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Ann Romney responds to never-worked charge
By The Associated Press
This article was published April 12, 2012 at 9:39 a.m.
PHOTO BY AP
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann, greet a crowd Tuesday in Schaumburg, Ill., after Romney won the state’s Republican presidential primary.
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WASHINGTON — Ann Romney is fighting back after a Democratic consultant suggested the wife of wealthy Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney shouldn’t be talking about the economy’s toll on women.
“Guess what, his wife has actually never worked a day in her life,” said consultant Hilary Rosen on CNN.
The remark inspired Ann Romney’s debut on Twitter.
“I made a choice to stay home and raise five boys,” she wrote. “Believe me, it was hard work.”
The exchange sparked a spat by tweet, with President Barack Obama’s advisers taking the rare step of siding with the spouse of his likely Republican opponent and demanding an apology from Rosen, who as of Thursday morning had not backed off.
“Please know, I admire you,” Rosen later tweeted to Ann Romney. “But your husband shouldn’t say you are his expert on women and the economy.”
Patrick Gaspard, executive director of the Democratic National Committee, sought Thursday to separate the Obama campaign from both Rosen’s comments and Rosen herself.
“What she said was absolutely out of bounds,” Gaspard said on MSNBC. “Ann Romney is someone who obviously has worked hard to raise five good boys and she’s made some tough choices in her life, I’m certain. Families should be absolutely out of bounds in this discussion.”
Gaspard said that while Rosen was a smart Democratic strategist, she had no formal role in Obama’s re-election campaign.
“Hillary Rosen is absolutely not a paid adviser to the DNC or to the Obama campaign, absolutely not,” he said.
The speed of the spat reflects the overriding influence of women voters this election year and the eagerness of both campaigns to avoid alienating any sub group of them, particularly with the presidency and congressional majorities at stake.
Two decades after Hillary Rodham Clinton supposed she could have stayed home and baked cookies rather than have a career, the role of women remains up for intense debate in the nation’s political discourse.
Women comprise a majority of voters in presidential election years. Recent polling shows they lean heavily toward Democrats and cite the economy and jobs as their top issues.
Obama and his allies, seeking to rally their most ardent supporters as the economy recovers from recession, have accused Republicans of waging a “war against women” on social and economic policy, from contraception to pay equity.
Ann Romney has been her husband’s chief surrogate on women’s issues and he has deferred to her when that is the topic of discussion. Only this week has the candidate himself made explicit pitches to women at female-owned small businesses in Delaware and Connecticut.
Romney also mentioned poor single moms during a speech last week, signaling another group he hopes to peel off from Obama’s base of supporters.
Comments on: Ann Romney responds to never-worked charge
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aimee says... April 12, 2012 at 11:37 a.m.
There's a big difference between women who work in order to feel "fulfilled" and those who work because they HAVE to... The difference is reflected in the pay each receives... Those who have not BEEN THERE should keep their mouths shut..!!!
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T6 says... April 12, 2012 at 12:32 p.m.
aimee, Once again the HYPOCRISY the Left comes out.
Did you know the WOMEN in the OBAMA White House receive LESS pay than their male colleagues? Wasn't Obama the one that got the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act passed? Oh and why would Mooochele Obama have to work when she was earning $316,000 a year and Obama was making $162,000? Did she just want to "feel fulfilled?"
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Rosen, must have not had to work, she took off in the 90's to help raise 2 kids, her and her girlfriend adopted.
From Wikipedia on Hilary Rosen: "On January 22, 2003, Rosen announced that she would resign as head of the RIAA at the end of 2003, in order to spend more time with her partner, Elizabeth Birch, and the couple's twins (a boy and a girl). She began a television commentator career first with CNBC and then with MSNBC. She signed with CNN in early 2008. Rosen and Birch separated in 2006."
FYI, Hilary Rosen visited the White House 35 times versus 9 times for Gen. Petraeus.
This is nothing more than an orchestrated effort by the Left just as the Fluke farce.
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And isn't it something the Democrats say the Republicans are waging war on women BUT THEY have no respect for a woman who doesn't receive a pay check for her work.
