Women and Politics

By WCF Fellow: Trish

It is undeniable that WCF-endorsed candidate Martha Coakley is a champion of affordable, quality health care. She has been for two decades. As Attorney General, she reached a historic $17 million settlement with an insurance company that unfairly denied coverage and mislead consumers.

During her bid for Massachusetts Senate, she was the first candidate to give more than a sound-bite stance on the issue—she delivered a comprehensive plan of action. She articulated support for a strong public option and provided necessary reform strategies to contain costs, including changing pay incentives and implementing systematic transparency.

But with the likes of the Stupak amendment putting women’s reproductive rights and choice on the table as a bargaining chip, Coakley has publicly declared that she sees this as taking a step backwards.

Let’s get real about this: the amendment bans abortion coverage in both private and public plans. Obama and a liberal congress promised that health care reform legislation would keep reproductive rights secured by the status quo. This legislation goes far beyond that jurisdiction; it’s absolutely regressive.

The amendment would disproportionably impact poor women who do not have access to private insurance. They are the group most likely to seek affordable options though the exchange.

In a Statement Coakley said:

The House’s vote is in many ways a significant step toward the goal of health care reform. However, I am deeply disturbed that the House adopted the Stupak/Pitts amendment, which would deny millions of women access to reproductive services.  The inclusion of the Stupak/Pitts amendment violates the very intent of health care reform, which is meant to guarantee quality, affordable health care coverage for everyone.  I believe that the Senate has a responsibility to fix this by eliminating the provision in whatever reform legislation moves forward.

Achieving real health care reform that does not compromise a woman’s right to choose will apparently, take a different kind of leadership. Coakley, in her unwavering stance to compromise on such a vital issue, had demonstrated she is that kind of leader.

It is now up to the Senate to ensure that this fundamental inequity is rectified. So hurry up ladies, let’s get WCF endorsed candidate Martha Coakley in that Senate seat.

Attorney General Coakley and SEIU Member

By WCF Fellow: Trish

What better way to understand the needs of constituents than spending a day in their shoes? Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley this week will Walk A Day with Monica, a home health care worker and Service Employees International Union member.

Coakley received the critical endorsement from the SEIU local council, representing five unions and 60,000 workers. Walk A Day is a SEIU program to acquaint candidates with citizen’s concerns. Coakley will be caring for consumers and listening to workers’ concerns about their lives and their children’s futures.

Coakley’s been a leader on the issues important to workers and working families, including protecting workers rights, fighting for quality and affordable health care, and building a stronger and more stable economy.

The Women’s Campaign Forum applauds Attorney Coakley’s brand of leadership and proudly endorses her 2009 campaign for Senate. Check out Martha Coakley and our other endorsed candidates here.

Election Day is just around the corner for 24 of our 2009 Endorsed Candidates. Today, we are pleased to introduce our newest class of WCF endorsed candidates. We would also like to introduce our new Women Worth Watching distinction that gives guidance to women during the earliest stages of our endorsement process.

We hope you will join these women in their effort to make more women’s voices heard across the country. Please read more about these amazing women, and visit our website to learn more about these candidates and how you can help them in their races.

By focusing on the woman, not only the race, WCF provides women candidates the personalized care and tools they need throughout their political careers. Our newly developed Women Worth Watching distinction represents women who are in the earliest stages of our endorsement process. We want to shine a spotlight on them as they continue to build their campaigns. They are working hard to serve their communities, and we’d like to give them some well-earned recognition as they run. We urge you to stay tuned to these women’s races as they move our nation one step closer to gender equality in public office.

Posted by WCF Fellow Trish Calvarese

More money, more bills, more cooperation—this is what women in the United States bring to politics.

Politico reports that a study conducted by researchers at Stanford University and the University of Chicago conclude that current women lawmakers are more effective than their male counterparts.  According to the report:

• Women in Congress introduce more bills: on average, women sponsor about three bills more per Congress per term than their male counterparts
• Women co-sponsor more bills than other members, and they also obtain more co-sponsors for their own bills
• Women bring home more money for their districts
• Women delivered roughly 9 percent more discretionary spending for their districts than men

Rep. Judy Biggert’s first two-year term brought Illinois’s 13th District $382 million in federal funds, $70 million more than it received during the final term of her predecessor, Rep. Harris Fawell.  She was also the only Congressperson to be made vice-chair of two subcommittees as a freshman.

WCF endorsed Rep. Zoe Lofgren delivered around $859 million to her district, compared with $541 million brought in by her predecessor, Rep. Don Edwards, during his final term, Politico reports.

Despite these reported successes, stagnant statistics indicate female Incumbents and female Chiefs of Staff on the Hill have hit the glass ceiling.  Why aren’t more women in office, and why aren’t more women running?

