(CNN) -- Fighting criticism of his controversial remarks on government dependency, Republican challenger Mitt Romney said Wednesday that he would better help poor and middle class Americans than President Barack Obama. Romney and running mate Rep. Paul Ryan also sought to reshape the campaign narrative less than seven weeks before the November vote by accusing Obama of favoring wealth redistribution -- code for socialism among conservatives -- based on a 1998 video of the president as a state Senate candidate in Illinois. America does not work by government making people dependent on government, Romney told a fundraising event in Atlanta, adding "that will kill the American entrepreneurship that's lifted our economy over the years."
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NEW: Mitt Romney says President Obama pushes government dependency
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Obama tells David Letterman a president has to "work for everyone"
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Romney's leaked remarks get more attention on Facebook than his convention address
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Paul Ryan calls Romney's remarks "inarticulate" but insists they make a point
"I think the trick is figuring out how do we structure government systems that pool resources and hence facilitate some redistribution - because I actually believe in some redistribution, at least at a certain level to make sure that everybody's got a shot," @placeholder says in the clip.