They’re too busy helping Daddy become the richest president who ever lived.
Willard made his money running companies into bankruptcy, passing out pink slips – his delight -and getting the biggest tax breaks only our elitist off-shore investors enjoy.
“I’m not concerned about the very poor…” Why should he, Gingrich, Paul, and all the teapublicans under the Washington Bubble be? They all boast the biggest “Safety Nets” anywhere, provided by us – the “almost poor” – who can only hope the safety net can hold a few more.
Not if you look at his econmic policy, The cuts he gives to the 1% are more then the 99% combined
I’ve been poor, and I’ve been middle class. Someone has to make $18,000 or less a year, otherwise everyone would be middle class or rich…it’s just numbers. For you to blame someone for their income is ridiculous. We all have to grow from somewhere and none of us in the middle class started at the top. As rich as this country is, there is no excuse for everyone having the ability to feed their family. Just what Mr. Romney dodged in taxes last year would solve have of the poverty in Maine.
What about the amount he paid last year???? Does that not count ? It was more than most of us see in a lifetime..
What about the amount he made last year…doesn’t that count? The truth is that we all pay and view taxes not as a set amount, but as a percentage of our income. As a percentage of his income, Mr. Romney dodge 25% on what normal people on the payroll would make, resulting in close to $10 million left on the table that he can now put in his offshore accounts to escape any further tax liability whatsoever. I’m not interested in limiting his income, but I am interested in him paying a fair percentage of what is required by law. Why is it ok that he should make more than most american see in a lifetime, yet pay 20% less than those making $250,000? This is why our country has a deficit, period.
OMG…surely you do not think that the lack of Romney paying his just due amount is the cause of the US deficit…oh cripes..its goes way further than that. All those rich people do the same think..no just Romney…wish I made $250,000…would be happy as a pig in poop…and woudl not mind paying the taxes…which we have paid tons thru our lifetime !
Name them. You have no idea what you’re talking about. Name a program, c’mon, just one.
If a person is making about 25k a year, they end up with about 16- 18k. Because of other peoples tax deductions. The government doesn’t let that slide they take it out of single people and people without kids The deduction they get about $100.00 off their mortgage interest and the presidential campagin fund “which doesn’t change the amount of your return” it just ups everyones taxes.
Here’s something to chew on, when taxes are taking out of you weekly someone is making interest off your money, are you getting any of it?
Translation of what Mitt really meant to say: “I haven’t got a snowball’s chance in Hades of getting ANY votes from a poor person, but if I can pretend to care jusssst enough I might convince a few lower middle class and middle class Americans to vote against their own best interest by casting a ballot for me.” Clearly this man hasn’t any idea how many folks like US people like HIM have made poor or poorer over the past 10 years? How many more death nails does this man have to put in his own coffin?
Right on time as always. Do you get extra points the quicker you post?
To the victor belongs the spoils …
Finally, someone concerned with the Middle Class. Thank you Mr.
Romney. The rich get theirs, the poor get ours and the middle gets the shaft. Obamaland stinks.
Well, be prepared to buy a big mask if your man makes it. The stink of these primaries is nauseating.
Just watch MSNBC and you’ll get over it between now and next November when NOBAMA goes away…
$18,000 for a single person or are you supporting a family too?
That $18,000 is for a family of 3.
$18,000 a year is not much, even for a single person. I currently make about that much which is about $1500 a month.
My rent is $500 with utilities (electricity and phone) being $150 a month. I don’t have cable. It costs me between $80 to $100 a week to eat. I cook at home and hardly ever eat out (not even McDonalds). I have Diabetes and High Cholesterol so my medications run me $150 a month and is why my food bill may be a little higher than a young person. For those doing the math that is between $1150 to $1200 a month. My car is paid off but not all peole have no car payment. I also do not have health insurance and because I am single I do not get any MaineCare (I make over $17,000 a year) so when I go to the doctor for my Diabetes and High Cholesterol it cost me $185 out of pocket not including blood tests.
