Women, Who make up the Majority of the Democratic Party, are being Stabbed in the back, by a Few Senate Leaders, a Governor and a whole bunch of spineless Women's Organizations.
Democratic women are about to be stabbed in the back. It started out as a plan by Chuck Schumer, Harry Reid and Ed Rendell. They saw that Bob Casey, jr., son of a former PA governor, polled well against Santorum. So they made up their minds that THEY would decide who would be the Democratic candidate to run in the 2006 PA senate race.
There's one problem with that. Casey, like his father, is anti-abortion, anti-embryonic stemcell. That's a big problem. This race will be the most closely watched election in the nation. The right wing democrats who have been sabotaging the integrity, values and leadership of the Democratic party are dying to claim that a Casey win proves that the way for Democrats to win is to oppose abortion-- to oppose the woman's right that was fought for for decades.
If Casey wins, this could be the most damaging, most devastating thing to impact upon women's rights in decades. It could be, and will be horrible.
It doesn't matter that Santorum is a loser, than any decent candidate can kick his butt, including good candidates who back women's rights.
It doesn't matter that Casey has a track record of having a big lead and then losing in a competitive race.
It doesn't matter that the choice of Casey in this race has put women's rights on the line.
Regardless, some of the biggest names in the Democratic side of the senate have come to PA to support and raise money for Casey-- Hillary, Barrack, John Kerry. They're all doing their share of the effort to sabotage the rights of women.
Now here's what I don't understand. The women's rights advocacy groups appear to be doing nothing. Like Jews in the Warsaw ghetto, they are hoping that Casey will not screw them, even though he has already said that he supported Alito. It's hard to understand why they have not spoken out against Casey and for either one of the two pro-women's right candidates who are running. I'm supporting one of those candidates-- Chuck Pennacchio-- because I desperately, passionately, intensely, teeth grittingly want to get rid of Rick Santorum and I don't think Casey can or will do it. I think Pennacchio has a much better shot.
I don't understand why the women's organizations-- National organization of Women N.O.W. or NARAL are not out there, telling their members in PA and all over the USA and the world to contribute to Pennacchio's campaign. I don't understand why these women's organizations aren't telling Rendell and Schumen and the DSCC (democratic campaign committee) how they are outraged that they would even consider betraying women, who make up over 60% of the Democratic party in PA, by running a candidate who doesn't fully support women's rights.
But then again, PA is a bit of a backward state. Remember, over 60%-- actually, in our poll, 64% of Democrats-- are women in PA. Yet there is only one candidate running for the whole PA senate who is a woman. Do you get the feeling that there is something wrong with the Democratic leadership in PA, like maybe, the old guys who have been running it, screwing it up, failing to build a winning team, failing to elect a US senator in a routine election in 44 years, should be replaced-- that new blood should be taking over the PA Democratic party? But I digress.
Where the hell is NARAL President Nancy Keenan, or NOW prresident Kim Gandy? Why aren't they beating the bushes for support for Pennacchio? If Pennacchio beats Casey in the primary, in spite of the support from the meddlling outside state senators, he'll be on the cover of every news magazine and in a position to raise millions. These women must be very confused or deluded if they're fantasizing that life will be better without Santorum. These leaders of women's organizations are failing the people who fund their organizations by failing to flat out oppose Casey. Maybe they are colluding with and making deals with the senators who "annointed" Casey. Maybe they are fooling themselves into thinking they can cut some kind of deal that will make up for remaining silent, allowing Casey to win the primary so he can go on to face Santorum.
Bad move. Bad thinking, Bad strategizing. Maybe these organizations are due to be replaced, or at least the leaders should be replaced. The Women in PA need to get together, and they better do it fast, since the women's organizations in place are totally failing them. They women better get organized and fight Casey with tooth and nail. But it's not just PA.
The Democrats who are willing to sell out by supporting an anti-women's rights candidate (and don't dare quibble that outside of women having the right to control their bodies, Casey's okay. That is the main right!!) will be happy to adopt a POLICY of selecting candidates who take t the position that they oppose abortion, if Casey wins.
This is the test case. This is what sell-out senators from other states are helping to raise milliions of dollars to push through.
I'm writing this article, listing organizations and names because I'm hoping that readers will write to the leaders of these national organizations and their PA affiliates to shame them, to demand that they get off their butts and do something.
