ATLANTA â€" Mitt Romney on Wednesday confronted the most damaging perception from a secretly taped video: that he has written off those who rely on government assistance.
“The question of this campaign is not who cares about the poor and the middle class,†Mr. Romney told campaign donors here during a fundraiser.
“I do,†Mr. Romney said. “He does,†he added, referring to the president.
“The question is who can help the poor and the middle class? I can! He can't!†Mr. Romney said.
His remarks appeared intended to blunt his word choice during a fundraiser in May, when the Republican candidate declared that 47 percent of Americans believe they are “victims,†and are too beholden to the government to ever vote for him.
Since video of that fundraiser has become public, Mr. Romney has said that he spoke inelegantly, but stood by his words.
At the fundraiser, Mr. Romney kept up his assault on President Obama for seeming to say in 1998 interview that he believed in the concept of wealth redistribution.
America, he said “does not work by a government saying, become dependent on government. Become dependent upon redistribution. That will kill the American entrepreneurship that's lifted our economy over the years.â€
