Friday, October 31, 2008

The Girls' Halloween Costume Problem

One of these years, women are going to rise up and change everything.


via Feminist Law Professors

Posted by egalia at

Florida Redux? 5,000 Obama Lawyers Head to Florida

Armies of lawyers head to Florida [via]

Streetfight for the Presidency of the United States:



Posted by egalia at

Hidin' Biden


The Daily Beast reports that Team Obama is treating Joe Biden like he is not qualified to speak his mind: According to The Times, Team Obama is so worried about another Biden gaffe that he has been confined to local media in Greenville, N.C., Danville, Va., and all kinds of villes in between.

And from The Times: On the trail this fall, Mr. Biden has curbed his noted volubility — or, rather, had it curbed for him by his masters at Obama headquarters, in Chicago. He never goes to the press section of his campaign plane to talk to the reporters who accompany him, he has not held a news conference since early September and he does not take questions from his audiences (not since he told one person that he thought Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York would have been a better choice for vice president). Then again, Mr. Biden’s assignment does not include outreach to the national news media.
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Debunking the Nasty Rumors About Obama & McCain


Ben Smith over at Politico destroys some of the more persistent dirty internet rumors about the two presidential candidates. Seriously people, if some of this stuff was true, the Secret Service would have whisked the candidates off to Siberia, or therapy, a very long time ago.

Most of the baseless rumors attempt to demonize or disqualify Barack Obama. Smith didn't bother with the VP candidates because he'd have to open up a whole new website to begin a list of the baseless rumors about Sarah Palin.

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Elizabeth Dole Insults Godless Americans; There Goes the Atheist Vote (Video)


More proof that this election is sending people into the abyss of insanity. In a spooky TV ad about godless Americans, Sen. Elizabeth Dole attacks her Democratic and Christian opponent Kay Hagan for being [gasp] godless!

The ad actually goes so far as to put the words of an atheist into Christian and Sunday School teacher Kay Hagan's mouth.

And the moral of the story is: if you want to run for public office in America, either be a Christian or lie through your pagan teeth. May the Goddess help us all.



Below is Kay Hagan's response. Also, Kay Hagan has filed a lawsuit, charging Elizabeth Dole with defamation and libel. Hagan's website


“Elizabeth Dole’s attacks on my Christian faith are offensive,” Ms. Hagan said in her response. “She even faked my voice in her TV ad to make you think I don’t believe in God.”

Posted by egalia at

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Bill Clinton Sells Obama At Midnight Florida Rally (Video)

No one can spell it out quite like Bill Clinton. Goddess love him. After Bill's speech, Obama did some serious 'singing the praises of Bill Clinton' work. Obama needs to be doing that for a very long time, but this is a start.


The Caucus has more and the full video. Transcript of Bill Clinton's speech.

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Sarah Palin Effigy Comes Down, Finally


Previously, Chad Michael Morrisette said the Sarah Palin effigy strung up by a hangman's noose on his house would not come down until Saturday. Funny how our perspective can change when someone does the unkind thing to us that we have done to them.

A man parked a black truck in front of Chad's house with an effigy of Chad - wearing a noose and a t-shirt that said: "Chad, how does it feel?"

After days of nationwide controversy, a West Hollywood homeowner has removed an effigy of Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin that was hanging from a noose off the side of his house. . ChadMichael Morrisette, a professional window display designer who set up the life-size mannequin of Palin, said Wednesday evening that he had met with West Hollywood Mayor Jeffrey Prang and decided it was best to remove the decoration.

"There was a huge mob scene," Morrisette said of the onlookers -- and protesters -- the display attracted. "The whole thing became a life of its own." . . . Also Wednesday, a city official delivered to Morrisette an inch-thick collection of e-mails about the effigy from hundreds of people. Jake Stevens, an aide to the mayor, said the city assigned extra staffers to answer phone calls from around the country. . [A] news report this week sparked a national uproar, drawing the attention of the Secret Service; upsetting politicians, including one local official who called for a hate crime investigation; and prompting MSNBC host Keith Olbermann on Monday to dub Morrisette "today's worst person in the world."
Posted by egalia at

Daily Show: Sarah Palin Is Goin' Rogue (Video (Hilarious!))