So out of my $1500 monthly salary, basic living expenses are in the heighborhood of $1200 a month leaving me $300 a month on such things as taxes (yes I still have to pay Federal and State income tax plus FICA/Medicare), clothing (not warm enough to run around naked), gas and other incidentals.
Edited for spelling
He’s speaking in code to all of the tea-drinkers who also support the Penguin administration. These guys are scary and we need to keep them out of office. Vote for somebody (anybody else), except for Newt, who is crazy.
That leaves Obama….and he has my vote already! He was left a huge mess and slowly things are starting to turn around. We do not need a Mitt Romney or Newt coming into office on an ego trip and sending everything south again! Give Obama a chance to finish what he started…..4 years is not a long enough time to get it all done….there is a plan in place….for ALL of us!
Yeah, right…
I lived on much less when I was 18 and healthy. Why do we need to provide for the young non-disabled people now?
How long ago were you 18?
When I was 18 minimu wage was $3.35 an hour and $18,000 would go a lot further then it does now.
Yeah and you only dreamed of making 18,000 an hour then too.
Point is our $8000 a year didn’t go any further than their money does now. Only difference between now and then is then no one was offering us a free ride. It was work or starve.
There is no such incentive for people to move ahead now. Many are not even moving out of home.
Not because life is tougher now than it was then but because we make it easier for them to stay home.
Come on, Newport. I neer dreamed of making $18,000 an hour. Imeant $18,000 a year and you knew what I meant but have no real argument. It was never work or starve even when I was 18.
You are right that many do not move out until they are in the late 20’s and 30’s but it is not because they are lazy but instead it is that the jobs available to them do not pay enough for them to move out on their own. I got a job out of high school that could support me and allow me to live on my own. Give me some example of entry level jobs that will allow an 18 year old to move out and support themsleves today.
The 18K an hour was a typo not sarcasm on my part.
What job did you get out of high school that paid so well?
I had to join the military to get enough money to live on my own and that only worked because they clothed and fed me.
As far as I know they are still hiring. Very few singles have ever been able to live out on their own with out some trade skills. Our kids now get nothing but a piece of paper when they hit the streets.
Got a job at a woolen mill starting at $6.20 an hour in 1982. Good money for someone with out any marketable skills and good enough to live on my own but I actually shared a house with two of my friends to start and then found a place of my own after I had asaved some money.
Romney…lesser of the two GOP evils…he doesn’t sound like he wants to dismantle the safety net for the poor.
Newt…Tea Party darling…just like LePage…and we all see how he’s treating those who need those safety nets.
Obama…wants to improve the situation of the poor so they don’t need the safety net.
If you’re poor then the smart choice that best represents your interests is to vote for Obama.
If you truly care about people you’ll make the decision to earn money from a job rather than demand it from taxpayers.
The responsible thing to do is to vote for any of the the free-market challengers so the market can do what it does so well…..create jobs.
Exactly!
create jobs were it is cheaper to do business. You have to remember corps do not care about the USA, they are not patriotic to the USA. They would rather create that job over seas if it benefits them in the smallest amount.
…so how do you propose to make it cheaper for companies to make a profit here in the United States?
OMG!!! Romney is the Antichrist!
I agree!
Or, as John Stewart said, Mitt Romney thinks we should elect him as our president because he has 25 years experience in business in the private sector doing everything this country shouldn’t do.
Oh yea. John Stewert and Bill Mahar, that’s where you should get all of your information.
I was watching Mahar last week and at one point he was indignant over what he feels is horrible treatment of the Office of the President.
Funny how this same Id call President Bush every four letter word he could think of. and laughed at incidents such as the shoe throwing incident. Oh yea, that’s the Kind of guy you should be getting ALL of your information from.
Here’s a link to a study you’ll be interested in:
http://news.yahoo.com/low-iq-conservative-beliefs-linked-prejudice-180403506.html
I saw this a few days ago. Well if a self described LIBERAL is more intelligent then how is it that they allow themselves to be so easily misdirected? We see plenty of crazy people here online, from both parties. My point will continue to be this.
