Louis Armstrong
It's kind of like saying "I'm not concerned with Americas workers rights, they have unions after all.". Don't you notice any disconect there?

Caminante Nocturno
The controversy is that the republican party has spent the last 30-odd years destroying both the middle class and the social safety net, and now their leading candidate is acting like they haven't.

Siebenstein
Points taken.
I guess what I dislike about this is the "he finally said it out loud"-spin.

BroodMother
The point is that the people are relying on the safety net. We should create an environment where they don't need the safety net, rather than saying, "hey, I don't care about them, they get the little that welfare provides them."

StanleyPain
I'll explain the controversy. The controversy is that a man running for president in 2012 uttered the words "I'm not concerned with the poor" out of his mouth (regardless of the context) after proposing the following during his campaign:
1. We effectively end Medicare as it exists.
2. We reduce taxes on the richest people in the country to the point where they basically pay nothing at all then get nearly 6 trillion dollars given to them, bankrupting the nation's infrastructure of social systems and safety nets, for no discernible reason other than rich people scratching each others backs.
3. We increase the taxes on the lowest income people to the point where the now-record numbers of people not paying their taxes will probably increase to virtually NO ONE paying their taxes.
4. We basically end all welfare except, of course, corporate welfare which we basically deregulate and expand beyond all comprehension to where wealthy CEOs get a routine paycheck from the government for doing us the favor of living and breathing and walking around.

cognitivedissonance
Let's not forget the end-run unstated goal, to take away voting privileges from anybody on the dole. Granted, there will be nothing to take away by then, but this has been a long running and entirely unmentioned purpose for 30 years.

pastorofmuppets
"Voters who find it easy to get credit think voters who don't are lazy, and I will pretend they're right"

memedumpster
Obama has a half a billion dollar war chest, Mitt Romney is nowhere near the money wave. He is floundering in the money tide pool wrestling a jellyfish.

Jet Bin Fever
You blew my mind with the imagery there.

fatatty
It doesn't help that in December he said this:

"Cutting welfare spending dramatically, I don't think will hurt the poor."

So he's not worried about them because they have welfare...which he will cut dramatically...so then they won't have a safety net...

Maybe he'll worry about the poor once he starts attacking their safety net and puts holes in it. Which he'll then have to fix...which will mean increasing spending...which he'll have to then cut...but then...

It's really hard being Mitt Romney.

IrishWhiskey
Really? Because between there very rich and very poor, Romney has a lot of policies to increase the benefits to one group, and slash away at them to another.

Also 15% of Americans live in poverty, most of them children, many disabled. 22% now rely on food stamps. 40% of Americans are only one or two missed paychecks away from being in poverty. Meanwhile the very rich are known as the 1% for a reason. They aren't equal groups.

Cena_mark
Neither I or Romney said they were equal. I'm just trying to say what Romney meant to say before the reporter and the rest of POETV quote mined him. Romney said he cares about the middle class and sure some of the middle class does depend on food stamps. I know an E-5 with four kids who relies on food stamps.
I'm sure Romney sincerely will work to help the middle class and that this isn't just him trying to get votes.

BroodMother
Mitt Romney's an asshole. He probably considers it routine maintenance to bleach his ass.

mashedtater
but cena he is a presidential candidate and he just said - i am not concerned about the very poor _because they have safety nets_.

theres nothing that bothers you about any human being who wants our highest seat of power saying that? nada?

Cena_mark
Romney acknowledged the safety nets. You act as though he said he'd take said safety nets away, he didn't.

Scrotum H. Vainglorious
That E-5 should have gotten a god damn vasectomy. Protip: if you can barely afford to feed yourself then don't have kids.

Cena_mark
No he had food stamps because of the kids. He'd feed himself just fine on his salary. Also Scrotum that's plain heartless. The guy is working hard and serving the country. I wouldn't begrudge him getting some food stamps.

Oscar Wildcat
Yeah Scrot, I personally am proud to live in a country where we spend 1/2 trillion dollars a year on the military and active duty servicemen need food stamps to feed their kids. BTW, is it possible to take out insurance policies on you guys so when you get capped I ca$h out? It seems like the patriotic thing to do...

Cena_mark
He also said he's not concerned about the rich. Are guys just the first 8 seconds of this clip?

joelkazoo
For You.

Craptabulous
YOU DON'T GET MORPHINE AS A MEDIC ON BATTLEFIELD.

Fucking CoD players.

Caminante Nocturno
"Quick, use this healing spray on your teammate while I check my inventory for a first aid kit! And don't forget to repair your armor!"

Jet Bin Fever
yeah, thanks for that. It at least makes me feel 1% better about the whole thing.