Tennessee Guerilla Women: December 2010

Quote of the Day

"Banana republic, here we come."

17 Women In the Senate In 2010 & 17 Women In the Senate In 2011

The current all time high of 17 women in the male-dominated U.S. Senate will remain the same in 2011. Blanche Lincoln will leave the Senate and Kelly Ayotte will join.

In the entire history of the male dominated USA, there have been a total of 38 women in the United States Senate!

Pictured above are the current token women senators. Standing: Murkowski, Lincoln, McCaskill, Stabenow, Cantwell, Gillibrand, Hutchison, Mikulski, Murray, Landrieu, Boxer, Snowe. Seated: Hagan, Feinstein, Shaheen, Collins, Klobuchar.

Politics Feminist News Gender

Mississippi to Free Scott Sisters: Gov. Barbour Orders Woman to Donate Kidney Or Else

Mississippi justice. The men who actually committed the robbery got 2 years. The women accused of enticing the robbery victims into a secluded spot got life.

If only the women had wielded penises and guns in the heinous $11.00 robbery, they'd have been out in 2 years. Instead they've been sitting in prison for 16 years.

So now Governor Haley Barbour is releasing the sisters, not because of the outrageously immoral and sexist injustice but BECAUSE it costs the state money to provide dialysis treatment for Jamie Scott! And this ignorant fool of a Mississippi Governor wants to be president. Never mind that Gladys Scott has already offered her kidney to her sister, the paternalistic Governor of Mississippi now orders Gladys to donate a kidney to Jamie Scott -- or else both sisters remain in prison.

Jamie, 38, and Gladys, 36, are serving life sentences in Mississippi for their role in a 1993 robbery that netted $11, despite having no prior criminal record. The three men also arrested in connection with the robbery pleaded guilty and have served their terms. Two of them testified against the sisters in return for lesser sentences.

The sisters were accused of luring two men to a spot outside the rural town of Forest, Miss., in 1993, where the men were robbed by three teenagers, one of whom had a shotgun. The Scott sisters knew the teens. The evidence of the sisters’ involvement has always been ambiguous, at best. The teenagers pleaded guilty to the crime, served two years in prison and were released. All were obliged by the authorities, as part of their plea deals, to implicate the sisters.

No explanation has ever emerged as to why Jamie and Gladys Scott were treated so severely.

Politics Feminist News Sexism

Feminist Movie of the Day: The Mighty Macs (Video)

The Mighty Macs -- "Set in 1972, the film tells the true story of Cathy Rush, a 23-year-old former tomboy. On the brink of giving up on herself, she takes one final shot at her dream and becomes the head basketball coach at Immaculata University located in Malvern, Pennsylvania, near West Chester, Pennsylvania. With the help of nuns, she finds the courage and faith to lead her team along a brave journey at winning a national championship in women's basketball. The seven members of the 1972 Immaculata championship team appear as nuns in a church scene."

Politics Feminist News Gender

Julian Assange's Rape Defense: 'Sweden is the Saudi Arabia of Feminism'

Quote of the Day

"Sweden is the Saudi Arabia of feminism. I fell into a hornets' nest of revolutionary feminism."

-- Julian Assange

Politics Feminist News Gender

Sen. Barbara Mikulski Broke Barriers As Longest Serving Woman in Senate

Politics Feminist News Gender

Stars Salute Oprah (Video)

Politics Feminist News Gender

Hillary Rodham Clinton Is Most Admired Woman of 2010; Sarah Palin Is #2

Hillary Rodham Clinton has been chosen as the most admired woman of 2010. Sank Palin comes in at #2, followed by Oprah Winfrey at #3 and Michelle Obama at #4:

Clinton has dominated the Most Admired Woman title for most of the past two decades, earning 15 No. 1 rankings since her first appearance on the list in 1992. She joins Eleanor Roosevelt and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis as first ladies whose strong popularity has extended well beyond her husband's presidency . . .

Politics Feminist News Gender

Women Will Not Achieve Political Parity for Another 500 Years (Video)

"Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s new documentary, Miss Representation, has been selected to take part in the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. The film, which addresses underrepresentation of women in public office, casts a spotlight on the effects and implications of sexism against women in media. As the film conveys, it will take another 500 years for women to achieve political parity if progress continues at the current rate."

Politics Feminist News Gender

Women Break Hallowed Men's Record

When the women's record was broken, most people didn't hear a thing about it, but when it looked like the UConn women's basketball team was about to break the hallowed men's record, suddenly the whole nation sat up and took notice. The attention paid to the UConn women's basketball team for breaking the men's record included a phone call from President Obama.

Before the women broke the men's record with 89 consecutive wins, Coach Geno Auriemma observed that everyone would not be celebrating the 89th win because it was made by lowly women:

"I just know that there wouldn't be this many people in the room if we were chasing a women's record," Auriemma said Sunday. "The reason there's everybody in this room, the reason everybody's having a heart attack the last four or five days is a bunch of women are threatening to break a men's record. And everybody is all up in arms about it. All the women are happy as hell and they can't wait to come in here and ask questions. All the guys that love women's basketball are all excited. And all the miserable bastards that follow men's basketball and don't want us to break the record are all here because they're pissed."

