Romney says waiters ("the middle class") at fundraiser "aren't having a good year"

[underpants]

Source: CBS News



(CBS News) Mitt Romney held up the waiters and waitresses serving donors at a fundraising event Monday night as examples of people who aren't doing well under President Obama.


Addressing 300 contributors at a Jackson, Miss., fundraiser who paid $2,500, $10,000 or $50,000 to hear him speak, Romney acknowledged that the people in the room were well-off compared to many Americans. It was the middle class that had been let down by Obama, Romney said, and he pointed to the wait staff serving finger foods as an example.


"It's tough being middle class in America right now," Romney said. "The waiters and waitresses that come in and out of this room and offer us refreshments, they're not having a good year. The people of the middle class of America are really struggling. And they're struggling I think in a way because they're surprised because when they voted for Barack Obama...he promised them that things were going to get a heck a lot of better. He promised hope and change and they're still waiting."


Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57473489-503544/romney-says-waiters-at-fundraiser-arent-having-a-good-year/

[sakabatou]

1. Maybe the assholes like you keep blocking what he wants

[wordpix]

61. +1 well said

[ejpoeta]

2. maybe it's his way of letting them know they are going to get stiffed on the tip.

[lunatica]

3. Condescending fuck

Last edited Tue Jul 17, 2012, 07:38 AM - Edit history (1)

The waiters should be grateful for the acknowledgment that they were even there, I guess. Is that supposed to endear him to the help? Win over that "middle class" while they serve the rich?

[sarcasmo]

48. +1

[C_U_L8R]

4. If Rmoney and pals paid their fair share in taxes

then maybe the country would be better off.

Instead they game the system and cheat the rest of us.

[MADem]

5. Waiters are the middle class? Not with the tips those cheap bastards don't leave.

I waited tables in my reckless youth, and I was not middle class. I'd have needed two more jobs to make that work.

[Andy823]

31. Yep

If republicans get their way, if Romney becomes president, they yes waiters "WILL BE" the middle class and the minimum wage will be done away with, only the "rich" will be able to afford health care, and americans will be in a world of hurt when where waiters are the middle class.

[LiberalCatholic]

36. I was thinking the same thing.

But this really clarifies his image of "the little people."

[happyslug]

60. "Middle Class" in the US has become a Meaningless term

I have had people on Welfare call themselves "Middle Class" and I have heard of Multimillionaire like Romney call themselves "Middle Class". It has become a meaningless term that means everyone.

When people are polled, the vast majority call themselves "Middle Class", not poor not rich. In the 1970s an experiment was made that included the term "Working Class" in addition to "Middle Class" and almost 1/2 of the people who had called themselves "Middle Class" switched to "Working Class" when "Working Class" was an option.

On the other hand no one uses the term "Working Class" anymore, it is always "Middle Class" and if that is the only option along with Poor and rich most working class people call themselves "Middle Class" to this day.

Traditionally, i.e. pre_WWII, the term Middle Class referred to those people who were NOT in the top 3% of the money earners, but the next 10%, the poor was the bottom 10%, thus the remaining 72% was working class (or if on the farm, peasants or small farmers). After WWII Unions tried (and often did) get their members wages up to what the low end members of the managerial class was earning, and thus was born the concept that the Working Class had joined the Middle Class (Along with the managerial class, the group right above most working class stiffs. both making up the 72% of the population I mentioned above). Steel and Auto Workers were making almost as much money as Accountants, Mangers, Doctors, Lawyers and other professionals (Who tend to make up the Managerial Class, about 22% of the population). This lead to most people calling themselves "Middle Class" and with that merger of those three classes into one (in verbal terms only in reality no merger took place) the term "Middle Class" came to be the meaningless term it is today in the US.

Thus the term "Middle Class" is used by everyone to mean everyone and no one, it is a meaningless term.

[MADem]

64. I always regarded the "middle class" as grouped into upper, lower and "middle-middle."

Upper middle class folks could live large--country club membership, college funds, two cars, large, fancy home. If they are a two-income family, then the loss of one income could throw them down into the "middle-middle" class.

The middle-middle class didn't have the country club, they lived in a "median" home, if they had two cars one was older, and college funds? If they had one, there wasn't much in it.

