(CNN) - Mitt Romney sparred with a group of Occupy protesters at a rally in New Hampshire Monday, a rare sight for the former Massachusetts governor who normally avoids engaging when his campaign stops are interrupted.
When a group began chanting “Live Free or die! Always occupy!” during a campaign stop in Bedford, Romney intervened and asked the group what message they were aiming to get across.
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“How about, instead of shouting, why don’t you say what you mean? What’s your view? Madam, what do you think?” Romney asked.
When a protester responded with a grievance about the role of money in political campaigns, Romney used the moment to take a swipe at President Barack Obama.
“Who’s the president who’s spending more money to campaign than any in the history of America?” Romney asked to cheers from his supporters. “The answer is that this president is spending money and has spent money. You know what this president has been the first president to throw aside the public funding program and break all those barriers and to spend massively more than any president in history.”
Romney said the protesters weren’t offering a legitimate alternative to the American system of government.
“I get the chance to see these guys who come out here to protest and now and then I ask them, 'Tell me, what would you replace America with, what kind of system would you have?' They don’t know. And the truth is, there has never been any place on Earth that has freed people from poverty like free enterprise American style,” Romney said.
Romney’s demeanor during the skirmish was markedly different than his reactions to previous interruptions to his campaign events, and reflected a style employed by his surrogate, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, on Sunday.
Responding to chants from a group of attendees yelling "Mitt kills jobs, Christie kills jobs,” the Republican governor fired back.
"Really? You know something may go down tonight, but it ain't gonna be jobs sweetheart," Christie said, before pointing to his record of job creation in the New Jersey.
At other events, Romney has tersely told protesters, “you had your turn, now it’s my turn,” before waiting for police to escort protesters out.
Also see:
Santorum to South Carolina: 'Step up'
Paul looking forward to South Carolina, caucus states
From CNN Politics
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go Mitt..just the facts is all you need to defeat obama... people need the facts.
was Gov. Christie threatening those protesters. The only thing that guy can beat up is a Big Mac.
I hope they keep the pressure on him and all of the other candidates. They have been rolling around this country thinking they can bash the current administration unchecked. They now have a taste of what the Tea Party has done to interrupt the Dems for the past 3 years.
The message is simple – they are the voice of the people not corporations.
Love it! Nice job, I'm glad to see that Romney listened to the protesters and made a logical case for response. I think his response was great. We can use a president who at least listens for alternatives if needed.
Well said, Mr. Romney. I'm very impressed with they way he handled it
They asked you the question Romney, not the president. Always ready to answer questions with the blaming of the president. Even if its about apples and oranges. This guy is as phony and phony can get.
Interesting how he sidestepped Obama's issue with corporations being able to give donate/support political candidates, something the SCOTUS upheld. Obama took a lot of heat on his criticism of SCOTUS for this.
If Mitt Romney were to be elected President, I have to wonder how he would treat the Occupy Wall Street protestors. I don't get good feelings about this man at all. I do not trust him.
So basically Romney couldn't stand up for himself but needed the big bully to do it for him? Wow so If Romney becomes President will Christy be called in to stand up for Romney when Putin calls him a wuss? Wow... it's already embarrassing.
LIAR LIAR pants on fire! GW Bush was the first president to opt out of the public campaign funding, not Obama
Mitt Romney, job cremater
The protesters are exactly right, all the money in elections Has poisened the system.
Romney is corporate greed. He is not for the middle class.
If you support Romney, you need to take a step back and reconsider. A vote for Romney might as well be a vote for Obama. They are the same. This election is not about the candidates. It's the Government against the people. A vote for Ron Paul is a vote for the people. Voting for anyone else is voting for the government. WAKE UP AMERICA. Don't let the media brainwash you in to believing what they want you to believe. Search Ron Paul on youtube and learn the TRUTH!
It's ironic that Mitt complains about Obama spending money on campaigns. This from the man who is cowardly hiding behind his PACs to spend millions of dollars to trash the other candidates.
They are going to protest across this land until the money is out of politics. They changed Vietnam policies and they are going to change the greedy money in politics
It's the President's fault? That's rich, pun intended.
what I find very interesting is that the GOP candidates are attacking Mitt on the very same issues they are supposed to support...capitalism. They are giving the DNC and Obama LOADS of material for Nov. So are all these GOPers gonna kiss and make up in Tampa? Some how I just can't see Newt and Huntsman doing that.
So his response was "But Obama is worse! wa wa wa" Romney and Obama are two sides of the same coin.
Mitt should just give out some of those $100 dollar bills that he has a surplus of to quiet the protestors.
Nixon was re-elected; George Bush, Jr. was re-elected. O'Bama will be re-elected and the ridiculous war and bankruptcy will continue. Unfortunately.
The difference is that Obama raises his funds through small individual donations, he does not accept PAC....Mitt lives off super PAC funding which is a nifty special interest mechanism....
Governer Romney personifies everything that energizes Occupy protestors. Romney's remark yesterday can be easily taken out of context. While we know exactly what he meant, we also know that he had meant what he said. Most folks would use phrases like 'drop the company' when speaking about changing insurers. Romney chose to refer to it as firing people.
The Occupy Wall Street movement may have a far more reaching impact on the next election than the Republicans may care to think about. Romney personifies everything they are protesting about- the 1%, big businesses, outsourcing, pink slips, huge bonuses, etc. The undercurrent of their protests many spur on others to decide to get involved and work for candidates who don't meet this criteria. If the Tea Party had an impact on the last election, the sentiments of OWS could easily do the same thing this time around.
If he wasn't good enough to be the GOP nominee during the last election. What makes him a good choice to be the President now?