Massachusetts // Current TV

Romney: I ‘misspoke’ about the poor

By David Edwards
Friday, February 3, 2012 9:06 EST

A day after insisting that the media had taken his comments about not being concerned for the poor out of context, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney shifted positions on Thursday, claiming he simply “misspoke.”

On Monday, Romney had told CNN’s Soledad O’Brien that he wasn’t running for president to help the most impoverished Americans.

“I’m not concerned about the very poor, we have a safety net there, if we need to repair, I’ll fix it,” he said. “The challenge right now — we will hear from the Democrat party the plight of the poor. And there’s no question it’s not good being poor. And we have a safety net to help those that are very poor, but my campaign is focused is on middle-income Americans.”

A day later aboard his campaign charter plane, the candidate blamed reporters for not putting his comment in context.

“No, no, no, no,” the former Massachusetts governor said. “You’ve got to take the whole sentence, all right, as opposed to saying, and then change it just a little bit, because then it sounds very different. I’ve said throughout the campaign my focus, my concern, my energy is gonna be devoted to helping middle income people, all right?”

Speaking to KSNV’s John Ralston later that afternoon, Romney finally began to take responsibility for his remarks.

“John, it was a misstatement,” the candidate asserted. “I misspoke.”

“I’ve said something that is similar to that but quite acceptable for a long time. And you know when you do I don’t know how many thousands of interviews, now and then you may get it wrong. And I misspoke, plain and simple.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/02/03/romney-i-misspoke-about-the-poor/

Watch this video from KSNV, Face to Face, broadcast Feb. 2, 2012.

"Please Define Middle Income, many folks do not get Married because they have to pay Higher Taxes, and speaking of marriage, why are you against Same Sex Marriage???"By David Edwards Friday, February 3, 2012 9:06 EST A day after insisting that the... more

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Romney forgets attack ad that he approved

By David Edwards Thursday, January 26, 2012 22:43 EST Republican presidential... more

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Barney Frank to marry partner Jim Ready

By David Edwards Thursday, January 26, 2012 17:01 EST Outgoing Massachusetts... more

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Romney: I ‘lived in the real streets’

By David Edwards Friday, January 20, 2012 Multimillionaire Republican presidential... more

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Romney: I didn’t know what Medicaid was ‘before I got into government’

By David Edwards
Friday, December 16, 2011

Millionaire Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney admitted Friday that he wasn’t sure what Medicaid was before being elected as governor of Massachusetts at the age of 55.

“Medicaid, you wonder what Medicaid is, those that are not into all this government stuff,” Romney told voters at a campaign event in Sioux City, Iowa. “You know, I have to admit I didn’t know all the differences between these things before I got into government.”

“Then I got into it, and I understood that Medicaid is the health care program for the poor,” he explained.

The candidate said that as president, he would work to turn Medicaid over to the states in a block-grant program.

“We’re not going to have the federal government tell you how to care for your own people,” Romney declared. “Let states craft their own program, and then grow that program at inflation plus 1 percent. If we do that, by the way, we save about a hundred billion dollars a year.”

Romney’s plan is similar to one offered by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). Responding to Ryan’s plan for Medicaid earlier this year, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) concluded that “[t]o maintain current service levels in the Medicaid program, states would probably need to consider additional changes, such as reducing their spending on other programs or raising additional revenues.”

“Alternatively, states could reduce the size of their Medicaid programs by cutting payment rates for doctors, hospitals or nursing homes; reducing the scope of benefits covered; or limiting eligibility,” the CBO said.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/12/16/romney-i-didnt-know-what-medicaid-was-before-i-got-into-government/

Watch this video from CNN, broadcast Dec. 16, 2011.

"Hmmm, he just said that 'Money was taken by Congress and Spent!!!' Is he telling us what many have already guessed??? I think so, and maybe he thinks that telling the Truth is a better way of winning his parties candidacy??? I am thinking they are going to hand him his head!!! What do you folks think???"By David Edwards Friday, December 16, 2011 Millionaire Republican presidential... more

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Protesters ‘mic check’ Gingrich in Iowa

By Eric W. Dolan Wednesday, December 14, 2011 Protesters affiliated with the... more

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Why Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Baldwin Matter in 2012

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Why Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Baldwin Matter in 2012

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Fight Back (Elizabeth Warren responds to Rove)

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Corrupt Scott Brown calls for end to Curruption by Officials

Massachusetts GOP Misrepresents Polling To Smear Elizabeth Warren And Occupy Wall Street

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Scott Brown says he was "joking" with remarks about Elizabeth Warren

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Feds: Mass. man planned to blow up Pentagon

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Elizabeth Warren Kicks Ass

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Elizabeth Warren Officially In Senate Race to Unseat Scott Brown

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Obama catches 7 fishes; feeds the entire East Coast with an 'Economic Miracle'

Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts -- Pres. Barack Obama made good use of day three of his summer vacation, catching seven "nice size" striped bass off the coast of this ocean island.

