Day 2…

When I first heard Democrat adviser Hilary’ Rosen’s comments about Ann Romney, I felt the same as FOX News’ Dana Perino when she heard the news: “Holy cow! This is going to explode!”

It was full-time work yesterday posting updates on the “Ann Romney never worked a day in her life” tempest (and, what I posted was a fraction of the day’s news). With such a hot potato, I also knew political cartoonists would be sketching into the night.

They didn’t disappoint.

Samples of their creativity are interspersed amongst food for thought…

By Rick McKee - The Augusta Chronicle

Townhall -The Left’s War on Women is Actually a War on Families
By Demetrius Minor
April 13, 2012

Thanks to liberal Democrat Hilary Rosen’s vicious attack on Ann Romney claiming that she has never had a “real job”, the conservative base of the GOP is now united in one front, to call out liberalism. Ann Romney, mother of 5 boys and a survivor of multiple sclerosis and breast cancer, is a testament to the many mothers who made the selfless service of putting their families first.

This goes beyond attacking the wife of a presidential candidate. This is a vile attack on conservative women nationwide. …
[...]
President Obama wants to vocalize his support for women, but the facts say otherwise. Women employees at the White House make 18 percent less of the median salary as do male employees. According to Amy Sullivan of TIME Magazine, the Obama administration is described as a “boy’s club” and suggested that the president has a woman problem. It is reported that senior women staffers are seen and not heard during policy meetings.

It is an outrage that lefties attack women instead of having a constructive dialogue about the core issues affecting Americans today. The REAL war on women is the economic plight that they are experiencing due to big government spending, high unemployment rate, a raking deficit and a President who is opposed to job creation that will benefit many women in the U.S. today.

By Bob Gorrell - April 13, 2012

USA TODAY - Hilary Rosen says Ann Romney never worked ‘day in her life’
By Jackie Kucinich and Martha T. Moore
April 12, 2012

To Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, which supports candidates who oppose abortion and endorsed Romney on Thursday, Rosen’s comment is one of “a thousand cuts” that will alienate women. “Each cut doesn’t necessarily draw blood, but over a long period of time” it will hurt Democratic candidates with female voters, she said.

By Glenn Foden - April 13, 2012

Would Hilary Rosen Have Criticized Stay-at-Home Dads as Never Having Worked?
By Rabbi Shmuley Boteach
April 13, 2012

A 2008 US Census publication puts the number of married fathers who work in the home as their children’s primary caregivers at approximately 140,000. Now, would Rosen have said the same thing about these men, that they never worked a single day in their lives, or would she, as have so many others, praised them for their maternal role in putting their children first? Would she have lauded their ability to get beyond the traditional macho-man role and prioritizing their family even before their careers? So if Rosen is going to rail against a war against women, then let’s agree that a gender bias that praises men who put their kids first but punishes women for the same is an unfair assault in that battle.

By Glenn Foden - April 9, 2012

Christian Science Monitor – Ann Romney and Hilary Rosen flap …
By Linda Feldmann
April 13, 2012

According to the latest census data, about 1 in 4 women with children under 15 is not working outside the home. That is a significant voting bloc – and most aren’t wealthy like Ann Romney. Mrs. Romney herself noted on Thursday that she has had struggles of her own, particularly with her health.

In addition, Mrs. Romney has carved out an image as an appealing surrogate for her husband, complete with stories about how exhausting it was to raise five boys. Polls show her favorability rating far exceeds her negatives.

So for Obama, the Rosen comment created a PR emergency on multiple levels: She had disrespected a big voting bloc and had gone after a candidate’s wife. Team Obama pushed the panic button.

“I don’t have a lot of patience for commentary about the spouses of political candidates,” the president said.

… [S]he [Rosen] has sparked a “mommy wars” discussion that continued to rage Friday.

By Chuck Asay - April 13, 2012

(emphasis added to articles)

► Jayde Wyatt

Yesterday, I introduced an expression I will use often regarding Barack Obama — it is the “Obama Obfuscation“ referring to his deliberate intent to deceive and mislead Americans generally. His methods are both simple and cunning.

