Fox News
Expand
Browse All Video
Watch Live

You're watching...

Gov. Romney's 'binders full of women' comment sparks debate

Details

  • Description

    Former Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey speaks out

  • Duration 5:25
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

Editor's Picks

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance
View All

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

We've we took a concerted effort to go -- to find women who had backgrounds that could be qualified to become members of our cabinet.

I went to a number of women's groups and said can you help us find folks I brought us all binders full of of women.

I was proud of the fact that after right staffed by cabinet in my senior staff.

That the university of New York in Albany did a survey of all fifty states.

And concluded that mine had more women and senior leadership positions than any of the state America.

When I was governor Mitt Romney last night responding to a question during the debate about equality in the workplace.

As soon as he made that remark.

A firestorm erupted on the Internet social media users and others jumping at the chance to create news feeds full of jokes.

One web savvy guy creating a -- binders full of women FaceBook page it has more than 280000.

Likes.

And his Tumblr site went up pretty fast with dirty dancing is Patrick Swayze declaring in a photo caption no one puts baby in a binder.

And many Democrats are now running with this trying to make this into a -- into an issue in this campaign the binders full of women comet.

Training -- the woman whose job it what it is to recruit women to work for save the then governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney.

-- -- governor Kerry Healy the former lieutenant governor of Massachusetts under governor Ronnie and now -- an advisor to the Romney campaign.

But -- a governor -- good to see you thank you.

Binders full of women what does it mean.

Well I spent many hours looking at the -- Mazen is binders and I think it means that Mitt Romney had a commitment to making sure the women were properly.

Represented in his administration and he promotes women and mentors them so -- to my mind it's a good thing.

What what do you make of this that this is turning into a thing now the fact that he said binders full of women.

While they tried to launch big burden I don't think that took off so perhaps this is.

Another attempt but it's really just a distraction.

And wait -- so.

We have so many serious problems in the country today and women have some of the -- -- problems now -- -- -- more women living in poverty than at any other time in seventeen years.

And 500000 more women.

Living in poverty and under and unemployed.

Since the beginning of the Obama administration says so there were many questions we should have been talking about last night.

That there were just left on the table if I had descending about binders I'd say that there was an empty binder there yesterday that should have been filled by Obama about his plans for the Nextel -- They feel like I'm just help us understand what what exactly what was he trying to say what does it mean making it just looking for recruiting is looking for -- and -- of women.

Well because he was claiming that he made a commitment to.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Both candidates and yet yes and so when governor Romney was elected he set out to fulfill that promise one thing you can know about governor Romney is a when he makes a promise while he's campaigning.

He's going to fulfill that promise.

And so he's the numbers work out.

50% and it was the highest in the nation that's what was really extraordinary -- -- was -- -- you know cabinet -- -- in front desk -- well let's say there was me I was lieutenant governor there there was his chief of staff Beth Myers right there at -- desk outside of his office's top policy advisor was a woman and half the cabinet members were were women so.

I think the governor Romney has shown by walking the walk -- that he respects women in the works place he promotes women in the work place.

And and all of this controversy is really just silly.

President Obama had him last night for not coming out explicitly expressing the Lilly Ledbetter pay act which is.

You know what he's -- -- talk about this much on the campaign trail but it was brought up but his questioner last night and basically what -- president is extend the statue limitations so women consume they feel like they've been discriminated against.

-- the pay scale at the opposite spent it's long been illegal to discriminate against women at the workplace.

This is sort of Davis additional legal remedies to -- a little later in the process.

He said I'll get back to you.

When when he was initially asked not -- but hit his campaign advisor and the president's suggesting that this shows.

Mitt Romney's not forceful advocate for women when it comes to equal pet.

Well over a year ago I believe it was in an interview with Diane Sawyer the big governor answered that question instead of course he would enforce that -- support that -- not trying to change that law.

And that he is a strong supporter of equal pay for equal work but the point that I would like to make is that he goes way beyond that.

We're just talking about people pay for equal work which of course everyone supports and the governor supports strongly.

He actually has gone beyond during the course of his career to being a mentor to being a promoter of women to trying to be an example for other governors and and other leaders around the country who who perhaps don't bring enough -- women into the top position -- -- -- or how do you mentioned the binder.

You know of a potential candidates but house has he done.

Well I I think honestly by working with women and putting them out front to speak for his administration and -- -- by putting them in in in positions of influence is is the best way.

To make sure that people.

Get -- -- -- seeing women sitting in placement for example where you aren't where I -- today.

Kerry -- thank you -- so much for being here thank you all the best when.

Load More