This is so funny! And it gives me a certain sense of potential feminist revenge just over the election horizon. Maybe this election will turn out to be worth it after all. "We decided to make a female so that it would be more docile and controllable . . but they forgot one thing, she couldn't be contained. . . they have just six days to stop her from destroying everything . . . This November Sarah Palin is goin rogue!


Joe the Plumber also gets some attention, and Joe the Plumber has signed with Jim the Publicist here in Nashville!

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Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Gay Neighbors Try to Block View of Sarah Palin Effigy


And the saga of the Sarah Palin effigy strung up with a hangman's noose continues.

In the photo here, protesters from the gay community make their disapproval known by attempting to block the effigy via sheets.

There are more photos and some comments from locals at the LAist. Check out the photo of the formerly quiet street now occupied by media trucks! The neighbors are undoubtedly annoyed.

Neighbors of the home owner who has mixed Halloween decor and free speech together for Sarah Palin effigy in his West Hollywood front hard took their First Amendment right this afternoon by peacefully covering the display with sheets for a half hour.


"Chad Michael Morrisette, a professional window display designer who set up the life-size mannequin of Palin in front of his house, said the protesters were mostly concerned that the Palin display cast a bad light on the city's gay community.

He said their demonstration lasted about an hour and a half," reported the LA Times. Morrisette told West Hollywood mayor Jeffrey Prang that the display will be down by 8:00 a.m. Saturday.





Posted by egalia at

GOP Desperately Seeking An October Surprise - Tape


Well it looks like this historically dirty election may well get even dirtier. For those of us who had election burnout back in June, more high drama dirt is simply overkill.

But for all those who have only half tuned in, last minute scandals, be they real or pure fiction, could well decide the vote.

Myself, I assume all political scandals are pure fiction until proven otherwise. But since when does truth or fairness have anything to do with American elections?

McCain campaign accuses L.A. Times of ‘suppressing’ Obama video — The Times says its promise to a source prevents the paper from posting the video, which shows Barack Obama praising Palestinian activist Rashid Khalidi at a 2003 banquet.

Obama-Khalidi videotape — You know the videotape that shows Barack Obama toasting PLO terrorist Rashid Khalidi? The one that the Los Angeles Times refuses to release? … How frickin' stupid do they think we are?

Obama's campaign manager offers 3 million dollars to API in connection with Michelle Obama tape to be aired by Fox News Network — Six hours after the release of information by API on the planned broadcast by Fox News Network of the Michelle Obama tape, in accordance with an agreement …

AP EXCLUSIVE: Obama ahead or tied in 8 key states — WASHINGTON (AP) — Barack Obama, gunning for a national landslide, now leads in four states won by President Bush in 2004 and is essentially tied with John McCain in two other Republican red states, according to new AP-GfK battleground polling.

via memeorandum
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DU Stands Up for SOME Core Liberal Values


Vastleft nails it:

Democratic Underground bans virtually every Democrat in office

DU’s Skinner writes:

Democratic Underground DOES NOT permit homophobic bigotry and DOES NOT welcome members who oppose equal rights for all.

Russ Feingold and Barney Frank are welcome. Anyone else?

But we're sure it's still okay to call Hillary Clinton a bitch. Sarah Palin too. Actually, calling any woman a bitch appears to be the fastest way to get promoted to the front page of DU.

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The 3 Canned Presidential Debates (Video)

No wonder there were no complaints about the limit of three presidential debates. They were all the same debate. But who's paying attention? First the media picks the candidates, then the media picks the debate questions, then the media picks the winner! Ain't democracy grand? Can we at least have the League of Women Voters back?

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

via Boing Boing

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Melissa Etheridge on Prop 8: My Typical 'Homo' Family


Everyone who wants to rob Melissa Ethridge of her marriage rights, should have to read this and tell her to her face.

