Mitt Romney: Questions About Wall Street, Income Inequality Are Driven By 'Envy'

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney claimed concerns about Wall Street, financial institutions and income inequality were the result of "envy."

Romney -- who won the New Hampshire primary Tuesday night -- attacked President Barack Obama for promulgating the "politics of envy" during a Wednesday interview with Matt Lauer on NBC's "The Today Show." Though his attack was mainly directed at the president, Romney's "envy" remark came after Lauer asked about the concerns of "anyone who has questions about the distribution of wealth and power in this country."

"I think it's about envy. I think it's about class warfare," Romney said. "I think when you have a president encouraging the idea of dividing America based on 99 percent versus one percent... you've opened up a whole new wave of approach in this country which is entirely inconsistent with the concept of 'one nation under God.'"

The GOP hopeful also said it wasn't necessary to have a public debate about the inequality of wealth distribution in this country, and claimed Obama's focus on this issue was just "part of his campaign rally."

"I think it's fine to talk about those things in quiet rooms and discussions about tax policy and the like," Romney said. "But the president has made this part of his campaign rally. Everywhere he goes we hear him talking about millionaires and billionaires and executives and Wall Street. It's a very envy-oriented, attack-oriented approach and I think it'll fail."

During a separate appearance Wednesday morning, Romney admitted he has "an uphill climb" ahead of him in South Carolina, where he finished fourth in the 2008 presidential race.

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Comments

[che1111]

06:58 PM on 02/26/2012

Romney is a robot for the .001% - this comes down to American's unwillingness to talk about class, but for people like Romney, talking about money in public is in bad taste. It's been a very effective strategy as up to this point, the middle classes have always blamed those below them for our problems. Now that the finger is pointing in the right direction, people like Romney call it envy.

[janmB]

06:05 AM on 01/19/2012

Romney makes comments that are so bizzare because he has no clue how it is not to be rich. . IF he actually believes the people who lost their homes because they lost their jobs, or cannot find a decent job, and work two or three jobs only to live paycheck to paycheck .....if Romney thinks they are consumed with envy and that's why they are sad, hungry and depressed. he's more stupid than I ever imagined a republican could be.

[fineartgalaxy]

08:27 AM on 01/18/2012

The only possible reason for this type of candidate to be running for President is that the GOP wants Obama to be re-elected. And why not, Corporations, Wall Street and the entire banking industry have made tons of money under Obama's watch. In reality, no one is being held accountable for any white collar crimes. Obama is keeping these criminals safe. So, why should the GOP not want Obama to be re-elected? All they have to do is say no some more and Obama will continue to be what he currently is. The most inconsequential President in the most unusual times of our history.

[fineartgalaxy]

08:21 AM on 01/18/2012

How Republican of his. "Envy". And Corporate "Greed" is acceptable, correct Mr. Candidate?

[jonyla]

03:52 PM on 01/16/2012

The only effective answer to organized greed is organized labor.

[politicscorner]

09:25 AM on 01/16/2012

Mitt Romney is a corporate person, my friend.

[candycorn]

09:31 PM on 01/15/2012

How can any working poor or middleclass person vote for this clown. People are envy of his wealth.
People are disgusted by the fact Mitt is paying less taxes than someone making $18,000 a year.
This is what you call a christian and this is the reason I changed from a republican to a democrat because they all think this way.

[Durand Meisenbach]

04:20 PM on 01/15/2012

Precisely the kind of out-of-touch "leadership" that can in no way justifiably represent the Majority of the People...a certain promise that America and the World will have more of the same that has driven the reputation of Politicians into the gutter. It's not envy, but rather despite for this class of clueless privelage, animating the Majority; and to propose oneself as a candidate to represent the People while being so unconscious of one's sectarian, cultish minority is truly brazen...bordering on intellectually depraved.

[Cory Jack]

10:51 PM on 01/14/2012

What a presumptuous, arrogant, conceited man.

His attitude thinking people are "envious" of him reminds me of when Molly Ringwald tells Anthony Michael Hall that the geeks at school just "wanna be like us" meaning the rich kids.

Nothing is further from the truth, and like I said in my first sentence in this post, Anthony Michael Hall replies to Molly Ringwald that "you are so conceited, Claire."

[loritapaints2]

12:04 PM on 01/14/2012

mitt i think your burlap undies have rubbed your neocortex raw!

[richj45]

08:10 AM on 01/14/2012

What I seriously envy is the fact there is a percentage of people in this country that make multi millions and are in lower tax bracket than I'm in.. there are people out there who pay zero taxes and get a refund.. How does that work ?

[wanamoka]

11:30 PM on 01/14/2012

Romney's tax plan is focused on fleecing the middle class. Under Mitts the middle class would pay more, while the .01% would have twice the cuts as they did under GWB.

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/01/12/403537/romneys-tax-cut-bush/?mobile=nc

Why the middle class republicans are even considering him as a viable candidate is beyond me.

[xenubarb]

05:47 PM on 01/17/2012

If you mean the moderate republicans, I agree. It seems that this crop of GOP candidates are all pandering to the religious right and people who think Rush Limbaugh quotable.

It makes no sense to me. There are moderates who would die before voting for Obama, they might just opt out this time. Vote for a psycho 1%er, vote for a Democrat, or stay home and watch Oprah. Not much of a choice there.

[HenryDavid]

02:09 AM on 01/14/2012

"The GOP hopeful also said it wasn't necessary to have a public debate about the inequality of wealth distribution in this country.... 'I think it's fine to talk about those things in quiet rooms and discussions about tax policy and the like,' Romney said. 'But the president has made this part of his campaign rally.'"

It's an increasingly larger part of the campaign issue this year and from now on, Mitt. Get used to it. When tax laws result in the immense disparity between the haves and have nots; when the wealthy are so much richer than ever while millions and millions of middle class citizens drop into poverty each year; it's a big issue.

Obama is not going to get a free ride in pursuing income disparity. Many people will see the presidential campaign as just two rich guys claiming to have the healing cure for the country as they fight for the luxury of having Air Force One at their beck and call while they keep their friends in lucrative positions.

[clarkesantacruz]

12:40 AM on 01/14/2012

corporations are my friend, people- mitt

[rr4real]

10:53 PM on 01/13/2012

“Give heed that thy servants and thy subjects live under thee in peace and uprightnes­s. Especially maintain the good cities and commons of thy realm in the same estate and with the same franchises as they enjoyed under thy predecesso­rs; and if there be aught to amend, amend and set it right, and keep them in thy favor and love. For because of the power and wealth of the great cities, thine own subjects, and especially thy peers and thy barons and foreigners also will fear to undertake aught against thee.
Saint Louis IX 1214-1270 A.D.”

[CynAnne]

10:48 PM on 01/13/2012

We wonder if THIS conversation took place in one of those "...quiet rooms...": http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/01/12/1054058/-Bishop-Mitt-Romney-pressured-a-Single-Mother-to-give-up-her-baby-or-be-excluded-from-Mormon-Church?via=tag