Posted on 03/13/2013 5:34:46 AM PDT by wesagain
In what was one of the last mysteries of the 2012 presidential campaign, the worker who taped Mitt Romney saying at a private fundraiser that 47 percent of Americans are too dependent on government is finally coming forward.
While the man has still not been publicly identified, the Huffington Post reports it was a bartender working at the event who taped Romney. The man will give his first public interview to MSNBC’s “The Ed Show” on Wednesday night.
The bartender tells the Huffington Post he had brought the camera to the event after working a previous fundraiser where former President Bill Clinton had come backstage and posed for photos with the staff. Thinking Romney might do the same, the bartender brought along his Canon camera.
But Romney, who was running late, did not speak to the staff. The bartender decided to tape the GOP candidate’s remarks but tells MSNBC he debated about whether to make it public. While Romney had told guests at the event that his remarks were off the record, he had not made the same admonition to those working at the event.
“In the end I really felt like it had to be put out,” the bartender tells MSNBC. “I felt I owed it to the people that couldn’t afford to be there themselves to hear what he really thought.”
Romney's remarks were taped at a May 2012 fundraiser in Florida. In the video, which was made public by Mother Jones last September, Romney was taped telling supporters that backers of President Barack Obama are 'victims' and dependent on the government.
“There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what," Romney said. "There are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon......
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
How did this guy not go to jail?
In Florida he had to get consent of everyone in that room to tape them.
Plus it was edited and taken out of context.
Claims to be a-political? Loved Clinton paying attention to them last time and owed the IRS 15k. I don’t buy it and this guy should IMO be booked for illegal recordings as anyone else would.
I don’t know, but I know that it was a scary and stupid remark for a presidential hopeful to make.
It is troubling that Romney nor anyone else can even define what he meant or who he meant, it almost sounds like some goofy Mormon mind mushiness, just sloppy confused thinking with no sense to be found in it.
Romney has a history of bizarre gaffes, pathological lying, and just making things up off the top of his head that he seems to believe, yet are insane.
It was edited selectivly out of context, so of course it was used like a weapon.
It is true, 47% are on either government employment or the welfare dole and don’t get politically moved by being offered tax cuts because they don’t pay taxes.
The above is the whole problem with America now. Everyone needs to pay some tax and have an interest in keeping taxes low since it would also hurt them, but some don’t pay anything and vote themselves the treasury.
Another main thing missing from many in our country is any sense of shame.
If it is clear then why did Romney react the way he did, and couldn’t explain it, nor any of his supporters.
Collecting a government check has nothing to do with voting democrat, nor does not owing taxes in a given year.
The military, the SS collecting age group, retired military, probably most of the federal law enforcement and retired, are majority GOP voters, many of us good old boys who don’t owe any income taxes are also right wingers.
The social security crowd, many of whom owe no taxes are a majority GOP vote.
No candidate should be so dismissive of half of America, Romney lost because he is an out of touch idiot, with no connection to the American people, statements like that highlight that disconnect.
Romney did say it was edited.
He could not go after the guy personally for illegal taping because that would look worse, but it isn’t his job to go after that guy for that. The DA in Florida should have hauled the guy into jail, especially when it went national IMO.
“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 then continues to say: “[M]y job is is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”
Here is Romney’s response:
“Well, clearly in a campaign, with hundreds if not thousands of speeches and question-and-answer sessions, now and then you’re going to say something that doesn’t come out right. In this case, I said something that’s just completely wrong.
“And I absolutely believe, however, that my life has shown that I care about 100 percent and that’s been demonstrated throughout my life. And this whole campaign is about the 100 percent. When I become president, it will be about helping the 100 percent.”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.