EMILY's List
Empowering women...by endorsing men?
By Jen Bluestein on 07/15/2010 @ 03:29 PM
So, I'm trying to be respectful here. I think people can disagree, and I think the great thing about our democracy is that there's a place in it for all of us – pick your goal and work your heart out on behalf of your candidates and voters will tell you if you've been effective or not. It's what energizes me every morning (in addition to several cups of Dunkin' Donuts' finest): knowing that our work every day brings more pro-choice Democratic women into office throughout the country.
Which is why, to be honest, the Susan B. Anthony List, the previously-sleepy but now Palin co-opted anti-choice organization confuses me. Their mission is: "Advancing, Mobilizing and Representing Pro-Life Women". But it's not just because of that creative decision to call themselves a "List" that I'm confused – we take imitation as the sincerest form of flattery. It's not even their willful historically inaccurate portrayal of Susan B. Anthony that confuses me. It's this: their mission is to elect more anti-choice women to Congress. So why are they endorsing so many men?
Just yesterday, the SBA List sent out a glowing endorsement trumpeting their support of Cong. Roy Blunt, who is running against Missouri Secretary of State and EL candidate Robin Carnahan. (Readers of this blog are well familiar with Congressman Blunt – he of the Karl Rove fundraisers, Georgetown champagne parties, and oil company contributions) The SBA List gave only Blunt's opposition to the health care reform passed earlier this year as evidence of what they referred to as his "statesmanship".
According to the SBA List, their endorsement of men is "rare". But in this cycle alone they've endorsed seven men for Congress whom they are actively raising funds to support – and 21 women. Exactly how is fully one-quarter of Congressional endorsements going to men a "rare" occurrence?
Not to mention the fact that they're endorsing against the few anti-choice Democratic women in the House. If the SBA List is successful, the House will have two fewer women: they've endorsed male candidates against anti-choice women in Ohio and Pennsylvania. SBA List cites the incumbents' votes for health care reform as the sole reason they should be removed from office.
OK. So I’m trying to understand. Nobody who voted in favor of increasing access to health care and reforming the insurance mess should stay in Congress? Or just the anti-choice women should take the blame for what SBA List considers egregious public policy? Never mind. Don’t answer. I'm just saying: endorsing men is hardly an effective way of "activating more pro-life women in the political and legislative arenas", which SBA List gives as its goal.
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