Why Women’s Orgs Must Become Non-Partisan
By Amy Siskind on November 12, 2009 at 5:45 PM in Current Affairs
Reprinted from HuffingtonPost.com with the express permission of Amy Siskind, founder of The New Agenda, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls.
After yet another evening of being thrown under the bus, it is high time that women’s organizations drastically change their approach!
Women in the Democratic Party have been taken for granted and have lost their bargaining power as a result. Ladies, this is business, plain and simple, and what it comes down to this: We can no longer work with only one political party: that is “speaking.” Women’s organizations must learn to “negotiate” and establish dialogues with all political parties. Party exclusivity is why women’s organizations are failing in their missions to protect their members and their members’ interests. Women’s organizations must become non-partisan immediately.
Last night (November 10th), our Congress, under the leadership of Speaker Pelosi primarily and President Obama secondarily, approved a health care bill that does not include funding for abortion. What did they gain for this concession? Nothing. Still, 39 blue dog Democrats voted against the bill. There is no better indication of how little bargaining power organizations such as NARAL and Planned Parenthood currently have thanks to their efforts with one party.
The organizations and religious groups that are against abortion have amply made their case with the Democratic leaders. The DNC Chair is anti-choice. Half our country does not know whether President Obama is pro-choice.
Here are some short-term suggestions for women’s advocacy groups:
1. Change of leadership. I agree with parts of what Jane Hamsher wrote last night at HuffPost. Groups set up for this issue failed. Nancy Keenan in particular who endorsed then Senator Obama over Senator Clinton in 2008 when only Clinton had any clear record on reproductive rights — the sole issue on which her organization is focused — should step down immediately. Records show that Keenan has had ample access to the White House and yet has been ineffective at advancing her organization’s cause. She must go.
2. The leaders of the women’s group devoted to choice must immediately head this bill off at the next pass. These organizations should mobilize their members to write to their senators and ask them NOT to pass the bill in its current form.
3. The leaders of women’s groups devoted to choice should immediately set up meetings with Michael Steele, Chair of the RNC, to make their pitch. While opinions in our country are split on abortion, most believe that this a personal decision.
4. The leaders of the all women’s organizations should open lines of communication with political leaders of all political parties. Starting immediately. On all issues concerning women and girls. We need advocates in all parties and this is attainable.
The days of women’s organizations being an appendage of the DNC must end immediately. Women have been taken for granted and speaking to one political party has led to defeat after defeat for causes important to women.
It is high time that women’s organizations blaze a brave new path for their constituents. It is time that we fight for women and girls. And in order to do so, we need to make our case to all political parties. Else, women and women’s issues will continue the easiest give for the Democrats.
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Amy, you are so right. We will never get ahead unless we unite.
Women throwing women under the bus is too common. Just today we learned that the first Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, is endorsing tomorrow Mike Capuano over the first viable and more than qualified woman, Martha Coakley. The timing on this stinks to high heaven. Quid pro quo anyone? Please let the Speaker know how you feel about her supporting the guy that allowed the Stupak/healthcare bill to go through while the woman who said no way would she vote on a bill that would further millions of women’s civil rights gets pushed aside by the woman holding the highest office in the country.
Her number: (202) 225-0100
Ellen Goodman had a great piece today:
She says:
“As Coakley says, “I can’t believe that we are now reduced to saying the only way we can get good health care is by taking steps backward on women’s rights. It’s a false choice.”
She’s right. Now we’ll see if this false choice becomes the final choice.”
Let Nancy know how you feel!
I know that Pelosi’s distict loves her, so she always gets reelected, but maybe it’s time to put some hard facts in front of their eyes - there must be plenty of women in that district - a special effort directed to her constituents. She’s no good - starting from insisting she would hold Bush’s feet to the fire if elected, and then upon reelection, doing nothing. Her area of SF may love her, but her actions affect the whole country.
And Amy - I can’t thank you enough for the work you do.
