The AFL-CIO released the following statement today by its president, Richard Trumka, in regards to the controversial taped comments by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney which surfaced Monday. In the comments, Romney said: “There are 47 percent who are with [President Obama], 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.”
In his statement, Trumka said:
What Mitt Romney said about half the country is a spit in the face to everyday people who know what it means to work incredibly hard and still sometimes fail to get by. Working people do not want a president who believes that things like Medicare, Social Securit and even compassion for one another are things of the past – things that people like Mitt Romney don’t value.
Mitt Romney has built a life and a fortune on the losses of others. Those so-called victims he dismisses with ease are victims of his – they’re victims of a system that was rigged by Mitt Romney’s backers so they’d lose. In a moment of candor, he was very clear he doesn’t understand and doesn’t care what almost everyone goes through except for people like him.
The 100 million everyday Americans who defend our country, go to work in the morning, put their kids to bed at night and make less than $50,000 a year deserve a lot better than this.
Working family politics only really succeeds if people take charge and engage. The best way to encourage that is to offer real power. And that’s why we’re so excited about the direction we’re headed. And thanks to Mitt Romney for making so clear what’s at stake.
