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Mar

30

Details of President Obama’s 2010 Seder

Filed Under Barack Obama, Holidays, Jewish, Religion | Leave a Comment

This photo of President Obama’s 2010 seder shows that the Maxwell House Haggadah is a two-peat choice for telling the Passover story - way to go Maxwell House. You can read more about the seder here (the menu is similar to what I served except we didn’t do brisket, chicken or asparagus – and we had kosher for Passover rocky road browniese and matzah caramel crunch with our coffee, and a lot of wine from Israel).

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:19 am March 30th, 2010 in Barack Obama, Holidays, Jewish, Religion | Please comment 

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Mar

30

A Message for John Kasich’s Phone Bankers

Filed Under Campaigning, Holidays, Jewish, Judaism, Politics, Religion | 1 Comment

Who called just as our seder was starting:

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:57 am March 30th, 2010 in Campaigning, Holidays, Jewish, Judaism, Politics, Religion | 1 Comment 

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Mar

28

What Do Jews Do: Passover 2010 & Best Kosher L’Pesach Recipes

Filed Under Holidays, Judaism, Recipes, Religion | Leave a Comment

We make the same foods over and over because repeating a good menu is a lot easier than coming up with a new one each year. Just change the people around.

Aw – just kidding. Here are my three favorite kosher for Passover recipes but pretty much everything we make I would recommend:

Rocky Road Brownies

Popovers

Caramel Matzah Crunch

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 6:27 pm March 28th, 2010 in Holidays, Judaism, Recipes, Religion | Please comment 

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Mar

24

Mike DeWine to pursue health care law repeal on AG first day if elected

Filed Under attorney general, Campaigning, Health Care, Illness, Law, leadership, Ohio, Politics, Social Issues, Voting | 2 Comments

So reports the Plain Dealer:

Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray, a Democrat who has taught and practiced Constitutional law, sees no legal merit in the states’ claims.

“Nor do I believe in wasting taxpayer dollars to pursue political agendas through symbolic lawsuits,” he said.

Mike DeWine, Republican candidate for Ohio attorney general, said he’ll file suit against the “Obama-care bill” his first day in office if elected.

Any thoughts on how that’s going to play in his campaign lit?

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 1:39 pm March 24th, 2010 in attorney general, Campaigning, Health Care, Illness, Law, leadership, Ohio, Politics, Social Issues, Voting | 2 Comments 

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Mar

24

Obama and White House Boys’ Club Image

Filed Under Barack Obama, Gender, intolerance, leadership, Politics, Sexism, Social Issues, Women | Leave a Comment

Early last year, after President Obama was sworn in, I noticed how the first big pack of photos (you can see it here) that the White House released had, like, barely any women in them.

When I looked yesterday at this package of health care bill-related photos, there’s no question that there were more women in them – HHS Secretary Sebelius, WH Senior Advisor Valeri Jarrett, one with SOS Secretary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Obama’s top secretary, a couple of others – a noticeable improvement.

But then I read this AP piece called, “Obama Fights “Boys Club” Image in the White House.”

Hmm. Of course, the only way to fight the image is to, you know, in reality not function like or be a boys’ club.  Perception may be reality but if you change reality, you’ll be able to do a whole lot about the perception too.

What are you perceiving/knowing about this topic?  With the departure of Desiree Rogers and Anita Dunn, probably others I’ve forgetten, and thinking about one article that highlighted Clinton’s staffing approach at SOS, what really matters re: White House staffing and women?

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:42 am March 24th, 2010 in Barack Obama, Gender, intolerance, leadership, Politics, Sexism, Social Issues, Women | Please comment 

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Mar

22

Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, Democratic Primary Candidate for US Senate, Will Not Seek Party Endorsement

Filed Under Campaigning, Democrats, Elections, Jennifer Brunner, leadership, lee fisher, Ohio, Politics, senate, Voting | 1 Comment

Thank you.  I suspect you’ve won enormous points with many, many Democrats.  We have got to win in November.  Thank you.