I live in Nancy Pelosi’s district and many of us are fed up with her. You would be surprised. There are many “tea parties” in the San Francisco Bay Area comprised of all manner of people from all party lines protesting her actions.
I can’t tell you how glad I am to hear this! All I ever hear is that she is bullet-proof in her district, and it’s scary…
I work in Pelosi’s district, used to live in her district as well, but I wouldn’t be jumping for joy just yet. The white-guilt rich people in the Marina and Pacific Heights aren’t going to throw her under bus, neither will the Castro area. Not only that but like any good political piggy at the taxpayer trough she brings home the bacon.
All in all though, SF has become a real shitty place to work and live in. Let me put it this way, when I walk to work from BART I have to hold my breath under the transbay terminal because the homeless sleep there and it reeks of human waste. Oh, they powerwash the street (I wonder how much that costs the taxpayers?) and move them out every once in a while, but the stench always comes back just like they do.
But Gavin Newsome has to slap a $.40 per pack tax on cigs because butts litter up SF and make it look bad. This is loony SF for you. Too bad. It used to be a great city.
Is there any hope in hell of your district voting her out? Thank you for your post, btw.
Perhaps if you drop a nuke and wipe out the entire northern half of SF, Pelosi has a chance to be beaten. Otherwise, ain’t gonna happen.
The Tides Foundation which owns Pelosi, has it’s grip on many a pol in SF. Perhaps if that was broken up….
Other people might have a shot.
“Our district” is the entire city of San Francisco, and no, there is no chance of Nancy Pelosi being voted out, not ever. She didn’t get to be Speaker by accident. She is arguably the most potent fundraiser in the House of Representative and a legislative wizard; let’s not forget that the House just passed the first major health care reform bill in about 50 years. An enormous accomplishment. You may not like the bill (this isn’t the thread to argue that point), but the fact that it even passed is remarkable, and a testament to the political skill of Speaker Pelosi.
The Stupak amendment is, of course, disgusting, and will have to be removed in conference or I’m quite confident that the entire health care bill will fail.
Please, as her constituent, could you ask her, on what basis she determined BO was Constitutionally qualified for the job of POTUS to get election officials to print his name on the general election ballot, given the only ‘evidence’ in the public record at that time, according to the statement BO made subsequently in a footnote in a Motion to Dismiss he filed in federal court in the Hollister case, was this: 1) his on-line redacted COLB; and 2) an unattributed newspaper birth announcement on the web site of APFC? I hand-delivered a written request to her House office but she ignored it. (All of the information is contained in complaints of election fraud filed against her in VA or GA, posted on my blog. http://jbjd.wordpress.com).
jbjd — I am so impressed and grateful for the amazing amount of work you’ve done on this topic. My faith in our legal system has been shattered, however, by the uphill battle to even get it before a court when it should’ve been a slam dunk.
Then perhaps Pelosi is ripe for a legal scandal caused by her own greed and out of control ego.
Come on Karma, time to knock on Nancy’s door…
If axis sally pelosi is against her she must be good for the country. I will contribute to her campaign.
WOMEN WITH INTELLIGENCE AND EXPERIENCE,MEN WHO SUPPORT THEM AND COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY ALWAYS
PUMAS,BUBBAS,EQUALISTS AND THOSE PEOPLE RULE
I’ve been trying to follow the special election in MA since I subscribe to the Boston Globe. Martha Coakley was a strong Hillary supporter and even endorsed her in MA after the Governor, Deval Patrick, tried to strong arm his cabinet to endorse BO. She seems to be the real deal and she doesn’t have the big money like some others in the race.
Absolutely agree. The Dems have held this single issue over women’s heads for too long and have just proven it will be the first thing they give up in a compromise. If I recall correctly, it was McCain who immediately sat down with Hillary supporters once That One stole the nomination. Each party needs to know if they want us, they need to step up and win us.
It’s why it feels so good to me to have become an independent - you’re going to have to EARN my vote.
I think we all have to start insisting on an answer to this demand, when told yet again that dems are the women’s party: LIST the evidence! Maybe we have to become like kids, always asking “why?” - and forcing the other to put up or shut up….
