SOCIAL SECURITY

Erick Erickson's Latest Sexist Tirade Draws Outrage & Fox thinks working women are destroying America 30&31MAI13

I am overjoyed about all the controversy over the comments by erick erickson's on women in the workplace and the the way the male-female relationship should work. Maybe, just maybe, this will be a wake up call to the women who watch fox "news" and they will realize fox doesn't respect them or their opinions. The female staff at fox now knows the network considers them window dressing, on the air to show legs and boobs and "report" what they are told to.  From Media Matters, and sign the petition to fox if you are disgusted by their caveman mentality. And if you are interested check out my earlier post ECONOMIC INSECURITY AND INEQUALITY FOR WOMEN IN AMERICA 22MAI13 http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/economic-insecurity-and-inequality-for.html
...

Erick Erickson's Latest Sexist Tirade Draws Outrage

Research ››› May 30, 2013 7:52 PM EDT ››› BRIAN POWELL

Fox contributor Erick Erickson drew outrage from conservatives and liberals alike over a series of sexist comments, in which he lamented an increase in the number of female breadwinners in the United States and argued that males should be dominant in human societies because "the male typically is the dominant role" in "the natural world."

Erick Erickson Argued That An Increase In Female Breadwinners Defies Natural Order

Erickson: "When You Look At Biology, Look At The Natural World...The Male Is Typically The Dominant Role." From Fox Business' Lou Dobbs Tonight on May 29:

LOU DOBBS: Erick, your thoughts on this study and what it portends?

ERICKSON:  Lou, I'm so used to liberals telling conservatives that they're anti-science. But this is -- liberals who defend this and say it's not a bad thing are very anti-science.

When you look at biology, look at the natural world, the roles of a male and female in society, and the other animals, the male typically is the dominant role. The female, it's not antithesis, or it's not competing, it's a complementary role. We as people in a smart society have lost the ability to have complimentary relationships in nuclear families, and it's tearing us apart.

And what I find interesting in the survey is that three-quarters of the people surveyed recognize that having moms as the primary breadwinner is bad for kids and bad for marriage, and reality shows us that's the truth. [Fox Business, Lou Dobbs Tonight, 5/29/13]

Erickson: Kids Do Best "Where They Have A Mom At Home Nurturing Them While Dad Is Out Bringing Home The Bacon." From a May 30 Redstate.com post responding to criticism of his previous comments (emphasis added):

We should not kid ourselves or scream so loudly in politically correct outrage to drown the truth -- kids most likely will do best in households where they have a mom at home nurturing them while dad is out bringing home the bacon. [Redstate.com, 5/30/13]

Erickson: "Back On The Radio. Listen Live From 5 To 7 PM ET. Get Your Husband's Permission If Need Be. Heh." On May 30, Erickson tweeted:

[Twitter.com, 5/30/13]

Erickson: "I Understand That Some Women Believe They Can Have It All, And That's The Crux Of The Problem." On his radio program, WSB's The Erick Erickson Show, Erickson stated:

It is a fact that children in a two parent, heterosexual household tend to have a more stable upbringing and a better chance of success than those of single parents or gay parents. This is a fact. This is not to insult gay parents. This is not insult single parents. It's just a fact. And the, of the subset of children who are raised in a two-parent, nuclear, heterosexual household, children where the father is the one who is the leader of the family, or the breadwinner of the family, however you want to say it, tend to out-perform those where the mother is the primary provider of the family outside of the home. Those are the fact. All I have done is pointed them out.

[...]

And I understand that some women believe they can have it all, and that's the crux of the problem. I have to tell you, as a man, where women are told that men have so many more advantages in society, we can't have it all. Women, you can't have it all either. Life is a series of compromises and choices. [WSB, The Erick Erickson Show, 5/30/13] 

Erickson's Comments Have Drawn Outrage From Female Colleagues At Fox News

Fox News' Greta Van Susteren: Have My Colleagues "Lost Their Minds?" In her blog, Fox host Greta Van Susteren highlighted her thoughts on Erickson's remarks:

Have these men lost their minds? (and these are my colleagues??!! oh brother... maybe I need to have a little chat with them) (next thing they will have a segment to discuss eliminating women's right to vote?) [Gretawire.com, 5/30/13]

Fox News Political Analyst Kirsten Powers: "I'm Sincerely Confused As To Why [Erickson] Used Behavior Of Animals To Suggest That Women [Should] Stay At Home." From Twitter on May 30:

[Twitter.com, 5/30/13]

Fox Contributor Katie Pavlich: "Attacking Women For Being Breadwinners Is A Really Bad Idea." On her Twitter account, Pavlich wrote:

[Twitter, 5/30/13]

Pavlich: I'm Offended Erickson Implied Women Aren't Capable Of Leading A Household. 

[Twitter, 5/30/13]

Fox Contributor Jedediah Bila: Why Does Erick Erickson Have Beef With Female Breadwinners? Bila tweeted:

[Twitter, 5/30/13]

Bila: "Housewives & Househusbands Can Be Nurturing. Generalizations Suck." 

