Posts Tagged ‘ stephen lynch ’

2010 Political Review (Slideshow)

December 31, 2010
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Here is a look back at just a few of the political stories we were talking about in 2010. What do you think 2011 will bring?

Vote Today: Sept. 14

September 14, 2010
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There are primary races today in seven states:  New York, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Maryland, Delaware, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Have you cast your vote yet?

Footwear and the Midterm Elections

August 28, 2010
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Kate Spade "Halle" wedge

Sometimes, I know I like something, but I don’t know why. I could be enjoying a cabernet sauvignon, for example, and then someone with a better palate than mine says, “This is so deep and rich. So many tannins. Do you taste the chocolate?” And bingo! It all becomes clear.

And so it is with politics. For years I thought my interest stemmed from a sense of civic duty, a desire to make the world a better place, from wanting to hold my legislators accountable, demand justice, transparency and equality. But recently it’s become clear to me. I am interested in politics because I love shoes.

Shoes, you see, matter a great deal in politics. The voters in Colorado understand this. They just gave the GOP primary nod to Senate hopeful Ken Buck, the man who said he deserved the vote because he doesn’t wear high heels. He will face Senator Michael Bennet in the general election. Bennet is too frequently photographed from the waist up and so I need to learn more about his footwear. Florsheim? Cole Haan? Gucci? Time will tell.

Senator Michael Bennet

And Bennet should not take this scrutiny lightly. After all, you remember what happened in the Massachusetts Senate race, don’t you? After easily winning the primary, Attorney General Martha Coakley foolishly underestimated her “age-inappropriate Mary Jane shoes” and lost the general election to Scott Brown, who most likely learned the importance of shoes from Helen Gurley Brown.

Congressman Stephen Lynch gets it. He won’t make the same mistakes Coakley did. Not him. Lynch is paying close attention to the message Massachusetts voters sent in January. And that’s why he is touting his footwear as a reason to vote for him, not challenger Mac D’Alessandro. Fashion forecast for fall: red is the new black and work boots are the new barn jacket.

The New York Times gets it. Last week some women were upset about a story in the Times featuring Congress hopeful Reshma Saujani which dedicated half a sentence to her political goals and 13 paragraphs to her shoes. While I think the story should have appeared in the Style section and a separate, more substantive piece on Saujani is owed New York voters, I did find the article informative. Reading it I learned that the 3 inch high, $300 Kate Spade Halle wedge is the footwear of choice for women in politics. Wearing these shoes you can canvass neighborhoods, run to catch a flight and have “drinks at a new hotel lounge with tech entrepreneurs hungry to see their kind in politics.”

I am going to buy a pair. And then I am going to run for office. I may not be a shoo-in to win but I will certainly be a shoe-in.

Woman in Politics: Harmony Wu

May 25, 2010
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Harmony Wu

Since we’re always urging women to get involved politically, we thought it would be informative to share insights from a woman who is. Last week I sat down with Harmony Wu, a political activist in Needham, Massachusetts to find out what motivates her to do what she does.

I first heard of Wu when I worked on the Martha Coakley for U.S. Senate campaign. Volunteers at the phone bank I managed would come in every night and say, “You need to meet Harmony. You should really meet Harmony.”

Fast forward to the healthcare vote and our induction of Congressman Stephen Lynch into the Ignorant Male Legislator’s club. We posted a job opening for someone to take his place in the Ninth Congressional  district; someone who would represent the district and lead with courage and integrity. Later that same day, we heard Harmony Wu was considering a run for the seat.

After some serious consideration, Wu decided not to run, posting this statement on her website:

Over the last two weeks, I have met with numerous people to address the many aspects of a potential campaign against Mr. Lynch. The ability to maintain my family life during the campaign and as a member of Congress has always been an important factor for me, as it has been for so many women seeking and serving in office. In my case, it prevents me from launching what would be a vigorous campaign and if elected, committing to a life that would require far too much time away from family at this moment in our lives. In the end, this is the decisive factor for me.

I admit I was slightly disappointed that Wu cited family life not just as a factor in her decision, but as a factor for other women considering political life. I understand family first. I do. And in her shoes I may have reached the same decision. I just don’t want to see all women painted with the same broad brush stroke. I don’t buy into the idea that maintaining and preserving the family unit is a woman’s job. I believe it is a parent’s job and should be based on the individual, not the gender. Just like running for office should be an individual decision, not a gender decision.