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There's nothing wrong with being a stay home mom. A woman at home would know better than her husband when the economy turns for the worst. Most run the household while the husband makes the living?
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T6 says... April 12, 2012 at 12:50 p.m.
Our Community Organizer-in-Chief and his Vacationer wife HAVE NEVER HAD A REAL JOB!!!!!
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Jjackk says... April 12, 2012 at 1:01 p.m.
No way, you are saying a political pundit plays politics? And YOU don't like it. What it joke you yourself.
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Packman says... April 12, 2012 at 1:09 p.m.
I do not understand why this Rosen woman felt the need to attack Mrs. Romney. Apply Rosen's logic to any issue and none of us could ever have an opinion on anything that we did not have personal experience. I wonder if Rosen has any opinions about breast cancer and MS since Mrs. Romney has personal experience with both, but not Rosen.
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Populist says... April 12, 2012 at 1:32 p.m.
Rosen is an idiot. Any woman who has raised 5 boys has worked even if she had a handful of servants to help her out. I am sure the car trip with five sons in the car and Seamus on the roof was no picnic. I think the point Rosen was trying to make is that Ann is not qualified to counsel Romney on issues related to women in the workforce as she has never been out there and dealt with wage issues, sexual harrassment etc. Romney needs to get a woman who has worked in HR to counsel him. Unfortunately, Romney is as clueless as this Rosen woman. (You can't blame these remarks on the President and First Lady.)
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T6 says... April 12, 2012 at 1:55 p.m.
Populist says... I think the point Rosen was trying to make is that Ann is not qualified to counsel Romney on issues related to women in the workforce as she has never been out there and dealt with wage issues, sexual harrassment etc. Romney needs to get a woman who has worked in HR to counsel him. Unfortunately, Romney is as clueless as this Rosen woman. (You can't blame these remarks on the President and First Lady.)
No we can't blame Rosen's remarks on the White House BUT Rosen does work for the Democrat Party (DNC)
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Like I said the women in the Obama White house make LESS than their male colleagues. That CAN be BLAMED ON them...........
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Populist says... April 12, 2012 at 2:46 p.m.
T6,
There you go with the misinformation. Rosen neither works for the DNC nor the Obama campaign.
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Jjackk says... April 12, 2012 at 3:29 p.m.
I'm sure that there is a point to paint her as a 1%er too. Obama will have to hold the advantage with women. So I'm sure its not a coincidence, its politics. If the Romney campaign didn't see it coming they might want to rethink their leadership. Game on.
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T6 says... April 12, 2012 at 3:32 p.m.
Ann Romney is just as capable as Mrs. Obama at giving her husband advise.
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Jjackk says... April 12, 2012 at 3:48 p.m.
Is she a lawyer?
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T6 says... April 12, 2012 at 4:04 p.m.
Hey Populist, ROSEN & SKDKNICKERBOCKER CONNECTIONS TO OBAMA/DNC
Hilary Rosen Is A Frequent Visitor To The Obama White House And Advised The White House On Messaging During The Obamacare Debates:
Hilary Rosen Visited The Obama White House At Least 35 Times. whitehouse. gov
Rosen Advised The Obama White House On Messaging During The Obamacare Debates. “Demonstrating the political element of the health care debate, the records show that senior adviser Axelrod held what was described as a ‘communications message meeting’ on March 13 with 18 people, including prominent Democratic strategists Brad Woodhouse, the party’s communications director, and his predecessor Karen Finney; Steve McMahon, a campaign veteran and media strategist; Hilary Rosen, the former top lobbyist for the music industry; Jennifer Palmieri of the liberal Center for American Progress, John Edwards’ former press secretary and a veteran of the Clinton White House; Maria Cardona, a specialist in Hispanic outreach at the Dewey Square Group; and Simon Rosenberg a founder of the centrist New Democrat Network.”