As Proposition 8 in California threatens same sex marriage rights, musician Melissa Etheridge looks back on her own struggle to adopt her children with her now wife Tammy.

When my official sample ballot for the November 4th general election arrived I was in the kitchen, where my eldest son was practicing tricks on his yo-yo. As I thumbed through the pamphlet I turned to page 5, state measures. There it was, right between prop 7: The Renewable Energy Generation Initiative Statute, and prop 9:The Criminal Justice System Victims’ Rights Parole Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute:

Proposition 8: Eliminates Right of Same-Sex couples To Marry.

I called my son over. I said “Read this, tell me what you think”. He, being 9 years old and very proud of his reading skills, read “Changes California Constitution to eliminate right of same sex couples to marry.” He looked at me, very matter-of-factly and said, “Wow, that’s lame.”

. . . Now, I know my preference of life mate freaks some people out. Maybe it is just their fear of sex or intimacy. I know that they hold up the bible and say that it’s wrong. Fine, let me stand before my creator and take any consequences there might be to living my life in truth and balance with my spirit.

I believe in our democracy. I believe in our constitution. I believe we live in the greatest country in the world. I believe that we are as strong as our weakest link and if we deny any of our citizens the right to “life liberty and the pursuit of happiness” then we deny it to all of us.

read more . . .

Melissa Ethridge - I Need To Wake Up (Video)
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Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Obama Leads by 19 Points Among Early Voters


Does this mean Chris and Keith will call it a night and go home early? Oh, wait. They'll want to stay up late and make some sexist cracks about how that diva Sarah Palin lost the election for John McCain.

Pew Research: Barack Obama leads John McCain by a 52% to 36% margin in Pew’s latest nationwide survey of 1,325 registered voters. . . Just as ominous for the Republican candidate, Obama holds a 53% to 34% lead among the sizable minority of voters (15%) who say they have already voted. Among those who plan to vote early but have not yet voted (16% of voters), 56% support Obama, while 37% support McCain.

via Nashville Post Politics

Graphic: SANTA FE, New Mexico (CNN) – For The New Mexico Sun News it is either a major scoop or “Dewey Beats Truman” déjà vu 60 years later.

“Obama Wins!” is the headline of the edition on newsstands now, complete with “special collector’s edition” in red bold typeface. The Sun News is a bi-monthly newspaper and its Oct 26-Nov 8 issue had to hit the streets, and the newsstands, before the election. So the editors decided to make a leap of faith and declare Democrat Barack Obama the winner.

Posted by egalia at

Prop 8: Seven-year-olds Sing Against Same-Sex Marriage (Video)


When was the last time you saw small children singing the virtues of homophobia? Not lately? Well, here you go. A Christian ministry employs small children in its campaign to rob same-sex couples of the freedom to marry. This may be someone's family values, but it creeps me out.

Forty years ago, these crazies would have had white children singing against interracial marriage. Really, really sick. Watch these kids grow up rebelling against gender scripts we haven't even thought of yet.


Posted by egalia at

Hollywood Insiders Rip MSNBC, Defend Sarah Palin


Writer-producer Linda Bloodworth-Thomason says she'd rather date Sean Hannity than Keith Olbermann. I know the feeling. The mere thought of any woman dating Keith Olbermann makes me want to retch violently.

It's gratifying to hear of discussions by liberals about the deplorable MSNBC. After November 4th, I hope there will be some serious conversations about how MSNBC and online 'progressives' won the election but harmed the cause by violating core liberal values.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - In a room full of television industry executives, no one seemed inclined to defend MSNBC on Monday for what some were calling its lopsidedly liberal coverage of the presidential election.

The cable news channel is "completely out of control," said writer-producer Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, a self-proclaimed liberal Democrat. She added that she would prefer a lunch date with right-leaning Fox News star Sean Hannity over left-leaning MSNBC star Keith Olbermann.

Olbermann was criticized by many who attended Monday's luncheon sponsored by the Caucus for Producers, Writers & Directors at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The event was dubbed "Hollywood, America and Election '08." Bloodworth-Thomason and others seemed especially critical of the way MSNBC -- and other media -- has attacked Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin while demeaning her supporters.