[Twitter, 5/30/13]

Erickson's Comments Have Drawn Outrage From Across The Political Spectrum

The Atlantic's Derek Thompson: Erickson "Is Terribly, Embarrassingly Wrong About Women." From The Atlantic's Derek Thompson on May 30:

First, there is something troubling about this statistic. The majority of female breadwinners are single moms, who face an extraordinary tension between working pay and raising children. But I didn't hear Erickson mention the phrase "single moms." He was talking about women earning more than men. And the fact that some married women are out-earning their husbands isn't tragic. It's inevitable. And it's good. [The Atlantic, 5/30/13]

Salon.com: Erickson "Doesn't Get It." From Salon's Alex Seitz-Wald on May 30:

Erick Erickson, the conservative blogger and Fox News personality, became the most hated man on Twitter today after responding to a much-discussed Pew survey on female breadwinners by saying that science says that men should dominate women (to be fair to Erickson, Juan Williams and Lou Dobbs expressed equally retrograde sentiments on the very same segment, but have largely escaped the drubbing).

Erickson tried to clear things up with a blog post this afternoon, but only made matters worse by showing how much he doesn't get it. The missive started off poorly, with some whining about how feminists and "emo lefties have their panties in a wad" (pro-tip: when accused of sexism, don't reference your opponents' panties while mounting your defense) and only got worse from there.

[...]

Here he shows he just doesn't get it. What upset people about Erickson's comments had less to do with single mothers and the decline of marriage rates than about gender roles. It was his notion that women should always stay at home and tend to the kids and that men should always be the breadwinners and dominate women -- because that's only natural. [Salon.com, 5/30/13]

Newsbuster's Matt Vespa: Erickson's Post About Female Breadwinners "Isn't Going To Help Us Reaching Out To Women." From Twitter:

[Twitter.com, 5/30/13]

Washington Post's Alexandra Petri: "I Would Write An In-Depth Response...But I Am Too Busy Urinating On A Tree To Mark It As The Boundary Of My Territory." From the Washington Post's ComPost blog:

A recent finding that 40 percent of American households with children have female breadwinners did not leave Fox News commenter Erik Erickson particularly happy.

He called it "anti-science" to accept this sort of role for women.

[...]

I would write an in-depth response to this, but I am too busy urinating on a tree to mark it as the boundary of my territory. I am relieved to know we do not hold ourselves to a higher standard. It was getting annoying to have to sit through all those office meetings and not pick fleas off anyone. I look forward to reproducing by emitting thousands of eggs into the ocean as I yell: "I HOPE SOME OF YOU SURVIVE."

I would go into detail about how human beings are uniquely fortunate to have highly developed minds that allow us to choose to function at a level above that encountered in the natural world so we can meet each other mind-to-mind regardless of our physiology and work in tandem without having to Establish Dominance Within The Pack, but, hang on, I have to go lock horns with another goat and shove it off a cliff. [Washington Post'sComPost blog, 5/30/13]

UPDATE: Current TV's John Fugelsang: Erickson's Radio Show "Doubled Down On His Dumbing Down." On the May 30 edition of Current TV's Viewpoint, host John Fugelsang highlighted Fox's segment on female breadwinners and noted that Erickson used his May 30 radio show to double down on his previous night's remarks. [Current TV, Viewpoint, 5/30/12, via Media Matters]

Morning Joe's Brzezinksi Labels Fox Segment Featuring Erickson's Comments "Caveman Central." After airing video of comments from Erickson, Lou Dobbs, Juan Williams, and Doug Schoen, Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinksi labeled the conversation "caveman central." Guest Donny Deutsch added, "The fact that in this day in age you can have men talking that way is stunning." [MSNBC, Morning Joe, 5/31/13]

MSNBC'S Melissa Harris-Perry: "It Does Make You Wonder If He's Ever Watched National Geographic, Where The Lioness Gets Up And Goes Out And Does The Hunting."  [MSNBC, Now With Alex Wagner, 5/31/13]

The Atlantic Wire's Elspeth Reeve: "Erickson Needs To Fact-Check His Anti-Working Moms Fairy Tale." In a post at The Atlantic Wire citing peer-reviewed studies on the subject, Elspeth Reeve laid out how Erickson's
comments about female breadwinners are "exactly wrong." [The Atlantic Wire, 5/31/13]
http://mediamatters.org/print/research/2013/05/30/erick-ericksons-latest-sexist-tirade-draws-outr/194278

Fox thinks working women are destroying America

Lou Dobbs and several of his guests hysterically claimed that working moms are ruining America. Tell Fox News to fire Lou Dobbs and his guests for their ignorant, anti-woman comments. Click Here

What do Lou Dobbs and Fox think is the biggest threat facing our society? Working moms.