But what happened next is being called by some "the economic miracle of 21st-century." As the president's charter fishing boat pulled up to the dock, he ordered his security disciples to clean the fishes and provide "lunch for America."

Witnesses of the president's generosity saw the catch being divided first on Martha's Vineyard, then on the Massachusetts' mainland, in Boston, in New York, in Washington, and all the way down the East Coast to Miami.

Miraculously, the millions who feasted on the fish reported that their meals were cooked impeccably and in the style that they most enjoyed.

"I didn't think that striped bass could be prepared in so many different ways," said Gordon Ramsay, renowned chef and reality TV personality. "There was sushi, chowder, fish sticks, fish and chips, striped bass sandwiches, striped bass egg foo young -- the list is as endless as it is delicious."

Asked if the president might be invited to participate in his Master Chef television program, Ramsey replied: "I realize it is a major miracle to serve up lunch for 150 million diners, but the president's plating skills can use some work."

Congressional Republicans were even more critical of Obama's actions. "This was a cheap parlor trick, and as soon as we find out how it was done, we're going to do it too," said John Boehner (R-Ohio). "We've been trying to reach The Almighty all morning."

"Trying to reach God?" a reporter asked.

"No, Michele Bachmann," Boehner said. "We want her campaign to fund a survey which will show that seafood's approval rating is declining rapidly in America. Then, we'll do steak for our miracle."

The president, meanwhile, hinted that blue fish could be tomorrow's lunch special for the East Coast. "The critics accused me of goofing off by taking this vacation. In their honor, I think we should call what happened here today 'The Miracle of the Loafs And Fishes.' Please pass the tartar sauce."Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts -- Pres. Barack Obama made good use of day three... more

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Ima BossClothing Men & women's urban fashion for go getters making success... more

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Now This is a truly GREAT IDEA!!! Warren for MA SENATOR!!!

President Obama was never going to appoint Elizabeth Warren to head the Consumer... more

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Looking Too Generic Can Cost You Your Driver's License

Lauri Apple — Do people always tell you that you look "just like" someone else they know? Do you live and drive in Massachusetts? If yes and yes, then you might be in danger of losing your driving privileges, just like John H. Gass did.

Earlier this year, the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles sent Gass a letter informing him that they had revoked his driver's license. Given that he "hadn't had a traffic ticket in years," Gass had no idea why they would do such a thing. Why would they do such a thing? Take it (but not our license!) away, Boston Globe:

After frantic calls and a hearing with Registry officials, Gass learned the problem: An antiterrorism computerized facial recognition system that scans a database of millions of state driver's license images had picked his as a possible fraud.

It turned out Gass was flagged because he looks like another driver, not because his image was being used to create a fake identity. His driving privileges were returned but, he alleges in a lawsuit, only after 10 days of bureaucratic wrangling to prove he is who he says he is.

Officials say that last year Massachusetts' facial recognition system picked on at least 1,000 other drivers, "[a]nd some of those people are guilty of nothing more than looking like someone else." Most of them didn't have to wait as long as Gass did to resolve their license issues, "but each must visit the Registry with proof of their identity." Surely visiting the Registry is a fun experience, though! Lots of time to sit and think about where one's life is heading. So the drivers probably don't mind.

"At least 34 states" now use these facial recognition systems, the Globe reports. So you don't have to live in Massachusetts to get the full "mistaken revocation" experience. Have you thought about plastic surgery lately?

We'd really like to think that the folks in charge of operating these systems are geeky middle-aged guys who sit at dusty, ancient computers all day, pulling up photo files one after another on their screens and saying things like, "Hmm, well, this guy looks a lot like Osama bin Laden—yes, I know he's blond and only 20, but he just gives off a vibe. REVOKE! This guy's okay. This guy's okay. Yep, she's okay, and she's okay. Ooooh, she's attractive—definitely okay. Hmm, this guy looks like my cousin Bobby, who should have his license taken away from him because he sucks—REVOKE! Huh, that woman looks like Doris Day! 'Doris Day, she's okay'..." and so on. In reality, however, it's more automatized and sophisticated than that.

http://gawker.com/5821995/looking-too-generic-can-cost-you-your-drivers-licenseLauri Apple — Do people always tell you that you look "just like"... more

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June 22, 1976 - An Outbreak Of Haywire. | Newstalgia

No such thing as a ho-hum day in history it seems . . .

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