Mitt Romney Explains Remark On "Very Poor"
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(Gage Skidmore, Creative Commons)
“I'm not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there. If it needs a repair , I'll fix it,” the former Massachusetts governor said. “I'm not concerned about the very rich.... I'm concerned about the very heart of America, the 90 to 95 percent of Americans who right now are struggling.”
Romney clarified his remarks by explaining that the U.S. has a “safety net” for the poor, which includes food stamps, housing vouchers and Medicaid.
“There's no question it's not good being poor... but my campaign is focused on middle income Americans... people who can't find work, folks that have kids that are getting ready for college,” he said.
Some conservative pundits blasted Romney on Thursday, suggesting Romney is providing more fodder for those who want to cast him as an out-of-touch elite politician.
“Taken in context, it's understandable,” said conservative political commentator Rush Limbaugh. “But I even have a problem with this in context.”
Limbaugh also said that Romney “comes across as the prototypical rich Republican,” arguing it will be harder for him to go after Obama because of it.
Romney leads Newt Gingrich by six percent nationally according to poll results from Harris Interactive released Monday. The poll also shows that in a general election match-up, Romney and Obama would be tied while Gingrich, who is preferred among social conservatives, would be unsuccessful against President Obama.