Yep. You read that right.¹

On Wednesday, an all-male panel on Dobbs' Fox Business show was absolutely panicked over a new Pew study that shows women are the primary breadwinners in 40% of American households.² In their hysteria, they opined that having women as primary breadwinners is "bad for kids, bad for marriage," "catastrophic," and will "undermine our social order." One panelist, Erick Erickson, even said that "science" dictates that men are dominant over women.

Earth to Dobbs: This is not Leave It to Beaver. Working is a fact of life for most women, just like it is for most men.

The video of Dobbs and company blaming working mothers for the disintegration of society is spreading like wildfire online and across media outlets.Even Fox's female hosts and reporters are speaking out.³ The reaction is clear: people are tired of this garbage on our TVs.

We can't let Fox and Dobbs get away with this degrading, ignorant, anti-woman rhetoric on television. More Americans watch Fox News and its affiliates than any other cable news network⁴--what their panelists say is influential to tens of millions of people. If we all speak out, we can make sure Dobbs and his all-male panel are held accountable. Will you sign the petition demanding Fox fire Lou Dobbs, Erick Erickson, and Juan Williams?

Add your name to the petition.

And this isn't just a problem isolated to Dobbs' show--it's all over Fox. Host of Fox News program 'The Five'," Eric Bolling, said the increase in women's earning power was actually a symptom of the "breakdown of the American family."⁵

Lou Dobbs has said inflammatory things about women on Fox outlets before.⁶ And prior to his gig on Fox Business, he was known for xenophobic rants about immigrants on his CNN show.⁷

Dobbs is one of the worst examples of an old conservative who's terrified of anything changing and just wishes the entire country were a Leave It To Beaver episode.

But reality is very different than Dobbs’ hysterical fantasy: women working outside the home is not destroying society. The divorce rate has been decreasing over the last 20 years, and Americans are happier than ever.⁸ The real problem is that while more women are the primary breadwinners at home, they’re still earning less than their male counterparts at work ($0.77 to every dollar to be exact).⁹

It's time Lou Dobbs went the way of all 1950s television--off the air. His sexist rants and panels have no place in the 21st Century.

The outrage is already so bad that Erick Erickson, one of Dobbs' panelists, called people challenging his out-dated views "emo lefties" on his blog.¹⁰If we act now, we can hold Lou Dobbs and his panel accountable. Will you sign the petition demanding Fox fire Lou Dobbs, Erick Erickson, and Juan Williams?

Sign the petition.

Thanks for speaking out.

--Nita, Shaunna, Kat, Malinda and Karin, the UltraViolet team

Sources

1. The 'science' of gender roles, The Maddow Blog, May 30, 2013

2. Breadwinner Moms, PewResearch Social & Demographic Trends, May 29, 2013

3. Erick Erickson's Latest Sexist Tirade Draws Outrage, Media Matters, May 30, 2013

4. May 2013 Ratings: Fox News Gains Total Viewers, Loses Younger Viewers, TVnewser, May 29, 2013

5. Fox’s Eric Bolling: More Women In The Workplace Will Lead To ‘More Abortions’, Mediaite, May 30, 2013

6.Fox's Lou Dobbs: "Even If Roe v. Wade Were Turned Back ... Abortion Rights Would Remain", Media Matters, November 2, 2012

7. Lou Dobbs, American Hypocrite, The Nation, October 7, 2010

8. Divorce Rates Declining In The U.S. (Interactive Map), Huffington Post, April 11, 2013

Americans' Emotional Health Reaches Four-Year High, Gallup Wellbeing, May 10, 2012

9. Fact Check: Women Earn 77 Cents to Every Dollar Men Earn, Says National Women's Law Center, National Women's Law Center, October 17, 2012

10. Erickson Fires Back At ‘Emo Lefties’, Talking Points Memo, May 30, 2013

ACLU in the Supreme Court, Wal-Mart, South Dakota and more 4MAR11

UPDATES on the congressional assault on Planned Parenthood, abortion rights in S Dakota, the material witness law case, Wal-Mart, voting rights in Florida, DOMA, civil unions and the US military's use of PSYOPS on members of Congress....all from the ACLU, because freedom isn't free....

