Tag Archives: politics

Veteran Mary L. Schapiro Will Be First Woman SEC Chair

Women’s groups have begun a “Cabinet Watch” to keep track of how many women Obama actually selects to lead in his administration. Until recently, the picture looked pretty bleak. Obama had appointed only four women out of 16 announced cabinet positions. That score should improve today when Obama will announce his pick to head the SEC: veteran regulator. Mary L. Schapiro, will be the first woman to chair the SEC on more than an interim basis.

Once dismissed by the head of the Chicago Board of Trade as a “blond, 5-foot-2-inch girl,”and dissed by then New York state Attorney General Eliot L. Spitzer….. remember him, the guy whose career imploded along with his resignation as Governor of New York in a call girl scandal?  Schapiro has risen  through hard work and tough, smart moves to the top of the heap.  Sound familiar?

Schapiro has gained respect for her investor first principles, her willingness to listen and an exemplary record of expelling crooks and cracking down on unsavory practices and sales abuse. Something the current SEC has notably failed to do. Certainly they failed to detect Bernard L. Madoff’s alleged $50 billion Ponzi scheme and failed to provide effective oversight of the kind of abuses that led to the current financial collapse. I mean, that was the SEC’s job, right?

In a recent speech, Schapiro said “Clearly, our regulatory system failed to compensate for the failures of market discipline and failed to appreciate the interdependencies of financial institutions and the risks they shared. The system did not allow regulators to stay ahead of this crisis and prevent it from ever occurring.”

So, the “old boys club” has had their shot at regulating the markets and look where that got us. In a mind boggling recession and still headed South.  As has been said, a woman has to be twice as good to get the same job as a man.  Now, at last, a woman has a chance to go in and straighten out the mess we’re in.  She’s done it before. My bet is, she will do it again.  I certainly wish her well.  And chalk up another first for women.

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Money & Politics – Picking A Celebrity Senator?

A lot of women and women’s rights groups would like to see a woman picked for Hillary Clinton’s New York Senate Seat. After all, only 16 of 100 Senate members are women. Having one of them picked for Secretary of State would be ironic and bitter sweet if it caused our ranks and representation to go down even lower in Congress. So there is a great rallying cry among women’s groups to pick a woman for Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat.

But will it happen? And which woman?

There are some good ones out there.

Two names which have been floated are scrappy and talented upstate Albany-area Congresswoman  Kirstin Gillibrand and Nydia Velazquez, described as “a twofer,” since she is a woman and a Hispanic.  But they are less well known, so might best be described as “dark horses”.

Two national women’s groups have urged Democratic New York.Governor David Paterson to name Manhattan Rep. Carolyn Maloney. Time Magazine has called Maloney a “tenacious, resilient legislator.” The Village Voice characterized her as “a tiger in the House on every dollar due New York.” Maloney is both an advocate for women and strong on the economy which she has made her specialty.

Maloney is not only articulate and effective but women believe “she gets it.” In 2008, Maloney published a book on women’s issues entitled “Rumors of Our Progress Have Been Greatly Exaggerated: Why Women’s Lives Aren’t Getting Any Easier — and How We Can Make Real Progress for Ourselves and Our Daughters“ In the book, Maloney argues that progress for women has stalled and offers recommendations for resuming their advance toward full equality.

But whoa!

There seem to be an evergrowing number of wanna be’s out there. Actress Fran Drescher, The Nanny, wants the appointment. Yes, really.  And some find her very politically savvy and committed.

And Caroline Kennedy………iconic daughter of legendary Camelot star couple, JFK and Jackie, niece of former N.Y. Senator Bobby Kennedy, who held the same seat……gave the Guv a call and discussed the position, although no one is at liberty to repeat what was said.

But it did get all the politicos and their followers’ attention. A political acquaintance of mine, male,  has invited me to a new Facebook group, sporting a photo of Caroline Kennedy with the caption splashed across it, “Entitlement we can believe in,”

“The woman has never run for office in her life. We have no idea how she’d fare on the campaign trail, or how well she could stand up to the electoral process. She simply picks up the phone and lets it be known that she just might be up for having one of the highest offices in the land handed to her because — well, because why? Because her uncle once held the seat? Because she’s a Kennedy? Because she took part as a child in the public’s romantic dreams of Camelot? I’m not quite sure…”

Senator Ted Kennedy, her uncle, is said to be feverishly working the phones for her, hoping to continue the family dynasty. ( See article below.) And many of us are very empathetic with the Kennedy’s magical, often inspiring but tragic past. But is that enough of a foundation to be appointed Senator?

