Earlier this week, Mitt Romney told CNN's Soledad O'Brien that he was "not concerned about the very poor." But in an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity on Thursday, he says that wasn't what he meant.
Mediatite reports:
In an interview Thursday night with Fox News’ Sean Hannity,
“I misspoke,” Romney acknowledged. “I wish I wouldn’t have said it that way. I made the same thought part of my speeches over the last year or two, which is that I’m really concerned about middle-income Americans. I want to help middle-income Americans. I want to get people out of poverty, into the middle-income category.”
“But I’m concerned and worried about all Americans,” Romney added. “And I want to make sure our safety net is appropriately able to care for our poor. I’m concerned about all citizens, but now and then you misspeak. You have to acknowledge it — it was something I did not intend to say in the way it was said but I recognize that’s part of the political process.”
Like his similar "I like being able to fire people" gaffe, the original comment might have slipped under the radar if it didn't reflect what was already a widespread perception of Romney as an out-of-touch rich guy lacking compassion for people who are struggling. Still, no one should be choosing a candidate based on a five-second clip in the first place. Americans of all income levels would do better to draw conclusions from politicians' stated policy positions — which can't be dismissed as "out of context" — than their sound bites and verbal slipups.
Read more at Mediaite.
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