10 Reasons 2010 Isn’t the Year of the Lefty Woman

By Lori Ziganto and Jenn Q. Public

Originally posted at David Horowitz’s NewsReal

The June electoral primaries settled it for the media: 2010 will go down as the Year of the Woman. Always susceptible to the seductive powers of a good identity politics narrative, the pundit class eagerly weighed in with variations on the theme: The Year of the New Woman, The Year of the Conservative Woman, The Year of GOP Women, and The Year of the (Pro-Life) Woman.

Predictably, this didn’t sit well with the feminist Left. Detecting a mortal threat to their exclusive ownership of the terms “feminist” and “woman,” they lashed out at conservative women politicians and their supporters. They dubbed Sarah Palin an anti-feminist, Jan Brewer a racist, and Meg Whitman a ruthless corporate tyrant. And while they admitted Nikki Haley might technically be a woman, she was deemed the wrong kind of woman.

Jezebel waded in with a list of the ten lowest moments for women in politics. Shockingly, it just happened to focus almost exclusively on unfair treatment of female Democrats and supposedly egregious conservative behavior. Number ten, for example, was “Almost anything Michelle Bachmann has ever said.” Such wit! Such biting commentary!

Perhaps the ladies at Jezebel need a reminder (or ten) of why no one’s declaring 2010 the Year of the Lefty Woman.

1. The Self-Destruction of Anti-Semitic Feminist Icon Helen Thomas

For decades Helen Thomas was embraced by the Left as a trailblazing feminist and “hero of journalism.” And the Left is where the recently retired White House correspondent felt at home. She told an interviewer last year, “I’m a liberal, I was born a liberal, I’ll be one ’til I die, what else should a reporter be when you see so much and when we have such great privilege and access to the truth?”

That made it especially difficult for progressive admirers to disassociate themselves from Thomas when a Long Island rabbi recorded her disgusting anti-Semitic remarks about Israeli Jews in June:

“Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine. Remember, these people are occupied and it’s their land…not German and not Poland.”

“So, where should they go?”

“Go home. Poland, Germany.”

“So, you think the Jews should go back to Poland and Germany?”

“And America and everywhere else.”

Thomas’ status as a feminist icon couldn’t rescue her from a long overdue retirement. But somehow it managed to save her from a place on Jezebel’s list of lowlights for women in politics. Apparently despicable anti-Semitic moonbats who advocate ethnic cleansing get a pass for all those groundbreaking achievements “in the fight for gender justice.”

2. Tina Brown: ‘Wingnut’ Women A Blow To Feminism

While there was a plethora of up in arms, whining articles bemoaning the rise of conservative women to the forefront, Tina Brown, editor of The Daily Beast, fully exposed the Left’s deep-seated fear of losing their gender identified victim-hood status during an appearance on Good Morning America in June of this year. The segment was discussing primary wins by Republican women, including Carly Fiorina and Nikki Haley. Said Miss Brown:

TINA BROWN: Yeah, I mean, it was. I mean, in some ways, it’s, again, representation that people are looking for otherness. You know, they’re so disgusted with incumbents, they’re looking for something completely different. And, as it happens, of course, women usually are seen as, you know, an alternative because many more men are in there. But, actually, the only trouble with this one is, it almost feels as if all these women winning are kind of a blow to feminism. Because, each one of them, really, most of them, are, you know, very much, uh, uh, you know, against so many of things that women have fought for such a long time.

Sorry, Miss Brown, but, no. These women do represent true feminism. They also fight for things that I fight for – as a woman and as a person. You see, Miss Brown, some people don’t marginalize themselves into gender boxes only. Unlike the Left, who seeks to diminish women by making them perpetual victims and who wants women to focus on busy work issues only. That whole empowerment deal? It’s impossible to be empowered if one is shrouded in victimization.

Faux Feminism, like that espoused by Femisogynists, is dead. People like Tina Brown are merely throwing themselves on the casket, caterwauling in a desperate bid to keep it alive. They are failing, because their hypocrisy is so blatant. Inventing victimization here, but ignoring true victims, the women in the Muslim world, as we’ll see later.