Another with his  hat in the ring: Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who served as the Clinton administration’s secretary of Housing and Urban Development and who, apparently seeks to carry on his own family’s political dynasty. ( There’s a bit of a family feud between ex-inlaws Kennedy and Cuomo, but that’s another story. I thought I’d give you a heads up because all the gory details are bound to hit the blogs, or, at least the tabloids).

According to Time magazine:”A Dec. 9 Marist poll found that 25% of New York residents think Paterson should pick Kennedy vs. 25% favoring Andrew Cuomo, with the rest either divided among other candidates or “unsure.”

Also, longtime city teachers union President Randi Weingarten recently contacted Gov. Paterson about the seat and the Governor said he would consider Weingarten as well.  So he has a lot to think about.

But here’s the rub: whoever takes Clinton’s seat would have to face voters in 2010, to fill out Clinton’s term, and again in 2012, for re-election.  That means, almost from the day he or she enters office he or she will have to start running…..and running and running…. and raising lots of very big bucks.

So, all things considered, it appears that money, the ability to raise it, monied connections and being linked into deep pockets and piles of money are going to weigh heavily on the scales of who is the best Senate selection for New York .

Who do we think will best meet that criteria?

Is the richest hopeful really the one most credentialed to hold office….. considering that one of the credentials appears to be money?  Stay tuned.

Edward Kennedy helps niece Caroline to join senate

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Women Angry Over Treatment of Hillary Clinton & Sarah Palin in Campaigns

When young men shout out from the audience “Iron My Shirt”, Tee shirts identify female presidential candidates as the C word, and large, respected magazines run articles titled ” The “Bitch” and the “Ditz””, referring to Clinton and Palin, what can one expect but a lot of anger and resentment from women, expressed or not?

As noted, “The heightened perceptions of how women were treated this cycle just may drive more votes by women for women next time around.”

New poll reveals the depth of women’s anger in the aftermath of Hillary Clinton’s and Sarah Palin’s campaigns.

The Barrier That Didn’t Fall – The Daily Beast suggest American women overwhelmingly believe they are being treated unfairly in the press, in the workplace, in politics, and in the armed forces, according to a poll by The Daily Beast of 1,000 U.S. voters. The poll comes on the heels of the first-ever presidential election with two high profile women candidates who ran but did not win.

For a race that was supposed to have broken the glass ceiling, it may just have shown women how hard and resistant that barrier really is. The poll, conducted for The Daily Beast by Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates, clearly documents what most casual observers identified as relatively favorable press treatment for male candidates like Obama and Biden versus an “anything goes” approach against the women running for office. In fact, the poll—which covered topics ranging from coverage of women’s appearances to the parodies of candidates on Saturday Night Live—shows sweeping skepticism about how women are viewed culturally, politically and in the workplace. Though women did not vote in large enough numbers for Sarah Palin’s side to prevail, they remain convinced she was not treated fairly by the media, and judged her treatment far harsher than even what Hillary Clinton received.

The poll’s key findings include:

  • By an overwhelming 61% to 19% margin, women believe there is a gender bias in the media.
  • 4 in 10 men freely admit sexist attitudes towards a female president. 39% of men say that a male is “naturally more suited” to carrying out the duties of the office
  • Only 20% of women are willing to use the word “feminist” about themselves. Only 17% of all voters said they would welcome their daughters using that label.
  • 48% of women thought Hillary Clinton received fair media treatment and only 29% believed Sarah Palin was treated fairly. In contrast, nearly 8 in 10 voters thought the press gave fair treatment to Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
  • More than two-thirds of women said they were being treated unfairly in the workplace (68%)

The race appears to have crystallized attitudes among women that they face discrimination in almost all areas of private and public life. Women over 50, the first generation to have a majority in the workforce, see far more discrimination in every area of life than younger women. And when it comes to the armed forces, the poll shows a similar pattern of older and higher income women reporting the highest levels of discrimination against them. About 72% of women that they were being treated unfairly in politics—a perception that Hillary Clinton’s appointment as secretary of state, the third woman in that position, would likely do little to assuage.

