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May
28
Hebrew, Arabic versions of Our Bodies, Ourselves bring Israelis, Palestinians together
Filed Under Culture, Education, Gender, Israel, Social Issues, Women, Writing, middle east, palestinians | 1 Comment
From the Our Bodies, Ourselves blog:
…Founded in Israel in 2005, Women and Their Bodies (WTB) is an Israeli-Palestinian initiative that is adapting “Our Bodies, Ourselves” into Hebrew and Arabic.
“This version will be up-to-date for this decade, making it available to all women in Israel regardless of their native tongue,” Walsh told the Haaretz newspaper.
The OBOS global translation/adaptation program was recently featured in On the Issues magazine. The story explains how each international project is specific to the community’s health needs and social and political conditions.
We haven’t discussed the Israeli-Palestinian project in detail here before, so here’s some news about the effort.
How the content is taking shape:
The organization is working with Jewish and Arab groups to localize the material and has collaborated with numerous women’s and human rights organizations. WTB has also recruited teams of volunteers, Hebrew and/or Arabic-speaking, between the ages of 21 and 65, to conduct interviews for the personal narratives present in every chapter.
A graphics committee is charged with making sure that the book’s images are representative of women’s bodies in the Middle East and include women of varied religious and ethnic backgrounds. According to WTB’s 2008 annual report, dozens of women have already volunteered images, including those shown here.
I encourage you to go read the rest of the article as well as the On the Issues coverage.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 12:36 pm May 28th, 2009 in Culture, Education, Gender, Israel, Social Issues, Women, Writing, middle east, palestinians | 1 Comment
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May
28
Ranks of Dem. women in Ohio GA increase: Robin Belcher replaces Eugene Miller
Filed Under Gender, Government, Ohio, Politics, Statehouse, Women | Leave a Comment
And the disparity between the Ohio Republican Party recruiting, supporting and electing women increases as well.
Ohio House Democrats made Cleveland lawyer Robin Belcher the newest member of its caucus, tapping her to fill the vacant seat in Ohio’s 10th District.
Belcher, who worked for the Cuyahoga County prosecutor’s office for the last five years, replaces Eugene Miller, who resigned last month to take a seat on Cleveland City Council.
…
“After her time in the Cuyahoga County prosecutor’s office, she has vast experience with the law and the way it directly affects people’s lives,” Budish said in a statement. “Her career has largely focused on service to others, and all of us in the House are thrilled that today marks another proud step in that commitment to public service.”
Belcher has a master’s degree in public administration from Ohio State University and law degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Best of luck to her and thank you, Speaker Budish.
From the OSU Instutite on Women, Gender and Public Policy, it appears, then, that there will be a total now of 28 women out of 132 legislators:
Total in Ohio General Assembly: 21 Democrats, 7 Republicans
In the House: 16 Democrats (out of 53), 6 Republicans (out of 46)
In the Senate: 5 Democrats (out of 12), 1 Republican (out of 21)
By Jill Miller Zimon at 7:35 am May 28th, 2009 in Gender, Government, Ohio, Politics, Statehouse, Women | Please comment
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May
26
[video] SCOTUS Nominee, Sonia Sotomayor
Filed Under Courts, Law, Whitehouse09, Women | 2 Comments
I don’t know much about her beyond what others have written or said. Here are some selections:
Oh – let’s start with the RNC’s talking points, released by The Hill (hattip to this tweet from Brad Baumann)
Video of Sotomayor accepting nomination (major hattip to Cleveland Leader):
SCOTUSblog: For those who are not familiar with SCOTUSblog, it is the place to start your reading. There are several entries there worth reading. It does not appear that they have a tag for the judge so here are a few posts to read:
Sotomayor’s Record: The Ricci Effect
The Dynamic of the Nomination of Sonia Sotomayor
And if you want to get wonkier, here’s a search on “sotomayor” at the SCOTUSblog which brings up several posts that analyze her decisions.