Politics Feminist News Gender

Michael Moore Responds to the Assange Rape Case Outrage

Michael Moore responded (on the Rachel Maddow show) to the feminist outrage over his dismissal of the date rape charges against Julian Assange as "hooey":

Every woman who claims to have been sexually assaulted or raped has to be, must be, taken seriously. Those charges have to be investigated to the fullest extent possible. For too long, and too many women have been abused in our society, because they were not listened to, and they just got shoved aside… The older people here remember how it used to be. It’s not that much better now, it got a little better, because of the women’s movement made that happen.

As a fan of Moore, I'm gratified to report that he also responded directly via Twitter to Sady at Tiger Beatdown.

Politics Feminist News Gender

Jon Stewart Pushes Congress & Fox News for Justice On 9/11 First Responders Bill (Video)

After Jon Stewart and his panel of cancer stricken 9/11 First Responders railed at Republicans and Fox News for blocking the 9/11 First Responders bill, finally Fox News begins to get indignant:

Shep Smith Names Every Single Republican Who Refused To Come On His Show And Talk 9/11 First Responders Bill

UPDATE: Coburn Will Block 9/11 First Responders Bill, Potentially Killing Its Chance Of Passage

Politics Feminist News Gender

Larry David Says Thanks for the Tax Cuts

Writing in the New York Times, Larry David, of sarcasm or Curb Your Enthusiasm fame, says thanks to Republicans and President Obama for the tax cuts for millionaires. Now the HBO star can afford to spend money on blueberries and a flat-screen tv:

“When I get home, thanks to the great compromise, the first thing I’m going to do is get a flat-screen TV. Finally I can throw out the 20-inch Zenith with the rabbit ears, the one I inherited from my parents when they died. The reception is terrible and I’m getting tired of going out to bars every time I want to watch a game. Last month, the antenna broke and I tried to improvise one with a metal hanger and wound up cutting myself. Every time I see that scab, I say to myself, ‘If, God willing, those Bush tax cuts are restored, I’m going to buy a new TV.’ Well, guess what? They have been!

Politics Liberal News

U.S. Senate Passes Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal 65-31

About freaking time!

Politics Feminist News Gender

Male Domination Photo of the Day: Obama Signs Tax Cuts for Millionaires Bill

via Daily Intel

Politics Feminist News Gender

Sen. Corker Threatens Reid: If You Bring DADT Repeal For A Vote, We’ll Walk Away From START

Tennessee's GOP Senator Bob Corker threatens to block the START Treaty if Dems move to even vote on the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. There are no words to describe the callousness, the shamefulness, the lowness of Corker's position:

This afternoon, as momentum began to build for repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) threatened that if Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) brings up a vote to repeal the ban, Republicans would not support ratification of the New START treaty. Referring to DADT a “partisan” and “political” issue, Corker accused Reid of poisoning the well with Democratic “campaign promises” to “accommodate activist groups.”

Politics Gay News Gender

Accused of Being a Rape Apologist, Keith Olbermann Throws A Fit & Storms Off Twitter

Keith Olbermann still hasn't corrected his bizarre and totally wrong statement about Swedish rape law, but he has thrown a baby-fit and quit Twitter rather than respond rationally to some very legitimate criticism:

Accused of being a rape apologist, MSNBC's big dog storms off the microblogging service in a huff

Politics Feminist News Gender

NOW: Hooters Caters to Children

Gawd, Hooters is even worse than I thought:

SAN FRANCISCO -- The National Organization for Women filed complaints against local Hooters restaurants Thursday, but not for exploiting its scantily clad waitresses by subjecting them to leering and groping customers. The subject this time was Hooters' catering to children.

The restaurants in San Francisco, San Bruno, Sacramento and Orange County are classified as "adult entertainment" establishments but also serve minors, NOW's California chapter said in papers filed with police and prosecutors. What's more, the organization said, Hooters provides child menus, high chairs and booster seats, and sells T-shirts in children's sizes that identify the wearer as a "Future Hooters Girl."

Politics Feminist News Gender

Quote of the Day

“In a way, I’m glad Hillary Clinton wasn’t the first woman president, because with this economic crisis, they would have probably blamed her gender.”

-- Barbara Streisand

Politics Feminist News Gender

Michael Moore & Olbermann Dismiss Assange Rape Case As Lies from Crybaby Sluts

Michael Moore and Keith Olbermann are hard at work hurting the progressive movement by spreading mistruths about the Julian Assange rape case. Is this another case of male bonding gone astray?

Defending your alleged-rapist buddy by dismissing the woman's story as "hooey" is bad enough, but spreading bizarre and untrue claims like 'in Sweden rape means having sex without condoms' makes both of you look and sound like vile misogynists posing as progressives.

