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Romney’s Worst Gaffe Yet: $250,000 a Year is Middle Income
Mitt Romney showed just how out of touch he is when he claimed today that people earning $200,000-$250,000 are middle income.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: You know Democrats are going to be wanting to get much more detail from you on how you’re going to pay for your tax cuts. We’ve heard that at the Democratic Convention. President Clinton said your math doesn’t work. I know you dispute what President Clinton said and what the Democrats that say that you’re going to have a $2,000 tax hike on middle class families. I know you dispute that. You cite your own studies. But one of the studies you cite by Martin Feldstein at Harvard shows that to make your math work, it could work, if you eliminate the home mortgage, charity, and state and local tax deductions for everyone earning over $100,000. Is that what you propose?
MITT ROMNEY: No, that’s not what I propose. And, of course, part of my plan is to stimulate economic growth. The biggest source of getting the country to a balanced budget is not by raising taxes or by cutting spending. It’s by encouraging the growth of the economy. So my tax plan is to encourage investment in growth in America, more jobs, that means more people paying taxes. So that’s a big component of what allows us to get to a balanced budget.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: But his study, which you’ve cited, says it can only work if you take away those deductions for everyone earning more than $100,000.
MITT ROMNEY: Well, it doesn’t necessarily show the same growth that we’re anticipating. And I haven’t seen his precise study. But I can tell you that we can lower our rates-
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, you cited the study, though.
MITT ROMNEY: Well, I said that there are five different studies that point out that we can get to a balanced budget without raising taxes on middle income people. Let me tell you, George, the fundamentals of my tax policy are these. Number one, reduce tax burdens on middle-income people. So no one can say my plan is going to raise taxes on middle-income people, because principle number one is keep the burden down on middle-income taxpayers.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Is $100,000 middle income?
MITT ROMNEY: No, middle income is $200,000 to $250,000 and less. So number one, don’t reduce- or excuse me, don’t raise taxes on middle-income people, lower them. Number two, don’t reduce the share of taxes paid by the wealthiest. The top 5% will still pay the same share of taxes they pay today. That’s principle one, principle two. Principle three is create incentives for growth, make it easier for businesses to start and to add jobs. And finally, simplify the code, make it easier for people to pay their taxes than the way they have to now.
Actually, the median income in this country is four to five times less than the number Romney cited. The actual median income in the United States is $50,000. Of course, when a person is worth hundreds of millions of dollars like Mitt Romney is, $250,000 must look like scraping by.
When pressed during the interview Romney managed to disavow the study that he had just cited, and then he completely lied about his tax plan.
His tax plan doesn’t keep rates the same for the people at the top. Romney would lower the top tax rate and immediately give the wealthiest Americans a $264,000 yearly tax cut. Under Romney’s plan, the richer you are the more you reap. Billionaires like Sheldon Adelson could get billions of dollars in tax breaks through Romney’s elimination of the estate tax and his plan to make overseas profits tax exempt.
According to the Tax Policy Center, the math on Romney’s plan doesn’t work. In order to make the numbers add up, Romney would have to raise taxes on everyone else. At best, Romney would shift billions of dollars in yearly tax burden to the 95%, and raise taxes by eliminating deductions that benefit the middle class. It is impossible to make his plan work, unless taxes are raised on people making less than $200,000.
Mitt Romney has no idea who the middle class really are, and he is completely lying about his tax plan. The fact that he thinks that $200,000-$250,000 a year is middle income proves that Romney lives in his own universe of wealth, and has absolutely no clue about how the vast majority of Americans really live.
Mitt Romney isn’t just out of touch. He’s out of orbit.
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50 Responses to Romney’s Worst Gaffe Yet: $250,000 a Year is Middle Income
Gindy51
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 1:43 pm
The number is bad yes, but I think it more telling that he hasn’t even bothered to read the study he cites will prove his plan a winner. He’s worse than Palin, with her all of them any of them magazine line. He reads NONE of them.
