Reid: Romney's comment shows he's 'out of touch'

By Ramsey Cox - 09/19/12 10:25 AM ET

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Wednesday that Mitt Romney proved “he was completely out of touch with Americans” with his controversial remark on the "47 percent."

“He’s completely out of touch with Americans," the Democratic leader said.

“These Americans pay a slew of other taxes,” Reid noted. “But in Mitt Romney’s view they still don’t pay enough … so whose taxes would Mitt Romney raise?

“We know he wouldn’t raise taxes on millionaires and billionaires."

Reid also repeated his charge, which Romney has denied, that the GOP nominee doesn't pay income taxes.

"For all we know Mitt Romney could be one of those who pay nothing in federal income tax … we’ll never know, since he refuses to release his tax returns," he said.

“We can only imagine what new secrets would be revealed if he released 12 years of tax returns like his father,” Reid added. “If you have enough money to put it away in Cayman Island or Swiss bank accounts, can you not afford to help pay down the deficit?"

The majority leader, who previously has used his time on the Senate floor to take shots at the GOP nominee, also criticized Romney’s record at Bain Capital, saying those 47 percent Romney referred to lost their jobs because of companies similar to his.

“These aren’t just freeloaders, these are people where some private equity funds closed their factories and shipped their jobs overseas,” Reid said on the floor Wednesday.

Reid was referring to Romney's remarks at a private fundraiser this May, where the GOP nominee said that 47 percent of Americans who don’t pay income taxes are “dependent on the government” and “believe they are victims.” The comments were captured on videotape, and Democrats have hammered Romney on the issue.

— This story was updated at 10:42 a.m.