On this Sunday's Up with Chris Hayes, an economic adviser to Mitt Romney endorsed his candidate's now-famous remarks about 47 percent of Americans. Emil Henry, an adviser to the Romney campaign and former Assistant Treasury Secretary in the George W. Bush administration, told MSNBC's Chris Hayes, "I heard many, including I think you, and Rachel Maddow, and others, saying how Governor Romney was doubling down on, thematically, what he was saying there. And I'll tell you what, I will triple down on it this morning."
The remarks Henry reaffirmed were made by Romney in May at a private fundraiser. In footage of the event which was made public last week, Romney is heard referring to the "47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what," and who, he says, are "dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it."
Romney has since stood by the substance of those remarks, while saying that they were not "elegantly stated." He has since weathered criticism from both the left and even some members of his own party.
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Romoney is done, stick a fork in him!
emil henry is such a smug pompous privileged white man
neckface...The problem is that Romney is not done because there are people out there who will vote for him no matter what. Do you know why? Because Obama is black. Not everyone voting for Romney is a bigot, but, he does have quite a few who are and we need to counteract this by voting for Obama 2012 and helping others to get out and vote. I am wheelchair bound so I absentee ballot. I encourage others to do the same.
I absolutely agree with you, we Democrats need to make sure we have an epic turn out .... especially to off set that GOP"s Campaign of Voter Suppression, which they publicly have touted as Romney's avenue to winning the Presidency.
This is a Bush strategy of never being wrong. At the end of 8 years in office, he was asked, if during that time, he ever made a mistake. He replied, "None that I can think of." Another gotcha question by the lame stream media. If Romney wins, 100% will be victims of Romney's and conservative Republicans outlook on "fixing" government ie dismantle services instead of reform them. Anybody think vouchers are good for senior citizens? Women's reproductive rights? Look at the Republican platform.
Mitt Romney would not even be running for president, if his father hadn't got help when he needed it from Uncle Sam. What a moocher his ol' man was!
46 million people are on food stamps because of the economic disaster that was given to obama. These guys want to conveniently forget about that. Obama, like everyone, does not want anyone to have to be on food stamps. Large amounts of people are on food stamps, dip@!$%#, when the economy is in a downturn and people are out of work.
In point of fact, the percentage of people recieving TANF (cash assistance) and or SNAP (foodstamps) benefits is only 8%. When Romney said 47%, he was speaking of the numbers of Americans who don't pay income tax. What he PRESUMED was that those people were 100% lazy good fornothing welfare recipients who refused to even look for jobs. What is true is that the predominant percentage is a mixture of people who are seniors, and recieve Medicare and Social Security, and are exempt from taxes, the working poor who dont make enough money to have a tax liability, disabled American veterans, and actively deployed military personel who are tax exempt, and the unfortunate aforementioned 8%. His statements are not only factually inaccurate, but pompous and callous in nature. Unfortunaetly, a good portion of his voter base falls into the 47% but will still vote against their own best interests in favor of an ideology that is racist and ignorant.
Shame on Henry. This candidate and his surrogates really don't get it. They seem to be deaf to the cries of the 47% (I'm included in that number).
Romney thinks that he is entitled to the presidency. May start with not writing off half of America....
They also forget that there are people that have retired or are disabled that are part of that 47%. They also neglect to mention that a lot of (what) they call Government Handouts. That it is the Corporations, The Banks, Wall Street and of course The Oil Barron's that get these handouts. Which our (47%) Payroll Taxes have paid in to their coffers. Now if they call $200.00 a month for food a lot per person. I would really love to see any of these rich snub nosed that think they don't have to pay their fair share live on $200.00 a month of food. But also they forget that $7.25 barely pays the bills if at all. Wow the 47% are really making a killing on income, yeah right. Wake up you rich jerks.
I am one of those 47%. I make $7.25 an hour and am only getting about 24 hours a week, give or take a couple of hours. I do get energy assistance but don't qualify for anything else.
I know now, I am a victim of a number of my own bad decisions.
And Veterans.
One of the advantages to having surrogates in a conversation, especially when they consistantly stay within their talking points, is that they, again and again, drive home thoughts that are easily recognized by any viewing voter. Allows the undecided to finally make a decision and the decided to confirm, with passion, their own position.
agree VERY POMPUS AS THEY ALL ARE!!! They always go back to entitlements . I worked 42 yrs for my entitlements and I WANT THEM...Who do these people think they are...OR AS WE ARE CALLED "THOSE PEOPLE"... idiots
Here's a Triple Down for you: Morons advising Morons in a party of Morons!!!
