Mark Meadows, North Carolina GOP Congressional Candidate, Disavows Mitt Romney's 47 Percent Remark

GOP Candidates Run Away From Mitt Romney's 47 Percent Remark
FILE - In this Sept. 11, 2012, photo, Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks in Reno, Nev. With the Iraq war over and Afghanistan winding down, Iran is the most likely place for a new U.S. military conflict. Despite unprecedented global sanctions, Irans nuclear program is advancing. The United States and other Western nations fear the Islamic republic is determined to develop nuclear weapons and fundamentally reshape the balance of power in the Middle East, while posing a grave threat to Israel. Iran insists its program is solely designed for peaceful energy and medical research purposes. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
FILE - In this Sept. 11, 2012, photo, Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks in Reno, Nev. With the Iraq war over and Afghanistan winding down, Iran is the most likely place for a new U.S. military conflict. Despite unprecedented global sanctions, Irans nuclear program is advancing. The United States and other Western nations fear the Islamic republic is determined to develop nuclear weapons and fundamentally reshape the balance of power in the Middle East, while posing a grave threat to Israel. Iran insists its program is solely designed for peaceful energy and medical research purposes. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

Mitt Romney's comments about 47 percent of the American public being "dependent on government" are causing some discomfort for Republicans down the ballot.

During a debate between the Democratic and Republican candidates vying for North Carolina's 11th Congressional District seat on Wednesday, the GOP candidate, Mark Meadows, made it clear that he disagreed with the GOP presidential nominee.

"It might come as a surprise, but Mitt Romney didn’t call me before he made those comments and ask for my advice,” Meadows said during the forum hosted by WLOS-TV in Asheville, N.C.

"I'm concerned about all 750,000 people,” he added, referring to the North Carolina district. "I am here to represent the people of this district."

Democrat Hayden Rogers said he didn't know enough about Romney's comment to discuss it, according to the Asheville Citizen-Times.

The 11th District is one of the reddest in North Carolina, with more voters pulling the lever for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in 2008 than anywhere else in the state.

Meadows has endorsed Romney, but Rogers has not endorsed President Obama.

Three GOP Senate incumbents and candidates in tight races have also run away from Romney's 47-percent remarks: Sens. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) and Dean Heller (R-Nev.) and Linda McMahon in Connecticut. On Wednesday, Wisconsin's former Gov. Tommy Thompson broke that trend and stood by Romney.

Republican senators dodged reporters on Capitol Hill Wednesday, seemingly to avoid discussing the subject. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) said, however, that he didn't believe there was "a great concern" among Republicans about what the GOP nominee said.

Correction: The original post incorrectly stated that Meadows has endorsed Obama; he has endorsed Romney.

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