Well said, lorac.
Go Amy Go!
Women need to stand up for themselves and push their issues forward. The most appalling political experience I had last year was watching women (including HRC) back down, again, and hand over their consent, again, to yet another narcissistic bullshit artist.
Women may be, as they claim, better at this governing thing than men - but we’ll never know until they stand up and assert their rights.
http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/11/senate-candidates-clash-on-health-care-in-massachusetts/
This is what it is about. Who stands up for women and who throws them under the bus.
WOMEN WITH INTELLIGENCE AND EXPERIENCE,MEN WHO SUPPORT THEM AND COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY ALWAYS
PUMAS,BUBBAS,EQUALISTS AND THOSE PEOPLE RULE
I can’t believe women’s organizations believed in the DNC, Pelosi, or the current administration to begin with.
The DNC because they terrorized and disenfranchised their own party members to get the candidate they wanted. They also overlooked blatant sexism.
Pelosi, because she dangled impeachment in front of the electorate and then backed off once she got the position she wanted.
The current administration because they have done the opposite on many issues even copying the policies of GWB.
Obama’s associations when it came to the poor in his state Senate district, his associations with those who vilify the GLBT community, and his promises to the anti-war movement that is now strangely silent should have been clues.
“They also overlooked blatant sexism.”
Candymarl, I think it’s worse than that. I think they participated in it.
Agreed.
They DID participate in it! Now as time passes watch them scramble to deny their execrable behaviour through out the primaries and the general.
I hope we have kept every video footage, article, etc to NEVER let them forget how they screwed us all over with their arrogant and willful stupidity and yes their own internalized misogyny.
I cannot tell you how much I despise obots. Whenever I hear them carry on about how “inspired” they were by Obama it reminds me of those older Germans in documentaries trying to explain their fuhrer worship. “If only you had been there! If only you had heard him speak!”
The problem is not women all supporting one party: that’s what could fix this mess; it’s that their party of choice is run by fascists.
the greens, the independence party, and all of the socialist parties endorse abortion and wage parity without equivocation. there is nothing to stop a women’s party for women only candidates either.
if you think sucking up to not 1 but 2 fascist parties will improve matters, guess again.
http://lifenews.com/nat5651.html
Stupek threaten the dems if they pull his amendment.
How do we get rid of this pos?
Are there enough women in his district with enough self respect to vote him out?
WOMEN WITH INTELLIGENCE AND EXPERIENCE,MEN WHO SUPPORT THEM AND COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY ALWAYS
PUMAS,BUBBAS,EQUALISTS AND THOSE PEOPLE RULE
I GUESS THE FAT LADY DIDN’T SING YET….
things are getting interesting again in
NY23….
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/11/its_not_over_recanvassing
The good news is, that
NY State had NOT certified the election…
so if it is found that Hoffmann did win, then Owens has to step down.
His vote was meaningless in the PelosiCare count.
After the 2008 election season I ended my affiliation with any political party and any “women’s group”.
I am done with these things.
Me, too. I have no need to participate in any more herd mentality endeavors.
I am the goddess of me now and I like the arrangement very much!
I’m with you!
Amy — thank you for sharing and letting us all discuss this important subject.
I am completely serious when I say women should find a woman candidate with no conscience, no moral objections to lying, cheating, stealing, strong-arming, who is willing to do, say, promise anything in order to get elected. Once she’s in office the precedent has already been set for her to do whatever she’s told by us.
When NARAL withdrew its support for Hillary Clinton’s candidacy I was outraged. When I read Kate Michaelman’s oped in the NY Times this morning, I wanted to see her acknowledge this error–here she was whining that Obama was not supporting choice when she and other Dems had every opportunity to put a true choice candidate in office and turned the other way. She did not address this issue. I still cannot believe that the first viable female candidate EVER was not supported by women in her party–even those within groups whose sole reason for existence was to support reproductive rights.
