(Newser)
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Never explain, never apologize seems to be the strategy Mitt Romney is following after he was caught on a video obtained by Mother Jones calling half of American voters freeloaders. His comments, he admits, were not "elegantly stated," Romney told reporters last night in California. "I'm speaking off the cuff in response to a question." Nevertheless, he's standing by his statements at a private fundraiser of wealthy donors earlier this year, in which he said that 47% of voters pay no income tax, are "dependent on the government, and believe they are victims," adding: "My job is not to worry about these people; I’ll never convince them" to "take responsibility and care for their lives."
Romney said last night that his positions behind closed doors are the same as his public statements, reports the Washington Post. "We have a very different approach, the president and I, between a government-dominated society and a society driven by free people pursuing their dreams,” Romney added. “My campaign is about helping people take more responsibility and becoming employed again. This is ultimately a question about direction for the country." Check out what Mother Jones and the New York Times have to say about the voters, largely poor, Romney was talking about; and Reuters' takes a look at the taxes Romney pays, according to the two tax returns he has released.
