WASHINGTON, April 17, 2012 — The firestorm set off last week by CNN pundit Hilary Rosen’s comment that Mitt Romney’s wife Ann had never worked a day in her life (and thus had no bona fides to be her husband’s advisor on working women) ignited the airwaves and enflamed the Internet. How dare Rosen imply that women who stay at home to raise their children don’t work.
Only it now appears that Mitt Romney also believes that. Well, almost. It turns out that Mitt may be ok with his wife staying home to raise their kids, but he is not ok with poor women doing the exact same thing.
Mitt Romney’s double standard was revealed when a video (see below) of the GOP candidate (discovered by MSNBC’s Chris Hayes) from earlier this year shows Romney bragging how he was not “heartless,” as he put it, when he forced poor women with children as young as two-year-olds and receiving welfare to go out and get a job.
Ann and MItt Romney AP
Why? Because as Mitt put it: “I want the individuals to have the dignity of work.” I guess being a stay-at-home Mom means you have no dignity. Tell that to Ann, Mitt.
Or is this a piece of advice you got from her, your advisor-in-chief on all things women? If so, your ambassador from that strange country called the American Woman is obviously out of touch, which is not surprising given her privileged life.
Or is it only Ann who has worked, raising the Romney sons, and thus she possesses dignity but not the welfare mom at home raising a toddler or two?
This is not only the stuff of Mommy Wars, it is blatant class warfare. Think not? Then just watch the video of a smug Mitt Romney telling a New Hampshire audience what he did as Governor of Massachusetts to get those stay at home moms who lack dignity onto the employment line when he was governor. And be sure to notice the pained expression on Republican Senator John McCain’s face as he listens to Romney extoll the beauty of Mitt’s plan for Massachusetts.
Maybe Mitt has found a new slogan for his campaign: “I’m not heartless. Vote Republican!” That slogan could go on those RNC coffee mugs that the GOP is now peddling as its fundraiser. Right after the uproar over Rosen’s comments, the RNC rushed out coffee mugs for $15 a piece (wonder how many welfare moms are gobbling them up) that are emblazoned with the words: Moms Do Work! Vote GOP.
So what does this tell us about Mitt Romney the man, the candidate? Is this just another flip-flop moment among many or is it a window into Mitt Romney’s soul?
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