I am willing to listen to any opinion as long as it is civil and I TRY to do the same. I do not take at face value everything I see on television. From ANYONE.When someone is accused of saying something I DO THE RESEARCH. I don’t allow others to make my choices for me.
This article is a perfect example. As I stated. Not a fan of Romney but he deserves a fair shake. This article is far from CENTERED.
Mr. Romney has advocated lowering the federal deficit by cutting spending without effecting the military, leaving the safety net programs he mentioned that so adequately protect the poor to be part of his deficit solution. Therefore, saying that he doesn’t care about the very poor because they have an adequate safety net that he plans to cut seems to be what he means.
Seems to be what he means????????????
Show me where it says that???????
Your ” Mind meld” with Romney notwithstanding , no one asked what one’s (interpretation) from the opposite side of the aisle was. ( I can figure that out all by myself.)
“If it needs fixing, we’ll fix it”
Let’s just pretend your from Mars. What does that statement mean to you? Does it say I don’t care to anyone?
No it’s doesn’t.
I found several sites that listed the breakdown of spending. A couple found ways to creatively increase or loosely attach things such as retirement pension to the cost of military spending in their miscalculation. Which, technically is true. Medicare and SSI account for about 40 percent together and the Military accounts for about 20, from what I found from most sites.. No doubt in my mind that we do need to rein in Military spending but people have got to realize by now that by itself it’s not the solution.. I don’t believe SSI is in Danger. If so estimates are for decades from now but it WILL HAPPEN if we don’t make some adjustments.IT HAS TO KEEP GOING AT THIS POINT. But we have got to start talking about how to fix the BIG problems.
This site seems pretty non partisan.
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=1258
PARTISAN PARTISAN,PANTS ON FIRE.
How could anyone cheer a multi-billionaire with all of his business located in off-shore headquarters, loves to hand out pink slips and, who has no use for the poor?
Low IQ & Liberal Beliefs Linked To Poor Research?
http://wmbriggs.com/blog/?p=5118
I thought Obama was the antichrist.
Naw, that’s just what the radical Christian zealots think.
…….when they’re not thinking it’s Hillary.
Nope.
Not if Governor LePage gets his way.
“not concerned about the very poor” because they have an “ample safety net.” – I just wont belive this one if americans vote in this guy over Newt or Santorum. – Then again I couldn’t belive americans voted in obama. What is america coming to?
“If it needs fixing then we’ll fix it” That, is the entirety of the statement. In that context i’m not clear as to what is offensive..
I don’t support Romney, heck I don’t even like the man. But don’t allow these people to throw fact to the wind.
…..
Not concerned about the poor? Over 46 million living in the poverty level… He don’t even know the cost of a gallon of milk!
Of all the candidates in the running for the Republican nomination, which one do you actually think has a clue what it cost to buy groceries for a family of 4? These people are not in touch with the majority of Americans concerns. They’re in touch with their money backers concerns but not the poor, woorking poor, lower middle class, middle class, upper middle class, or even the so called comfortable that encompasses about 90% of the population.
That is a great question for all politicians at the next debates, Republican and Democrat. How much is a gallon of milk? Talk about deer in the head light looks! lol.
I would bet even money that if Obama was asked, he would immediately look at Michelle. She more than likely knows or has a pretty good idea.
She is a lawyer. She was the wife of a senator. Now she is the wife of the president. I’ll bet it has been quite a while since she actually went grocery shopping. My point is that most of them are out of touch with reality, on both sides of the aisle. Ask any of them how much a set of tires cost for their car, if they even own one, what with all the free limos kicking around. We need farmers and fishermen down there, not lawyers and lobbyists if we think things are going to change. I guarantee you that a farmer knows how much a gallon of milk is and a fisherman knows how much a set of tires cost.
If anyone would know – it would be a farmer. He or she would also know how to balance the books, help those in need without going daffy. Farmers are very intelligent people with oodles of Common Sense. The same for our fishermen and women. When you’re up before the sun, and have a full day’s work done by 9, and ready for another one after that, you have dedication. Providing the main necessities in life for millions of people isn’t for everyone. It takes a special breed. One that has kept milk and bread on our tables for centuries.
