* A third Republican Senate candidate rejects '47 percent'
comment
* McCain denounces critics snipping at the nominee
WASHINGTON, Sept 19 (Reuters) - A third Republican U.S.
Senate candidate on Wednesday rejected Mitt Romney's
characterization of nearly half the country as slackers, but
other party lawmakers voiced support for their struggling
presidential nominee.
Republican members of Congress said Romney was making a
valid point, though not artfully stated, when he said that 47
percent of Americans pay no federal income tax and feel entitled
to federal assistance.
They predicted that the remark, which has triggered a
political firestorm, would quickly fade without hurting Romney
or their own chances for re-election.
But President Barack Obama's Democrats are pushing to make
it an issue in the presidential and congressional campaigns,
even quickly coming up with new ads.
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid ridiculed Republicans,
telling reporters: "We have a long line of people who are
running from Romney."
Reid cited three Republicans in close Senate races who have
rebuked Romney's comments - Senators Scott Brown of
Massachusetts, Dean Heller of Nevada and Linda McMahon, who is
running for the Senate in Connecticut.
Brown and McMahon rejected Romney's comments on Tuesday,
shortly after the release of a video showing Romney speaking at
a private fundraiser earlier this year.
At the event, Romney essentially wrote off as Obama backers
47 percent of Americans who "pay no income tax" and see
themselves as "victims" who are "entitled to healthcare, to
food, to housing, to you name it."
In a brief interview on Wednesday, Heller, whose father was
an auto mechanic and mother was a school cook, said, "I disagree
with his statement."
Heller said plenty of blue-collar families, like his own,
worked hard to pay their bills and make it on their own.
"We should be talking about creating jobs - not about 47
percent who aren't paying taxes and may be on some sort of
assistance," Heller said.
Romney's comments have drawn fire from a number of leading
conservatives who describe his campaign as sputtering, allowing
Obama to build a lead in the polls.
Republican Senator John McCain, his party's failed 2008
presidential nominee, fired back at Romney's critics, saying,
"We don't need people second guessing the nominee of our party."
"I had a lot of that in 2008. I didn't appreciate it at the
time. I don't appreciate it now," said McCain, who offered his
interpretation of Romney's remarks.
"He was saying, and I agree with him, that we need a good
economy (to) create jobs so people can get off subsistence
programs," McCain said.
While a number Republicans stood up for Romney, publicly
dismissing the controversy and voicing support for their
nominee, others privately voiced concern.
Senate Republican leaders apparently didn't want to talk
about it. They ended their weekly news conference about issues
before Congress without taking any questions.
A senior congressional Republican aide, speaking on the
condition of anonymity, called Romney's remarks "completely bone
headed."
"There are two things you can't be in politics: corrupt or
out of touch. This builds on the narrative that he's out of
touch with struggling Americans," the aide said.
A poll released on Wednesday by Pew Research Center found
Obama leading Romney, 66 percent to 23 percent, as the candidate
who best connects with ordinary Americans.
A Republican leadership aide predicted Republicans will
stand firmly with Romney despite a couple of tough weeks.
"People aren't happy with the way the campaign has been
going, but we still have time to win and still feel the economy
will be the top issue," the leadership aide said.
Republican Senator Charles Grassley said the Republican
nominee needs to step up.
"It's an opportunity for him to do what he hasn't done
enough of: emphasize the economic differences and economic
philosophies between the two parties and between the two
presidential candidates," said Grassley, who is not up for
re-election until 2016.
Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte said: "I know that he
(Romney) cares about every American ... His vision is one that
he wants every American to have opportunities and a good paying
job."
Republican Senator Patrick Toomey dismissed the furor over
Romney's "47 percent" comment.
"The sense is that press is over-playing it and that Romney
is in a strong position," Toomey said, citing the weak economy
and Obama's failure to remedy it.
While others have urged Romney to shake up his staff and
detail his plans to boost the economy, Toomey said, "He doesn't
need me to tell him what to do. He has a plan. I'm sure he will
focus on the economy as he has been doing."