'Binders full of women' effort predated Romney

BOB SALSBERG, Associated Press

Thursday, October 18, 2012

BOSTON (AP) — Members of a coalition of Massachusetts women's groups on Wednesday disputed Mitt Romney's assertion that he requested the names of potential female candidates for high-level, state positions when he was elected governor.

"To be perfectly clear, Mitt Romney did not request those resumes," Jesse Mermell, a former executive director of Massachusetts Government Appointments Project, told reporters during a conference call arranged by the Democratic Party.

Democrats arranged Wednesday's call to help blunt the Republican's efforts in the final weeks of the presidential campaign to appeal to female voters. Polls show women favoring President Barack Obama over Romney.

Romney, responding to a question during Tuesday night's presidential debate about equal pay and opportunities for women, said that in the process of assembling a cabinet as governor he was disappointed to find that most applicants were men. He said he then asked women's groups for help finding qualified female candidates.

"I went to a number of women's groups and said, 'Can you help us find folks,' and they brought us whole binders full of women," Romney said. The "binders full of women" remark sparked an instant wave of social media parodies of the phrase.

Mermell, a Democrat and town official in Brookline, Mass., said Romney did not request any names after his 2002 election. Instead, she said MassGAP approached Romney's team as part of its effort, begun before the election, to make sure that more women were appointed to senior positions in the new administration.

MassGAP describes itself as a nonpartisan coalition of women's groups interested in boosting the number of women in top state government jobs. The coalition said it approached the nominees of both major parties after the primaries, Romney and Democrat Shannon O'Brien, and secured commitments from both that, if elected, they would work with the organization to identify potential female candidates for senior-level positions.

Romney's campaign declined to respond to Mermell and referred questions to Kerry Healey, who was Romney's lieutenant governor. Healey said Romney went beyond the initial contact with MassGAP by reaching out to acquaintances in the business world and others to help meet his pledge to fill more administration posts with women.

Healey served as a liaison to MassGAP and reviewed the binders with resumes of potential candidates.

"Gov. Romney not only supports equal pay for equal work, but he goes beyond that by working to support women to reach the highest levels of government," Healey said.

Mermell questioned Romney's commitment to helping women get ahead in the workplace.

"The fact that he needed our help says everything you need to know about his true commitment to advance women in office," she said. Mermell added that it was "shocking that after 25 years of professional experience at the very highest level of corporate America, Mitt Romney needed our help."

In a statement, MassGAP said the number of women in senior-level posts climbed from about 30 percent to 42 percent during the first two years of Romney's administration.

A 2004 survey by the State University of New York found Massachusetts was first in the nation in the percentage of women in top state positions. MassGAP, however, noted the percentage later dropped to 25 percent in Romney's final two years in office.

"The way it worked was not quite the way it was described last night," said Ruth Bramson, who was hired as Romney's chief human resource officer after her resume was spotted in a binder. "He was half-right."

"Governor Romney was a tremendous proponent of bringing women into the state. There's no doubt about it," Bramson said. "But the impetus for this was not Governor Romney, but this other organization, MassGAP."

Associated Press writer Matthew Daly in Washington and Steve LeBlanc in Boston contributed to this report.

More like this story

wow 7 months ago

This ain't the President calling him a liar or saying "use your own words..PAAAAALLLLEEESSSE". This is the group of women he dissed. MItt didn;t want them to have a good job ort work schedule. Ole Mitt wanted them to be able to get home to cook dinner. WAFJTGI!!! I understand changing an opinion, but this IS NOT what Romeny and Ryan are doing or have done. These guy's are simply staright out lieing. But if ya think this is bad wait until people start catching on that CEO's are demanding thir employee's vote for a specific way. No I don;t think Romney is forcing this to happen, but it sure don;t make him look good and just goes to show how far the traditional leaders in this country will go in order to get the black guy out of the White House.

asb 7 months ago

Grace, maybe you should read the TeaParty type web work. More mysogeny, anti islam, anti gay, anti non-white rhetoric than in any election I've ever seen.

