A secretly filmed video has emerged showing Mitt Romney disparaging US President Barack Obama voters at a private donor dinner. The video, which was originally posted y Mother Jones, showing Romney at a closed-doors fundraising event, captures him dismissing 47% of the nation as government-dependent.
"My job is not to worry about those people," he says. The videos were taken at an intimate fundraiser earlier this year, in which Romney was not aware he was being recorded, and spoke freely about his opinions.
Romney said, "There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what…These are people who pay no income tax."
He also talked about Palestinians in the video that the they have no interest whatsoever in establishing peace" and that in the Middle East.
OBAMA REACTION:
The Obama campaign was quick to pounce. Obama campaign manager Jim Messina said in a statement, “It’s shocking that a candidate for president of the United States would go behind closed doors and declare to a group of wealthy donors that half the American people view themselves as ‘victims,’ entitled to handouts, and are unwilling to take ‘personal responsibility’ for their lives. It’s hard to serve as president for all Americans when you’ve disdainfully written off half the nation."
About 46 per cent of Americans owed no federal income tax in 2011, although many of them paid other forms of taxes. According to The Guardian, the latest polls show Obama's large post-convention poll bounce beginning to narrow.
A Gallup poll recorded a drop from 7% last week to 3%, with the president on 48% to Romney's 45%. A nationwide poll released on September 14th by CBS News and the New York Times showed Mr Obama with a three-percentage-point edge among likely voters. Mother Jones has more video posted on its website and promises to provide much more.
"My job is not to worry about those people," he says. The videos were taken at an intimate fundraiser earlier this year, in which Romney was not aware he was being recorded, and spoke freely about his opinions.
Romney said, "There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what…These are people who pay no income tax."
He also talked about Palestinians in the video that the they have no interest whatsoever in establishing peace" and that in the Middle East.
OBAMA REACTION:
The Obama campaign was quick to pounce. Obama campaign manager Jim Messina said in a statement, “It’s shocking that a candidate for president of the United States would go behind closed doors and declare to a group of wealthy donors that half the American people view themselves as ‘victims,’ entitled to handouts, and are unwilling to take ‘personal responsibility’ for their lives. It’s hard to serve as president for all Americans when you’ve disdainfully written off half the nation."
About 46 per cent of Americans owed no federal income tax in 2011, although many of them paid other forms of taxes. According to The Guardian, the latest polls show Obama's large post-convention poll bounce beginning to narrow.
A Gallup poll recorded a drop from 7% last week to 3%, with the president on 48% to Romney's 45%. A nationwide poll released on September 14th by CBS News and the New York Times showed Mr Obama with a three-percentage-point edge among likely voters. Mother Jones has more video posted on its website and promises to provide much more.