From Lisa Renee at Glass City Jungle:

The Cincinnati Enquirer and the Columbus Dispatch are reporting that the Fisher campaign has released a statement. From the Dispatch:

Fisher sent a letter today to the party’s executive committee members saying that although he thinks he would win an endorsement, it could hurt party unity.

“There is simply too much at stake this year to risk dividing our party,” Fisher said in the letter, which was released by his campaign. “Therefore, I have decided that I will not seek the Ohio Democratic Party’s endorsement. In that spirit of unity, I pledge today that I will do everything in my power to elect Jennifer Brunner Ohio’s next Senator if she wins the May primary and becomes our nominee.”

NB: I edited the title of this post a few minutes after posting because it did not accurately reflect the facts. According to the paper reports, the Fisher campaign maintains that it was setting a process in motion and had not yet asked for the endorsement, therefore they couldn’t very well “withdraw” the request. Rather, they’ve decided to not ask for the party endorsement.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 3:26 pm March 22nd, 2010 in Campaigning, Democrats, Elections, Jennifer Brunner, leadership, lee fisher, Ohio, Politics, senate, Voting | 1 Comment 

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Mar

21

Mo Dowd at best on Bart “I don’t call up nuns” Stupak

Filed Under Abortion, Congress, Democrats, Ethics, Gender, Health Care, intolerance, leadership, Politics, Religion, Scandal, Sexism, Women, Writing, Youth | 6 Comments

As if we needed any further evidence of why the old boys network, if it ever functioned to help anyone is the least functional model of networking now, Maureen Dowd says it all in her column, “Eraser Duty for Bart?”

An excerpt but please, read the whole thing:

We might have to bang Bart’s head into a blackboard a few times before he realizes that in a moral tug-of-war [regarding right-to-life language] between the sisters and the bishops, you have to go with the gals.

…

For decades, the nuns did the bidding of the priests, cleaned up their messes, and watched as their male superiors let a perverted stain spread over the entire church, a stain that has now even reached the Holy See. It seemed that the nuns were strangely silent, either because they suspected but had no proof — the “Doubt” syndrome — or because they had no one to tell but male bosses protecting one another in that repugnant and hypocritical old-boys’ network.

Their goodness was rewarded with a stunning slap from the über-conservative Pope Benedict XVI. The Vatican is conducting two inquisitions into the “quality of life” of American nuns, trying to knock any independence or modernity out of them. Read more

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:38 am March 21st, 2010 in Abortion, Congress, Democrats, Ethics, Gender, Health Care, intolerance, leadership, Politics, Religion, Scandal, Sexism, Women, Writing, Youth | 6 Comments 

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Mar

20

My Letter to ODP Executive Committee Members

Filed Under Democrats, Elections, Ohio, senate, Voting | Leave a Comment

Many of you on the ODP Executive Committee know me personally and others know of me, while more don’t know me at all.  It is not with an easy mind that I write this because I may very well be in a position some day where I will hope for and perhaps ask for a formal endorsement from your very influential organization.

However, here is what I wrote earlier today on my blog, Writes Like She Talks, in support of what I would truly prefer you do, as the ODP Executive Committee, in the case of the US Senate race, which I desperately want a Democrat to win in November: stay neutral through the pre-primary endorsement process.  Ohio’s Democrats will need you so badly in the run up to November, in all our races.  Please, I urge you to please consider the passion that has spilled forth, from Democrats, during this primary season, and understand how an endorsement in this race could jeopardize the amazing force we will be able to tap after the primary, especially if that primary is allowed to be concluded with both amazing candidates, Lee Fisher and Jennifer Brunner, working until the very end to reach each and every voter with their unique messages.

