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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.