Rob Kall is executive editor and publisher of OpEdNews.com, President of Futurehealth, Inc, inventor . He is a frequent Speaker on Politics, Impeachment, The art, science and power of story, heroes and the hero's journey, Positive Psychology, Stress, Biofeedback and a wide range of subjects. He is a campaign consultant specializing in tapping the power of stories for issue positioning, stump speeches and debates. He recently retired as organizer of several conferences, including StoryCon, the Summit Meeting on the Art, Science and Application of Story and The Winter Brain Meeting on neurofeedback, biofeedback, Optimal Functioning and Positive Psychology. See more of his articles here and, older ones, here.
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A few declarations.
-While I'm registered as a Democrat, I consider myself to be a dynamic critic of the Democratic party, just as, well, not quite as much, but almost as much as I am a critic of republicans.
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Excuse Me! Women have control over their body! We are not some bitches in heat, that has to have sex unprotected! I can wait until I can acquire condoms, I know where the condoms are, and if I needed them: I would sure use them.
Birth control by murder is wrong!
If a mother's life is in danger; if it is save her or the baby; Then her life is worth just as much as the baby's.
But don't call this Women's Rights. That is a whole different Ball-Game!
by (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 41 comments)
on Saturday, March 18, 2006 at 2:24:27 PM
Banning Birth Control is Next, after Banning Abortion
Believe me, you are in the minority of the prolife movement. Most prolifers want to ban contraceptives too. It's all part of the taking away of women's control of their own bodies. Your ability to think is a littler further down on their priority list, but they have zero respect for women, except as baby makers and housekeepers.
The prolifers even say that contraception is a form of abortion, preventing the uterus from allowing the fertilized egg to stay alive, thus killing the egg.
Rob Kall
editor
by
Rob Kall (727 articles, 3771 quicklinks, 311 diaries, 1517 comments)
on Sunday, March 19, 2006 at 9:21:54 AM
"Don't tread on The Women"
In 1981 The U.S. Supreme Court gave women the right to own property in every state in the union! Up until that time men in certain states, were deemed as "lord and Master." This meant anything she owned when she married, automatically became his property!
Women in abusive marriages were legally stuck in them, for two years of separation. In these states she couldn't even own a car! If she bought anything during a legal separation, before the divorce, she got the bill, but not the car, or anything else.
A woman didn't have the legal right to say no, to sex with her husband at any time, or in any fashion he desired: a husband couldn't be charged with rape!
Neither were their sexual harassment laws to protect her in the work place. I have been "Let Go" Demoted in employment, and sexually harassed, with no legal protection.
I have also been stalked, with no legal protection.
I am all for women's rights. I want birth control available to every women. This right should be hers!
A woman should be allowed to get out of a relationship that is unkind pronto! The religious wrong is trying to prevent this now, with a new law that will stop divorce. We need to call our legislatures, to ensure our rights.
by (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 41 comments)
on Sunday, March 19, 2006 at 11:25:52 AM
National organization of Women N.O.W. or NARAL are not out there, telling their members in PA and all over the USA and the world to contribute to Pennacchio's campaign.
This quotation from the above article is one of the more judicious and tempered remarks found in this article regarding the institutional organs of the women's movement.
One may also look at this quotation as a prime example of the world being complicated.
Voters in Pennsylvania tend to have positions that defy the easy analysis that pundits seem to crave.
Being pro-life and progressive leaning is fairly common in Pennsylvania, hence the appeal of candidates like Casey who have recognizeably progressive records on labor and race issues, but who are more conservative on social issues.
At the moment, the Democrats are struggling with women's issues. The defining issues: work place representation, equality and abortion, seem not to be working well for them.
The Bush Administration has dozens of youngish, attractive, blonde female spokesmen who give briefings on every sort of domestic issue from education to Hurricane Katrina.
With the banning of abortions by the SD legislature, the Right stands poised to mount a major electoral offensive against pro-life Democrats and hopes to sweep to victory on the federal level in the fall.
To assure that abortion remains a wedge issue among Democrats, some Republicans in the Northeast and on the left coast will run pro-Choice campaigns, and, of course, among the Dems there are people like Mr. Pennachio.
So why aren't women's groups flocking to people like Pennachio? Perhaps it is because the main issues also have to do with equality, respect and breaking glass ceilings.
With all the GOP women in leadership positions in the Bush Administration and all the GOP woman candidates running for Congress, and in Texas even Governor, it may seem odd to still talk about women breaking the glass ceilings.
But the glass ceilings still exist. Women can be governors and Senators, but apparently not CEOs. The issue is still real.
It is an issue where the Democrats still have advantages and offer women solid reasons to support them.
We all hope women will soon break the last glass ceiling in politics, i.e., the Presidency and there are only one or maybe two serious contenders for that, none of them Republicans.
On pay and work place equality, it is hard to see an advantage in backing Mr. Pennachio over Mr. Casey.