Stop the Assault on Family Planning and Planned Parenthood Enough Is Enough: The Latest South Dakota Attack on Women's Access to Abortion Goes Too Far ACLU In Supreme Court to Argue Former A.G. Ashcroft Should Be Held Accountable For Wrongful Arrest and Detention of U.S. Citizen President Obama Says Discriminatory "Defense Of Marriage Act" Is Unconstitutional Class Action Lawsuit Against Wal-Mart Should Go Forward Take Action: Stop Florida From Taking Away Voting Rights...Again Congress Should Investigate Military Use of "PSYOPS" on Members of Congress Victories for Same-Sex Couples in Maryland and Hawaii Congress Should Investigate Military Use of "PSYOPS" on Members of Congress Congress should investigate allegations that a U.S. Army general improperly ordered military personnel to conduct "psychological operations" (PSYOPS) on members of Congress to manipulate them into supporting funding for the war in Afghanistan. The ACLU also urged Congress to broaden its oversight of the military's intelligence gathering operations. The allegations of the illegal use of PSYOPS first appeared in Rolling Stone magazine late last week. If the allegations are true, the reported conduct was in direct violation of U.S. law and Department of Defense policy, and represents an affront to core democratic principles of civilian control over the military. "Any effort to secretly and illegally investigate and manipulate elected officials or improperly influence them is a shocking challenge to democracy itself and requires a full public examination of the facts," said the letter, signed by Laura W. Murphy, Director of the ACLU's Washington Legislative Office, and Michael German, ACLU Senior Policy Counsel and former FBI Special Agent. According to the letter, "The National Security Act of 1947 requires the executive branch to keep Congress fully informed regarding all intelligence activities. With such ample evidence of abuse, Congress is obligated to fully investigate all intelligence operations that potentially impact U.S. persons or improperly influence domestic policies with misinformation. Congress must reassert its independence from the military intelligence community and reassure the American public that civilian elected officials retain control over all military and intelligence activities." The ACLU's letter asked Congress to investigate whether military intelligence resources were used to improperly collect information on members of Congress and whether military operations were used unlawfully on members to influence legislation or manipulate public opinion regarding the war in Afghanistan. >> Learn more about the ACLU's work to keep America safe and free. back to top Victories for Same-Sex Couples in Maryland and Hawaii Last week, the Maryland state Senate approved a bill that would legalize marriage for same-sex couples. SB 116 — the Civil Marriage Protection Act — now heads to the House of Delegates for consideration. If it passes there, it will be sent to the desk of Governor Martin O'Malley, who has indicated that he will sign it. Previously, same-sex couples in Maryland were granted limited rights. The Civil Marriage Protection Act would grant same-sex couples the full benefits of marriage, making Maryland the sixth state to do so. In addition, the bill protects the constitutional right to free exercise of religion by protecting objecting religious institutions from being forced to perform civil marriages. Also last week, Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed a bill that legalizes civil unions for same-sex couples. The bill stops short of granting same-sex couples the freedom to marry, but grants committed same and different-sex couples the rights, responsibilities, benefits and protections that Hawaii law provides to married couples. "Across the nation, we are seeing steps toward providing committed couples with the security of knowing they can take care of each other, and that their relationships are recognized in the eyes of the law," said James Esseks, Director of the ACLU Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Project. >> Learn more about the ACLU's work protecting the rights of LGBT Americans. back to top Do you know somebody who would be interested in getting news about the ACLU and what we're doing to protect civil liberties? Help us spread the word about ACLU Online — forward this newsletter to a friend.