Fast forward again. I finally met Harmony Wu and she opened up about her decision-making process.  And what she had to say about the prospects for women in politics is a fair and unsurprising commentary from someone who took a close look.

Wu wasn’t always politically active. But observing the Bush administration inspired her to get involved in the last presidential election. “I swore I would do everything in my power to do more,” she says and after the primary she volunteered for the Obama campaign with Organizing for America.

After the presidential election, Wu worked on a local Selectman’s campaign but wasn’t active on a  day-to-day-basis. “Then Ted Kenendy passed away,” she says. And things in Massachusetts changed. Wu went from the Senate race to the race to fill Scott Brown’s State Senator seat. Both candidate’s she supported  lost, but she wasn’t deterred.

In fact her energy and organizing skills attracted attention and Wu was drafted to run against Lynch. “I spent a lot of time exploring, talking to people. There was a lot of support and people telling me, ‘We’ll do what we can.’ But there were also people saying I wasn’t an insider, I had no experience and asking me if I could raise money.”

Wu says her ability to raise money was always the first question asked of her, although for her, the number one question was could she do the job. In the end, she determined that job, one that requires constant fundraising, was not for her.

I asked Wu if, based on what she saw up close, a woman could get elected in Massachusetts? “You know there’s a woman thing, but also a regular person thing,” she says. “Unless you’re on a path to be Guy Smiley from the day you’re born, it’s tough to break in. There’s a gate, a barrier. The lifestyle is different. It’s not family friendly.

“It’s the professionalizing of politics. You have to be in it — in training. It’s been made so unattractive. Massachusetts politics… it’s a tough club.”

Still, Wu believes there’s a “huge pent up desire” to see a woman elected, at least in the more progressive communities.  And she is by no means backing down. She isn’t running for Congress but she is supporting Mac D’Alessandro in his primary bid against Lynch, tearing up the Twitter on the #mapoli hashtag and organizing her neighbors at Yes We Can Needham.  Wu won’t hold an elected office any time soon, but she will hold those in office accountable. And if you’re a progressive woman looking to run, Wu’s probably got your back.

REMINDER: We are giving away a print from Carolyn Draws. Leave a comment and we’ll enter you in our contest.

April Fools

April 1, 2010
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A job opening and an induction

March 19, 2010
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Wanted: A candidate for the Mass Ninth Congressional District. This individual will represent all of the people of the district and lead with courage and integrity. The candidate must value diversity and equality and must not allow their personal religious views to enter into politics. Must be able to vote for the people — not just to keep the seat. Disingenuous candidates need not apply. A strong track record of pro-woman actions and support is a plus. A small army of supporters is ready to assist you in this position. Applications will be reviewed immediately.

And now, an induction: Hello Ladies has “deemed” that Representative Stephen Lynch D-MA “passes” the test for an Ignorant Male Legislator Award and we are inducting him into the group. Rep. Lynch probably could have joined after he voted yes on the Stupak amendment, but we gave him a pass. However, after hearing his “disingenuous” reasons for why he plans to vote no on healthcare reform, we are welcoming him to the club.

Lynch told WBZ radio that the bill “stripped out all the significant reform.” We disagree. In the current system women pay significantly higher premiums and face other discriminatory practices based on pre-existing conditions that include having a c-section, being raped or having been the victim of domestic abuse. Righting those wrongs is pretty significant. The bill would also help the currently uninsured, an estimated 32 million Americans. Again, rather significant.

We agree with Lynch on one thing: this bill is far from perfect. For instance, the anti-abortion amendments in both the House and the Senate version are some of the most restrictive moves against reproductive rights in decades. And the lack of a public option is highly disappointing. But we need healthcare reform and cannot afford to “go back to the drawing board” for an indefinite number of years.

Lynch’s move smells of a calculated political play to hang onto his seat in November following a Brownswell of voters who shook up the Commonwealth in January.

One more thing: Katha Pollitt has a great piece in The Nation on pro-choicers and healthcare reform. Check it out here.

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