I think this diary series has been a very long time in the making. (h/t to lgmcp: Feminisms was a Dkos diary series started by Elise and Laura Clawson, which I was completely unaware of because I am a dork.) Check it out:
The Democratic party has made a lot of promises to women.
"We believe that standing up for our country means standing up against sexism and all intolerance. Demeaning portrayals of women cheapen our debates, dampen the dreams of our daughters, and deny us the contributions of too many. Responsibility lies with us all."
"Our policies will recognize that human rights are women’s rights and that women’s rights are human rights."
We agree. And that's why we're committed to making the Democratic party keep its promises. Join us.
We are SheKos! Hear us and Rosie the riveter roar, baby! :)
The wonderful and much beloved Angry Mouse began this fruitful effort last weekend, when these assholes brought about pointed and vehement diaries like this and this. In truth, though, this idea has been bubbling right beneath the surface of Dkos for quite awhile, for many of us.
The blowback from Mouse's diaries was overtly fierce. As a direct result, several people e-mailed and commented that we'd love to see a diary series that addresses feminism, sexism, and (more importantly) electoral strategy that seeks to empower progressive, Democratic women to statewide and nationwide political office. Any legislator, man or woman, who does not have our back, 100%, needs to go!
And now we have a group of men and women committed to tackling this enormous task. We intuitively feel that the Stupid-It'sThePitts coathanger amendment was a mistake of mass proportion, and we feel intimately betrayed by the Democrats who voted against women.
Women don't need that shit. Men don't need that shit. But, most of all, our children sure as hell don't need that shit.
For starters, I would like to see the following Democrats in the House, who voted against women a week ago, summarily primaried and booted:
AL-2 Bright, Bobby
AL-5 Griffith, Parker
AL-7 Davis, Artur
AR-1 Berry, Robert
AR-2 Snyder, Victor
AR-4 Ross, Mike
CA-18 Cardoza, Dennis
CA-20 Costa, Jim
CA-43 Baca, Joe
CO-3 Salazar, John (ugh.)
GA-2 Bishop, Sanford
GA-8 Marshall, James
GA-12 Barrow, John
IL-3 Lipinski, Daniel
IL-12 Costello, Jerry
IN-2 Donnelly, Joe
IN-8 Ellsworth, Brad
IN-9 Hill, Baron
KY-6 Chandler, Ben
LA-3 Melancon, Charles
MA-2 Neal, Richard
MA-9 Lynch, Stephen
ME-2 Michaud, Michael
MI-5 Kildee, Dale
MN-7 Peterson, Collin
MN-8 Oberstar, James
MS-1 Childers, Travis
MS-4 Taylor, Gene
MO-4 Skelton, Ike
NC-2 Etheridge, Bob
NC-7 McIntyre, Mike
NC-11 Shuler, Heath
ND-TheEntireFriggin'State Pomeroy, Earl
NM-2 Teague, Harry
NY-13 McMahon, Michael (h/t TheMomCat)
OH-1 Driehaus, Steve
OH-6 Wilson, Charles;
OH-9 Kaptur, Marcy (wtf, Marcy!)
OH-16 Boccieri, John
OH-17 Ryan, Timothy
OH-18 Space, Zachary
OK-2 Boren, Dan
PA-3 Dahlkemper, Kathleen
PA-4 Altmire, Jason
PA-10 Carney, Christopher
PA-11 Kanjorski, Paul
PA-12 Murtha, John
PA-14 Doyle, Michael
PA-17 Holden, Tim
RI-2 Langevin, James
SC-5 Spratt, John
TN-4 Davis, Lincoln
TN-5 Cooper, Jim
TN-6 Gordon, Barton
TN-8 Tanner, John
TX-16 Reyes, Silvestre
TX-23 Rodriguez, Ciro
TX-27 Ortiz, Solomon
TX-28 Cuellar, Henry
UT-2 Matheson, Jim
VA-5 Perriello, Thomas
WV-1 Mollohan, Alan
WV-3 Rahall, Nick
WI-7 Obey, David
Bold = Those craptastic Democrats who voted both FOR the Stupid-It'sThePitts amendment and AGAINST HCR. Grr.
(h/t to Meteor Blades, askew, and Granny Doc.)
I cannot more strongly suggest how much I am disgusted with and hurt by the above House representatives. They can kiss my big 'ole white butt; pucker up, Buttercup.
Kate Michelman (former president of NARAL Pro-Choice America) and Frances Kissling (former president of Catholics for Choice) wrote an excellent Op-Ed in Wednesday's NYT, which examined the strange trend that Democrats have been utilizing for years, in a bizarre effort to abandon their feminist base:
But they can’t ignore the underlying shift that has taken place in recent years. The Democratic majority has abandoned its platform and subordinated women’s health to short-term political success. In doing so, these so-called friends of women’s rights have arguably done more to undermine reproductive rights than some of abortion’s staunchest foes. That Senate Democrats are poised to allow similar anti-abortion language in their bill simply underscores the degree of the damage that has been done.
(snip)
The victims of their folly will be the millions of women who once could count on the Democratic Party to protect them from those who would sacrifice their rights for political gains.
You said it, ladies. This whole thing sucks to high heaven.
Is this an extremist position? I don't think so. I don't think it's extreme to say that women, especially low-income and minority women, are going to be severely impacted if the coathanger amendment makes it through the HCR Senate/House conference. I would very much like to make sure that does not happen. And so would many, many other folks, of either gender.
Because the Democratic party platform (from above the fold) states:
"Our policies will recognize that human rights are women’s rights and that women’s rights are human rights."
Great! This sounds fucking cool to me. Now, stop stepping on my uterus, "Democrats". Quit yanking on my vulva without my permission.
It's time to hold fellow Democrats accountable for voting against women. I will not back down from this, and I hope you won't, either. Similar to the GLBT and civil rights ever-present battles, the fight for women's equality has gone on for far too long.
Please join the war with us. Because this bullshit ends now.