Heartfeldt Politics Blog - Politics Gets Personal

WHO IS JOHN MCCAIN? Hint: Not a Moderate, in Case You Were Wondering

2008-06-30T17:49:30Z

Jake Tapper, ABC News Senior National Correspondent, in his blog “Political Punch” June 27 post “McCain Gambles with Awkward Joke” started a bit of a blog-o-flap among some feminists who though the senator’s remark about wife beating grossly inappropriate and perhaps insensitive to domestic abuse. Here's the relevant excerpt:

REALITY CHECKING IGNORANCE ONLY "EDUCATION"

2008-06-24T21:16:04Z

If the excellent website RH Reality Check isn't on your bookmark or Google Reader list, it should be. Every day it brings me up to date on the good news, bad news, and interesting takes people are talking about concerning the big picture of reproductive health, rights, and justice. Not to mention handy information about things like how to knit a condom amulet, which would be much more useful than the abstinence only (non) sex (non) education that has been promoted by the (non) religious (non) right for the past decade or two.

Today, there's Scott Swenson's report on the encouraging trend by states to turn down funding for the now-discredited Federal abstinence only program, which never made any sense. I mean, ignorance has never really been bliss. That's especially so when silence about sexual health and decision making is exacerbated by inaccurate teaching concerning the consequences of not just saying "no", while failing to tell young people what "yes" means. Here's Scott's summary:

The Associated Press is just out with a major story about how in tough economic times, cash-strapped states are refusing federal tax dollars for abstinence-only programs. The story is one more in a long line of damning pieces of evidence about the failures of abstinence-only programs, the waste of tax dollars they represent, and should be a wake up call to Congress.

WHERE WERE YOU SIX MONTHS AGO, KATIE?

2008-06-12T16:38:41Z

So now that Hillary Clinton has lost her bid to be the first woman to win a major party's nomination for president, Katie Couric has decided to speak out. My my. What a profile in courage.

Watch the video teaser and read more here on Huffington Post.

"One of the great lessons of [Hillary Clinton's] campaign is the continued and accepted role of sexism in American life, particularly in the media....It isn't just Hillary Clinton who needs to learn a lesson from this primary season — it's all the people who crossed the line, and all the women and men who let them get away with it," says Katie. Well, yeahhhhh!

Not that I don't appreciate her speaking truth to power now--I really do--but where was she six months ago? It's not like the rampant and unchecked media sexism was just discovered. In fact, Katie herself has experienced more than a little of it. And now Keith Olberman has dubbed her the "Worst Person in the World" for her report. I hope she has the strength to stand up to abuse like this, now that she has at last started the conversation we should have had a long time ago.

She's being helped by several new reports and organizing efforts, including the Women's Media Center and Media Matters' new campaign Sexism May Sell, but We're not Buying It. You can Watch the video on my "On Media" page to learn more. And NOW has it's own Media Hall of Shame.

As the dust settles and America moves forward toward the general election, there is hardly a question that Barack Obama has an enormous opportunity to lead a national conversation on sexism as he has started to do on racism. For the two isms are joined at the head, and it is highly likely that (sad perhaps but nevertheless true) many people will be more inclined to listen when the initiator is a man, especially one with two young daughters.

HOW BO DIDDLEY CAN TEACH HILLARY CLINTON A NOTE OR TWO

2008-06-07T15:05:48Z

It’s been a tough week. The death of legendary rock n’ roller Bo Diddley and the demise of Hillary Clinton’s groundbreaking presidential campaign both hit me hard. I’m a cockeyed optimist, but these two events forced me to confront certain basic truths: dreams don’t always come true; hopes sometimes remain just that.

Bo Diddley with trademark square guitarSo the passing of the musical pioneer whose distinctive raw sounds [be sure to watch this video] made my bones dance of their own volition as a teenager of the 1950’s is as traumatic as the passing of the campaign of the first viable female presidential candidate is today to this mature woman, whose life’s work has been about advancing equality and justice for women.

I never paid attention to Diddley’s lyrics; I was simply moved by the rhythms. But now they seem quite relevant.

Well tell me, baby, what you see that’s wrong with me...

People have been writing obituaries of Clinton’s campaign for months; it’s not my purpose to add to that chatter. And I know she’ll support Barack Obama as will I and most of her supporters—both because he’s a worthy candidate and the alternative is too frightening.

Instead, I’m looking at the lessons Bo Diddley’s life and music offer Hillary as she goes forward from the disappointment she feels for herself and for her many supporters.

Oh baby, I’m sorry…

A DOCTOR WHO WAS THERE DESCRIBES ABORTION PRE-ROE

2008-06-03T15:38:45Z

Repairing the Damage, Before Roe by Waldo Fielding M.D., in today's New York Times is a must read and must share. Fielding is 80; his generation of doctors knows the real stories about the injustices of illegal abortion. An excerpt:

With the Supreme Court becoming more conservative, many people who support women’s right to choose an abortion fear that Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that gave them that right, is in danger of being swept aside. When such fears arise, we often hear about the pre-Roe “bad old days.” Yet there are few physicians today who can relate to them from personal experience. I can.

