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Romney: Welfare Moms Need 'Dignity of Work'

Pundits see holes in attacks on Hilary Rosen

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Apr 16, 2012 10:17 AM CDT

(Newser) – New twists in the saga on working moms: The Romney campaign has hammered Democrats over Hilary Rosen's comment that stay-at-home mom Ann Romney had never worked—a comment Ann Romney called an "early birthday gift." But MSNBC unearths video of Mitt Romney himself arguing that parents on welfare "need to go to work." As governor of Massachusetts, "I said that even if you have a child two years of age, you need to go to work," Romney told a campaign crowd in the tape from earlier this year.

Romney—who calls on welfare recipients to experience the "dignity of work"—is talking about moms, writes Ezra Klein at the Washington Post. In Romney's view, then, parenting "does not give poor mothers 'the dignity of work.'" Adds Matthew Yglesias at Slate: "The phrase 'the dignity of work' is extremely condescending and ignores precisely the point the Romney camp was trying to make about Ann Romney—unpaid household work is still work and it's still hard." On top of all that, in 1994, Romney pointed out that the world had changed since the 1960s: "Now mom and dad both have to work," Buzzfeed notes.

Mitt Romney waves after speaking at the National Rifle Association convention in St. Louis, Friday, April 13, 2012.
Mitt Romney waves after speaking at the National Rifle Association convention in St. Louis, Friday, April 13, 2012.   (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
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Romney discusses the 'dignity of work.'   (MSNBC)

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 72 comments
antiwelfare
May 17, 2012 9:00 AM CDT
We need to stop rewarding people for having children if they can't afford them. Supporting people who are unable to work, elderly , and those who have had jobs for years and lost them is a different question and should be handled differently. They deserve help.  They system says as soon as you are pregnant you can get medicaid and even have your own insurance with a company you work for.  If you cannot afford to insurance policies you shouldn't be handed one. You are given WIC. If you cannot afford to eat healthy, why did you get pregnant. You are the most selfish person getting yourself pregnant when you cannot afford to feed, house, and clothe your kid. I have heard moms say they get too much babyfood. That is a waste of taxpayers money. If you don't have money and are on welfare, you cannot just sit at home and say OH I am a procreater I am Special!!!! You go out and earn every dime to support you and your child and keep your mouth shut. The politicians are coming up with this stuff for votes. Romney is saying  he would help people with yet another expenditure of affordable childcare. Of course we cannot afford anymore expenditures but the comment is in the right spot. I would rather pay for welfare daycare  and provide that  and do away with most of medicaid and food stamps. I resent having to pay higher rates at hospitals  while someone gets free baby delivery. I had to find the money for my bill so should everyone else. And that is with insurance. Its not a matter of being a mother is not work, its a matter of getting your posterior out there and supporting the child you bore.
JackNelsonSteward
Apr 17, 2012 12:18 PM CDT
But ... but, Mitt ... Either "stay at home mom" IS work ... like when your wife does it ... or it isn't  .... like when moms on welfare to it? Who do YOU think is "working," Mitt ... the wife of a mulitmillionaire hubby ... y'know, coupla Caddy's ... three, four houses ... OR ... the wife of the guy who was laid off and is working and STILL needs "welfare" to try and keep their home and feed the family?
Antone123
Apr 17, 2012 7:22 AM CDT
If you are poor and on welfare and have kids, get your ass to work.  If your rich  and in the same boat, use your Republican Value Meter and choose to be a stay at home mom, and call your self a good  American holding up good old American family values.   What a crock.
 

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