Mitt Romney has finally turned up in Iowa, ahead of tonight's debate and this week's straw poll, and by most accounts he was animated and engaged in some events.But I think this exchange during the Q-and-A portion of an event today may come back to bite him, in so many ways:

We have to make sure that the promises we make in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are promises we can keep, and there are various ways of doing that, Mr. Romney said. One is we can raise taxes on people.Corporations! the protesters shouted, suggesting that Mr. Romney, as president, should raise taxes on large businesses. Corporations!Corporations are people, my friend, Mr. Romney responded, as the hecklers shouted back, No theyre not!Of course they are, Mr. Romney said, chuckling slightly. Everything corporations earn ultimately goes to people. Where to do you think it goes?When someone in the front row angrily suggested that it goes in their pockets, Mr. Romney, becoming increasingly animated, asked: Whose pockets? Peoples pockets!

Apart from the potential appeal to pro-lifers of Mitt's expansive view of personhood, it seems that Romney has both endorsed raising taxes -- Grover Norquist will be calling -- and endorsed doing so on people, not corporations. Not to mention his trickle-down view of corporate profits...
[Late addition from GG:]

David Gibson is the director of Fordham’s Center on Religion & Culture.

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