Lower middle class? They're renting or living in a shitbox they are struggling to pay the note on, one lousy car, no college fund, and probably two to four paychecks away from Hell On Earth.

I do think that Middle Class, though, whatever it may mean, does not mean "Mitt Romney."

[wilt the stilt]

6. They are having a poor year

like all those people you let go at Bain. I was once a waiter and I can guarantee you that some DNA may have ended up in his food.

[jberryhill]

28. I hope there is DNA in my food

Since I tend to eat other biological organisms, such as plants and animals, I expect there is DNA in just about all of it.

Do other people eat rocks?

[Ikonoklast]

32. But is it Human DNA?

NEED DNA!!!







Note to self: Never answer lunch date request from jberryhill.

[jberryhill]

43. It's not just for breakfast anymore

[Ikonoklast]

46. I think I found a pic of you as a little kid....

[chollybocker]

7. He really is profoundly clueless.

Bet he stiffed on the tip, too.

[liberal N proud]

8. He could have remedied that by paying those servers a fair wage

Most of those serving the rich donors were probably getting paid minimum wage.

[hedgehog]

15. Are wait staff even covered by minimum wage?

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

17. I believe that they are not...

States have some flexibility with regard to the minimum wage, and tipped employees are usually exempt. I know that (years ago) when I was working in restaurants, our wait staff made less than minimum.

[justabob]

22. was $2.13/hr for years and years

Last year, I think, it went up to 2.27. Woo hoo. There are several states where it is a little better, but most places it is not. (Catering/banquet service is a little different though. They are generally paid a regular wage.)

[Ter]

39. In CA it's $8/hr

San Fran is the highest in the country, a whopping $10.24/hr.

http://www.paywizard.org/main/minimum-wage/tipped-workers

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

45. Dang!

And way to go, CA!

[Pirate Smile]

9. Romney's tax plan RAISES taxes on the struggling & slashes them for the wealthy - so, really, spare

us the phony concern.

[SpaceChief]

10. Mitt BRAGS about his expertise at sending jobs overseas

Hear Mitt, just last month, brag about how he - not Obama - has the experience to decide when to send jobs overseas.[link:http://soundcloud.com/space-chief/romney-brags-about-offshoring | FIFTEEN seconds of Mitt-In-Mouth disease.

[h2ebits]

40. Thanks for adding this to the conversation

Mitt Romney: on his experience outsourcing/offshoring jobs. It's a classic of why he should be disqualified from running for office now and forever forward. I'm sure the Republican party is going nuts at this point about the Bain issues and his refusal to release more tax returns.

Romney's now chasing his tail frantically trying to extricate himself from himself. Not doing a good job of it. Probably some very high priced lawyers being paid to parse his words, actions, and document signing trying to wiggle him out on a legal basis. Unfortunately for Mitt, he's being tried by the public who know the difference between what's legal and what's moral and ethical.

[underpants]

49. Welcome to DU

[tanyev]

11. Did he hold his monocle up to his eye to locate them in the room?

[GeorgeGist]

12. Mitt's charisma is awesome.

[leftynyc]

29. Where is that pic from?

Romney looks deranged and those two women look like they want to rip out eachothers eyeballs.

[Mrs. Ted Nancy]

38. I have a different take on the picture

Romney does look deranged.

But the expression of the woman on the left says, "Why are we shaking hands in front of this deranged asshole?"

The other looks like she is thinking, "Let's get the hell out of here!"

Of course I may be projecting my feelings on to them.

[jberryhill]

44. His retroactive MySpace page, by the looks of it

[part man all 86]

13. Wait, Mitt the moron thinks $2.14/hr is middle class?

Than I guess leaving that $1.00 tip is breaking the ritzman backs!

[democrat_patriot]

14. Waiters make 2.50 an hour generally. They are NOT middle class.

Can Romney be even more out of touch.

He doesn't understand that $18,000 a year is different than $40,000 a year. He literally spends that in a day (or less) with all of his houses, expenses, staff etc...

[hedgehog]

16. He spends more in a day than they make all year! Yes!

Say it!

[Hugin]

18. Well, lip service is nice, but, did they leave a tip?

I doubt it.

[maryellen99]

19. This is one of the memes they are pushing

That Obama voters are ignorant, dumb, and don't know better.

Mitt really is a condescending ass.