Mr. Casey, after all, has A RECORD that DEMONSTRATES his committment on the issue. Progressives and women have good solid reasons for supporting Mr. Casey in this record.
I do not share Mr. Casey's position on abortion.
I am entirely pro-choice, and I would prefer a candidate with a position closer to mine on this issue for this office.
But I think there is a difference between Mr. Casey's position and Mr. Santorum's position that is significant.
My impression is that Mr. Casey's position is based on a genuine sense of the sanctity of human life and that he sincerely believes that every life deserves a chance to prosper.
My impression of Mr. Santorum is that his sense of the sanctity of life is more qualified. I am sure he and his supporters will vehemently deny any lack of passion in their comittment to the sanctity of life.
Still their actions and political positions show a difference. They are unwilling to use the goevernment, the only effective entity, to support the poorest and neediest among us.
Santorum and his supporters also profess a religio-social creed that holds strong beliefs about the status of women in the family and society, e.g., that women are subordinate to men.
Although, I would rather see a strong pro-Choice candidate for US Senate from Pennsylvania and my enthusiasm for Mr. Casey is somewhat muted by his pro-life position, I see Mr. Casey as a clear improvement over Senator Santorum.
I will be able to support Mr. Casey in the general election if he obtains the Democratic nomination. I believe Mr. Casey's personal attributes, political outlook and integrity will make him a valued addition to the Democratic caucus in the Senate and a Senator that Pennsylvanians and all Americans will be proud of.
I believe that the woman's organizations Mr. Kall castigated in his article share my analysis and will throw their weight behind Mr. Casey should he be the Democratic nominee.
I urge Mr. Kall and all the op-ed news readers to study the two candidate's positions and to vote in the primary for the candidate of their choice.
I also urge all to stay with the Democrats on this election. Whatever edge the Democrats have now in the polls will shrink in October, this is an artifact of polling and not reflective of Mr. Casey's weakness as a candidate.
Standing together, we can defeat Mr. Santorum in November.
Robert Chapman
Lansing, New York
by
Robert Chapman (28 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 557 comments)
on Sunday, March 19, 2006 at 1:54:02 PM
Harry S Truman was fond of saying: "if you give the people a choice between a Republican and a Republican, they'll pick the Republican every time." There was always more than a little irony in this old political saw. Most Dems still don't even get the humor behind it, much less the importance of the message. That's too bad because most Dems still don't know when they're actually running Republicans in their own damn primaries.
Casey is no doubt a "stalking horse" for the Republicans in the PA's Democratic primary. It will force Pennachio to spend loads of money on the primary itself while the GOP hopes there'll be little money left for either Democrat to campaign with in the '06 general election.
Now you WOULD think some Dems -- any Dems -- would be chomping at the bit to capitalize on this backroom deal that Casey bit on. One that reeks of laundered soft money from the "other side of the political tracks." Calling the Republicans to task on this dirty deal ought to have the Dems and women's rights organization falling all over themselves to denounce anything and everything Casey stands for.
Instead, they cower. Dems shiver disproportionately about the sizeable Catholic vote in Pennsylvania. [Casey -- I'm just guessing here -- has an Irish name and a lot of people will assume he's Catholic whether he is or not.] So that makes Casey also a stalking horse for an ethnic voting block that's assumed to be 1) overwhelmingly anti-abortion, and 2)still very firm believers that God is a Republican.
This is really sickening, although it's standard Democratic procedure to pretend not to know how to be an opposition party. But...duh? The Dems can't even protect themselves...not even in their own primaries? So why would anyone want to turn the running of the country over to them?
So that leaves just the feminist organizations to twiddle their thumbs right now over Pennsylvania. There's a first. Didn't they fight the so-called "good fight" when Santorum was first elected? So why are they sitting around now? Maybe they think that if they play dumb enough long enough maybe some of them'll get asked to be centerfolds? [I can see it now: a "major" spread: "The Women of the Democratic Party"..."turn-offs: door-to-door campaigning and political rallies."]
Rob's definitely right on on this issue.
by
frank stellaugh (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 2 comments)
on Sunday, March 19, 2006 at 2:46:17 PM
This in Reply to Robert Chapman. Re Pennacchio's political inexperience-- apparently, 11% of senators in the US senate did not run for office before. If that's your only objection, it doesn't really cut it. Besides, Pennacchio worked on several WINNING US senate campaigns and worked in the senate for a senator. He has MORE preparation than Casey.