“Research shows that even though women have similar success rates in primaries and elections as men, they are likely to face more challengers,” said Hartwick College political science department chairwoman Laurel Elder. “The results might be the same, but they might have to work harder to get those same results.”

The service and support offered by organizations supporting female candidates seeking office is thus invaluable.

“It’s been my experience, in working with the candidates that the Women’s Campaign Forum endorses, that these women are remarkable, beyond capable, and aim to achieve the day they set foot in office,” said the Women’s Campaign Forum CEO/President, Siobhan “Sam” Bennett.  “The Women’s Campaign Forum is important because our support comes early, when support is needed the most.   We help women overcome those campaign obstacles so they can hit the ground running when they are elected—so they can go on to achieve incredible things.”

As Politico reports, multiple studies indicate that Politically eligible women tend to doubt their ability to get elected and raise money more than men do.  Large majorities of both men and women in candidate feeder pools, such as law offices and political organizations, believe there is a bias against women in elections, according to Lawless and Fox studies in 2005 and 2004.

In addition to providing candidates support, eductaion, and networks, The Women’s Camapign Forum’s She Should Run program seeks to encourage more talent and influential women to seek elected office.  Learn more about WCF’s She Should Run program and nominate a woman you know to run for office, today.

That’s right - WCF is going to this year’s Netroots Nation conference in Pittsburgh, PA. Five of us will be going: me, Julie, our President/CEO Sam, and three WCF Summer Fellows - Julia, Elizabeth, and Kate. Here’s an overview of our Netroots plans so far:

•  We’re encouraging bloggers and Netroots attendees to Blogicize: Help fill the political pipeline with talented women leaders by blogging about She Should Run.™ We want to ask 25,000 women to run for office, and we know the Netroots community is the perfect venue to make this happen.
•  WCF President/CEO Sam Bennett will be serving on the panel: Redistricting is Coming! Why Progressives must Focus on the State Legislature in 2010 and How You can Help on Thursday at 4:30pm. The panel will feature Sam, blogger Matt Glazer from Burnt Orange Report, Matt Compton the DLCC Communications Director, and State Rep. Chelsa Wagner (D-Pittsburgh).  Join us for the event and follow @leftyngp on Twitter or submit your own questions by using the hashtag, #redistricting2010.
•  WCF will be in the Exhibit Hall throughout the conference at the Candidate Kiosk along with Act Blue, DLCC, Team Blue, NGP, and Wired for Change. The Candidate Kiosk will be your one-stop shop for those who are running for office now or see themselves running in the near future. We’ll have all the information you need from making the decision to run to campaign strategy.
•  Sam will be holding a discussion about women and politics in the Exhibit Hall on Thursday, August 13th from 3-3:30pm. Stop on by and talk about why we need gender equality in public office, and how we can get there, together.

Make sure to stop by and say hi to us at the Candidate Kiosk - you can ask a woman to run for office through She Should Run,™ learn about running for office, and maybe even get some great women and politics gear. More to come about our Netroots plans - we hope to see you there!

As part of WCF’s efforts to collaborate with other Sister Allied Organizations, I’m meeting with as many great leaders as possible. I often say that I’m the new kid on the block, and have so much to learn from these women whom I admire greatly for their work.

Last week, I met with Winsome McIntosh and Kate Drummond from Rachel’s Network.

“Rachel’s Network’s mission is to promote women as impassioned leaders and agents of change dedicated to the stewardship of the earth.”

Their sister organization, Rachel’s Action Network, is “dedicated to promoting and supporting women leaders who are advocates for a healthy environment.” Rachel’s Network founder, Winsome McIntosh, is a certified rock star in the environmental world. She has taken her own philanthropic dollars and invested in ensuring that women who care about the environment support it by running for office. She has also undertaken the very brave work of assisting the women electeds on the Hill to connect with one another and develop relationships - so that more meaningful legislation can be drafted to make a difference. She is truly a visionary, which is not an easy role.

WCF worked with Winsome McIntosh on our online bundling project in 2008. It was a great experience for both her and us, because we’re equally committed to helping women influence social change by changing their contribution habits. Our Vote With Your Purse research shows that while women give the majority of charitable dollars in this country, they do no make the connection that investing financially in candidates - especially women candidates that care about the same issues - is essential.

But Winsome McIntosh understands this. Please go visit Rachel’s Network’s website and if the environment is something you care passionately about, this organization is a great fit for you.

WCF and I look forward to working with them in the future.

I have the honor of appearing on PBS’s To the Contrary tomorrow - an all-female news analysis series:

“With women in the forefront of politics and on the cutting edge of national agendas, To The Contrary continues to provide an important, timely forum for women to discuss national and international issues and policies. It presents news and views that are rarely, if ever, available elsewhere on television.”

With so many ongoing issues that affect women today, I couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of this program. Tomrrow’s topics will center around health care reform and the fact that women are staying in the workforce longer. I’ll be back to let you know how it went and share the video with you!