The Geneva Convention, as I understand it, is a contract among signatories that, among other things, obligates them to the humane treatment of prisoners of war, military and civilian. Most importantly, the treatment is a guarantee that these nations do unto us as we do unto them.

Feminists, and so-called feminists, and even those who don’t call themselves feminists but who claim to treat women with respect, need to study this concept of reciprocity.

I’m thinking particularly of the fauxgressives: those from Huff-Chuck, the Daily Voldomort, the more feminist-than-thou feminists, the maenads who in the Bacchic euphoria of their messiah, rip other women into shreds.

ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE SO-CALLED LIBERALS, DEMOCRATS AND PROGRESSIVES: Once you engage in the free-for-all of sexism and misogyny, everyone is fair game, even those hurling venom themselves. Once sexism and misogyny are qualified as weapons, anyone and everyone will use them.

Those self-righteous hypocrites who sit in judgment of Sarah Palin, reveling in their foul-mouthed insults of her intelligence, her family and her politics, etc, will squeal like bullies when someone insults them. Going after Hillary, going after Geraldine Ferraro, going after Harriet Christen, going after any woman who had the courage to speak out in public about Barack Obama’s PROFOUND LACK OF EXPERIENCE; HIS ASSOCIATION WITH RACISTS, WITH TERRORISTS, AND WITH CROOKS; HIS CONSTANT ACCUSATIONS OF RACISM; AND STATING THE OBVIOUS FACT THAT OBAMA GOT WHERE HE IS BY MANIPULATING, LYING, AND RACE BAITING.

So what do the schoolyard bullies do? They name call and insult. But like all bullies, they direct their worst attacks on those with innate characteristics. Just as schoolyard bullies love picking on the little guys with glasses, or the kid with the funny teeth or who’s overweight, these election bullies have gone after women. The fact that they are women is seen as a weakness to exploit.

What is most galling is that the so-called liberals, the ones smoking the Hopium, feel justified in doing it.

Driving a wedge between women of diverse political positions, races, and religions has a long and shameful history. This wedge disappears in the shared female experiences of child birth and nurturing, caring for the sick and aging, rape and domestic abuse, and attending the dying and mourning the dead.

Historically, women and children have been collateral damage during wars. The image above “Widows and Ophans” is by the German Expressionist, Kathe Kollwitz (1867-1945). Kollwitz’s son died in WWI and her grandson in WWII. Her painting below, “The Survivors” was used in a 1922 conference at The Hague.

Women have suffered far too much and for too long while putting the needs of men first. Although male supremacy was the prevailing narrative of this campaign, many women and men are horrified that so-called progressives would subject women — specifically Senator Hillary Clinton and Governor Sarah Palin — to such vile and violent language. Bitch is the “N” word, but the so-called progressives may have awoken a sleeping giant, namely 52% of population. And she’s pissed.

Other excellent No Quarter posts on the sexism in the 2008 campaign:

Palin In The Aftermath by Texas Hill Country

“He had me until he picked the dummy” by NewHampster

Knock It Off Already by Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy

Join Dr. Lynette Long for her weekly call-in show, SINS OF OMISSION, where she unapologetically discusses sexism in our society. Dr. Long will use your examples to highlight both Sins of Commission (blatant sexist attacks) and Sins of Omission (the under-representation of women). In her direct no-holds-barred style, Dr. Long will offer listeners strategies to combat sexism in their lives and will solicit the help of the listening audience to eradicate sexism in our society. Get ready to roll up your sleeves and do some heavy lifting — something has got to give.

by Lynette Long

The current cabinet of the United States is attended by the President, fifteen Cabinet Members, and six cabinet level administrative offices that includes the Vice-President and the White House Chief of Staff for a total of 22 members. 

The Bush Cabinet has four women: Condoleezza Rice as Secretary of State, Elaine Chao as Secretary of Labor, Mary Peters as Secretary of Transportation, and Margaret Spellings as Secretary of Education. 

In addition Susan Schwab has Cabinet level rank as United States Trade Secretary.   

Out of the 22 people that attend cabinet meetings, The President, the Vice-President, the Cabinet, and the Cabinet level administrative offices, five are currently women, which is 23%. 

Will President-Elect Obama appoint more women to his cabinet than President Bush?   I am starting a cabinet watch. 

Help me.  I would like to see 50% of the female cabinet women.  I am starting a cabinet watch.  As the cabinet members become appointed I will color the titles blue or pink. 

Please lobby the Obama campaign for more women in the cabinet.  Call his office at 202-224-2854. Thanks. 