The women who withdrew their support of Hillary and moved to Obama I hope are embarrassed by that choice. LGBT groups who turned away from Hillary and toward Obama should likewise be embarrassed. I turned my back on the democrats when they turned theirs on Hillary. The only political organization that makes any sense to me now is PUMA.
…unless you are referring to Murphy from PUMA PAC who called another woman a “piece of shit” in an editorial on her blog and, when given the opportunity to withdraw that remark the next day in a radio spot, declined to do so. And when I had the audacity to complain she had called another woman a “piece of shit,” (and posted other racist/anti-Semitic comments) retaliated against me by refusing to post my vote binding states prowl, which action focused on preserving the votes of HRC pledged delegates from vote binding states. And as we now know, delegates from these vote binding states turned out to have played a key in the floor vote at the Convention. Bottom line? Certain PUMAs like women unless they are pieces of shit; or smarter than they are; or more civil to other women.
Thought I should post at least one link…
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2008/07/19/pumapac-strikes-back-stupid-piece-of/
Thank you Amy. This last election was a real eye opener for me. There was maybe one or two times in my life I voted other than Democrat, and only in local elections. My heart and soul belonged to the Democratic Party. Now they can kiss my ass. I am an Independent. What they did last year, kicking the truly qualified female candidate, Hillary Clinton, to the curb, for the inadequate male candidate, was the final straw. She ran circles around that man, and these women’s organizations kicked her to the curb. Everything they send me gets thrown in the trash. The Democrats will have to work very hard to get my vote in the future. Keep going after these “supposed” women’s organizations-they need a swift kick and a wake-up call.
Beachnan–I feel exactly the same way.
I am so DONE with establishment. The only way we will get our democracy back is to get rid of the money in politics.
Even in Afghanistan: 27 percent of seats in the National Assembly and 25 percent of seats in Provincial Councils are occupied by women. The USA ranks 69th in the world of percentage of women in government!
I was in shock that the Stupak amendment passed. In 2009! With the WH and both houses of Congress in Dem hands. Pathetic.
And please, let’s agree that if no money is allowed to subsidize abortions (even if you buy your own insurance!!) no money should subsidize viagra either.
Great column, Amy. No woman should be a robot for either male-dominated party. Only through independence will we recover our leverage.
You never had any rights except the one to vote for the person of your choice.
Ya gets what ya vote for.
Now go get the messiah a waffle like a good girl and a cup of coffee too.
We need to be a lot more radical than you suggest. We need to stop looking to political parties to give us anything.
We are giving away our power to them. Problem is, what I’m suggesting entails serious risks. Civil disobedience. A girl might even get arrested.
A good article by Ms. Siskind. I particularly like suggestions 03 and 04, since I feel that women’s groups who hung all of their expectations on one party have been taken for granted and left with no options. (Same for gay rights groups, as well.)
In general, I would think a group might have a basic strategy like this:
a) Have a “big picture” approach to achieving your aims. What you wish to realistically accomplish should be larger than one politician, or one party, or one political cycle.
b) Be willing to talk with ANY politician with influence about your group’s concerns and wishes, even one who publically opposes your group. As Ms. Siskind phrased it, you will have to “pitch” your talk in order to appeal to that politician’s needs.
c) Be clear within your group what can be negotiated and what cannot with politicians. A big mistake by some groups is for the leadership to sacrifice core principles in order to achieve marginal gains.
d) Be clear within your group what you expect with a particular politician. Some you expect to be a strong advocate for your concerns; others will be “fair weather” supporters as they feel the heat from opposing groups; some at best may avoid rolling back major gains IF you can appeal to their political needs strongly enough.
d) As a group you should avoid demonizing any politician who would be a natural supporter unless the politician is actively opposing your core principles. For instance, NOW should by default support any female politician, no matter if she’s Democrat, Republican, Independent, etc., unless she pushes for legislation that opposes the stated goals of NOW.
(Sorry for the length, but I got to thinking and couldn’t shut off the brain.)
Much as I appreciate this post I do not see how the GOP can help. Though, they certainly would not be as disrespectful.