Stephen Colbert Mocks Mitt Romney's 'I Like Firing People' Gaffe (VIDEO)

The results of Tuesday night's New Hampshire primary might show Mitt Romney leading the race, but his latest gaffe didn't go unnoticed by Stephen Colbert.

Romney has a good chance of breezing through the remaining primaries -- that is, of course, if he can protect what Colbert calls his biggest vulnerability: the years he spent as a "heartless corporate raider" at BainCapital.

So you can imagine Colbert's surprise when he heard that Romney recently told a crowd of supporters, "I like being able to fire people" who provide inadequate services. Colbert covers many political gaffes, but he actually had to break out his turntable and do a old fashioned record skip for this one.

"Boy, Romney really stuck his foot in his mouth with this one -- which is the spiciest thing he's eaten in years," Colbert joked.

Watch the full segment below to hear Colbert's reaction the oh-so-baffling goose/gander/sauce analogy Romney used to defend himself, and why he thinks Romney and Jon Huntsman will have to share the nomination after all.

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Comments

[CJ40inWI]

01:37 PM on 01/13/2012

"Dixville Notch," there is probably a lot of jokes about that one.

[vandegrasse]

03:34 PM on 01/12/2012

Conservatives are so morally bankrupt!

[vandegrasse]

03:31 PM on 01/12/2012

Lord, I'd go stark raving without Colbert!

[Gnarkill]

10:05 AM on 01/12/2012

Bain certainly did a lot of firing and put a lot of money in a few peoples pockets. Even though he was talking about insurance in this case it was a thoughtless thing to say while many are jobless thanks to people like him and his "money is god" type thinking.

[AmongThorns]

09:37 AM on 01/12/2012

We must be able to "fire" our insurers when they refuse to cover our reasonable and necessary care. Of course, once he gets ACA repealed, those who took Mitt's advice will then be uninsurable due to their pre-existing conditions.

He's just trying to clarify the Republican plan to ensure that noone in the 99% makes it to that horrible age of 65 to collect their socialist welfare.

[democratsaint]

09:09 AM on 01/12/2012

let me point out the simple truth, he said i enjoy firing people,NOT i enjoy firing corporations,i think it was a freudian slip, he may have been talking about insurance,but what came out was what he was thinking,about how he enjoyed cutting jobs.cause it made HIM richer,is that what we need running our economy.hell he might even make bush seem like a job creator.

[InnaGaddaDaVida]

10:35 AM on 01/13/2012

In related news, the insurance industry endorses Newt Gingrich cause "Romney doesn't like us".

[Hong Kong Fooey]

08:51 AM on 01/12/2012

Me and the guys in gym class think you are the funniest man.

Colbert you really know how to make the news fun and funny for us kids.

Colbert you rock yo! I really like the bright colors you chose for your set and animations it really keeps my attention because I am an adolescent that has a short attention span.

[Gnarkill]

10:13 AM on 01/12/2012

your sarcasm is not as clever as The Colbert Report but its adorable that you put the effort forward. gold star for you young man.

[elkabong]

08:51 AM on 01/12/2012

Between his enjoyment in firing people and strapping his dog to the roof of the car, Willard seems quite soulless.

I've had to fire people, but I never enjoyed it.

[Hong Kong Fooey]

09:15 AM on 01/12/2012

there is only room for 1 early 70s animated cartoon hero with a propensity for accidents on this post.

[Michael Arnold]

08:40 AM on 01/12/2012

I have come up with the perfect question to ask Willard.
"How much was your home electric bill last month?"
Before he answers he'll ask "Which home?"
And now you have him, he will be outed him as the out of touch CEO that he is. I think this question or something similar should be asked of him at each Town Hall and public appearance he makes.
The point is to show him for who he actually is...A silver-spoon trust-fund baby multi-millionaire who has no clue how normal average everyday American's live, work and pay their bills.

[InnaGaddaDaVida]

10:38 AM on 01/13/2012

His answer: Nothing, I'm rich, the rich pay for nothing. that's what you little people pay taxes for.

[gold7246]

08:03 AM on 01/12/2012

Of course the idiots criticizing Romney over his remarks "about firing people', probably never saw the entire comment or are just taking the words of some Hacks, that edited the whole comment line. Romney had mentioned that people should be able to pick and choose which insurance companies they want according to their needs. If the an insurance company didn't fulfill those needs or provide bad service, one could fire the insurance company and pick another one. He stated he would enjoy firing "people" insurance companies that failed to produce the services he was paying for.

[Nopinky]

08:54 AM on 01/12/2012

I agree that it's not helpful or appropriate to take the comment out of context. But it's also not necessary - the problem is the same: Romney is so far removed from the reality of most people's lives that he thinks it's just as easy as that. Most people don't have millions to shop for the best coverage from the company they like best - we have to take what employers provide IF we're lucky enough to both HAVE a job and have a job that provides health care. Most people don't have $1500-$3000/mo to spend on individual insurance plans for their families. At least now those companies can't fire US for getting sick. Baby steps I guess.

[InnaGaddaDaVida]

10:39 AM on 01/13/2012

You submitted a claim....You're Fired!

[beardown]

07:39 AM on 01/12/2012

They are always talking about Romney gaffes and flip flops! this site should know all about flip flops! thus the name sake of this site!!!!

[blomeup2day]

07:51 AM on 01/12/2012

it isn't a gaffe when it's your life's work. and it isn't flip flopping as much as it is saying whatever to whomever to get a vote.

[hiwaytrader]

07:24 AM on 01/12/2012

Why do lefties think its a gaffe? You never want the option to fire anyone? Foolish liers.

[beardown]

07:36 AM on 01/12/2012

Right on F&F!!!

[US Patent 7089319]

07:46 AM on 01/12/2012

Sure you do. People get fired all the time, for and without cause. But saying one "enjoys" it during presidential race focused on CREATING jobs is a gaffe. Why do righties never think?

[bobh]

07:04 AM on 01/12/2012

And this heartless man jabbers about saving America's "soul".

[InnaGaddaDaVida]

10:41 AM on 01/13/2012

There's no such thing as a soul.

[peter010908]

06:29 AM on 01/12/2012

How funny is Stephen Colbert.

Mitt Romney and the other conservatives just look like a bunch of knobs.

[InnaGaddaDaVida]

10:41 AM on 01/13/2012

Highly polished and sparkling knobs...look--another shiney doorknob.

[toubab]

06:23 AM on 01/12/2012

When people constantly stoop to making up things Romney never said, such as "I like firing people" or "I enjoy firing people", it's clear he is winning. Romney simply needs to ask, in response to these falsehoods, who in their right mind wouldn't want to be ABLE to fire a company or person for doing a lousy job when they're being paid to do it right? You might not LIKE firing them, or ENJOY firing them, but unless you are stupid you would LIKE being ABLE to fire them.

[democratsaint]

09:59 AM on 01/12/2012

made it up now,HE SAID it,no one made it up,what they dubbed the video?

[toubab]

03:27 PM on 01/12/2012

Do you even know what he actually said? Clue: He did NOT say he likes firing people. Second clue: He did NOT say he enjoys firing people.

[InnaGaddaDaVida]

10:44 AM on 01/13/2012

Musta been an audio glitch during the debate, eh?

[toubab]

11:10 AM on 01/13/2012

No, the words "able to fire" were clearly audible, except to Romney haters.