One example of this is his use of the words “fair” and “fairness” in his speeches with the hope of motivating voters to support his socialist policies; policies, which if implemented, necessarily reduce personal freedom in the form of increased regulation, greater taxation, etc.

After all, who among us is against fairness?

Make no mistake though. He who decides what is fair, usually decides how to make it fair, which results in restricted personal freedom. Is it fair that Derek Jeter or Kobi Bryant were born with talents and skills that allow them to make a fortune every year in their chosen line of work? Is it fair that one Lasik eye surgeon can make $10 million a year in Newport Beach when another of the same age and background goes bankrupt in Boise?

Every time you hear Obama or his surrogates use the word “fair” it is a signal to run and to run as fast as you can. If you choose to ascribe to that doctrine, by default and definition, you are willing to subject yourself to Obama’s control to reduce your freedom in some way (increased taxes, additional regulation…) — without exception.

Watch what Obama said back in to 2008 about his desire for fairness (don’t be distracted by his “pay as you go” nonsense) — notice how he skillfully changes the subject too!

Who gets to decide what is fair? Barack Obama wants to! Remember Milton Friedman? Watch what he says here about fairness and freedom (below the fold): Read more…

► This incident has caused a media and Twittersphere firestorm! Click on link at the bottom of this article for updates.

Hilary Rosen

They don’t waste any time, do they?

A few months ago, a rancid Democrat plan to “kill Romney” reared its repulsive head. Now, after Governor Romney’s first full day of getting into general campaigning, we’re getting a stinky whiff of their plans for Ann Romney.

On Wednesday evening, Democrat operative/CNN political contributor Hilary Rosen spoke with CNN’s Anderson Cooper. She mockingly snarked about Ann Romney:

“Guess what? His wife [Ann Romney] has never actually worked a day in her life.”

Did you catch Rosen’s accusation that Mitt Romney is “old-fashioned when it comes to women. He just doesn’t see us as equals.” Did you also notice Paul Begala’s nod of approval and big grin when his cohort delivered the talking points? Really, I’m laughing so hard as I type this. What a sorry, ridiculous duo – spouting off ridiculous rhetoric to hide Obama’s sorry economy and ridiculous federal debt. See Vic’s article.

Setting her work record straight, Ann Romney, mother of FIVE boys, grandmother to 16 grandchildren, church, charity, and community volunteer, former Massachusetts First Lady, breast-cancer survivor, and valiant handler of Multiple Sclerosis, fired off her first campaign tweet:

Good natured Ann is garnering high praise for her down-to-earth ability to connect with voters. Because he was losing ground with female voters, Obama operatives have been taking notes. Regarding Ann, think about it: Obama is leading a class war on successful Americans, combine that with a leftist faction that dislikes political Republican women, throw into the mix some Democrats’ disdain for working-at-home mothers and they see fresh meat to attack – on three fronts. Ann is a triple-threat.

Byron York, Chief Political Corespondent (Washington Examiner) and FOX News Contributor jumped on it:

After insult, Romney hits back with lightning speed

. . . Within seconds, Rosen’s statement that Ann Romney has “never worked a day in her life” began to burn up Twitter. Mrs. Romney, after all, had raised five children, as well as dealt with MS and cancer. That was work, no matter how much money her husband made.

The Romney campaign jumped on Rosen’s remarks with a speed that no Republican campaign has shown in the past. First, campaign staffers sent out tweets hitting Rosen. “Obama adviser Hilary Rosen goes on CNN to debut their new ‘kill Ann’ strategy, and in the process insults hard-working moms,” said top Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom. The campaign then sent out word that Rosen, who has worked for the Democratic National Committee and other Democratic organizations, is now part of the same firm, SKDKnickerbocker, as Anita Dunn, a prominent member of the Obama circle. And then came word that Rosen had visited the White House at least 35 times, according to publicly-available White House visitors logs. And then that Rosen attended last month’s state dinner at the White House.

Sensing an opportunity, the Romney campaign rolled out the big guns and had Ann Romney, who had never sent out a message on Twitter before, send out her first: “I made a choice to stay home and raise five boys. Believe me, it was hard work.” Mrs. Romney quickly had thousands of followers.