3. “Twilight: Eclipse” Makes Its Senate Debut

We all know what to expect from Supreme Court confirmation hearings: the painstakingly choreographed political theater, the predictable regurgitation of platitudes, and of course, the careful skirting of hot button issues. Elena Kagan’s hearing was no different, at least not until it was Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar’s turn to delve deep into the nominee’s judicial philosophy. We’re certain we speak for everyone in expressing our gratitude that Klobuchar was on hand to ask Kagan the penetrating question on all of our minds: Team Edward or Team Jacob?

“I keep wanting to ask you about the famous case of Edward v. Jacob, or The Vampire v. The Werewolf,” Sen. Klobuchar said, opening her questioning with a bit of lightheartedness.

“I wish you wouldn’t,” Kagan said with a laugh.

At long last, the Twihards have a senator who speaks for them, a forward thinking female role model who cares about the rights of sparkly vampire Americans. Finally there’s a legislator who understands that when ladies get together, it’s all Twilight, baby! Constitutional issues can wait!

Sadly, Kagan wasn’t prepared to answer and the giggling Klobuchar declined to press the issue. It’s a safe bet the D after Sen. Klobuchar’s name will “accidentally” get dropped from the history books when this incident is recorded.

4. The Left, Including ‘Feminists’ Totally Fine with Iran Gaining Seat on United Nations Women’s Rights Commission

In May of this year, Iran was appointed to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. Iran, making decisions and giving advice on the status of women. Not only was President Obama totally cool with this, his appointee to the United Nations, Susan Rice, couldn’t be bothered even attending the vote. Surely feminists must have been upset by this and must have spoken out against the appointment? Yes, except by speaking out, I, of course, mean the deafening sound of crickets.

‘Feminist’ site Jezebel.com made one note of Iran’s appointment to the council with this headline:

Iran Named To UN Gender Equality Group Despite Obvious Issues

Just some “issues”. No biggie. I mean, it’s not like Iran is Arizona, passing illegal immigration bills. Relax, wingnutty nuts! Jessica Valenti’s Feministing site had no mention of it at all. Amanda Marcotte’s Pandagon ignored the United Nations appointment, but they did speak out on another item from Iran’s fabulous women’s rights record – Boobquake. You see, an Iranian cleric claimed that earthquakes were caused by immodestly dressed women. You know, women who actually show their faces and ankles and stuff. The ever inane Amanda Marcotte defended the cleric, by claiming we are worse for insisting that an embryo is a life. Aren’t you glad these people are the new arbiters of women’s rights? Well, at least our State Department, headed by self-proclaimed feminist Hillary Clinton, she of not staying home and baking cookies because that would be demeaning fame, must have denounced it, right? Yeah, not so much:

“We’re not going to stand up and cheer,” the official said. “By the same token, that is less onerous than the Human Rights Council because women in Iran, relative to other countries in the region, actually have greater rights.”

“You don’t have women placed in head-to-toe burkas in that country,” the official said. “You have women elected to the legislature in the country.”

Yes, what’s wrong with you conservative women? Why worry about it? It’s not like it’s human rights – it’s just silly women! Not only was the official’s dismissive attitude vile in and of itself, but he is woefully misinformed as well. Unless by saying that head to toe burkas are not required, he actually meant that they totally are required. Because they are – it’s national law. Sadly, this wasn’t the only recent example of ignoring actual misogyny and subjugation under the guise of “tolerance” and appeasement.

5. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter’s Bathroom Negotiations on Health Care Reform

You know whose fault it is that health care reform wasn’t smooth sailing for the “progressive” supporters? Menfolk, that’s who! Here’s what Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH) told her constituents at a Manchester town hall meeting in January:

“We go to the ladies room and the Republican women and the Democratic women and we just roll our eyes,” she said. “And the Republican women said when we were fighting over the healthcare bill, if we sent the men home…” at which point she was interrupted by loud applause.

Nothing says Year of the Woman like a little sexism of one’s own. Come to think of it, that probably qualifies Shea-Porter’s comments for Jezebel‘s list of high points for women in politics.

6. American Academy of Pediatrics Proposes Genital “Nicking” – Women on the Left Grossly Rationalize It As Cultural Sensitivity

Perhaps the greatest example of femisogynist hypocrisy and, frankly, insanity is the way that they odiously cover for barbarism because they worship at the shrine of multiculturalism. Few things exemplify this more than their sick rationalizing of the mutilation of women.