asb 7 months ago

It's all true Grace, the FRight has reached new lows of fear mongering and misrepresentation. I see stuff every day posted and forwarded by conservative friends that strain the bounds of believabiliity, sedition, slander, libal, and decency. Yes, I see some rank stuff from the left too, but it's so much more so from the FRight that Willie Horton is rolling in his grave (and still frying in hell I'm sure).

connor 7 months ago

Perhaps you should start by cleaning your own house of Liberal racial/gender politics before casting stones at anyone. Death threats ringing out at Romney via twitter. Calling any Black who supports Romney vile names. Feminist Wookie-like moderators that refuse to enforce the rules for Obummer and then actually lie for him, An administration that practices unequal pay itself (but's it's ok when a Black man does it). The list of your hypocrisy is endless.

newone 7 months ago

Why do you always have to bring race into this?

TickledPink 7 months ago

Can this man tell the truth about anything??

newone 7 months ago

NO, he doesn't know what the truth is. He is sinking his own ship, he is nothing but a lier and a cheat who thinks a women's place is in the kitchen which is the typical view of most mormons, I say lets sit back and watch him sink he is amazing at putting his foot in his own mouth!

spelchek 7 months ago

Like Benghazi? Fast and Furious?

JCLifer 7 months ago

SPANK!

newone 7 months ago

Such a fool, as I have been saying for months now! The more he talks the more he looks like a bigger fool, I say let him keep talking!

connor 7 months ago

Ya it has worked so far the more Obama talks the higher Romney's poll numbers climb. Odummer did tell one truth though. Romney's is bigger.

RobHunterJohnson 7 months ago

at telling LIEs! Rob

connor 7 months ago

More free time today Rob? Oh and that was singular possessive so you should have said "his lie was bigger".

RobHunterJohnson 7 months ago

No Conner, hard to get free time, anytime, just finishing your sentence! well off to Gun Broker to look up a SW.. Rob

connor 7 months ago

Ya better get one while you can cause if you have your wish and Odummer wins he is going to attempt to put even more restrictions on semi-auto rifles and handguns.

RobHunterJohnson 7 months ago

Conner they have had that battle cry since I got into the NRA, in 1980, got out in 92, back in 93, out for good in 95! 1980 would be about the time you became disenchanted with WOOKIES? I thought the WOOKIE was the best part! No One is going to take our GUNS away, if the goverment tried, I bet we would stick together in a heart beat! I took a survey from PEW this morning, and after answering a few questions, the app told me I am Liberal on economic issues? The app told me I am far to the right on Social issues even further by three or more bars than the Tea Party types? Then the app told me OVERALL, I am a MODERATE Democrat, so I guess that was my Labor position? All I can say is VOTE FOR OBAMA IN 2012 Rob

asb 7 months ago

Another fear stick from the FRightWingNuts to beat the ignorant with. The black muslim socialist is gonna take away our guns and then have the jihadists take over America! It's true! It's on the internet!

connor 7 months ago

Your messiah said it himself. I know you feel the need to deny it in hopes someone might believe you but it isn't fear mongering. He openly admitted it. I guess it is fear mongering though since you fear to let the public know he is going to try it.

RobHunterJohnson 7 months ago

He is not my Messiah, he is the right choice for what I want out of goverment, I dont agree with everything, but when the Dems survey me and ask for my opinion and I tell to drop the guns, you are losing VOTEs. Rob VOTWE OBAMA 2012

JCLifer 7 months ago

And I tell the Republicans to drop the gays and the abortions too, because they are losing lots of votes.

RobHunterJohnson 7 months ago

Thats why I dropped the Republicans, they have continued to walk away from myself, and others. At the place I was at for the last 25 years! I need SECURITY, through GOOD Health Care, Social Security, Medicare, and the rest will take care of itself! If the corporations, who are people, quit moving to China this nation would be in a lot better shape! We need GOOD jobs, jobs feed families, they buy items to make AMERICA HEALTHY, which pays TAXES,which pays for all this DEBT these politicians have got us into! VOTE FOR OBAMA 2012! ROB

connor 7 months ago

I agree we shouldn't be moving jobs over seas. we disagree in why that is happening. You say Republicans I say Democrats and free trade agreements. Regardless it is a moot point because really just about all jobs should pay enough for the employees to survive and thrive to a point. Which is something we forget. They should really all be decent jobs. From the 1700's to the 1900's our total inflation was pretty much stagnant yet now since the early 1900's it has ballooned and it is the lower tier jobs that become untenable.

