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Romney Explains His 'Mistake' in 47% Remarks

He directed them in response to one ranting supporter, forgetting the bigger picture

(Newser) - The day's buzziest political story is one from next week's New York Times ' Sunday Magazine with the provocative headline, "Mitt Isn't Ready to Call It Quits." The story by Mark Leibovich doesn't drop any 2016 bombshells, but it observes that Romney is "...

Republicans Get Smarter About Poverty
Republicans Get Smarter
About Poverty
OPINION

Republicans Get Smarter About Poverty

Doyle McManus: Income equality is not a partisan issue

(Newser) - Republicans seem to have shifted thinking about income inequality and the plight of poor people, writes Doyle McManus in the Los Angeles Times . Conservative stalwarts Paul Ryan and Marco Rubio are among those pitching proposals to help low-income Americans make ends meet, perhaps learning a lesson from Mitt Romney's...

Romney's '47%' Filmer: You Can Thank Bill Clinton

Former prez inspired barman to bring camera to Mitt event

(Newser) - President Obama has Bill Clinton to thank—indirectly—for the 47% tape that helped doom Mitt Romney's campaign, the Huffington Post finds. The bartender who filmed Romney's now-infamous remarks at a private fundraiser had worked at an event where Clinton shook hands with all the staff and posed...

Obama Offered Big Thanks for 47% Tape: Carter

Video 'a major factor' in Obama victory, says ex-president

(Newser) - When President Obama met Jimmy Carter's grandson last week—the guy reportedly behind the infamous Mitt Romney "47%" tape —the president "ran across the room, embraced him and thanked him profusely for his time," the elder Carter told CNN's Piers Morgan, per Politico . "...

The Best Quote of 2012 Is...
 The Best Quote 
 of 2012 Is... 
in case you missed it

The Best Quote of 2012 Is...

Mitt Romney's '47%' remark

(Newser) - Mitt Romney's comments about 47% of the population being dependent on the government and "binders full of women" topped this year's best quotes, according to a Yale University librarian. "Debate remarks and gaffes actually seemed to play an important role in the ups and downs of...

Irony Alert: Romney May End Up With 47% of Votes

It's a 'perfect conclusion' to Romney saga: Greg Sargent

(Newser) - Mitt Romney's favorite percentage may come back to haunt him. Votes have only been completely tallied in 10 states thus far, and it's looking more and more like Romney will finish with just under 47.5% of the vote, writes Greg Sargent for the Washington Post . When rounded,...

Obama: Romney's a Bullsh***er

President gives wide-ranging cover interview with 'Rolling Stone'

(Newser) - President Obama sat for a wide-ranging cover interview with Rolling Stone, and took a not-very-subtle jab at his opponent right off the bat, reports Politico , which notes the president's "genuine disdain" for Mitt Romney. When told by his interviewer that his 6-year-old told him to tell the president,...

Paul Ryan: Let's Make America 'a Tax Shelter'

... and consider Americans either 'makers' or 'takers'

(Newser) - Mother Jones has dug up two more politically charged videos—these of Paul Ryan describing a rather Ayn Randian economic vision for America. In one , he told American Business Magazine last year that the US should make its tax rates competitively low: "Let's make this country a...

Romney: 47% Remark 'Completely Wrong'

He walks back remarks in Fox News interview

(Newser) - President Obama didn't bring up Mitt Romney's "47%" remarks during their debate Wednesday night, so the response Romney had waiting went to Fox's Sean Hannity instead. "Clearly in a campaign with hundreds if not thousands of speeches and question-and-answer sessions, now and then you're...

Romney in '85: Bain Will 'Harvest' Companies

'Mother Jones' airs another video

(Newser) - Mother Jones is out with another Mitt Romney video, this one from all the way back in 1985, when he was explaining what the new Bain Capital was all about. The choice quote:
  • "Bain Capital is an investment partnership which was formed to invest in startup companies and
...

Harry Reid: Mitt Romney Has 'Sullied' Mormonism

'He is not the face' of the religion, fellow Mormon Reid says

(Newser) - Harry Reid is a Mormon, and he wants you to know that Mitt Romney is not the poster boy for his religion, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. Speaking on a conference call Friday about Romney's upcoming visit to Nevada, where many Mormons live, Reid said that he agrees with...

Myths About the '47%'
  Myths About the '47%' 
analysis

Myths About the '47%'

For starters, they do pay taxes, just not federal income tax

(Newser) - Now that "the 47%" is officially a thing thanks to Mitt Romney's video , the Washington Post debunks some misconceptions about the group in its Five Myths feature, including:
  • They pay no taxes: It's true that about 47% of Americans pay no federal income tax, but most of
...

Ann Romney to Mitt's Critics: Stop It

'You want to try it? Get in the ring,' she says

(Newser) - This hasn't been a great week for the Romney campaign, but Ann Romney has had quite enough of hearing fellow Republicans criticize her husband. "Stop it. This is hard. You want to try it? Get in the ring," she said during an interview with Radio Iowa yesterday....

Stewart: 47% Gaffe Turns Fox Into 'Bulls#%t Mountain'

Daily Show host asks who the real moochers are

(Newser) - Jon Stewart did what he does best on last night's Daily Show : Made fun of Fox News, or as he calls it, "Romney Campaign Headquarters." In a segment hilariously titled "Chaos on Bullshit Mountain," Stewart ran through the network's oft-contradictory attempts to spin Romney'...

Romney: I'm All About 'the 100%'

Candidate repeats new favorite line over and over

(Newser) - Mitt Romney wants to make absolutely sure you know that he's not for the 1%, and he's not against the 47%: The candidate is for all 100% of the US. He repeated the figure four times last night during a speech in Florida, starting with this declaration: "...

67% Say They're Romney's 47%
 67% Say They're Romney's 47% 
NEW POLL

67% Say They're Romney's 47%

But it probably won't decide how they vote

(Newser) - Mitt Romney's description of 47% of the electorate as handout-grabbers wasn't exactly a rousing success with much of the electorate, an Ipsos/ Reuters poll finds. Some 43% of those polled said the video of Romney talking to Florida donors made them view the Republican nominee less favorably, while...

Ryan: Romney 'Obviously Inarticulate' in 47% Video

Republicans panicking as critics line up

(Newser) - Paul Ryan tried to massage his running mate's 47% faux pas yesterday in an interview with KRNV-TV in Nevada. "He was obviously inarticulate in making this point," Ryan said. "The point we're trying to make here is, under the Obama economy government dependency is up....

Romney Defends Remarks, as Obama Takes a Dig

Republican goes on Fox to clarify views

(Newser) - Mitt Romney took to Neil Cavuto's show on Fox News today to defend his comments that 47% of Americans don't pay taxes and see themselves as "victims" who depend on the government, reports Politico . He may be taking plenty of heat , but Romney sees this as a...

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