Romney gives cash to jobless campaign volunteer

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, holds up seven-month-old Ellen Whitaker as he campaigns at American Legion Post 15 in Sumter, S.C., Jan. 14, 2012.

/ AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

SUMTER, S.C. -- Mitt Romney reached into his pocket Saturday after a rally here and gave a handful of bills to an unemployed woman who started volunteering in his campaign offices this week.

Ruth Williams, 55, of Colombia, said she was at a stop sign along I-26 on Wednesday when she saw the Romney campaign bus pull through town in the Columbia area. "I was on the highway praying and said God tell me how to get [my house] lights on, and I pulled up to a stop sign and his bus was there," she said.

Williams said she followed the bus to the airport "because the Lord told me. It sounds strange but he really did. I mean God really talked to me about this."

The bus was picking up Romney after his New Hampshire primary win. Williams did not get to meet him upon his arrival, but aides told her to head to a rally in Columbia that evening, which she did.

Romney, briefed by his staff about her story, came over to talk to Williams after that rally. She spoke to him tearfully and asked him about his economic policies. "He was kind to me," she said. "He stopped doing everything." She told Romney she had a sick son and was looking for a job. "I told them about my problems and that I just want to work. I just want to work," she said.

Williams said she had been cleaning houses for home builders, but with the downturn in the housing market, had been unable to find work since October.

She said Romney took down her contact information and told her that perhaps the state of South Carolina would be able to help. She took down contact information for the campaign and found a warm welcome at his Columbia campaign headquarters the following day. She said she's been volunteering there ever since, cleaning and cooking collard greens for the staff.

On Saturday, Romney recognized Williams on a rope line here and handed her $50 or $60, according to his staff. Williams said it was the first time that she has directly received money from the campaign, but that South Carolina treasurer Curtis Loftis -- who chairs Romney's South Carolina campaign -- paid her light bill this week.

Williams said she has now met Romney three times, and has also met South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who is campaigning with him in her state. "They really help people find jobs," Williams said, although she still needs one herself.

[noloyalisti]

How much money did Robmee, the corporate raider take from America? How many jobs did he get rid of to increase his profits. The Republicons simply want a corporate dictatorship for America, plain and simple. If we keep letting these fools buy their way in, get ready for the work camps.

[Tired_of_liars]

STOP0 LYING YOU PATHETIC PIECE OF SCUM. STOP YOUR FLIPPIN LYING AND GROW UP

[cattiej]

Ruth, you are bought and paid for....still no job but Romney does like giving (in front of the cameras) to the poor... Another example of greed, corruption and having to much walking around money..or as we like to call it....WAM MONEY.

[Fatesrider]

One down. 25 million to go. Good luck with that...

Oh, wait... She still doesn't have a job. Guess that's pretty typical for the GOP.

[Kobayashi_Maru]

Did i just read about Mitt giving out handouts??? i thought we Don't want people dependent on the government?

[jacktar7]

That's easy to answer. Mitt Romney is not the government. He's a private individual. Of course it's OK to give your own money to the poor.

[Lindag10]

So a multi-millionaire gives a jobless volunteer $50 and acts like he's done his charitable duty for the year. As though that's REALLY going to help this woman who needs a job to support herself. Where ARE all those jobs lower taxes are supposed to create?

[jacktar7]

Where do you see him acting like "he's done his charitable duty for the year." One of his charitable duties is to give 10% of his yearly income to his church. I don't think he's done quite yet.

[Tired_of_liars]

Did he say that is all he has done for the year? You democrats have really blown head gaskets

[92F150]

Smart lady who got someone to pay her lighting bill and she doesn't have a job. Some sales manager should take notice to her talent. She recognized an opportunity and didn't give up. Now she just needs to figure out next month's lighting bill when the caucus is over.

[dzaffina]

Winner-Take-All Politics: How Washington Made the Rich Richer--and Turned Its Back on the Middle Class is a book by political scientists Jacob S. Hacker and Paul Pierson. In it the authors argue that contrary to conventional wisdom, the dramatic increase in inequality of income in the United States since 1978 — the richest 1% gaining 256% after inflation while the income of the lower earning 80% grew only 20%[1] — is not the natural/inevitable result of increased competition from globalization, but of the work of political forces.[2] Those at the very top of the economic ladder have developed and used political muscle to dramatically cut their taxes, deregulate the financial industry, keep corporate governance lax and labor unions hamstrung.[3] Instead of a rising tide lifting all boats, the authors write, "yachts are rising, but dinghies are largely staying put" in America, and "there is reason to suspect that the dinghies are staying put in part because the yachts are rising."[4

[cattiej]

So this women sold her soul for 80 dollars...boy is she cheap. Romney is a billionaire and he gives chump change to this woman and she thinks he is a God? I think there might be someone illegal about this but Romney won't win away..WHERE IS HIS TAX AUDIT..How much money does he have in a offshore account? None of these people would make a good President, and believe me when I say that Karl Rove will see someone else like Jeb Bush will see that they are elected from the floor of the Republican convention.

[dzaffina]

the funny thing is he probably paid less taxes than this woman did. if the republicans have their way, people like robney will pay no taxes.

[diamruby]

The Mormon cult church uses this type of help to keep members in debt to them. Most of the members are on church welfare & state welfare due to the massive amounts of children the church demands they have. You can be sure if we get a Mormon president we will be under the Mormon church rule.

[will_tyndale]

It is so sad when comments are made without understanding. If you are intent on commenting about a faith you obviously do not understand, I think now would be a good time to become better acquainted with that faith. Mormons do have access to welfare assistance from their Church when needed, but they also are asked to provide service for what they receive. This helps with self esteem. It is a wonderful plan. I used it once for a couple weeks while getting on my feet. Since then I have contributed probably 100 times what I received from it to help others. The rest of your post is just dumb and false. Sorry.

[msimamaji]

Romney needs to re-read the Bible.

Jesus told us when we give to help the poor, we should not give like the Pharisees where everyone can see us. We don't give in front of a host of TV cameras, so that our image will be projected 24./7 on CNN and FOX News.

Jesus told us to should give in secret, to give anonymously. When we give, we should not let the left hand know what the right hand is doing.

I don't see Romney doing this. Romney is not really giving to help the jobless woman. He's just seeking glory and publicity for himself. He may bool the gullible Bible thumpers in South Carolina, but he can't fool God.

[jacktar7]

But did he "give in front of a host of TV cameras"? Where is the video?

[will_tyndale]

If he had ignored her plight you would have something bad to say. If he has compassion on her, you have something bad to say. Isn't this instead more like those the Savior helped and then asked the ones benefited to keep it quiet and then they told anyway because they were so happy? Didn't this woman come to the news on her own?