The man behind Mitt Romney’s “47 percent video” comes forward

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Scott Prouty, a bartender hired for the Romney fundraiser, comes forward as the man who recorded Mitt Romney’s notorious “47%” comments.

 Prouty says he didn’t go in with a grudge or the intent to “get Mitt Romney.”

Prouty also shares that no one was told not to record or take pictures, and that there were several people at the event with their cameras out. Plus there was a video crew and sound crew.

He says he struggled for a few weeks about whether to share the recording. He says he felt an obligation to release it for the people who can’t afford to pay $50,000 to hear what Romney says behind closed doors.

Who would know when he started recording that it would turn out to be a major factor in the 2012 campaign?

(via Towleroad)

Romney calls emergency press conference to address comments from fund raising video

Last night, as the news and details of Mitt Romney’s true thoughts on President Obama’s base were made public by an undercover video recorded at a Romney fundraiser in May, Mitt Romney called an emergency press conference to “stop the bleeding” and explain/clarify what he meant.

His explanations involved phrases like “campaign process” and “not elegantly stated” but in the end didn’t really address why he called 47% of the American population “victims” who are “dependent on the government.”

Interestingly, when you look at a map of the states with the highest levels of “non-tax paying” citizens, 8 of the top 10 are solidly Republican states.