Obama machine scrambles:

The story really took off when Obama campaign officials scrambled to distance themselves from Rosen. Obama campaign manager Jim Messina tweeted: “I could not disagree with Hilary Rosen any more strongly. Her comments were wrong and family should be off limits. She should apologize.” Top Obama aide David Axelrod added, “Also disappointed in Hilary Rosen’s comments about Ann Romney. They were inappropriate and offensive.”

Rosen back-tracked but she didn’t back down. Of course not; she’s a messenger – with a dumb message.

York was impressed:

. . . Presented with an opening, Romney’s staff jumped on the controversy with impressive speed, forcing top Obama officials to respond before most people even knew there was a story. The fracas suggests that Team Romney is determined to aggressively — really aggressively — pursue any chance to press an advantage against Obama. If the president’s re-election team thought they were facing a slow-moving, not-up-to-the-task Republican rival, they learned differently Wednesday night.

See tweets here. Follow @AnnDRomney here. By the way, a new hashtag burning up twitter is #waronmoms.

VOTE in related polls posted here.

UPDATE - Since joining Twitter last night, around 10:19 AM PT Ann Romney reached 20,000 followers.

Excellent article from Townhall’s Carol Platt Liebau (hat tip to Hugh Hewitt):

Yes, yes, we know that the President is working hard to consolidate support among female voters — but Obama adviser Hilary Rosen’s remarks about Ann Romney “never work[ing] a day in her life” are cynical, shameful, appalling, divisive and above all . . . ignorant. They constitute the newest iteration of the long-running, ugly and gratuitous left-wing attack on women who have made the very important choice to stay home in order to raise their children themselves.

[article continues below fold]

Rosen has kicked off a political firestorm; click on link below for updates!

Read more…

CBS-Philly:
Santorum’s move to suspend his bid removes the last significant obstacle in Romney’s now all-but-certain march to the Republican presidential nomination.

Rick Santorum to Drop Out of 2012 Race Today

WaPo report: Rick Santorum will announce today that he is suspending his presidential campaign

— Emily Chang (@emilychangtv) April 10, 2012

UPDATE 1:

Santo called Romney today to tell him RT @NBCNews: NBC News confirms: Rick Santorum will suspend his campaign for President. #Decision2012

— Garrett Haake (@GarrettNBCNews) April 10, 2012

UPDATE 2: Live video coverage of Santorum’s announcement. Announcement over. We will post video if we find it.

UPDATE 3: “Romney vs Obama” trending worldwide on Twitter right now.

UPDATE 4: Santorum’s announcement is over. He cites “being behind in the polls” and attending to his daughter’s health for suspending his campaign. He also mentions a campaign that exceeded expectations: won 11 states, and millions of votes, and won more counties than the other candidates. No mention of Romney or the other candidates.

UPDATE 5: Email from Romney Campaign:

I Congratulate Senator Santorum on the Campaign He Ran

Senator Santorum is an able and worthy competitor, and I congratulate him on the campaign he ran. He has proven himself to be an important voice in our party and in the nation. We both recognize that what is most important is putting the failures of the last three years behind us and setting America back on the path to prosperity

UPDATE 6:

Santorum spox Gidley says Romney has asked Santorum for a sitdown to officially ask for his endorsement

— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) April 10, 2012

UPDATE 7: Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich continue their virtually obsolete campaigns.

Statement from Ron Paul spokesman:

Congratulations to Senator Santorum on running such a spirited campaign. Dr. Paul is now the last – and real – conservative alternative to Mitt Romney. We plan to continue running hard, secure delegates, and press the fight for limited, constitutional government in Tampa.

Gingrich statement:

Rick has waged a remarkable campaign. His success is a testament to his tenacity and the power of conservative principles. I am committed to staying in this race all the way to Tampa so that the conservative movement has a real choice. I humbly ask Senator Santorum’s supporters to visit Newt.org to review my conservative record and join us as we bring these values to Tampa. We know well that only a conservative can protect life, defend the Constitution, restore jobs and growth and return to a balanced budget.

