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You are here: Home / Civil Rights / Women's Rights / The War On Women / Ann Romney: “Mitt respects women who make different choices.” #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

Ann Romney: “Mitt respects women who make different choices.” #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement

by Imani Gandy (ABL)|  April 15, 20126:15 pm| 39 Comments

This post is in: The War On Women, Vagina Outrage, Women's Rights Are Human Rights, #notintendedtobeafactualstatement, Romney of the Uncanny Valley

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During her campaign debut last week, and in response to Hilary Rosen’s comments that Ann Romney doesn’t understand the economic issues that working mothers face, Ann Romney said she “knows what it’s like to struggle,” (a statement which I refute here) and talked about choice:

“And I think that all of us need to know that we need to respect choices that women make. Other women make other choices, to have a career and raise a family, which I think Hillary Rosen has actually done herself.”

She also said that “Mitt respects women who make different choices.”

No he doesn’t — at least he doesn’t respect the rights of low-income women to make their own economic choices.

To wit, this clip of a speech Romney gave in New Hampshire, in which Romney says that he would require women who receive welfare to work — even if they have young children — because he wants them to experience the dignity of work:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

This should put to bed any GOP argument that their boy champions the rights of women to make their own economic choices. He doesn’t. He couldn’t possibly. He cares about privileged working mothers. Struggling working mothers, on the other hand, are welfare queens who should get to work.

Hypocrisy, thy name is Mitt Romney.

[You can listen to me talk about Ann Romney and a bunch of other stuff on The Hal Sparks Radio Show yesterday (he let me ramble for a good half hour!) by clicking here.]

RELATED POSTS:

  • Rosen vs. Romney and The Reverse Triple Salchow War on Women (by ABL)
  • Scandalizing fact: Ann Romney was a stay-at-home mom (by wilbur)
  • Ann Romney Doesn’t Understand How the Economy Works (by ABL)
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Reader Interactions

39Comments

  1. 1.

    Nutella

    April 15, 2012 at 6:30 pm

    we need to respect choices that women make

    They’re pro-choice!!

  2. 2.

    Amir Khalid

    April 15, 2012 at 6:33 pm

    You have to wonder, why does the tip of Mitt’s nose not stick out three feet in in front of him by now?

  3. 3.

    David Koch

    April 15, 2012 at 6:33 pm

    Only someone who hates Jesus like Romney could attack motherhood.

  4. 4.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    April 15, 2012 at 6:34 pm

    How the narrative has changed. It used to be that “stay at home moms” were “welfare queens” remember that? Now all of a sudden stay at home moms are the paragons of virtue and worthy of praise. This shit is making me fucking dizzy.

  5. 5.

    bemused

    April 15, 2012 at 6:40 pm

    Dignity? What a crock of shit. Rick Warren said almost the same thing…subsidizing people takes away their dignity. Maybe they should direct their concerns to oil companies, other corps and gigantic tax breaks for the filthy rich….there’s a crap load of dignity being robbed from those beleaguered folks.

  6. 6.

    Alison

    April 15, 2012 at 6:46 pm

    @Litlebritdifrnt: Oh, trust. *Certain* SAHMs are still and always will be “welfare queens” in the eyes of the right.

    I’ll let you muse on just what traits those women might possess that would lead to that…ahem ahem.

  7. 7.

    danimal

    April 15, 2012 at 6:51 pm

    @bemused:

    Maybe they should direct their concerns to oil companies, other corps and gigantic tax breaks for the filthy rich….there’s a crap load of dignity being robbed from those beleaguered folks.

    I can’t agree more. They (oil companies, corporations and the super-rich need dignity, a whole lot of dignity, and they need it good and hard.

  8. 8.

    dmsilev

    April 15, 2012 at 6:52 pm

    So, beyond “Mitt Romney should be President” and “Rich people shouldn’t pay very much in taxes”, what *does* Mitt Romney actually believe?

  9. 9.

    Ben Cisco

    April 15, 2012 at 6:55 pm

    @dmsilev: Whatever he thinks will win the election for him, changing daily as events dictate.

  10. 10.

    Bort

    April 15, 2012 at 6:57 pm

    What does Mitt believe? Corporations are people my friend! Also, magic underpants.

  11. 11.

    Kristine

    April 15, 2012 at 6:57 pm

    @bemused:

    Maybe they should direct their concerns to oil companies, other corps and gigantic tax breaks for the filthy rich….there’s a crap load of dignity being robbed from those beleaguered folks.

    Oh, but they’re “job creators,” and deserve to be subsidized to the furthest reaches of the tax code and beyond.

    There is no internal consistency in any of this. You mention this unfortunate fact, and it’s “meanie ol’ bully gotcha yip yip Jesus freedom.” It’s so damn depressing that they still get air time and that anyone takes them seriously. And that they’ll get at least 40% of the vote no matter what.

  12. 12.

    Cacti

    April 15, 2012 at 6:58 pm

    Ann and Mitt respect women’s choices.

    Unless, of course, it has to do with reproduction or family planning. In which case, such choices should be made by a male religious leader.