Most of our politicians have one trait in common. Fear of an honest day’s work. And that is where the trouble all begins. Always has, always will. We need people in Washington who have empathy for the working men and women of America. Not people with a mortal fear of getting their hands dirty. Dirty hands, clean mind. Or in the case of lobbyists and lawyers, just the opposite.
——————————
The very poor DO have a safety net. And Romney said IN THE SAME BREATH that if it has holes, he will FIX them. But those of us who pay the taxes from wages and struggle to get UP to the level of neighbors cheating the system understand what the man is saying.
Well, this is the same guy that said he made “some” money, but not much, from speaking engagements.
$375,000 is not a lot of money to “some” folks….
He’s the guy who said he knew what it was like to worry about losing his job. Yeah right. He is so out of touch with the problems of the poor, the working and middle class.
Out of the eight – not one of them had even a minuscule idea about how the other half lives.
As torturous and as sickening as the alleged debates were, anyone could see where any of the eight could take us.
Who in their right mind would want a billionaire for president? The Bubble is already choking with millionaires elected by the poor and middle class who couldn’t see any further than the reflection off the Bubble. Three quarters of them don’t even know why they’re in DC. They live in plush condos, have fine offices, paid staff, offices scattered throughout their constituency, draw more than $174,000 a year. Plus, the best – very best – medical care and retirement benefits us taxpayers can provide.
Don;t complain – they say – they earned it. Sure, from the poor and almost poor people who rallied behind their cries for “Change,” and “let’s bomb Iran.” Wars take care of some unemployment is the republican way of thinking – just don’t enlist yourself. You’d be taking jobs from the poor and almost poor.
Bet he’s fun to play Poker with. “I’ll open with Ten Grand…”
nice headline BDN. i know you have to sell papers but really, why such a negative spin on a quote taken out of context. if you see the interview its clear that isnt what he meant. what ever happened to unbiased journalism?
btw, please dont assume i am a romney supporter, still making up my mind.
Everything they say is “taken out of context.” Or, “You misunderstood what I said.” Then – “I wasn’t expecting these kind of questions.”
What did I miss that CNN ran five hundred times? That MSNBC is still repeating. That Rush Limbaugh was so upset he almost had to take the day off – just wishing.
Willard might bet you $10 grand he didn’t say that. But millions more have read it, heard it, and seen him say it.
I liked the way the head’ said the fight is preparing him for the “fall.” He seems to have a premonition. But what the… with all that cash in the Cayman Islands, and five or six penthouses and beach front property, as well low taxes, why does he have to put us through this?
Read the ENTIRE comment he made before passing judgment.
I heard the entire comment and I still have to agree with the majority of posts that Romney is soo out of touch with how the average American lives….I have been following the debates very closely and all I can say is give Obama 4 more years…the rest of these clowns have no idea how to be a President or represent our country. Do we really want Mitt or Newt to represent us worldwide?? OMG, that idea alone is enough to make me vote for Obama!
Read it. Re-read it. Saw it, heard it. Saw it and heard it again and again. What did I miss? The safety net? He should have used one.
this comment is from the person that pays less income tax then most people who post on here he should have thought before speaking his mind
By what I can find, he paid millions in taxes in 2010. You believe that is less than most people on here?…………really? Let me guess….a lower percentage is all that matters, even if the TRUE amount paid is millions and millions of dollars.
Girl, the rate is obviously what matters here.
ANYBODY BUT OBAMA 2012
Sounds like desperation, scraping the bootom of the barrel.
OBAMA 2012
To
President Obama and his Democratic allies.
REP.
ALLEN WEST, R-FLA.: Take your message of equality of achievement, take your message
of economic dependency, take your message of enslaving the entrepreneur will
and spirit of the American people, somewhere else. You can take it to Europe,
you can take it to the bottom of sea, you can take it to the North Pole, but
get the hell out of the United
States of America.