Change.org on significance for women
As a woman, I’m glad the nominee is a woman. As a freelance writer, I’m glad that higher courts overturned her decision on Tasini. As a lawyer, I’m thrilled with her legal education and range of experience. As a sociologist and social worker, I’m very pleased to know of her variety of life experiences that contribute to who she is today. As an American, I’m excited to see the composition of the country’s highest judicial authority have a chance to come more into line with the demographics of this country.
Finally, as a political blogger, I find this kind of statement by Mike Huckabee to epitomize how thoroughly weak, unoriginal and blind spokespeople for those who oppose all things Obama are – and not only because Huckabee’s official statement on the nomination got the nominee’s name wrong (yeah yeah I know – Obama got Bob Gates’ name wrong last week – don’t even bother leaving that one in the comments; I guess we should be happy that Huckabee at least released the statement for “Sotomayor” instead of Wood, Kagan or any of the other talked about names for whom he had a presser prepared). And that is a shame for democracy because we can’t have a thoroughly incisive review of Judge Sotomayor without credible critics from across the aisle. Of course, that’s the least of their worries across the aisle but still, it’s just unfortunate.
If you find helpful commentaries, please feel free to include links.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:58 am May 26th, 2009 in Courts, Law, Whitehouse09, Women | 2 Comments
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May
25
Elizabeth Sullivan on Memorial Day: Remembrance includes engagement w/today’s fighting forces
Filed Under Foreign Affairs, Mental health, Military, WCPN/SOI, war | 11 Comments
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how little first-hand experience I have with meeting, listening to or learning from individuals who’ve dedicated significant portions of their life to military service. So it was ironic to me that the Plain Dealer’s foreign-affairs columnist and editorial page associate editor, Elizabeth Sullivan’s column yesterday seemed to specifically address the need for people like me to engage with military personnel, in some way, at some level.
From her column:
Today, with all the bumper stickers for the troops and the atta-boys, with all the honor guards and huge community outpourings of grief when our military personnel don’t make it back alive, why is combat stress and PTSD as high — maybe even higher — than it was in the Vietnam era? Why are suicides the newest cause of death for our fighting men and women?
Could it be that, despite the atta-boys, most of us still don’t know how to speak of war, or listen or understand what it means to go to a war that is so remote, so “over there?” Is combat in Iraq and Afghanistan so beyond the ken of most of us as to become invisible?
I could not agree more with this notion that we lack the language to understand. I remember having this exact same flash just after 9/11, when newscasters and commentators kept referring to the attack as indescribable. Why? In part because we in America had no language for it – for what happened, for the impact, for the reactions. Countries that have endured terrorism and civil war have lexicons to match. We didn’t.
So this notion of not having the language to deploy to try and engage now too really resonates with me. As a result of reading Sullivan’s column, I spent an even longer time than usual with a particular neighbor at a local pool party today. Her son will be in his final year at West Point in the fall. And we talked a lot about the mindset and how difficult it can be to understand.
I don’t know a thing about the literature that exists to help people like myself understand what it means to be of a mind that prepares for military service, but I’ll take all suggestions, because, as Sullivan concludes:
Remembrance is not just about decorating the graves and flying the flag. It’s also about engagement with today’s fighting forces. It’s about paying attention to the details of the wars they’re fighting, and it’s also about listening. Just listening could mean a lot.
WCPN broadcast a wonderful first chance for listening this morning:
When soldiers return home from war, many cope with the aftermath of traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress. But it’s not just the soldier who suffers, parents, especially mothers, who have given up everything — their jobs, retirement savings, and plans for the future – often step in and care for their wounded children. On Memorial Day, we share a Public Radio Exchange program Picking Up the Pieces.
You can read more here. The program this morning was excellent, and involved just listening.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:24 pm May 25th, 2009 in Foreign Affairs, Mental health, Military, WCPN/SOI, war | 11 Comments
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May
21
Mandel one of just three GOP to cross aisle in support of foreclosure relief bill
Filed Under Cleveland+, Economy, Housing, OH17, Ohio, Politics, Republicans, Statehouse, leadership | Leave a Comment
Kudos to Ohio 17 (my district) State Rep. Josh Mandel (R, Lyndhurst) for voting in favor of the Ohio house bill intended to halt foreclosure proceedings for six months. From the Plain Dealer:
House Bill 3, which resorts to a tactic last used during the Great Depression to buy time for homeowners, passed by a 54-43 vote after nearly three hours of charged debate on the House floor. Three House Republicans — including Lyndhurst Rep. Josh Mandel — joined majority-party Democrats in voting for the measure.