UPDATE 8: Rick Scott, Lindsey Graham, Bobby Jindal, Pat Toomey, and Terry Branstad each throw in their endorsements for Mitt Romney.

UPDATE 9: Finally… the video:

Welcome to all the new visitors to our site! We encourage everyone who can to show their support of Gov. Romney with a small donation to the campaign to defeat President Obama.

UPDATE - Mitt Romney issued the following Easter statement:

“As we take time off of the campaign trail to gather with family and friends this Easter weekend, we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and the hope which he brought to all of mankind. We are thankful for our brave men and women in uniform who are serving our country in the armed forces and are away from their families on this special day and we pray for their safe return home. And may the hope and promise which we celebrate at Easter remain with all of us throughout the year.”

“Great to spend some time with the grandkids this week – looking forward to Easter weekend with the family.” ~ Ann Romney (Facebook photo – April 4, 2012)

As Mrs. Romney meets with and speaks to voters across the country, heads are nodding in approval. Women, particularly, are sharing their deepest concerns with her – namely the economy, jobs, deficit spending, and how much it costs to fill their gas tanks.

Knowing a great thing when they see it, the Romney campaign just released a new video ad featuring Ann. A few responses:

Politico – Maggie Haberman

The Romney campaign releases a video of Ann Romney, widely acknowledged as the most humanizing element of her husband’s camapign and the person who his team is relying on to help with women voters, talking about raising her family ahead of the holiday weekend.

Hot Air - Tina Korbe

Whoever had the idea to utilize Ann Romney more on the campaign trail deserves to be richly rewarded. It might be obvious that her sudden visibility is aimed partly to bridge Mitt’s gender gap, but she really does bring their family alive in a way Mitt just hasn’t yet.
[...]
. . . Ann Romney’s wistful remembrances of her sons’ childhood remind me of the inexorability of time. I can think of quite a few moms who would say just what Ann says at the start of the video.

“Even then you knew that these moments would be fleeting, but you didn’t really believe it because you were so in the moment of living with those boys,” she said. “It was pretty chaotic, and a lot of fun, but they were great times.”

Better use today well because tomorrow will be here before we know it!

Townhall - Erika Johnsen

. . . Mrs. Romney has been an asset in humanizing and softening Mitt’s image, helping to present him as a strong, loving father and family man — a quality that, thankfully, many Americans still respect and admire. It feels like Team Romney is finally starting to really realize just how crucial her input is, and they’ve got a new ad out this week emphasizing Mitt’s more nurturing side:

I’m just going to say it: the more I see of Ann Romney, the more I like her. She seems kind, steady, and highly capable, and I’d be A-okay seeing her as First Lady in the White House. Michelle Obama has been a fairly popular FLOTUS and a valuable player in her own husband’s campaign, but I think Ann Romney seems more than up to the challenge.

I love this video – Ann’s narration, retro feel of the Super 8 footage, and seeing the Romney boys when they were little guys:

Read more…

UPDATE:

On my way home from work tonight I heard the following exchange between Hannity and Ann Coulter, with Ms. Coulter arguing in part what I state below: judicial activism is not a court finding a law unconstitutional, but finding new rights or failing to enforce existing constitutional rights. Often she’s a bit extreme to be taken completely at face value, but I think she’s right to point out the judicial activism that concerns the right is not what apparently concerns the left:

ORIGINAL POST:

If you thought the open mic comment to new Russian President Medvedev was pretty bad, President Obama has created some competition for himself in the gaffe department. Or was it another window to his soul?

You may have heard that Monday President Obama appeared to warn the Supreme Court regarding its pending decision on Obamacare. His comments were as follows:

I’m confident that the Supreme Court will not take what would be an unprecedented, extraordinary step of overturning a law that was passed by a strong majority of a democratically elected Congress. And I’d just remind conservative commentators that for years what we’ve heard is, the biggest problem on the bench was judicial activism or a lack of judicial restraint — that an unelected group of people would somehow overturn a duly constituted and passed law. Well, this is a good example. And I’m pretty confident that this Court will recognize that and not take that step.