·         The President

·         Secretary of State

·         Secretary of the Treasury

·         Secretary of Defense

·         Attorney General

·         Secretary of the Interior

·         Secretary of Agriculture

·         Secretary of Commerce

·         Secretary of Labor

·         Secretary of Health and Human Services

·         Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

·         Secretary of Transportation

·         Secretary of Energy

·         Secretary of Education

·         Secretary of Veterans Affairs

·         Secretary of Homeland Security

Cabinet-level administration offices ·         Vice President of the United States
·         White House Chief of Staff
·        Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
·         Director of the Office of Management and Budget
·         Director of the National Drug Control Policy
·         United States Trade Representative	·	·

]]> http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/11/09/parity-in-the-cabinet/feed/ http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/11/08/nqr-announcement-women-push-for-increased-representation-in-turkey/ http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/11/08/nqr-announcement-women-push-for-increased-representation-in-turkey/#comments Sun, 09 Nov 2008 00:55:20 +0000 Dr. Lynette Long http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/11/08/nqr-announcement-women-push-for-increased-representation-in-turkey/ Ed. Note: We are so very, very, very proud to announce that, starting this Monday night at 9:00 p.m. ET, Dr. Lynette Long will be hosting a weekly radio show that takes callers — like you! Dr. Long chose the name, Sins of Omission, and wrote this description of her plans for this NoQuarter Radio show that, as with all of our other radio shows, you can listen to at any time, starting right after the show is over at 10:00 p.m. ET:

Join Dr. Lynette Long for her weekly call-in show, SINS OF OMISSION, where she unapologetically discusses sexism in our society. Dr. Long will use your examples to highlight both Sins of Commission (blatant sexist attacks) and Sins of Omission (the under-representation of women). In her direct no-holds-barred style, Dr. Long will offer listeners strategies to combat sexism in their lives and will solicit the help of the listening audience to eradicate sexism in our society. Get ready to role up your sleeves and do some heavy lifting — something has got to give.

PARITY IN TURKEY

"Engin says the days of women having only five percent of the seats in parliament have to end.

"Once we are going to have more and more women in parliament, I believe the rights of the women have to be much more discussed in the parliament," siad Engin.

Kader, a non-partisan group, wants to put more women in parliament. Nuket Sirman is one of the founders of Kader. She says the members of the organization came up with what they think is a winning slogan to promote their cause.

"We took out mustaches and stuck them on our faces, and the slogan was, is a mustache necessary, in other words do you have to be a man to go into parliament," said Sirman.

Kader took the idea a step further. The group persuaded many of Turkey’s most powerful women, including pop stars and business leaders, to don mustaches, to highlight the male domination of parliament. The media ran with the story. Soon Turks were seeing famous women wearing mustaches on television and in newspapers and magazines. Sirman says the publicity campaign has struck a chord."

They succeeded!!

http://www.esiweb.org/index.php?lang=en&id=245

"With the elections on 22 July in Turkey, the percentage of women in parliament sprung from 4.2 % to 9.1%, from 24 women to 50. Of these 30 are from AKP, 10 from CHP, 2 from MHP and 8 are independents supported by the (pro-Kurdish) Democratic Turkey Party.

Two of these women are now deputy parliamentary speakers: Istanbul Deputy Meral Akşener (MHP) and İzmir deputy Güldal Mumcu (CHP). The only other time a woman served as deputy parliamentary speaker was 38 years ago. Being deputy parliamentary speaker involves chairing the sessions of the General Assembly that the speaker does not attend (and the speaker usually only attends the historically significant sessions) and serving as Acting President of the Republic when both the President of the Republic and the Speaker of Parliament are abroad.

I’m trained in philology–the study of words–and I began to wonder about Obama’s supporters’ favorite word for Sarah Palin, the one we’ve seen on the tee-shirts of men and women: Cunt. Going to my trusty OED, I found a bit of history, which is repeated on the online etymology dictionary. I will paste here, for your interest:

cunt

Rwanda’s Women Are Leading the Way

I have recently returned from Rwanda. I was last there in 1994, at the height of the genocide that claimed the lives of more than 800,000 Rwandans. The memories of what I saw haunt me still.

I wasn’t sure what to expect all these years later, but I found a country that has found in its deep scars the will to move on and rebuild a civil society. And the renaissance is being led by women.

Women are at the forefront of the physical, emotional and spiritual healing that is moving Rwandan society forward. One of them, from eastern Rwanda, told me her story — a violent, tragic and heartbreaking testimony of courage. She spoke of surviving multiple gang rapes, running at night in fear of losing her life, going days without food or water and witnessing the death of her entire family — one person at a time, before her eyes.

The injuries she sustained left her unable to bear children. Illness, isolation and an utter lack of hope left her in abject despair.

And yet the day I met her, she wasn’t consumed by hatred or resentment. She sat, talking with me and a few others, beside a man who had killed people guilty of nothing more than seeking shelter in a church. She forgave him. She forgave the perpetrators of her tragedy, and she explained her story with hope that such cruelty would never be repeated.

It is a humbling experience to be in the presence of those who have such a capacity for forgiveness and care. It is also instructive. If wealthy nations want their assistance programs to be effective, they should look to the women who form the backbone of every society. With some education, training, basic rights and empowerment, women will transform a society — and the world.

Women today make up a disproportionate percentage of the Rwandan population. In the aftermath of the genocide, they had to head households bereft of fathers. They had to take over farms, and take jobs previously done by men. But there were opportunities, too: Today, 41% of Rwandan businesses are owned by women.

I saw their impact first hand at a coffee project in the city of Nyandungu. All the washing and coffee-bean selection is done by hand, by women there. Women for Women International1, a remarkably active and innovative nongovernmental organization, has already helped over 15,000 Rwandan women through a year-long program of direct aid, job-skills training and education.

The organization is launching a project to train 3,000 women in organic agriculture, and is reaching out to females across the country. The women who instruct their fellow war survivors in economic development are an inspiration to those who cherish the essential benevolence of humanity.