The freeze would apply to hundreds of thousands of home foreclosures already in Ohio’s system — essentially locking up the system for six months. Homeowners would still have to make monthly payments equal to at least half of their mortgages to be eligible for the moratorium.
Edited in: Bill Callahan indicates that the other two GOP House members were Ross McGregor (72nd district) and W. Scott Oelslager (51st district and term-limited).
Unfortunately, it’s not yet clear just how dangerous a crosswalk was made by the three GOP members:
The bill now heads to the Republican-controlled Senate, where it has an uncertain future. Senate Republicans are devoting full attention to the state budget for 2010-11 that is seriously out of whack because of plunging state revenues.
Nevertheless, it’s a notable vote in general as well as for Josh. Let’s see what kind of lobbying can be done by him with his senate counterparts, Tom Patton (my state senator) included, to get this thing done.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 7:22 am May 21st, 2009 in Cleveland+, Economy, Housing, OH17, Ohio, Politics, Republicans, Statehouse, leadership | Please comment
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May
19
Tomorrow night: OH Treasurer Kevin Boyce speaking in Shaker Heights
Filed Under Campaigning, Democrats, Elections, Kevin Boyce, Ohio, Politics, treasurer | Leave a Comment
From the Cuyahoga County Democratic Women’s Caucus:
Invite you to attend a special joint meeting
Featuring
The Honorable Kevin L. Boyce
Treasurer of Ohio
Speaking on
Securing Ohio’s Economic Future
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
7:30 pm
Stephanie Tubbs Jones Community Building
3450 Lee Road
(Between Van Aken and Chagrin Boulevards)
Shaker Heights, Ohio 44120
By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:32 am May 19th, 2009 in Campaigning, Democrats, Elections, Kevin Boyce, Ohio, Politics, treasurer | Please comment
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May
19
[text, photos] Hillary Clinton’s Barnard commencement speech
Filed Under Education, Gender, Hillary Clinton, Parenting, Politics, Women, Writing, Youth | Leave a Comment
You can read the entire speech here and view excerpts and photos here. Many thanks to the blog, Secretary Clinton, for publicizing this information. It is a superb speech, on many levels. I would love to know more about how it was put together and who assisted, if anyone, in writing it.
Clinton addressed numerous topics with pithy, straightforward examples. I encourage you to read the entire speech (it’s not that long). But here are two sections in particular:
On how we should use our privilege:
The diplomacy of this age is fueled by personal engagement and interpersonal connections. And that’s where all of you come in. With new tools and technologies and with the first-rate education you’ve received, you now have the capacity to influence events in ways that no previous generation ever has.
But of course with that opportunity does come responsibility, because this new era of diplomacy requires a new commitment to global service – a continuing effort from each of you to help us tackle the most urgent problems we face. Just as we have special envoys for climate change or peace in the Middle East, so too must each of you be a special envoy of your ideals. Use your skill and talent with these new tools to help shape and reshape the future.
I want to talk about a particular area where I think you can, you should, and you must make a difference. It’s important to me personally and it’s especially important in my new job, and that is the plight of women and girls around the world. As women with strong voices and strong values, you are in a unique position to support women worldwide who don’t have the resources you do, but whose lives and dreams are just as worthy as yours and mine. I have concluded after traveling many miles and visiting many places in the last decades that talent is universally distributed, but opportunity is not. The futures of these women and girls will affect yours and mine. And therefore, it is not only the right thing to do, but also the smart thing.
On the value and use of social media to advance these interventions:
And with these social networking tools that you use every day to tell people you’ve gone to get a latte or you’re going to be running late, you can unite your friends through Facebook to fight human trafficking or child marriage, like the two recent college graduates in Colombia – the country – who organized 14 million people into the largest anti-terrorism demonstration in history, doing as much damage to the FARC terrorist network in a few weeks than had been done in years of military action. (Applause.)
