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The Morning Plum: Seeing through GOP spin on Hilary Rosen `controversy’
The Morning Plum: Seeing through GOP spin on Hilary Rosen `controversy’
By Greg Sargent
Yesterday’s big flap over Hilary Rosen and Ann Romney triggered reams of analysis echoing the GOP spin that this was some kind of major “game changer” for Mitt Romney in overcoming the gender gap. Now that the facts of the matter have been established — Rosen does not work for the Obama campaign or the DNC, as Republicans falsely charged— we’re seeing some more level-headed and skeptical assessments.
Maeve Reston, for instance, points out that the Rosen battle is somewhat less important than the actual issues and positions Romney has embraced that could continue to alienate women:
Meanwhile, Politico takes a longer view this morning of the battle over women, noting that Democrats remain confident that the larger showdown over who is really representing the interests of female swing voters is one they will win. Yesterday’s events don’t change the tangential matter of Romney’s actual positions on issues that matter to women, and indeed, if anything, the furious effort by the Romney campaign to change the subject to Rosen’s comments may underscore this.
It’s also going to be interesting to see whether this is really such a big victory for Republicans, now that Obama has weighed in by invoking his own mother’s hard work and calling on people to refrain from attacking spouses, including Ann Romney herself.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/the-morning-plum-seeing-through-gop-spin-on-hilary-rosen-controversy/2012/04/13/gIQA2btsET_blog.html
By Greg Sargent
Yesterday’s big flap over Hilary Rosen and Ann Romney triggered reams of analysis echoing the GOP spin that this was some kind of major “game changer” for Mitt Romney in overcoming the gender gap. Now that the facts of the matter have been established — Rosen does not work for the Obama campaign or the DNC, as Republicans falsely charged— we’re seeing some more level-headed and skeptical assessments.
Maeve Reston, for instance, points out that the Rosen battle is somewhat less important than the actual issues and positions Romney has embraced that could continue to alienate women:
The more crucial question is what the toll has been of his sometimes harsh rhetoric on issues of concern to moderate women, like budget priorities, immigration and the nation’s social safety net.
On those topics, Romney has at times boxed himself in. He has pounded Obama for job losses among women during his tenure, yet rarely acknowledged that many of those cuts were in government jobs that would be sliced further under his proposals, which would shrink government employment by 10%.
Though middle-of-the-road female voters tend to be more concerned than conservative women about maintaining the nation’s social safety net and expanding healthcare access, Romney has vowed to repeal Obama’s healthcare law, rein in the growth of programs like Medicare and get rid of government aid to Planned Parenthood....
In his haste to show his credentials as a fiscal conservative, Romney also has repeatedly criticized the president for promising voters “free stuff” — by implication trashing programs like education subsidies that are popular among women voters.
On those topics, Romney has at times boxed himself in. He has pounded Obama for job losses among women during his tenure, yet rarely acknowledged that many of those cuts were in government jobs that would be sliced further under his proposals, which would shrink government employment by 10%.
Though middle-of-the-road female voters tend to be more concerned than conservative women about maintaining the nation’s social safety net and expanding healthcare access, Romney has vowed to repeal Obama’s healthcare law, rein in the growth of programs like Medicare and get rid of government aid to Planned Parenthood....
In his haste to show his credentials as a fiscal conservative, Romney also has repeatedly criticized the president for promising voters “free stuff” — by implication trashing programs like education subsidies that are popular among women voters.
Meanwhile, Politico takes a longer view this morning of the battle over women, noting that Democrats remain confident that the larger showdown over who is really representing the interests of female swing voters is one they will win. Yesterday’s events don’t change the tangential matter of Romney’s actual positions on issues that matter to women, and indeed, if anything, the furious effort by the Romney campaign to change the subject to Rosen’s comments may underscore this.
It’s also going to be interesting to see whether this is really such a big victory for Republicans, now that Obama has weighed in by invoking his own mother’s hard work and calling on people to refrain from attacking spouses, including Ann Romney herself.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/the-morning-plum-seeing-through-gop-spin-on-hilary-rosen-controversy/2012/04/13/gIQA2btsET_blog.html
Also remember Mitt Romney's response to Limbaugh's vile comments about Sandra Fluke:
"I'll just say this, which is, it's not the language I would have used."
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/04/12/1082928/-Pres-Obama-weighs-in-on-Rosengate-provides-a-clear-contrast-with-Romney-
Dear Ann, About that "Choice"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002554987
Hey GOP, Apologize to Michelle Obama
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002554500