    Why, Bishop Mitt once spiritually advised a female congregant to go through with a high risk pregnancy because it was what the Lord wanted.

  13. 13.

    Baron Jrod of Keeblershire

    April 15, 2012 at 6:59 pm

    Nothing says “dignity” like being refused your $100-some worth of food stamps unless you take whatever minimum wage job the state demands.

  14. 14.

    suzanne

    April 15, 2012 at 7:00 pm

    I find it SICK that I’m supposed to kiss Ann Romney’s ass for doing some amazingly difficult shit. You know what, yeah, parenting is hard. So is mountain-climbing, or marathon running, or playing the piano, or a hundred million other worthwhile things that people do that, for some reason, society doesn’t kiss ass for. This lady could literally roll around in money that she did not ONE thing to earn. Why does she not only get more life choices than I do, but also gets to have everyone kiss her ass for making the easier choice?

    Fuck the R-moneys.

  15. 15.

    AA+ Bonds

    April 15, 2012 at 7:02 pm

    My tip would be to simply not mention Ann Romney anymore? This is how they keep getting you

  16. 16.

    AA+ Bonds

    April 15, 2012 at 7:03 pm

    This was not about Ann Romney and it still didn’t have to be if the response were treated as a bunch of wackadoo shit but no this had to be some sort of Steinem-Friedan PTSD

    PLEASE stop doing this to yourselves liberals

  17. 17.

    Cacti

    April 15, 2012 at 7:03 pm

    @suzanne:

    Why does she not only get more life choices than I do, but also gets to have everyone kiss her ass for making the easier choice?

    Because she pulled herself up by the bootstraps and was born rich, and married richer. Now go and muck out Lady Ann’s stables, so that you can learn about the “dignity of work”.

  18. 18.

    bemused

    April 15, 2012 at 7:05 pm

    @danimal:

    Yes, indeedy. lol

  19. 19.

    AA+ Bonds

    April 15, 2012 at 7:06 pm

    Here’s why liberals should shut up about Ann Romney and try to get the conversation back on track elsewhere: she has MS

    It may not be fair but because of that y’all are fucked with the press

    They are never going to side with you over a politician’s wife with an incurable medical condition; she is St. Mary as far as they are concerned

  20. 20.

    AA+ Bonds

    April 15, 2012 at 7:09 pm

    Absolutely any conversation about Ann Romney is a loser for liberals

    This sort of spouse is one way Rove picks his candidates IMO

  21. 21.

    piratedan

    April 15, 2012 at 7:10 pm

    @bemused: yeah, when we drive by the interstate interchange and see the homeless living out their cardboard, I make sure to point out to my kids how dignified those poor bastards are that fell through the cracks.

  22. 22.

    Cacti

    April 15, 2012 at 7:10 pm

    @AA+ Bonds:

    Maybe if you say it again a fifth time, everyone will defer to your wisdom.

    Or not.

  23. 23.

    PurpleGirl

    April 15, 2012 at 7:11 pm

    @AA+ Bonds: Sorry but I have friends with MS, who STILL have to work to have the health insurance to cover the cost of their treatment and drugs.

  24. 24.

    General Stuck

    April 15, 2012 at 7:11 pm

    Wingnuts are all about control, and they don’t want government doing good things for people that need it, because they lose control of those people for their own political designs.

    And that control is greatest when counting possible votes in the future, due to the lizard brane knowing it is lizard, and therefore predatory, for wealth and concentration of wealth by whatever means necessary that is stealthy enough to slip by the rubes what they are really up to.

    The reason they are against a government safety net, besides not personally caring about those in need, is that without that gov help, the hungry and desperate would turn to their allies in the wingnut churches. Where loyalty and survival are traded for the mind, spirit, and a loaf of bread, to ultimately keep the jeevus party in power with the political and religious strings attached to anything they provide for the needy.

  25. 25.

    General Stuck

    April 15, 2012 at 7:13 pm

    Wingnuts are all about control, and they don’t want government doing good things for people that need it, because they lose control of those people for their own political designs.

    And that control is greatest when counting possible votes in the future, due to the lizard brane knowing it is lizard, and therefore predatory, for wealth and concentration of wealth by whatever means necessary that is stealthy enough to slip by the rubes what they are really up to.

    The reason they are against a government safety net, besides not personally caring about those in need, is that without that gov help, the hungry and desperate would turn to their allies in the wingnut churches. Where loyalty and survival are traded for the mind, spirit, and a loaf of bread, to ultimately keep the jeevus party in power with the political and religious strings attached to anything they provide for the needy.

  26. 26.

    bemused

    April 15, 2012 at 7:13 pm

    @Kristine:

    People are willfully and stubbornly stupid, intelligent people should who know better. Today I heard about a Republican relative who recently repeated to his dad (a Dem) a variation of the old welfare queen story. It’s jawdropping.

  27. 27.

    General Stuck

    April 15, 2012 at 7:14 pm

    Wingnuts are all about control, and they don’t want government doing good things for people that need it, because they lose control of those people for their own political designs.