In May, the American Academy of Pediatrics showed that they are real contenders in the race to see who can be the most revolting appeasers. They publicly issued a proposal suggesting that doctors give credence to Female Genital Mutilation by performing a ritual “nicking” instead. They also changed the term from Female Genital Mutilation to the euphemistic Female Genital Cutting, so as not to be offensive to other cultures. No, really. Truth doesn’t matter, it seems. All that matters is their ability to pat themselves on their sanctimonious backs for being so ‘inclusive’ and embracing of other cultures. Maybe it’s just me, but I refuse to embrace barbarism.

Not so, for the women on the Left. Amanda Marcotte sickeningly compared this ‘nicking’ of the sexual organs of young girls to marriage in this country.

And it’s not like Western culture is so free of blatantly misogynist traditions, either. Part of me wishes that we had a two minute nicking at the doctor instead of the entire painfully misogynist wedding tradition that persists in the name of tradition.

In her deluded mind, the lopping off of women’s body parts is the same as lovingly binding yourself to a partner and sharing a life together. She almost wishes we had our clitorises nicked instead of the horrors of a loving marriage. In her defense, marriage to her would be a horror, I suspect. Shockingly, Marcotte wasn’t alone in her depraved thinking (term used loosely.) An article at Salon said this:

As a nation of immigrants, we (in some ways like France, with its tensions over the burqa) continue to see tested the limits of liberties we hold dear; we continue to negotiate the tricky territory of embracing peoples while – in this case, rightly – rejecting their practices. And our doctors, evidently, are being asked to do exactly that in their own examining rooms. How can doctors address FGM in a way that makes sense to patients (why boys but not girls?) and educates without alienating, thus possibly helping protect that daughter from future harm? The above scenario with the Somali mother was a real one: It led to a comparable, and also rejected, “nicking” proposal in Seattle in 1996. So here we are again, revisiting the question at a national level, with doctors apparently still trying to figure out the most effective way to help protect the girls they encounter. What can we learn, this time around, about how to help them?

Meta-ethical relativism at it’s most dangerous. To anyone with an ounce of intellectual honesty and, you know, common decency, there is no “tricky territory” to negotiate. There is such a thing as just being right or wrong. There is such a thing as good or evil. But, instead, the women on the Left choose to be apologists for evil behavior all while inventing oppression here out of whole cloth.

7. Unethical Political Hack Lauded as Fourth Female Supreme Court Justice in History

For the last 13 years, the abortion debate in America has been significantly shaped by one very important sentence stating that partial birth abortion “may be the best or most appropriate procedure in a particular circumstance to save the life or preserve the health of a woman, and a doctor should be allowed to make this determination.”

The sentence was published by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), but was authored by a Clinton White House employee: our newest Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan. Earlier drafts of the ACOG statement had substantially different implications regarding late term abortion:

The task force’s initial draft statement did not include the statement that the controversial abortion procedure “might be” the best method “in a particular circumstance.” Instead, it said that the select ACOG panel “could identify no circumstances under which this procedure . . . would be the only option to save the life or preserve the health of the woman.”

Acting as a political operative for the Clinton administration, Kagan used her White House platform to creatively reframe the scientific findings of the ACOG panel. The revised statement was crafted for political gain, and was cited over and over in articles, op-eds, and court decisions. Her involvement in rephrasing ACOG’s scientific findings influenced both public opinion and policy for more than a decade.

This horrifyingly unethical woman now holds one of the single most powerful government positions in the country, and is likely to remain there for decades. And instead of admitting her dishonest political meddling, the Left is busy throwing pink ticker tape parades because our newest justice has two X chromosomes and pees sitting down. But hey, at least she’s a woman!

8. Hillary Clinton and her Anti-Woman State Department

The Left’s misogynistic tendencies were further on display in Hillary Clinton’s State Department with their utter disregard over the potential stoning to death of Sakineh Mohammadie Ashtiani, who was sentenced to death by stoning in Iran. Yes, Iran. The newest member of the United Nation’s Commission on Women’s Rights. The statement that Hillary Clinton’s State Department released was repugnant in every way. Ashtiani has been sentenced to death by stoning in Iran, for the crime of adultery. Her confession, which she retracted, was only obtained after she had received 99 lashes in front of her 17-year-old child. Her testimony, as is the law in Iran, only counted for half as much as a man’s. What did Hillary Clinton’s State Department have to say?

