BWAHAHA! Jim DeMint calls on Romney to "reframe" his "I'm not concerned about the very poor" remarks

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Last edited Wed Feb 1, 2012, 04:43 PM - Edit history (1)

Just now, on Martin Bashir's MSNBC show, so no link.

Said that all "downstream" Republicans are now all going to be cleaning up the mess every time Romney gets near a microphone.

[PearliePoo2]

1. "Downstream ReThugs" AKA....

the "Back-pedaling Bastards".

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

5. And a mighty yellow stream it is. nt

[SlimJimmy]

2. I listened to the quote on CNN and it was not exactly as the OP stated. Romney actually said he was

not concerned with the very poor because they already have a safety net available to them. When pushed on it by Solidad O'brian, he said if the net had some holes in it he would work to fix them. That really does change the quote quite significantly from what is implied here. I really dislike it when we (Democrats) set ourselves up for failure when we misquote, or quote out of context things the Repubs say. We have more than enough ammunition on Romney without reaching for things.

This is no different than Gingrich saying Romney hates Jews because he didn't allow the inclusion of kosher foods on a state program. It really makes Gingrich look petty when he tries to get by with that kind of stuff.

Just my two cents.

[redqueen]

6. I didn't notice much difference...

Maybe I'm thinking of different threads, but I saw the full quote - he doesn't care because of the safety net.

I'm glad you mentioned the part where he said 'if' it has holes, he'll work to fix them. The fact that he doesn't know the holes are even there shows him to be just as callous in his disregard of the poor as the original snippet. No lost context at all IMO.

[rurallib]

9. I have seen the quote a couple times

and it sure looked to me like he said he didn't care - then clarified with a bullshit statement about safety nets which he appears to have little real knowledge of.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

11. I posted the quote with all of the background in a different thread

It's also been discussed to death on DU. I think there are few, if any, DUers who don't understand the context. And if there are, and that means Romney's remarks become "misunderstood" by this thread, I'm going to be very, very honest with you, and give you my two cents worth as well: I don't give a fuck. I seriously do not. Romney made the remark. DeMint called on him to reframe it. That's the sole content and intention of my thread. You wrote what you wrote because you felt you had to. I don't feel I have to so I didn't.

[SlimJimmy]

18. So, I'm supposed to track down your original thread for background? You can't be serious.

To be honest, at this point, I really don't GAF either.

I posted the quote with all of the background in a different thread

[Angry Dragon]

12. It is not a reach

First he says the safety net is fine, then he says he will fix the holes if there are any.
How can you say you will fix them if you do not know they exist and do not know what they are??

[yellowcanine]

13. I don't think it gets dismissed that easily..... For one thing, the vaunted "safety net" does have a

lot of holes in it which don't go away because someone says "if there are holes I will fix them." That is way too glib. And besides his party is actively trying to poke more holes in the safety net and downplaying the need for it with even more glib talk about cutting taxes and having the resulting economic growth lift all boats as it were.

Second, when given the opportunity to expand on his remarks this is what he said,

"We will hear from the Democrat party, the plight of the poor.... You can focus on the very poor, that's not my focus....

He goes on to say that his focus is the middle class. How is it not legitimate to point out that Mitt is downplaying the plight of the poor in favor of the middle class and is not really willing to pay attention to their needs? If he is not going to "focus on the poor" as President, how is he going to see those holes in the safety net to fix? Doesn't a President have to "focus" on everyone who is hurting? He can't pick and choose. And if there is any more focus on one group vs another, shouldn't it be on the people who are hurting the most? Remember also that Mitt and other Republicans have been leveling a charge of "class warfare" (their language, not ours) against Obama for the past couple of years. So how are statements like this not fair game for criticism?

[BumRushDaShow]

3. So DeMint thinks that Gingrich is any better?

Really? Or that his own sorry ass is too?

[librechik]

4. What a shame! We'll get right on that!

[kskiska]

7. Since when

has DeMint been concerned about the poor?

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

8. Or idiotic statements for that matter? nt

[hifiguy]

10. How far does a Repuke's head need to be up his ass

for even DeMent to notice it?

[WI_DEM]

14. sometimes I think we are getting all these snafus too early in the campaign.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

17. Excellent point.

Karl Rove METICULOUSLY COLLECTED these kinds of things as they happened. If we have someone doing the same, they'll come back to bite Mitt on his ass. If not, these moments basically came and went.

[JNelson6563]

15. Can't unring that bell.

And frankly I think it has a nice ring to it. The sort of ring that sounds like Democratic victory.

Julie

[izquierdista]

16. Ixnay on the oorpay!

There might be white people among that bunch. Now DeMint has to clarify that it was very poor black and brown people that Mitt was talking about before the (dim) bulbs go on in the minds of his base.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

19. I love to see them 'eating their own'

[Odin2005]

20. Notice that it's all about "framing", facts are irrelavent.

The Right has gone PoMo.