Country ... USA
Politics 2012 ... What candidate Romney really thinks

Recordings of Romney speaking at private meetings with his wealthy supporters shows how dismissive he is of the poor half of the US citizenry

Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

WATCH: Full Secret Video of Private Romney Fundraiser

Mitt Romney wanted the full tape. Here it is.

On Monday and Tuesday Mother Jones published exclusive video that captured Mitt Romney speaking to donors at a May 17 fundraiser, which was held at the home of private equity mogul Mark Leder. Responding to a question about the 'Palestinian problem,' Romney said peace in the Middle East is not possible and a Palestinian state is not feasible, telling donors that Palestinians have 'no interest whatsoever in establishing peace and that the pathway to peace is almost unthinkable to accomplish.' At another point, the GOP presidential nominee told attendees of this $50,000-a-plate dinner that 47 percent of Americans—those who back President Obama—are 'victims' who are 'dependent upon government' and 'pay no income tax.' He noted: 'My job is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.' These comments set off a media firestorm and generated headlines around the world.

More MoJo coverage of Mitt Romney:

Part One: Romney Tells Millionaire Donors What He REALLY Thinks of Obama Voters Part Two: On Israel, Romney Trashes Two-State Solution Who Was at Romney's '47 Percent' Fundraiser? Romney '47 Percent' Fundraiser Host: Hedge Fund Manager Who Likes Sex Parties The Mystery of Romney's Exit From Bain 6 Things Mitt Romney Is Hiding Romney's remarks, denigrating nearly half of the electorate, sent the Romney campaign—already roiled by infighting—into panic mode. The campaign hastily convened a late-night press conference to address his controversial statements, and Romney stood by his 'off the cuff' comments, while conceding that they were 'not elegantly stated.' He claimed his comments where merely a 'snippet' and not the 'full response.' That was not true; his comments were shown in full. He added, 'I hope the person who has the video would put out the full material.'

Romney is not the only one who has called for the release of the full 49-minute video. And we're more than happy to oblige. The complete video demonstrates that Romney was not snippetized and that he was captured raw and uncut. Here it is, in two parts: