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Some call this Romney, 47 percent-filming bartender a 'hero'

BY Tom Tangney  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, KIRO Radio Host
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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Comments (76)


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  • borosnw wrote...
    Although the tape plays significant role
    March 14, 2013 8:04 am
    I'm not sure if it did decide the outcome of the election. Regardless, Mitt can only blame himself for his own failure. Just because Mitt was a successful business man does not mean this guy can run the country. Businesses only care about bottom line where as government more of a social issues. Yes I was the recipient of government handout 30 years ago. I've been paying my fair share of Federal Income Tax since twenty years ago. Obama, yes you are my hero and probably one of the greatest leader of my time. That does not mean that every policies you've fought for I've agreed with. But nobody is perfect.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • shark75 wrote...
    "Obama, yes you are my hero and probably one of the greatest leader of my time."
    December 31, 2001 3:11 pm
    I think I just threw up a little in my mouth. Borosnw do you ever turn on the news? Oh wait, never mind. You obviously watch the "news" if that's how you feel about Obama. MSNBC, no? Maybe a little CNN and BBC sprinkled in to get both sides of the story, yes?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Hawksbandit wrote...
    Truth hurts
    March 14, 2013 12:39 pm
    Thanks Scott Prouty, for not only ruining a candidates campaign, but the well being of an entire country. "Real American Genious, Here to you Scott Pouty, you wanted to be funny, and you destroyed a country. Mr annoying nosy barrteeeender!"
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sometimesrock wrote...
    what?
    March 14, 2013 1:28 pm
    If Romney said it, Romney ruined his own campaign. You can't blame someone else for pointing out what you said!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Hayduke wrote...
    Well put, sometimesrock
    March 14, 2013 2:33 pm
    After all, it's not like Prouty selectively edited the video, like FOX News or James O'Keefe are always doing. It was unedited video of Romney being, well, Romney. You know, pompous, out of touch, and wrong.

    And the voting public, saw him as another phony saying one thing to the public, while behind closed doors he reveals what really thinks about half the people he's supposed to represent.

    Prouty was a true patriot for revealing him.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Sean wrote...
    Hawks, it's not his fault
    March 14, 2013 3:21 pm
    if millions of people drink the kool-aid. We deserve what we elect, unfortunately.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...
    Resistance was futile.
    March 14, 2013 4:00 pm
    You have been assimilated.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • don over taxed wrote...
    Loser Bartender
    March 14, 2013 2:43 pm
    This guy who is part of the 47% helped the current loser in the WH get elected. Although the Mitt comment is the truth...I hope this guy can live with the destruction of our country. I hope he likes his oblamo free cell phone.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    I did not say what mean, I did not mean what I said.
    March 14, 2013 3:12 pm
    I f/ed up. I'm as dumb as I look.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Sean wrote...
    Read this... maybe then you'll understand.
    March 14, 2013 3:17 pm
    A democracy is always temporary in nature. It simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury -- with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations from the beginning of history has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence: ▪ from bondage to spiritual faith ▪ from spiritual faith to great courage ▪ from courage to liberty ▪ from liberty to abundance ▪ from abundance to complacency ▪ from complacency to apathy ▪ from apathy to dependence, and, finally ▪ from dependence back into bondage. - Alexander Fraser Tytler
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Sean wrote...
    anyone want to guess...
    March 14, 2013 3:20 pm
    how far along we are in this evolution???
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SeattleNative wrote...
    That's what happened to the Soviet Union
    March 14, 2013 3:34 pm
    They spent themselves into the ground and cried "Uncle".

    Now we've got North Korea, Russia, Iran, and other countries thumbing their noses at use because: 1)Our nation's "leadership" is lazy and impotent; 2) Our government is fully dysfunctional due to that lack of leadership; and 3) We're broke and getting broker.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...
    Was the bookstore having a sale on Brad Thor?
    March 14, 2013 4:18 pm
    Seems like everyone is using that dumb quote. Early democracies weren't really "democracies" like we've come to think of them. They were more like aristocracies since very few people actually got to vote. Whoever said that, and it wasn't Tytler, obviously didn't have a good concept of modern democracies.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Sean wrote...
    Really, Gay "Married" ???
    March 15, 2013 8:14 am
    How blind are you that you cannot see how the US is going EXACTLY down that road? Wow....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...
    Exactly down what road?
    March 15, 2013 1:32 pm
    You think we're going to become a dictatorship? Reeeaallyy? Ugh...please. Lost faith much?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }