NEW YORK – After Saturday’s announcement that Rep. Paul Ryan would be his running mate in the race for the White House, Mitt Romney agreed to a question and answer session on MSNBC’s “Politics Nation” with host, Reverend Al Sharpton. Following is a transcript of that interview:AL SHARPTON: Thank you for joining us in this day of heated exchanges and profabricated dialogue Mr. Mitt.
MITT ROMNEY: It’s my pleasure, sir.
AL SHARPTON: You may call me Reverend.
MITT ROMNEY: Sure, Reverend.
AL SHARPTON: Now let me get right to the root of the canal of problems in the political climate we here in America call politics.
MITT ROMNEY: Sure.
AL SHARPTON: You have a horse.
MITT ROMNEY: I have several horses actually.
AL SHARPTON: Several? That’s a lot of horses.
MITT ROMNEY: I’m fortunate enough to be in the position to …
AL SHARPTON: Your fortune, if estimated, would askew to astronomical proportions.
MITT ROMNEY: I have been blessed with great success.
AL SHARPTON: What you call a blessing could be corkscrewed by people of color as a rampid case of being white in America.
MITT ROMNEY: Actually I feel my success came from working hard.
AL SHARPTON: Are you reflexing that people of color don’t work?
MITT ROMNEY: I believe that anybody of any color can be successful if they work hard.
AL SHARPTON: Would you admit to the difficulties constrained with fighting racism while attempting to work hard in today’s post relations America?
MITT ROMNEY: I’m not sure I understand.AL SHARPTON: Mr. Mitt, are you now or have you never been a racist?
MITT ROMNEY: Of course not.
AL SHARPTON: Do you have the clarity to gesticulate that statement?
MITT ROMNEY: Pardon?
AL SHARPTON: When was the last time you invited an African American child of color to play with your children?
MITT ROMNEY: I don’t think ….
AL SHARPTON: Will you tell me now on national television if you would allow an African American to be alone with your children?
MITT ROMNEY: My children are adults now, so it’s really not up to me to determine who they associate with.
AL SHARPTON: Mr. Mitt, do any of your children associate with adulterated African Americans?
MITT ROMNEY: They all associate with African Americans.
AL SHARPTON: Do you have proof that will legitamatize your claim?
MITT ROMNEY: Well, I don’t carry around photographs of my children with African Americans, no.
AL SHARPTON: So would it be incoherent to assume that without evidentuary exhibits before the court of public option that your children do not indeed associate with African Americans?
MITT ROMNEY: I have no idea what you just said.AL SHARPTON: Should I get a rich white man to interpret for you?
MITT ROMNEY: (chuckles) I don’t know if you could find a person of any color to interpret what you just said.
AL SHARPTON: So in essential, you penetrate people of color because they don’t have enough money to interpret you?
MITT ROMNEY: (shrugs his shoulders) Gosh darn it, Reverend, I just don’t know what you’re asking.
AL SHARPTON: Since I am the professional news host of my own news show on MSNBC it’s imperatant that I ask the tough questions.
MITT ROMNEY: I wouldn’t expect anything less.
AL SHARPTON: Why, because I’m an African American?
MITT ROMNEY: Because you are a newscaster.
AL SHARPTON: A few years ago you murdered a white woman yet today you want to be the Commander of Chiefs.
MITT ROMNEY: I never murdered anyone.
AL SHARPTON: Her husband said you did.
MITT ROMNEY: Well, the poor man lost his ….
AL SHARPTON: If an African American man of color killed a white woman he’d be on death row in a pentecostiary.
MITT ROMNEY: That was a misleading ad, Reverend, and the Obama campaign ….
AL SHARPTON: And your new runner mate Private Ryan also killed a white woman. You guys are a killing machine.MITT ROMNEY: Paul Ryan never killed anyone.
AL SHARPTON: I watched it on TV with my eyes. Pushed an old lady in a wheel chair over a clift.
MITT ROMNEY: Reverend, do you really believe …
AL SHARPTON: Mr. Mitt, I have time for a final last question, so please be honest. When the American people hear of a felon who doesn’t pay his taxes and causes the death of innocent people, what name is going to pop into their head?
MITT ROMNEY: Why, Reverend Al Sharpton, of course.