PatsyDecline 7 months ago

How could any rational person really believe a word coming out of either man's mouth at this point?

They are both paid liars in the employ of the Wall Street Banksters.

Neither man/party has any interest in addressing the ROOT CAUSE of this nation's disease....the fraud and corruption that begins on Wall Street and ends on K Street.

The rest is Bread & Circuses folks.

Sequoia 7 months ago

You can believe this:

theatlanticwire.com/politics/2012/10/romney-told-employers-tell-employees-whom-vote/58076/

This is how Romney's world works. Only bosses want to live in this world. If you're a worker, wake up and vote your economic interest. Vote Obama. It doesn't mean you're "liberal." It just means you don't want to hand over everything you've worked so hard to build to a few bosses.

JCLifer 7 months ago

You didn't build that!

connor 7 months ago

OMG The NERVE of Romney to be campaigning and pointing out to business owners that they might want to let their employees know that he will make their jobs more secure.Those evil business owners just have no right to an opinion or should even be allowed to vote.

What a bunch of hypocritical liberal Hash.

eileen10 7 months ago

Last night I watched a program about the Koch brothers on Link tv and I dont know if everything they said was true but if it is those guys are evil and have lots of people in their back pocket lieing for them and it's about a lot of political things and in one state, can't remember which one, they are the result of school segregation. They are having lies spread that social security is running out of money but they aren't and on and on and on. Don't jump all over me because I'm only repeating what I heard. Has anyone seen that? For all I know it's an older program. Not sure when it came out. It made it sound like the Koch brothers are doing their best to run our country by working through Ryan and lots of other high up people.If even part of the story is true those brothers need to be shipped out of the country and chained to a post.

eileen10 7 months ago

I know. But on the program they said they aren't.

RobHunterJohnson 7 months ago

Tell your friends and family eilleen10, these 2 brothers are the PROBLEM with American Politics, they own everything? They are the problem in Wisconsin (RYAN) (WALKER) (KOCH), they go together, from the Kochs hand to Ryans, and Walkers wallet. Carl Rove American crossroad, that is the LIE machine you see on your TV everynight if you watch the evening news, any channel? They are buying elections and some people on these pages eat this stuff up like it is the chosen word. Example, Swift boat 2004 did you know that John Kerry in Vietnam jumped off his gun boat, and shot a man, all the time thinking he want to be JFK? I can gaurantee you that if I was being shot at, and shooting back. I would not be thinking about being JFK! Carl Rove and his secret donors (Koch and Friends) pulled their money from Todd Akin 2 months ago, Even though I do not like Todd, he had enough ---s to stand up against the biggest political machine in America, just look at how many Republican canidates dropped him on Carl Roves command! This is what is wrong with politics (Republicans) in our country. Rob

RobHunterJohnson 7 months ago

It is good for along time eilleen10, take a look yourself, Grace is one who drinks from the republican faucet. Google it, ask the questions, with a little management it is solvent for a long time. SS is not the Ponzi scheme that Rick Perry, and Grace keep refering to, did you know THAT IF YOU MAKE $110,000. YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY SS THE REST OF THE YEAR? Why the rich draw it just like we will? Do your homework don't believe what I tell you, or Grace. look for yourself! Enquiring minds want to know! Rob

connor 7 months ago

SS will run out of money unless the money that was taken out of it is paid back in. As for SS over $110,000 ( Which I thought it was $120,000) they still only receive a payment back for that amount of income so it isn't liek they are paying one rate and getting back another.

RobHunterJohnson 7 months ago

Im glad you know how much Conner! I have not busted the rate since 1983, never even came close! Rob

os2hank 7 months ago

Rob, I'm confused--How old were you in 1983 17, 18??