March 4, 2011 Stop the Assault on Family Planning and Planned Parenthood They're not just against abortion. They're against family planning. The anti-choice majority in the House has declared an all-out war on women's reproductive health, and it's up to the Senate to stop them. >> Take action: Demand that your senators refuse to participate in the vicious assault on reproductive rights underway in Congress and all across the nation. Enough Is Enough: The Latest South Dakota Attack on Women's Access to Abortion Goes Too Far The South Dakota legislature recently passed an extreme bill that places unprecedented restrictions on access to abortion care. This bill requires women to wait 72 hours between their first counseling session with the doctor and an abortion; it also requires women to first visit "crisis pregnancy centers," (CPCs) entities that are notorious for providing false and misleading information. The bill also requires doctors to tell their patients about any possible risk factor published in medical and psychological journals since 1972. CPCs often lack licensed medical personnel, and are designed solely to "encourage" a woman to carry to term and keep her child. The federal government has documented that CPCs often provide women false and misleading information in order to achieve their goals. Furthermore, these new restrictions require physicians to tell their patients about risk factors from all journals that date back to 1972 — never mind that the information in those journals may be outdated, misleading, and irrelevant. These unprecedented measures push the envelope to the detriment of women's access to basic health care. South Dakota is not alone in attempting to deny reproductive health care to women. This bill is just one in a long line of attacks on women. Enough is enough. These assaults on women's health care must be stopped. >> Learn more about the ACLU's work all across the country to protect women's reproductive freedom. back to top ACLU In Supreme Court to Argue Former A.G. Ashcroft Should Be Held Accountable For Wrongful Arrest and Detention of U.S. Citizen >> Learn more about the case: al-Kidd v. Ashcroft. The ACLU argued before the United States Supreme Court this week that former Attorney General John Ashcroft should be held responsible for the wrongful arrest and detention of a U.S. citizen under the material witness law. The ACLU brought the case against Ashcroft in 2005 on behalf of Abdullah al-Kidd, a U.S. citizen who was improperly arrested and detained in 2003 as a material witness. The ACLU's lawsuit charges that al-Kidd's arrest was part of a pattern of pretextual material witness arrests that occurred after September 11, pursuant to a nationwide policy instituted by Ashcroft. "In America, we don't just arrest people and lock them up without probable cause to believe they violated the law," said Lee Gelernt, Deputy Director of the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project, who argued the case on behalf of al-Kidd. "The government officials who turned that unlawful practice into official policy — in clear violation of the Constitution — must be held accountable." The government sought al-Kidd's arrest as a witness in the case of Sami Al-Hussayen, who had been indicted for visa fraud and making false statements to the government. Al-Kidd was held for 16 days in jails in Virginia, Oklahoma and Idaho, where he was placed in high-security wings with convicted criminals, strip-searched and routinely shackled. He was eventually released from detention, but was placed under onerous conditions that included confining his travel to four states, surrendering his passport and reporting to probation officers. Al-Kidd lived under these conditions for more than a year even though he was never called to testify or charged with a crime. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled in September 2009 that the federal material witness statute cannot be used to preventively detain and investigate suspects for whom the government lacks probable cause of wrongdoing. The ruling also held that Ashcroft does not have immunity in the case and can be held personally liable after trial for the wrongful detention of al-Kidd. Ashcroft appealed that ruling to the Supreme Court. "The appeals court made it clear that former Attorney General Ashcroft can be held responsible if he instituted a policy of improperly misusing the material witness statute as a preventive detention tool," said Steven R. Shapiro, Legal Director of the ACLU. "The appeals court decision was correct, and it should be upheld by the Supreme Court." >> Learn more about the case. back to top President Obama Says Discriminatory "Defense Of Marriage Act" Is Unconstitutional Photographs courtesy of Edie Windsor and the creators of the documentary, "Thea and Edie: A Very Long Engagement," distributed by Breaking Glass Pictures. >> Learn more about Edie and Thea's story and the challenge to the "Defense of Marriage Act." In an historic show of support for equal treatment under the law, the Obama administration announced last week that it will no longer defend the discriminatory "Defense of Marriage Act" (DOMA) in court, which prohibits the federal government from recognizing any marriage that is not between a man and a woman. In a statement, Attorney General Eric Holder said that President Obama has concluded that Section 3 of DOMA is unconstitutional because it fails to meet the legal standard — "heightened scrutiny" — that applies when the government treats gay people and straight people differently. The president's action comes in response to a series of lawsuits challenging DOMA, including a critical case filed by the ACLU in November 2010 on behalf of Edith "Edie" Windsor, who shared her life with her late spouse, Thea Spyer, for 44 years. Windsor filed a lawsuit against the federal government for refusing to recognize their marriage and imposing a $350,000 tax on Spyer's estate when she died that Windsor would not have had to pay if she were married to a man. Our Constitution promises that the government will treat everyone equally. This announcement is recognition that gay people, too, are promised equal treatment under the law. It is only a matter of time before LGBT people in the United States will finally have full equality in our society. While this is a huge step forward, the Obama administration's action does not immediately signal the death of DOMA. The Department of Justice is required to give Congress an opportunity to defend the law. And Speaker of the House John Boehner has until March 11 to decide whether to hire a lawyer to defend DOMA, now that the Justice Department no longer will. That's where you come in: Urge your members of Congress to stay out of the litigation, and not defend DOMA. But if the House does decide to press forward and defend DOMA, we'll be there too — ready to fight. >> Take action: Urge your members of Congress to support legislation to repeal DOMA, so it is taken out of the statute books for good. >> Learn more about Edie and Thea's story and the challenge to the "Defense of Marriage Act." back to top Class Action Lawsuit Against Wal-Mart Should Go Forward >> Learn more about how the ACLU is fighting on-the-job sex discrimination. This week, the ACLU filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the U.S. Supreme Court, along with 33 other organizations, supporting a class action lawsuit filed against Wal-Mart for systemic discrimination against the company's female employees at stores across the country. A group of female employees initially sued Wal-Mart 10 years ago, claiming the company paid them lower wages and gave them fewer promotions than men — even when they had higher performance ratings and more seniority than their male counterparts. The Supreme Court will decide whether the class action lawsuit can go forward. "All employees should have the right to challenge unequal treatment in the workplace," said Lenora M. Lapidus, Director of the ACLU's Women's Rights Project. "A class action lawsuit is the best mechanism to allow the employees of Wal-Mart, one of the largest employers in the country, to address their claims of discrimination." The evidence presented by the plaintiffs includes reports that Wal-Mart managers across the country relied on archaic sex stereotypes in denying promotions and equal pay for women. In court declarations, women described how they were told that men deserve the promotions and higher pay because they have families to support, while women are just working to make "extra money." They also described how they were confined to departments such as cosmetics and women's clothing, and denied jobs in hardware, meat-cutting and firearms. Other women reported that they were told they could never advance because they were not part of a "boys club" or were told they should stay in the kitchen with a "bun in the oven" instead of advancing their careers. The ACLU's brief argues that a class action lawsuit is necessary because many of the employees affected would not have the ability or resources to bring such a lawsuit individually, and would have reason to fear retaliation if they proceeded alone in challenging the company. Additionally, because employees claim they are forbidden from discussing their pay levels with each other, it is difficult to determine if they are being treated differently. The class action rules were designed, in part, to allow individuals to overcome such barriers. >> Learn more about how the ACLU is fighting on-the-job sex discrimination. back to top Take Action: Stop Florida From Taking Away Voting Rights...Again Florida has an ugly history of taking away people's voting rights, and a new proposal threatens to do the same thing again. Currently, offenders convicted of non-violent crimes in Florida have their voting rights automatically restored upon the completion of any prison sentence and parole. Under this new proposal, non-violent offenders would have to go through the same onerous application process that violent offenders currently go through. And all offenders would have to wait three to five years before they could even apply to get their rights back. Making people who've paid their debts wait for years to regain their voting rights is not democracy. Given Florida's history, there's concern that this proposal is designed specifically to keep low-income and minority voters — who will be disproportionally impacted — from being able to vote. Let Florida know that America will NOT stand for more attempts to keep Floridians from being able to vote! >> Take action: Tell Florida: Don't restrict voting rights. back to top Join us on...