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The Obama Campaign Enlisted Rosen’s Help As A Political And Media Advisor To The DNC:
The Obama Campaign Enlisted Hilary Rosen As An Advisor To DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz. “Obama advisers have occasionally told her to ‘tone it down’ and ‘back off a smidgen,’ Ms. Wasserman Schultz says. She agreed with them to enlist two seasoned Democratic female pros, Anita Dunn and Hilary Rosen, to begin giving her occasional political advice and media training, advisers say.”(Monica Langley, “Combative Top Democrat Gains Clout In Campaign,” The Wall Street Journal, 2/16/12)
Rosen’s Firm, SKDKnickerbocker, Is A Paid Advisor To The DNC And Played A Prominent Role In The Obama White House & 2008 Campaign:
Since 2010, Hilary Rosen Has Served As Managing Director Of SKDKnickerbocker. “Hilary B. Rosen is a well-known Washington, DC strategist who effectively navigates the intersection of communications, media, and politics. Rosen joined SKDKnickerbocker in 2010 and specializes in the firm’s strategic communications and public relations practice.” (SKDKnickerbocker Website, skdknick. com
Former Obama White House Communications Director Anita Dunn Also Serves As A Managing Director At SKDKnickerbocker. “Since returning to SKDKnickerbocker after serving as White House Communications Director for President Barack Obama, Anita has developed SKDK’s public relations and strategic communications practice.” (SKDKnickerbocker Website, skdknick. com
During The 2012 Election Cycle, SKDKnickerbocker Has Been Paid At Least $120,864 By The DNC For Media Consulting, Communications Consulting, And Media Production. (CQ MoneyLine Website, politicalmoneyline. cq. com
SKDKnickerbocker’s Website Includes A Section Highlighting Their “Broad Role” In The Obama 2008 Campaign. (SKDKnickerbocker Website, skdknick. com
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T6 says... April 12, 2012 at 4:49 p.m.
No, Ann is not a lawyer and neither is Michele......... But she did graduate Harvard just as Michele did.
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LSS says... April 12, 2012 at 6:50 p.m.
I get what she was trying to say. What I wouldn't have given if I could have stayed at home with my kids when they were little. And - to NOT have to worry about whether I was going to be able to put food on the table or pay that skyrocketing electric bill, or buy gasoline to get to work, or pay the mortgage . . . . .
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morebeer says... April 12, 2012 at 7:28 p.m.
Rosen's comment was really stupid and she deserves a muzzle for the rest of the campaign. Reminds me of Hillary saying something to the effect, "I chose not to stay home and bake cookies." She took a lot of flak for that, too, and deserved it.
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Packman says... April 12, 2012 at 9:11 p.m.
Hey LSS - I get what the Rosen woman was trying to say too, to wit: "This Romney woman is an idiot for marrying a Republican and all Republicans are idiots. And all Democrats are smart like me (envision Rosen spitting the word Republican from her mouth like a sour grape)." Wait, is this woman Rosen or Reason. (Please forgive me for LMRAO at my own joke.)
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T6 says... April 12, 2012 at 9:18 p.m.
Hey Packman...Spew alert, next time. Please!!
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Populist says... April 12, 2012 at 9:26 p.m.
Because you cannot attack anything Obama says, you must resort to attacking statements of people who have been to the White House? That is pretty lame. Rosen is an idiot and Ann Romney appears to be a fine, hardworking mom who raised a good crop of kids. Ann Romney is very qualified to advise people on raising children (the importance of which should not be underestimated.) Ann Romney is not an expert on issues pertaining to women in the workforce, and Romney mispoke when he indicated that she could advise him on such issues. While Obama also has some room for improvement on dealing with women, he has more insights than Romney.
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T6 says... April 12, 2012 at 10:40 p.m.
Hey Populist, Rosen attacks stay at home mom, Ann Romney wonder why she didn't attack ALL the stay at home WELFARE MOMS?
Why is it OK to attack Ann but Obama said it was a NO NO to attack Michele?
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morebeer says... April 12, 2012 at 10:54 p.m.
