Orrin Hatch Weighs In On The '47 Percent,' Says It's Really 51 Percent

[RandySF]

WASHINGTON -- Mitt Romney got it wrong: It's not 47 percent of the nation that is not paying federal income taxes.

"It's 51 percent!" Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said Wednesday.

Hatch, who often talks about the percentage of Americans who don't have to pay Uncle Sam -- aside from payroll taxes -- offered that clarification after he was asked whether he has concerns about fallout from a losing presidential campaign in which Romney's use of the 47 percent figure played a prominent role. Romney argued at a secretly recorded fundraising event that he wasn't concerned about the 47 percent because they wouldn't vote for him.

Hatch argued that Romney's comments "had an effect, but I don't think much of an effect," so he was not worried.

He also clarified what he thinks Romney meant and should have said.

"It was distorted because Romney did not explain it right," Hatch said. "All he had to say was 'Look, when 51 percent of all households -- not just individuals -- don't pay a penny in income taxes, it shows that we've got too many people riding in the wagon.' What he should have said is, 'I want to get them out of the wagon in good jobs where they can also help pull the wagon.'


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/14/orrin-hatch-47-percent-51-percent_n_2133054.html

[Frances]

1. John Adams would not have agreed with Hatch

Adams worried about the very wealthy riding on the backs of the workers.

In my opinion, the workers are pulling the wagon while the wealthy are complaining that the workers are getting too much food.

[tsuki]

2. Yep, its that group of Mormons that hide their income in their

religion's tax free status.

[missann]

3. 51%

So he changed it match Obama's popular vote %?

[JHB]

4. Romney wasn't "not expaining it right"...

...he was using it as a weapon, as a justification for what he was doing, as a selling point in the pitch he was making. The actual details of it were irrelevant to him, just like the details of everything: from the shifting fogbank of his tax reform "plan" to "Amercia" and his fiasco ORCA app for GOTV.

Details are for "you people".

[UtahLib]

5. Hatch the puke

He came to Utah for no other reason than to discredit and break the unions. He felt so at home that he decided he'd run for the Senate. He beat his opponent, Frank Moss (a true man of the people) by claiming no one should make a career of serving in a political office. Something he obviously no longer worries about.

For the first time since he was elected, he was worried enough to actually campaign in this election after kissing up to the local teabaggers. He is one of the most hypocritical and despicable Senators in DC and a true hero of the 1%. He had that lying for the Lord thing mastered long before Mitt came onto the scene.

[spanone]

6. they are shameless in their disregard for the american people

[magellan]

7. Why don't he and Rmoney ask the "job creators" what they've been doing for 10 years

with their tax breaks. Because they sure as hell haven't been creating jobs that pay enough for people to OWE taxes.

[Marr]

8. Ever notice how the top 1% LOVES to talk about the top *50%*?

Get half the poor to fight the other half of the poor. Could it get any more obvious?

[liberaltrucker]

9. Class warfare, Senator? You just declared it!

Bring it on. Be very careful what you wish for.

[Live and Learn]

10. +1 nt

[hfojvt]

11. "I gave a girl

a ride in my wagon"

[sarcasmo]

12. Double down on stupid.

[NotThisTime]

13. And how many mega corporations, I mean, um small businesses pay no income tax.....