And you can organize through Twitter, like the undergraduates at Northwestern who launched a global fast to bring attention to Iran’s imprisonment of an American journalist. And we have two young women journalists right now in prison in North Korea, and you can get busy on the internet and let the North Koreans know that we find that absolutely unacceptable. (Applause.)
These new tools are available for everyone. They are democratizing diplomacy. So over the next year, we will be creating Virtual Student Foreign Service Internships to partner American students with our embassies abroad to conduct digital diplomacy. And you can learn more about this initiative on the State Department website.
Lessons in there for everyone.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:02 am May 19th, 2009 in Education, Gender, Hillary Clinton, Parenting, Politics, Women, Writing, Youth | Please comment
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May
16
US Senate Dem candidate, OH SOS Jennifer Brunner live-blogs @Firedoglake today
Filed Under Blogging, Jennifer Brunner, Ohio, Politics, live-blog, senate, social media | Leave a Comment
Here are the deets and I’m working on getting a specific URL to the live-blog itself:
Please join U.S. Senate candidate Jennifer Brunner for a live blogging session from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time this Saturday May, 16th at Firedoglake. Brunner, the current Ohio Secretary of State is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator George Voinovich.
I’ll update with specs when I get them.
UPDATE: I’m told that at 2pm, Brunner’s bio and photo will be on the front page of FDL along with the live-blog screen/box/frame. So head over there at 2pm to participate.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:19 am May 16th, 2009 in Blogging, Jennifer Brunner, Ohio, Politics, live-blog, senate, social media | Please comment
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May
15
AR State Sen. Hendren (R), called Schumer “that Jew,” apologizes
Filed Under Campaigning, Jewish, Politics, Republicans, Statehouse, anti-semitism, conservatives, senate | 5 Comments
[Note: I misspelled the state senator's last name and I had the wrong state abbreviation. Both have been corrected. Apologies to Alaska and to Sen. Hendren.]
Kudos to the Republican Jewish Coalition for condemning the reference, especially since the National Democratic Jewish Council specifically sought to have them do so:
We appreciate that Arkansas State Senator Kim Hendren, who is running for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, has now apologized for referring to Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) as “that Jew.” However, it is important that Republicans on the national and state levels send a strong message that it is absolutely unacceptable to refer to individuals solely by their religion.
Republicans must recognize that this type of language is not acceptable in public, but more importantly, this kind of language is even more unacceptable in private. If the GOP does not want to be a marginalized permanent minority, and if Republicans want to keep their supporters in the Jewish community, the party has the responsibility to make that clear.
Very nice when Jews along the political spectrum agree.
For the back story, here’s the New York Daily News:
Kim Hendren, now the minority leader of the Arkansas state Senate, dropped his J-bomb last week after he got mad that Schumer described conservative Republicans as “hard right” in a TV interview.
He almost got away with it, but conservative Arkansas blogger Jason Tolbert caught it, and called out Hendren, who is challenging Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln.
Hendren excused his remark by pointing to his reputation as a gaffe machine.
“I don’t use a Teleprompter, and occasionally I put my foot in my month,” he told Tolbert, then inserted it a little farther.
“I was attempting to explain that unlike Sen. Schumer, I believe in traditional values, like we used to see on ‘The Andy Griffith Show,’” Hendren said.
“I made the mistake of referring to Sen. Schumer as ‘that Jew’ and I should not have put it that way, as this took away from what I was trying to say.”
Defending himself again to the Arkansas News, Hendren went further, saying he didn’t know why the words “that Jew” came out of his mouth. He added that there is a Jewish person in history he admires – Jesus. He’s also partial to Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman.
There’s more commentary from Jewish politicians at that article’s link.
