Although Mitt Romney owned, in an interview with Nevada journalist Jon Ralston on Thursday, that he “misspoke” the day before in saying he was “not concerned about the very poor,” the presidential candidate might not have much wiggle room amid a speed-fueled news cycle and a chilly Rick Santorum standing watch. Also, Soledad O’Brien ain’t buying it. –KA

Watch Ralston’s interview with Romney following the excerpt below.

“Opening Shot” in Salon:

“It was a misstatement,” he told the Las Vegas Sun’s Jon Ralston in an interview that aired on a Nevada station. “I misspoke. I’ve said something that was similar to that but quite acceptable for a long time. And, you know, when you do I don’t know how many thousands of interviews, now and again you may get it wrong. And I misspoke — plain and simple.”

He went on to stress that he wants to maintain a “strong and able ” safety net for the poor, but that “my primary focus is on helping people get in the middle class and help grow the middle class.”

“People are going to go after me when I make a mistake — when I slip up in a word I say, even though I say, ‘I got it wrong. Sorry, that’s not what I meant,’” Romney said. “Well, that’s going to be part of the political process. I understand it, and I accept that.”

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“Face to Face With Jon Ralston”:

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#economy#gop#mitt romney#president#recession#unemployment#welfare