How the GOP Blew it on the Paycheck Fairness Act -- and Who the Biggest Cowards Were 17NOV10

HEY all you tea-bagging gop women! Congrats!!!! Whether you voted or didn't, the people you sent to Congress with the results of the mid-term elections of 2010 are already paying you back, and they haven't even taken office yet. They are setting the agenda though, and so you will keep earning less than men for doing the same job, and it is all legal! White women, you'll make $.78 for every dollar a man earns; Black women, you'll get $.62 on the dollar and Latina women, you get $.53 on the dollar. That is what you all wanted.....isn't it?!?!?!?!?
 
Well, it didn't take long. The Republican Party was handed a historic opportunity with women. For the first time since the advent of exit polling data in 1982, women voters favored the GOP in the 2010 election. A rather shocking occurrence given that just two short years ago, President Obama had a 14 point advantage with women. What does the GOP do with this historic opportunity? Blow it!
Wednesday, The Senate voted 58-41 against allowing debate on the Paycheck Fairness Act. Not a single Republican voted "yea." Wise up there GOP -- if you have any hopes of taking the White House in 2012, you'll need women voters. But after shooting down the Paycheck Fairness Act Wednesday and perpetuating a boys' club in Congress, you ain't showing us much.
Here's what we know from the 2010 election: issue #1 for women is economic security. That's why women gave the GOP a once in a generation opportunity to win us over. Absurdly, the Republican Party then turns around and pushes women away by thwarting our financial security. Ya know, us 'wimminz' -- the primary breadwinners or co-breadwinners in nearly two-thirds of American families.
Is the Paycheck Fairness Act perfect? No. Does it solve the disparity of pay that women face? Not totally. But it is a huge step towards women's financial security. Sadly, here's what the GOP said to women Wednesday: "we don't believe women deserve to make the same wage as men for doing the same job." It's not much more complicated than that. Even if the bill in it's current form (which likely no Republican Senator actually read) wasn't nirvana, then bring it to the floor and hash it out.
There's plenty of blame to go around. And, it's time for some accountability! Here are the recipients of the Paycheck Fairness Act Coward Awards.
1. Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Susan Collins (R-ME) -- after courageously going against their party to vote with the Democrats in February 2009 for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, Wednesday Senators Snowe and Collins showed that they care more about their 2012 re-elections than women. Cowards!
2. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX) -- after much ballyhoo as a bipartisan leader for women, including voting for the Fair Pay Act and a joint appearance with Secretary Clinton at the Women's History Museum, Senator Hutchinson let us down. Coward!
3. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) -- who also voted for the Fair Pay Act, recently boasted that she will not be beholden to the GOP. She will, however, sell-out women. Standing ovation on the Senate Floor Tuesday - jet set out of town before the vote Wednesday. Coward!
4. Senior White House Advisor Valerie Jarrett (D) (Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls) -- progressive blogger Joanne Bamberger said it best on Facebook: President Obama and his advisor Valerie Jarrett have said time and again they are committed to passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act and it was a priority to them. Wednesday, fair pay failed by 2 votes. They couldn't use their "commitment" to women to get us 2 votes?
It's unclear which offense is worse: not fighting for women or being completely ineffectual as Chair of the White House Council. What is clear: Coward!
5. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) -- who has buried the Paycheck Fairness Act since its passage in the House in January 2009. Senator Reid failed to use the momentum of the passage of the Fair Pay Act. Fighter for women? You kidding? Coward!
The only ray of light for women in this fiasco is the continued ascension of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, an unabashed and unapologetic advocate for women. After being written off as an 'easy target' in 2010, Senator Gillibrand went on to slay over 30 would-be challengers, and then romp her opponent Joseph DioGuardi 62-36. Senator Gillibrand took the airwaves slamming the Republicans and clearly explaining how their actions Wednesday hurt both women and children:

Can you say: Gillibrand 2016!
As for the cowards, we need to hold them accountable. Even though it was the GOP that blew it this week, there's plenty of blame to go around.
What we do know from the 2010 election is that women's votes are in play. Time will tell which party will seize the opportunity!