"We should stop the demonizing," she said, adding that Democrats have been worse than Republicans as far as personal attacks on candidates are concerned. "It diminishes us," she said of her fellow Democrats.




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Monday, October 27, 2008

Misogyny: Hangman's Noose on Sarah Palin Effigy OK, Cause She's A Woman


Here's a fun way to celebrate Halloween. Or the misogyny. Dress up a mannequin to look like Sarah Palin.

Then string the uppity bitch up in front of your home with a hangman's noose around her neck.

And there you have it. A perfect illustration of the primary message of the historic election of 2008.

There are, thankfully, limits to the insults and hate you can pile on to a brother, aka a black man. Those same limits simply do not apply to women, aka hoes (with the possible exception of black women, aka black hoes).

The person responsible for affixing a hangman's noose to the neck of a Sarah Palin effigy outside of his home is Chad Michael Morrisette. Chad says not to worry. It's ok because it's Halloween. And because the GOP VP candidate is a woman, not a black man!

"I know if we had done it with Barack Obama, people would've probably thrown things through our windows," Morrisette said. "The image of a hanged black man is a lot more intense than the image of a hanged white woman -- for our country -- in the history of our country."

Morrisette said his display might be unacceptable any other month, but his subjects are fair game during the Halloween season. "It should be seen as art and it should be seen within the month of October. It is Halloween. It's time to be scary.

Hey Chad, it's also Domestic Violence Awareness Month but that's apparently irrelevant unless you happen to be among the many women who get slapped around and killed by men who are taught in a thousand ways that it's just not a big deal in this woman-hating culture to demean, objectify, denigrate, ridicule, hate and beat up women.

The lesson of election 2008: Do what you want to that bitch Sarah Palin, or Hillary Clinton! Just don't try it on brother Barack!


October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

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Sunday, October 26, 2008

Happy Birthday Hillary!


Thanks, Alegre.


"There cannot be true democracy unless women's voices are heard."
--Hillary Rodham Clinton

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Sarah Palin Is Such A Diva; If McCain Loses, It Will So Be Her Fault


They said it would be Hillary's fault if Obama lost. Now it becomes apparent that if McCain loses, some will blame Sarah Palin. But Sarah is such a diva! That's according to anonymous sources said to be in the McCain camp.

"She is a diva. She takes no advice from anyone," said this McCain adviser. "She does not have any relationships of trust with any of us, her family or anyone else.

"Also, she is playing for her own future and sees herself as the next leader of the party. Remember: Divas trust only unto themselves, as they see themselves as the beginning and end of all wisdom."

A McCain loss will indeed make this "Diva" the new leader of the Republican Party. And she will have four years to prepare for 2012. Wow. What have you done to the GOP, John McCain?

Palin 2012
Palin goes 'rogue'?
Sorry, Senator. Let's Salvage What We Can.
Republican fears of historic Obama landslide unleash civil war for the future of the party
via memeorandum
Update: Writing in the New York Times, Judith Warner blames Sarah Palin for McCain's imminent loss; Warner fails to note that a loss for McCain is a win for Palin.

Posted by egalia at

United States Ranks 36th In Press Freedom



Good news! Freedom is on the rise in the USA. We are now ranked 36th in press freedom. That's up from 48th in the world last year, according to Reporters Without Borders.

Yeah, but if you measure it in terms of the media's' freedom to make stuff up and shape election outcomes, we're number one!

The US is tied with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cape Verde, South Africa, Spain, and Taiwan in the 36th spot.

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Election 2008: Women Are Losers


This one's from Helen McCaffrey, director of Women's Watch, Inc:

I cannot predict who will win the presidential campaign, but I already know who will lose big: all women. I realized this when I saw a 20-something male student who attends a class in the community college where I teach, wearing a T-shirt that read, "Sarah Palin is a C-." He wore it in public, in broad daylight, and without shame or even consciousness of what he was doing. . .