But that is just the beginning. A new constitution ratified in 2003 required that women occupy at least 30% of the seats in parliament. (In our House and Senate only about 17% of the seats are filled by women.) Some wondered at the time whether it was feasible to meet this target. Now, nearly half of parliament and a third of the president’s cabinet posts are held by women. Rwanda today has the world’s highest percentage of female legislators.

Rwanda has a dark past but a bright future. It has a long way to go — the country remains one of the world’s poorest, and the social reverberations of the genocide are evident everywhere. Yet in the midst of tragedy, the women are building something genuinely new. Perhaps it is fitting that a nation so wracked by death could give birth to a vibrant new age. I know that one thing is clear: Through their bold and courageous actions, these women should inspire not only their fellow Africans, but all individuals — men and women — across the globe.

Mrs. McCain, the wife of Sen. John McCain and mother of four, founded the American Voluntary Medical Team, which helps bring doctors to war-torn countries.

Now that’s some solidarity. Something in which we have been sorely lacking in this campaign season, if you ask me. Moreover, Mrs. McCain makes a GREAT point in her piece - the importance of supporting women because they are typically the backbone of the community.

I admit, I had no idea Mrs. McCain was involved in so many humanitarian efforts (and I found out yesterday on the Rachel Ray Show that Mrs. McCain was a Special Ed teacher before she got married to John McCain - who knew??).

Not only does she work with this group, but she works with the Smile Train (their adopted daughter had a cleft palate) and The Halo Trust, an anti-landmine organization. And I have to admit, learning this about her made me see Senator McCain in a new light. Not unlike Elizabeth Edwards did for John Edwards (let’s face it - she was the more compelling person, and is totally awesome in her politics. Without her John was just okay. Which makes his cheating on her all the more offensive, the putz).

figure if he is married to someone like Cindy, he’s a pretty decent fellow (I have said before that I have always thought of him as honorable, and this confirmed it). Cindy McCain seems to have internalized the biblical mandate which basically says, to whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48).

You know who else is like this? Hillary and Bill Clinton. Yep - they care a lot about others, and spend millions helping them out. Bill Clinton’s Foundation is an amazing organization, with extremely low Administrative costs - most of the money goes to doing the actual work. And we all remember Hillary’s brilliant speech on Women’s Rights as Human Rights, along with her efforts on behalf of women and other disenfranchised people before and after, that speech.

Frankly, this country is lucky as hell to have these two dedicated public servants, a fact at least John McCain acknowledges, certainly in terms of Hillary Clinton and her work in the US Senate. Know who else thinks so? Senator Joe Biden! Yes, I am sure we have all seen the YouTube video of him claiming Senator Clinton is certainly qualified enough to be President, and as qualified as he, if not more, to be vice president (if you did not see it, here is the LINK).

All that is to say, the hearts of the ones in the White House matter. How they see others, and treat them, matters.

I think there is a world of difference between how the McCains and the Obamas see other people. I cannot imagine for the life of me, Senator McCain flipping off Senator Clinton or Obama. I cannot imagine Cindy McCain saying she is just now proud of her country. What I have seen in both McCains is humility, and the desire to serve.

What I have seen in the Obamas is arrogance, and the desire for power (I might add, this perception is borne out in fact by the Citizens Against Government Waste who said McCain voted 100% FOR the taxpayers in 2007, and Obama voted only 10% of the time for the taxpayers. WOW.). I’ll take a servant’s heart any day (I don’t mean this with a specifically Christian connotation, but in terms of being a true public servant, one who cares about the people whom one serves, who takes THEIR concerns to heart and works to ease their trials and tribulations, who wants to make their lives better, to raise up the disenfranchised, who works for equality for all people, who fights the good fight because it is the right thing to do, not because of the accolades it will bestow. Like that.).

Hillary has it, Bill has it, and so it seems, do John, Cindy, and Sarah Palin, too. I don’t agree with a lot of their politics, but I cannot deny their dedication, commitment, and humility. I think I can live with that for four years. I cannot live with arrogance, condescension, and bullying for four years. Just sayin’.

Well, I am here to tell you Obama, it is too little, too late!

I’m laughing now…Obama frightened of a woman! OMG! This is so hilarious! Palin reaches out to all women….single mothers, married mothers and so many other women.

While we may not agree with all her positions, we can see ourselves in her.

She is a fighter, will fight for mothers and families with disabled children! She will fight all the smears, sexism, and lies!

Governor Palin is authentic and courageous….and this has the Obama/Biden ticket shaking in their shoes and probably peeing down their legs!

Look who else Obama will be using….after dispatching…dispatching….Hillary to Florida. And since the election is so far past Hillary and more focused on Obama, her campaigning for him may be seen as pandering to keep her position within the Senate and the party. A party which tried to kick her out.

And Hillary’s appeal to women will remind of us this.

With the McCain-Palin team courting undecided female voters, including some who backed Mrs. Clinton in the Democratic primaries, Obama aides said they were counting on not only Mrs. Clinton but also Democratic female governors to rebut Ms. Palin — and, by extension, Mr. McCain. Those governors include Janet Napolitano of Arizona and Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas.

