"Corporations are people, my friend," he said at one point, during a long back-and-forth on funding for Social Security and whether that funding should be a part of deficit negotiations.
"Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid account for about half of federal spending," he said as a heckler shouted, "That's a lie!."
"Let him talk," said another member of the audience.
"And if we are ultimately - not only this year but in the coming decades - going to be able to balance our federal budget and not spend more than we take in we have to make sure that the promises we make in Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare are promises we can keep. And there are various ways we can do that. One is we can raise taxes on people."
At this point a fairgoer interrupted to say something about corporations.
"Corporations are people, my friend," Romney said. "Of course they are," he added, "everything corporations earn ultimately goes to people.
Fellow Minnesotans Tim Pawlenty and Michele Bachmann twice attacked each other on taxes and abortion. Ron Paul and Rick Santorum lobbed exchanges over Middle East foreign policy.
Meanwhile, Romney stayed out of the bickering.
One of the only unprompted ribbings at Romney — and his wealth — came early.
Former Minnesota governor Pawlenty promised that if anyone could find Obama’s plan for Social Security or Medicare reform, he’d personally cook them dinner or mow their lawn — with one exception.
“In case Mitt wins, I’m limiting it to one acre,” Pawlenty said.
That drew laughs from the audience and an uncomfortable smile from Romney: “That’s just fine.”
The candidates did tee off on Romney’s role in the creation of Massachusetts’ health-care program, once asked by moderators.
Santorum called it “the 10th Amendment run amok.” Pawlenty once again called it “Obamneycare.”
“Mitt, look, Obamacare was patterned after (health care) in Massachusetts,” Pawlenty said. “For Mitt or anyone else to say there aren’t substantial similarities . . . just isn’t credible.”
The nonbinding, but important, Ames Straw Poll takes place tomorrow, the same day Perry is slated to announce he’s jumping in the race. In polls conducted before he joined the race, Perry was within striking distance of Romney.
While his Republican rivals may have let him off the hook, crowds heckled the Bain Capital co-founder at an Iowa campaign stop earlier in the day.
Romney received an angry response when he said “corporations are people” after pledging not to raise taxes — even on the wealthy — to shore up Social Security and federal health-care programs for the poor and elderly.
No comments:
Post a Comment