Women and Politics

Yesterday’s primaries brought huge victories for women across the country—many who succeeded against great odds, such as Sen. Blanche Lincoln in Arkansas and victim of egregious misogyny and racism, Nikki Haley, in South Carolina.

But the biggest headline we’re still seeing is how many of yesterday’s victorious women belong to the Republican party. Winning the GOP nomination last night were Carly Fiorina for U.S. Senate in California, Meg Whitman for California Governor, and anti-establishment candidate Sharron Angle for U.S. Senate in Nevada.

Though some of these women don’t share WCF’s views on reproductive health choices, I am encouraged. This sudden deluge of victories has forced the country to stand up and take notice of women’s political power.

That said, I want to ask these candidates one question: If elected, what will you do to advance women’s rights?

Many of you prevailed in spite of the Political Establishment. Now, it is my great hope that you will use your hard-earned collective power to help us break up the Good Ol’ Boys’ Club and change the many existing harmful views against women.

It is my firm belief that we need more women in government—but it’s essential that they use their leadership to protect and empower all women in America.

That means working to turn the tide of the Establishment, which continually looks to restrict women’s freedoms across the board.

We all know how difficult it is for Republican women to defend reproductive health choices. The party’s vicious attacks against Dede Scozzafava last year were a prime example of this.

In fact, RNC member Bill Crocker said in January,

“No more Scozzafavas, please. No more Specters, please. No more Chafees, please.”

Well at WCF, we want many more Scozzafavas, please. At WCF, we constantly look for Republican candidates who do support health choices, work to provide a safe haven for those women, and find new ways to recruit pro-choice Republican women.

Moderate Republican Woman shouldn’t be a bad word. We want both parties to acknowledge that most Americans believe health choices should be left up to the individual, not the government or a politician.

So as the country lies in wait to see how many new GOP women will be elected this November, I challenge  these women to take a stand for their gender—not work against it.

While Sarah Palin’s laundry list of controversial views has incensed a broad spectrum of Americans, she has been an especially sharp thorn in the sides of feminists. And with her ever-increasing celebrity status, it seems we just can’t escape her damaging rhetoric.

But things just managed to get worse. Now Palin is claiming that she’s a feminist? (April Fools? … j/k? … No?)

As if we don’t have enough trouble battling blatant anti-woman forces…now we have to face a political celeb who mistakenly identifies herself as one of us? Oye.

With feminists like Sarah Palin, who needs enemies?

It seems that Palin thinks by putting the word “Conservative” in front of “feminist,” she’s able to magically change its intrinsic meaning. It would be like calling yourself a meat-loving vegetarian—it just doesn’t work. Their goals directly contradict each other.

Of course, many actual feminists have already refuted and condemned Palin’s false identification. Simply put by Taylor Marsh,

“Anything less than supporting women’s full individual rights simply renders you a pretender, a fake, a feminist fraud.”

While there has been debate about whether or not you can be an anti-choice feminist, the majority of thought and most of the feminist community concludes that you can’t. (Basically, an individual’s choice for or against abortion for themselves shouldn’t apply to everyone - but that’s a giant topic for another day.)

As Palin has done nothing but use her own personal decisions to showcase her anti-reproductive choice stance, it’s clear that she doesn’t support women’s freedom to make their own personal choices. Heretofore, she is not a feminist.

In fact, I would argue that it’s worse than that: Sarah Palin’s politics, views, and approach are actually harmful to women.

I say this especially in light of her battle plans against female candidates who would actually advocate for women’s rights. In fact, she’s targeting many WCF-Endorsed Candidates.

WCF works to get more women into public office, from both sides of the aisle. But we, along with many women’s organizations, believe that it’s imperative to elect more women who will defend women’s reproductive health.

Unfortunately, Palin’s recent actions aren’t just threatening to women’s health—her venomous and uncompromising approach to politics harms our entire country.

Many note that Palin and Bachmann’s political approach disproves the idea that women collaborate more than men. As former Rep. Patricia Schroeder (D-Colo.) said,

“With Sarah and Michele [Bachmann], they’re not listeners — they want to tell you what to believe, so it’s a very different style than most women in politics have had.”

But at a time when explosive partisan politics continues to deepen our divisions, do we really want leaders who will only continue to tear that expanse further apart?

