WASHINGTON (AP) — Some Republicans who are in tight congressional races are looking to distance themselves from Mitt Romney's comment that nearly half of Americans see themselves as victims who are entitled to government handouts.
Scott Brown, who is locked in a tight race for re-election to the Senate in Massachusetts, says there are a lot of "good people out there" who aren't saying, "Oh, boy, I want to be on public assistance." He says they're "struggling to pay the bills and provide for their families."
Republican Senate candidate Linda McMahon in Connecticut, who's also in a tight race, quickly disavowed the remarks. She said that "the vast majority of those who rely on government are not in that situation because they want to be."
Democrats in House and Senate races have been quick to try to link their Republican rivals to Romney's remarks. They've been taking their lead from President Barack Obama, who said yesterday that the occupant of the Oval Office must "work for everyone, not just for some."
