Posts Tagged ‘ Elizabeth Warren ’

Globe Editorial Misses the Point on Diversity

January 31, 2013
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Globe Editorial Misses the Point on Diversity

An editorial in today’s Boston Globe about Massachusetts’ new interim senator reveals a disconcerting lack of understanding about the value of diversity. I nodded reading the first few sentences of the editorial that questions whether William “Mo” Cowan, Governor Deval Patricks’s appointee, has the clout to best serve the Commonwealth. But I stopped when I came to these sentences, “Cowan, who will be the state’s second African-American senator, could be an important role model for young black men. Still, the Bay State, with an African-American governor and three women in statewide elected office, isn’t entirely without diverse role models.” An African-American senator, only the eighth African-American senator in our country’s history, will not only inspire young black men. He will inspire all Americans who hope to one day break barriers or change the status quo. He inspires me, a white woman, who has seen Massachusetts send only one woman to the Senate, and only in recent months. In addition to Senator Warren, Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin inspires us as the first openly homosexual person elected to the Senate. Congresswoman Marie Hirono of Hawaii inspires us as the first Asian-American woman elected to the Senate. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, also from Hawaii, inspires [...]

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Women of the Senate: What to Expect

January 2, 2013
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Women of the Senate: What to Expect

Today’s guest post was written by writer Rachel Engel. She is optimistic about the 113th Congress and the role women will play. Yes, women have made progress, but we’re not done. Our next goal should be critical mass, at least 30 percent of Congress made up of women. After that, equity, a 50/50 split. That’s when we’ll see the true impact of women in politics. After being told all year long about the supposed “war on women”, I’d say the 98 women who will be a part of the 113th Congress in January are a good indication that we fought back pretty well. With women now making up 20 percent of the Senate, and after several males who made completely inaccurate and foot-in-mouth comments about the female body and reproduction were defeated, it looks like the “fairer sex” will be well represented in 2013. But, what can we expect from the 24 newcomers? Being a female in a male-dominated profession and culture can be daunting, but thankfully, these congressional women seem to have plenty of fire and drive, which is what got them elected in the first place. Senator-Elect Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has already been appointed to the Senate Banking [...]

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Women Newsmakers in 2012

December 30, 2012
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Women Newsmakers in 2012

What an incredible year for women. During what many dubbed the War on Women, we used our collective voices, driving positive changes. Here’s a look back at some of the women who made news in 2012. We may not agree with all of their decisions and politics, but we should be grateful they stepped up and inspired us. Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann was the only woman in the presidential race. However, she dropped out in the first week of the year. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited more nations than any of her predecessors. She plans to step down at the end of this year, and speculation abounds as to whether she will run again for President in 2016. The Girl Scouts celebrated their 100th anniversary this year. The organization remains dedicated to teaching girls critical leadership skills and supporting STEM initiatives. This year Senator Barb Mikulski became the longest serving woman in Congress. After Republicans refused to allow her to testify at a panel about contraception, and radio host Rush Limbaugh attacked her, Sandra Fluke became a strong leader for women’s rights. Malala Yousafazai, a young advocate for educating girls, was shot in the head by the Pakistani Taliban. Consumer [...]

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Elizabeth Warren Wins!

November 6, 2012
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Elizabeth Warren Wins!

Massachusetts will send its first woman Senator to Washington in January. Elizabeth Warren defeated Senator Scott Brown tonight. It’s still early but it’s a good night so far for women: Senator Claire McCaskill defeated Todd Akin who made headlines with his comments about legitimate rape and pregnancy. Joe Donnelly beat Richard Mourdock in the Indiana Senate race. Mourdock made news when he talked about pregnancy resulting from rape. New Hampshire elected Maggie Hassan as the only pro-choice female governor. Powerhouses Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Debbie Stabenow and Amy Klobuchar were all reelected.         More to come…  

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The Hello Ladies Guide to Sexism in Politics (revisited)

September 12, 2012
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The Hello Ladies Guide to Sexism in Politics (revisited)

Clearly it’s time to revisit The Hello Ladies Guide to Sexism in Politics. In recent weeks: Reporters at the Chicago Sun Times, in reporting a story about whether or not Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan would run for governor, wrote, “Madigan and her husband, Pat Byrnes, have two young children, ages 7 and 4. She was asked whether she could serve as governor and still raise her kids the way she wants to.” Eric Golub, a writer for the Washington Times Communitites section wrote following the Democratic National Convention, “Sandra Fluke and Elizabeth Warren gave shrill, angry, hysterical speeches that validate every negative stereotype about women. They began their speeches enraged and ended somewhere between conniption and apoplectic.” Massachusetts Democratic Party Chairman John Walsh referencing one of Senator Scott Brown’s campaign ads said, “ He spent a couple million dollars folding towels on TV to prove he’s an honorary girl.” So in an effort to help easily identify and respond to unfair treatment of female politicians, here again is “The Hello Ladies Guide to Sexism in Politics.” Overt sexism: In this category we have the outrageous remarks that make you scream, “How does this person (insert name of person who spoke or wrote the sexist [...]

