Politics
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Women-Only Travel Company Violates Men's Rights
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Low Income Women Can't Get Abortions, But RNC Staffers Can
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Newsweek's "Sexist" Cover Photo Stirs Up False Controversy
2009 Election: Winning Female Candidates & Democrat Losses
Published November 04, 2009 @ 08:50AM PT
Yesterday's election was fraught with disappointment for Democrats. Instead of continuing the wave of "change" from just one year ago when Barack Obama was elected President, the 2009 elections delivered several big victories for the GOP: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the victory by Republican challenger Chris Christie for the governorship in New Jersey and then Republican candidate Bob McDonnell who won the Virginia gubernatorial race.
Interestingly, despite these losses, Beau Friedlander at Air America says that this shouldn't be considered a referendum on Obama, but rather an example of just how low the Republicans will go to win elections:
The GOP is racing to the bottom of its own depravity. They’ve stopped at nothing, floating racist memes and lies and distorting facts to achieve goals that are so blatantly pro-business and anti-American as to be laughable--if it weren’t for the fact that their message-making, via Fox News and talk radio, seems to find a home in the hearts and minds of many Americans.
2009 Female Candidates List
Published October 28, 2009 @ 08:25AM PT
Voting season is upon us! But before you go to the ballot box, make sure to check out the 2009 Endorsed Candidates from the Women's Campaign Forum as well as a few other candidates I have added to the list. A lot of women running for office in New York this year, which is wonderful to see!
Federal Candidates
- Martha Coakley: Attorney General Martha Coakley is running for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts in a special election to fill the seat of the late Ted Kennedy. Martha has served Massachusetts as the Attorney General since 2007, and prior to that she was District Attorney of Middlesex County, Massachusetts for eight years. Primary election date: December 8, 2009.
- Dede Scozzafava: Representative Dede Scozzafava is running in a special election for Congress in New York's 23rd District. A longtime North Country resident, Dede has nearly two decades of experience in elected office. She has served her area as a New York State Assemblywoman since 1998, and prior to that she spent 4 years as Mayor of her hometown, Gouverneur, and 4 years as a Village Trustee.
Statewide Candidates
- Cynthia Neff: Cynthia Neff is running for the Virginia House of Delegates in the 58th District. Cynthia recently retired after 25 years with IBM, where she started in sales and worked her way up to an executive position. She now works as a court-appointed special advocate for abused and endangered children.
- Jody Wagner: Jody Wagner is running for Lieutenant Governor in the Commonwealth of Virginia. She was the Commonwealth's first female Secretary of Finance. Additionally, she is a former Vice Chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia.
- Stacey Newman: Stacey Newman is running in a special election for State Representative in Missouri's 73rd District, which encompasses part of St. Louis County. Stacey has devoted her career to supporting Missouri Democrats and representing women's voices in the political process. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Harriet's List, a Political Action Committee that supports progressive women running for office in Missouri.
- Jeanette Rishell: Jeanette Rishell is running for the Virginia House of Delegates (50th District). After running a formidable, though ultimately unsuccessful campaign for the seat in 2007, Jeanette hopes to use her experience to unseat the current anti-choice incumbent.
- Margaret Vanderhye: Representative Margaret Vanderhye is running for reelection to the Virginia House of Delegates (34th District). Margi currently serves on the Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources, and the Committee on Science and Technology.
Friday Femme Fatale: AirAmerica.com, Airbrushing and Arms Trade
Published October 16, 2009 @ 05:35PM PT
Things were pretty calm this week around the fem-o-sphere. Apparently people were a little too caught up watching flying helium objects and making fun of the GOP.com #fail to discuss items in the realm of women's rights.
Sigh.
I, however, had a very busy week. I was not watching balloons in the sky, but rather launching a new website over at AirAmerica.com, the place where I spend most of my time when I'm not writing here at Change.org.
The GOP Has A Problem...With Women
Published October 14, 2009 @ 08:18PM PT
The GOP has a women's problem. Besides using women as props in elections and on websites, making derogatory remarks about them on television and generally looking like the party of "crazy white men" (see Glenn Beck, Michael Savage or Rush Limbaugh) - there are a lot of additional reasons why women have been running away from the Republican party in droves.
Just take a look at some of these statistics and examples:
- Unmarried women delivered a stunning 70 to 29 percent margin to Barack Obama and delivered similarly strong margins in races for Congress and the U.S. Senate. The 2008 election represented the highest margin recorded and a 16-point net gain at the Presidential level from 2004.
- Women More Likely to Be Democrats, Regardless of Age: A new Gallup analysis of almost 150,000 interviews conducted from January through May of this year sheds new light on the substantial gender gap that exists in American politics today. Not only are women significantly more likely than men to identify as Democrats, and less likely to identify as independents, but -- with only slight variation -- this gap is evident across all ages, from 18 to 85, and within all major racial, ethnic, and marital-status segments of society.
- GOP Senators Abandons Rape Victims: On the Senate floor, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) spoke against the amendment, calling it “a political attack directed at Halliburton.” Franken responded, “This amendment does not single out a single contractor. This amendment would defund any contractor that refuses to give a victim of rape their day in court.”
- In Health Care debate GOP Senator says: "I don't need maternity care," Kyl said. "So requiring that on my insurance policy is something that I don't need and will make the policy more expensive." Stabenow interrupted: "I think your mom probably did.
- Republican women are a minority in a minority: Out of 435 members of the House, just 17 are Republican women. Of 99 sitting senators, just four are Republican women.
