Presidential candidate Mitt Romney on the campaign trail in Virginia.
On Monday, Romney stood by secretly taped comments in which he dismisses supporters of President Barack Obama - almost half of U.S. voters - as people who live off government handouts and don't take responsibility for their lives.
He said he "will not worry about these people" -- who he claims are the 47 percent of Americans who do not pay a federal income tax.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE MITT ROMNEY SAYING:
"As I point out, I recognize that among those that pay no tax, approximately 47 percent of Americans, I'm not likely to be highly successful with the message of lowering taxes. That's not as attractive to those who don't pay income taxes as it is to those who do. And likewise those who are reliant on government are not as attracted to my message of slimming down the size of government. And so I then focus on those individuals who I believe are most likely to be able to be pulled into my camp and help me win the 51 or 50.1 percent that I need to become the next President."
He said his comments were not "elegantly-stated", but did not back away from them.
