Romney's '47%' Filmer: You Can Thank Bill Clinton

Former prez inspired barman to bring camera to Mitt event
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 13, 2013 2:50 AM CDT

President Obama has Bill Clinton to thank—indirectly—for the 47% tape that helped doom Mitt Romney's campaign, the Huffington Post finds. The bartender who filmed Romney's now-infamous remarks at a private fundraiser had worked at an event where Clinton shook hands with all the staff and posed for photos after speaking. Hoping for a photo with Romney, he brought his camera to the candidate's fundraiser and ended up using it to record the remarks.

Romney—who rushed out after the fundraiser without talking to any of the staff—told guests his remarks were off the record but didn't say the same to the staff, says the bartender, who will be interviewed on MSNBC's Ed Show tonight. He says that after hearing Romney's remarks, he felt it was his "civic duty" to share them. He put his video on YouTube, where it was spotted and brought to the attention of Mother Jones by none other than James Carter IV—Jimmy Carter's grandson. (More Mitt Romney stories.)

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