I recently had a neighbor tell me to my face, with my middle school-aged child by my side, that there are too many Jews in my city and he would not help me get on the ballot to run for city council. For more reasons than I care to describe right now, I hope you can try to imagine what it must feel like to be a Jew in 2009 and have someone tell you that to your face.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:23 pm May 15th, 2009 in Campaigning, Jewish, Politics, Republicans, Statehouse, anti-semitism, conservatives, senate | 5 Comments
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May
14
Carnival of Ohio Politics #165 The Amusement Park Edition
Filed Under Blogging, Carnivals, Ohio, Politics, Writing | Leave a Comment
Who says Ohio politics aren’t a lot of fun and laughs – or at least as distorted as images in a funhouse, right?
Check out this week’s edition of the Carnival of Ohio Politics #165 to see what I mean.
Thank you to all the participants, readers and writers alike.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 4:37 pm May 14th, 2009 in Blogging, Carnivals, Ohio, Politics, Writing | Please comment
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May
13
Pepper Pike’s Murray Energy settles Crandall Canyon mine disaster cases
Filed Under Business, Cleveland+, Energy, Ethics, Government, Ohio, Pepper Pike, Politics, Utilities, coal | 1 Comment
Following months of negotiations, all of the parties in the civil lawsuits stemming from the disaster reached a settlement, the parties said Tuesday. Terms were not disclosed, but lawyers for the families said it exceeded the more than $20 million paid to families of 27 victims of a 1984 explosion and fire at the closed Wilberg mine in the same Utah coal district.
…
In an e-mail to the Deseret News, Kevin Anderson, attorney for UtahAmerican Energy Inc., parent company of the mine operator, Genwal Resources Inc., said “no one is going to claim victory here, given the events that brought us to this point.”
“Yet I can also say that our clients are pleased to have these matters resolved at this time, in the manner and for the amount resolved, and to put the accidents in the past.”
Genwal Resources is a subsidiary of Murray Energy Corp., based in Pepper Pike, Ohio.
Quick re-cap of what happened:
Four other companies linked to the mine’s operation were part of the settlement, plus six insurance companies and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The other companies were two other Murray Energy affiliates that operated and held the lease on the Crandall Canyon mine, mining consultants Agapito Associates Inc. of Grand Junction, Colo., and mine co-owner Intermountain Power Agency.
On Aug. 6, 2007, six miners — Kerry Allred, Don Erickson, Luis Hernandez, Carlos Payan, Brandon Phillips and Arturo “Manuel” Sanchez — were trapped when an area of the Crandall Canyon coal mine collapsed near Huntington in Emery County. Days later, three rescuers — Dale Black, Gary Jensen and Brandon Kimber — were killed and several others were injured while trying to reach the trapped miners.
The bodies of those trapped inside were never recovered, and the mine was later permanently shuttered.
The article indicates that an investigation led by U.S. Attorney Brett Tolman is still underway regarding whether there could be criminal charges.
He said at the time that he was still looking deeper for evidence that could be brought before a grand jury. The possible evidence includes allegations by federal regulators — vigorously denied by the company — that mine managers misrepresented early warning signs of danger at the central Utah mine.
Here are related previous posts.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:34 am May 13th, 2009 in Business, Cleveland+, Energy, Ethics, Government, Ohio, Pepper Pike, Politics, Utilities, coal | 1 Comment
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May
13
Million Dollar Hole-in-One Shootout at Orange Jubilee, 5/15 & 5/16
Filed Under Cleveland+, Education, Ohio, Parenting, Sports, Youth | Leave a Comment
A hometown plug that benefits the Orange Schools:
I’m on the board of the Orange Schools Foundation and we’re having a Million Dollar Hole-in-One Shootout to raise money for the schools.
Please consider coming to the Orange Jubilee and participating in the chance to win. I’ll be there part of the time and it will be great fun for a great cause. Here are the deets:
For the first time ever, Orange Jubilee is pleased to welcome the Orange Schools Foundation and their $1,000,000 Hole-in-One Golf Shootout! This is your opportunity to take a chance and put all your golf skills to work to win $1,000,000.
The shootout runs from Friday, May 15 from 6-10pm and Saturday, May 16 from 12-9pm in the Orange Football Stadium. Drive 130 yards towards a pin. Balls that land within a six-foot circle of the pin automatically advance to the semi-finals. The semi-finals and finals are being held at Ursuline College in Pepper Pike.
