Conlibe: Political Blog for TRUTH in Politics.
Liberal Opinion Blog. Boston, Massachusetts. Political Democrat, Independent. Debunk Republican Lies, MisinformationArchive for April 18, 2012
Romney’s Back-Flip…Flop…on “Work”
Not since President Clinton questioned the meaning of “is” — have I wondered what a simple word like work means. Until now!
What does WORK mean to the Romneys…and Republicans…?
Depends. If you live here…
Romney home (one of them) on Lake Winnepesaukee, New Hampshire
When you’re talking about Mitt Romney’s wife Ann Romney, it means STAYING HOME taking care of kids. Then it’s exceedingly hard work, too. So hard, in fact, that you cannot even drag yourself out of bed to go to an office and hold down a 9-5 job where you are expected to PLAY all day!
When it comes to Welfare Moms…WORK means STAYING HOME and playing so much that you then need to pack those easy going little darlings off somewhere and jog to a bus stop, transfer to another bus or a train then sprint to a 9-5 job where you KEEP YOUR NOSE TO THE GRIND – and WORK all day.
Public Housing, Boston
Didn’t I tell you…?
Mitt Romney loves women, especially poor women…and he wants them to work.
Meaning like his wife, he wants you to STAY home and raise your kids. Or does he? NO. Wait. He wants poor women to go to work…yes WORK! And no, NOT work in the way it applies to his wife where you stay home…!
You get it…? I know it would not be long before he put another one of his three Flip-Flop shod feet into his mouth!
Yes. He wants mothers on welfare to go to WORK.
But before they head off to WORK — let us look at a definition of WORK, as coming from the Republican Camp, from Ann Romney, from Michele Bachmann …
(There really is a GOD, you know. Even some of us non-Republicans have to believe — when we see some superior being raining well deserved justice down on Republicans).
Hillary Rosen
When Democratic strategist, Hilary Rosen (poor woman), said Ann Romney never worked a day in her life – we KNOW she meant never held a job in the rat race. We know Rosen was NOT referring to child rearing and raising a family.
In America when people ask you: Do you work? They’re not asking you if you stay home and take care of kids or a home. They want to know: Do you have a job where you leave your kids/home and engage in an activity for which you get a regular paycheck where some employer removes taxes and other deductions.
Maybe we should expand that to mean “Stay-Home Mom/Person” but chauvinistic beings that we are, we don’t. NOT YET!!!
Maybe taking care of kids and home SHOULD be termed a full time job. Maybe the working spouse should come home, write the stay home partner a check, remove taxes etc and say: Honey, here is your salary. But so far, we’ve not reached that elevated state of thinking.
When the earning partner puts that money into a joint account or hands the stay home partner the check or whatever arrangement they have, that stay home person is essentially being paid for a job done. WE ALL KNOW THAT. I and many people DO NOT DISPUTE that child rearing is hard work.
I went/am going through it.
"Working" women!
But when someone asks me if I work, I know they’re not asking me if I take care of my son.
Ann Romney knew it. Rosen knew it. Democrats knew it. Republicans knew it. But again, given the Dumbing of America, the Fear Factor, the Pandering Factor, the Stupidity Factor, the Grandstanding Factor, the Divisive Factor, the Cult of Dissent for Political Gain Factor, the Romney Camp and Republicans saw an opening, AND THEY TOOK IT. Turns out it was a Foxhole…and not the rabbit warren they thought it was with multiple exits!
See where it got them?
To Welfare moms…and to ALL OTHER MOMS WHO HAVE TWO JOBS by Republican definitions: Child Rearing and Office jobs.
So when I refer to “work” here, don’t give me any B.S about childcare – ’cause right now I have laundry waiting, and it’s not gonna do itself. I’m referring to moms who take care of kids, and elderly parents and STILL MUST hold down a paying job…that brings a paycheck!
To moms who in addition to those 2 jobs (office and home)… ALSO hold a 3rd Part-time job too! They just thought they had two jobs until Ann Romney made them add childcare and now they realize they are holding 3 jobs! Yet they will NEVER experience the lifestyle of Mrs. Ann Romney with her ONE job!
