I mean what was Mitt Romney thinking?
Sometimes the former Massachusetts Governor talks so fast it's understandable that some of what he says doesn't always flow through any politically correct or tactful filter. We all know guys like him - the very confident, boy-howdy, back-slapping, rugged types who talk very fast. Sometimes too fast.
And so his comment today that he "doesn't care" about poor people because they have a safety net - and that he doesn't care about the wealthy because they're doing just fine - but that he does care about the 90 percent of Americans in the middle because they're having a hard time - it was whittled down out of context to "I don't care about poor people."
And he didn't just say it once - he said it several times.
Not exactly a chapter in the political consultant's handbook.
But there's no question - no matter what political party you're in - that the line was taken out of context, and that line has become the story.
Romney should have known it - of course.
But it also seems to me that these Presidential primary races have become a battle of the little things - like quotes taken out of context. And while, yes, no Presidential wannabe should ever say he doesn't care about a certain group of people, anyone who reads the entire quote will end up shaking their heads - at Romney's remarks today and perhaps a little bit at the reaction.
I'm just sayin'.
We'd love to hear what your take on all this is. Simply CLICK HERE.
We'll have the latest from the campaign trail, tonight at 11 - as Mr. Romney now enjoys clear front runner status among the GOP candidates.
We'll also have the latest on the shooting last night that came this-close to killing a New York cop. Officer Kevin Brennan was shot in the head - at the base of his skull - last night in some projects in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn. The man charged with shooting him - Luis "Baby" Ortiz - was also wanted in a killing last month, the City's first homicide of the year.
And we're still counting the death toll in one of the worst sports violence incidents in Egypt in decades. At least 73 people have been killed when fans swarmed the field after the nation's top team was beaten by the home team. Fans threw stones, fireworks and bottles at other fans and at players. Just horrible.
We're also keeping tabs on a growing and nasty battle in Congress - that effects the federal funding of the 9/11 memorial at Ground Zero. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) is single-handedly holding up $200 million a year for 10 years for the memorial because he wants an equal amount of cuts in spending to pay for it.
New York's two U.S. Senators - Schumer and Gillibrand - are furious that one man is able to do this.
And our Jamie Roth has the story of the latest and newest form of fighting cellulite - non-invasively.
We'll also have any breaking news of the night, plus Meteorologist Lee Goldberg with this incredibly warm weather we're having, and Rob Powers - in Indianapolis for the Giants' appearance in the Super Bowl - with the night's sports. I hope you can join Sade Baderinwa and me, tonight at 11.
Subscribe to my page on Facebook at facebook.com/billritter.wabc.