Take a chance for only $2.00 per ball or 3 chances for $5.00! There is no limit to the number of balls attempted. Bring your favorite club or use a club provided by the Orange Foundation.
All proceeds benefit the Orange Schools through the Orange Schools Foundation. No pre-registration necessary – just come ready to hit what may be the luckiest ball of your life! For further information about the Orange Foundation or the Hole-in-One Shootout, call 216-831-8600 ext 5001 or visit www.orangeschoolsfoundation.org.
You can also see the information plus community comments and who in the neighborhood might be trying to get that money at the event’s Facebook page.
I hope to see you there!
By Jill Miller Zimon at 7:57 am May 13th, 2009 in Cleveland+, Education, Ohio, Parenting, Sports, Youth | Please comment
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May
12
Okay – it’s true – I know nothing (more or less) about what Cincinnati needs, deserves or wants. And I know even less about Ms. Anitra Brockman. But I love that she’s in her 30s, she’s a mom, and even tougher – she has three kids and is a college professor, an accomplished singer and, well, has a lot of ambition from what it sounds like in this Politics Extra piece:
Westside native and single mother of three, Anitra Brockman, officially enters Cincinnati City Council race as an Independent candidate this Friday: May 15, 2009. The fundraising event takes place downtown at BlackFinn Restaurant on 7th Street from 6:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. Candidate Brockman will use this opportunity to discuss the question, “Who is Brockman?”, while also sharing her thoughts on campaign initiative PRIORITYCincinnati.
The theme for this event is “Who is Brockman?” which addresses the situation of the candidate being politically unknown in Cincinnati. Ms. Brockman admits, “I know people will be skeptical, and I acknowledge that voters will want assurances as far as my credibility and dependability. I’m not afraid to answer the tough questions. ‘Who is Brockman?’ is my way of saying, ‘You don’t know me, but you should.’”
…
About Brockman:
Ms. Brockman is 32 years old, and a Department Chair for the Business Management program atSouthwestern College (Vine Street Campus) where she was a recipient of the 2008 “Instructor of the Year” award. She will complete her MBA within a few weeks from American Intercontinental University. In addition to caring for her three children, she volunteers her time with a variety of community organizations such as People Working Cooperatively, March of Dimes and the Marvin Lewis Community Fund “Hometown Huddle”. Ms. Brockman has also performed the National Anthem at local events such as Xavier University men’s and women’s basketball games, Cincinnati Reds games and Fleet Feet Sports Lady Distance Classic. The 2009 Cincinnati City Council race marks the first time Anitra Brockman has run for public office.
Clearly it’s not for me to decide how great or not great a fit she is for Cincinnati (objectively or in the eyes of the residents), but I’m really happy to see someone who appears to be otherwise unknown in political circles step out of what would appear to be her comfort zone and go for it. I wish her a great experience and thank her for increasing the ranks of Ohio women seeking political office.
Her website is still under construction but you can follow her on Twitter.com at twitter.com/brckman4council (easy to follow! I’m @zimon4council).
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:13 pm May 12th, 2009 in Ohio, Politics, Women | 1 Comment
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May
11
Trifecta of stories re: dearth of GOP female officeholders (OH’s Pryce included)
Filed Under Democrats, Gender, Government, Parenting, Politics, Women, Youth | 3 Comments
Last night, I flagged and wrote about Politico’s story on this topic.
Two more today. First, from US News & World Report we have, “Republicans reject women when they shed moderates.” Highlight, which echoes my reaction at the end of my post yesterday:
The Republican National Committee says it’s running a grass-roots recruiting drive to get women to run for office in all 50 states. That’s fine. The problem is, that to encourage them to run, Politico reports the RNC is bringing groups of women to Capitol Hill for tours. That’s the last thing they should do! As a former staffer for a Congressman, I can tell you that Capitol Hill is one of the least women-friendly, family-friendly places on earth. It’s the original men’s club. My advice to the RNC: encourage women to run for office in order to change what they’ll find on that Capitol Hill tour.
