Deb Fischer, Nebraska GOP Senate Candidate, Breaks With Mitt Romney's '47 Percent' Remarks

The GOP contender for Nebraska's open Senate seat, Deb Fischer, is distancing herself from Mitt Romney's remarks that 47 percent of Americans see themselves as "victims ... dependent on government."

When asked to comment on her presidential candidate's position during a Sept. 20 interview with a local radio station, Fischer said she held a different view on the role of government.

"I'm running my own campaign, and I have my own perspective on that," Fischer told KLIN radio. "People who have followed my career in the legislature know that I believe it's very important for government to set priorities. One of those responsibilities of government is helping those who truly can't help themselves."

Fischer joins the ranks of five other GOP Senate candidates who have disagreed with Romney's remarks, including Sens. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) and Dean Heller (R-Nev.), as well as Linda McMahon in Connecticut, Rick Berg in North Dakota and Linda Lingle in Hawaii.

While those five candidates are all locked in tight, competitive races, Fischer enjoys a solid 10-point lead over former Nebraska governor and two-time U.S. senator Bob Kerrey (D), according to the most recent poll from the Omaha World-Herald. HuffPost Pollster gives Fischer an even more ample cushion, leading Kerrey by 21.5 points.

But even without the competitive pressure, the Republican state legislator championed a different view of government than the one espoused by Romney.

"It's important that we have that safety net for Americans to carry them through those hard times that they face," Fischer said.