Instead of engaging Palin on the issues, critics attacked attributes that are specifically female. It is Hillary's pantsuit drama to the power of 10. Palin's hair, her voice, her motherhood, and her personal hygiene were substituted for substance. That's when it was nice.

The hatred escalated to performers advocating Palin be "gang raped," to suggestions that her husband had had sex with their young daughters, and reports that her Down syndrome child really was that of her teenage daughter. One columnist even called for her to submit to DNA testing to prove her virtue. Smells a little like Salem to me. I was present at an Obama rally at which the mention of Palin's name drew shouts of "stone her."

"Stone her"? How biblical.

All this is at a time when women are regularly being raped as they try to cross the border into the United States; bloody, broken women haunt the emergency rooms of hospitals; and abuse and disrespect for women and girls is rising faster than bank bailouts. That is the atmosphere in which people, including women, choose to attempt to destroy a woman who is a legitimate political leader.

Agreement on issues is not required, but Palin merits respect. It is dismaying that misogyny and sexism are so excessively marbleized into our daily interactions that some of us cannot even recognize their existence when confronted with it or when staring at it directly in the mirror.

It is my fervent hope that those who purport to be intellectuals begin to engage in argument and not resort to their baser selves or the easy exercise of personal and biology-based attacks.

Mockery and vilification of women such as Palin should become just as taboo as race-based slams. Until then, women are the real losers.


After Dedicating Crass Song to McCain/Palin, Jay-Z to Rally Obama Supporters in Ohio

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Tennessee Voting Machines Switching Votes


Voting machines in Tennessee are switching votes for John McCain to votes for Barack Obama? Is this payback for the crimes of past elections? Or are voting machines one big joke? I vote for the latter. In West Virginia, machines are switching votes from Republican to Democrat.

And how is it that West Virginia voters have the security of a paper trail, while Tennessee voters do not?

At least three voters complained of the problem while casting their ballot in early voting last Saturday. It's the same problem early voters in several West Virginia counties reported having this week when they tried to vote, except their votes for Obama and other Democratic candidates were switched to McCain and other Republican candidates.

As I reported Monday, early voters in at least three West Virginia counties complained that when they tried to vote for Democratic candidates in the presidential, gubernatorial and senate races, the machines registered their votes for other, Republican, candidates instead.

Report voting problems here.

Cartoon via Onion

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Saturday, October 25, 2008

Mad (WO)Men & Unbridled Sexism


Count me among those hooked on Mad Men. I only recently discovered the historic look back at the unbridled sexism of the 1960s, and I have already made it through the first season. It was the 1960s, so there's blatant racism, anti-semitism and homophobia too, but mostly there's sexism.

The pre second wave feminism show is called Mad Men, but I watched the entire first season in a room full of Mad Women of all ages. Throwing things at the tube became a problem. It helps that you can see signs of the coming Women's Liberation Movement. The show was an eye-opener for many in the room. You know what they say, you can see the misogyny in today's culture so much clearer if you know your feminist history.

Those were the days before Catharine MacKinnon coined the term "sexual harassment" and then she had the audacity to make it a legally actionable offense. As always, yesterday's solutions are today's problems. Ever see what happens to a woman who actually files a sexual harassment compliant? Just like running for president while female, it ain't pretty.


Posted by egalia at

The Next Feminist Battle: Equality in Power


If you've been watching the cable news boyz, you've surely noticed that Matthews, Olbermann and Shuster are obsessing about Sarah Palin the way they once did about Hillary. Clearly, they hate Sarah Palin as much as they once hated Hillary. Now that Hillary is standing behind their man, like a good woman should, they're starting to almost like her. Pardon me while I cackle.

I think it's safe to assume that those in charge of the national discourse are going to denigrate and vilify any woman who presents a threat to the male monopoly on power. The American people may be ready for a woman president, but the American men who are in charge of pretty well everything in this cowboy country continue to have a serious fear of female power.

In an interview with The Hindu, Jodi Enda, journalist and feminist activist, weighs in on the onslaught of misogynistic U.S. media coverage that worked to defeat Hillary Clinton's campaign and what it bodes for the feminist movement:

“Hillary Clinton was treated in a way that no man would ever be treated as a Presidential candidate,” said Ms. Enda. For instance, she said, consider the terms ‘too ambitious’ and ‘calculating’ chosen to describe her.

Anyone who runs for President would be ambitious, said Ms. Enda. Calculating means that she tried to figure out the best way to get ahead. Barack Obama too calculated. He in fact, “out-calculated and outmanoeuvred Ms. Clinton.” But, in a man being ambitious and calculating were not considered as negative traits.

A relatively unknown fact is that Mitt Romney, one of the candidates for the Republican nomination, cried. “No one spoke about this. But the treatment is different for a woman,” said Ms. Enda, referring to the reaction of the media when Ms. Clinton’s eyes misted on one occasion.

Though Ms. Clinton did make a lot of mistakes, the effect of such coverage on her losing the campaign could not be discounted, surmised Ms. Enda. “Sexism undercut and undermined Hillary Clinton’s campaign,” she said. “It was an unpleasant awakening to see that America still had such a strong gender bias.”

The battle for equal rights was really fought by women who are now in their sixties, seventies and eighties, said Ms. Enda. “They paid the price for all of us.” Women in their 40s and 50s benefited and, “we appreciate that,” she said. “Younger women have a slightly different attitude,” she added. They do not always realise what a battle it has been. “They know it intellectually, but do not feel it.” . .

“People who run things in the United States, be it in the government or corporations, are men,” said Ms. Enda. “We have won the battle for equality in numbers. The next is equality in power.”


"But if you ever saw the language, the vulgarity, the vitriol that is hurled at Hillary Clinton by liberal Democrats, by the liberal blogs, largely by frankly Obama supporters, um, you'd be appalled. I mean you would punish your children for this."

Graphic of The New Republic (TNR) covers

Posted by egalia at

Friday, October 24, 2008

Nightline Journalist Tries in Vain to Get Hillary to Bash Sarah Palin


In a recent interview, Nightline journalist Cynthia McFadden worked overtime trying to get Hillary to bash Sarah Palin. It didn't work.

And once again I am reminded of a few of the many reasons why Hillary Rodham Clinton is deserving of so much respect. (And Hillary boosted Nightline's ratings to #1.)

CYNTHIA MCFADDEN: It seemed like a good day to talk to Hillary Clinton about the other most famous woman in politics. Is Sarah Palin good for women?

HILLARY CLINTON: You know, I think that there has been a tendency in our discussions about Governor Palin's candidacy to sort of put it in this either/or. If you think the fact that she's on the ticket is a milestone, which I happen to think it is. She's obviously an accomplished political figure in her own right, having been elected governor of her state. Aren't many people who have done that. You can celebrate that and be, you know, very impressed by that, but still say the McCain/Palin ticket should not lead our country.

MCFADDEN: Is she ready to serve as commander in chief, senator?

CLINTON: Well, I believe that our ticket is much better.

MCFADDEN: Does she deserve, does she have the right to stand on your shoulders in this regard?

CLINTON: You know what, I think we all stand on other people's shoulders. I believe that you can hold two thoughts simultaneously. You can hold the thought that she's an extraordinary woman. But that doesn't mean that she and John McCain should lead our country. For a million reasons that I think people understand.

MCFADDEN: But it must rankle you, I mean, to be compared to Sarah Palin.

CLINTON: It doesn't. None of this rankles me at all. I mean it really doesn't.

MCFADDEN: You said something just a moment ago downstairs that I must say made sit up straighter.

CLINTON: [Speech clip]: You know, I didn't set out to run as a woman for president, but that's the only way I could run. [Clip ends] Well, I was really saying, you know, I didn't consider myself the woman candidate. Although obviously I was. I mean, that's who I am. But as I got into the campaign and realized that's how people were seeing me, for better or for worse in some situations, that there was this historical burden that I was carrying, that I had not anticipated. It became apparent that there's a lot of unfinished business in our country when it comes to gender.