And, from a different columnist at USNWR, “Republican Women Are Stay-At-Home Moms While Female Democrats Run for Congress,”:
I think the main reason [for the difference in numbers of office holders], however, is that Republican women are generally more traditional than Democratic women, who tend to be more progressive. Therefore, GOP women are more likely to be fulltime homemakers or to work part-time and not to pursue all-consuming careers such as politics. Republican women like former Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio) have even agreed with me in conversation that this is the case.
This does not mean all Democratic women want to run for office or be CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, or that all GOP women want to be homemakers. Certainly not. But the majority fall into those stereotypes and that is the main reason I believe the numbers are skewed in Democrats’ favor.
Frankly, what this also means is that Democratic women are more likely to be in relationships that involve a more egalitarian approach to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, to the benefit of themselves, the significant others in their lives and, when there are children, their kids.
Speaking of which, here’s a great article on how two women had babies while in Congress during the last 12 months. Both women are Democrats.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:48 pm May 11th, 2009 in Democrats, Gender, Government, Parenting, Politics, Women, Youth | 3 Comments
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May
10
How OH State Senate President Harris, ORP screwing up royally
Filed Under Campaigning, Elections, Gender, Government, Ohio, Politics, Sexism, Women, conservatives | 4 Comments
For more than a year, maybe it’s even two years now, I’ve been hawking about the failure of the Ohio Republican Party, in particular, to keep the pump primed with GOP women. The Plain Dealer let Bill Harris get away with saying that it’s the fault of term limits, and didn’t press further.
I’ve received first-hand stories about the abject failure and sexism going on in the GOP vis a vis women entering politics and tonight, I suggest your read this fairly lengthy article from Politico, Republican Women: A minority in a minority.
Highlights:
The problem isn’t new; former Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.) remembers being struck that no Republican women were on stage while President George W. Bush signed a ban on partial-birth abortions in 2003. “I looked at the stage and said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’” said Musgrave, who was sitting in the audience.
And from Maine’s Olympia Snowe, one of just four female GOP senators:
Snowe says there’s also a political dimension. As the Republican Party sheds moderates, it also sheds women.
“[We] as a party are saying we’re not supporting Republican moderates. That’s a terrible message to send,” said Snowe, who with her Maine counterpart Susan Collins represents 50 percent of the Republican women in the Senate. “It tells everyone else in America who might have an interest in running as a Republican moderate, they’re going to have to think twice. The messages coming out of the national party are critical. They’ve got to be embracive and inclusive of political diversity. They can’t on one hand say we’re going to build a majority and then say we only want people with certain characteristics, like white males from the South. That’s a concern to me.”
And finally, about that pipeline:
Leadership has taken notice. The Republican National Committee says a critical first step is to be more all-inclusive when recruiting and training women. It says its Women’s Coalition is making an early push to identify women for 2010 as part of its 50-state plan.
“Part of our goal is to dramatically increase the number of Republican women running for office,” said Republican National Committee Co-Chairwoman Jan Larimer. “Chairman [Michael] Steele and I agree that we must redouble our efforts to build a strong grass-roots organization that encourages participation by every Republican in every state and territory.”
But the pool is shallow. State legislatures, which often serve as feeders for Congress, are also seeing fewer Republican women step up to the plate. Meanwhile, Democratic training outlets such EMILY’s List have been well-organized and highly successful at recruiting, while anti-abortion Republican womens’ groups, such as the National Federation of Republican Women and the Wish List, say they are bracing for another tough election cycle.
My emphasis, and the part that most heavily implicates failure on the part of Harris and the ORP: there is just one female state GOP senator out of 21 GOP state senators. One. Out of 21. (Democrats are five out of 11.)
Sigh. I gotta tell ya, the next thing, what the article concludes with? Doesn’t make me feel too positive either:
(U.S. House Rep. Cathy) McMorris Rodgers, who is helping lead the NRCC’s candidate recruitment team, says she’s bringing in groups of women from different regions of the country for tours of Capitol Hill in the hopes of getting some to run.
Honey, honey, honey – groups of women, brought in for tours of Capitol Hill, in the hopes of getting some to run? Hello? What exactly is the connection? They see a nice marble edifice, filled with white Southern GOP men and think…what exactly? I want to go THERE!