RobHunterJohnson 7 months ago

I wa smakin more money than you os2 hank! Rob

RobHunterJohnson 7 months ago

$27,500 , and 35,000 were the cut off points for both years! Rob

eileen10 7 months ago

Rob, it did say they own everything from here to there and going for more. How in the world can those two be stopped? They have more money than god. Just a saying so don't anybody get your shorts in a wad. But money talks and people can be bought. So many names were thrown around I can't remember them but I do know my mouth was hanging open the whole time. I want to know what's happening but everything I heard last night was so much more than I ever could have imagined. It went beyond greed and corruption to a place I can't even put a word to. I prefer not to point my finger at anyone except the brothers because I don't want to put the republicans down. I'm not say there aren't bad republicans but no one is perfect and I damn sure don't want anyone ripping into me because My feelings get hurt and I'd probably cry and feel like poop so I prefer to stay pretty much neutral.I can see the good in everybody except the brothers.I think satan has a stick up their butts .

connor 7 months ago

The Koch brothers do little compared to Soros and certainly do not dabble in politics nearly as much. You don't see the Koch brothers manipulating National currency values until that country tows the line do you? They don't fund thinktanks and partisan political and media organizations like Soros does either. Want to read about a truly evil behind the scenes political rich person Eileen read up on Soros.

eileen10 7 months ago

Okay connor. Oh boy. More stuff to look up. Sure wish this wasn't so hard.

eileen10 7 months ago

I just googled Soros and there's a lot to read and it's going to take a lot of time. At this point I don't know anything but I'll be back in a day or two because I'll have to find out who's who and what ever else I run into.

connor 7 months ago

Heh Good luck. There is much more out there on his dirty tricks and schemes for the last few years than has ever been written about the Koch brothers in a lifetime. Well two lifetimes...

RobHunterJohnson 7 months ago

Democrats don't have the time these Republicans do to come up with these stories. Rob

eileen10 7 months ago

Theres so much to all of this stuff Rob that It takes time to sort things out and I'm still learning. Everybody here has a lot more knowledge than me and things just keep popping up and I'm like, ok whose this person and whose that person and I have to look it up. The one thing I do know is that I'm voting for Obama. So many things are a blur right now but with time I'll get there .

JCLifer 7 months ago

"The one thing I do know is that I'm voting for Obama."

You really are in a fog, aren't you?

RobHunterJohnson 7 months ago

JC LIfer, I would consider myself the LIGHT HOUSE! Rob

connor 7 months ago

LOL LOL LOL - Hillary Clinton Trashes Whiners (Women)... This is great stuff!!!!

politico.com/news/stories/1012/82586.html

“I can’t stand whining,” Clinton told Marie Claire. “I can’t stand the kind of paralysis that some people fall into because they’re not happy with the choices they’ve made.

She talks about flexible work schedules and the like.... OH wait the SAME stuff Romney mentioned in his debate. I guess ol Hillary has "Binders of Women" as well. More than likely for Billy to browse through.

Sometimes timing is just impeccable.

os2hank 7 months ago

Gee Rob, I max out those years plus a few more, guess your wrong! The question was how old you were, you said you were 56????

wow 7 months ago

Hillary doesn't relegate women to the kitchen, Hillary isn't against women having the right to deal with their own health care issues...abortion, birth control, mamograms. Hillary isn't forcing women to have a rod shoved up their private parts. Hillary knows that a womans body cannot shut the sperm of a legitimate rapist! Hillary believes that women should get equal pay for equal work. Hillary isn't afraid to stand up for what's right! Oh yeah I voted for Obama over Hillary not so long ago, but I also know that hillary is a lot of things, BUT SHE IS NOTHING LIKE MITT ROMNEY!!!!!!!

connor 7 months ago

YA she told em to stop Whining :)

Romney should do it as well but of course he won't.

RobHunterJohnson 7 months ago

DO THE MATH os2hank, 2012 MINUS 1983 = ------ 56 MINUS ---- = CLASS IT IS NOT 17 OR 18 AS WAS EXPRESSED EARLIER, YOU SEE THE REPUBLICANS HAVE A DIFFERENT MATH PROGRAM. ROMNEY WOULD HAVE USED THE TRICKINOMETRY METHOD LIKE os2hank. Don't forget your paper for Biology class on DEAD PEOPLE WILL RISE AND GO VOTE! VOTE FOR OBAMA 2012 ROB

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