Women and Politics

I was saddened to hear about the recent sexist attacks against Martha Coakley, Olympia Snowe, and Susan Collins.

As a former Congressional candidate, I know exactly how it feels to be attacked simply for being a woman. I never realized just how sexist politics is until I decided to run for office.

My local paper ran an unacceptable quote about me on the front page during my race. Now, I’ve decided to tell my story on camera to bring these kinds of misogynistic attacks to light.

Click here to hear my story and help us put a stop to sexist attacks.

Help us fight sexism in politics today: we’ve provided the emails of all four recent offending members of the media so you can contact them and speak out against their offensive sexist rhetoric.

Michael Savage: “Jezebel is Olympia Snowe.”

Jim Quinn: “‘Stupid Girl’ by Garbage ‘probably fits pretty well.’”

Rush Limbaugh: “Dare I say, Women, damn it.”

‘Tis the season for misogyny, it seems. These are recent comments made by sexist radio show hosts about Maine Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins.

What did they do to illicit such sexist rhetoric? They had an opinion about health care reform. And, apparently, having a different opinion than these radio hosts means you get attacked—not for your views—but for your gender.

Instead of discussing the reasons why he disagreed with Olympia Snowe’s Senate Finance Committee vote on health care reform, Michael Savage decided it would be better to liken her to a female devil:

“If ever the devil was born without a pair of horns, it was you. Jezebel, it was you.”

Savage played this line of the song “Jezebel” by Frankie Laine, and then added, “Jezebel is Olympia Snowe.”

Let me be clear: I’m not saying that no one dare ever disagree with or even attack a woman elected official for her policy or votes. But if you’re going to, at least do it in an intelligent and somewhat respectful way. Basically, don’t simply insult her for being a woman.

I know respectful isn’t the mantra for these particular radio hosts, but that doesn’t mean they should get away with it. The more people hear misogynistic language used, the more we perpetuate the acceptance of this kind of harmful sexism.

Click here to email these sexist radio hosts and tell them their language is unacceptable.

(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

All eyes have been on Republican Senator Olympia Snowe (Maine). Her vote on the health care bill in the Senate Finance Committee has been highly anticipated, speculated, and courted. As the only women Republican on the Committee, she was the wild card.

After rejecting Sen. Orrin Hatchs’ attack on women’s reproductive health choices, Sen. Snowe then voted in favor of the Committee’s bill, which was approved in a 14-9 vote yesterday. Although many consider her to be the “canary in a coal mine” to determine bipartisan support, others are warning that her Committee vote won’t necessarily translate into support of the next bill.

From here, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will have to meld and combine the bills from different Senate committees, while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will continue doing the same with House committee bills.

So what does Sen. Snowe’s bipartisan vote really mean - how will women in Congress play a role in this historic legislation?

Here are the current stats on women in Congress:

• 17 women serve in the Senate - 17% of 100 seats
  • 13 Democrat, 4 Republican
• 73 women serve in the House - 17% of 435 seats
  • 56 Democrat, 17 Republican

In sum, women only hold 17% of all seats in Congress. So Republican or Democrat, we don’t really have much of a say in the fate of health care reform.

Did Olympia Snowe vote against her party because she’s a woman? Will other women in Congress be more likely to vote across party lines or support a public option simply because of their gender? If they are, and if comprehensive health care reform fails, it will be an unfortunate example of how desperately we need more women in public office.

By  WCF Fellow, Trish Calvarese

In the bill to reform the current health care system, written by the Chairman of the Finance Committee Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), as it stands, no tax credit could be used to pay for abortions except in the case of rape or incest or if the life of a pregnant woman is in danger.

But those restrictions aren’t strict enough for committee member Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT). Another white male, Hatch authored an amendment that said no money provided under the legislation could be used to pay “any part of the costs of any health plan that includes coverage of abortion.”

In the 13-to-10 vote rejecting the amendment, committee members voted with their parties, with two exceptions: Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) voted for the restrictions, while female Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME) voted against them.

Let us now take a moment to reflect on the fact that of the twenty-three member committee, only four are women: three democrats, and one republican. All four women voted against the amendment.

Now let’s consider this: had even just one more democrat jumped ship on the party and voted for the amendment (as Sen. Conrad did, shame on him), and had Sen. Snowe voted with her party, then Hatch’s disturbing audacity to legislate choice in a health care bill would have been successful.

Essentially, had not all three female democratic committee members voted against Hatch’s amendment, without Sen. Snowe voting against her party, in favor of women, it was very possible for the Senate Finance Committee to produce a health care bill refusing to provide funding for abortions, even in the case of rape, incest, or if a woman’s life depended on it.

Thank you Sen. Snowe, for putting women first. Thank you ladies of the Senate Finance Committee.

This is why we need more women in elected office, women who will put the rights of women and girls before party politics.

America’s prospective first Latina and third female justice is one step closer to confirmation.  This morning, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to endorse Judge Sonia Sotomayor.  However, the vote was almost entirely along partisan lines—13 to 6, with Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina the only Republican in favor.

Despite previously making demeaning and sexist comments during Sotomayor’s hearing process, Senator Graham did an about-face when it came time to vote, saying that he knew she was qualified for the nation’s Highest Court, and this was the only factor which determined his final decision.

There are only two women on the prestigious Judiciary Committee- Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)- both of whom voted in favor of Judge Sotomayor.

The full floor vote is likely to be less partisan.  Several prominent Republicans, including Olympia Snowe of Maine, have pledged to support Sotomayor.

Watch the Committee vote here.  A full Senate vote, the final step in the confirmation process, is expected by August 7th. WCF supports Judge Sotomayor, and believes her confirmation is an important step towards reaching equality in public office.