Weekly Address: President Obama Honors America's Workers; Outlines Steps Taken to Strengthen the Middle Class

WASHINGTON – In his weekly address, President Obama reaffirmed his commitment to America’s workers and the middle class.  Even before the current recession hit, the middle class had been hurting from stagnant incomes and declining economic security.  To repair the economy and strengthen the middle class, the administration has invested in infrastructure projects that will lead to jobs in the private sector, taken emergency steps to prevent the layoffs of hundreds of thousands of teachers and cops, and cut taxes for 95 percent of working families.  The President is fighting to pass a law that will provide tax breaks for folks who create jobs in America.
The full audio of the address is HERE. The video can be viewed online at www.whitehouse.gov.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Weekly Address
Washington DC

On Monday, we celebrate Labor Day. It’s a chance to get together with family and friends, to throw some food on the grill, and have a good time.  But it’s also a day to honor the American worker – to reaffirm our commitment to the great American middle class that has, for generations, made our economy the envy of the world.
That is especially important now.  I don’t have to tell you that this is a very tough time for our country.  Millions of our neighbors have been swept up in the worst recession in our lifetimes.  And long before this recession hit, the middle class had been taking some hard shots.  Long before this recession, the values of hard work and responsibility that built this country had been given short shrift.
For a decade, middle class families felt the sting of stagnant incomes and declining economic security.  Companies were rewarded with tax breaks for creating jobs overseas.  Wall Street firms turned huge profits by taking, in some cases, reckless risks and cutting corners.  All of this came at the expense of working Americans, who were fighting harder and harder just to stay afloat – often borrowing against inflated home values to pay their bills.  Ultimately, the house of cards collapsed.
So this Labor Day, we should recommit ourselves to our time-honored values and to this fundamental truth: to heal our economy, we need more than a healthy stock market; we need bustling main streets and a growing, thriving middle class.  That’s why I will keep working day-by-day to restore opportunity, economic security, and that basic American Dream for our families and future generations.
First, that means doing everything we can to accelerate job creation. The steps we have taken to date have stopped the bleeding: investments in roads and bridges and high-speed railroads that will lead to hundreds of thousands of jobs in the private sector; emergency steps to prevent the layoffs of hundreds of thousands of teachers and firefighters and police officers; and tax cuts and loans for small business owners who create most of the jobs in America. We also ended a tax loophole that encouraged companies to create jobs overseas. Instead, I’m fighting to pass a law to provide tax breaks to the folks who create jobs right here in America.
But strengthening our economy means more than that.  We’re fighting to build an economy in which middle class families can afford to send their kids to college, buy a home, save for retirement, and achieve some measure of economic security when their working days are done.  And over the last two years, that has meant taking on some powerful interests who had been dominating the agenda in Washington for far too long.
That’s why we’ve put an end to the wasteful subsidies to big banks that provide student loans.  We’re going to use that money to make college more affordable for students instead.
That’s why we’re making it easier for workers to save for retirement, with new ways of saving their tax refunds and a simpler system for enrolling in retirement plans like 401(k)s.  And we’re going to keep up the fight to protect Social Security for generations to come.
That’s why we stopped insurance companies from refusing to cover people with pre-existing conditions and dropping folks who become seriously ill.
And that’s why we cut taxes for 95 percent of working families, and passed a law to help make sure women earn equal pay for equal work in the United States of America.
This Labor Day, we are reminded that we didn’t become the most prosperous country in the world by rewarding greed and recklessness.  We did it by rewarding hard work and responsibility.  We did it by recognizing that we rise or we fall together as one nation – one people – all of us vested in one another.  That is how we have succeeded in the past. And that is how we will not only rebuild this economy, but rebuild it stronger than ever before.
Thank you. And I hope you have a great Labor Day weekend.