For the entire article, go to The Barrier That Didn’t Fall – The Daily Beast.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Getting Inside Obama’s ‘Brain’ – Meet Karen Kornbluh

Getting inside Obama’s ‘brain’ – CNN.com.

“- Karen Kornbluh is not famous, but her ideas are. As Barack Obama‘s chief policy director, political insiders call her his “brain.”

Karen Kornbluh, Barack Obama’s chief policy director in the Senate, writes extensively about women and families.

Karen Kornbluh, Barack Obama's chief policy director in the Senate, writes extensively about women and families.

“Karen is a big ideas person, but more than that, she’s able to bring a lot of really smart people together and convince them to leave their egos at the door,” remarked The Washington Note blogger Steve Clemons. “She was a key reason why Obama’s message resonated.”

Kornbluh, 45, was the chief architect of the 2008 Democratic platform and the former deputy chief of staff to Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin during the Clinton administration.

She has written extensively about women and families. Her most famous essays “The Mommy Tax,” “The Joy of Flex” and “Families Valued” contend that modern American families are overworked, underpaid and deserve more respect from the federal government.

She has been quoted by many high-profile politicians, from Sen. Joseph Lieberman to former Sen. John Edwards.

Her sons, ages 7 and 11, were impressed that their mother authored the plan that energized an entire party this year. But they really wanted to know one thing: “Is your name going to be on it?” they asked her. Somewhat shy and a self-described “wonk,” she was slightly mortified to see that it was. They thought it was the coolest.”

Kornbluh spoke exclusively to CNN about working with the president-elect.

For the whole post, go to Getting inside Obama’s ‘brain’ – CNN.com.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Obama, Are You Listening? It’s Time For Parity For Women In The Cabinet

Lynette Long: PARITY IN THE CABINET???.

After the turmoil of the 2008 primaries and election, as the dust is settling, there appears to  be a new movement afoot of activism on behalf of parity for women in all areas, but particularly representation in government.  Many believe that women will never achieve a “level playing field” until we have 50% women represented in the three branches of goverment.  A good place to start, in the view of the esteemed Dr. Lynette Long, is with representation in the Cabinet over which incoming President Barack Obama has full control.  Dr. Long challenges Obama to select 50% females for his cabinet.

In PARITY IN THE CABINET???, Lynnette Long discusses this goal in depth:

“The current cabinet of the United States is attended by the President, fifteen Cabinet Members, and six cabinet level administrative offices that includes the Vice-President and the White House Chief of Staff for a total of 22 members. The Bush Cabinet has four women: Condoleezza Rice as Secretary of State, Elaine Chao as Secretary of Labor, Mary Peters as Secretary of Transportation, and Margaret Spellings as Secretary of Education. In addition Susan Schwab has Cabinet level rank as United States Trade Secretary. Out of the 22 people that attend cabinet meetings, The President, the Vice-President, the Cabinet, and the Cabinet level administrative offices, five are currently women, which is 23%. Will President-Elect Obama appoint more women to his cabinet than President Bush? I am starting a cabinet watch. Help me. I would like to see 50% of the female cabinet women. I am starting a cabinet watch. As the cabinet members become appointed I will color the titles blue or pink. Please lobby the Obama campaign for more women in the cabinet.  Call his office at 202-224-2854. Thanks.”

