United States presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has gone to great pains to play down his wealth and portray himself as an ordinary bloke, a good fit for the White House.
But during a TV debate on Saturday night, Mr Romney offered to bet Texas Governor Rick Perry $US10,000 to prove he was right on a particular point.
The ABC's North America correspondent says that's a bet that's likely to haunt him.
Democratic headquarters emailed reporters listing what $US10,000 would mean to middle-class Americans in a country with a median average income of $US26,197.
The figure is three times their average annual grocery bill and represents more than a year's worth of mortgage repayments.
The former Massachusetts governor has previously struggled to portray himself as an average guy.
His Republican rivals were also quick to press the point:
"That's the language of Wall Street and not the language of Main Street, Iowa," Robert Haus, co-chairman for Mr Perry's Iowa campaign, told reporters after the debate.