After you. And close the door when you exit.
nice to see the lying red neck crackers are still in the south
There’s another one. Do you understand the phrase, “hey rube” A rube is one EASILY deceived or manipulated.
Anyone spouting the party line IS in my opinion, a RUBE. So why not just get rid of the “hey” part?
Both parties lie, and manipulate in order to stay in office. Why do we allow this?
see laddie, its a term of which you are ignorant, in MY opinion. its an old carnival term
spouting the party line? what party line? anyone that doesnt think the middle class has been screwed by republicans is just a gawk.
David Stockman, President Ronald Reagan’s director of the Office of Management and Budget, explained in an op-ed piece, “Four Deformations of the Apocalypse,” exactly how the economic decisions of the GOP over the past 40 years, is destroying not just the economy and capitalism, but the America dream”
“
Sigh, Look it up, Your right, it does come from the carnival.
A RUBE is a SUCKER.
I have to wonder when I see this phenomenon if I’m mistaken when I say I believe most Americans lean toward the center. The willingness of others to take any comment and turn it into the end of the world. The failure of others to see a proper context no matter how obvious it may be, simply because of blinding hatred of a party or a party member. That is just the craziest thing in the world. I look at the negative ads being run and I laugh. Without a second thought you know the entire ad is manipulating words and images and yet for some reason smarter people then me spend untold millions on negative ads because they seem to have proven that our citizens are S-T-U-P-I-D.
Lefty/Righty
Shaddap and START PAYING Attention
The crazy eight didn’t need to spend all that money calling one another names. Like Palin, Romney, Gingrich and the line-up, all you have do is call the president a nasty name, or, wag your finger in his face and you’re guaranteed prime time for 24 hours.
Ain’t it the truth.
Mitt Romney, “YOU FIRED”. I actually enjoyed that.
Meanwhile Ron Paul seeks to restore responsible behavior by allowing people to save money without inflation stealing it away, but then that’s Ron Paul, not the media selection, not the moon-base guy.
Well BDN like so much of the lamestream media you take a portion of his statement and not the entire statement. The sentence included and what safety nets do not cover he will fix! That is not verbatim but is much closer to what he said than what your headline reads. Not surprised that you would stoop to this level!
That would make for an awfully long headline if they had tried to use his entire statement. Romney just goofed because he wasn’t using a teleprompter and was speaking “off the cuff”.
It’s not the first time it has ever happened to a candidate and it won’t be the last.
Intelligent people understand this and won’t remember this even happened until it shows up in a campaign ad. Romney takes what Obama says out of context all the time and uses it to his advantage. It’s politics. You better get used to it.
I would have changed the headline to say something like this, “Romney says ‘not concerned about very poor’ then says ‘no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no’.
Umm, could you point me to the political party that hasn’t or won’t in the future stoop to this level???
He just doesn’t have any more use for the poor in our society than Le Page. I’ve seen, read, and heard his statement, and the one about his love for issuing pink slips so many times, I do believe I can recite it without error.
The head’ was great. Having the GOP toughen him up in readiness for his “fall.”
Or as republicans like to call the safety net, Entitlement, which the republicans want to cut. So he doesn’t care about the poor because they have safety nets, which him and his party want to cut.
He’s probably correct, but politically correct he’s not! He’s beginning to sound like that dingaling from Texas who dropped out of the race. He’s going to have to learn to keep his big mouth shut on sensitive subject matter.
Come on….let’s hear him expound on everything. It’s an education.
That safety net has a lot of big holes in it.
Romney wouldn’t know a poor person if he fell over one. He has no idea how the poor have to live and never will.
He reminds me – just like Newt and the others – of English barons and French nobles. The poor and very poor clean out the stables, whilst those in the middle pour his coffee and turn back the sheets.
You’re right. He believes that shaking his jacket puts him on a level with the working people.
Soon to be President Romney is correct. I have a grandchild with special needs he receives plenty of services, plus my mother is being well cared for in a nursing home, it is the middle class they has gotten screwed.
