At a campaign event in Florida Sunday, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney tried to get tough with a group of Occupy Wall Street protesters, telling them to "take a hike."
While speaking in Ormond Beach, the candidate found himself being "mic checked," a phrase Occupy Wall Street protesters often use at the beginning of their demonstration.
"Corporations are not people!" they shouted. "We are the people! We are America!"
"Actually, these are the people," Romney yelled back, pointing to his supporters. "These are the people; you're the interrupters!"
"We believe in the Constitution. We believe in the right to speech. And you believe in interrupting. Take a hike," he added.
Romney supporters soon drowned out the protesters with chants of "U-S-A!"
Protester Elizabeth Myers told The Los Angeles Times that it had actually been the Occupy activists that began the "U-S-A!" chant that Romney supporters later joined them.
During recent weeks, the Romney team has made a campaign tactic out of bullying protesters.
In early January, the candidate shouted that a group of activists should "get a job!"
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) responded to one woman who interrupted a Romney event by saying, "You know, something may go down tonight, but it ain’t gonna be jobs, sweetheart."
Most recently, Romney scolded an Occupy activist for asking him how his policies would help the 99 percent.
(H/T: stardust1963)