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Meet the 17 Women Running for U.S. Senate

September 6, 2012
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Meet the 17 Women Running for U.S. Senate

This could be a big election year for women. Seventeen women are running for seats in the U.S. Senate. Currently only 17 of the 100 Senators are women and two are retiring: Olympia Snowe of Maine and Kay Bailey Hutchinson of Texas. Six women are up for reelection and five states have an opportunity to elect their first ever women Senator: Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Nevada and Wisconsin. View this SkinnyScoop List

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This Is the Year to Elect Women

August 19, 2012
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This Is the Year to Elect Women

The four men running for President and Vice President may be dominating the political news cycle right now, but it’s the women running for congressional seats that just might be in the dominant position come November. A record 298 women filed to run this year, and to date 154 women have been nominated in the primaries. That’s also a record number and there are still 10 primaries to go. You can view the list of female congressional and Statewide elected executive candidates at this site managed by Rutger’s University Center for American Women and Politics. According to Politico, both Democratic and Republican women are out-fundraising their opponents. Robin Bravender reports, “The 12 Democratic women running for Senate this fall have raised a combined $110 million, more than twice as much as the $42 million their Republican opponents have raised,” and “combined, the 18 women running for Senate have raised more than $135 million this cycle.” The Massachusetts Senate raise is the most expensive congressional race. Through June, Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren had raised close to $24 million and her Republic opponent, Senator Scott Brown, had raised $14 million. If women do win big in November, they will reverse the backward slide [...]

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If I Were Santa

December 14, 2011
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If I Were Santa

If I were Santa, I’d be making my list and checking it twice. And here are the gifts I would give: For Our Daughters: The gift of self-esteem and positive role models The mass media perpetuates a message that women and girls’ value comes from beauty and sexuality – and it affects us. Sixty-five percent of women and girls have an eating disorder. Eighty percent of the op-ed pages are dominated by men. The number of women in senior management positions globally has gone from 24 to 20 percent from 2004 to 2009. For Corporate America: More women in leadership positions There is a large, and growing, body of research connecting women at the tops of organizations to a strong bottom line performance. However, women comprise 53 percent of new hires, but only 37 percent of managers, 26 percent of vice-presidents, and just 14 percent of executive committees.   For Working Mothers: Flexible work arrangements … and a day of rest The life of a working mother is challenging. Flexible work arrangements give parents the ability to work more flexibly and better manage the challenges of work and family. For Working Families: Passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act According to [...]

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Senator Brown’s Locker Room Response to Elizabeth Warren

October 6, 2011
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Senator Brown’s Locker Room Response to Elizabeth Warren

Senator Scott Brown resorted to a locker room-style response this morning on a local Boston radio station when speaking about Democratic Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren. Earlier in the week, during a Democratic primary debate, Warren was asked how she paid her tuition. Alluding to Senator Scott Brown’s Cosmopolitan photo shoot she said, “I kept my clothes on.” This morning, the radio show host asked Brown, “Have you officially responded to Elizabeth Warren’s comment about how she didn’t take her clothes off?” To which the Senator responded, “Thank God,” then he and the host laughed like teenagers. We weren’t thrilled when we heard Warren’s comment during the debate. We’d prefer she stay on the high road. However, while Warren referenced Brown’s actions, the  Senator referenced his challenger’s appearance. His comment was low. Was it sexist? Perhaps the “Blink-and-you-might-miss-it“ variety. Taken alone, what Brown said could be viewed as just immature and not very savvy. But couple it with previous campaign behavior – with his silence on the campaign trail in 2010 when a supporter suggested shoving a curling iron in then opponent Martha Coakley - and it stinks. Read The Hello Ladies Guide to Sexism in Politics here.     Photo from Medill DC used with a [...]

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Elizabeth Warren Is Running for Senate

September 14, 2011
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Elizabeth Warren Is Running for Senate

Elizabeth Warren has officially entered the Massachusetts Senate race. She enters a crowded Democratic primary field which includes Newton Mayor Setti Warren and City Year founder Alan Khazei, to challenge Republican Senator Scott Brown who won the special election last year to fill the late Senator Kennedy’s seat. In an email to supporters, Warren said, “Washington gives some of the biggest corporations in the world special loopholes and tax breaks, while middle-class families and small businesses struggle. This is wrong. Our hard-working families deserve someone who believes in them, someone who is going to stand up and fight for their interests. That’s why I’m running for the United States Senate.” Warren,  a Harvard law professor, made headlines earlier this year when she was tapped by President Obama to start the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency she championed following the financial meltdown on Wall Street. She came under intense scrutiny and fire from Republicans and Obama ultimately appointed Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray to head the organization. Warren is smart and tough and many Democratic party insiders think she is the candidate best suited to raise the money needed to run against Brown. Visit her campaign site to learn more. Footnote: I am [...]

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