And you wonder why Romney is fading into oblivion. He could not defeat McCain in Florida in the last primary because he had such an ineffective staff and they continue to work their magic. The man who loves to fire people, can't fire his own incompetent staff members. He has never owned and operated his own business, he has advised and restructured other businesses started by other people and it shows.
these people are paying the lowest taxes since the 1920's and they are still complaining they pay to much. they want the 99% to pay more so they can get a bigger cut. they should be ashamed but greed is shamless.
I agree with so many of you in that I believe Romney is done. I have never seen anything like this in politics. I pray the America people stand their ground and say no to Romney, the Tea Party, Republican Congressmen and Women, and Senators.
Mr. Emil Henry is a very arrogant speaker. He's perfect for Romney, suits him to a T.
Everything about Mitt Romney shows how much disdain he has for regular people. Worst Presidential cOndidate ever...Willard Mitt Romney.
I didn't see the show, but I can say that the Romney/GOP mantra that it's horrible that half our people or dependent on government forgets one essential thing: in the USA, the government IS the people. (Remember that 'of, by and for' part?)
Yes. Precisely! And the current Republican mouthpieces do not define which people they would like that
essentially American element to include.
If I never hear the term *double down* or this new idiocy *triple down* it will be wayyy too soon.
Ignorant comments are ignorant comments. A person proudly reiterating how ignorant their comments are is just another sign of how low the intelligence level of these immature people can plunge.
If I never hear the "double down" term again, that would be fine with me. Regardless, Emil Henry came across as an incredibly arrogant and cynical man. It would really be nice to have someone that could relate to us "commoners" regarding who and what "The Romney" is all about. It has become so abundantly clear that Mr. Romney has surrounded himself with those that both think and live as he does. Insane wealth with equal amounts of arrogant and dismissive beliefs regarding the American middle class. Does Romney have any surrogate or adviser that can speak effectively to the vast majority of Americans? It appears not.
One of the guests, near the end of the show, stipulated that anyone paying 14% rather than at least 17% of their income in taxes was, no doubt, a cheater. While I believe that is true if you reduce your tax burden by hiding cash and stocks in a Swiss bank account or the Cayman Is, many people who have legitimately made some money reduce their tax burden by investing in tax-free municipal bonds that help states and municipalities fund their programs and pay their employees. There is nothing wrong with this. It is one way to invest in America.
The extreme repubs live in an alien universe and most are Androids. No other way to explain their stupidity. Its not Romney's campaign folks, but Romney's android brain clicking off appalling remarks.
It is always a dangerous and disastrous thing to mix ignorance and arrogance together.
Since when aren't all entitled to food, healthcare and a roof over their heads?
WE aren't we're entitled to life, Liberty and the Persuit of happiness. We won't let you starve or go naked, but I for one am NOT supportinig you!
I am part of Mr. Romney's 53%. I have worked hard all my life. And I pay taxes. Lots of taxes.
I have never received food stamps, but never begrudged helping those who needed them. I have never needed to use unemployment insurance, but never thought it "wrong" to use something that individuals pay into for just such emergencies. I have never used Medicare, but believe it is a good system I have paid for and that, with careful management, will be there when I need it. I have yet to take social security, but have paid into it my whole working life and expect and demand that it be there for me and for my children and grandchildren.
I am sick of Mr. Romney. His vision of America is NOT mine. And want him to go very far away very very soon.
It would be good if the Republicans keep on betting on Romney's "47% remark". There's no better way I can think of to hasten their slide to minority status throughout the country.
What Romney said, inelegantly or otherwise, was what the Republicans think. And if any Republicans are angry with him, it's not for what he said but for the fact that he told the truth about what the Republicans represent. Bravo!
It's a good thing for the country that this came out as loudly and clearly as it did. And it's good that it's among the few things that Romney has said in the past 10 years that he hasn't tried to unsay later.
To me, the most offensive thing that Romney said is that 47% of the population thinks they are VICTIMS. Saying after the fact that he wants to help "all Americans" does not erase his clear contempt for half of the country. Why does he want to be president is he feels that way about his own country?
Romney Hood and his band of privileged thieves can't understand why hungry people in need would ever want sustenance even though they can't work for it since Bush destroyed the world's economy and job stability for the 47%. When the U.S. suffers the rest of the world is affected in a falling domino type effect
It will be a sad day in America and the rest of the world if Rommney is electd preident. we will have a band of neo cons telling us what we can and can't do.He will radically alter the Supreme Court withright winged jurists as well as his cabinet. I work in the automotive sector I praise president Obamma for saving our industry and my job along with my fellow autoworkers. we all have to get out and stop the Rommney circus
Please believe me that the vast majority of those voting against Bozo isn't because he's black, it's because he's dangerously ignorant and will destroy this country. He's well on the way--prob;lem most voters are too ignorant to see it! I ask you to count the number of voters who will vot. e for him BECVAUSE he's black