Run away. Run away. Run away! Those female Democratic governors are coming your way!

Sebelius will miss the mark….she is very elitist, endorsing Obama right out of the chute!….talks out of both sides of her mouth. She has said that she supports veterans….not so much. And she doesn’t seem to understand people like me who live on dirt roads in Kansas! The state of children in Kansas released recently shows no significant changes especially in the area of poverty.

And then there is Napolitano…..well this is what she did,

In short, Napolitano was under a lot of pressure. Nevertheless, on Jan. 11, a few weeks ahead of Arizona’s Super Tuesday primary, she announced her support for Barack Obama, citing his ability to attract independent voters and his appeal to national unity. For those who’d been tracking Napolitano’s rhetoric and career, the move didn’t come as too much of a shock, despite her Clinton connections. Napolitano has been dropping buzzwords like “unity,” “compromise,” and “nonpartisanship” since her first campaign for attorney general in 1998 — years before a young Illinois state senator burst onto the political scene.

She might be terribly popular with her constituents, but she will miss with disaffected Clinton supporters and undecided women. Women will remember her for her buzz words (sounds like Obama) and her endorsement of Obama.

More on this from NYT,

“What McCain has done with Governor Palin’s nomination is aim right at a demographic that Obama needs to address quickly (this should have happened months ago, game, set, match, and you lost Obama!): noncollege-educated women,” said Mike McCurry, a former spokesman in the Clinton White House. “They need to maximize Biden’s ability to reach out to them, but at the end of the day, it is Obama who has to get that very, very critical group.”

Here is Hillary with a little bit of honesty. Hillary is telling Obama “don’t count on her influence”, Hillary apparently realizes that women in general are still pissed at Obama.

Advisers to Mrs. Clinton said that she stood ready to help the Obama-Biden ticket, but they urged the campaign not to overestimate the impact Mrs. Clinton could have, noting that she had other commitments this fall, like campaigning and raising money for Senate candidates (something Obama knows nothing about).

Obama is really showing his fear of Governor Sarah Palin. See how many people watched her deliver her speech on national television at the Republican National Convention. According to Forbes, 40 million people viewed her speech.

Seems Obama isn’t the only “new” and “exciting” candidate….Governor Sarah Palin beats him …. not only in the numbers but in her authenticity and her charitable nature. Palin’s career has never been just about her but the citizens of Alaska. That must be the reason her approval rating is more than 80%, making her the most popular governor in the USA!

Keep on running Obama, Governor Sarah Palin, a Washington outsider, is on your heels and she is only running for Vice President!

Hockey Mom delivers….from MACLEANSCA.blog. More from them.

She was combative and she was funny — sometimes snarky — and the crowd here clung to every single word. I can’t help but think she’s a plus on the ticket. And I can’t get over how much she looks like Tina Fey.

“I love those hockey Moms. You know, they say, the difference between a hockey Mom and a pitbull?… Lipstick!”

She delivered her big line perfectly:

“Since our opponents look down on that experience let me explain to them what the job (mayor of her hometown) involves. It’s kind of like being a community organizer… except with actual responsibility.”

The opinion on this blog located in Canada is just this:

Maybe I’m the only reporter in Canada to think this, and maybe it’s because I’m here in the Republican bubble, but I think this pick brings a lot of pluses to the ticket — mobilizing the pro-life and Christian base at a time when Obama was enjoying an “enthusiasm” edge in on-the-ground organizing; rejeuvenating the ticket that looked like an old white guy; and piquing the interest of women… I’ll be surprised if they get a lot of the hard-core Hillary voters — they’re too far apart on the issues, but after watching this confident and combative speech, and seeing the hearty endorsement from the security uber-hawks like Giuliani, I think a lot of independent women are going to tune in to hear more from Palin.

“>Bolson on… Observations and opinion on “We the People…” gives us highlights of the convention throughout the evening, It is his headline about Governor Sarah Palin, that takes your breath away.

Sarah takes aim and comes out guns blazing!

He continues to express his true and unadulterated feelings about The Speech,

In what was clearly the most anticipated political speech this year–and perhaps in decades–Alaska’s Gov. Sarah Palin took center stage, stepped up to the plate, and knocked one of out the ballpark. We’re talking out of the park and across the street and into the woods. Joe Biden must have had dry mouth and pangs of personal and professional jealousy while watching Palin’s performance.

She was poised, powerful, on point, at times a pitbull with lipstick, and definitely ready for prime time. She was, the Democrats worst fear come true. Authoritative but seemingly approachable. Fiery but obviously friendly. Tough but too classy to swim and swirl around in the muck, mud, and the mire that the mainstream media loves to wallow and whine in.

Bolson felt the following quotes from Governor Palin’s speech were perhaps the best and most memorable,

About her experience: “I was mayor of my hometown. And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves. I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities.”

About her reason for running for vice president: “I’m not a member of the permanent political establishment. And I’ve learned quickly, these past few days, that if you’re not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone. But here’s a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I’m not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I’m going to Washington to serve the people of this country.”

About her running mate, Sen. McCain: “Here’s how I look at the choice Americans face in this election. In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change.”

The Moderate Voice had this to say about McCain first,

John McCain just found his new attack dog, and I think we’ll all want to get bitten.

