In an editorial today, the Wall Street Journal opts not to “pile on” Mitt Romney‘s “47 percent” comment and instead publish a “leaked” speech draft the candidate “might” deliver.

This, I’m pretty sure, is written tongue-in-cheek by the editorial board (I’ve put in a request to be sure). But here are a few excerpts from the “speech”:

“One tragedy of the Obama Presidency is how many more Americans have become dependent on the government. I know it’s not their fault. Most want to be self-sufficient, to provide for their families, but they can’t because there aren’t enough jobs. …

“This is a national scandal. Not because those fellow Americans are free-loaders, but because they aren’t able to get a good job that pays enough to be self-sufficient and lets them fulfill their human potential. …

“I think the success of a Presidency should be measured by how many fewer people need food stamps, how many fewer need disability, not how many more people are added to the rolls. I don’t want to take food stamps away from Americans in need. I want fewer Americans to need food stamps. …”

The editorial concludes, “Surely a man as smart as the former CEO of Bain Capital can give a better speech on taxes and dependency than he delivered at that fundraiser. If he can’t, he’ll lose, and he’ll deserve to.”

Good thing they decided not to “pile on.”

[Wall Street Journal]