UPDATE: Olbermann Refuses To Correct Treatment Of Assange Rape Allegations On Twitter – Update

Politics Feminist News Gender

Hillary Clinton Speaks on Empowering Women at the TED Conference (Video)

"Give women equal rights and entire nations are more stable and secure."

-- Hillary Rodham Clinton

Politics Feminist News Gender

Morning Joe - A Morning Jolt of Sexism at the Liberal MSNBC

Eliza Gray at The New Republic examines some of the sexism that turns my stomach on a daily basis as I watch liberal MSNBC's morning reminder of how very far we are from the day when the status of women remotely approaches the status of men.

Male dominance, condescension, patronization and old time repulsively male-supremacist remarks, all are on display for your viewing pleasure on the liberal, but not feminist, MSNBC:

Scarborough should not shoulder all the blame for this dynamic. Brzezinski seems to have settled into a deferential role in which her primary responsibility is to keep order. . On her personal website, a picture of Brzezinski’s red high heels is captioned: “I click my heels three times to get a word in edgewise with Joe.” Just what every seasoned female journalist needs to keep up with her male colleagues: red high heels. Mika, we’re not in Kansas anymore.

Whether liberal-leaning (MSNBC) or politically neutral (CNN), news networks owe their viewers something better. This daily dose of sexism is insidious—a setback for feminism and awfully annoying to watch.

"Mika, don’t make me backhand you." -- Joe Scarborough
Politics Feminist News Gender

Florida School Board Meeting Shooting (Video)

Politics News Gender

John Boehner 's Crying Problem (Video)

John Boehner is clearly too emotional to be Speaker of the House, but since John Boehner is not Hillary Clinton, not Nancy Pelosi, or not a woman, I don't hear anyone asking if he's qualified for the job.

"This guy has an emotional problem . . every time he talks about something that's not 'raise taxes,' he cries. If this were a woman . . ." --Barbara Walters

Politics Feminist News Gender

NY Times Critic Accuses Ballerina of Being Fat (Video)

Grossly insensitive Alastair Macaulay of the New York Times finds the ballerina pictured at the left to be fat. Ballerina Jenifer Ringer has spoken openly about her struggles with anorexia and binge eating.

Alastair Macaulay reminds us of why so many girls and women have this problem.

Politics Feminist News Gender

SNL Spoof: Julian Assange Broadcasts from Jail (Video)

Politics Julian Assange Master Card

Sarah Palin Interview On Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People 2010 (Video)

Politics Feminist News Gender

Ralph Nader: I’m Looking for a Primary Challenger for Obama in 2012

Quote of the Day

"He has no fixed principles. He's opportunistic - he goes for expedience, like Clinton. Some call him temperamentally conflict-averse. If you want to be harsher, you say he has no principles and he's opportunistic. [Obama's] a con man. I have no use for him."

-- Ralph Nader

Politics Liberal News

House Democrats Say 'No Deal'

Congressional Democrats are reportedly "outraged" and "livid" over the deal between Obama and Republicans which extends all of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy:

The House Democratic Caucus on Thursday rejected the tax deal negotiated between the White House and Senate Republicans. The non-binding vote of the caucus held during a closed-door meeting puts tremendous pressure on House leaders to win changes to a proposal the White House has presented as a "take it or leave it" package. . .

Sponsored by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), the resolution says simply that Democrats oppose floor action of the tax deal in its current form. "We have tremendous concerns about what was given away by the White House," DeFazio told reporters in the Capitol basement after the vote. DeFazio said the voice vote was "virtually unanimous," with only one or two members expressing dissent.

Politics Liberal News BUSH TAX CUTS

Advocate: Major Donor Urges Belmont To Rehire Lesbian Coach

And the backlash continues. Belmont students have yet another demonstration planned for today, Belmont faculty have expressed/voted their unanimous support for the rights of gay and lesbian faculty and students, and now this from The Advocate:

Mike Curb, former lieutenant governor of California, wants to change Belmont University's policy by affirming that gays and lesbians are welcome on campus. . Curb, a major donor of the university and trustee emeritus, is asking the Nashville, Tenn. university to rehire its women's soccer coach, Lisa Howe, who he says was fired after coming out to the team.

Curb wrote in an e-mail to faculty senate President Andrew Miller, applauding the group's unanimous vote Monday in support of Belmont's gay faculty and students. Curb agreed with the Senate, saying that Belmont's leaders are out of touch with the reality of life on campus.

"It's time for Belmont to change and to recognize that we have gay students, faculty and staff," said Curb. "I want to see this board and the school leadership act like Christians."

Politics Feminist News Gender

Oprah Addresses Lesbian Rumors (Video)

Politics Feminist News Gender

Obama's Disdain for His Liberal Base

Quote of the Day

"The pattern, for progressives, seems clear: The White House uses them during elections, but doesn't listen to, or consult them, while governing. In fact, it insults them, and then tells them to quiet down, they got the best bargain possible, even if it wasn't the one they'd asked for, or been promised."

-- Ezra Klein
How the White House cut its deal and lost its base