Adam
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 3:21 pm
Just stupid how this country has become so over used, We have worked hard, “all of us” yet the people outside of the government get blamed for things that happen in government. You should check your balance and see that spending all this money in championing is stupid…. I honestly, as many other younger generations would most likely agree with, am over it. You people do what you want anyway. I think if 45 million Americans started a riot and said screw you all and didn’t pay taxes what would you do then? We fight everyday just to do the same thing over and over again through out our life, Just so the government can rule our life anyway, Like driving or smoking or drinking or pissing… Why should we care who becomes the leader? It won’t make a difference, Don’t any of you see what’s happening? We have lost control of our country, Send a big fat Screw you to Congress. Get rid of the ones that have been in there for 40 years and re-think possibilities. I could go on and on and on just like anyone else and won’t make a difference. So MY OPINION DOES NOT EXISTS….
Reynardine
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 1:54 pm
Now, how is it that just a short time ago, 19 K was middle income, and now it’s 250 K?
harleyblueswoman
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 2:16 pm
50,000 must be poverty level to him…..being a businessman is one thing….but being a multi millionaire business man is totally something else…he is out of touch and clueless how the rest of us live or survive!!!
John Miles
Sep. 26th, 2012 at 9:10 pm
I would LOVE to see Romney’s assets frozen and give him a 500/week to live on for just a few months.
That man has no clue in the world what it is like to live like an average American. Not one clue.
Donna
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 2:20 pm
What a complete dolt. Like Joe, of “Morning Joe”, says, Romney is just ambitious.
He has no vision, hopes or dreams for America, just his own blind ambition to become President.
I think everyone thinks Romneys decision to attack Obama about the attacks on American Embassys was a rash decision.
It wasn’t. He had the better part of the day to think about it, and made a really self centered, self promoting decision to attack Obama, in the middle of American loss of life.
America was attacked. All he really needed to do to look Presidential was to pay his condolences to the families of the fallen Americans, and (ask that America come together at this trying time).
Traylor Patricia
Sep. 15th, 2012 at 7:23 pm
it’s hard to rate his idiotic gaffes.
near the top is admiring idiotic “snookl” what an idiotic role model she is for values voters
Donna
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 3:30 pm
How interesting. I always THOUGHT I was middle class but in a few Romney words I have become “poor”.. OH wait.. I suspect the number he would use to define poor would not go up, but down since he appears to think that the minimum wage is a living one..
CAROL
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 3:41 pm
what planet or universe, does this man live on! accordinly, to him, i make 792, a month, i should be living on the streets!!! he has no clue about this, or anything else!! and dont get me started, how women will be turned back 40 years!! hes worse than bush!!!!! wait, did i just say that? yes he is!! hey mitt, try living on 792, a month!!! good luck!!!
Heidi
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 5:18 pm
Bless your heart Carol, a lot of us are trying to make it on that, I have been unemployed since 8/9/2011 I haven’t been unemployeed that long unless I wanted to be.
I get my last unemployment check next week, then my income will consist of my child support for my two children and my stippen money I get as Graduate Student.
So I understand totally, I think that it shows thou that we are strong and thifirty finding a way to live on those types of monthly incomes.
Heidi
joAnn Lyons
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 3:49 pm
I guess my husband and I whose incomes together are about 30 some thousand, must be people living in cardboard boxes. I beg the democrats to please get out and vote or God help all of us if Romney/Ryans plans go into affect. The CBO report said if that happens we will go into one of the worst depressions ever. Please vote democrats, in 2010 democrats just didn’t bother going to vote and about 100 radicals and teapartiers took over Congress. People are sorry now voters remorse but please don’t let it happen again. We are all really worried.
Rho
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 4:52 pm
and it you can’t vote Democrat, please vote Reformist, so we can get our national books back in order and we can see Clinton era progress again.
Rocky in texas said...
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 4:16 pm
Message for Ann Romney, et.el…
Us People…
The “Small Minded Ones”
say “HTMA” (His Turn My Ass”
Echelon
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 4:18 pm
One thing’s for sure…Romney’s continual display of incompetence is making the voting decision really, really, really easy for the less educated and the low information voter.
