Michael Steele Schools Joan Walsh on Romney-Rosen Dustup: Stay-at-Home Moms Aren't All Rich
In the wake of the Ann Romney-Hilary Rosen stay-at-home mom dustup, Salon's Joan Walsh on Thursday predictably made the totally false claim "being able to stay home with your children [is] a choice for the wealthy only."
Fortunately, former RNC chairman Michael Steele was also on MSNBC's Hardball to set the record straight saying, "This isn’t about just rich women. There are a lot of middle class women out there who stay at home with their kids too" (video follows with transcribed highlights and commentary):
In the opening segment of Hardball, which predictably dealt with the Romney-Rosen dustup, Walsh said, “The very real issue is that life is tougher for women who have to work, that being able to stay home with your children right now is an issue, it's a choice for the wealthy only.”
“And we need to be discussing the issues of poor women, of working class women, of middle class women, and getting our panties in a twist over the issues of very wealthy women when the woman in question, Hilary Rosen, has apologized. This is a bad day.”
Minutes later when he had the chance to respond, Steele said, “This isn’t about just rich women. There are a lot of middle class women out there who stay at home with their kids too. They teach their kids, they raise their kids. So it’s not just the wealthy, and that’s part of that class warfare conversation that I think just distracts and distorts the overall effort to do what we need to do to help all people, not just one group.”
Who’s right?
Well, to begin with, Fox News reported today there are currently five million stay-at-home moms in America.
Obviously, they are not all rich.
Far from it as the Washington Post reported in October 2009 (with emphasis): "census statistics released Thursday show that stay-at-home mothers tend to be younger and less educated, with lower family incomes. They are more likely than other mothers to be Hispanic or foreign-born."
Maybe liberal media members like Walsh desperately looking to make stay-at-home moms a wealthy minority in this country ought to actually read some studies on the subject before going on television to misinform the public.
Or would that be too much like journalism?
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Comments
Joanie prefers to be uninformed;
Submitted by KyWriter on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 6:43pm.
it's so much more difficult to toe the Obama line when facts get in the way.
Steele is right, but
Submitted by Tidy Bowl Man on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 6:46pm.
I have NO respect for this guy. He got to have more callus's on his behind from riding fences for so long.
Definitely not a surprise
Submitted by lesterwink23 on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 7:00pm.
Definitely not a surprise that Mrs. uber-lib Walsh made such a ridiculous statement. My mother was a stay-at-home mom until me and both of my brothers were old enough to attend school, at which point she finished her degree and became a registered nurse. And believe me, we made her earn every second she had away from looking over three pairs of shoulders all those years. Mrs. Walsh's statements are indicative of the disdain the left has for women like Ann Romney who don't tow the feminazi line...
She fails to consider the women who...
Submitted by wyogator on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 7:36pm.
...stay home at great financial sacrifice because they've decided being a stay at home mom is more important than having two cars, or a larger house, or any variety of things.
It is not just a choice for the wealthy, but a choice for those who consider it more important than a particular lifestyle.
I speak from experience. When we had our first child, my wife and I decided together that we both wanted her to quit her job and stay at home and devote full time to our child and home. We had to make what some would consider to be great changes in our lifestyle. We sold our second car, disconnected cable and did without a lot of things than many consider essentials today.
www.africaourownhome.org
Yep, that's where my wife and
Submitted by mang on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 11:29pm.
Yep, that's where my wife and I are right now. 5 years ago, she was downsized from her job, but luckily we were planning on her staying at home anyway, so we were paying our bills with just my income shortly before that to "practice". She could have filed for unemployment, but we didn't. We could have dreamed up some depression/anxiety issue to get her on social security disability like so many lowlifes in this country do. My income has taken a big hit in the last few years and it has been paycheck to paycheck, so we're definitely not rich. No cable, cheap pay-go cell phones, no car payments for the last 6 years (with an 11 and 12 year old car....God-forbid one of them drops a transmission or something). It sucks financially, but it will pay dividends knowing that our kids will be self-sufficient and not leeches.
This is just another liberal trying to label and attach the "cross-hairs" for her minions to open fire on.
Lets Turn the Tables
Submitted by Bull Moose Prog... on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 7:41pm.
It is obviously just the racist democrats dog-whistling their hatred of Hispanics, Women and Children.
Government policies aside, Steele was right...
Submitted by ProudAmerican58 on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 7:42pm.
this is just more of the same lame class-warfare crap the left has been peddling since...forever! Unlike Joan and Hilary, I don't believe "poor" or "middle-class" equals being stupid or helpless. Even the less affluent, women AND men, are perfectly capable of making and being responsible for their own choices in life.
