Romney Insults 47% of Americans, Stands by Remark

Former Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney speaks at a Republican National Convention farewell victory rally at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida, USA, 31 August 2012. EPA/BGNES

A secretly recorded video has surfaced revealing a controversial comment made by Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, depicting many Americans as "victims" dependent on government.

In the video, recorded at a closed-door fundraiser earlier this year, Romney states that "there are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what."

"All right -- there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent on government, who believe that, that they are victims, who believe that government has the responsibility to care for them," he argued.

He added that as a candidate for the White House, "my job is not to worry about those people."

The video came from a May 17 fundraiser at the Boca Raton, Florida and was obtained by Mother Jones.

Incumbent President Barack Obama's campaign called the video "shocking."

"It's hard to serve as president for all Americans when you've disdainfully written off half the nation," Obama campaign manager Jim Messina has declared in a statement, as cited by international media.

The Republican presidential candidate said that his comments were made while "speaking off the cuff".

"It's not elegantly stated," Romney said at a news conference in California.

"I'm sure I could state it more clearly in a more effective way than I did in a setting like that."

He claimed that he wanted to "help all Americans."

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!