Romney says he is poor America’s best bet (VIDEO)

Struggling to gain ground after his "47 percent" comments, Mitt Romney told supporters at a fundraiser Wednesday that he is poor America's best bet.

"The question in this campaign is not who cares about the poor and the middle class. I do, (Obama) does," Reuters quoted Romney as saying, jabbing the podium with his index finger, his voice rising with emotion.

More from GlobalPost: Secret video: What does Mitt Romney really think of Obama voters?

"The question is who can help the poor and the middle class. I can, he can't and he's proven it in four years."

But Romney also stood by his view that many Americans have become too dependent on the government, and criticized President Barack Obama for supporting the idea of wealth distribution.

More from GlobalPost: Romney says his comments were 'not elegantly stated'

Shifting the focus to a video of his opponent, Romney referenced comments Obama made in a 1988 video that surfaced this week, dating back to the president's days as a state senator, according to The Associated Press.

Romney has taken heavy criticism — from leaders in both parties — for the secretly-taped video footage released this week of the Republican candidate speaking at a private fundraiser in May.

In it, he says he doesn't need to worry about the 47 percent of people who will vote for Obama and labels them as victims who don't pay income taxes and are dependent on the government.