Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Are veterans on your "hit list" too, Gov Romney?

Governor Mitt Romney caught off guard by "hidden" video as he spoke to rich donors. It's reported that former President Jimmy Carter's grandson "leaked" the video.

Mike to Mitt: Are military veterans on your hit list too?

An Open Letter to Governor Mitt Romney,

Do you really believe that I and my fellow veterans of America's wars are freeloaders - "handout victims" as you called us in your speech. If you do, I resent your remarks and your beliefs. Of course, I know you were caught "off guard" by a video of you speaking to raise more money for your campaign for president. You thought no one other than your pals were watching but the grandson of Jimmy Carter leaked the video to the American people and the world.

I am a veteran of the U. S. Army in the Vietnam War where I served as a combat correspondent and photojournalist and would bet you 100 shares of stock that I've seen more 'action' in my life than you have. I also served as a civilian journalist, receiving national awards for investigative and community service reporting. I protect your freedom so say offensive and false things about me and my fellow veterans. And, being a reporter on the streets of America is a form of combat too.

"Handouts?" I, and millions of my fellow veterans, especially of combat, are alive and functioning as well as I can be today thanks to the medical and financial services provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. During one of my illnesses I also received temporary cash support for a year, your so-called "handouts" from the state of Ohio, in part using federal dollars. Does this make me a "victim" Gov. Romney? Well, if I am a victim, I am proud of it, proud to serve my country.

You said that you were speaking about the supporters of President Obama in the presidential election when you referred to the "victims" of "handouts." As a journalist I do not publicly support any candidate. What I do in the voting booth is my business, but you can be assured that unless you apologize and explain yourself you have lost my vote for good and I would bet the vote of many fellow combat veterans who needed or will need help from their country.

Sincerely,
Mike Marcellino
Veteran, U. S. Army, II Field Force, Vietnam War, 1967-68 Four Campaign Stars/Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry
folk music artists #26 Folk charts, New York City (ReverbNation)
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Washington Post, September 18, 2012

On Letterman, Obama says Romney ‘writing off’ much of country

Video: As President Obama gets ready to appear on David Letterman’s show on Tuesday, we take a look back at what the interviews on late-night television have revealed about the first family.

By Amy Gardner, Updated: Tuesday, September 18, 6:26 PM

NEW YORK — President Obama responded Tuesday to controversial remarks by Republican Mitt Romney by suggesting that his opponent was “writing off a big chunk of the country” and was wrong to suggest that nearly half of Americans think of themselves as victims entitled to a handout from government.
In an interview on “The Late Show with David Letterman” taped Tuesday afternoon in New York and scheduled to air nationally later in the evening, Obama said:

Comments

Personal Post

Video

The Washington Post’s Anne Kornblut looks at how Mitt Romney’s remarks in a video from a campaign fundraiser might hurt his campaign’s efforts to reach certain demographic groups.

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THE FIX | Without conservative outside groups, this might not be a close race at all.

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THE FIX | The candidate’s comments about the "47 percent" come at the worst possible time for him politically.

“When I won in 2008, 47 percent of the American people voted for John McCain,” Obama said. “They didn’t vote for me and what I said on election night was: ‘Even though you didn’t vote for me, I hear your voices, and I’m going to work as hard as I can to be your president.’”
Obama said presidential candidates are always under the microscope and are going to make mistakes. Letterman reminded the president of his own gaffe in the 2008 campaign, when he spoke of conservatives who “cling to guns or religion.” But Obama noted that he immediately apologized for the statement — an apparent contrast to Romney’s defense of his comments, which Romney called “inelegant” but reflective of his views.
The statements in question came to light on Monday, when Mother Jones released videos from a private fundraiser in Florida in May in which Romney dismisses Obama’s supporters as “victims” who take no responsibility for their livelihoods and who think they are entitled to government handouts. He said that his job “is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”
On Tuesday afternoon, Mother Jones released the full video, including controversial remarks showing the Republican nominee saying that Palestinians have “no interest whatsoever” in reaching a peace agreement with Israel.
In the Letterman interview, Obama said traveling the country he never meets anyone ”who doesn’t believe in the American dream.”
“There are not a lot of people out there who think they’re victims,” he said. “There are not a lot of people who think they’re entitled to something.”
But, he added: “We’ve got some obligations to each other, and there’s nothing wrong with us giving each other a helping hand so that that single mom’s kid, even after all the work she’s done, can afford to go to college.”
Tuesday was Obama’s second appearance on the Letterman show since he became president. First lady Michelle Obama was a guest on the show earlier this month. The program was scheduled to air at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The president was Letterman’s sole guest Tuesday, and he sat for a wide-ranging interview that included a few lighter moments as well as more serious ones. Letterman lingered on a number of serious topics, asking Obama to explain the nation’s budget crisis at length and to comment on the gridlock that much of the nation sees in Washington.
“There’s more than enough blame to spread around,” Obama said. “These problems have been around for a decade or more.”
Asked about the violence in Libya last week that led to the death of Ambassador Christopher Stevens, Obama said the administration’s top priorities now are to “refortify” security at American embassies abroad and to bring the murderers to justice. He criticized the offending anti-Muslim video that triggered the violence, but he said the video was not an excuse for violence.