Mitt Romney: Teachers, Firefighters, Police not Americans?

Image of Mr. Interesting from
Think Progress.

When President Obama said, "The private sector is doing fine. Where we’re seeing weaknesses in our economy have to do with state and local government," the other day, it didn't even raise my eyebrows, because I knew what he meant. Every sentient human who heard it knew what he meant too, but it became a major "gaffe" anyhow. Because the news is starved for scandal, I guess. But when Mitt Romney countered with, “. . .He says we need more firemen, more policemen, more teachers. Did he not get the message of Wisconsin? The American people did. It’s time for us to cut back on government and help the American people.”

Why wasn't this considered a gaffe? First, you have his sort of anachronistically sexist "firemen" instead of "firefighters." But forget that, exactly when did cops, firefighters and teachers become the enemy? I know that teachers are often punching bags for Rush Limbaugh and his imitators, but I thought our "first responders" were sacrosanct, particularly on the right. And then there's that last part. . ."and help the American people," as though none of these people are Americans? I find his whole response very odd, and certainly worse than the President's badly constructed sentence.


[Excerpt]


Romney Says America Doesn’t Need ‘More Firemen, More Policemen, More Teachers’

The last three years are the worst on record for public sector job loss, and the 700,000 government jobs that no longer exist remain a large drag on the American economy. . . 


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