I am a retired gynecologist, in my mid-80s. My early formal training in my specialty was spent in New York City, from 1948 to 1953, in two of the city’s large municipal hospitals. There I saw and treated almost every complication of illegal abortion...

Now it's up to the generation now present to make the coat hanger (photos of which accompnied the article) a symbol of women's empowerment rather than victimization.

THE DEMOCRATS' COW PASTURE

2008-05-31T13:10:03Z

Today's the big day when the Democrats will find out whether they can effectively get out of the pasture of cow patties they created for themselves without either stepping in too many or causing a stampede among the supporters of either
Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The Democratic Party leaders voted on Aug. 25, 2007, to sanction Florida Democrats for moving the date of their presidential primary to January 29, a week before the February 5 date which the party's rules had set as the official start of primary season. They excepted the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary which have traditionally been the earliest--no one wanted to tamper with that little bit of presidential election theater even though it gives two small states way more influence in framing the narrative of the race than they deserve. Then in typical Democratic party fashion,

WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES

2008-05-23T17:10:48Z

What kind of shoes represent you? Or, maybe the better question is: if you were a pair of shoes, what would you be? Cowboy boots? Sneakers? Bare feet? My red shoes, as pictured below express my agreement that all the votes should be counted so that all the people will feel their voices have been heard. Democracy takes patience and participation. (No Dorothy allusions, please--her shoes were actually silver.)

Check out the Walk a Mile in My Shoes Website and let the Democratic National Committee know what you think.

Here's what Ginny said:

These shoes have been in courtrooms and offices, in grocery stores and auto repair shops, in soccer fields and the

SATURDAY EVENING REPLIES TO YOUR COMMENTS

2008-05-18T02:00:05Z

As my daddy used to say, "That's what makes horse races."
horserace of ideas

The many and multi-textured responses with varied opinions I received to my comments in the AP story last week which I link to in “Saturday Morning Coffee Questions on Women and Voting Power” below came via e-mail rather than on this site and warrant a post of their own. (Note to readers—I always love to hear from you, but I would appreciate your posting comments here on Heartfelt so other readers can have the benefit of them too.) Excerpts from two e-mails that especially touched me are below; I’ll introduce each one and share my reactions.

First from Lakeisha, whose depth of feeling about Obama’s candidacy is so compelling, it brought me to tears:

In my mother's womb she had to wonder whether I would be male or female; she's known…that her children would be black and face terrible situations because of it. In our community it was a fantasy, almost ignorant to think that a black individual could even seriously think about running for president; then actually have a real chance. I never thought in my life time that I would see a black man be taken seriously as a presidential nominee. For the first time in my 28 years,

SATURDAY MORNING COFFEE QUESTIONS ON WOMEN AND VOTING POWER

2008-05-10T10:19:05Z

I've been interviewed many times over the years by AP reporter David Crary, and he always does a great job of capturing sensitive and complex cultural issues that many other journalists can only simplify into polarized extremes.

His byline article today, in which he also interviews several of my most esteemed colleagues and fondest friends-with whom I don't necesarily agree on this issue--is no exception.

Feminists sharply divided between Clinton, Obama

By DAVID CRARY – 1 hour ago

NEW YORK (AP) — No constituency is more eager to see a woman win the presidency than America's feminists, yet — despite Hillary Rodham Clinton's historic candidacy — the women's movement finds itself wrenchingly divided over the Democratic race as it heads toward the finish.

At breakfast forums, in op-ed columns, across the blogosphere, the debate has been heartfelt and sometimes bitter. Are the activist women supporting front-runner Barack Obama betraying their gender? Are Clinton's feminist backers mired in an outdated, women's-liberation mind-set?

Read the rest of the article here... and tell me a) what you think and b) so what you think women ought to do, not about this disagreement necessarily but about using our voting power?

SHOULD HILLARY QUIT? DEFINITELY NOT.

2008-05-08T20:43:31Z

So my Los Angeles liberal friend called while I was on the treadmill this morning. She helped me get an especially good workout today. In fact, I got so worked up I was panting.

LALF: What about your girlfriend?
(I didn’t have to ask her who she meant.)

Me: It’s highly unlikely she’ll prevail at this point, but she ought to stay in the race through the rest of the primaries. Let the process run its course. Then the winner can win with honor and the loser can lose with honor and they can join hands with dignity to go defeat John McCain in November. I hope on the same ticket, but even if not, they’ll work together.

LALF: But that’s not what people are saying out here. They’re all screaming for Hillary to quit.
Me: They wouldn’t stop a football game in the last quarter just because their team was winning. Why would they want to stop the presidential primary before the last states have voted?

LALF: Everybody says she should get out now. And you know how we used to love Bill…