There are only 5 Republican women in the U.S. Senate (9 Dems) and only 24 Republican women in the House (43 Dems). So why is the Republican establishment trying to push the only female Republican candidates for the Senate out of the race?
Putting aside the obvious question of why any sane woman would call herself a Republican, Katherine Harris and Jeanine Pirro are no more certifiable than the many male Republican candidates. Okay, so they are weak candidates, but I don't see a concerted effort to discourage the toxic Rick Santorum from running, even though he has become hugely unpopular. But if he were Ricki Santorum, his weakness would surely be more than the Grand Old Patriarchs could tolerate.
dKos:
Republicans have just two female candidates for Senate in 2006, Jeanine Pirro in New York and Katherine Harris in Florida. Yet for various reasons, the Republican establishment is working to push both of them out of the race. The preferred tactic? Seed rumors among political reporters that the two will be exiting the race soon. Such rumors put the candidates on the defensive, serve to dry up fundraising, which then serves as further ammunition for those trying to push them out.
Yesterday, Bob Novak wrote that Harris was on her way out, while the New York media was all over the story that Pirro was also reconsidering her bid. Today, both women reiterated that they're in their respective races to stay.
Katherine Harris Jeanine Pirro Florida New York Senate 2006 Politics