The more I think about it and research it, the more I believe that being antiabortion is worse than it seems. It not that he's "just" anti-abortion. That's like "just" being racist, or just antisemitic. The fact is, that most prolife, antiabortion activists are not only anti abortion, they are also anti-contraceptive, anti ANY contraceptive. If Casey only opposes abortion he is an exception, but he still feeds into the world and the rising tide that is much more than anti abortion. It is anti woman's rights. Tookie Willliams went to the execution chamber even though he had redeeming characteristics. Casey is bad news. His win will be horrible for women.
I'm not sure I'll vote for him. I probably will, but it will be with my nose held. Still, every democrat in PA should be doing everyting they can to beat casey in the primary, so Pennacchio can run. The upset win will garner Pennacchio front page coverage throughout the nation and will get him huge financial support. The same senators who supported Casey will have to come to PA and support Pennacchio. And Pennacchio will draw the big percentage of republican women who crossed the aisles to vote for Rendell and Kerry. Casey will lose them.
Pennacchio will be able to after Santorum for corruption, for taking PAC money and he will be an incredible breath of fresh air coming into the senate.
Rob Kall
by
Rob Kall (727 articles, 3771 quicklinks, 311 diaries, 1517 comments)
on Sunday, March 19, 2006 at 4:32:37 PM
Regarding Prelingoal and Mr. Kall's latest remarks.
It seems to me that if a person spends his career working up through the Democratic ranks and is elected as a Democrat to two state-wide offices in three state-wide campaigns his Democratic credentials are pretty well established.
Calling Casey a stalking horse for the GOP shows a level of dogmatism that I am very uncomfortable with.
I think Casey's campaign is very important to the future of the Democratic Party directly and less directly but just as significantly to the nation as a whole.
Will the Democrats pick yet another doctrinaire liberal or are they willing to provide a broad tent and build a coalition that includes a wide array of views on all issues?
As the issues are being framed in the op-ed news, and I think Rob is light years out in front of the MSM on this, the Pennsylvania Democratic Party is being forced to choose between a man who is conservative on issues of the hearth, but progressive on issues of the forge and a man who is more consistently progressive.
In describing issues of the hearth, I am trying to bring to mind an image of home and family, in this case the abortion issue. In describing issues of the forge, I am trying to evoke industrial or work place issues.
Casey is a complex mix on these issues. He is definitely closer to a lot of the voters I meet in terms of being a complex mix. People don't tend to take straight up and down progressive or conservative lines with the sort of consistency that Mr. Pennechio seems to.
As I wrote earlier, I am not in agreement with all of Mr. Casey's views. I will endeavor to learn more about him, but so far I have not seen a reflexive idealogical man behind his positions. Casey seems to me to be measured, careful, principled and sincere in his positions.
I read Mr. Pennachio's statements on his web site and I was impressed very favorably by his idealism and his dedication to actualizing that idealism.
However, I am not convinced yet about Mr. Pennachio on a personal basis.
Mr. Casey's accomplishments in two state offices are impressive and show a man who may well be able to represent Pennsylvania effectively at the Federal level and do something constructive for those of us living in sister states.
It is several months until the primary and the lively debate on these pages may serve to inform the Pennsylvania electorate and make this primary battle worthwhile.
I would like to see if anyone can convince some of those Republican women champing at the bit to vote for Pennachio to show some tangible support for his candidacy. If this support is not merely a chimerical- "what if" - infatuation, the GOP women could, paradoxically, be a tremendous boost to Pennachio's chance to gain the Democratic nomination.
Robert Chapman
Lansing, New York
by
Robert Chapman (28 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 557 comments)
on Sunday, March 19, 2006 at 5:31:18 PM
Who the heck thinks Casey is a progressive?
He is against universal health care, against living wage and takes money from 239 of the same places as Rick Santorum.
What even about him is liberal or Democratic? He is against stem cell research, reproductive rights, homosexual rights, withdraw in Iraw and has stated publicly he supports displaying the Ten Commandments in public buildings. He is also against a death penalty moratorium.
Because someone brought up experience I'm not sure if they meant experience at winning elections or actually legislating but Chuck has much more in both. Chuck was senior aide to several US Senators and Congressmen. Also he was in control of all operations for several succesful and tough US Senate elections.
But most of all to those who are not convinced of him "personally" please come out and meet him and listen to him speak. He is one of the very few people who do not disapoint with his speaking ability. Its clear from listening to him about his education, experience, expertise and he makes you want to get out and get involved in supporting the Democratic Party.
Like the Quinnipiac and Zogby poll show he is our best chance to be Santorum.
by
Austin (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 2 comments)
on Monday, March 20, 2006 at 9:15:52 AM
