WHAT'S NEXT, THE WAR ON APPLE PIE? Updated

As a stay at home mom, I have occasionally noticed a certain level of patronization and derision aimed my way by the more left-leaning, feminist career women sector.  There seems to be a perception that stay at home moms are rich women who are not pulling their weight in society and have taken the easy way out or, even sillier, that those women are victims of male hegemony who have been brainwashed and, poor creatures, simply don't know any better.  The reality is far different, but more on that in a minute.

Wednesday night Hilary Rosen, democrat strategist extraordinaire, came out with this little doozy:



The White House is scrambling to get some distance from her comments, not even waiting until morning to chastise her.  The bus she went under was chock full of top administration officials, including the President and First Lady personally.  Good for them. 

Ann Romney has said that her chosen career was being a mother. I couldn't agree more. For women like us, raising our children is the most important job we can have. For me, being the subject of my daughter's essay on role models is better than any bonus. Seeing my children using the life lessons I have tried to instill in them to raise themselves up and strive for more is better than any promotion. And contrary to Ms. Rosen's bungled talking points, staying home isn't a 'luxury' for most women, it just makes sense. I take nothing from working moms - I was raised by two and used to be one myself. I have enormous respect for women who pursue a career and manage to juggle it all. But because our priorities are different from Ms. Rosen's doesn't make them any less legitimate


It's pretty obvious that what Rosen was trying to do was go after Romney for being rich.  Thus the "never worked a day in her life" quip. The implication is that Romney spent her days eating bonbons and lounging around in a peignoir admiring her diamonds while her staff did all the work.  Too bad democrat strategist extraordinaire Rosen screwed it up so spectacularly.  Ultimately, she feels Romney shouldn't advise her husband because as a rich woman, she didn't have to deal with the financial  struggles many women are dealing with today while raising her children and thus can't really identify with the 'common people'.  Which, ironically, could have been a legit class warfare argument (if you go for that sort of thing), if only it hadn't been delivered by ol' Hamhands Rosen.

Non plussed by the negative blowback, Rosen doubled down:




Wow.  Talk about respectful and sincere!  Mind boggling, isn't it?  There were several more "clarifications" in the same vein.  Again, she is stretching to make the 'Mrs. Moneybags' argument and fails spectacularly. She apparently didn't realize that her statement sounds a lot more like sour grapes than reaching out a hand of reconciliation.  She has since offered a more traditional apology - via public statement.  I guess there's no phone call for Ann, either.

The really interesting part of all of this is that this wasn't just a case of momentary foot-in-mouthitis.  This might well have been a trial balloon for a line of attack against the likable Mrs. Romney.  We all know how necessary it is for Team Obama to shut down any threats quickly and thoroughly.  Rosen's clumsy, tone deaf attempt at marginalizing Ann has been an unqualified disaster, without a doubt.  But was it a fluke, or was it part of a greater plan?

With that thought in mind, I'd like to show you a little snippet of a speech President Obama made last week at the White House Forum on Women and the Economy that slipped under the radar (emphasis mine):

And once Michelle and I had our girls, she gave it her all to balance raising a family and pursuing a career. And something that, could be very difficult on her, because I was gone a lot. Once I was in the state legislature, I was teaching, I was practicing law, I’d be traveling. And we didn’t have the luxury for her not to work. And I know when she was with the girls she’d feel guilty that she wasn’t giving enough time to her work, and when she was at work, she was feeling guilty she wasn’t giving enough time for the girls. And like many of you, we both wish there were machines that could let us be in two places at once.”

You decide.  The setup for a line of attack against wealthy Ann Romney as an out of touch slacker lolling in the lap of luxury in contrast to hard working, guilt riddled working mom Michelle, or a simple attempt to appeal to middle class working women?  Remember, it's not just about "getting a fair shot" it's also about doing your fair share.  It's pretty safe to say that if this was a trial balloon, they probably won't follow up on it after the swift and damning reaction Rosen got, although they'll probably try coming at it from a different direction (do I see a Gloria Allred presser with a disgruntled nanny in our future?).  They really can't drop it.  "Hey, she's rich!" is about all they've got.

