Walker Steers Clear of Romney’s "47 Percent"

Governor Scott Walker is declining to weigh in on Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s comments criticizing 47 percent of the American public.

In a secretly recorded speech to GOP donors first posted online by the magazine Mother Jones, Romney characterized 47 percent of Americans as people who see themselves as victims, entitled to government help. Romney said those people would vote for President Obama no matter what, and that it was not his job to worry about those people.

Walker, who has not shied away from publicly advising the Romney campaign and who has recently been one of its most outspoken supporters, had little to say when asked about the 47 percent comments, “I’ll let Mitt Romney talk about his comments in that regard. For me, that’s a statement he has to take on, not myself.”

Reaction from other top Republicans has been mixed. Former Governor and GOP U.S. Senate candidate Tommy Thompson told Fox News that Romney’s comments were taken out of context, saying Republicans were willing to help everyone, provided they also wanted to help themselves.