Hannity had a liberal guest
Submitted by Reaver on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 7:59pm.
Hannity had a liberal guest on his show today to discuss the Rosen comments and she said nearly the same thing “I wish I had a rich husband so I could quit my job and stay home” Hannity not only pointed out that not all stay at home moms are rich but also pointed out that her attitude was typical of the liberal arrogance and condescension on this issue.
~I would venture to guess that *most* SAHM's aren't rich
Submitted by Wrathful Brunette on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 8:06pm.
I know I'm not.
Except in intellect, humor, common sense, & ---
Submitted by matthewdean on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 8:18pm.
feistiness, i.e., the important things. :o)
MD
~Also in, fertility
Submitted by Wrathful Brunette on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 8:50pm.
Wet baby kisses, peanut butter, myriad mysterious stains of unknown origin, the pitter patter of little feet and the prattle of little tongues, humorous anecdotes, precious memories, little blonde curls, big blue eyes, velvet dimples........and a chorus of weeping when the family cat is spotted going for a stroll in the storm drain. (Happened this morning, Joy was restored when Mommy lifted the grate and kitty returned from the subterranean depths. That one wasn't in the job description....)
Good evening Bru
Submitted by cocodrie on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 9:00pm.
Chantilly lace and a purty face
a pony tail a hangin down
a wiggle in her walk
a giggle in her talk
You know the rest.
That's what started it all for me and I'm willing to bet the farm that's what snagged your hubby.
Jesus Loves You so much He died for you
~Makes the world go round, round, round....
Submitted by Wrathful Brunette on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 10:09am.
You got me lost on YT last night, wandering around singing along to the music I grew up listening to on the local oldies station. It got turned into a hip-hop station overnight, about 12 years ago. *sigh*
Said
Submitted by bobsmom on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 8:18pm.
on another thread, how do they justify the SAHM's on welfare? I would posit they stay at home for different reasons the conservative Mom's do. My Mom worked when we were tiny (and I'm talking 55+ years ago). However, during our "formative" years, she did stay home. And she needed to, my older brother developed polio @ 2 years of age, so there was no choice. However, when I graduated from high school in 1972 (eek), she went back to school, and retired years later as a Special Education Teacher. I wish some of these "liberated" women, had half the ba!!s my Mom did. God rest her soul, we lost her 6 years ago last Friday.
Well, God Bless her Soul
Submitted by ProudAmerican58 on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 8:28pm.
She obviously raised strong and decent human beings.
Well, God Bless her Soul
Submitted by ProudAmerican58 on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 8:30pm.
She obviously raised strong and decent human beings.
I clicked thru to post that
Submitted by Immortal Fish on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 12:37pm.
I clicked thru to post that very same thing! Agreed. These dummies don't even realize that they are smashing a huge portion of their own base.
It's up to folks like us to underscore this information to as many folks on the other side as we can.
I was fortunate
Submitted by NOLAgirl on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 8:26pm.
To be a SAHM before my divorce. We weren't poor but we didn't live some fancy lifestyle either. All of my fellow SAHM's were there by choice, too and they lived according to that choice. We all made sacrifices where we had to. I HATE that my kids now have to go to daycare but we do what we have to with what we have.
These liberal women are idiots and they know damn well not all women who get to stay at home are rich.
In Barack Obama's utopia........
Submitted by GregE on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 9:18pm.
.........we are all "Stay-at-Home Everyones"
It's an economic issue... uh
Submitted by hbnolikeee on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 9:22pm.
wait a minute (that means its Duh Bumbler). I mean its George Bush, i mean its anybody buh me.
War on Women
Submitted by Mike Dean on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 9:29pm.
So Joan thinks the only way a woman can be wealthy is if she marries in to the money. I think we need to expose her sexism.
I saw Joan.........
Submitted by GregE on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 9:37pm.
........as she said that this was such a non-issue and ridiculous that it's a story.
Yea, Joan, you're actually correct, but this is the kind of crap out of which you Leftist create stories and issues that otherwise don't exist, so you've caused it. So you don't like it when it's against you, eh? Didn't think you would.
Joan, you ignorant slut.
Submitted by HockeyKid on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 11:21pm.
(since the left likes SNL so much)
Only rich women stay at home with the kids, eh, Joan? Tell that to my wife, who chose to give up her career (BA, MBA) to stay at home after our daughter was born. We made it on my salary instead of two, mostly by staying in our "5-year starter house" for 17 years making do wherever we could.
We're not poor by any stretch, but we're certainly not "the wealthy".
