Romney Gives Struggling Black Woman Cash, NBC News Sees Racism, Calls Her 'Mascot'

But when obama gave a woman a kitchen, he is a hero.

Only in Bizarro World.

Reading more, it looks like Romney did know about the woman's problems. I still think he should have kept this quiet out of respect to Ms. Williams. It looks like he may used this and comes across as out of touch. She had money to travel for over 90 miles for gas. I think she was desperate and his aides used her.

SUMTER, S.C. — Mitt Romney reached into his pocket Saturday after a rally here and gave a handful of bills to an unemployed woman who started volunteering in his campaign offices this week.

Ruth Williams, 55, of Colombia, said she was at a stop sign along I-26 on Wednesday when she saw the Romney campaign bus pull through town in the Columbia area. “I was on the highway praying and said God tell me how to get [my house] lights on, and I pulled up to a stop sign and his bus was there,” she said.

Williams said she followed the bus to the airport “because the Lord told me. It sounds strange but he really did. I mean God really talked to me about this.”

The bus was picking up Romney after his New Hampshire primary win. Williams did not get to meet him upon his arrival, but aides told her to head to a rally in Columbia that evening, which she did.

Romney, briefed by his staff about her story, came over to talk to Williams after that rally. She spoke to him tearfully and asked him about his economic policies. “He was kind to me,” she said. “He stopped doing everything.” She told Romney she had a sick son and was looking for a job. “I told them about my problems and that I just want to work. I just want to work,” she said.

Williams said she had been cleaning houses for home builders, but with the downturn in the housing market, had been unable to find work since October.

She said Romney took down her contact information and told her that perhaps the state of South Carolina would be able to help. She took down contact information for the campaign and found a warm welcome at his Columbia campaign headquarters the following day. She said she's been volunteering there ever since, cleaning and cooking collard greens for the staff.

On Saturday, Romney recognized Williams on a rope line here and handed her $50 or $60, according to his staff. Williams said it was the first time that she has directly received money from the campaign, but that South Carolina treasurer Curtis Loftis — who chairs Romney's South Carolina campaign — paid her light bill this week.

Williams said she has now met Romney three times, and has also met South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who is campaigning with him in her state. “They really help people find jobs,” Williams said, although she still needs one herself.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57359323-503544/romney-gives-cash-to-jobless-campaign-volunteer/ ABC News- SUMTER, S.C. — Amid shaking hands and signing campaign posters, Mitt Romney did something he has never done before on the ropeline: He took out his wallet and handed a wad of cash to a woman waiting to shake his hand. The woman, 55-year-old Ruth Williams, says she has been following the Romney campaign since he arrived in the state on Jan. 11, when she said she received a message from God to track him down. “I was on the highway praying and said, ‘God just show me how to get [my] lights on,’ and I pulled up to a stop sign and his bus was there,” said Williams, who has been unemployed since last October. “And then God said, ‘Follow the bus,’ and I followed the bus to the airport.” According to Williams, she followed the campaign bus to the Columbia airport on Wednesday, the same day Romney was arriving from New Hampshire. When Romney wasn’t on the bus, aides told her to go to the rally scheduled in Columbia later that day. When she showed up, Romney found her to say hello and pulled over South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley to say “hello” too. “He was kind to me and he made Gov. Haley come see about me,” Williams said. “He stopped doing everything.” Williams, who would not specify how much money Romney gave her, said also that South Carolina Treasurer Curtis Loftis paid her light bill on Thursday. A spokesman for Loftis, one of Romney’s major endorses in the state, confirmed to ABC News that he paid Williams’ bill. While Loftis didn’t know the amount of the bill, he confirmed that he gave her $150. “God didn’t tell me to go to nobody else, he told me to pray for Romney,” said Williams, when asked why she has decided to support Romney. “I listened to the Lord.” Williams said she has been volunteering at Romney’s Columbia headquarters since meeting his bus last week. “I’ve been working at his campaign office cleaning and just doing little things,” she said. “They really did, they really came through for real,” she said. While Williams would not specify how much money Romney gave her, a campaign spokesman said that he believes Romney gave the woman between $50 and $60.

Personally, he could have ask an aide of his team, to have done this privately. He does looks a bit out of touch, very embarrassing for all involved.

Reminds me of the scene in 'Trading Places' where the Dukes hand out their Christmas bonus of five dollars...."Five dollars.....maybe I'll go to the movies.....by myself."

And,of course,we’ll hold our noses and vote for Romney because the alternative is unthinkable.

No, not ALL of us.

But voluntarily helping out a person in need (especially one that you know) is not something to be mocked.

This doesn't sound staged to you? The woman claims not to have enough money to pay her electricity bill, but she has the money to waste on gas driving around on the highway and following Mitten's bus?

As he himself has joked (to poor reaction) he is unemployed. I hope he stays that way.