What I would really like to know is, who better than a stay at home mother would know about the economic impact of legislation and the economy on the family budget?  Sure, Ann Romney had more in the kitty than many stay at homes, but I fail to see how that disqualifies her from the discussion.

One more thing: I love to find the silver linings in things, and I've found one in this: Ms. Rosen's day job happens to be democrat strategist with access to the top echelons of the Obama administration.  Why is this a good thing, you ask?  Well, if this is the caliber of strategist they have working for them, this election is a shoo-in. 

For Romney.

UPDATE:  Before I start the update, I have a little question I'd like to pose:  If making a paycheck is as important as it seems to be to legitimizing who can have a say and who can't, why is volunteerism so revered on the left?
It seems Bill Maher might be having some money troubles, because he seems bound and determined to shame the Obama SuperPac into returning his million dollar donation. 
Left-wing pundits tried to move on quickly from the whole thing, calling it a non-issue and a waste of time.
As I predicted, they keep (clumsily) trying the "Hey, she's rich" line of attack, but could someone explain to me how Princeton and Harvard educated, multi-millionaire Michelle Obama is a legit voice for financially strapped women but Ann Romney isn't?   Officially, Mrs. Obama went back to work to pay off school loans, but what fails to get mentioned is her million-dollar house and expensive private schools for the kids  - luxuries many stay at home moms either scarifice or never have a chance to achieve.  At worst, they're both out of touch, but that doesn't mean they can't advise their husbands.  Besides, I'm pretty sure that no matter how dead-on Ann Romney's advice might be, neither Hilary Rosen nor the president of NOW would ever support either her or her husband.
And in conclusion, here is some food for thought on the deeper reason for why the left disdains stay at home moms. 

Read more...

WHAT'S NEXT, THE WAR ON APPLE PIE? Updated

A LITTLE RETURN FIRE

The so-called Republican War on Women™ that the press and various liberals have been ginning up was starting to die down a bit (although Sen. Chuck Schumer is determined to milk every drop out of it first).  Expect it to heat up again, though - provided the neo-pravda media decide to run this latest wrinkle.

Bristol Palin is now stepping up to the plate with an open letter to President Obama on the issue.  And boy, does she knock it out of the park:

"If Maher talked about Malia and Sasha that way, you’d return his dirty money and the Secret Service would probably have to restrain you. After all, I’ve always felt you understood my plight more than most because your mom was a teenager. That’s why you stood up for me when you were campaigning against Sen. McCain and my mom — you said vicious attacks on me should be off limits.

Yet I wonder if the Presidency has changed you. Now that you’re in office, it seems you’re only willing to defend certain women. You’re only willing to take a moral stand when you know your liberal supporters will stand behind you.

But…

What if you did something radical and wildly unpopular with your base and took a stand against the denigration of all women… even if they’re just single moms? Even if they’re Republicans?

I’m not expecting your SuperPAC to return the money. You’re going to need every dime to hang on to your presidency. I’m not even really expecting a call. But would it be too much to expect a little consistency? After all, you’re President of all Americans, not just the liberals."

Over to you, Mr, President!
PS - it seems to be getting a lot of attention, because in the time it took me to read her blog and post my own about it, her site has shut down.  Be sure to check back and read the whole thing!

Read more...

A LITTLE RETURN FIRE

NOW IT'S TIME FOR SOME HISTORY

"Comedian" (I use the term loosely) Bill Mahr, in what one would assume was intended to be a comedic monologue, called Sarah Palin a very naughty name.   Not only was the "joke" not funny, it was crass, juvenile and really showcased his latent misogyny beautifully.  It is a small, petty man with a little, narrow, nearly neanderthalic mind who stoops to such depths.  This is what you resort to, Mr, Mahr?  Are you so apoplectic in your rage and revulsion of all things Palin that it leaves you with only curses in your vocabulary?  Speaking as a mother, you need a time out and a big hug.  And maybe a few years of intensive therapy.

