Steny Hoyer: Mitt Romney's '47 Percent' Comment Reflects His 'Disdain For People'

WASHINGTON -- House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Mitt Romney's comments about nearly half of the nation mooching off the government reflect a sentiment shared by many in his party: contempt for those in need of help.

"I think it reflects what he believes. I think it reflects what his party believes," Hoyer said Wednesday during a sit-down with reporters. "It shows a disdain for people."

Romney has been on the defensive this week after a video surfaced of him describing 47 percent of Americans as Obama supporters who rely on the government and see themselves as victims. He made his remarks during a private event in May that was secretly taped.

Hoyer predicted the video will be a boon to Democrats running in tight House and Senate races.

That video is "going to help us in every swing district in America," he said. "A lot of those swing district voters are not Democrats, they're not Republicans. They are looking to find a party that they believe cares about them, their interests and their future."