[davidthegnome]

20. Hmm...

Mitt suggesting he'll improve things for the "middle class"? I'd have to hit my head pretty hard to believe that one.

[Ikonoklast]

33. Yes, he'll let businesses lower their wages to below minimum wage to match the wait staff.

You'll be "improved" into poverty by the Vulture Capitalists.

That way, all of us proles will be equal.

[Marrah_G]

21. They aren't having a good year because of you and your parasite friends

You suck as much wealth out of the country..far more then you need, killing off your hosts slowly.

[BumRushDaShow]

23. Didn't GHW Bush define "middle class" as anyone making $250,000?

[denverbill]

25. Maybe, but opponents of extending the Bush tax cuts are saying that this year.

After all, as I hear it, $250,000 is about what a cop and his wife who is a secretary make working in NYC. $250,000 is middle class income in NYC. (I don't buy it btw)

[sofa king]

24. Hmm. What's 20% of a $50,000 plate?

Doesn't matter. None of them got a tip.

[Ian David]

27. I believe it would be $1,000. n/t

[Fearless]

35. Actually $10000!!

[1StrongBlackMan]

52. And, for an event this size, the wait-staff ...

would be expected to service 4-6 tables of 8 ... so shouldn't the wait-staff have been paid between $320,000 and $480,000, plus the hourly wage of 4-6 hours @ minimum wage?

[wordpix]

62. they SHOULD have been but maybe they'll make $100 for the night if they're lucky

These a-holes don't like to share the wealth

[Ian David]

26. It would have been funny if all the waiters walked out at that point. n/t

[Gormy Cuss]

30. He was obviously pandering to the lower income Republican voters who think they're middle class

and who still believe that 'hard work' alone will make them rich.

Mitt was speaking in soundbytes.

[underpants]

50. He actually said this at the same event "We're the party of people who want to get rich."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014168437

BELIEVE us and someday maybe you too will be rich!!

(over their shoulder) count the silverware

[Fearless]

34. Probably his only real contact with "middle class people"

Shame on him.

[Z_California]

37. He must think American voters are really stupid...

It's about the only thing he's right about

[RKP5637]

53. Yep, sadly many American voters are horribly ignorant and low information

voters are all over the place.

[Duer 157099]

41. I hope they spit in his food

[SheilaT]

42. I used to attend Democratic Party meetings in a very Red state, when I lived there.

At the banquets, a point was made to thank the wait staff, and they were tipped. We understood from the wait staff that the Republicans, who also held events at that hotel, didn't tip.

[sarcasmo]

47. Clueless asshole who thinks waiters and waitresses are middle class.

[cstanleytech]

56. Maybe it was a slip of his plans for the US if he wins on creating a new middle class that

earns less than the old middle class did when Clinton was president.

[RKP5637]

51. Well, dope Romney, middle class used to be sometimes $60k to $100K jobs. You and

fucks like you have gutted the jobs of millions of Americans, increased the wealth gap more and more, and really destroyed upward mobility for millions of Americans. Why don't you come clean and just state you don't give a damn about the country and Americans. You are running for president to enhance your wealth, yours of your buddies and to feed your ego with fame and fortune.

[cstanleytech]

57. +Infinity nt

[unblock]

54. what counts as a good year for waitstaff and how do lower taxes for the rich and deregulation help?

[The_Casual_Observer]

55. Usually "the help" aren't acknowledged by these guys because it's very awkward and embarrassing to

everyone. Clearly romney is so arrogant that using these workers as props to make a half ass point just comes natural.

[ecstatic]

65. Exactly. He didn't mind embarrassing them

Yes, they have ears and feelings. Just another example of how much of a heartless asshole Rmoney is.

[Liberal_in_LA]

58. The term "Middle class" traditionally referred 2 economic class but has taken on a moral connotation

People of all incomes - rich and poor call themselves "middle class" because it has taken on the meaning of "hard working, not greedy, good values".

My point is, lower income folks usually call themselves "Middle Class". To call oneself poor is to imply that one is "lazy" and other negative attributes the rightwingers have associated with poverty.

[Kablooie]

59. For some reason this almost feels like racism except aimed at a different group.

Very uncomfortable for the servers at that event, I'm sure.

[wordpix]

63. I would love to hear from some of the wait staff

Being a fly on that wall would be great for quotes.