Romney calls for a tax policy that will help "us" in the middle class
Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney talks to participants at a town hall meeting in Miami, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011. Romney discussed his plans to improve the economy, create jobs and protect Social Security and then take questions.
/ Alan DiazMIAMI - Mitt Romney suggested Wednesday that he feels the pain of the middle class.
At a town hall meeting here, the millionaire GOP presidential contender told his audience that he favors a tax policy that will help "those who have been hurt by the Obama economy."
"And that's the middle class," Romney continued. "It's not those in the low end; it's certainly not those in the very high end. It's for the great middle class - the 80 to 90 percent of us in this country."
A look at Romney's personal financial disclosure form, however, reveals he's in the bracket that President Obama is targeting with his proposed "Buffett rule" to tax millionaires. An analysis of Romney's 28-page accounting of his wealth by the Boston Globe earlier this year put the former Massachusetts governor's net worth at between $190 million and $250 million.
It's not the first time Romney has raised eyebrows by attempting to identify with Americans struggling with the economy. On an earlier visit to Florida this summer, he told a group of jobless workers: "I'm also unemployed."
Recent statistics call into question Romney's assertion that lower-income earners aren't hurting in the current economy: According to a Census report last week, the percentage of Americans living in poverty is up to 15.1 percent, the highest level in 18 years.
Popular in Politics
- Obama forgets to salute while boarding Marine One Play Video
- The Ted Cruz conundrum
- Petraeus biographer regrets affair
- As summer approaches, sequestration threatens holiday fun
- IRS' Lerner was asked to resign, refused: GOP Sen. 200 Comments
- Senator: Oklahoma "hit hard, but we're not knocked out"
- GOP Rep.: Obama elected because of Reagan's immigration reforms
- Obama prom pictures surface
How come...he said that the rich should not be taxed more despite the economic downturn. In the past, during recession, the rich tax will be 80% sir.
In US, the rich is very close to politicians and can persuade them to do anything...and this is one of the true example.
It is a kind of corruption
Mitt, you worthless piece of human waste.
What he represents is the ruling elite.
His inane remark that 80%-90% of America is in the middle class just shows how out of touch he is.
Does he know about the 44 million Americans on food stamps?
Does he know that the poverty level just hit an all time record high?
Does he know that the middle class has been squeezed into oblivion by layoffs, foreclosures, falling 401K values, and a dramatically higher cost of living?
Game show hosts like Perry make me want to throw up about the state of America today.
Give me someone of character, principle, and belief.
Give me Ron Paul.
Obama also didn't have money. Obama was raised by his grandparents in a Hawaii apartment and needed scholarships and student loans to go to college. Loans that were just paid off a couple of years ago.
If we're talking historically, it's true that most came from priviledge (FDR, JFK, Bushs, etc - LONG list) but not all. Ab Lincoln, Andrew jackson, and Hoover came from poor backgrounds too. That's off the top of my head. I'm no historian, but I have the history channel so I pick up a few things.
What an incredible display of horrible journalism by this reporter. It's just another example of how CBSNews staffers inject their own political bias into what is supposed to be objective news reporting.