This should be the final word on the Hilary Rosen issue (Ann Romney does not understand the plight of working women)…but it won’t be. Republicans are going to milk every ounce of faux rage out of this one.
To tie so many talking heads who appear on cable every day to either campaign is a preposterous exercise, and a standard neither side of the political debate should want. If the Obama camp is responsible for Rosen, is Romney responsible for GOP Rep. Allen West’s outrageous accusation that 80 Democrats are communists? Is he responsible for Sherriff Joe Arapaio (Romney’s ’08 Arizona campaign chairman) and his birther conspiracy theories? Absolutely not. If that were the standard, the campaign would just be day after day of candidates disavowing random pundits and supporters’ comments. That Republicans feel they have to stoop to this suggests a real desperation. Let’s not let this become the new normal.
Too late. It is the normal in Republican politics and has been for a long time now. Furthermore, you can expect to see a lot more of it in the weeks and months ahead.
It matters not to Republicans that Hilary Rosen is neither a spokeswoman for the DNC nor an advisor to the President. She is a paid political commentator for CNN. Period. She also happens to be a democrat which is all Republicans need to know to somehow tie her comment in with President Obama. Politically, it’s the right move for Republicans. Romney was way behind with women voters. Ethically, the Republican ploy is wrong in so many ways but since when did doing the right thing have anything to do with politics…especially Republican politics.
At the root of all this is the false-equivalence fallacy that Republicans are hoping to set up to counter the real attacks on women’s rights they have been engaged in for the last several months. Steve Benen explains.
One the one hand, we have a party that has pushed for restricting contraception; cutting off Planned Parenthood; state-mandated, medically-unnecessary transvaginal ultrasounds; forcing physicians to lie to patients about abortion and breast cancer; abortion taxes; abortion waiting periods; trap laws at abortion clinics, forcing women to tell their employers why they want birth control, opposition to prenatal care, and measures that make it harder for women to fight pay discrimination.
On the other hand, we have a media pundit with no connection to her party’s presidential campaign who said something about Mitt Romney’s wife professional background.
Whatever one chooses to call what it is Republicans are striving to do with women’s rights, the bottom line is that it is part of their public policy. They are not mere words. They are actions which have been taken at the state level which affect in very real ways matters pertaining to women’s health. And there is nothing to suggest that given the power once more, Republicans would not move forward in the same manner at the federal level. Case in point: the Blunt amendment.
At the best of times, Republican’s brand of politics is depraved. In times of desperation, as they currently find themselves in…watch out. Think of a rabid dog, foaming at the mouth, forced by it’s own insanity into a corner and you’ll have an idea of what to look forward to over the next six months.
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Rosen did have a point, she just didn’t say it tactfully enough. She should have said something like, “While she may have been a stay-at-home mother, sho couldn’t possibly appreciate the position or finances of an average woman with both children and an outside job.”
One news source mentioned that the romneys employed up to five housekeepers. One can only wonder how many nannies they had, and how much of the actual work of childrearing was done by the actual parents.
The validity of Rosen’s statement aside, Romney and Fox are going to push this hard. It’s all they’ve got to counter the real war on women they’re waging.
Rosen was completely correct in the case of the very wealthy Romney’s. Moreover, when some people work all day and come to home raise those their children, I do feel there is a difference. Once those kids go off to school, some can fire-up the ever-present Cadillac (East coast or West coast) and do what wealthy people do all do.
Do not mean to offend anyone but this one should be in the file that Mario illustrated up top: The B/S file! Now, look Fox News trots out the rambling “GRIZZLY MOM” mouth piece for five minutes of pure unadulterated diarrhea of the mouth.
My main concern is that the President will suffer backlash from Ms. Rosen’s comment — especially since he seems to get a laundry list of blame for anything and everything that has transpired on the national scene since he took office. I understood what she intended to say, but agree that it could have been phrased in a different way. However, as we all know, hindsight beats foresight any day. I wouldn’t want to be in the public eye and have everything I say scrutinized for political correctness from every angle — its like walking through a mine field everytime you open your mouth! Unlike Rush Limbaugh who intentionally spews offensive statements to stir the pot, I am sure Ms. Rosen never intended her statement to be construed in the way it has been.
Re – The Hillary Rosen – Ann Romney thing,
It makes one wonder if the media really is responsible for the political divide in the country when even a amateur news enthusiast like myself can comprehend that Ms Rosen was NOT criticizing Mrs. Romney for NOT working.
The criticism was aimed at Mitt Romney for NOT having a connection with women… so much so, that he often has referred to and or turned to his wife as a barometer of the needs of women.
Since Mrs. Romney shares her husband’s known wealth of $250 million and his money in both the Cayman and Swiss banking accounts And the multiple houses with the TWO Cadillac’s she keeps in her brand new car elevator –
Ms Rosen was merely questioning whether Mitts “barometer” on women’s needs, could rightly be representative of the 99% of women who have to worry about food on the table, clothes for the kids, bills that they scrape to pay and the every day routine of trying to survive.
For every one on News Media to jump on the “War On Stay AT Home Mom’s” wagon is disappointing.
With this poster all the way!!!!
Thanks Mr. Pardu, too kind !
One recent quote that I believe ALL News Media skipped right over is when Mrs. Romney made her televised rebuttal of Hillary Rosen’s comments.
Among her statements she clearly said this:
Ann Romney said on Thursday morning…. that people need to “respect women in all those CHOICES that they make,”
Stunning coming from the wife of the now, Leader of the Republican party and Presidential nominee, who’s agenda has been to eliminate as many “choices” for women (and others) as possible, by their proposed legislation.
Seems like Republicans like “choices” as long as they do the “choosing” ;-)
Rep. Allen West has been suggest as a VP candidate by none other than the last VP running mate, sister Sarah. Should she apologize for or denounce HIS remarks? Shouldn’t Mitt?