Romney: 'I'm Not Concerned About the Very Poor'

He says safety net will take care of them
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 1, 2012 9:07 AM CST

Mitt Romney delivered yet another grade-A attack ad sound bite today, saying he was "not concerned about the very poor." In an interview with Soledad O'Brien this morning on CNN, Romney said he was in the race because "I care about Americans. I'm not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there; if it needs repair, I'll fix it. I'm not concerned about the very rich, they're doing just fine. I'm concerned about the very heart of America."

When O'Brien pressed him on what he'd just said, Romney stood by it. "We will hear from the Democratic party (about) the plight of the poor," he said. "But my campaign is focused on middle-income Americans." The poor he argued have a "very ample safety net," including food stamps, Medicaid, and housing vouchers. The Washington Post calls the comments a "fumble," and notes that it's also something of a flip-flop; just two weeks ago Romney said, "I'm concerned about the poor in this country." (More Mitt Romney stories.)

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