During a critical election year when Democrats are seeking to improve their standing with women voters, why is the White House treating Susan Sarandon like a dangerous radical?
During a Q & A session with Michael Moore at the Tribeca Film Festival yesterday, respected actress and humanitarian Susan Sarandon revealed that she was recently turned away from the White House and denied a security clearance.
Why?
She's also alleged that, after FOIA requests to the FBI, she's discovered that the WH has also engaged in wiretapping her phone. At this point, its not clear from news media stories which Administration engaged in this activity, so for now its best not to make assumptions about whether the Obama WH has done so.
Sarandon is a respected, intelligent activist who has worked on behalf of important causes such as abolishing the death penalty and support for OWS. She's done such a good job of championing humanitarian causes that she's become a target of vicious attacks by right wing radio talking heads.
She's the woman Democrat every right winger loves to hate. Conversely, she's admired and respected by many American women voters.
So why would the White House take such extreme action against a popular woman activist? Frankly, the Obama Administration has a mixed record on supporting women activists, having presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom to such controversial and, some would say undeserving, women such as Komen's Nancy Brinker. Ugh.
It's critically important for all of our elected Democratic Party officials who are running for re-election to treat women voters and women's issues with the respect they deserve. Let's hope the White House can take a step back, reconsider their position and find a way to show respect for women political activists like Susan Sarandon.
Update
Taylormattd pointed out below that my original diary title was similar to a headline in a Fox news story, so I'm editing it to a title that more closely reflects the content of this diary.
I really think there's a way for us to brainstorm ideas to help the WH reach out to liberal women leaders and find common ground on important issues without having to resort to excluding them from the conversation. There's a real need for that to happen.