WASHINGTON -
Mitt Romney made a late night response to an internet video which Democrats are pouncing on Tuesday morning.
Romney doesn't apologize, but he does try to explain what he meant he told donors that nearly half of the country has become dependent on the government and probably won't support him.
He scrambled Monday night to get ahead of a story that has been quickly gaining steam.
"Good evening. I understand there's been a video that's been on the internet for a few weeks that has attracted some attention and I thought I would make some comments about it."
That after the liberal magazine Mother Jones published what appeared to be hidden camera video of a Romney fundraiser.
In it, he speaks of President Obama, saying -- quote "There are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them."
Romney goes on to say that his job isn't to convince those Obama supporters, it's to go after independent voters.
The Obama campaign's response: "It's hard to serve as president for all Americans when you've disdainfully written off half the nation."
The comments, Romney says, weren't elegant, but "Of course, there's a very different approach of the two different campaigns, 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."
Romney says he was simply speaking off the cuff and he's asking that the entire video be released for context.
