Tell House Republicans: Pass the Violence Against Women Act

The Senate just passed a reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act: Sign the petition to tell House Republicans to do the same.

Denying women legal protection against violence and abuse is unjustifiable. But that’s exactly what House Republicans are doing.

Help us reach 250,000 strong standing with President Obama and telling House Republicans to pass the Violence Against Women Act.

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The Guardian UK is a well read newspaper in our Nation and I was proud to chime in on a discussion panel of women as it relates to the topic of Mitt Romney and his “binders of women.”

I was happy to address what has been burning in my heart –  and, as a woman who proudly served in our Armed Forces as a bomb dog handler …  I believe it is time for women to be part of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Let’s break that glass ceiling.

We need to pick our battles more carefully as it relates to war, and since many of us have children of our own who could be drafted, then I believe we should be part of the strategic decisions.

You can read the entire discussion here, and was amongst 6 other women who contributed to the panel.  Here is my contribution:

 

It will be very hard for Mitt Romney to improve his image with women voters because he has reversed his stance on the pro-choice/pro-life issue too many times. His reversals make him appear like a populist politician driven by polls. Remember, Romney gave an oath to protect a woman’s right to choose until he decided to run under the Republican presidential ticket. How can a pro-choice woman trust Romney after he went back on his word? On the other hand, how can a pro-life woman trust him when his campaign recently stated that abortion “should be an option” in certain cases?

In order for Romney to garner the trust of women voters, he will have to pick a side and stick with it to the end, else mistrust will continue to pile up. Right now, women do not know what his real conviction on the issue, and we become much more considerate of politicians who stick to their convictions. As it stands, we still do not know where his heart is really at.

A woman has never served on the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS); therefore, any president promoting women to the JCS within his first 100 days would give many of us a sigh of relief and encouragement. So many women in the US are related to sons, daughters or relatives currently serving our armed forces, and we are feeling apprehensive and pressure with regard to the multiple wars we have been engaged in. It would be helpful knowing that more women are part of the “advisory committee”, which helps plan joint operations and resolutions of military problems because, as it stands, there appears to be too much testosterone fueling those key decisions. It would be helpful for us to see balance at a strategic leadership level.

DeeDee Garcia Blase: ‘[Romney] will have to pick a side and stick with it to the end’

DeeDee Garcia Blase is founder of Somos Republicans, and the president of the National Tequila Party Movement, which promotes Hispanic Get Out the Vote initiatives

I read the entire police report of Paul Penzone’s domestic violence report and serious questions arise. Apparently the wife had a documented head injury also, alleging Paul pushed her into a closed door. He denied this. How did she get the head injury? Also, there was supposed to be a neighbor across the street who may have witnessed the event. One try was made to interview the supposed witness, and no follow-up calls at her house. Poor investigation.

The prosecutor declined to file the case based upon “He said-She said” and no probability of conviction. The son was never interviewed.

I’m curious if Phoenix PD did a personnel investigation. Everyone would have been interviewed, the investigation intensive. And, if it showed he actually pushed her into the door, appropriate discipline would have been meted out, under the heading of “Conduct Unbecoming an Officer.” Police are supposed to be above such actions.

See full report here of Paul Penzone and his wife alleging he pushed her into a door and suffering a head contusion.

Lead Co-President and feminist Shirl Mora James wants you to sign this petition!  Please sign (I did)!

It’s Time for a Woman Moderator: Equality in the 2012 Presidential Debates! – Sign the Petition!

Romney’s religion now ‘fair game’?

Crazy as Wright sounds, “Mormonism could scare Romney’s own base even more.”

Conservative far right wing evangelicals were not and are not enthused about Mitt Romney (due to his Mormon views) because religion tends to matter to them more.  There is a

Invoking Rev. Wright will only bring attention to Mitt Romney's Mormon background, also.

reason why Mitt Romney’s millions were really unable to really beat Rick Santorum (an evangelical favorite) and his shoe string budget during the early 2012 Presidential primary elections. That said…it looks like Mitt Romney is stepping into a political landmine when he chose to chime in on the Rev. Wright issue.

Romney spoke on a Hannity show program that will simply remind Republicans of Mitt Romney’s Mormon background. It would have been better for Romney not to say anything at all. Some evangelicals and several Americans really don’t know about Mormonism in general, but they are about to find out, and it certainly does not help to learn about some of  the polygamous beginnings of Mormonism in the women’s department. It also will not help when Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson will bring awareness to how the Mormon Church did not allow minority priests until the late 1970′s.  The Mormon Church did not allow black men to be ordained as priests in the church until 1978.

At least Senator John McCain was smart enough not to touch the Rev. Wright issue, and Romney invoking Wright will now backfire. I believe the issue will also strike a nerve with women, especially women who believe polygamous views are demeaning to women. It would have been better if Mitt Romney would have said nothing at all — but now the flood gates will open.

Mark my words, everything will be invoked — race, women, religion, birth control, immigrants and what have ya.  What the National Tequila Party Movement will concentrate on is the Latin and Mexican matriarch votes in key swing states.

But Romney himself raised the controversial reverend during a radio interview with Sean Hannity in February, after the host aired a clip of President Obama saying, “Given the increasing diversity of America’s populations, the dangers of sectarianism are greater than ever. Whatever we once were we are no longer a Christian nation.”

Romney replied, “The other part of his quote is also an unusual thing, where he says that sectarianism (presents) a great threat. Look, he may not be much of a student of history but perhaps he doesn’t recall that from the very beginning, America had many different sects, many different religions, that part of our founding principle was that we would be a nation of religious tolerance. Also, without question, the legal code in this country is based upon Judeo-Christian values and teachings, Biblical teachings, and for the president not to understand that a wide array of religions and a conviction that Judeo-Christian philosophy is an integral part of our foundation is really an extraordinary thing. I think again that the president takes his philosophical leanings in this regard, not from those who are ardent believers in various faiths but instead from those who would like to see America (more secular. And I’m not sure which is worse, him listening to Reverend Wright or him saying that we … must be a less Christian nation.”

