Palestinians, Mexicans, now Romney thinks 47 percent of Americans are culturally inferior

By Brent Budowsky - 09/18/12 11:46 AM ET

There will be a word invented to describe Mitt Romney's attitude that is somewhere beyond arrogance and elitism. After Romney insulted his British hosts at the Olympics he proceeded to imply that Palestinians are less prosperous than Israelis, and Mexicans are less prosperous than Americans, because of what Romney implied are matters of cultural superiority of some and cultural inferiority of others. Now we learn through a leaked video that Romney believes that 47 percent of Americans, people Romney says he does not care about, fall into his bag of cultural inferiors.

Of course, many American seniors and Hispanics, as well as liberals and blacks, are among Romney's chosen losers. Look at exactly what Mitt Romney said in the leaked video:

Romney claims that 47 percent of Americans do not take personal responsibility for their actions, are dependent on government programs, do not pay their taxes and should be ignored in his vision of American politics.

These are personal attacks against half the nation. They are vindictive insults against half the nation. They are vindictive attacks that demonstrate an extreme class bias by Romney, include factually inaccurate derogative Romney opinions about half the nation and imply that Romney is a candidate who only campaigns for half the nation and as president would ignore the half of America that he insults.

George Romney, a truly great man, would be astonished and disgusted by Mitt Romney's viewpoints on these matters if he were alive today. Mitt Romney represents weird and unacceptable views that George Romney spent a lifetime opposing.

Mitt Romney violates the cardinal rule of what America stands for.

We Americans are individuals who cannot be categorized and should not be demonized by our race, religion, color, creed, ethnicity, gender or political philosophy. Seniors, Hispanics, blacks, whites, Asians, liberals, conservatives, moderates, Democrats and Republicans are all individuals. Some are more responsible than others. To suggest that how we were born, or what we individually believe, defines our value is un-American to the core — and Mitt Romney owes half the nation an apology.

This is equally true of Israelis, Palestinians, Mexicans, Americans and everyone else created by our Maker who should not be categorized, judged, insulted or condemned because of who they are by Mitt Romney or anyone else.
This latest gaffe will futher damage the already-troubled Romney campaign and represents a stench on American politics that does our country and our world no service.

Finally, the sheer gall of a guy who pays less taxes than most of us, and hides most of his own tax returns, accusing anyone else of not paying enough taxes is why Mitt Romney is the least trusted presidential nominee since Richard Nixon, who was forced out of the office that Mitt Romney should not be allowed into, except as a visitor.