Yahoo called the remark a “challenge” to the Court. Others weren’t so kind. Among other problems with the President’s statement, you may recall that whether Obamacare was passed by a “strong majority” can be called into question. It was a purely party-line vote. But I digress.

I’m willing to assume President Obama, as a constitutional scholar, understands the concept of judicial review, and that courts overturning unconstitutional laws is not “unprecedented.” As a liberal, he may even be among the first to re-affirm that Marbury v. Madison is still good law. But the tone and chosen wording of the President’s comments caused the White House to have to defend itself from some of those “unkind” remarks yesterday. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney (the guy distributing the Obama Kool-Aid) tried to make the case the President was “clearly” referring only to commerce clause cases, and with respect to those only those of the past 80 years. Neither qualification, of course, was actually included in the President’s initial comments. When pushed as to whether the president was clarifying his remarks, Carney said “Only because a handful of people didn’t understand what he was referring to.”

Here’s a link to the video should you care to watch. Today he added that the President had been speaking in “short-hand.” I hope that flexibility is accorded both sides in campaign season. We’ll see.

The president’s statement caused Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post to write:

Obama’s assault on “an unelected group of people” stopped me cold. Because, as the former constitutional law professor certainly understands, it is the essence of our governmental system to vest in the court the ultimate power to decide the meaning of the constitution. Even if, as the president said, it means overturning “a duly constituted and passed law.”

And she makes clear she’s on his side otherwise. Read more…

They meet once a year in Washington D.C and attract lots of attention…

This year was no exception. The American Society of News Editors (ASNE) was privy to speeches from the two political figures the nation is focused on – President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney.

There was one exception, however. Yesterday, ahead of GOP primary election returns, Obama took an unusual turn in his speech… Previously rarely mentioning Mitt Romney by name, the President chose to deliver a stinging attack against Republicans and particularly, Mitt Romney.

Obama slammed The Gov for supporting Congressman Paul Ryan’s budget plan (which passed in the House last week) and the measures proposed therein to save Medicare and rein in spending. Obama claimed Romney and Ryan would see that mothers and young children wouldn’t get healthy food, college students would lose financial aid, the Dept. of Justice and FBI would be weakened, in certain parts of the country air traffic controllers would vanish, even weather forecasters would be harmed – that Governors would be tardy issuing hurricane warnings, and so on.

After his doomsday diatribe, Obama intoned, “This is not conjecture. I am not exaggerating. These are facts. And these are just the cuts that would happen the year after next.”

“One of my potential opponents, Governor Romney, has said that he hoped a similar version of this plan from last year would be introduced as a bill on day one of his presidency.”

“He said he’d be very supportive of this new budget and he even called it ‘marvelous’, which is a word you don’t often hear when it comes to describing a budget.” (Laughter.) “It’s a word you don’t often hear generally.” (Laughter.)

Obama further elaborated – calling the Romney/Ryan goal to stop wasteful spending a “Trojan horse – thinly-veiled social Darwinism.”

Obama’s speech reeked with the usual leftist M.O. – class warfare, scaring Americans, exaggerations, mischaracterizations, untruths, and dividing the electorate to score political points.

Obama has now clearly targeted Mitt Romney, the Ryan budget, Republicans, and our opportunity society.

The general election has begun.

Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan check out latest results in Wisconsin. April 3, 2012
(Photo/Zac Moffat - click on image to enlarge)

Today, it was Governor Mitt Romney’s turn at the ASNE lectern. Fresh after long days of campaigning in Wisconsin with Congressman Ryan (and victories last night in said state, Maryland, and D.C.) he delivered a riveting, powerhouse speech – highlighting Obama’s “Hide and Seek” campaign. It was characterized by a CNN politico as a very sobering, somber speech.

In the course of Governor Romney’s campaign-defining remarks, he underscored Obama’s lack of CANDOR with the American people, especially in light of Obama’s live mic incident with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev:

… “[I]nstead of answering those vital questions, President Obama came here yesterday and railed against arguments no one is making – and criticized policies no one is proposing. It’s one of his favorite strategies – setting up straw men to distract from his record.