Rosen is incompetent. I saw her on CNN this evening and she still doesn't get it. If the Romney campaign wants to hold Ann up as an example to working women, Rosen should have responded that, well, she could probably show homemakers with a Cadillac in each of their driveways, 5 credit cards, a housekeeper, gardener and a cook how to cope with life's difficulties, such as approving the menu. I say that knowing Michelle's in the WH with all those amenities too, plus a driver, no doubt.
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tusk99 says... April 13, 2012 at 12:07 a.m.
Guys, come on, lay off Mrs. Romney! I mean, who else didn't have to get a job in college because they could live off their boyfriend's family investments? Ya'll just don't know what it's like to really struggle!
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aimee says... April 13, 2012 at 12:45 a.m.
Working mothers know what it is like burning the candle at both ends... Ann Romney only had hers burning from one end... There IS NO comparison..!!!!
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aimee says... April 13, 2012 at 1:42 a.m.
Ann Romney said, "We need to respect choices that women make." But what of those who HAVE no choice..??? Shouldn't ALL women be able to have that choice..???
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NoCrossNoCrown says... April 13, 2012 at 3:15 a.m.
Ann and her moneychanger husband have ripped of this counrty to enrich themselves. This publican has use legal yet highly immoral tactics to game the system and become very wealthy, at taxpayer and shareholder expense. Rich don't make you right!! He is no different than the other moneychangers who were enriching themselves in the temple. Evangelicals, he is not the man to lead this country....and not worthy of your vote....
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JCook says... April 13, 2012 at 7:53 a.m.
T6 You still have not sought professional help. The salient point here is most women don’t have a choice in whether they stay at home to take care of their children and not have a job. In most homes women do both. While taking care of children is, most certainly, a demanding job, most women can’t afford not to work or chose to have or not have extra employees around the homes to help with various other jobs associated with the hard work of women in the home with children.
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T6 says... April 13, 2012 at 7:54 a.m.
NCNC...... Let me guess, the Liar-in-Chief is the answer to ALL of our problems????????
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T6 says... April 13, 2012 at 9:34 a.m.
JCook the salient point here is the blatant DOUBLE STANDARD of the LEFT.
The Democrats are afraid of Ann and they're using her to destroy her husband. I bet Ann's has ALWAYS been PROUD of her country not just if her husband is elected President.
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Rosema41 says... April 13, 2012 at 10:48 a.m.
Having been in both positions, I agree with most that raising children is a labor of love and not an easy row to hoe. However, I agree that Ms. Romney has never had to work in the labor force to earn enough money to buy groceries, health insurance, pay the mortgage, etc. It is not that she is not supposed to express an opinion, but her opinion is just that! Not coming from experience having to deal with underpayment, lack of respect and sometimes actual harassment.
I also agree that Ms Rosen does not speak for the Democrats or the White House or the DNC. She simply spoke an opinion. When will we learn that opinions and facts often do not agree.
I'm not a Romney fan, but both Mrs. Romney and Ms. Rosen deserve to be able to speak their opinions whether or not we agree with them.
As a tax accountant with an economics degree, I believe that many of the so-called advisers to the Republican party do not have the experience to counsel about economics - all they do is know POLITICS and how to smear each other.
We should be more concerned with Rep. Ryan's folly called a "budget" than whether or not Mrs. Romney or Mrs. Obama should be speaking out for their spouses.
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thankfulheart says... April 13, 2012 at 1:23 p.m.
Not sure what is meant by Aimee's statement that "All women should be able to make that choice." Some women have no choice because of their circumstances which have been brought about by THEIR decisions in life.
I know plenty of families who live on one income. Not all are wealthy. In many cases, they sacrifice in order to keep mom at home while the kids are young. I know of one family that lives in a very modest home, don't have cable TV, don't eat out, and don't go on vacations in order to make it work. In many cases, it's about what's most important to us.
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Reason says... April 13, 2012 at 8:29 p.m.
Ms Rosen was a stay-at-home mom and knows by her own personal experience what hard work it is. She said that she misspoke and she apologized to Ann Romney but the media also took Rosen's point clear out of context.
