Week of May 22, 2009
DearSummer may be unofficially starting next week, but that doesn't mean things will slow down here at EMILY's List. From Judy Chu's exciting primary win Tuesday in CA-32 to new GOP challengers for our freshmen women, it has been anything but boring. So let's get right to the latest news from the field.
Lady Justice
Earlier this month, Ellen Malcolm asked you to contact President Obama to urge him to select a woman to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter. Thousands of you took action. I'm pleased to report we weren't alone in our thinking: now, nearly every list of top potential nominees is filled with women. Check out this column by Ruth Marcus if there's anyone you still need to convince of the importance of having a Supreme Court that includes another woman. Click here to read the article.
Gillibrand Taking Single Mothers Out of the Penalty Box
Only three and a half months into her Senate term, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York has hit the ground running. Earlier this month, Gillibrand unveiled legislation to lift a penalty now imposed on single mothers who receive child support. Her bill would eliminate the Single Mother's Penalty, which imposes a $25 administrative fee to single-parent families who receive child support. As Gillibrand points out, "For a single parent on a budget, $25 is more than a week's worth of lunches, diapers, or baby formula." While she supports balancing the federal budget, Gillibrand says it should not be done on the backs of single-parent families -- and I couldn't agree more. Click here to learn more about Kirsten Gillibrand.
All A-Twitter
Everyone is taking to Twitter these days to share their thoughts -- from potential Supreme Court nominees to Senator Claire McCaskill's creamed spinach recipe. For Sarah Palin, however, the list of Twitter-worthy topics is a bit more unique. In addition to twittering about the "sanctity of life" recently, Palin took to Twitter last week to announce how excited she is that numerous ethics charges against her have been dropped. Hardly able to contain her happiness about not being found guilty, she twittered: "Great day! Another frivolous ethics complaint against me was dismissed! I won against another false allegation, too!" Doesn't seem like the kind of news you'd want to focus on…Game On
The 2010 cycle is taking shape, and we want you to have the latest news about the women you've helped elect. Although we're more than a year and a half away from the election, many of our incumbent women are facing opponents for 2010. We're confident they have what it takes to fight off challenges -- and we're here to make sure they have our support.
In OH-15, Steve Stivers, who lost to Mary Jo Kilroy by a small margin in 2008, is already talking about 2010. Stivers is basing his chances on low voter turnout which, he hopes, could be his ticket for a win. "The urban turnout would be much lower, the university would be much, much lower, and the suburbs would still be the same." Apparently, "less is more" for Republicans who can't seem to win the popular vote.
Newly-elected Rep. Betsy Markey (CO-04) already has multiple opponents -- and former Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, who lost to Markey last year, recently sent a fundraising letter telling supporters her latest plan: "My first step is figuring out who is with me…which conservative patriots out there will answer the call to help me expose the truth about the left-wing machine." Not that she's bitter…
Sunshine State News
Fortunately, GOPers aren't the only ones jumping into races this week. I wanted to make sure you saw that Alex Sink has announced she'll run for Florida governor -- and your notes of encouragement are headed her way. Sink, who would become the state's first woman governor, is already in the swim of things. She has drawn the support of former Senator and Governor Bob Graham and every Democrat in the state's congressional delegation -- an exciting start for another pro-choice Democratic woman candidate.
Thanks for all you're doing to put our country back on track. Have a restful Memorial Day weekend.
Warmly,
Britt Cocanour
Chief of Staff
