From some of his recent comments, it would seem that Mr. Romney isn’t too fond of what he calls “the 47 percent”… the portion of the country that doesn’t pay income taxes. This is a much, much broader group than the GOP candidate makes them out to be, including veterans, Medicare and Social Security recipients. But yes, part of that presumed 47 percent would be families on welfare.

You know… families like the Romneys.

In a fascinating interview from 1962, Mitt Romney’s mother Lenore Romney discusses why her husband George would make a great Governor for the state of Michigan. She lists several reasons, one of which is the fact that George was on “welfare relief” as a young child. After his family fled from Mexico to the United States, our government actually helped the Mormon refugees by establishing a special welfare program for them.

But of course George Romney wasn’t on welfare forever. Like many Americans who fall on hard times, he and his family did not stay complacent. He worked in various fields from carpentry to farming. He also had the advantage of falling in love with LeNore Lafount, whom came from a family of considerable means and political connection. George even followed her to Washington DC after he had tried his hand at college in the West. These are the factors that turned the Romney story from that of welfare to a prominent executive by the time Mitt Romney was born. At its heart, the Romney story is a great American success. But somewhere along the way, Mitt Romney seems to have forgotten that. Hopefully a clip of his mother could remind him…