Thank you for your dedication to Ohio and Ohio’s Democrats in particular.  With great respect,

Jill Miller Zimon

[then I included the text of this post]

You can write your own letter through this tool.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 6:06 pm March 20th, 2010 in Democrats, Elections, Ohio, senate, Voting | Please comment 

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Mar

20

Attn ODP: Step Away From the Pre-Primary Endorsement in Brunner, Fisher matchup

Filed Under Campaigning, Elections, Jennifer Brunner, lee fisher, Ohio, Politics, senate, Voting | 3 Comments

I didn’t seek the endorsement of my city’s mayor because I was running for an open seat (one out of four).  It was my opinion that in the case of the open seat, with three newcomers running (and another three incumbents who wanted to retain their seats), that the residents of Pepper Pike could and should figure things out for themselves and it was up to each of the candidates to earn the votes of those residents.

The Ohio Democratic Party should treat the U.S. Senate Democratic Primary between Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner and Ohio Lt. Governor Lee Fisher for the open seat of George Voinovich the same way: it is an open seat. Voters are not stupid, especially when it comes to these two candidates who both occupy state-wide elected office. The poll numbers continue to reflect a high percentage of undecideds and that high percentage of undecideds is properly pressing these two candidates to show why they deserve the vote of each and every voter.

I am urging the Ohio Democratic Party, as the entity that must rally us to help the eventual nominee win this incredibly important seat, to serve side by side with Sherrod Brown, to leave the candidates to do their jobs as candidates, and leave the voters to decide for themselves, without unnecessarily compromising the influence the ODP can have in the general election if it were to endorse in this primary.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 12:47 pm March 20th, 2010 in Campaigning, Elections, Jennifer Brunner, lee fisher, Ohio, Politics, senate, Voting | 3 Comments 

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Mar

17

US House Committee’s Info on HCR Effect on OH-11

Filed Under Cleveland+, Congress, Health Care | Leave a Comment

Benefits of Health Care Reform in OH-11

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:47 pm March 17th, 2010 in Cleveland+, Congress, Health Care | Please comment 

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Mar

14

[updated] Condolences to my State Senator Tom Patton (R, 24th) on death of his son

Filed Under OH24th, Ohio, RIP | Leave a Comment

You can read the Plain Dealer story here and from Channel 19 (with a photo) here (he was 30, a police officer, with a young child and fiancé.  Coming on the heels of the death of the son of the Mayor of Walton Hills, I am speechless.  May he be of blessed memory.

3/15/10: More from the Plain Dealer this morning.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:57 pm March 14th, 2010 in OH24th, Ohio, RIP | Please comment 

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Mar

4

Is This What Palin Means Re: People In Government Should “Proclaim Their Reliance On Our Creator”?

Filed Under Ethics, Government, intolerance, Law, Ohio, Politics, Religion, Social Issues | 3 Comments

As some readers may recall, Sarah Palin had this exchange during a question and answer portion of a tea party event in Nashville last month:

QUESTION: When we are successful and we have a conservative House and a conservative Senate, as soon as that happens, what do you think are the top three things that have got to be done?

PALIN:…And then, I think, it is kind of tougher to — kind of tougher to put our arms around, but allowing America’s spirit to rise again by not being afraid — not being afraid to kind of go back to some of our roots as a God-fearing nation where we are not afraid to say, especially in times of potential trouble in the future here, we are not afraid to say, you know, we don’t have all the answers as fallible men and women.

So it would be wise of us to start seeking some divine intervention again in this country so that we can be safe and secure and prosperous again. To have people involved in government who aren’t afraid to go that route, not so afraid of the political correctness that, you know, they have to be afraid of what the media would say about them if they were to proclaim their reliance on our creator.

I’ve just read the Plain Dealer article, “Fired state workers accuse their boss of religious harassment,” that describes exactly the kind of scenario I believe Palin’s rhetoric encourages.  The possibility of interference of religion in state affairs is not far-fetched.  It is something that’s always bothered me and even more so as offices of faith-based and community initiatives have come to direct more and more taxpayer funds to religious institutions and good works. Read more

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 2:14 pm March 4th, 2010 in Ethics, Government, intolerance, Law, Ohio, Politics, Religion, Social Issues | 3 Comments 

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Mar

3

Rec Center in Collonwood Saga: Try “since at least 1990″

Filed Under Cleveland+, Politics | 2 Comments

I’ve frequently told the story about how one of my social work field placements was in Cleveland City Council during the summer of 1990.  My assignment was to investigate and report back on which sites would be the best for building a recreation center for North and South Collinwood (I worked under Allan Dryer – sorry if I butchered your name, Allan – who was then-Council President Jay Westbrook’s right-hand person).  There were at least three viable sites but my conclusion was that the politics between the wards and the communities were the most serious obstacle.

