Updated 4:25 p.m. ET

Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen apologized this afternoon for saying Ann Romney "has actually never worked a day in her life" -- a comment that provoked a furious backlash from both parties.

"I apologize to Ann Romney and anyone else who was offended," Rosen said in a statement. "Let's declare peace in this phony war and go back to focus on the substance."

STORY: Romney tries to win women voters

BLOG: Obama weighs in

Ann Romney today defended her husband's record and fired back at Rosen's swipe, made Wednesday night in an interview on CNN.

"My career choice was to be a mother," Romney said today on Fox News. "We have to respect women and all those choices that they make."

In the second of two appearances on CNN today, Rosen shook her head and smiled at the firestorm. She was, at times, defiant that she was not trying to spark a debate over the value of stay-at-home moms vs. mothers who work outside of the home with her comment.

"My words were not very good," Rosen conceded, attributing the backlash from both Republicans and even Democrats she's long worked with to "politics."

Rosen said Republicans who are criticizing her are trying "to change the subject" from Mitt Romney's record.

"I think the issue that I'm focusing on is does Mitt Romney have a vision for bringing women up economically, and can he himself stop referring to his wife as his economic surrogate? That's an important thing. He's the one that keeps doing this. Not me," Rosen said this morning on CNN.

She said the debate is about "the waitress in a diner in some place in Nevada who has two kids whose day care funding is being cut off" because of the GOP budget put forward by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and supported by Mitt Romney.

Surrogates for Romney sounded off on Rosen during a conference call to discuss President Obama's record on women.

Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., said "clearly" the Obama administration was using Rosen as a surrogate to "deliver messages about Republicans that the president does not want to deliver himself for fear of the backlash."

But Rosen's original comments drew rebukes from Obama's campaign team, including campaign manager Jim Messina, strategist David Axelrod and deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter.

Messina tweeted: "I could not disagree with Hilary Rosen any more strongly. Her comments were wrong and family should be off limits. She should apologize."

First lady Michelle Obama today appeared to weigh in on the controversy. She tweeted: "Every mother works hard, and every woman deserves to be respected."

The Democratic National Committee strongly pushed back on the suggestion by some Republicans that Rosen is tied to the DNC, saying she has no official role with the party.

With his eye on the general election, Mitt Romney is now working to erase a huge gender gap. A recent USA TODAY/Gallup poll of 12 swing states showed President Obama leading Romney by 18 percentage points among women voters.

Ann Romney has emerged as one of her husband's most effective surrogates on the campaign trail, and she has spoken often of how women have told her they have concerns about the economy.

Here's what Rosen, a CNN contributor, said last night:

What you have is Mitt Romney running around the country, saying, 'Well, you know, my wife tells me that what women really care about are economic issues, and when I listen to my wife, that's what I'm hearing.' Guess what? His wife has actually never worked a day in her life.

In her Fox News interview, Ann Romney took exception to Rosen's comment that her husband is "old-fashioned" when it comes to views of women and doesn't listen to them. Romney said her husband had several women advisers in private business and as Massachusetts governor, including Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey.

"That does bother me," Romney said about the "old-fashioned" remark. "It's a complete misperception."

Rosen also made reference that both she and Romney had the financial means to help them raise their children.

The Romneys, who are worth an estimated $190 million to $250 million, have had to combat the perception throughout the campaign that they are out of touch with average Americans because of their wealth.

"I know what it's like to struggle. Maybe I haven't struggled as much financially, " Ann Romney said on Fox News, later mentioning how she has battled multiple sclerosis and breast cancer. "I've had struggles in my life. Mitt and I have compassion for people who are struggling."

Rosen, a partner in a political communications firm, is the mother of twins. She is a longtime Democratic strategist. Rosen is perhaps best known for her tenure as head of the Recording Industry Association of America, the music industry's trade group, from 1994 to 2003.

A firestorm broke out on Twitter, with Ann Romney launching her own account to fight back. She quickly gained thousands of followers, and CNN reported that at its peak there were 250 tweets per minute on the Rosen flap.

"I made a choice to stay home and raise five boys. Believe me it was hard work," Romney tweeted. She also repeated the sentiment this morning on Fox News.

Rosen was slammed on Twitter by conservatives such as Eric Erickson, who writes the RedState blog, and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a member of the House GOP leadership team.

McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., tweeted: "Wrong. Being a mom is a full-time job."

Rosen also took to Twitter last night to try and explain her comments, at one point saying she meant that Romney "never had to care for her kids and earn a paycheck like most American women."

Rosen tweeted to Romney: "Please know, I admire you. But your husband shouldn't say you are his expert on women and the economy."

(Contributing: Jackie Kucinich)