Members of Philadelphia’s City Council today sounded off on Mitt Romney’s comments at a private fundraiser, made public this week with the release of a video. In the clip, he derides 47 percent of Americans as entitled victims who are dependent on government, stating:
“There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you – name-it. That that’s an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what. … These are people who pay noincome tax.”
Council members today had no problem airing their feelings about the GOP presidential nominee, shooting back at Romney in a series of remarks made on the Council floor. Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr. kicked off the remarks. “It seems this week that everybody’s a statistician,” he said.
“Everybody’s got their math game on overload, including Mitt Romney, where he cites 47 percent of U.S. citizens feel entitled to have food shelter, Social Security, Medicaid and those things. Well, I’d like to use more math … As far as the Supreme Court decision not to deal with photo IDs, a statistic shows that less than one percent of the vote in this country separated Al Gore and George Bush from becoming president and, statistically, they know you don’t have to steal it all, you just have to steal enough.”
Jones concluded that in Philadelphia and across the Commonwealth, “we’re not real big on statistics” and cited a non-partisan Council outreach effort on Sept. 27 at Shepard Recreation Center in West Philadelphia “where we’ll be taking those 47 percent of the folks to get IDs and to register to vote.”
Councilwoman Marian Tasco was next to take a shot. “I’m going to quote Ann Richards,” she said, referring to the former Texas governor who spoke out against George W. Bush during his presidential run. “Mitt Romney was born with a silver foot in his mouth. He has no idea about what is happening in this country.”
Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez was next, as Council President Darrell Clarke struggled to keep a straight face. “To add to the comments of Councilman Jones and Councilwoman Tasco, Mitt Romney said he’d be better off if he was Mexican,” she said. “Thank you, but no thank you.”
Not to be outdone, Councilman Bill Green wrapped up the impromptu roast. “I would just like to ask my colleagues to stop discussing Barack Obama’s secret weapon in his campaign,” he said. “And that is Mitt Romney, who only opens his mouth to put in his other foot.”
