Romney gives cash to struggling supporter at rally
Sumter, South Carolina (CNN) - Mitt Romney gave a handful of cash Saturday to a woman who had told him she was struggling financially after an event in Sumter, South Carolina.
An aide said the GOP candidate gave the supporter "what he had on him" - about $50 or $60.
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The woman, Ruth Williams, met Romney earlier in the week and told him she was having trouble making ends meet. On Saturday, Romney recognized Williams while he was shaking hands with supporters after a rally, an aide said.
Romney spoke to the woman and handed her several bills.
"He was kind to me," Williams said. "He held onto me and he made Gov. [Nikki] Haley and them come see about me."
Williams told reporters that on Wednesday she had seen Romney's campaign bus on the highway and followed it to an airport. Aides then invited her to come meet the former governor at an event in Columbia.
"I was on the highway praying and said, 'God, tell me how to get [my] lights on, and I pulled up to a stop sign and his bus was there,'" Williams said.
Williams has been out of work since October and is caring for an ill son. She said that after meeting Romney she had also met South Carolina state treasurer and Romney supporter Curtis Loftis, and said he had given her money. She said she used the money to pay her light bill.
A Romney campaign aide confirmed Loftis had given Williams money.
Williams has been volunteering at Romney's state headquarters in Columbia since the original meeting, she said.
"God didn't tell me to go to nobody else," she said when asked whether she had approached other presidential candidates. "He told me to pray for Romney."
The cash gift is notable from a candidate who has said he would not give away "free stuff" as president but rather would focus on cutting back on federal spending and stimulating private sector growth.
"I know there are some people who run for president that will say, 'Hey, I'm going to give you more. I'll find a way to give you some more. I'll change the rules and give you more money," Romney said at a December event in Conway, New Hampshire. "I'm not that guy. If there's a competition for who will give you the most free stuff, go vote for that guy."
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Romney gives cash to struggling supporter at rally
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Nice guesture. Maybe Marie Antoinette Obama will get a clue and forego her next multi-million dollar vacation and use the money to help the less fortunate.....nah, not a chance of that.
I have no problem selling my vote. Anyone who wants to buy my vote for US$20,000 (twenty thousand) or more has got a deal. That's a good deal cuz I'm a very nice person.
I was gonna vote for Barry, but this has really impressed me. The level of generosity displayed by this great candidate is just moving, man.
Again, this fool shows the world how out of touch he is with the average American. "What, you're broke? Here, let me give you the amount of money my bank account earned in interest during the course of this conversation! Here you go.... Vote for me!".
Liberals would be shocked over this because they only believe in giving money away when it isn't their own.
Now that's Welfare if I've ever seen it
Never see Obama doing that.
Oh, please, just shut up!
Shameful...begging for cash from a candidate for President. Lady, go sell burritos from a cart or something else constructive. My God don't people have any pride anymore? Sure, we're all struggling out here but to go panhandling like that is just beyond the pale.
60 dollars , Romney is out of touch with the real world. How much money has he spent on his campaign ?
The lady wants an honest wage , not a token hand out.
What a hatred!! CNN has to re-think about this article. I just can't help but to see this is such an article full of hatred. CNN does it worst to make Mitt look like a hypocrite. According to this logic, ALL REPUBLICANS and EVERYONE who believes in small government, work-ethics and donate their money or help with the homeless LAIRS??? You know what? It's not even worth arguing. I just hope nobody falls for this cheap trick. Otherwise, I might lose hope in humanity.
Bribery with an excuse.
wow how small of him
aww how pathetic ! just because Romney gives a random women a donation makes him a better candidate to become our president save the money and bribes for your self... its hilarious how this gets on the "NEWS". Theres much more important issues in the world going on rather then a whole page to Romney and how he gave 50 or 60 dollars to a "struggling" women. Its a shame that they even publish this type of story!
Romney has officially earned my respect. That is all he has earned. While I am not running for office, I am contributing to the betterment of my fellow man (woman). He should be looked at as doing his civil duty. Nothing more. Nothing less.
He's a robot! Sh!
He subsequenly asked her for $100-$120 in campaign contributions.
Romney can afford to give away money. After all, the TOP contributor to his campaign is Goldman Sachs – you know, the megacorporation that rec'd $10 BILLION of taxpayer money (via Bailouts).
Funny, Obama's top contributor is also Goldman Sachs.
Obama presidency = Romney presidency (more of the same)
The definition of Insanity is to keep doing the same thing over & over again and expecting different results. – Einstein
That's some Nixon ass stunt.
You can tell he'll be a corrupted president given the chance.
Obviously planted for attention...
Romney, Wrong for America!
obama does sort of the same thing... with our money!
It was kind of him to help a woman in need. Very charitable. Would have been more awesome if he had done it when she told him instead of waiting for the cameras to come on. Politically, it makes him a hypocrite. But those are everywhere. I'm not voting for him because he gave some random woman money. I'm voting aginst him because he represents the interests of the corporations that enslave the uneducated working class.
With all due respect to my homie mitt,rachel,GET A JOB!
Yes, Mitt. Just give me $50 or $60 and all of my troubles will be left far behind me. Your vote would cost you a hell of a lot more than that.
Give a man a fish and he eats for one meal. Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.
You just publicly gave a woman a fish, Mitt. That's not leadership. You have nothing of value to teach us.
Wow, that sounds really, really contrived. This wouldn't possibly be a publicity stunt scripted by his coordinators to enforce the notion that "Romney does care about the downtrodden, the poor, huddled masses," would it?
It's not what you think. He bet Newt Gingrich $10,000 that he'd give his pocket change to someone first...with the cameras rolling, of course.