You do know these safety nets that he talks about, which you are using are things that he wants to cut right? He says they have safety nets, but republicans across the country are looking to cut these.
Do you know that is a lie, our elderly in nursing homes and disabled will not loose their safety net. The ones who will and should be thrown off are the lazy, fat @##es that can’t and won’t work. They are always looking for another way to get high and stealing from the hard working tax payers.
Really look at the DHHS cuts they want to do here in Maine.
Mitt ‘Money Pants’ Romney
God forbid we have a candidate who is working for the middle class. As soon as I heard him say that, I knew that virtually every media outlet would take it out of context. If Romney wins the nomination, I’ll bet a month’s worth of paychecks that the Obama campaign will use it over and over, ad nauseum.
I love it when a little truth slips out of a politician’s lips ;)
His words were unfairly taken out of context, but turnabout is fair play.
The article displayed what was said. Has anyone bothered to watch the clip? Romney got caught making his thoughts audible. It’s an unfortunate mindset. The whole SIX sentence quote wasn’t taken out of context. Romney played catch-up with the last five sentences…… Including everyone would benefit everyone.
Before anyone makes their decision about who they are going to vote for I would suggest 1 simple thing. Have the Candidates show you their Economic Plan in writing with their signature attached to it. Romney and Newt have both been real good about talking their plan but no one, to date that has been mentioned, has actually seen what they are supposedly talking about. If they have a plan, fine. Show it to everybody. The GOP has made much of the term ‘transparency in Gov’t.’. Well here’s the opportunity to see it in action. Now, who’s gonna be the 1st one up to bat ?
LOL. Republican or Democrat. Neither one will come up with an alternative plan. Which ever one is not in power is wired to down play or out right critisize the other side. They are wired to tear apart any plan the opposition puts in place. I have never heard an opposition party come up with an alternative program that would pass muster.
I predict that most of the pro-LePage folks who post on these pages about how all poor and disabled people are lazy frauds will just lap up Romney’s words.
They, too, despise poor and disabled people. They are certain they themselves could never become poor and/or disabled.
Why is this happening? I suspect that the conservative media are fanning the flames of calls warfare, determined to make the have-a-littles despise the have-nothings.
If they can succeed, no non-millioniare will have the energy to look up to the fancy special tax cuts the millionaires are enjoying at our expense.
To Le Page who operates under Tea Party orders, his enemies are people who are in need. As Maine’s Minster of the Board of Censors, he will order unapproved artwork removed from state buildings. He will institute witch hunts ultimately aimed at restricting certain -Democrat-voters from the polls. Too much fraud, he states. So much fraud in Food Stamps he claims, based on one or two reports of people who spot some emptying water bottles to use the refund for a Coke.
Let’s hope those condemned by this man walk, hitch, or call for a ride to the polls in November.
Believe it or not the issue here is not about politicians!
The issue is the Bangor Daily News. What recourse is available to all truth seeking Mainers of all classes at being insulted by this lack of professionalism?
This trash is a new low. Be very proud of yourselves, Bangor Daily News.
It’s the truth. Even Rush Limbaugh is sick from hearing it.
There’s only so much help that you can provide to someone unwilling to help himself or herself. There is a growing number of people who truly believe that all of their needs should be handed to them as a “right”. Obama wants to give those people all of that and more – Romney realizes that it’s not possible. Do we vote for reason (Romney) or do we vote for more insanity (Obama)?
bull– this country can’t survive with the increasing income inequality and the republicans want to give more tax cuts to the wealthy
A thorough evaluation of any program would ascertain the extent of misuse. There is absolutely no need to kill a program that provides assistance to many who need it. It is their only way to survive.
Hey,
The Rich Guy also said that he’s not worried about the plight of the very rich either, so he’s still a great guy!