?
Seriously, if that’s the best you can do, well, I’m just not sure you or anyone in the GOP has any real interest in fiscally conservative women or socially conservative women or women who might be both getting involved in politics. Seems to me it’s all just like Rush Limbaugh’s Women’s Summit – it wasn’t about listening to women’s voices and thoughts, it was about telling women what the men say the women should be thinking about.
Challenge me – please – show me where this is not the case. Because I’ve got a lot of friends who are brilliant and conservative. What is the problem with appealing and empowering them?
Probably that power part, huh?
Yeah.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:25 pm May 10th, 2009 in Campaigning, Elections, Gender, Government, Ohio, Politics, Sexism, Women, conservatives | 4 Comments
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May
10
Free performance by Leno today in Wilmington, OH
Filed Under Economy, Humor, Ohio, employment | Leave a Comment
These performances were first publicized last month, but they will be happening today.
From The Plain Dealer on 4/21/09:
Jay Leno, who ends his 17-year run as host of NBC’s “Tonight Show” on May 29, is bringing his “Comedy Stimulus” road show to Wilmington, the Ohio town struggling with economic downturns. Leno and “Tonight Show” bandleader Kevin Eubanks will appear at Wilmington’s Roberts Centre for the free event on Mothers’ Day, Sunday, May 10.
Leno announced his “Comedy Stimulus” plan during the April 20 edition of “The Tonight Show.” He said that he would hit the road, performing for people hit hard by the poor economy. The Wilmington visit, sponsored by Pepsi, was announced by NBC Monday night.
Wilmington was rocked by news that DHL Express was closing its hub in the southwestern Ohio town. The Roberts Centre, located at 123 Gano Road, is donating the venue for the event.
Emily, who blogs at Create Serendipity, has tickets. I hope she does a write-up later this week about her experience at the show. Her blog says she lives in Southern Ohio. I’ve added it to my blogroll.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:21 am May 10th, 2009 in Economy, Humor, Ohio, employment | Please comment
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May
9
[video] The Rainy Day Before Mother’s Day Candidate
Filed Under Campaigning, Elections, Jill Miller Zimon, Ohio, Pepper Pike, Politics | Leave a Comment
By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:37 pm May 9th, 2009 in Campaigning, Elections, Jill Miller Zimon, Ohio, Pepper Pike, Politics | Please comment
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May
9
Name the photo location, win a Zimon For Council t-shirt
Filed Under Government, Jill Miller Zimon, Politics | 10 Comments
If you are the first person to name the precise location of where this photo was taken, you will win a Zimon For Council t-shirt once they come into existence (assuming I can do that-I think I can!). College roommates, parental units of mine and others who know what I did and where in my younger years are excluded from participating (you know who you are).
There are clues sprinkled throughout the blog and other locations that have published my writing, so it really isn’t that hard. But you do need to be exact, because the room itself has a very specific name and history.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:26 pm May 9th, 2009 in Government, Jill Miller Zimon, Politics | 10 Comments
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May
8
[video] The Right to Bare (Michelle Obama) Arms
Filed Under Barack Obama, Humor, Michelle Obama, Women | 1 Comment
By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:43 pm May 8th, 2009 in Barack Obama, Humor, Michelle Obama, Women | 1 Comment
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May
6
Center for Public Integrity Report: Who’s Behind the Financial Meltdown?
Filed Under Economy, Government, Scandal | 1 Comment
Great, in-depth full of far too many numbers and details for me to read and review and digest at the moment report from the Center for Public Integrity.
From Key Findings:
The top subprime lenders whose loans are largely blamed for triggering the global economic meltdown were owned or backed by giant banks now collecting billions of dollars in bailout money — including several that have paid huge fines to settle predatory lending charges. The banks that funded the subprime industry were not victims of an unforeseen financial collapse, as they have sometimes portrayed themselves, but enablers that bankrolled the type of lending threatening the financial system.
Seek and devour.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:33 am May 6th, 2009 in Economy, Government, Scandal | 1 Comment
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