Some Republicans have said privately since the 2008 campaign that they wished John McCain would have used the incendiary words of the reverend, who was Obama’s longtime pastor, against the then-candidate.

McCain refused to do it.

 

What is it with politicians who do not put their money where their mouth is? 

There are more female voters than there are male voters, and this year we will be scrutinizing those politicians who have been giving us lip service.

Female contractors are just as qualified as male contractors, so what gives?

From the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce Action Center:

Dear Deedee:

What could you do with $90 billion?  I am reaching out to you to announce a very important advocacy campaign.

Breakthrough:  Fair Access to Federal Contracts for Women-Owned Firms

The U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce is stepping up again to lead the charge to finally put an end to decades of financial discrimination against women-owned federal contractors. No more will we allow politicians to proclaim their love of women without putting the money (due us) where their mouths are — we expect our fair share of federal contracts. With your support and focused leadership on this very important issue, the political shell game will end here and now.

Year after year the federal government takes our tax dollars and spends our hard earned revenues without regard for the legal and moral obligation to award women-owned firms our fair share of federal contracts.

>>Learn more here – http://www.uswcc.org/breakthrough.aspx

>>Join me for a web-cast meeting tomorrow (Wednesday, May 9th at 2:30 pm

>>Go to the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce Action Center to contact Congress and President Obama.

In 1994, Congress established an incredibly low 5% goal for contracting with women-owned firms.  Since 1994, year after year, the federal government has failed to meet or beat the 5% goal for federal contracting with women-owned small businesses.  The consequences of this discriminatory failure?  Women-owned firms have lost $90 billion of dollars in opportunities.  This colossal opportunity loss negatively impacts women’s business growth, retirement preparedness, our families, our employees, our employee’s families and our communities.

Between FY 1995 – FY 2010, the total lost to women-owned firms due to the failure of the federal government to meet the 5% contracting goal is $89,926,788,994.

We’re drawing the line in the sand today.  Help us end this discrimination once and for all.

P.S.  In addition to the Breakthrough webcast, join us for Creating a Winning Capabilities Statement – 5/9/2012 and WOSB/EDWOSB Overview and Certification Process – 5/15/2012.  If you are not a Business or Business Plus Member of the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce – why not step up today?

Sincerely,

Margot Dorfman, CEO
U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Recently, there has been much discussion with regard to Mitt Romney and the Republican War on Women — but more awareness needs to be raised with regard to the perception that is given instead of what is reality.

The reality is President Obama nominated the first Latina as a Supreme Court Justice.  On the other hand, Mitt Romney stated he would not support Sonia Sotomayor as a justice of the Supreme Court even though in 1991, she was nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by President George H.W. Bush.

According to the Institute for Research on Women and Gender at Columbia University, Janine Balekdjian stated: “President Obama has made other concrete steps for the advancement of women, like signing the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay act and appointing Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court.”

Indeed the Republican Party has a woman problem and it extends into the Latina community.  Dr. Caroline Heldman, an Associate Professor of Politics at Occidental College and political commentator for Fox News identifies the problem further as she digs deeper into Conservative talking heads like Rush Limbaugh.  According to Heldman, Limbaugh has spent two decades attacking feminists, female political leaders, professional women, women who speak out, and women’s gains more generally. This formula makes his almost exclusively older, white, male audience feel more powerful in a world where changing gender roles have challenged non-meritorious power structures that benefit them.

Mitt Romney and Rush Limbaugh share the same philosophy because both have publicly stated their opposition toward a Latina justice that holds one of the highest positions in the land.  Coincidentally enough, the last act of Mel Martinez as U.S. Senator was voting as one of only nine Republicans in support Sotomayor for SCOTUS. He resigned the next morning.

Will the Republican Party take us two steps backward as Latina leadership emerges?

We believe so.

Recently, the Republican Governor Dave Heineman has promised to veto the Nebraska bill (LB599).  LB599 provides prenatal coverage to low-income women, many of them undocumented, who lost Medicaid coverage for prenatal care in 2010.  Civil Rights and immigration attorney, Shirl Mora James, also Lead Co-President of the National Tequila Party Movement (a female-led Independent movement that motivates Latinos to vote for pro-immigrant politicians), recently exposed the Republican Governor of Nebraska with regard to his pro life hypocrisy. Shirl believes in helping ALL women who choose to keep their babies while ensuring appropriate prenatal care despite their immigration status.

Apparently the Governor of Nebraska thinks it is safe to pick on undocumented women who choose to keep their babies since he really does not have to worry about their votes in the immediate sense– and this seems to be the path Republicans are now willing to embrace.

According to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University:

“… voter turnout rates for women have equaled or exceeded voter turnout rates for men. Women, who constitute more than half the population, have cast between four and seven million more votes than men in recent elections. In every presidential election since 1980, the proportion [of] female adults who voted has exceeded the proportion of made adults who voted …”

There is a strong sense of matriarchy within the Mexican-American culture, and Latinas will ‘wise up’ during the 2012 elections when we evaluate how politicians treat women of Latin descent.  One thing is for certain — we cannot gamble our vote away on “multiple-choice” Mitt.  Why should women support him if he would have opposed a ‘wise Latina’ like Sotomayor?

In conclusion, male chauvinism is a thing of the past and it is high time men take note in the political arena.  Women can do much more than cook and clean … we can politically educate ourselves, too, and base our voting behavior on the past history of those who want to be entrusted as our elected officials.

Mitt Romney would have opposed Latina Justice Sonia Sotomayor