Romney On 47 Percent: ‘I Said Something That’s Just Completely Wrong’

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Mitt Romney’s secretly taped comment about “47 percent” of Americans never made an appearance in last night’s presidential debate. But on Sean Hannity’s show on Fox tonight, Mitt Romney was asked what his response would have been had the debate moderator Jim Lehrer, or President Obama, confronted the candidate about the tape.

Here’s his answer, portions of which likely would have been prepared ahead of the debate:

“Well, clearly in a campaign with hundreds if not thousands of 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 the 100 percent and that has been demonstarted throughout my life. This whole campaign is about the 100 percent. When I become president it’ll be about helping the 100 percent.”

In a press conference shortly after the tape was released by Mother Jones, Romney took a different position. He then said that while his comments were “not elegantly stated” and “off the cuff,” they were still “a message which I’m going to carry and continue to carry, which is look, the president’s approach is attractive to people who are not paying taxes because my discussion about lowering taxes isn’t as attractive to them.” 

 

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