And I must remind everyone that Palin’s extreme reproductive choice views don’t reflect those of most Americans; who believe that individuals, not politicians or the government, should decide which option is best for themselves and their families.

It deeply saddens me to witness the destruction caused by women like Sarah Palin; who could use their powers for good, not evil; whose goals aren’t to truly empower women, but strip them of their freedoms; who don’t foster much-needed collaboration, but boast how they would further divide; who aren’t a true voice for all women, but tow the line of minority opinion.

As recent elections have overwhelmingly demonstrated, our current political system often fails women. And Palin’s tactics only further polarize our political system, making it increasingly difficult for women to succeed within it.

I truly hope that voters this November will choose collaboration over division; new approaches over stale partisan politics; and advancing women’s rights instead of turning back the clock.

As the divisive battle over reproductive health continues, both sides continue to declare that their views are supported by most Americans.

But as the Women’s Donor Network’s research has discovered, it’s all in the way you frame the question. And when asked about people’s freedom to make individual life choices, it seems that most Americans want that right—which includes access to the full range of reproductive health choices.

An excerpt from their Moving Forward research findings is below:

MOVING FORWARD TOP 10 KEY FINDINGS

A NEW FRAME LEADS TO A NEW DISCUSSION; IT MATTERS WHERE YOU START THE CONVERSATION.

The frame incorporates the word “life” in a new way and prompts people to naturally use language that conveys a set of core American values including individual decision-making, responsibility, respect, freedom and prevention.

By using the word “decisions,” we can highlight the more serious, deliberative nature of making a choice, supporting public opinion for many choices and options.

Birth control is supported by 91% of voters.

In the opinion of eight out of 10 voters (78%), the government has a responsibility to ensure birth control methods, emergency contraception and the HPV vaccine are safe and available.

A large majority (81%) believe that regarding these important life decisions, individuals, not politicians or the government, should decide which option is best for themselves and their families, according to their own circumstances and values.

Both men and women (78%) believe that for women to achieve equality, they must have access to family planning services, including birth control.

91% believe couples should be able to have access to birth control options.

86% believe that on comprehensive sex education, schools can do a good job, probably better than most parents, on the biological and scientific aspects of sex education, but it’s a parent’s job to provide the moral and ethical guidance.

76% believe that for teenagers, prevention starts with comprehensive sex education including abstinence. But, if we are serious about wanting to decrease unintended pregnancies, we also need to make sure birth control is widely available and accessible.

A strong majority of voters (87%) agree insurance companies should be required to cover women’s preventive care and screenings, such as contraception, Pap tests for cervical cancer and breast cancer screenings.

VOTERS WANT ABORTION TO BE PUT IN PERSPECTIVE AND NOT BANNED

The current political discussion focuses mostly on abortion, but voters want a broader discussion that is more relevant to their everyday lives.

A strong majority of voters (81%) think that issues such as birth control, emergency contraception, comprehensive sex education, stem cell research, end-of-life decisions and the hpv vaccine are just as important as abortion.

Eight out of 10 voters (81%) agree that they “may have one position on abortion, another on birth control and still a third on end-of-life decisions” and that “sometimes we must just agree to disagree.”

Support for legal, safe abortions has been consistent for three decades.

In the view of eight out of 10 voters (81%), we should each appreciate and respect our individual opinions.

INTENSITY AND HIGH LEVELS OF SUPPORT FOR THE BROAD AGENDA EXIST ACROSS RELIGION, PARTY AFFILIATION AND OTHER DEMOGRAPHICS

Our research shows that regardless of religious affiliation, church attendance, abortion stand or voting history, a strong majority of voters agree with key statements that support a broader agenda:

A strong majority of Catholic (81%) and Republican (62%) voters agree that: “The current political debate focuses on abortion. But there is a much broader discussion that needs to happen that includes issues such as birth control, emergency contraception, comprehensive sex education, stem cell research, end-of-life decisions, and the HPV vaccine, that are just as important.”

A strong majority of Catholic (85%) and Republican (66%) voters also agree that: “We need to respect people’s ability to make their own life decisions and not impose our values and views on them.” Support is strong regardless of religion, church attendance, voting history or abortion stance.