The Voice gives us an interesting perspective on Governor Palin:

Yet when Palin savages Obama as an unaccomplished community organizer, it’s like watching Reese Witherspoon in “Legally Blonde” take down her smug, self-satisfied ex-boyfriend in law school. How can you be mad at a woman who says the only difference between hockey moms like herself and pit bulls is “lipstick”?

Michael Crowley at The Stump wasn’t very generous towards Governor Palin and had this to say. He actually found some of her criticisms toward Obama over the top. (I thought they were appropriate and hitting at Obama’s soft spot.) Here is what Michael said,

I completely misjudged how negative she would be. Her lines about Obama were brutally cutting and possibly over the top in places. But she’s a far better messenger than an angry white man. (Note, by the way, how both Rudy and Huckabee employed a tone that was more bemused than angry. That’s the modern GOP’s favorite trick–comedic ridicule in place of outright nastiness.)

I disagree of course I think she was truly positive in most parts but hard hitting on Obama, he deserved it though after the bashing he and his surrogates gave Governor Palin all week.

The Trail has reactions from women around the country.

From Michigan,

Linda Beebe, 59, a voter in Michigan, had been leaning toward Sen. Barack Obama before Palin’s speech on Wednesday night. Before the Alaska governor had even finished speaking, though, Beebe had changed her mind.

“Could we drop off McCain and just have her?” Beebe said in a telephone interview. “She’s talking about the things that concern myself and people I know. I know there’s a big world out there, but if we’re not healthy at home, how can we help outside home? She sounds pretty good.”

There is this from Connecticut. I have to disagree with the assessment, I didn’t find her smug, I find her very genuine. She appears to be the type of woman who will not genuflect to the aristocracy. She is independent, moves to the beat of her own drummer!

Laura Bates, 45, of Madison, Conn., the reaction was more muted. “She gives a good speech, and she’s talking to the people in her audience — but she seems antagonistic, and I’m not impressed,” said Bates, who supported Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the primaries. “I’d say it’s about 100 percent I’d vote for Obama at this point. She hasn’t really said anything constructive … and she’s been a little negative and smug.”

And from my home state of Massachusetts….this woman knew she was voting for the McCain ticket beforehand.

After supporting Clinton in the primary, Lang said, she had been undecided until last week.
“Today I’m voting for McCain,” Lang said. “I think it’s a smart move for him to pick a woman, because all of us who have voted for Hillary Clinton have no one to vote for.”

In Virginia, Bridget Brophy played hostess to four members of the Network of Enlightened Women, a conservative women’s book club at the college. All were eager to hear from Palin after nearly a week of news reports that had shaped their first impressions. Three of the women were outspoken and described what they liked.

Lauren Brown, a third-year law student, said: “The ethics reform bill was one of her first goals. That impressed me.”

“I kind of liked her better because she was supportive of her daughter,” said junior Melissa Barron, as she chomped on double-chocolate chip cookies. “She has a really strong family.”

“I feel like she’s just made of something really strong,” Brophy said.

Then there is this from inside Xcel Energy Center,

When Palin finally did make her introduction, Nagel approved of what she saw — and heard. Nagel once coached a high school speech and debate team, and she liked how Palin defended her family without sounding defensive. She stood up on her red folding chair at the end of Palin’s speech and leaned in to take a picture. “She started with the family and then moved on, just like everybody should do,” Nagel shouted above the roar of the crowd. “She’s a woman, and she showed she’s tough. She attacked Obama. She touched on all the issues. We love her.”

Said Cassis, a state senator from suburban Detroit: “This is history. The Democrats had a chance to put a woman on the ticket, and they punted. Not us. [Palin] is elevating women just by her presence. I will always remember this.”

And finally from Indiana we had several residents weigh-in. Here is more on that:

But Sue Struss, 48, expressed appreciation of Palin’s family values. “She has a family, her husband has two jobs — they’re clearly American people, not some rich people,” said Struss, a lifelong Whiting resident and the manager of the bar, which is adorned by an American flag in twinkling lights, wood paneling, and Bud and Miller pendants.

But Sue Struss, 48, expressed appreciation of Palin’s family values.

“She has a family, her husband has two jobs — they’re clearly American people, not some rich people,” said Struss, a lifelong Whiting resident and the manager of the bar, which is adorned by an American flag in twinkling lights, wood paneling, and Bud and Miller pendants.

John Lawson, 44, a chemical engineer at BP, said working-class Whiting residents are torn between the traditional Democratic support of labor and the traditional values represented by Palin. “She’s facing the same challenges as a lot of Americans — a pregnant daughter, a disabled son, balancing work and family,” he said.

Many residents of the little town were more enthralled with the Cubs game, only one bar was watching the convention. One military veteran weighed-in on the speech.

Charles White, 48, an out-of-work house painter who is a military veteran, said he thought the speech was uninspiring and showed hopelessness among Republicans. “I go by body language, and if you feel you have a good running mate, you’re going to be pumped up,” he said of McCain. “McCain just chose her because she’s a pretty face, and none of the men would go with him because they know he’s going to lose.”

This is a sentiment I have seen served up by veterans over the years. They haven’t accepted that women serve our country too in combat and on Naval ships. I disagree with him all together. Governor Palin hit a home run last night, there is no doubt. I can’t wait to see her sweep Biden off the stage in debates!