DixiePixie
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 10:37 pm
Unfortunately those low information voters are watching FOX and will vote against their interests.
madkow
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 4:39 pm
yikes!!!! and here I thought I was doing ok working my butt off 10 to 12 hrs. a day for 30k a year.
It’s know wonder so many are on food stamps.
If I was making 50k a year I think I would be living the good life (1/4 of the way to middle class) and could feed my family real food from time to time.
Now that would be sweet, thanks Willard
Basheert
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 4:47 pm
Wow- really?
I think it is about time Mr. and Mrs. Romney go visit their Planet Kolob = permanently.
They can take Ann’s dancing horsey – and Mitt’s magic sleeping undies .. and rapture their asses off of our planet.
Some people just don’t know when they aren’t wanted … and never were.
Jose Martinez MSQR
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 9:24 pm
like
mjh
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 4:50 pm
From John McCain, 2008:
WARREN: Everybody talks about, you know, taxing the rich, but not the poor, the middle class. At what point, give me a number, give me a specific number. Where do you move from middle class to rich?
MCCAIN: How about $5 million?
I wish these rightwingnut one per centers would make up their minds on what constitutes the “middle class” . . .
.
Cassandra Vert
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 4:59 pm
Perhaps he meant “middle income” as saying half the income in the country is earned by ppl making 250k and up and half the income in the country is earned by ppl making under $250k. ;)
A Walkaway
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 5:15 pm
I wouldn’t be surprised if he actually thinks the median income is $250,000 when the last I read, it was under $50,000 (I think that was per family). He obviously doesn’t read anything to do with science or facts.
(The number that sticks in my mind is somewhere around $42-43,000 a year -but that may be 2009 figures.)
Jose Martinez MSQR
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 9:28 pm
Casandra: “it does not compute”
Heidi
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 5:22 pm
At first I just found the man weird and inconsistant with his stance and his policy and goals for the country, now I just find him creepy.
I watch him open his mouth and it words get stranger and stranger.
The Pres Leads should be much higher and I don’t understand why its not. It seem to me that those who are voting for Romney is voting against the Pres.
54 million people didn’t vote for the Pres and they will not again, you have the Kansas Sect of State trying to take the Pres of the Ballot.
Why? He is unamerican because his father was Keyian who was an Athist, that is there only beef and becasue he a man of color. That’s the real factor here
Diana
Sep. 15th, 2012 at 5:52 pm
Mitt is the New Jim Jones.. People sitting there listening to his bull can go right ahead and drink the kool aid.. They hate Obama so much until its sad.
How can the GOP destroy America? Look at all the things the party has done. Because of so much hate for Obama.
But they are the party of values…..
erika
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 7:59 pm
He said “middle income is $200,000 to $250,000 AND LESS.”
Shiva (Moderator)
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 8:01 pm
Middle class is not $250,000
Shannon
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 10:25 pm
Yeah, alot less…$150,000 LESS
Rhea
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 8:02 pm
It is also worth noting, $50,000 is the median income for a family, not for an individual wage earner. Half of all American families live on less than 50K.
Nick martin
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 9:37 pm
sad thing is that GOPers don’t care about any of this, The lies, the rhetoric, the half truths, the fact that Mitt and Ryan are completely out of touch with average Americans, they just can’t accept being defeated by a black man. These rich old men no longer care about America or Americans, they care about money, which rich people can never have enough of,and feeling like winners because their party won. When Obama wins this election we will be half way to being a strong country again, we just need to get a DEM Congress back in place. Even Ted Turner stated that some of the richest men in this country make ZERO donations to charity because they only have $850,000,000 and want to be in the billionaires club so they are saving instead of spending. It really is like a private club to these sick SOB’s.
Bee
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 9:47 pm
Are the figures that Romney uses “Kolob” or “Earth” figures? I disagree if they are “Earth” figures. Kolob? If they are Kolob, I have no idea what he is talking about. At this point, I only wish that my family and I were middle class earning $250,000 per year by either planetary standard.