(See also Lynette Long: WHAT OBAMA CAN DO FOR WOMEN. )

· The President

· Secretary of State

· Secretary of the Treasury

· Secretary of Defense

· Attorney General

· Secretary of the Interior

· Secretary of Agriculture

· Secretary of Commerce

· Secretary of Labor

· Secretary of Health and Human Services

· Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

· Secretary of Transportation

· Secretary of Energy

· Secretary of Education

· Secretary of Veterans Affairs

· Secretary of Homeland Security

Cabinet-level administration offices

· Vice President of the United States

· White House Chief of Staff

· Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency

· Director of the Office of Management and Budget

· Director of the National Drug Control Policy

· United States Trade Representative

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

The Business Of Electing Hillary: Post Mortem

Commander in Chief (TV series)

Image via Wikipedia

Yesterday I was at a brunch with a number of women, most of whom, I think, were former Hillary Clinton supporters in the primary.  The talk turned to what went wrong, and it seemed to me to be very much a primer for Business 101.  Although the subject was politics it was also really about business, the business of getting selected as nominee of your party, then elected president.  The theme of the discussion could have been “What Not To Do In Your Business or How You Should Have Revised Your Plan On the Fly As Mistakes Became Evident.“  Lessons from the Hillary Campaign, a short list; a complete list would stretch ad infinitum:

  • Don’t Put Someone In Charge Who Has Zero Experience In The Field ( Patty Solis Doyle as campaign manager)
  • Don’t Believe Your Own Press Clippings and Get Overconfident, ( Sense of Entitlement, Underestimating Opponents, ie. Barrack Obama)
  • Don’t Ever Run Out Of Money, The Ultimate Mistake ( Someone had to tell Clinton they’d blown all the money by Iowa, the first primary???  Track your money and guard every penny.  Whole auto companies have been saved by counting their green backs one by one on a desk each night.)
  • Don’t Buy Snow Shovels When There’s No Snow In The Forecast, Hire A Helicopter, Or Order Sandwich Platters With Your Last Dime ( Part of the Don’t Ever Run Out of Money rule…. Also part of the zero experience syndrome.)
  • Don’t Let A Consultant Run Your Business Or Your Campaign ( He goes back to a secure job and collects a paycheck from you whether your product explodes in your face or not.  You want someone with “skin in the game”, ie. you lose, he hurts as well.)
  • Don’t Think A Man ( Bill Clinton or Mark Penn) Knows More Because He’s A Man ( This was your campaign, if mistakes were to be made they should at least have been your mistakes, made from your gut.)
  • Use Common Sense, Don’t Delegate It ( When Mark Penn’s big game plan was for Hillary to be accepted as Commander in Chief, instead of making an all out play for women; when the first poll came in showing she already was viewed as an acceptable commander in chief, she needed to pivot that sucker fast and go after those she finally acknowledged at the end, her only truly reliable block, women voters.
  • Learn to Count ( Did Mark Penn really not understand proportional voting and think it would all be wrapped up by California?  And he was paid or is still owed $7 million for this advice?  Are you kidding?)
  • When You Identify Your Weakness, Don’t Avoid It, Try To Fix It ( Caucuses)
  • Don’t Try To Be “The Best Little Girl In The Class When You Lose“, Possibly expecting payback ( You may get pay back but it probably won’t be the kind you were expecting.  Ask Sen. Lieberman who has already been taken to the woodshed for his opposition and may lose his committee chair.)
  • Don’t Seriously Tick Off Your Most Ardent Supporters ( See Lynnette Long’s blog, http://www.lynettelong.com/my_weblog/2008/11/parity-in-the-c.html.)
  • Stand for Principle Over Expediency ( There were many lessons to be learned from your run.  Every supporter you had will have to decide if they agree with Lynette Long’s blog or not.  If they do, it doesn’t bode well for your future.  And that’s no way to run a business or a campaign either.)

(Footnote- February 3, 2009.  Well, I’m a big Hillary fan and devoted a lot of time and energy to try to get her elected.  I think I was in a very disappointed mood when I wrote this.  And Lynette Long may have been also, when she wrote her blog. Hillary did get pay back by going over to the Obama side and displaying loyalty.  She was appointed Secretary of State, and, in these early days, it looks like she is going to make that a more energetic and principled department.  We wish her… and us… the best.)

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Congratulations to Bev Perdue, North Carolina’s first woman governor!

Feminist Law Professors ; Congratulations to Bev Perdue, North Carolina’s first woman governor!.

AdvancingWomen.com joins Feminist Law Professors in giving our …..

Congratulations to Bev Perdue!

Charlotte Observer account of her victory here.  Excerpts below:

Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue rode a national tide of Democratic support Tuesday to become the first female governor of North Carolina.