Posted by egalia at

SNL: Will Ferrell & Tina Fey in the 'Bush Endorses McCain/Palin' Spoof (Video)


Will Ferrell returned to Saturday Night Live last night for another hilarious portrayal of George W. Bush. And Bush was so determined to endorse John McCain whether John McCain wanted it or Not. Tina Fey played Sarah Palin and Darrell Hammond played her sidekick, John McCain.

"But before I leave, I wanted to help Sarah Palin and John McCain by giving them what every candidate wants most," Ferrell playing Bush says, "A prime time, heavily publicized, network endorsement from George W. Bush. . . A vote for John McCain is a vote for George Bush."

Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday:


Posted by egalia at

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Feminist Quote of the Day


"[W]hatever else the current generation of feminists - and particularly the Third Wave feminists - have accomplished, the battle to diminish the cultural acceptability of sexism and misogyny is being lost. Lighten up is not a successful strategy. Lighten up is no strategy at all. . . We must commit ourselves to an innovative and energetic campaign to change our culture. The way things look now, we're not just losing a battle about sexism in this election - we're losing the whole damn war."


Posted by egalia at

Tell NBC to Put a Woman Into Tim Russert's Chair


NBC, the primary misogyny-promoting network, can begin the daunting job of redeeming itself by putting a woman into Tim Russert's Meet the Press chair.

Please join the campaign to save us from Chuck Todd and Dick Gregory or the dreary continuation of the suffocatingly sexist tradition of men in charge of freaking everything all the freaking time.

Read all about it and send gender biased NBC a letter over at Demand Diversity from NBC. (Does anyone watch the misogyny promoting network anymore?)

Margot Friedman is the woman in charge of the Demand Diversity from NBC campaign. She says her inspiration came from watching the crazy-making in-your-face sexist media of 2008. All of us need to follow her example and do something!!

via Alegre: ACTION: Tell NBC to Replace Russert With a Woman

NY Observer: Online Campaign Asks NBC to Think Beyond Caucasian Males When Hiring Next Moderator of Meet the Press

LA Times: What do Sunday talk shows all have in common? Aging white males

Posted by egalia at

Palin Misogyny Watch: MN School Investigates Ezra Stead


The Minneapolis Community & Technical College is investigating student Ezra Stead and his woman-hating video. Ezra Stead is the creator of a misogynistic video clip -- "Drill Baby Drill" -- which targets Sarah Palin, Tipper Gore and Barbara Bush.

Ezra dropped by the New Agenda and TGW last week and joined the conversation about his shameful promotion of rape and hatred of women. One can only hope that the school's investigation hastens the day when Stead awakens to the horror of his work.

Kudos to The New Agenda!

Posted by egalia at

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Somerby: Creeping Andrew Sullivanism -Or- It's Time for Josh Marshall to Go


Here's more on Josh Marshall's outrageous dedication to spreading lies about Hillary. The ever-wise Bob Somerby points out that we already have one Andrew Sullivan.

So it's time for Josh Marshall to go:

. . . We were far too polite back then, when this could have been “nipped in the bud.”) But make no mistake—Josh has played for you for many years on this score. In the process, he is emerging as the Sully of the pseudo-left. It’s long past time for this weird, creepy man to pack his satchel and go.

At any rate, will someone please stop poor Josh Marshall before he boo-hoos, blubbers and cries defending Bush the elder again? . .

How big a Sully-clone is Marshall? . . Incredibly, Josh posts this tired old tripe from a reader. Simply put, we’re all Matt Drudge now:

E-MAIL TO TPM: I don't want to diminish the extent to which the McCain campaign has mired itself in the muck, but I think you are losing the forest for the trees. It should be noted that for whatever reason, McCain has so far refused to go places that Hillary went in the primary (Wright, explicit comments about "hard-working, white" Americans supporting her, distributing emails with pictures of Obama in Muslim garb, etc.).

Good God! To this day, Josh continues to air that highlighted claim, which originally came from Drudge—a claim whose absurdity became clear within about ten minutes. (As an adept of The Cult of the Offhand Comment, Josh is also eager to throw in the "hard-working, white" quote.)