VOCAL HARD RIGHT ACTIVISTS STOPPING PROGRESS ON THE BROADER AGENDA ARE ONLY 9% OF ALL LIKELY VOTERS

A cluster analysis of our research reveals that a small percentage of voters dominate the discussion of the broader agenda.

These extremely politically active voters are opposed to family planning and comprehensive sex education; their opposition is fueled by moral and religious beliefs.

They largely identify themselves are Republican voters: 81% (14% say they are ticketsplitters; 5% say they are Democrats).

This week in Oklahoma, two radical anti-choice laws were passed by the legislature over the Governor’s veto—and the collective outcry of women across the country. These shocking laws invade women’s privacy and clearly violate medical ethics.

And they would never have passed if Oklahoma had more women in their state government.

Oklahoma ranks 49th in the nation for women’s representation in their State Legislature. There are only 12 women serving out of 149 Oklahoma State Representatives and Senators. These numbers make even the paltry representation of women in U.S. Congress seem progressive.

With only 12 female voices in the state government, what hope did women in Oklahoma have that their human right to responsible medical care would be respected?

The first of these laws is a classic move from the anti-choice playbook. Women seeking an abortion in Oklahoma not only have to undergo an invasive ultrasound, they must also listen to a coercive lecture on the fetus’s development. If the pregnancy is still in the earliest stages, the ultrasound must be performed vaginally, which is an intrusive and often painful procedure. No exception is made for survivors of rape or incest. Laws like this do not educate: They only try to shame women, put up barriers to choice, and impinge upon a doctor’s discretion as to the best ways to inform her patients.

The next law is even more horrifying: Doctors in Oklahoma are now protected from malpractice suits if they withhold information about fetal birth defects from their patients.

Let me repeat that: A doctor can lie to a patient and purposefully withhold life-changing medical facts with NO repercussions. According to the state legislature, women in Oklahoma cannot be trusted to make their own medical decisions, and they must be subject to the personal beliefs of their doctors. This law is medically and morally unethical in the extreme.

Would it be acceptable for a doctor to withhold information from a patient in any other setting? Why do pregnant women lose their human rights? I stand with Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry, who said,

“It is unconscionable to grant a physician legal protection to mislead or misinform pregnant women in an effort to impose his or her personal beliefs on a patient.”

It’s crystal clear that women cannot expect anyone else to defend our rights: We must stand up and represent ourselves. Changing the political climate in Oklahoma will start with ensuring that a critical mass of women are on the ballot each election year. Only when women have equality in public office will our voices be heard over the din of politics as usual.

This posted was submitted by Jean Qiao, WCF communications fellow

When you say “Stupak,” I say, “anti-choice!” However, have no fear: The name that has been tainted with numerous attempts to take away women’s reproductive freedoms in the recently-passed health care bill is nearing his final days of legislative power.

Yes, Rep. Bart Stupak, the infamous Congressman from Michigan and legislator behind the Stupak-Pitts amendment will not be seeking re-election in November.

The departure of Stupak makes for an even more interesting election year: It’s clear that Stupak won the seat thanks to his socially conservative and anti-choice views. And now many say that the doors have flung wide open for a Republican victory this November.

Even before his retirement announcement, President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and the DCCC called on Stupak not to retire, in fear of losing the Democratic majority.

Personally, I would much rather have someone in Congress who will vote to protect women’s reproductive freedoms—not someone who, despite his party’s platform on choice, spear-heads anti-choice amendments left and right.

Currently, Connie Saltonstall is the sole woman running for the seat. And unlike Stupak, she is a strong advocate for women’s reproductive rights. Running a campaign in this district should prove to be difficult for her, but we can’t let social conservatives scare women from running. Kudos to Saltonstall for stepping up to the challenge.

A majority of the American population agrees that women have a right to choose their own reproductive choices and options, and we need legislators from all districts who will echo and support this view. But can proponents of reproductive rights successfully fight the health care reform backlash in an especially difficult district? Time will tell, but for the sake of women and all Americans, I certainly hope so.

In case you didn’t think that the 2010 elections won’t be important, and that anti-choice forces wouldn’t pull out all the stops to unseat candidates who support healthcare reform and reproductive choices…

…enter the firey devil version of Speaker Pelosi. Yes, over one million dollars has been raised using a photoshopped image of our House Speaker with flames in the background. Let me also point out that the ridiculous amount of wrinkles added to her face is especially classy.

