Wow.

I was just personally insulted by a candidate for the presidency of the United States.

I’m planning on voting for Obama which ranks me as part of the so-called “47 percent” that Mitt Romney labeled as “people who don’t pay income tax,” takers “dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them” and who feel entitled to free food, housing, and healthcare.

He said further that it was not his job “to worry about those people, that you’ll  never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”

On behalf of the 47%, I’d like to clear my name, Mr. Romney.

For the last ten years my effective tax rate has been been between 21 and 25%.  For the one year of tax returns that you’ve shared with us, you paid 13.9%.  My tax burden is at least 50% higher than yours.  And you refuse to let us know how little you’ve paid in previous years.

For the last eight years my wife and I worked on an Indian reservation in a place where residents in some cases live without running water or electricity or basic social services.  My wife served as a doctor.  I started and worked for a variety of non-profits supporting local community development.

And you call me a taker?

I am a tax paying, law abiding citizen who believes in the values of this country.

Yet you basically said that because I presently support Obama you’re not going to try and speak to me or my interests.

So whom do you represent?

Your 2010 income of 20 million dollars puts you in the top 1/10th of 1 percent of American households.  In that year you earned 400 times more than the median American income.

Bain Capital shuttered at least some American companies and sent jobs overseas.  Americans lost jobs and you as the sole shareholder of Bain Capital at the time, profited.

And when the financial industry, of which you were a part, deep sixed this country through what have been recognized as deliberate, criminal activities, your colleagues were bailed out and got a free pass.  To date no one has been convicted for the crimes that contributed to the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression.

Tax-shirkers?  Takers? People who want free everything?

Okay. So you were trying to speak about voter segmentation.  You say you spoke loosely and off the cuff.  But your job, as President, would be to speak and act with care and nuance.

When you travelled to London this summer, you insulted the Brits  by saying they were not adequately prepared for the Olympic Games.  You then travelled to the Middle East and insulted the Arab world by saying  Palestinians had not built an industrialized economy for cultural reasons and that Israel had done so because of their “providence at having selected this place.”

Now you’ve written off half the people in this country, including myself, as deadbeats.  Last night in Costa Mesa you said that you would still stand by your words.

Tell me about it, Mr. Romney.

Who are you?  Really?  And are you really ready to be President?