Perdue, who has held office in Raleigh for nearly a quarter century, was propelled into the governor’s office despite a sweeping drive across the state and the nation for new faces and change. …

… Perdue’s victory makes her the 30th woman to serve as a governor in the United States. She rarely spoke about the possible precedent but won in a state that didn’t officially pass the constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote until 1970. In the 19th century, the first bill allowing women to vote was sent to the state legislative committee on insane asylums.

–Ann Bartow

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Is Tina Fey Parody Helping Or Hurting Sarah Palin?

OB-CE712_palin__NS_20080829115851

Image by Surfer Labor via Flickr

Fourteen million people watched Saturday Night Live when Sarah Palin dropped by and took over the stage and the microphone from her late night clone/imitator Tina Fey. In some circles there is no higher compliment or touchstone than to be parodied by SNL. It means you’ve arrived.

There’s little doubt Palin has energized the conservative Republican base and drawn huge, enthusiastic crowds when she speaks. Is she critiqued, marginalized and mocked by the liberal elite? Yes, many of them. Will it make a difference? Maybe not, since the liberal elite are not voting for her anyway. I did read a report from one woman, a Democrat and not a Palin fan, who said, out of curiosity, she attended a Palin rally: “Whatever they may say, Governor Palin is a star. The moment she took command of the stage I knew I hadn’t seen such star power since Bill Clinton’s personality filled the stage. So whatever happens in the election, I think Sarah Palin is going to be a huge star in the Republican party.”

Peggy Noonan, conservative Wall Street Journal columnist and Ronald Reagan speech writer, a member of her own party, does not much like Palin: “There is little sign that she has the tools, the equipment, the knowledge or the philosophical grounding one hopes for, and expects, in a holder of high office.”

Even if that were true, if Palin ever does get elected to higher office, she certainly wouldn’t be the first president we could say that about. What do you think? Do you find Sarah Palin refreshing and energizing, or ready for the icy trail back to Alaska and the arctic wilderness? Let us hear from you.

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Lynette Long: LYNETTE’S COMMENTS AT A MCCAIN-PALIN RALLY

LYNETTE’S COMMENTS AT A MCCAIN-PALIN RALLY

Crowded house: Thousands listen to Senator John McCain at a Republican rally in Fairfax, Virginia.

Although everyone may not agree with Lynette Long’s conclusion, AdvancingWomen believes it would be difficult  to dispute her logic or the clarity of her thinking on this controversial issue.

This is the text of my speech at the McCain rally on September 10, 2008:

My name is Lynette Long. I am a feminist, a mother, a Democrat and an ardent Hillary Clinton supporter and I am voting for John McCain and Sarah Palin on November 4.

After the last Democratic Primary was over and it was clear Senator Clinton was not going to get the Democratic nomination, myself, and a small group of Clinton supporters met with Senator McCain and Carly Fiorina. I personally explained to Senator McCain that women comprise well over half of the population, yet you will not see a single picture of a woman on paper currency or on a single coin in circulation. Women are underrepresented in every branch of government and there has never been a female president or vice president. I personally asked Senator McCain loudly and clearly to choose a woman for the Vice Presidential slot and to increase the number of women in the cabinet and on the Supreme Court. Senator McCain listened respectfully to my request. Little did I know then that he heard me and the millions of women of this country who have gone unrepresented in the Executive branch of government for far too long.

When I made similar requests of the Obama campaign, I was laughed at by the canvassers outside my home, told there weren’t enough qualified women by a member of his Finance Committee, and asked by a member of a policy committee why I was making such a stupid request. Gender is the most fundamental human characteristic. The first comment made when a child is born is either, “It’s a girl” or “It’s a boy.” From that second on, boys and girls live in parallel universes in the same culture. You can’t learn what it is to be a woman, unless you are one. You can’t have a government essentially devoid of women that knows what’s best for women. You can’t legislate for women, without women.

By choosing Governor Palin as his running mate, Senator McCain acknowledged that two men can never know what it is like to be a woman, a mother, a daughter, a sister – things Governor Palin knows all too well. Senator McCain chose the second only bi-gender ticket in American history reinforcing his image as a maverick. Choosing a vice-president, was the first significant decision Senator McCain and Senator Obama had to make. Senator Obama talks about change but picked a running mate who is part of the Washington establishment. Senator McCain’s actions speak for themselves.