    And that control is greatest when counting possible votes in the future, due to the lizard brane knowing it is lizard, and therefore predatory, for wealth and concentration of wealth by whatever means necessary that is stealthy enough to slip by the rubes what they are really up to.

    The reason they are against a government safety net, besides not personally caring about those in need, is that without that gov help, the hungry and desperate would turn to their allies in the wingnut churches. Where loyalty and survival are traded for the mind, spirit, and a loaf of bread, to ultimately keep the jeevus party in power with the political and religious strings attached to anything they provide for the needy.

  28. 28.

    bemused

    April 15, 2012 at 7:14 pm

    @Kristine:

    People are willfully and stubbornly stupid, intelligent people should who know better. Today I heard about a Republican relative who recently repeated to his dad (a Dem) a variation of the old welfare queen story. It’s jawdropping.

  29. 29.

    suzanne

    April 15, 2012 at 7:16 pm

    @Cacti: The irony is that I love my career and very much find fulfillment in it.

    But under this BS patriarchy, I can’t do ANYTHING right. I stay home and I’m a welfare queen, I go to work and I’m selfish and ignoring my children. So if I DON’T have kids, in order to avoid all that nonsense, I’m a selfish whore not fulfilling my female destiny. But if I have too many, I’m Octomom.

    I have to hand it to you dudes. No matter how we play this game, y’all win.

  30. 30.

    eemom

    April 15, 2012 at 7:17 pm

    @AA+ Bonds:

    is there a DSM-V category for Paranoid Politicophobia?

    Maybe you ought to just hide under the bed until it’s all over.

  31. 31.

    eemom

    April 15, 2012 at 7:38 pm

    @Amir Khalid:

    You have to wonder, why does the tip of Mitt’s nose not stick out three feet in in front of him by now?

    That’s a very good question. He is, after all, made of wood.

  32. 32.

    WereBear

    April 15, 2012 at 7:54 pm

    @suzanne: It’s the plan, I’m sure.

    Mother love, patriotism, gut-clutching fear; it’s all just buttons to press. They don’t mean any of it.

  33. 33.

    John M. Burt

    April 15, 2012 at 8:23 pm

    Ann Romney displays so much more self-respect and intelligence than Mitt — if the Repub party were an organization capable of nominating her . . . it would be more like the party of Lincoln, wouldn’t it?

  34. 34.

    dedc79

    April 15, 2012 at 8:32 pm

    At this point I think it’s a mistake to ever view any criticism of Romney’s as anything more than the crudest form of point scoring. He could care less about the substance or the truth, he just wants to get his punches in and then he’ll move on. Even engaging with it gives it more of a response than it deserves. If only we had a news media that filtered out the lies and the crap instead of amplifying it.

  35. 35.

    ABL 2.0

    April 15, 2012 at 8:48 pm

    @PurpleGirl: precisely. my dad has MS. luckily he’s always had top-notch health insurance.

  36. 36.

    Horrendo Slapp (formerly Jimperson Zibb, Duncan Dönitz, Otto Graf von Pfmidtnöchtler-Pízsmőgy, Mumphrey, et al.)

    April 15, 2012 at 9:07 pm

    @ABL 2.0:

    my dad has MS. luckily he’s always had top-notch health insurance.

    If I were you, I’d keep my mouth shut abut that. Give these assholes a chance, and they’ll come at you for being a hypocrite for, well, I don’t know for what specifically, but they’ll find something.

    I’m being cynical, but, really, they do this shit all the time. ANd they would do it to you if you were well known enough. I guess they’d say you were a hypocrite for saying anything bad about Mitt Romney, when his wife has the same condition your father has; or maybe it would be that you’re hitting Romney for not wanting to give poor people good insurance even though your own father has good insurance. Or something. And the press would swallow it. Remember back in 2008 when people said John Edwards was a hypocrite because he was campaigning on fighting poverty even though he was rich? I stil don’t get how that was any kind of hypocrisy, but it dodn’t stop them from saying it was.

    Somebody really needs to sit Republicans down and tell them: 1. What hypocrisy is; 2. What hypocrisy isn’t; and, 3. How to tell one from the other.

  37. 37.

    AxelFoley

    April 15, 2012 at 10:07 pm

    @AA+ Bonds:

    Here’s why liberals should shut up about Ann Romney and try to get the conversation back on track elsewhere: she has MS
    It may not be fair but because of that y’all are fucked with the press
    They are never going to side with you over a politician’s wife with an incurable medical condition; she is St. Mary as far as they are concerned

    John Edwards’ wife had cancer. Didn’t help his campaign much.

  38. 38.

    JoyfulA

    April 16, 2012 at 1:05 am

    @PurpleGirl: I, too, have friends with MS who have to work to get health insurance or else they die soon in great pain.

    One in particular was laid off and can’t get a job with benefits; no matter how enthused an employer is over the phone about her resume and skills, once she shows up for an interview barely able to walk, she doesn’t get the job. This has been going on for years, and yet she perseveres in part-time jobs and freelance work, scratches out a living, and pays half of what she earns for health insurance.

  39. 39.

    Tone In DC

    April 16, 2012 at 9:23 am

    @dedc79:

    This.

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