So if Child Rearing is a full time job for Ann Romney…Why does Mitt Romney want to load poor moms with MORE work, like a job…a job as in outside the home — which his wife does not do? Why the discrepancy…?
So let’s see what Rosen said: “Ann Romney never worked a day in her life.” And she’s right. Ann Romney has not worked as we define work.
If Rosen had said: Parenting is not work, that would be different.
if Rosen had said: All Ann Romney has done is stay home and care for kids, thereby devaluing that contribution, this would be different. I won’t support any dismissal of the contribution made in the home.
Not easy - houseWORK!
Ann Romney is lucky and blessed to have a husband who can provide for her – and provide it in a harmonious setting. Many of us would want to be in a situation like Ann Romney. Her kids appear to be grounded, her husband appears to be content. I’ve NEVER heard even a hint of infidelity in that marriage (as compared to the Palin’s or Clinton’s). She appears to have done a great job in that regard. The only criticism I have against the Romney family is: Why did none of your sons join the army and fight for the country you love so much?
But then I don’t want my son in the army, either…especially when people like Dick Cheney and John McCain keep calling for war!
Rosen stated a fact, and because that fact was not convenient for some, THAT FACT became a non-fact…lost in “truthiness”.
(According to online encyclopedia, Wikipedia: Truthiness is a term coined by American television comedian Stephen Colbert. It’s a quality characterizing a “truth” that a person claims to know intuitively “from the gut” or because it “feels right” without regard to evidence, logic, intellectual examination, or facts.
BACK IN JANUARY, what did Romney say?: “Mothers on welfare need to go to work”? He wants mothers on welfare to go to work or lose their benefits. I don’t support welfare, which I think beats people DOWN. So I’m NOT against getting people off welfare. This is NOT the argument here. If Romney can get people off welfare, go Romney! Should have tried it here, in Massachusetts, but then if he HAD, he’d be disassociating with it now, anyway.
Epitome of the working woman! On stage and off...
If we play dumb like Romney and Republicans did on Rosen’s remarks, what does Romney mean? Seems his understanding of work appears to jive with that of Rosens – but GASP – that CANNOT BE!
So what does Romney mean again, by work?
Because after all the furor from his side, he cannot mean work, WORK? Can he? Because that would be a MAJOR Flip-flop…AGAIN!
Romney’s words: “I wanted to increase the work requirement…that even if you have a child 2 years of age, you need to go to work…And people said, ‘Well that’s heartless’ (imagine people thinking something like that!)…and I said NO. No, I’m willing to spend more giving day care to allow parent to go back to work. It’ll cost the state more providing that day care, but I want individuals to have the dignity of work.”
“Dignity of work?”
Is Romney saying his wife is also lacking that “dignity” of work, since she is at home taking care of kids – or does that only apply to women on welfare?
Or do we just agree that Rosen was right – and allow this to go away?
Know what bugged me…?
How quick many Democrats were to rush to condemn Rosen. Doesn’t make you want to be a strategist for them, now does it? How about saying: “Hey. Time out! Rosen was NOT criticizing Ann Romney for staying home and raising her kids. She was just pointing out that Romney has not held a paying job in the rat race and so she doesn’t share the frustrations of those of us who have had to…”:
- Get up early, VERY early, and wake and dress kids, feed them, pack lunches, head to a car, bus, train, with a stroller, and drop the kid off at Day Care
- Scramble to find an alternative if there is an unforeseen circumstance at the Day Care, like a burst pipe in the winter…and the Day Care is closed?
- At the end of the day, reverse the stress. Race to the bus/train to reach the Day Care BEFORE the time when they start charging you extra! Stand in the snow in an icy bust stop and wait for a bus that never comes because of the snow havoc?
- Reach home late and still have to prepare dinner, get kids to bed, prepare for the next morning when your living hell of a life begins all over…
Democrats Logo...
- I’m not even going to get into budgets, shopping, doctor’s appointments, etc…
- DOES ANN ROMNEY LIVE THESE THINGS…in that way?
Did Democrats make those arguments in support of Rosen?
No – they threw her to the wolves. (Ms. Rosen – ssshhhh! Not worth it! Go Independent!)
That’s politics these day…every ship is a Titanic!!!
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