Liberal? I don’t really know…Give the right to vote to Blacks? Women? Voted for social security for older Americans when “Conservatives” voted against it? Healthcare for all and not just for those than can afford to be well? Well, I guess that I am a feared liberal.
chPC
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 10:19 pm
I’m not affiliated with either party, but I must point out that the $250,000 amount as “struggling middle class” was first said by Obama in his State of the Union address. And this partisan “revisionist history” is why I won’t vote for either Obama or Romney… and I voted for Obama in 2008.
Carrie
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 10:42 pm
Lol yeah you’re not affiliated but you’re here to falsely imply that they’re both the same. Try mitt Romney tax plan that lowers his taxes and raises everyone else.
Obama never said 250 was middle class what he said was he’s lowering taxes for 250000 AND LESS.
felicia jackson
Sep. 15th, 2012 at 6:00 pm
Thanks Carrie for correcting that fool and she is voting rather she cast a vote or not Romney because she was to pay high taxes. Why don’t people listen to what people are saying do they all have selective hear or they just don’t understand what they are hearing?
Teri
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 10:22 pm
With Obama’s “new world order” in wants to put into affect, we will soon be compairing our incomes to the poor in 3rd world countries. YOU will be the 1% and YOU will be the ones demonized and taxed to feed to poor in Sudan. After all, they only make a few dollars a week.
Shiva (Moderator)
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 10:40 pm
Really? New World Order?
A Walkaway
Sep. 15th, 2012 at 5:17 pm
The only “New World Order” that has any real existence (as far as planning and trying to bring it about) is that sought by the “Good Christians”.
The rest – projection only.
chPC
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 10:54 pm
To be fair, I think Romney would be a horrible president. I wouldn’t vote for him, even if he gave me $250,000. I voted for Obama and have been horribly disappointed. The fact is, both candidates are out of touch and uninformed. I’m actually, for the first time in my life, looking into voting 3rd party. I was merely commenting on the fact that Obama was the first to bring the $250,000 number… republicans will happily criticize democrats when they say the same thing, and dems do the same thing. Politics is a dishonest and manipulative business. What I wish is that the division in this country would yield to compromise, but alas, as seen on the conservative and liberal websites and facebook posts- this is just a pipe dream… once again.
Carrie
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 11:05 pm
I’d you think they are the same you aren’t paying attention. You say you think Obama us out if touch. How does that change his tax plan that benefits middle class?
Romney is out of touch and his tax plan shows it. In other words your feelings that they are both out of touch are wrong if you care to read their plans.
Carrie
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 10:59 pm
Republicans are lying in this thread. Romney said MIDDLE INCOME not middle class. Do you see the difference? Your candidate is all kinds of fail.
chPC
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 11:19 pm
Carrie, you’re missing the point. Romney is a tool. He will never be my candidate. Seriously, though, look at what can actually happen, not campaign promises. If Obama’s tax plan could work, he would make it work. The tax code- cuts, etc- is only a political ploy to get votes- neither of these candidates will change anything significant. The only way anything would actually work is if there is a majority in congress, majority in the white house, and majority in the supreme court. Otherwise, it’s a crap-shoot. Good luck with the rose-colored glasses, because things suck right now and they’re not going to get any better with Romney. We need better choices. I always vote my conscience, never political party.
Norman Swafford
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 11:20 pm
God help us all if the tea party or Repubs Win. Romney is a complete idiot and is not qualified to be president. The Democrats better get out the vote. I they win the presidency or control of the senate. This country is done for as we know it. Our country is broken and these rich individuals do not want the economy to come back. PLEASE GET OUT AND VOTE FOR THE DEMOCRATS.
UncaJoe
Sep. 14th, 2012 at 11:31 pm
“Middle Income” is an ambiguous term. “Mean income” (average income) is probably close to Romney’s definition whereas “Median income” (Half of all people’s income is above the median number, half is below) is much, much lower. One percent can drastically change the median.
Simple example:
If 99 people make $50k/yr and 1 makes $10M/yr. The mean income is approx $150k/yr where the median is a mere $50k/yr.