We have grave concerns that the punishment does not fit the alleged crime,” Assistant Secretary of State P.J. Crowley said. “For a modern society such as Iran, we think this raises significant human rights concerns.” Calling Iran’s judicial system “disproportionate” in its treatment of women, Crowley said, “From the United States’ standpoint, we don’t think putting women to death for adultery is an appropriate punishment.”

Oh, well, that’s okay then. They have ‘grave concerns’. Much like how President Obama was “deeply concerned” during the Iranian election protests when Neda was killed, shot dead in cold blood in the middle of the street. And as long as they think the punishment might not be quite ‘appropriate’ – Those adultering strumpets should be punished, but maybe stoning to death.

Meanwhile,the Left is frantically defending the mosque at Ground Zero, as a way to build bridges and reach out to the Muslim world. They aren’t too worried about the stoned women though – Hey, it’s not like they can even vote, am I right, fellas? As always, the left, including the women of the left, are apologists for evil behavior so that they can tout themselves as culturally enlightened and Better Than You. They explain away all wrongs perpetrated by others by trying to rationalize irrational and insane behavior. Human beings, be damned.

9. Gaffe Master Martha Coakley: Sore Loser or Victim of the Patriarchy?

Remember Martha Coakley? Here’s a reminder from WhoRunsGov:

Coakley will forever go down in political history as the candidate who lost the seat of the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) to a Republican who jeopardized Kennedy’s lifelong cause, health-care reform.

Coakley’s loss to Brown on January 19 followed a truly atrocious campaign marred by a bizarre mix of cockiness and desperation. Falsely believing her triumph in the Massachusetts special election was a done deal due to the D after her name and the support of the White House, Coakley fumbled her way through the campaign. But the worst blunder came when she allowed her opponent to be viciously smeared in a sleazy mailer:

The mail piece – sent over by the Brown campaign – shows pictures of women who are supposed to have been raped, one of them in a wheelchair bent over with her head in her hands. It says: “1,736 WOMEN WERE RAPED IN MASSACHUSETTS IN 2008. SCOTT BROWN WANTS HOSPITALS TO TURN THEM ALL AWAY.”

Not even close. As it turns out, Brown once sponsored a conscience clause amendment that would have allowed hospital workers a religious exemption from offering patients the morning after pill.

Coakley’s numerous gaffes helped propel Scott Brown to victory, after which she and her surrogates tried to play the gender card against Senator Testosterone and his patriarchal pickup truck. She is woman, hear her roar!

10. Leftist Women Suggesting Reverse-Suffrage and Asking for Pre-Vote ‘Skirt Checks’

While attempting to vilify GOP women, the women of the Left let their own masks slip. By focusing solely on gender politics and gender baiting, they have gone so far beyond the bend that they are now actively seeking a form of reverse-suffrage. Women can’t be expected to vote, nor even think , all on their own! They must all think and vote the same way, in lockstep with an ideology, no matter how harmful to themselves. This mask slipped when Rep. Janis Sontany (D-TN) uttered the following comments regarding Republican women:

At a Democratic gathering over the weekend, Sontany said of women Republican state lawmakers: “You have to lift their skirts to find out if they are women. You sure can’t find out by how they vote!” State GOP chairman Chris Devaney quickly issued a press release calling her comment “inappropriate and disrespectful” and demanding that various Democrats denounce Sontany.

You have to lift their skirts to find out if they are women. While a vile comment, the second part of it shows why this is not the year of the Lefty Woman. It’s not even the Year of any woman. It’s the year of freedom and free thinkers.

“You sure can’t find out by how they vote!”

That’s right. As it should be. It’s a point that was further reiterated after the recent primaries, discussed earlier, when a newspaper article proclaimed “In primaries, female candidates didn’t make gender an issue“. Of course the female GOP candidates didn’t make it an issue. Because it should not be one. GOP women are proving that we have moved beyond gender politics. Conservatives and Republicans understand that true empowerment and equality is predicated on freedom, including free thinking, and not on perpetual victimhood.

Not knowing how to tell by a vote what gender someone is? That’s a great thing and the right thing and the way it should be. And it’s further proof that gender politics are, thankfully for us all, becoming a thing of the past.

(Originally posted at David Horowitz’s NewsReal Blog)

Follow Jenn on Twitter and read more of her work at JennQPublic.com and The Feminist Hawks’ Nest at NewsReal.

Follow Lori on Twitter and read more of her work at Snark and Boobs, iOwntheWorld , NewsReal, and Red State.

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