NOW has finally, finally stepped up and called him out on his base misogyny.  They also call him out for hiding behind 'compassionate' progressivism to shield them from criticism.

But NOW doesn't stop there.  They then lambaste the right ("we are on to you right-wingers") for wasting their time calling out the incivility.  Because they've been so quick to speak out for conservative women in the past, right?  Their animus against all things conservative reverberates throughout the release, as did their comment yesterday in response to Fox News inquiries:

The National Organization for Women (NOW) refused to comment on Maher’s use of the derogatory term. A rep told FOXNews.com it is a “known fact” that NOW does not correspond with FOX News.

Wow, that's a bit...petty and cranky of them.  Wouldn't want them to sully themselves dealing with Fox, now would we?  For people who are all about talking with adversaries and messaging, they sure are clueless about getting their side of the story to the opposition (read:Fox) viewing audience.

Anyhoo.  NOW communications director Lisa Bennet writes:

“Did you speak up once on behalf of a woman politician before you learned the name Sarah Palin? Did you work toward equality for women in any way prior to August 2008?” wrote Bennett. “It would be nice to think that you’ve suddenly discovered sexism and are interested in joining us in the struggle for full equality. But this really smacks of the worst kind of hypocrisy: Folks with no history of working on an issue trying to discredit those who have been working for decades on the issue. Ridiculous.”

Uh, Ms. Bennet, perhaps you've heard of a little thing called Women's Suffrage?  Yeah, well, according to none other than Susan B. Anthony,

“I voted for the Republicans. They gave us the vote”

Not convinced?  How about this:

Republicans led the fight for women’s voting rights — and the Democrats, as a party, opposed civil rights for women. All of the leading suffragists — including Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton — were Republicans. In fact, Susan B. Anthony bragged, after leaving the voting booth, that she had voted for “the Republican ticket — straight.”

The suffragists included two African-American Republican women who were also co-founders of the NAACP: Ida Wells and Mary Terrell, great leaders of our party, both of them.
 

Maybe it's time to set aside the rhetoric and lame, erroneous portrayal of eeevil republicans and brush up on your history, Ms. Bennet.

Ridiculous, indeed. 

Shrill, too.

Read more...

NOW IT'S TIME FOR SOME HISTORY

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Happy Mother's Day, fellow Mommy Patriots!

I hope that your Mother's Day is blessed with lots of love and those wonderful little goodies made with our favorite little hands - those are the best kinds of presents. 

For me, the path to motherhood was a difficult one.  At the age of 22, I was diagnosed with endometriosis, and was told that I would never be able to have children.  So I got a second opinion.  And a third.  And a fourth.  And even a fifth.  All the same prognosis. 

But I refused to take no for an answer. 

I endured operations, procedures, and experimental therapies.  My husband endured me going through massive amounts of fertility drugs, bless his loving, infinitely patient heart.  I left a path of destruction during the hormonal highs of those drugs  and cried a river of tears with each unsuccessful cycle and heartbreaking miscarriage.

But finally, finally, we gave it up.  We had taken all that we could take, and resigned ourselves to the fact that children were not in our future.  It was an agonizing reality.  And so I thanked God for the blessing of my beloved husband and let my dreams of motherhood go.  We had each other, and that was blessing enough.

It was a heartbreaking decision to stop trying, but after four years of a hormonal rollercoaster that had left me depleted both physically and mentally and my husband yearning for the calm, rational woman he had married, it was time to move on.

And so we stopped the injections and the rounds of doctors and rejoined the world. 