And when I was a kid, my family wasn't nearly wealthy. We very seldom ate out, never bought name brand ANYTHING, grew a lot of our own food, and Mom even made some of our clothes (and repaired the rest until they couldn't be repaired or got outgrown). We never had a new car, either. Mom stayed home until we were old enough to be in school most of the day, and then she worked part-time so she could be home when we were. After we got to high school, she went to work full time to help the household budget.
THAT's how real moms work, MIZZ Walsh. At all income levels. You lefties make me puke.
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
I JUST WENT BACK FULL TIME
Submitted by stunned on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 11:55pm.
I was a stay at home mom for 16 years with four kids. I didn't work, then worked part time a night, then part time seasonally when the kids were in school, then temporary work in my field as I built up my resume and finally am now am I back in the workforce. Stay at home, struggle to make ends meet, days with no contact with another adult and small children throwing temper tantrums is NOT work Ha. I got a job that lets me get home by 5pm each day and turned down a position where it was implied LEAVING at 5pm was not part of their workplace culture.
LOL These cows never sacraficed 5 mins of luxury for their kids. I have known those families in my neighborhood where mom had a career when my older kids were babies and who are now in high and middle school with those kids and they are NOT doing well, their parents' divorces didn't help. Fancy cars, nice vacations and lots of toys have not led to happy families where both parents work and the kids are young around here. Heck with the cost of child care most couples admit that the money was for the extras and most moms I know who went back even after trying to stay home full time admit they couldn't handle that "job" so they went back to their career.
tired of liberal lies
Media can't protect Democrats from their medieval attitudes
Submitted by Slyrr on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 12:10am.
The Dems just keep digging the hole deeper, trying to defend the indefensible. The more they try to justify their medieval opinion of women who raise their children instead of farming them out to nannies, the more backward and crass they look.
Of course, they've ALWAYS been crass and backwards. It's just that they've let their facade slip recently, thinking their media propaganda machine makes them invincible.
So help me, if I hear one more time how "lucky" I am...
Submitted by TeachertT on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 2:20am.
to be a SAHM, I am going to puke!. Luck wasn't part of it. It started when I was a teenager and decided I wasn't going to sleep around. Then, I went to college and earned my teaching degree. The next choice I made was getting some life experience and work experience. I didn't marry till I was 28. I didn't marry some low life druggie or alcoholic. So I didn't find my husband at a bar or wild party. I looked for someone who had the same values as I did and had income potential. Sounds a bit cold but I love my husband a whole bunch and can't imagine my life without him.
Steppin' in it again...
Submitted by Jimi Streets on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 2:40am.
In less than one minute Walsh attempted to pile onto what Rosen had said about the Romneys being out of touch by saying only the wealthy can afford Moms to stay-at-home to raise kids, so therefore Rosen was correct.
Then, exhibiting the intellectual density that is so common among liberals, Walsh failed to see the irony that she actually proved HERSELF to be out-of-touch by spouting erroneous statements that showed she didn't know what she was talking about.
Not to mention neglecting those of us families that sacrificed A LOT by having our wives stay home while husbands work. Who does Walsh think is doing the teaching for all those home-schooled students?
Oh yeah. Walsh also forgot about a HUGE block of the lib base that consists of lower income stay-at-home Moms ON GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE.
Liberal guidelines for life
Submitted by DontFeedTheTrolls on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 7:44am.
Look folks, the only way to live is to have, first, one or two abortions.
Then when you finally do have a kid(s), put it immediately in government run/approved daycare, then into government run/approved school, while Mom and Dad both work and soon find new lovers (best choice is same sex) in anticipation of their first divorce.
misdirection
Submitted by kinijane on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 9:11am.
All this talk about women, (stay at home moms, birth control) is all misdirection to take focus
off the economy and Obama's failed policies. I sure hope the American Public is smarter than
that, but the dem's don't think so.
That would be
Submitted by nolefan2 on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 9:56am.
Tamara Holder. I got so incensed listening to her that I changed the radio station until she was gone. Rich husband indeed. Yep, every stay-at-home mom that I know has a rich husband.....NOT!
Moms
Submitted by Jersey Girl on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 10:10am.
Who knew that all the home-schooling moms were rich elitists.
"They are more likely than
Submitted by Immortal Fish on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 1:13pm.
"They are more likely than other mothers to be Hispanic or foreign-born."
Are they Hispanic or white Hispanic?
You gotta love it!
Submitted by Cappmann1962 on Fri, 04/13/2012 - 2:39pm.
"...we're dragged into a phony debate..."
"...Romney's ridiculous strategy..."
"...pretend Obama was the one with the war on women..."
Sounds kinda like a liberal game plan, doesn't it? Like the original "war on women", or the contaceptive "debate".
How's it feel when conservatives play by YOUR rules BIATCH???