Mitt Romney said that his wife is his advisor on women's economic issues. Rosen's point was that Ann Romney has never really dealt with the kinds of economic issues that a majority of this country are facing in terms of how do we feed our kinds, how do we send them to school and how do we worry = and why we about their future.
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Personally, I think Romney's family should be off limits but I do wonder if it was Ann Romney's choice to stay at home or the Mormon priesthood who chose.
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aimee says... April 13, 2012 at 11:11 p.m.
Ann Romney has also never been in a situation where one of her five boys vomited just as she was about to take them to school and she had to decide whether to take a chance on losing her job is she called in with a sick child again after the flu traveled through her family... The experiences that Ann Romney has NOT had are legion and prove she is not a good one to "report" to her husband on what WOMEN CARE ABOUT...!!!
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T6 says... April 14, 2012 at 8:54 a.m.
Aimee, So now you now have a crystal ball that you've looked into, to KNOW Ann Romney hasn't had the experiences other mothers have had?
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LevitiCuss says... April 14, 2012 at 9:09 a.m.
Ann's biggest struggle of the day is deciding which color Cadillac to have James bring around. Just sayin'...
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T6 says... April 14, 2012 at 9:35 a.m.
Michelle Obama's biggest struggle is which outfit she's going to wear, when and where her next VACATION is going to be, what is her next initative going to be to further CONTROL and TELL us HOW to RAISE our KIDS!!!!!!!
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Mikeej says... April 14, 2012 at 10:48 a.m.
Can we at least agree that raising 5 boys with nannies and cooks is probably less work than the Octomom does. The Octomom is receiving tax sponsored aid so this is a kettle of worms I just opened.
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T6 says... April 14, 2012 at 11:44 a.m.
Hey Mikeej, according to this article Ann didn't have nannies........
theatlanticwire. com/politics/2012/04/other-war-moms-no-nanny-no-maid-romney-home/51142/
I'm not a Romney fan BUT I will vote for ABO2012
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aimee says... April 14, 2012 at 2:19 p.m.
T6:
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Ann Romney has not had the experience that WORKING mothers have had..!!!!
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Populist says... April 14, 2012 at 2:25 p.m.
Aimee,
While Ann Romney may not have been PAID for her work, you have no idea how hard she worked. While she is not an expert on working conditions, she probably has worked very hard in her life. Do you have any idea how hard it is to teach basic manners to one boy, much less 5? Men are beasts. While you usually can keep one boy under control, two will start beating up on each other, pass gass, and pee all over the bathroom. I can't imagine having five of the rascals. When she was first lady of Massachusetts, I am sure that she had to make speeches and throw parties all the time. Also, your assumption that wealthy people always have many servants is simply untrue. I know a woman who is worth $50 million, raised 4 kids, did 99% of the household work, worked part-time as a nurse, and did much charitable work. One time I went over to her house and she had 100 backpacks containing toiletries etc. for homeless people. She always is helping people. Not all rich people are lazy. I remember that the senior Mr. Lindsey of Wright, Lindsey & Jennings was cutting his own grass well into his 70s. You have know idea how hard Ann Romney works unless you know her. Keep in mind also that she has MS and is married to Mitt, who is a total a$$. I think that I would rather work 60 hour a week shifts at Burger King than be married to Mitt Romney.
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aimee says... April 14, 2012 at 2:30 p.m.
Populist:
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As a mom working in the home she DOES have experience with that, but she does NOT have experience to be "reporting" to her husband on how WORKING women feel...!!! She should keep her reports to how "stay at home" moms feel on issues and not on those who have to work outside of the home and THEN come home and do all the things she's had all day to do..!!!
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That she can claim to understand working women is absurd..!!!
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Populist says... April 15, 2012 at 8:37 a.m.
Aimee,
I don't think that she said that. It was her stick-his-foot-in-his-mouth husband.
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T6 says... April 15, 2012 at 9:20 a.m.
Populist, I agree Rosen stuck Both feet in her mouth..........
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Populist says... April 15, 2012 at 10:05 a.m.
T6,
We actually agree on Rosen. Ann Romney has done nothing to deserve any form of condemnation.
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