Hasn’t the public suffered enough from the actual Andrew Sullivan? . .

It’s time for Josh to go.

Graphic via Cannonfire

Still Telling Lies About Hillary

Posted by egalia at

Election 2008 May See Women Rise from 16 to 19 Percent of Congress


At the rate we're going, it will take another 100 years before women attain something approaching equal representation in this democracy (sic). Given the dramatic increase in registered Democratic voters this year, along with a tsunami of righteous anger about the misogynistic treatment of Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sarah Palin, this could be a record year for women. Much of it will be on the coattails of Barack Obama since, as always, the vast majority of women who actually make it onto the ballot are Democrats.

This could be the election that boosts women's shamefully inadequate and undemocratic representation up to almost one fifth of Congress. Perhaps it will also boost the U.S.'s pathetic rank of 69 in the world in the number of women elected to Congress up to 68 or 67. Woo. Hoo. I won't be throwing any big parties celebrating the snail's pace of women's progress in this alleged democracy, but there it is.

Women could pick up as many as 13 seats on Election Day:

WASHINGTON -- Nominations of female congressional candidates may have fallen off this year, but the field promises to produce the best showing since 1992, when women nearly doubled their ranks in the House and Senate.

"This is the most positive I've ever felt about these races," said Gilda Morales, a researcher at the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, a leading think tank for women and elections. "Although we don't have as many women candidates as we did in prior years, the women that are running are really seasoned campaigners."

At the same time, Hillary Clinton's groundbreaking race for her party's presidential nomination and the appointment of Sarah Palin on the GOP vice presidential ballot may also make it easier for voters to vote for a woman. "There isn't a stigma or a newness for women running for office," Morales said. "People see this is normal. These are the way things should be."

This year Morales predicts women -- who currently hold 87 of the 535 seats in Congress, or about 16 percent -- could pick up as many as 13 seats on Election Day. That means women's share of the House could reach 19 percent, near the 20 percent that political scientist Sue Thomas identified more than a decade ago as a tipping point. In a study of 12 state legislatures Thomas found that when women held at least 1 in 5 state legislative seats, they were more likely to sponsor and push forward women-friendly legislation such as funding for domestic violence shelters and stricter child-support laws.

Marie Wilson, head of the White House Project, a nonpartisan organization in New York that works to elect women to all levels of office, sets that "critical mass" bar higher, at 33 percent. That's closer to women's percentages in legislatures in Scandinavian nations, which have typically led the world in working toward gender equality.

The most likely female gains in these elections are in the House of Representatives, where 71 women currently serve. Four women -- including Ohio Rep. Deborah Pryce, the highest ranking Republican woman in Congress -- are retiring this year. One other, Democrat Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio, died earlier this year.
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Sarah Palin: The Crisis of Joe Biden's Mouth


Quote of the Day

"The looming crisis that most worries the Obama campaign right now is Joe Biden’s next speaking engagement."
Conservatives are having an absolute field day with Joe Biden's latest gaffe -- in which Joe The Fortune Teller predicts that the election of Barack Obama will spark an international crisis. And according to Joe, that international crisis would be for the sole purpose of testing the inexperienced Commander in Chief. Joe Biden -- who would be a mere heartbeat away from the presidency -- has some 30 years of experience.

Thirty years ago, the pool of potential political candidates was almost exclusively male, thanks to the time-honored tradition of discriminating against women. Just think, if the pool of potential candidates had not been so very small, we might have a few more pols in 2008 who actually inspire confidence instead of distrust, fear, and trepidation. Hell, we might not be in this colossal mess.

The Caucus: “Mark my words,” Mr. Biden warned at the Seattle fund-raiser, according to reports from network producers traveling with him, “It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We’re about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember, I said it standing here, if you don’t remember anything else I said. Watch, we’re going to have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.”

Obama Tweaks Long-Held Policy: JOE BIDEN May Only Talk With PRECONDITIONS!

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