It is really an upside year. I have always viewed the Republican Party as being the totally sexist party. That just isn’t so this year. Democrats are miring in their sexist muck!

Authenticity is the one word threat to the Obama-Biden ticket.

There is something going on this weekend which traditional pundits, traditional consultants and traditional politicians are simply missing. All of the normal biography-oriented and issue-oriented analysis misses an emotional gestalt event comparable to when Ronald Reagan in 1980 crystalized his leadership in New Hampshire when he seized control of the GOP debate.

In one sudden moment Friday, John McCain fundamentally changed American politics in a manner that transcends issues and details.

The great threat to the Obama-Biden ticket can be captured in one word: authenticity.

I have done some reading about Governor Palin, mother, mayor, city council member, PTA member and hockey mom…she is authentic (Definition for authentic, an adjective, Conforming to fact and therefore worthy of trust, reliance, or belief and Having a claimed and verifiable origin or authorship; not counterfeit or copied)…..real….and attracts me for reasons that are personal.

I love that she is an avid hunter….my friend back in Georgia was an avid hunter, she had her own deer stand! We differ in some of our stances, she is more than conservative than I am but I feel she would never judge me for being different than her. In fact I believe she would welcome my differences.

And then there is this story about a chance meeting in an Alaskan airport. Elizabeth Eubanks (she is featured in the picture with Governor Palin and Piper) of Polar Teachers & Researchers Exploring $ Collaborating (Polar TREC) was waiting to return home when she had a chance meeting with none other than Governor Sarah Palin and her daughter, Piper. Elizabeth had much to say about Palin.

Of course I had to check out the “Hottest Governor in the US” and quickly turned to see her pregnant (she has since had her baby) with bags and daughter in tote. Then it struck me as odd. Why is the Governor of Alaska in the airport and preparing to get onto my commercial flight?

I questioned PolarTRECer Craig Kasemodel an Alaskan resident. He let me know that Governor Palin sold the corporate jet after securing her official Governor position.

Governor Pallin said she would sell the jet because it was impractical and that the Alaska state inventory would be relieved of this dept. The jet was sold on EBay to Larry Reynolds for 2.1 million dollars.

Financially sound choice for the state of Alaska in my opinion. Too many boondoggles on too many state owned jets in some places!

More from Elizabeth:

Not only is Governor Palin “Hot”, but she is also very kind. I approached the Governor and told her a little bit about PolarTREC and why I was in Alaska. She told me that she knew of the program and then introduced me to her adorable daughter Piper. We chatted about Florida and Barrow, Alaska and flying commercial. She said she really enjoys and prefers flying with people who either live in or are visiting Alaska. She even flies coach! She was kind enough to take several photos with me.

Not only kind but very approachable. It seems she also enjoys meeting new people as well! One last comment by Elizabeth and so very neat!

It was my pleasure to meet such a wonderful person who represents the state of Alaska so well. Governor Palin maybe known to many as “HOT” but as far as I am concerned she is super “COOL” too!

Elizabeth makes me want to meet this lady who I have so much in common with. As I said she is more conservative than me but we are both mothers! We have both worked in male dominated career fields……and somehow I am drawn to that authenticity that Gingrich wrote about!

What an appropriate song to recap the past week of Obama WORMing. (And hey, Jonatha Brooke is just COOL.) My personal favorite is him having to have a press conference to clear up what he said about Iraq recently. And then having to have a press conference to clear up what he said in the press conference. Same day. In Fargo, ND. He had a WORM session, then another WORM session to worm on the WORM (by the way, in case you don’t know, WORM stands for: What Obama Really Meant). I am telling you, people you just cannot make this stuff up. He had a press conference about his press conference. C’mon, that is freakin’ hilarious, don’t you think?

Well, I guess it WOULD be a tad funny if he wasn’t the presumptive nominee for the Democratic Party, if people’s LIVES weren’t at stake, and if he hadn’t based his ENTIRE candidacy on a speech he allegedly gave back in 2002 to a very select audience regarding the Iraq War and it being BAD. But now? Well, I reckon it just depends on the day!! Tomorrow might bring something else COMPLETELY new!! (If you would like to see a complete list, and an excellent post, check out SusanUnPC’s, “Oppo Research on Obama’s Shifting, Finger-to-the wind Iraq Stance” at NoQuarterUSA. EXCELLENT piece. It lays it all out there.)

Oh, wait - then there is the whole FISA thing. Now THAT seems to be turning a few more heads, too. For a while, I often mentioned what was going on over at TalkLeft.com, but once Obama became the presumptive nominee, the site got behind him. Well, Big Tent Democrat, one of the two main bloggers there, and attorney who tepidly supported Obama, is pretty upset about the whole FISA thing. BTD seems to think the Declaration of Independence speaks out about just such invasions of privacy that the FISA change would include. BTD does not fall for Obama’s WORMing on this, either, as he notes in his fine piece, “A Response to Obama’s Defense of the FISA Capitulation.”

