Tom Tangney
Join Tom Tangney and the rest of the Seattle Morning News crew every weekday morning at 5am on KIRO Radio.
By day, you can hear Tom on Seattle's Morning News, and by night, he sits in the dark, making snide comments about what he sees on the silver screen.
Bonneville Seattle is raising funds for the construction of a second Fisher House at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma and we need your help.Some call this Romney, 47 percent-filming bartender a 'hero'
on March 14, 2013 @ 6:52 am (Updated: 7:28 am - 3/14/13 )
Mitt Romney now knows the name of the man who helped scuttle his presidential campaign, a bartender with a video camera.
"There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. There are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government who believe that they are victims, that the government has a responsibility to pay for them who believe that they were entitled to health care, to food, to housing, you name it," Romney wascaught on tape saying.
That 47 percent comment dogged the Mitt Romney campaign all the way up to Election Day and until yesterday no one knew where the secret videotape came from and who shot it. It turns out it was the work of a bartender at the private Romney fundraiser.
Scott Prouty told MSNBC's Ed Schultz that he is a registered Independent and had no political motivation in his decision to tape the speech.
"I thought he would say basically the same things he was saying in public. I had no idea it was going to be this big thing that it turned out to be," said Prouty.
He said a lot of the wait staff at the function had brought cameras, because at an earlier fundraiser they all worked, Bill Clinton had come back and met the staff and a lot of them wanted to capture the moment in case Romney did the same thing.
But Prouty said he was put off by Romney's comments.
"The day in day out struggle of everyday Americans - that guy has no idea."
And why is he coming forward now, after all this time? He says he didn't like Romney's post-election efforts at explaining away his 47 percent comment.
"The election wasn't even that close. I think he needs to take personal responsibility for his campaign, take personal responsibility for the words he said, and move forward."
Prouty may not have started out that way but he sure sounds like a "political animal" now. And by the way, I'm sure he's already a hero to lots of Democrats (less so to Republicans, I imagine.) But news surfaced Wednesday that seven years ago, Prouty had saved a woman from drowning in Florida. She had accidentally driven her car into a canal and when he happened on the scene, he immediately dove in and managed to cut her free.
So, he's a real hero too.
Tom Tangney is co-host of KIRO Radio's Seattle's Morning News and resident enthusiast of...everything. He loves books, movies, TV, art, pop culture, politic, sports, and Husky football.
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BikerDude wrote...WelpDecember 31, 2001 4:23 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }- Reply
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Cbrew wrote...I'm still dissapointed with Conservatives who back up the 47 percent commentDecember 31, 2001 7:30 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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DonVigo wrote...Hear hear.March 14, 2013 1:26 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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Hayduke wrote...Well said, sometimesrock.December 31, 2001 9:10 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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SeattleNative wrote...Deceptive editing, Hayduke?March 14, 2013 3:31 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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Hayduke wrote...OK, Haha, then answer me this.....January 1, 2002 9:49 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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It's me! Ha ha! wrote...Romney was speaking the truth of the 47. The low information voter.March 14, 2013 6:51 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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Oly80 wrote...pick a stereotype and stick with it...March 14, 2013 9:37 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }- Reply
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ratrustle wrote...Hero?March 14, 2013 6:51 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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SeattleNative wrote...I can't imagine any employer ever hiring this guyDecember 31, 2001 4:05 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...Too bad you had to pay $50,000 to hear whatMarch 14, 2013 8:59 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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maplefish wrote...Gay marriedDecember 31, 2001 3:52 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...Not particularly...December 31, 2001 4:14 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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WiIliam Lawn wrote...He's reduced the deficit by 20-35%March 14, 2013 9:15 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }- Reply
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gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...Dear sweet whoever you are...March 14, 2013 9:39 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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SeattleNative wrote...The federal deficit in 2008 was $459 BillionMarch 14, 2013 8:32 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...Budgets are passed and signed into law at the end of the year before.March 14, 2013 9:09 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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Sean wrote...GayMarried --March 14, 2013 3:15 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }- Reply
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gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...Dear,December 31, 2001 4:53 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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JW1984 wrote...Where in the world...March 19, 2013 12:41 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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doubleogordo wrote...This was not the downfall of Romney's campaignMarch 14, 2013 7:11 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...Why did you see it as a positive?March 14, 2013 9:10 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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Bremerton Voice wrote...I thoughtMarch 14, 2013 7:59 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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shark75 wrote...Some call this __________ a 'hero'. Come on Tom!March 14, 2013 8:03 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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Oly80 wrote...if there is dirt on this guy...March 14, 2013 9:40 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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