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Saturday, April 14, 2012

Ann Romney's Work Experience

By Susan Duclos


Ann Romney has become the topic of much interest since a Democratic strategist/consultant/advisor, (dependent on which media organizations are describing her), Hilary Rosen, suggested that Ann Romney "never worked a day in her life."

Critics of Rosen's comments, including Barack Obama, Michele Obama and every Democratic operative trying to distance themselves from her ill-chosen phrasing, insist that raising five children and taking care of the home is work, albeit work that doesn't get a physical paycheck.

Rosen defenders are doubling down and insisting that Ann Romney's "work" doesn't count when speaking to women's issues across the country. Far left liberals have gone on a all out attack on Ann Romney.

Washington Post writer Linda Hirshman blares a headline screeching "Hilary Rosen was right: Ann Romney has never worked a day in her life."

Really?

Well, the number one definition of work, according to Dictionary.com is :1. exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something; labor; toil.

Setting aside the "labor" associated with raising children, five of them. Setting aside the "toil" of taking care of a home and family, let's look at Ann Romney's work experience.

Ann Romney has done considerable "work," which is all public record, whether she received a paycheck for it or not.

Charitable work.

Even more commendable for the fact that she didn't receive a penny for her "labor" or "toil," she worked for the good of others without a paycheck.

As Massachusetts First Lady, Ann Romney "worked" tirelessly in teenage pregnancy prevention efforts and faith-based work with inner-city children.

In 2005, then Governor Romney appointed his wife as head of a new special office whose purpose was to help the state's faith-based groups gain more federal monies in association with the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Ann Romney was described as a "dynamo" for her "work" by Jim Towey, director of the White House office.

Ann Romney "labored" as director of the inner city-oriented Best Friends where she was dedicated to improving the welfare of children, locally and internationally. Ann Romney lent her time and leadership to equine therapy programs for physically challenged children, literacy programs for children including the annual Scholastic Reading event, as well as organizations such as Partners for Youth with Disabilities, the American Red Cross, and the Perkins School for the Blind. As First Lady, she also served as a board member of the Massachusetts Children's Trust Fund. In recognition for her efforts, Mrs. Romney was the recipient of the 2006 Lifetime Achievement Award from Operation Kids.

Ann Romney also "worked" as a volunteer instructor at the Mother Caroline Academy, a multicultural middle school serving young girls from inner city Boston and served on the board for Families First. She also formerly served on the Women's Cancer Advisory Board of Massachusetts General Hospital.

Just because a woman doesn't receive a "paycheck" doesn't mean she hasn't worked. Ann Romney benefits from her and her husbands wealth but she doesn't sit in front of a television eating bonbons, she "works" to help those underprivileged and underrepresented and she does so without the benefit of getting paid.

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