And despite all this, it seems that Kathleen Parker has determined that in order to become relevant - the Republican party needs to start attracting, engaging and soliciting women:
If the GOP is really serious about expanding the party, it's time for the men to hush and let the pros take over. As the saying goes: If you need something done, hire a busy woman. Or, as the White House Project puts it: "Add women, change everything."
While I have to agree with her logic, there is a big chunk of methodology missing. How is she planning to change all of the statistics laid out above? While I think the "add women, change everything" motto is true - it is only effective if you're actually making a genuine effort to speak to women, meet them where they are at, and engage on their issues. So far, I haven't seen any of this from members of the Republican party - except for Olympia Snowe, one of the few female leaders in the GOP, with her vote for health care reform in the Finance Committee this week.
So then, the question becomes: could it be too late for Republicans to make a comeback with women?
The Case For Health Reform: "When Insurance Companies Win, Women Lose"
Published October 11, 2009 @ 07:00AM PT
Just wanted to make sure the Change.org readers saw this important information from SEIU about how women are discriminated under the current health care system and why it is so important to pass comprehensive health care reform WITH the public option.
Today, insurance companies charge women 48% more than men for the same coverage on the individual market.
- In 2008, 14.5 million American women purchased health insurance through the individual market. According to a recent study, these women pay up to 48% more in premiums than men
- This discrepancy is due to an insurance industry practice known as "gender rating," which permits insurance companies in most states to charge men and women different premiums for the same coverage
- In all but 12 states, insurance companies are completely free to continue this practice
Many insurance companies don't provide maternity coverage, calling pregnancy a "matter of choice" and C-Sections are a "Pre-Existing Condition."
- A 2008 study found that just 12 percent of individual market plans include comprehensive maternity coverage
- Defending the practice, one insurance official called pregnancy a "matter of choice."
- In addition, many insurance companies consider C-Sections a "pre-existing condition," while in Colorado, a subsidiary of United Health, one of the biggest insurance companies in the nation, "simply rejects" women who have had C-Sections.
Today, insurance companies are free to deny coverage to victims of domestic violence.
- In eight states and the District of Columbia, it is perfectly legal for insurance companies to deny coverage to victims of domestic violence - and insurance companies are happy to take advantage of this loophole.
- Rationalizing this practice, one health care official infamously argued that covering a victim of domestic violence would be akin to covering "a smoker who doesn't stop smoking." [USA Today, 6/2/94]
- In 2006, ten Senate conservatives voted to kill a proposal that would have ensured coverage to victims of domestic violence. [Sens. Alexander, Burr, Ensign, Enzi, Frist, Gregg, Hatch, Isakson, Roberts and Sessions; CQ Committee Coverage, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Markup, 3/15/06]
President Obama and leaders in Congress have outlined specific reforms that would end these and other abusive insurance industry practices.
The reforms being advanced by the White House and Congress would:
- Make "gender rating" illegal.
- Prevent insurance companies from denying care on the basis of pre-existing conditions.
- End "rescission," or the insurance industry practice of canceling someone's coverage when they get sick.
- Set limits on out-of-pocket expenses.
- Provide competition and choice.
Photo credit: Torsten Mangner
Friday Femme Fatale: Astronauts, Welfare & Real Women
Published October 09, 2009 @ 04:21PM PT
It's been yet another crazy week. From live-tweeting at the United Nations conference on disarmament to meeting Women for Women International founder, Zainab Salbi, to being surprised (but not shocked) at how far anti-choice lawmakers will go to take away reproductive choice - I can say with a lot of relief, "Thank GOD it is Friday."
In case you had a busy week just like me, here are some of the stories you may have missed from the fem-o-sphere. Enjoy.
- Flipping the Script on Poverty (Color Lines)
- California's Zigzag on Welfare Rules Worries Experts (New York Times)
- Dear Mom, Beck has history of sexist comments (Media Matters)
- Daylight Lessons from Letterman's Late Night Escapades (Women's Media Center)
- Universities Target Rape Prevention Through Alcohol Awareness Program (RH Reality Check)
- Sakena Yacoobi's Vision for Afghanistan (Women's Media Center)
- Army's 'Resiliency' Training Misses The Point (Nancy Goldstein)
GOP Lawmakers Want to Put Your Abortion Records Online
Published October 09, 2009 @ 08:57AM PT
In case you missed this story yesterday, yes it's true: Republicans in the state of Oklahoma are trying to mandate the collection and online publication of abortion medical records.
Here's a list of some of the items that will be published ONLINE if this law passes:
- Date of abortion
- County in which abortion performed
- Age of mother
- Marital status of mother (married, divorced, separated, widowed, or never married)
- Race of mother
- Years of education of mother (specify highest year completed)
- State or foreign country of residence of mother
- Total number of previous pregnancies of the mother
- Number of pregnancies that ended in live births
- Number of pregnancies that ended in miscarriages
- Number of pregnancies that ended in induced abortions
The law is intended to "prevent abortions" - not through accessible contraception or comprehensive sex education - but public shaming. Why not just add on another item on this horrific list that says, "Every woman who has ever had an abortion must wear a red A on their shirt" as well? Perhaps we can even get Nathaniel Hawthorne to rise from his grave and write a sequel to The Scarlet Letter.
Talk about government interfering with your privacy. This is one of the most absurd legislative attacks on women I've ever seen. It disgusts me that Republicans are actually considering this as a tactic to block women from having an abortion and move their anti-choice agenda forward.
My colleague at Air America, Megan Carpentier, gave a great explanation of this f*cked up legislation on the Rachel Maddow show last night. Check it out here.
Photo credit: quinn.anya
