NEW: Doherty Calls on Cicilline to Renounce Rosen Comments
Friday, April 13, 2012
Brendan Doherty, Republican challenger to incumbent U.S. Congressman David Cicilline, is demanding that Cicilline repudiate controversial remarks made by Democratic adviser and Cicilline donor Hilary Rosen this week about women in the workplace.
In a press release, the Doherty campaign demanded that Cicilline denounce comments made by Rosen on CNN earlier this week that Ann Romney, wife of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, “never worked a day in her life” in response to Ann Romney’s discussion of women and politics.
“These comments from Ms. Rosen are another example of just how far the elitist Washington insiders are out of touch with mainstream Rhode Island,” said Doherty. “Many Rhode Island families make a choice that one parent will forego employment outside the home to focus on the family. Whether the parent is a man or woman, their contributions to the family and our society is invaluable and for a political operative to dismiss them is shameful.”
“Personally, I am grateful that my own mother took time away from her profession as a nurse to focus on our family and I find it reprehensible that anyone would disrespect her choice and her devotion to our family. David Cicilline’s campaign is fueled by Washington insiders such as Hilary Rosen and unless he, too, is so out of touch with Rhode Islanders that he agrees with her comments he needs to publicly renounce both her attack on women and her attempt to incite class warfare for political gain.”
Rosen has drawn criticism from throughout the political world for her remarks, including President Obama. She apologized to Ann Romney in a CNN interview yesterday.