Six months later I was driving home from work, and I was upset because one of my co-workers had "accidentally" found herself pregnant.  I cried on the way home, because of my jealousy and frustration over women who so easily found themselves in a situation that I just could not attain.  The pain was still so raw that it was hard to breathe when I heard the news.  But I kept it together and congratulated her with a happy smile - until the ride home, when it hit me like a sledgehammer and the tears came.

Why couldn't that be me?  Why couldn't I be one of those girls who suddenly realized she was...oops... three months late?  But then I took a deep breath, counted my blessings, and dried my eyes.   What would feeling sorry for myself do?  We'd done all we could do; it was in God's hands now.

That night I came down with a stomach bug.  A few days later, still suffering, I had an epiphany.

I suddenly realized that I was...oops...three weeks late!

I could barely breathe. Could my stomach bug possibly be something more?  I still had some EPT's under the sink and so I took a test.  And another.  And then I cried.  With tears streaming down my face, I walked into the livingroom and handed my man one of the tests.  He looked at it, looked at me, and told me to go to the doctor and have him do a test.

The next day, I went to the doctor.  I came home in tears, and my long-suffering husband wrapped me in his arms and kissed me tenderly, bracing himself for more bad news.

"We're pregnant," I whispered, clinging on to him for dear life.

"What?" he sniffled, sure he had heard wrong.

"We're pregnant!!" I shouted, and then I covered his bewildered face in  kisses and waited for the news to sink in.

I was put on strict bedrest and almost lost her twice, but eight months later I delivered our daughter, healthy, beautiful and the most perfect miracle I could have ever imagined.  I cry now just writing about it.  How is it possible to feel such joy without your heart bursting out of your chest from it?

Three years later, our second daughter was born; that pregnancy, too, was a complete surprise and an utter joy, and our family was complete.

For me, the trials and tribulations of motherhood happened before the children were born.  Everything since has been a piece of cake by comparison (although we have barely dipped our toes in the teen years yet, so I might be overly optimistic in my thinking).  

Sometimes, in my constant immersion in the political scene, I get that same sense of futility that I got towards the end of the fertility treatments. 

When I do, I step back, take a deep breath, and remember that sometimes, when things seem the most bleak, hope waits just around the corner.

Read more...

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

THE BATTLE IN TEXAS

I mentioned in my post The Revision of Pride that there is a battle brewing in Texas over classroom textbooks.  The battle is heating up, and, at least so far, the conservatives are winning.

Here's a little backstory for anyone who isn't up on the subject.  For the past few decades, the textbook publishers have been catering to the demands of California's board of education, because California bought the most textbooks of any state in the nation.  That certainly explains a lot about the liberal trend in the classroom, doesn't it?  Unfortunately for California, their budget woes have translated into fewer new textbook purchases.

However, what is unfortunate for California is quite fortunate for the rest of us.  Texas has since replaced California as the leading textbook purchaser for the nation.  This means the state of Texas can now make demands of the publishing companies, much as the state of California did, and those changes may well effect textbooks everywhere.  And demand, they are!

The Texas Board of Education is in the process of debating and voting on changes to curriculum, and the battle between liberal and conservative board members has been heated, but, so far, the conservatives are winning:

Conservative members had their way in the 11-4 vote, which came one day after several Democratic board members walked out, claiming the proposed standards dilute the contribution of minorities to American history and culture. The debate, which picked up again Friday morning, ended with only a single Democrat voting to support the new standards.

The fact that the liberals walked out should come as no surprise.  If we have learned anything from the past year+ of liberal rule it is that the only acceptable compromise is full capitulation to their demands.  Anything less is unacceptable.  The fact that there was one democrat who voted for the changes is cause for hope, though, and that democrat should be given credit for agreeing that learning about American exceptionalism is more important than the cultural significance of hip-hop music. 