And while I understand why the President doesn’t want to run on his record, he can’t run from his record either.
. . .
On what other issues will he state his true position only after the election is over?”

Here’s the transcript of Romney’s ASNE speech (you won’t want to skip over this):

Over the last ten months, I’ve come to know a good deal about some of the journalists who write for your newspapers.

We’ve aired our dirty laundry together – sometimes literally as well as figuratively. We’ve bathed hour upon hour in the fine diesel aroma of a campaign bus. And we’ve shared more birthdays and holidays with each other than with our families.

One of the reporters covering our campaign is Maeve Reston of the Los Angeles Times. For Maeve’s birthday, I got her a cake and sang her a birthday song. For my birthday, she was kind enough to remind me that I’m now old enough to qualify for Medicare.

In just the few years since my last campaign, the changes in your industry are striking. Then, I looked to Drudge or FOX or CNN online to see what stories were developing. Hours after a speech, it was being dissected on the Internet. Now, it’s Twitter, and instantaneous reaction. In 2008, the coverage was about what I said in my speech. These days, it’s about what brand of jeans I am wearing and what I ate for lunch.

Most people in my position are convinced that you are biased against us. We identify with LBJ’s famous quip that if he were to walk on water, your headline would read: “President Can’t Swim.”

Some people thus welcome the tumult in your industry, heralding the new voices and the unfiltered or supposedly unbiased sources. Frankly, in some of the new media, I find myself missing the presence of editors to exercise quality control. I miss the days of two or more sources for a story – when at least one source was actually named.

How your industry will change, I cannot predict. I subscribe to Yogi Berra’s dictum: “Forecasting is very difficult, especially when it involves the future.”

But I do know this: You will continue to find ways to provide the American people with reliable information that is vital to our lives and to our nation. And I am confident that the press will remain free. But further, I salute this organization and your various institutions in your effort to make it not only free, but also responsible, accurate, relevant, and integral to the functioning of our democracy.

Given the number and scale of our nation’s current challenges, the November election will have particular consequence. It will be a defining event. President Obama and I have very different visions for America, both of what it means to be an American today and what it will mean in the future.

Read more…

Governor Mitt Romney and Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) take a break from campaigning to grab a bite to eat at Culver's restaurant in Johnson Creek, Wisconsin. 4/1/12
(Photo/Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The Romney/Ryan team continued yesterday taking their timely message to Wisconsinites. They were invited to hold a town hall meeting at Moore Oil Company in Milwaukee. Here’s video of The Gov and Congressman Ryan:

Later in the day, at the same venue, Romney and Ryan were interviewed by FOX News’ Greta Van Susteren:

We’re at a halfway point…

Today’s elections in Wisconsin, Maryland, and D.C. mark the halfway point in the race for delegates. Yesterday, Governor Romney picked up three more delegates… Coincidentally, he’s now halfway to clinching the GOP nomination:

The former Massachusetts governor inched up to 572 delegates on Monday _ exactly half the 1,144 needed _ after the Tennessee Republican Party finalized delegate totals from its March 6 primary. Results in several congressional districts were too close to call on election night, leaving three delegates unallocated.

Romney got all three delegates. He also picked up an endorsement from a New Hampshire delegate who had been awarded to former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman. Huntsman dropped out of the race in January and endorsed Romney.
[...]
According to the Associated Press tally, Romney has more than twice as many delegates as Santorum. Santorum has 272 delegates, followed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich with 135 and Texas Rep. Ron Paul with 51.

Romney has won 54 percent of the primary and caucus delegates so far, putting him on pace to clinch the nomination in June. Romney could substantially add to his lead Tuesday, when 95 delegates will be at stake in three primaries, in Wisconsin, Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Current reality:

Santorum, who has won 27 percent of the primary and caucus delegates so far, would need 74 percent of the remaining delegates to clinch the nomination before the national convention. Gingrich would need 86 percent and Paul would have to win nearly all of them, which won’t happen because most states award delegates proportionally.

Anyone but Romney? Martin Sieff (FOX News Opinion) wrote yesterday that he is “sick of Santorum”:

Read more…