War on Women

Hilary Rosen got in a mess of hot water when she said about Ann Romney "His wife has actually never worked a day in her life." Now Romney and his wife are looking sympathetic, because she can defend her choice to stay home and raise her kids, a choice that tons of families really relate to.

The issue, though, is that her wealth gave her that choice. That's how Hilary Rosen should have framed it. Romney was using his wife to show that he knows about the economic situations of women. When in reality, they are an uber-wealthy family who has never, ever had to face the kinds of situations that middle class and working class families grapple with every day. The thing is, Ann Romney had a choice. And that's great, making a choice that was probably a good one for their family, and can be great for many families. The point is, though, that many American women do not have that choice. They must raise their children and work for pay, or else their kids won't eat.

I want our national conversation to focus on what we can do for people who don't get to choose.