Well Romney’s stock just went up in my book. Not enough to ever vote for him, but still an increase. He just said what all Republicans think, but know better than to say. They are not concerned with the plight of the poor. Period. Unless, through a series of misfortunes, they themselves should ever become poor. Then, of course, their opinions would change. The first prerequisite for being a member of the GOP is that misfortune has to drive right on by your house every single time. If misfortune ever did stop in for a visit, it would bring you something called empathy. And then you would have to renounce your membership in the Republican party, because there is no place for empathy in the GOP. Mitt consistently proves that he has none every time he raids another business, throws the workers out on the street, or cuts their wages in half. Mitt has never known poverty, misfortune, or what an honest day’s work looks like, but he is more than willing to pretend that he has to get elected.
Empathy! You’re right. Not one of the eight has it. Romney and Gingrich are examples of poor rich kids who had everything, and couldn’t get enough.
There is no such thing as enough, once you fall in love with the stuff! Lol. I am not sure of either man’s background. I know Romney’s old man was a governor and an auto executive. Newt was a history professor at one time. Either way, any empathy for a working stiff would have long since faded into distant memory. They are all out of touch with middle class America on both sides of the aisle. If we are to have any hope for the future, we need fewer of these guys in Washington, not more.
——————————
Ten “no’s”, huh? I’ve always considered that to be a good way to prove my point. Ironic that Mitt Romney is so certain that the safety net is there while our own Republican governor is trying to get rid of it. Actually, Governor LePage doesn’t seem to think it is needed at all.
I just remembered something else. Any of you old-timers remember Three Dog Night and one of their songs “Eli’s Coming”? Remember how many times they sang, “No, no, no, no….”? Ah, memories of youth.
So Mitt Romney has morphed into Mitt Scrooge. Scrooge knew the poor had a safety net, too, workhouses, prisons, and if they chose death over prison, so much the better. There was, after all, a surplus of population.
Romney, his co-runners as well as the Drop-Outs, all encapsulate visions of the miserable Dickensian era. Gingrich will be remembered for his work house advocacy of dragging poor Black kids from Harlem, giving them a toilet brush and getting them to clean out school toilets. Romney’s self damning non-concern for the poor is so much akin to the utterances of Scrooge. Le Page could be seen pulling Oliver Twist through the streets crying “Boy for sale.”
After being inundated with their merciless and horrible invective only to have it repeated endlessly on The Tube, let’s hope some extra cash can be stirred up somewhere to finance Gingrich’s Moon Colonization. He already has a passenger waiting list. Romney would be a good co-pilot.
Romney took the words right out of LePage’s mouth…..!!!
Is it not a damned shame that in today’s America, you get slammed for simply Telling The Truth. Romney is right. The poor in this country, in many cases, are better off than those of us who work. The Welfare State makes sure of that. And, of course the very rich can take care of themselves quite well. The middle class in this country that works for a living or own small businesses are being regulated, taxed and squeezed to death by this behemoth of a federal government that provides Welfare and Weatlthfare Equally while Forcing the Middle Class to Fund the Interest on the Out of Control Spending. Our government never mentions Paying For Government any longer.
They just want to squeeze us enough just to pay the Interest on the Debts they are accumulating.
Simply not true, The poor are not better off, if they were they would not be poor.
He is correct. If a single mom, on welfare, has a bad month, her rent still gets paid, and there are still food stamps.
Average Joe middle class. He does not qualify for help because of his income. He has a bad month, and guess what. The bank will take his home, his landlord will throw him out, and no one will help him until he is considered indigent. Then he will get help. When the state considers him poor.
In his eyes, if all of America is risen up, via, more jobs, more business opportunities, then all will benefit.
Put this into perspective; Michelle Obama went lingerie shopping in NY with some Arab wives. They closed the street so they could shop at a store that sells a bra for $2k. It was reported that she spent in excess of $50k.
They are ALL out of touch with reality, and have no problem spending our money. Romney, Obama,etc.. They are all the same.
The michelle Obamo shopping has already been proven not true, please, please read the news.
My apologies. Let me clarify. According to a report, MO “probably” did not spend $50k.
The point was, they eat Kobe steak, and we are left with cake.
They care about nothing but themselves. How many vacations you pay for for these people in the last year? How many vacations did you go on?