And then there is Obama’s flip-flop on why mental distress does not count as indicative of the health of a woman who is considering an abortion. Now THAT is some WORM right there. No, that is unkind to worms. Come to think of it, I don’t know to what that would NOT be an insult…Come up with your own. But yes, NARAL and all of these so-called progressive women jumped on this American-Idol style cult bandwagon supporting this man, this man who claims that “mental distress” should not count in factoring the health of a woman. They picked HIM over the woman who has a CONSISTENT, long term record on her work for women, a woman who 13 years ago claimed that,”Women’s Rights are HUMAN Rights,”.

So, how do you all feel NOW? Just this holiday weekend, Obama has shown more and more of who he truly is. Maybe all of these folks should have been looking just a little bit closer for his “Secrets and Lies.” We tried to tell them, I know we did.

Oh, one more little thing. And this follows up nicely (ahem) with discussing the treatment of women. Andrew Sullivan, of The Atlantic, nominated me for The Moore Award. As in Michael Moore. Sullivan’s definition of the award is, “is for divisive, bitter and intemperate left-wing rhetoric.” And what PROMPTED this award? My post the other day, “Why Do They Hate Us?” You know, the one about the misogynistic treatment of women? The one about ow Hillary Clinton has been treated in this primary, especially, but the misogynistic/sexist/brutal treatment of women in general in this country, and many around the globe? Specifically, he targeted this quote,

“Moore Award Nominee, June 30, 2008: “See, I have done a lot of work in the Domestic Violence movement. And I have seen this cycle before: the man abuses, attacks, and lashes out at the woman. The woman makes excuses for, and accepts blame from, the man for his attacks. Not unlike Senator Clinton saying now that they are friends, respect each other, and support each other. I know what respect looks and feels like - Senator Obama has shown NONE for Senator Clinton. Senator McCain has, but Obama? No. Seeing these photos of her with him now reminds me of battered women wearing sunglasses to hide the bruises, and saying, “Oh, he didn’t really mean it. It was my fault, really, I shouldn’t have made him mad. He really does love me, in his own way, really! Don’t be mad at him!”" - Revd Amy on Larry Johnson’s site.

Divisive? Bitter? Left-wing rhetoric? Um, no - realistic observation based on years of experience. But his award simply stands to prove the point I was making in the post, and Victoria Brownworth was making in Curve Magazine. So, thanks for proving the point, Andrew - women and our experiences, women and sexism, women and the constant threats we face, women and domestic violence, are discounted and disregarded by many in this country, and many in the media. Just what we have been saying all along - the media, particularly men, have openly denigrated women during this campaign, Hillary Clinton specifically. And gotten away with it. Hmm, come to think of it, I AM bitter - bitter that they have gotten away with it, and angry that they continue to show no understanding or REMORSE. Thanks for proving the point, Andrew! I might add, the ones who have been divisive around here have been Obama and his minions, not those of us who stand up to him and his “secrets and lies.” There is a big difference - it is called having a principled stand. Operating from integrity. Having a moral compass. Pick one. And maybe get one. That’s how all of these “Secrets and Lies” will be exposed…

I just finished reading Ms. Brownworth’s piece, “Why Do They Hate Us.” It moved me to tears. As one who has followed this election campaign VERY closely, I have been horrified, and furious, at the treatment of an attorney who worked for poor women and children, a Former First Lady of Arkansas, a Former First Lady of the United States, and a TWO-TERM Sitting US Senator by the Mainstram Media, Senator Barack Obama, and the DNC.

It is simply staggering how accepted sexism, even misogyny, is in this country. It is mind boggling that Main Stream Media can make demeaning, disparaging remarks about a US Senator because she is a WOMAN. I am a lifelong (50-year-old), straight-party-ticket Democratic voter, or I should say I was, until the treatment of Senator Clinton, and ALL women, by the DNC elite and Senator Obama.

I have now left the party to which I have dedicated myself, my money, and my vote. (I might add, my decision was reinforced when the RBC/DNC decided to take actual votes cast for one candidate, Clinton, and give them to a candidate who was not even on the ballot, in addition to the sexism, even misogyny, in which the above three have participated this year.)

And I am saddened. As one who actively worked for women’s equality for over 32 years, it is incredibly discouraging and disheartening to see how quickly people - men AND women - revert to blatant sexism, almost with GLEE. They act as if they have been holding back these comments and feelings, but are now free to let loose with their derogatory comments. There is not a DOUBT in my mind that if these same comments were expressed in a racist manner, they would - RIGHTLY - be decried far and wide. Yet, since they were *only* about a woman, well, haha,” weren’t they funny, and we all know they are true anyway, right? Nudge, nudge, wink wink,” it was just fine. Sigh.

And now, the more qualified candidate (IMHO), the one who has been a STALWART supporter of women, children, the LGBT community, and numerous other groups as diverse as veterans and Native Americans, has been subjugated to the less qualified, far less experienced, male candidate. It seems we have not moved very far at all…

Thank you, Ms. Brownworth, for writing what many of us have experienced, and for pointing out the cruel facts of what it means to be a woman in this country, in this world. We have much, much work to do…

Sincerely,
The Rev. Amy

And juxtapose this to Obama’s recent remarks about how Senator Clinton was “brutalized,” equating the treatment his wife got during this campaign season to the treatment Senator Clinton has endured. No apology, no acknowledgement of his, and others, horrific treatment of her during this campaign. Just deflection, and “look over there.” I’m sorry, but from where I sit, Michelle Obama has been treated pretty fairly by the MSM. The grief she has gotten has been more a DIRECT response to what she has SAID, not that she is an African American woman. There is a world of difference between the two.