So out of all the other people they could have chosen to attack, they chose the woman. Shocking.

As Christina Ballantoni from TPM points out, their PollTracker shows that Pelosi is more popular than Republican Minority Leaders in the House and Senate. She also mentions,

“Pelosi, on the other hand, has a wide fan base being the first female speaker in history. What’s more is the GOP has attempted to demonize Pelosi for the last two election cycles to little benefit.”

And here’s a little gem from GOP pollster Wes Anderson:

“The only other person voters are as concerned about is President Obama. They find she shares his ideology but not his charm.”

Ah, yes. We can’t have a female leader who lacks charm! That must means she’s a devil woman worthy of being juxtaposed with evil flames!

What’s really sad here is that this over-the-top tact really works on social conservatives, since they have a tendency to embrace sexist stereotypes and reject powerful female leaders.

Make no mistake about it, folks—this November will be a knock down, drag out battle to protect pro-choice seats and defend against vitriolic attempts to elect more anti-reproductive rights candidates.

The time has never been more vital to ensure more female candidates are elected to protect women’s health and increase our voices at the decision-making table.

By: Jen Nedeau
Crossposted from Women’s Media Center

Fully understanding the importance of health care for all Americans, the author, who manages the WMC Not Under the Bus campaign, describes a sense of betrayal shared by many—and how to move forward.

“So this isn’t radical reform.  But it is major reform.  This legislation will not fix everything that ails our health care system.  But it moves us decisively in the right direction.  This is what change looks like.”—President Obama

So this is what change looks like? Throwing women’s rights under the bus in exchange for health care?

Something about this doesn’t feel like change. Something about this feels all too familiar. Once again, women’s rights are being used as a bargaining chip for political gain. Once again, the right to choose is not left in the hands of women, but left in the hands of male politicians who will never be faced with an unwanted pregnancy.

Yes, it is true that Speaker Nancy Pelosi worked incredibly hard to get the votes to pass the bill that now makes it illegal for insurance companies to discriminate against women with higher premiums than men or deny coverage to women who have had Caesarean sections or survived domestic violence.

Yes, it is true that bill will make health care more accessible for women and families across America by controlling costs and offering a public marketplace where those without insurance can buy their own affordable coverage.

However, these very important advancements cannot disguise two major attacks on women’s choice.

The first attack was passing a bill that contained Ben Nelson’s Manager’s Amendment.

The second attack is the Executive Order from the White House reaffirming the Hyde Amendment ban on federal funding of abortion and effectively extending it beyond its current application. In the Daily Beast, Dana Goldstein discusses how the “executive order enshrined the Hyde Amendment and expanded its reach into the new private insurance exchanges created by the health-care bill.”

At the end of the day, more than 30 million uninsured Americans can now have access to health reform, but it is abundantly clear women’s health is not considered a priority.

If you are a pro-choice advocate, this is not the change we hoped to see, particularly from a Democratic President and Democratic Majority Congress.

The bill that was passed contains language that has the potential to create a nation completely divided by access to abortion.  With the Nelson language intact, it is possible for abortion rights to be completely stripped from the hands of low-income women, who are disproportionately non-white, by the predominantly male-led state legislatures.

According to the Guttmacher Institute , “nearly half of all pregnancies to American women are unintended and four in 10 of these end in abortion.” Guttmacher also reports that unintended pregnancies have increased by 29 percent among poor women while decreasing 20 percent among higher-income women.

As the bill stands at this point, if a state opts out of abortion coverage in the exchange, women who cannot afford a private insurance plan would have few viable options for seeking access to abortion. That means reproductive choice is no longer left with women individually, but given to the state. After last night’s historic vote, it may feel like the health care reform battle is over. But for millions of women across America, it has really just begun.

Today CREDO launched an action taking a firm stand against anti-choice Democrats who betrayed women across America saying, “It’s time for pro-choice donors and members of Congress to stop funneling money to the anti-choice candidates via the DCCC.”

You can sign CREDO’s petition and take the momentum of ”Yes We Can” pass health care to “Yes We Can” repeal the Hyde Amendment.

It is time to finally give women across America—not just those who can afford private health care, but every woman—a real choice when it comes to their body, their destiny and their future.