A Walkaway
Sep. 15th, 2012 at 12:33 pm
True, but as you’ve pointed out, when you have outliers, especially ones as bad as we have in the distribution of wealth in this country (with so much of the income going to the rich), the mean or average becomes meaningless. Misuse of “mean” or “average” is one of the ways dishonest people mislead others, and I would expect that Romney knows that.
(For those who have never studied statistics – mean, or average, is meaningless unless there is what is called a Normal distribution – the majority of the people fall into the middle with equal numbers of people at both ends. It’s also known as a bell curve.)
I know that the “Mean” for incomes in this country greatly exceeds the median (which is the most accurate way to describe things like incomes, without getting rather technical). It might actually be $250,000 (or more)… I never paid attention because it is so misleading.
sherriww
Sep. 15th, 2012 at 9:47 am
The whole Romney/Ryan agenda,and also that of nearly all top Repubs,is SO out of touch,and “nuts”,that there really is not much else newsworthy about their”ideas,or plans”,for all of us.Funny how some folks,many who have little,and will have a LOT LESS,if R/R get in,will refuse to see it now,and vote against THEMSELVES! Oh,they will be the FIRST folks to scream&hollar,when they would find out(too late),that they are really”screwed”,probably for many yrs to come,and then,just like the former Clinton haters,they WILL SEE,what a good President Obama really is! Truly,at this point,I no longer care about them,I just don’t want the folks,like MY family,who ALREADY see,to suffer along with these idiots! To put it in perspective,I saw where a Billionaire,giving a Million dollars to campaigns,is like the average person giving about $40.How ANYONE can put their families into this mess with Romney is beyond me.Wish all those R/R supporters(ones withOUT $),cd all go live in one state with Romney,and let us stay with Pres.Obama,and we wd see how many months before they wd beg to came back where the Obama supporters live! Not long,I expect.And,THEN,there is the TOTAL LACK of Ability for Romney/Ryan to take care of ANYTHING about Foriegn affairs,and keep us safe! Lord,save us from those “who will not see!”
Bee
Sep. 15th, 2012 at 11:31 pm
Continue to order your papa john’s pizzas and pay for them in either earth dollars or kolob dollars. It makes no difference. A self made millionaire president or a millionaire that was given millions of dollars by their father to build their own fortune. You figure it out.
clarence swinney
Sep. 16th, 2012 at 11:50 am
rank 4th in oecd shame shame shame
In 1980 in bottom 5
INEQUALITY IS BAD IN AMERICA
Since 1980. Tax Code. Reagan gave top 10% a 60% tax cut.
Bush huge tax cut was 37.6% to top 1% and 48.3% to top 5%.
Bottom 60% got 16.4%
10% own us——73% net wealth–83% financial wealth–get 50% individual income and 70,000,000 workers get 14% or less.
America is in big trouble. Off shoring job biggest problem. Entire Industries gone forever. Wall Streeters get richer.
What industry will save Alamance County. Same in all 100 counties. Loss of mfg jobs.
No safety nets and what would happen?
We must go to 1945-1980 Tax. 50% on top incomes and estates. Raise minimum wage.
Demand fair wages and cut huge pay and bonuses for CEOs and staff.. a MUST.
Eldon
Sep. 18th, 2012 at 2:56 pm
Obama is the one who said last year that they will not raise taxes on middle income earners making $250,000.00 or less. Obamam is the one who set the $250,000.00 level, not Romney. Get it right.
Bee
Sep. 19th, 2012 at 12:57 am
It’s over Mitt-wit. 47%…On tape no less. One way ticket back to Kolob. Thanks for playing and enjoy your parting gifts.
Bee
Sep. 26th, 2012 at 10:29 pm
Is everyone o.k. with Obama winning the election in 2012? Mitt defeated himself every time he opened his mouth. He screwed himself and took down everyone that had a brain within the republican party along with him.
Paul
Sep. 27th, 2012 at 12:56 pm
So Obama says “rich” is $250k and above and Romney says “middle class” is below that number…THEY’RE SAYING THE SAME THING.
The biggest problem with this country is a complete lack of critical thinking skills by the majority of Americans.