Wake up people!!!! This is exactly why we NEED this man in the Oval Office! He is a problem solver! The ENTIRE United States of America is in peril. He knows that if you focus on the middle class then everyone will advance. Take five seconds and think about what he’s saying through the eyes of the nation as a whole. What happens to the poor if the middle class dissolves? Ask yourself that! It’s the middle class that has been attacked and he’s telling us in plain language that he will focus on that. God help us if people won’t stop for a minute and think.
I stopped for a half second to think. Or, was it less? No. I heard him loud and clear. I see him gingerly shaking hands. I hear him: “I’m not concerned about the very poor…” Neither is he interested in the so-called almost poor, or, working people< whom he prefers to give pink slips so he can add to his millions of barely taxed money.
Obama has Joe Biden, Ron Paul has our back
Mitt Romney:
*Anti-gun, anti 2nd Amendment,,, proven history in MA
*Very much pro forced healthcare mandate,,,, proven history in MA
*Supports abortion,,,, proven history in MA
*History of supporting big business at the cost of the workers,,, proven history at Bain Capital
*And recently has shown support for the Quimby National Park
I am a conservative, and like many conservatives, I will only vote for the candidate that best represents these core beliefs, and like many, I am not to happy with their responses to date….
The age old probelm is that poor people, just don’t vote. They need to take a stand with middle America to deal with the wealthy. Until that happen’s, nothing will ever change. The law of the land is so far outdated but congress doesn’t want it to change. everything needs to be updated for 2012 not 1890
Wise words
Oh
my Kasie Hunt [Associated Press], that’s some pretty lame reporting! One would have to be a complete moron to
think that Mitt Romney’s comments were in ANY way, disrespectful to the poor. I heard what he said and I understood it
perfectly. His primary concern is not
the poor OR the rich. The situation for
the poor has really not changed. They’re still poor since they do have
safety nets. The rich are just that … RICH! It’s the middle-class that has needs the help since they never
expected things to get this bad. This
is a perfect example of how the liberal media suffocates Americans with their
bias. Three years ago, this
manipulation worked so well that the media convinced the voting majority to
elect a Community Organizer – so that he could “change things” and “spread the
wealth around.” We all know how that
worked out. Although I don’t personally
know anyone that voted for Barry, I am tolerant enough to believe that everyone
is entitled to make a mistake once in a while.
However, if you don’t learn from the mistake and continue to take these
subliminal marching orders from the media, you are destined to repeat it. Only then, are you a true moron.
Since when did politicians start getting chastised for being honest? There are programs in place for the poorest of people. Many, many programs. That is all he was saying…what is so wrong with that statement? I say there should be less programs and then maybe people would become accountable for their own lives and life styles.
Please research what he said that is not exactly what was said they want you to think that because media and Dems are afraid of Romney . He can beat Obama
Yes he can beat Obama, but what then, another Goldman-Sachs puppet.
out of context media. i dont particularly like romney, but he is absolutgely correct when he says teh poor have a safety net. americns do not let poor starve or go without even though many of that same poor is not deserving of being helped. too many are too lazy to work instead vying to remain poor to live off of others, while yes there are many poor who cannot for a variety of reasons not work or support themselves. theye are all treated with the same passion that makes up america.
For too many of us the wars this country fights are far removed, reduced to headlines in a newspaper or an occasional heartfelt moment when the death of an unknown neighbor is told over local television, but for others these wars live in our home; we are the families of those who serve or have served. Our lives, forever changed, carry the reality of war, and though none of us ask for special consideration, we all expect that every American understand that there is an untold price which is paid by some of us that is not shared by all Americans. It’s time, that as Americans we openly discuss a real end to these wars without being shutdown or censored by the media. It’s time that our candidate for president, a man who promises to bring our men home, be heard and not labeled. It’s time that responsible journalism come to the aid of our nation torn by a decade of war and stand against the bias that silences his words of peace. We don’t ask the nation to pay our price, we only ask that our candidate be heard. Ron Paul has a message for peace and we believe it’s time that it should be heard by all Americans.