Here ya go – twenty years later, it’s going in N. Collinwood:

Polensek was anything but grateful to Mayor Frank Jackson three years ago, when the city appeared poised to build a recreation center south of Interstate 90 in the South Collinwood ward of then-Councilman Roosevelt Coats. Polensek and Coats had been arguing over where a recreation center should be built since the late 1990s.

Not one quote from Ward 10′s current council member though.  Someone might want to get that input.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:00 pm March 3rd, 2010 in Cleveland+, Politics | 2 Comments 

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Mar

2

10 Worst Places for Women to Work

Filed Under Business, employment, Gender, leadership, Media, Sexism, Women | 4 Comments

I think there are a multitude of ways to gauge “worst place for women to work” but here’s 24/7 Wall Street’s take. Excerpt:

…The data used is from Catalyst, a non-profit organization which works to promote the status of women in business. Our analysis compared the Fortune 500 women who are executive officers as defined by the SEC to data on the number of female members of boards of directors at the same universe of companies. This is the first time these two lists have been cross-referenced for a public analysis.

The companies on the 24/7 Wall St. Worst Places for Women to Work list have no women on their boards and no women in senior management.  Any company on the list would have to: 1) completely lack sensitivity to the issues of women in the work place, or 2) have enough misgivings about women to insure that all the people who have any meaningful place in running their companies have to be men. It is hard to say whether these companies are “female-free” at the top tiers because of misogyny or dull-wittedness.  The practice of equal opportunity is missing at all of these companies.Our analysis makes an assumption, but we believe it is a fair one. A company with no women on its board or in senior management is extremely unlikely to be concerned about the issue of disparity in pay by gender  and is likely to perform worse than the national census average in terms of what it pays its non-executive female management and its women rank-and-file employees.

And the winners are (with greater detail at the article): Read more

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:49 am March 2nd, 2010 in Business, employment, Gender, leadership, Media, Sexism, Women | 4 Comments 

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Mar

2

Women’s eNews New Column: MomsAgenda

Filed Under Blogging, Gender, Government, Media, Politics, Women, Writing | 9 Comments

I’ ve met Allison Stevens and admired her work for a few years now.And after reading her latest, “Exhaustion is Political Parent’s Enemy No. 1,” I can guarantee her new column, MomAgenda, will be added to the very few must-reads I have these days.

This is going to sound oh-so-familiar to those of us who’ve been writing and momming for a while now, but it can never be said often enough – because until it happens to you, it is nearly impossible for others to believe or understand (she wrote as she noticed it was 7:15am and time to wake up the third of three kids who must get ready and go to school):

Not long ago I worked as a reporter for daily publications. I used to hammer out up to three stories a day. Now it seems like I have lost all ability to write anything on the fly, other than an e-mail to my husband begging him to come home from work and help me get mac ‘n cheese on the table before the 2-year-old melts down.

It took me nine months, for example, to get this piece into publication.

No Time for Basic Needs

Before I had children I had heard about the challenges of parenting: the sleep deprivation, the round-the-clock nursing, the separation anxiety, the terrible twos.

But I had no idea that parents actually had trouble finding time to meet basic needs like eating, bathing and sleeping.

Allison, welcome to yet another sisterhood. And thank you for making what it sounds like you think will be a sacrifice, but I promise, you will see and hear the rewards before you know it.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:19 am March 2nd, 2010 in Blogging, Gender, Government, Media, Politics, Women, Writing | 9 Comments 

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