WOMEN'S EQUALITY DAY 26AUG10

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

August 26, 2010

Presidential Proclamation--Women's Equality Day, 2010

WOMEN'S EQUALITY DAY, 2010

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Ninety years ago, on August 26, 1920, the ratification of the 19th Amendment to our Constitution was completed, guaranteeing women the right to vote, renewing our commitment to equality and justice, and marking a turning point in our Nation's history.  As we celebrate this important milestone and the achievements and shattered ceilings of the past, we also recognize the inequalities that remain and our charge to overcome them.
In a letter to John Adams, who was then serving as a delegate to the First Continental Congress, Abigail Adams once implored her husband to "remember the ladies" in the "new code of laws" of our fledgling country.  It has taken the collective efforts of daring and tenacious women over many generations to realize the principles and freedoms enshrined in our Constitution.  Standing on the shoulders of these trailblazers, we pay tribute to the brave women who dot the pages of our history books, and to those who have quietly broken barriers in our workplaces, communities, and society.
We can see the remarkable fruits of past struggles and victories today.  For nearly two centuries, America could only imagine a female justice sitting on the Supreme Court of the United States.  Today, for the first time in our Nation's history, three women sit on the bench of the highest court of the land, and I am proud to be the first President to nominate two women to the Court.  Women lead in boardrooms and in our Armed Forces, in classrooms and conference rooms, and in every sector of society.  Their boundless determination has enabled today's young women to dream bigger as they see themselves reflected at the highest levels of business, communications, and public service -- including in my Administration and Cabinet.  If we continue to fight for our hopes and aspirations, there will be no limit to the possibilities for our daughters and granddaughters.
As we celebrate 90 years of progress on Women's Equality Day, we also recognize the realities of the present.  Women comprise less than one-fifth of our Congress and account for a mere fraction of the chief executives at the helm of our biggest companies.  Women hold only 27 percent of jobs in science and engineering, which are critical to our economic growth in a 21st-century economy.  And, almost 50 years after the Equal Pay Act was enacted, American women still only earn 77 cents for every dollar men earn.  This gap increases among minority women and those living with disabilities.
These disparities remind us that our work remains unfinished.  My Administration remains committed to advancing women's equality in all areas of our society and around the world.  I was proud to create the White House Council on Women and Girls to help ensure that American women and girls are treated fairly in all matters of public policy.  I also appointed the first White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, whose leadership will guide my Administration in confronting violence and sexual assault against women.  The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first bill I signed as President, restored basic protections against pay discrimination for women, and to build upon that law, I support passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act.  I have also established the National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force to ensure equal pay laws are vigorously enforced throughout the country.  Workplace flexibility is also important to women and families, and we will continue coordinating with Federal agencies to make quality child care more affordable, promote work policies that improve work-family balance, and advance the economic development and security of all women.
Fifteen years after the world gathered in Beijing for the Fourth World Conference on Women, far too many women around the world still lack access to basic education and economic opportunity, face gender-based violence, and cannot participate fully and equally in their societies.  To help address this, I appointed the first-ever Ambassador at Large for Global Women's Issues to elevate the importance of women's empowerment in all aspects of our foreign policy.  From Afghanistan to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United States will continue its commitment to the rights of women around the world.
Women's rights are ultimately human rights, and the march for equality will not end until full parity and equal opportunity are attained in every State and workplace across our Nation.  It remains our responsibility to ensure that the principles of justice and equality apply to all Americans, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, or socioeconomic status.  If we stay true to our founding ideals and the example of those who insisted upon nothing less than full equality, we can and will perpetuate the line of progress that runs throughout our Nation's history for generations to come.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim August 26, 2010, as Women's Equality Day.  I call upon the people of the United States to celebrate the achievements of women and recommit themselves to the goal of true gender equality in this country.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.

BARACK OBAMA

Hey Ladies, Want a Raise? Wash Your Vagina -- Women's Day Magazine's Ulta-Sexist Ad 26AUG10

OH MY GOSH!!!!! This is not a spoof, it is an actual ad in Women's Day Magazine! This ranks (no pun intended) right up there with the fatwa from the freaky Saudi imam telling women to breastfeed their adult male associates (see the Nurse Tacky post on this blog for that one).  

So, ladies, you say you want a raise? How should you go about getting it?
First, you have to figure out how to compete with the guy in the next cubicle. After all, he went to a school almost as good as yours. His grades were nearly as good as yours, too. He works hard. In fact, most mornings, he's the second person in the office. You know this, because you're always first. He is young, ruggedly good looking, and he washes his balls with a manly but fresh sandalwood soap.
What to do?
Fortunately, the good folks at Women's Day and Summer's Eve have a few words of advice for you.


(No, this is not from the Onion. It is really from a full page ad in Women's Day)
What is the very first thing you should consider if you want a raise? What is the most important thing of all?

Yup, wash that vagina, and wash it good. Remember the sandalwood-scented balls. You don't want any, ahem, untoward odors to interfere with your chances, do you? What's that you say? You don't have an odor problem? You're clean, you bathe regularly, and you don't really need advice to use a product that "cleanses away odor-causing bacteria from the external vaginal area?" What are you, a barbarian? This is a raise you're talking about.
That was #1 on the "how to get a raise" list. What was last, least important? Well, after the "wash your vagina" advice, it must be something truly inconsequential, perhaps related to toenail hygeine with closed-toe shoes, right? Let's look:

Accomplishments? Who cares? You're a woman. Nobody wants to know about your accomplishments. No, what really matters is a great fresh cut flower smell from you-know-where.
Oh, and don't forget the penultimate piece of advice:

Yeah, don't let it get personal. Let the boss sniff your panties, just don't let it get personal.
On the other hand, if you think this is one of the most outrageous and insulting advertisements you've ever seen, feel free to tell the people at Woman's Day. You can also call them at (212) 767-6000.
And don't forget the Summer's Eve people. Their toll-free number is 866-787-6383, and the website is HERE.