Obama aides say Rosen shows president will take on friends

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: The Hill

Senior Obama aides say the president's criticism of Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen's comments shows he's willing to stand up to his friends, unlike Mitt Romney.

The argument from the aides is an effort to find a bright spot in the controversy over Rosen, who said Ann Romney had "never worked a day in her life." Rosen apologized for the comments on Thursday.

Doing damage control, White House adviser David Plouffe and Obama campaign adviser David Axelrod made separate appearances Thursday night to contrast Obama’s public response to Rosen to Romney’s response to controversial comments made by conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh.

“I think we have an obligation in politics and public life, when someone, even friends, say things that are inappropriate, to say so. In fact, in certain ways, when your friends say it, there is more of an obligation to do so,” Axelrod said on CNN.

Read more: http://thehill.com/video/campaign/221369-obama-aides-on-rosen-controversy-obama-willing-to-stand-up-to-his-friends-unlike-romney

[SmellyFeet]

1. "I'll just say this, which is, it's not the language I would have used,"

http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-03-02/politics/31115905_1_rick-santorum-mitt-romney-rush-limbaugh

Mitt Romney responded to Rush Limbaugh's tirade against law student Sandra Fluke Friday night — but he didn't say much.

"I'll just say this, which is, it's not the language I would have used," Romney told reporters at a campaign event in Cleveland, Ohio Friday night.

Read more: http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-03-02/politics/31115905_1_rick-santorum-mitt-romney-rush-limbaugh#ixzz1rxDlrfCx

[Capt. Obvious]

2. This is his 2012 Sister Souljah moment

Where Obama eases moderate America's fears of attacks on stay at home moms.

[roguevalley]

15. this wasn't about stay at home moms. this was a woman talking out her ass about something

she doesn't know about. I know a lot of women who would love to stay at home for their kids but repuke policies make that impossible. She has had money all her life and she raised her kids with nannies out the wazoo. Rosen was speaking the truth and they leaped on it because they are cowards. Obama threw her away because it was politics. This isn't anything but a cowardly moment for everyone piling on to her. Rosen was the only one with a backbone here. The only one.

this is a screed for the cosmos.

[AlbertCat]

3. So....

....has Ann worked a day in her life????

I mean, a job where the $$$ was essential to her life.

[appleannie1]

5. no but she does not want people to know that

[coldbeer]

4. Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen?

Ms. Rosen does not work for Obama.

[nobodyspecial]

7. CNN commentator is more like it

[former9thward]

8. She works for the DNC Chair

She was hired to help coach Debbie Wasserman Schultz on media appearances.

Obama advisers have occasionally told her to "tone it down" and "back off a smidgen," Ms. Wasserman Schultz says. She agreed with them to enlist two seasoned Democratic female pros, Anita Dunn and Hilary Rosen, to begin giving her occasional political advice and media training, advisers say. "I'm glad to get constructive criticism," Ms. Wasserman Schultz says.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204642604577213173081025252.html

[coldbeer]

9. Ms. Rosen does not work for Obama

I appreciate the info though. I felt it was a biased shot by Rosen. Who was to tone it down? Wasserman or Rosen?

[Jefferson23]

6. Yea, it was a great idea to throw Rosen under the bus.

[Hawkowl]

10. Obama always attacks his would be friends

How is this a fucking newsflash? He hates progressives and actually had to custom order a bus from Detroit because the wheels no longer touched the ground due to his constant throwing of the "fucking retarded" , professional left, under the metaphorical bus.

Now what would be an earth shattering precedent is if the president got off his knees, quit begging for Republican acceptance, and actually stood up for traditional Democratic values like FDR, Truman, and JFK.

[jade3000]

11. Do they think we're stupid? Wright, Jones, Sherrod, etc.

Rev Wright, Van Jones, Shirley Sherrod ...

Is there anybody on the Left who Obama stands up for and defends? I'd hate to be one of his friends or colleagues and make any kind of misstep. Agree with you about the custom made bus they're throwing people under.

[Doctor_J]

12. We already knew that. Van Jones,

Shirley Sherrod. Too bad he won't take on his enemies.

[24601]

13. Unless of course it was all staged. We'll never know, will we?

[Cherchez la Femme]

14. Now there's a creative spin!

No longer throwing under the bus, but "president will take on friends"!

Too bad he never 'takes on' those who wish to hurt/impoverish average U.S. citizens

[Liber-AL]

16. I just hope he takes on his enemies with just as much enthusiasm.

He misread Rosen... She was taking Anne Romney to task for masquerading as a Stay at home mom. Rosen wasn't attacking REAL SAHMs.

[loyalsister]

17. We all get what was between the lines

But, for it to be carried by a woman with a successful high profile career? One that a regretful or embarrassed stay at home mom (who cut her education short to have kids) may envy.

If Obama is going to be perceived as supportive of women he has to be supportive of all of the choices women make.

I had to deal with this with a candidate who was running in an area that covered a lot of rural territory. It took a lot of work to convince the women who had stayed at home to work on the farm and raise the kids that the ambitious female candidate did not look down on them.

[Liber-AL]

19. you wrote:

"But, for it to be carried by a woman with a successful high profile career? "

Well, who was better equipped to expose the illusion Anne Romney has encased herself in. She has nothing in common with most SAHMs. Furthermore, her name would never have come up had not her husband injected her as a political ally in his candidacy.
When he did, she became fair game for contrasting opinion.

You say "we all get what was between the lines" but I have to wonder about that. If you really do "get what was between the lines"
why are you so worried about the truth being told? The real "crime" here is that Rosen's words have been taken out of context and used against her by fellows she thought were on her side. Instead of standing up for her in unified defiance, too many weak democrats have cut and run.

Personally, I find the prospect of a Republican presidency repulsive and I can garner NO sympathy for those with such ambitions.
Anne Romney and her husband exemplify the oligarchs that put the economy in a tailspin in the first place. And now, in the aftermath of their wanton destruction, they want to gain control of and divert the funds that support the benefits so many of us have worked for. Why should ANY working person, SAHM or median taxed person be ashamed of Rosen's truth.

[gtar100]

18. We already knew that.

[Slamdrive]

20. that is something conservatives would never do

They support each other till the end. Obama actually has balls for disagreeing with those who are his friends, publicly.