Romney: Obama believes in redistribution

Republican presidential candidate Gov. Mitt Romney speaks at a campaign fundraising event in Atlanta, Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012.

/ AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

(CBS News) ATLANTA - Rolling out a new, post-crisis theme on the campaign trail Wednesday, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney slammed President Obama as intent on using government to redistribute wealth in America and said his administration would create wealth by fostering free enterprise.

"He really believes in what I'll call a government-centered society. I know there are some who believe that if you simply take from some and give to others, then we'll all be better off. It's known as redistribution," Romney said. "It's never been a characteristic of America. ... I believe the way to lift people and help people have higher incomes is not to take from some and give to others, but to create wealth for all of us."

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Romney also said. "The question of this campaign is not who cares about the poor and the middle class. I do. He does. The question is who can help the poor and the middle class? I can! He can't!"

Speaking at a fundraiser at a Marriott hotel, Romney, with his campaign struggling to regain its footing, gave energetic and even impassioned remarks that were sometimes drowned out by applause from supporters and donors in the room.

(Watch a clip of Ryan's remarks in the video to the left.)

He cited as evidence remarks Obama made in 1998, before he became president. During an event at Loyola University in October of that year, Obama, then an Illinois state senator, said, "I actually believe in redistribution at least at a certain level to make sure that everybody's got a shot."

Romney first made reference to Obama's 14-year-old comments during an appearance Tuesday on Fox News' Neil Cavuto show as part of his effort to control the political damage from a secretly recorded video that shows Romney making disparaging remarks about Obama's supporters. Romney is heard dismissing Obama voters as people who are dependent on government, pay no income tax and believe they are victims.

At the Atlanta event, Romney tied the theme of income redistribution to his by-now customary attack on Obama's "you didn't build that" comment about government help for small business. "It's the same concept," Romney said. "That see, government is responsible for everything that's going on here. And therefore government can take and give as it chooses. It's an entirely foreign concept that will not work, that has not worked. That has never worked anywhere in the world."

Vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan echoed the new message at an appearance in Danville, Va.

"President Obama said that he believes in redistribution," Ryan said at a campaign rally. "Mitt Romney and I are not running to redistribute the wealth, Mitt Romney and I are running to help Americans create wealth. Efforts that promote hard work and personal responsibility over government dependency are what have made this economy the envy of the world."

Surrogates for the Romney campaign also held events in 13 states to press the theme and to try to switch the focus back to the economy. The surrogate events took place in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Meanwhile, the Obama campaign is fighting the redistribution charge with a counter attack that Romney's tax plan will redistribute wealth to the wealthiest Americans by raising taxes on the middle class.

Obama campaign spokesman Danny Kanner said, "While President Obama cut taxes for the typical middle-class family by $3,600 over his first term, the Romney-Ryan plan would actually raise taxes on the middle class by cutting deductions like those for mortgage interest and charitable contributions in order to cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires. And they'd make deep cuts to 'handouts,' like student financial aid while turning Medicare into a voucher program, increasing health care costs for seniors - the same group Mitt Romney disparages in private."

Obama's charge is based on an analysis by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center that evaluated the Romney tax plan with information available on the candidate's website, though it had to make some estimates as well.

[EugenePatrickDevany]

Redistributee or Redistributor?

The tax code redistributes income and over time it redistributes wealth. Some (perhaps 47% of the country) are tax redistributees who take advantage of $100 billion in child care and earned income credits to pay no taxes (and some also receive food stamps). The high earners and corporations on the other hand share $1.2 trillion in tax expenditures. This causes the country to borrow over $1 trillion to make up lost revenue and that is the only reason we have a $16 trillion national debt. Who are the real tax redistributees and redistributors is a fair question.

Today the bottom half of the country have only $3 for every $10 they had in 1995. The top 10% prospered quite a bit over the last 20 years but most of the country did not. Their wealth was taken by the tax code and its effect on the economy. Half the country is worth $586 billion (in 2010 dollars) and the country borrows twice that amount every year to give it to the rich.

It may be good that this information is no longer taught in high school or college because some students get restless in the face of gross unfairness that threatens their future. On the subject of the future, it's hard to believe that Mr. Romney is losing the economic argument due to his personal arrogance and greed. Perhaps the fat cats deserve four more years - it won't be pretty.

The tax reform solution is the 2-4-8 Tax Blend and you can read more at TaxNetWealth.com.

[hhandyman]

As many changes of opinion of Mitt Romney over the past 10 years hes going back 14 for the opinion of his opponent ghee If you look at the story of Mitt you see he was a feminist before he was a Money
boss and then he was for Abortion before he was against it Hes for money distributions towards the wealthy and against helping those that are poor with a helping hand NOT an eternal allowance. what Middle class person in their right mind would vote for him with his record of going with the Polls of the day or the polls of Corporate head (Karl Rove Managed funds American Crossroads) and the US FED Chamber of Commerce group) that are anti employee and hyper management based group to keep public in check Political boss crews.

[nancy_naive]

The 2nd best thing about this "hidden video" flap...

an image of Richard Nixon rolling in Hell being tormented by the fact that such cameras didn't exist in 1972...

[sajith90]

Romney Claims People Believe They Are "Entitled" to Eat

is it true??

Sajith

[bbglow]

2001
Q: Gov. Romney & Rep. Ryan, if you discovered the unequal placement of hay in your barn loft was on the verge of causing structural damage would you redistribute the load.
A: Of course, yes, yes, we would certainly redistribute the hay to produce a better load distribution.

2012
Headlines: Romney/Ryan believe in redistribution ...

[TimeToEvolve]

We need to stop the Republicon cult. And this idiot bozo Robbed Me is just the ticket to clean out the failed vermin. Robbed Me Ryan may be a gift from God to save the planet Earth from the right wing wackos.

[bbglow]

For those who don't understand the many uses and various context references in which redistribution can be applied.

I am begining a redistribution of campaign button to assist a democratic victory.

Now you can say I believe in redistribution. Power to WE the people.

[sjc_1]

Robme is about a close as we are going to get to the anti Christ. He is slick and willing to say anything anyone wants to hear at anytime. He is disguised as a "nice guy" when he is actually a programmed Mormon cultist.

[Swift29]

I say again (in more genteel terms): screw you, screw you big time, Romney is a swine. First day after diarrhea of the mouth hits he tries "it's the economy". Then handlers hit hate button so: he pushes the base with the
socialsim/communist horsecrap again. Ain't gonna float boy. The whammyhead stone age thunkers will clap but mainstream in't bitin'. Go HOME. Yur gonna get whooped, an don't let the door hit yer @ss on the way out!

[nearl451]

You could have stated that "more elegantly".

[nearl451]

Alan. You may just as well go over to the Fox News blog.

You are writing like a desparate loser......digging yourself in deeper and deeper....almost as fast as Romney.