The main liberal argument is that there isn't enough minority representation.  There were many minority contributions to the creation and preservation of this Union, but let's face it - back in the 1700's, whether in America or Europe, minorities didn't have much voice.  Happily, those wrongs were righted and became the freedom we enjoy today, but it doesn't take away from the basic facts of life.  This country was founded by a group of white men.  This is not a travesty - it just is what it is. 

Does that mean that our kids shouldn't learn about people like Frederick Douglass, Dolley Madison or Sojourner Truth?  Of course they should - they helped shape this country and should be remembered for their contributions.  But should our Founding Fathers be replaced by Famous Amos and Mary Kay?  I personally believe that the black community in America has contributed far more than just a cookie maker (wildly successful entrepreneur though he may be) and hip-hop, and it is a disservice to them to relegate their portion of history to those narrow confines.

As a woman, I feel that the suffrage movement should also be discussed, if not in depth, at least touched upon.   Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the many other thousands of women who risked life and limb in their nearly 100 year battle to win the priviledge of voting for all of us is something that has been lost to the girls of today.  Teaching our children about what they went through is important as a reminder that some sacrifices are worth it, and everyone deserves dignity and a voice.

This battle in Texas is so important, because the education we give our children dictates where we are headed as a country.  The California years, when they dictated the curricula, lead us down the path of collectivism and european socialism.  History lessons are based on feelings and impressions, not hard fact.  Our children are being taught to relate history into how they feel about an event, not the factual repercussions of it.    

The liberals swept themselves in to victory in 2008 because that election was enabled by the subtle decades-long indoctrination of our youth (who are now beginning to reject that flawed reality).  It's time to turn it around, and the Texas board of education has become the front line in the battle. 

The tide is turning, though, the tide is turning.  To keep it turning, we have to learn from the opposition.  The main tactic that has worked so well for them has been their role as the 'squeaky wheel'.  Their protests, lawsuits and generally irritating tactics have served them well.  We are learning their lessons, but we are only applying them to the federal realm.  As Tip O'Neill once said, "All politics is local".   Yes, we need to keep the pressure on the apparent federal socialist revolution that is taking place before our eyes, but we also need to apply that same pressure locally - most especially our school boards and PTA. 

Our children are literally our future, and we need to be as aware of that fact as the liberal/progressives have been.  We need to fight them tooth and nail for the hearts and minds of our children.  The Texas fight is just the beginning, but what a beginning it is!

Read more...

THE BATTLE IN TEXAS

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

I look upon Thanksgiving as one of the ultimate 'Mom Holidays".  It is a day for our matriarchs to gather their families together and stuff them to the gills, showing their love in the most basic of ways - through food.  It is a decadent holiday, full of rich comfort foods almost to the point of obscenity.  It is a purely American tradition - other countries may have Thanksgivings, but none do it like we do.  And who do we have to thank for this wonderful, satisfying tradition becoming what it is today?  American moms.

The bountiful gifts this great country showers on us are taken by our mothers, grandmothers, sisters and aunts and fashioned into a feast that nourishes our bodies and soothes our souls.  The trials and tribulations of the past year are washed away in a deluge of turkey, gravy, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie.  Our bellies are filled, our minds are at rest, and it is all due to the magical women in our lives and the love they so lavishly put into every dish. 

Today we give thanks for the many blessings God has rained down upon us.  So while we are busy thanking Him for our great country, our troops who keep us free, the bounties on our tables and all the many other blessings in our lives, let's take a moment to thank the women who made it all possible.  Not just the ones who physically created the feast we are enjoying today, but those who came before us, who kept the tradition alive. 

Through wars, depressions, recessions and civil upheaval, the matriarchs have kept us going with their love, support and comfort food.  We are not just re-enacting what the Pilgrims did, we are celebrating the heart and soul of this country - the American family. Not just those we were born to, but those we invited in.  And presiding over it all are our matriarchs, infusing the day with the love only a mother could provide.

God bless them, God bless us all, and God bless America.

Let the feasting begin!

Read more...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING