Mitt Romney Heckled, Says Corporations 'Are People, My Friend' (VIDEO)

WASHINGTON -- Speaking to an occasionally rowdy crowd two days before the Ames Straw poll, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney made what seems likely to become a much-discussed flub, declaring to a group of Iowans that "corporations are people."

Pressed by an attendee at the Iowa State Fair on Thursday as to why he was focusing on entitlement reforms as a means of deficit reduction over asking corporations to share part of the burden, the GOP frontrunner shot back:

"Corporations are people, my friend... of course they are. Everything corporations earn ultimately goes to the people. Where do you think it goes? Whose pockets? Whose pockets? People's pockets. Human beings my friend."

The comment was immediately pounced on by Democrats, who saw it as another example of Romney being uncomfortable on the stump and inartful in his attempts to come off as an everyday pol.

"This is what Mitt Romney is going to run on? Corporations are people? Really?" said Democratic National Committee Communications Director Brad Woodhouse. "There's a great message for people struggling to get by and trying to make ends meet. Don't complain -- corporations are people too!"

Speaking at the Des Moines Register soapbox, Romney was also interrupted by a heckler who asked if if he supported "scrapping the Social Security payroll cap so that rich people pay their fair share into the trust fund?"

Romney responded, "There was a time in this country where we didn't celebrate attacking people based on their success. We didn't go after people because they were successful. I've watched this president go across the country attacking people, and I... and I am... if you want to speak, you can speak. But right now it's my turn, so let me continue."

The presidential contender went on to underscore his bottom line. "If you don't like my answer, you can vote for someone else," he said.

The situation that unfolded comes ahead of Thursday night's Republican presidential primary debate in the Hawkeye State. It also comes two days before the Ames Straw Poll, a test of conservative strength and table-setter for next year's Iowa caucuses that will take place on Saturday. While Romney will appear on the ballot, he is not actively campaigning to lock up support ahead of the event.

"As you know I participated in a major way in a straw poll four years ago," Romney said in addressing his decision to forego the straw poll during an appearance on Fox News' "Hannity" on Wednesday night. "Some of the benefit I already was able to accrue based upon what happened last time around... I want to use my financial resources and my time this time to actually get delegates, not the straw polls -- they are nice but don't get you delegates -- I'm not going to participate in the straw polls anywhere in the country."

More video of the heckling, from AP:

 

 

Comments

[diahni]

04:04 PM on 08/28/2011

Wow, over17 thousand posts on this article. Just remember from whence the comment comes - Romney is worth hundreds of millions of dollars. It's a rare person, indeed, who can be so wealthy and remember the rest of us. Sure, corporations are people - a very select few who can accumulate the wealth, and avoid the consequences of damages. General Electric has poisoned our air, soil and water, yet nobody has taken responsibility for it.

[nik007]

10:54 AM on 08/25/2011

Yeah Right! Hmm ..l guess we throw common sense out of the window too! Sometime I really wonder what planet these people come from ???

OK Mitt lets do the maths

1) Corporation employs 10,000 people
2) All 10,000 employees leave ( almost tempted to say because of you !)
3) Now is this Corporations has Zero ( no - not talking about your brains!) people
4) Is this Corporation still a person ????

Some advice , stop wasting your time running for Presidency, take rest my friend, and maybe look for job on Comedy Central and you could tell Sister Sarah & Miche ( Elvis biggest fan) to join you !

Regards

[Dragontech]

01:34 PM on 08/24/2011

"ot the straw polls -- they are nice but don't get you delegates" and "Corporations are people, my friend... of course they are." So Mitt Romney's message is F#^& U little people, I want delegates and corporations only. He would be the President of Wall Street and the Fortune 500 with the rest of us shafted.

[PandJonB]

01:24 PM on 08/22/2011

Soylent Green are people too!

[realityCheckInTheMail]

03:22 PM on 08/17/2011

Unless you live in a socialist country, most of the jobs come from corporations.

[Dragontech]

01:36 PM on 08/24/2011

That does not make corporations a person. And the attitude that they are disenfranchises those who do NOT work for corporations.

[PhineasGage730]

04:03 PM on 08/25/2011

You're so deep!

Now explain what the he!! that has to do with anything.

[This ends now]

02:37 AM on 08/17/2011

The sad thing is that legally a corporation has the same rights as a person. Legally it is a person. I hope that Romney's statement does undermine his bid and that more people become aware the ridiculous legal status of a corporation.

[Dragontech]

01:37 PM on 08/24/2011

Funny how corporations have the same legal rights as a person, but not the same legal responsibilities.

[OSTB]

01:36 AM on 08/17/2011

The sad thing is he is right. I'm not saying that it is a proper defense for his argument but corporations are owned and run by people. People that are only concerned with short term gains and efficiencies without thinking about the non numberical costs. There is no compassion or loyalty in business because it is not "cost effective". These decisions are very much made by people who leave their morality at the door and veil themselves in the role that their job rewards. I hope one day we can strip away these burdensome layers and rediscover our humanity but I fear we are moving further and further in the opposite direction.

[don st]

12:55 PM on 08/16/2011

Who wants some rich fat cat, never had to work for a meal, never had a day of hunger or cold or discomfort, a member of a loonie cult, as President? Id only vote for him if it comes down to him and the Traitor but then, Id hold my nose, cross my finger, and pry for forgiveness that night.

[Dragontech]

01:41 PM on 08/24/2011

Against "the Traitor" Which Traitor? The T(raitor) Party has many candidates they are backing, Bachmann, Perry, Palin are the most prominent, which of these traitors do you mean?

[PhineasGage730]

04:04 PM on 08/25/2011

Who's the traitor?

Oh, and you spelled "pray" wrong.

[AuntInAZ]

12:07 AM on 08/16/2011

I just saw this take on the issue of Corporations as People today, even though it was written a few days ago:

'Corporations are people, my friend...'
Big businesses have long had the same economic rights as citizens, yet few of the moral responsibilities.
http://tinyurl.com/4xaq7r3

[Peace4UandMe]

09:12 PM on 08/15/2011

When a corporation can have sex with me and have a baby, then I'll believe they are people. But that leads to bigger problems like, what gender is each corporation ? Are they non-gender ? If so then they must believe in same sex marriage ?

[ScorpioTop]

02:51 AM on 08/15/2011

10 Reasons Why Corporations Aren’t People

1. People generally pay their annual income taxes.

2. People generally don’t have spreadsheets in place of a soul.

3. People generally have to make their own breakfast, wipe their own butts, and drive themselves to work in a vehicle that’s cheaper than the mini bar on a corporate jet.

4. People can show their faces in public without the fear of being bludgeoned by custard pies.

5. People don’t usually consider themselves a native of the Dutch Antilles for tax purposes.

6. People don’t generally dump chemicals into their drinking water and sell their coworkers to Vietnam.

7. People generally don’t eat caviar out the posterior of a Michelangelo statue for breakfast during an economic recession.

8. People generally don’t forget how many pieces of real estate they own.

9. People generally don’t purchase golden commodes in which to poop on their lunch breaks during an economic recession (see Meryl Lynch CEO).

10. People generally don’t refer to multinational, lifeless, amorphous engines of soul-sucking greed whose sole purpose is to downsize and shed hard-earned American jobs in order to tear apart the earth in the Third World and enslave its local populations as, well, people.

[Doughman]

06:18 PM on 08/16/2011

What about the people that work for the corporations? Those people that sit at a desk all day? They are a part of the corporations too, and yet exibit none of those characteristics.

I would know. I work for one.

[Dragontech]

01:44 PM on 08/24/2011

Most do exhibit those qualities, in the upper echelons of said corporations. If you show none of these qualities, than you are just another optional cog in the machine to the "person" you work for. You are as optional to them as your desk, but easier to replace.

[Kristen Primm]

12:10 AM on 08/15/2011

Hmmmmm...I wonder: Do they get their own planets when they die?

[Larry Koodin]

09:29 PM on 08/14/2011

Are people really commenting about his use of words. Corporations are owned by hard working americans. Their profits are taxed first as corporate profits and then again as dividents. Problem is that most people in this country are not equipped to compete with others around the world. Why should they be paid $30,000 per year with benefits when someone in india will do it for $12,000 with no health care. Be happy that the rich guys pay us to mow their lawns, serve them food and cut their hair. With out those jobs we would really be in trouble

[JudgeMoonbox]

09:58 PM on 08/14/2011

"Why should they be paid $30,000 per year with benefits when someone in india will do it for $12,000 with no health care."

If Globalization has brought a "race to the bottom," why haven't the CEOs had to compete like the rest of us? It's harder to defend the multimillions the superrich get because they pack the Boards of Trustees than the basic entry level positions.

[Dragontech]

01:45 PM on 08/24/2011

If they paid me to cut their hair they better have a gorget on or I'd cut their throat.

[Jim MO PA]

01:56 PM on 08/14/2011

Who's your daddy. Answer: big corporations.

[VictorLudorum]

12:50 PM on 08/14/2011

Mormons are Bi-Thiests ,they are losing everywhere because they are late!