I have given my loyalty to the Democratic Party for decades. My party, which is comprised primarily of women, has not put a woman on a presidential ticket for 24 years. My party was disrespectful to all women when they refused to nominate my candidate, Hillary Clinton, for president or vice president, even though she received more votes than any other Democratic or Republican candidate in history. My party stood silently by as Hillary Clinton was eviscerated by the sexist attacks of the mainstream media. My party’s candidate was mute when Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Father Pfleger openly mocked Senator Clinton from the pulpit of Trinity United Church of Christ. My party’s candidate was silent when the rapper Ludacris released a new song calling Hillary a bitch. Neither my party nor its candidate has demonstrated in this election that they hold women in high esteem. And yesterday, I understand Senator Obama personally said, “You can put lipstick on a pig, and it’s still a pig.” Well, Mr. Obama, calling girls names is something fifth grade boys do and I don’t want a fifth grader running my country.

I might not agree with Senator McCain and Governor Palin on all the issues, but I don’t agree with any candidate on all the issues. But in Senator McCain and Governor Palin, I find two people with personal integrity and a love of their county — individuals who not only talk the talk but walk the walk. I can work with that. I will vote for McCain-Palin. In fact, I’ve decided to try to win one vote a day for the McCain-Palin ticket. My new personal mantra is, “A vote a day, keeps Obama away.”  I urge all Clinton supporters and McCain supporters to do the same. Thank you.

A great moment for women – The Boston Globe


By Cathy Young September 12, 2008

WHATEVER THE OUTCOME of the presidential race, 2008 will be a memorable Year of the Woman. First, Hillary Clinton came close to capturing the Democratic nomination, a feminist dream that failed. Now, there is Sarah Palin as the Republican vice presidential pick: to some a new feminist dream, to others a feminist nightmare – a conservative female politician who embraces a right-wing social agenda, including opposition to abortion.

To the contrast between Clinton and Palin, add a contrast between Palin and Democratic vice presidential nominee Senator Joseph Biden, himself a player in gender politics as the champion of a major piece of feminist legislation – the Violence Against Women Act of 1994.

Is Palin – whose image as a tough woman has evoked comparisons to historical and fictional female fighters like Joan of Arc and Xena, Warrior Princess – a feminist hero?

To some feminists, the answer is a clear no. Novelist Jane Smiley brands her “a woman who reinforces patriarchal power rather than challenges it.”

But the charge is unfair. Unlike right-wing columnist Ann Coulter, to whom Smiley compares her, Palin is not known for attacking the women’s movement; she credits it with breaking down gender barriers and creating the opportunities she has enjoyed. While antiabortion, she belongs to a group called Feminists for Life.

As a social issues liberal with strong concerns about religion-based public policy, I have some serious disagreements with Palin, though it’s often hard to separate the reality of her views from the caricatures painting her as a zealot. But I also believe that her candidacy is a great moment for American women.

First, more representation for feminism across the spectrum of political beliefs is a good thing. Women, like men, should be able to disagree on gun ownership, environmental policies, taxes, even abortion while agreeing on gender equity.

Second, the biggest feminist issue in America today is the career-family balance. Despite remaining discrimination, motherhood is at the core of the “glass ceiling” holding back female achievement. How inspirational, then, to see that the “mommy track” can be a road to the White House. Palin is a mother of five who resumed an intensive work schedule days after giving birth, and whose husband seems to be a full partner.

Palin’s candidacy may also be a watershed moment in conservative politics. The right has long been ambivalent about working mothers; a number of conservative politicians and pundits have been given to chiding “selfish” women who pursue career ambitions after having children. Now, a mother with a high-powered career is a conservative hero, and full-time motherhood may be forever gone from the roster of “family values.” ….

Ultimately, women should vote on the basis of a candidate’s ideas and ability, not gender. But in the contest of the vice presidential candidates, Palin represents by far the better version of female empowerment. Regardless of how we vote or who wins, that empowering message is here to stay.

Cathy Young is a contributing editor at Reason magazine.