And now seeing these articles and photographs of Senator Clinton and Senator Obama together, him with his hand on her back, just makes me cringe. Frankly, it makes me almost physically ill. See, I have done a lot of work in the Domestic Violence movement. And I have seen this cycle before: the man abuses, attacks, and lashes out at the woman. The woman makes excuses for, and accepts blame from, the man for his attacks. Not unlike Senator Clinton saying now that they are friends, respect each other, and support each other. I know what respect looks and feels like - Senator Obama has shown NONE for Senator Clinton. Senator McCain has, but Obama? No. Seeing these photos of her with him now reminds me of battered women wearing sunglasses to hide the bruises, and saying, “Oh, he didn’t really mean it. It was my fault, really, I shouldn’t have made him mad. He really does love me, in his own way, really! Don’t be mad at him!” Not only did Obama make sexist remarks about Senator Clinton, INCLUDING at the fundraiser the other night, but he reaped the benefit of the sexist and misogynistic remarks made by others, the veiled death threats (talking to YOU, Keith), the threats of violence, the degradation, not on her record, or on her speeches, but because she was a woman. As Ms. Brownworth wrote,

Clinton was the focal point for American misogyny, writ long and large. She was tough enough to take it and not cry foul, but why do women and girls have to take it? Why are we called bitches and cunts if we speak the truth about our lives? We are treated as less-than-human in a myriad of ways in our society. We are victims of violence, discrimination, and hate, and that diminishes us daily as human beings.

(Vol. 18, #6, p 34)

And now, for the facts I mentioned above. These are not pleasant. Stop reading here if you do not want to be disturbed. Okay. Here I go, from Ms. Brownworth’s article:
Vaginal destruction:

For over a decade, war has raged in the eastern province of Congo. Gangs of militia have preyed on women and girls and made rape and vaginal destruction major tools of that war. Vaginal destruction - an act so violent a woman can never again have vaginal sex or bear a child - was defined as a war crime in April…In Congo, women have been raped so brutally and by so many men at one time that some have been eviscerated. Eviscerated by rape. That is how much they hate us. (p 34)

Honor killings:

What has never made the news is that nearly all of the murders of women in Palestinian territory have nothing to do with the political situation there: They are the result of honor killings…Honor killings are a leading cause of death among women in the Middle East. Since the U.S. occupation of Iraq, the number of honor killings has risen exponentially because the once secular nation is now an Islamic theocracy. (pp34-35)

Lest you think all of this violence is only in other countries, here are some U.S. statistics:

One in six women will be raped in her lifetime. One in four has survived child sexual abuse or an incestuous relationship with a male relative. One in three has been the victim of domestic violence. Over 1.2 million women are forcibly raped by an ex-husband or ex-boyfriend each year. The leading cause of death among pregnant women is murder by a spouse or boyfriend. Four out of every five female murder victims in the United States were killed by men they knew: a spouse or boyfriend, a male relative, a co-worker…This means millions of American men - men we know, men we may love or have loved - hate us enough to rape, main, or kill us. Millions. It’s a difficult reality to face: Women and girls are so hated that our lives and bodies mean nothing to these men.

(p34)
Brownworth continues,

Perhaps that reality and the inchoate knowledge of it is why it was easy for people to refer to Clinton with the vilest of hate speech and feel no remorse and receive no recrimination from either the general populace or the media… (p34)

Wow, Speaker Pelosi - it seems that SOMEONE wasn’t too busy to document all of the sexism and misogyny, even if YOU were too busy to do so…(Ref: Pelosi’s interview with Greta Van Susteren this past week on “On the Record with Greta Van Susteren.)

As I said above, Obama did not even have to say despicable comments himself - having others do so as his surrogates was sufficient. That is the whole thing with domestic violence - the THREAT of it is sufficient to keep many women in line. Their partners may not engage in violence themselves (and psychological and emotional battery still counts as domestic violence, by the way. Some would argue, convincingly, I think, that they are worse as they are more insidious, and stay with the woman much, much longer than physical abuse), as other men engaging in this behavior is enough for the fear to be present in most, if not all, women.

More from Brownworth:

It doesn’t matter if we are siting U.S. Senators or sitting at home taking care of our children or sitting by a stream getting water right before we are gang-raped. It doesn’t matter if we are in the United States or Congo or Gaza or Iraq. The one common denominator for women, the thing that unites us, is that we are all hated equally for our gender.

To some men - even the men who loved us before they raped us or beat us or murdered us - we are all cunts. For ourselves - and for the women and girls of Congo, Gaza, Iraq, and every other nation where women are being eviscerated in body and spirit - we must stand up and speak out against the global terrorism of women and girls. (p35)

And so, as much as I admire and respect Senator Clinton, I cannot, and will not, participate in this Party-, this Country’s- sanctioned cycle of violence. Please stop asking me, us, to do so. I deserve better. YOU deserve better. We all deserve better than to keep feeding into this cycle. I, for one, will not.